Tag Archive | One More Chapter

The Cafe On The Coast by Christie Barlow

Feb1

The Sanctuary

The Café On The Coast by Christie Barlow is a most beautiful contemporary novel that I never wanted to end. It is the fourth book in the Puffin Island series and I cannot wait to read more.

There is a wonderful warm atmosphere which envelops all who enter the café on the coast. It has “a kitchen full of love and laughter.” This love and laughter is ‘felt’ by the reader too.

Food is important. Characters bond over baking. “The torte represents that spirit of connection, community, friends and love.” – and that is exactly what the book is all about. The love shines through the pages.

Good friends and family are priceless. The lead character is nominated for a royal baking competition. The whole village comes out in support.

The café on the coast is “more than just a café. It became a refuge. A place to gather, to grieve, to heal.” Whatever your need, it can be found in the café on the coast.

Our inheritance and our heritage are important. Generations of bakers have handed down their family recipes. They are in “the handwritten book… holding secret recipes…sprinkled with love.” These recipes are unique. These recipes hold a secret. As it is unlocked, it becomes clear that it is not for sharing – some things need to stay buried.

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The Devil Comes Calling by Annette Dashofy

Jan26

Mesmerising & Gripping

The Devil Comes Calling by Annette Dashofy is a fabulous contemporary crime suspense that totally gripped me from the start. It is the third book in A Detective Honeywell Mystery series but can be read as a stand-alone. I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

Matthias Honeywell is a very likable lead character. He is not without his flaws, and it is these imperfections that make him incredibly realistic and easy to relate to.

All the characters were well drawn and realistic. There are some menacing thugs; and some Teflon-coated villains – surely sooner or later, something will stick to them!

Most of the characters act as their personality suggests – until the superb ending when one character decides enough is enough! I did not spot that coming!

Murder and mayhem; arson and lies; revenge and secrets – The Devil Comes Calling has it all. And there are those who are in pursuit of truth and justice. Detective Honeywell and his partner are relentless as they seek out the perpetrators of crime.

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A Mother’s Second Chance by Sarah Lefebve

Jan19

Heart-Wrenching & Beautiful

A Mother’s Second Chance by Sarah Lefebve is the most beautiful and heart-wrenching contemporary novel about love and loss; grief and guilt; faith and families. It is a novel that I savoured and was emotionally invested in. It was a book that I never wanted to end.

This is a book about loss and how it affects all those involved. A best friend, Lou, and her husband are tragically killed, leaving their two children to be looked after by Zoe, Lou’s best friend. Friends for over thirty years since meeting at secondary school, the grief is very raw, “I am angry at my friend… that she died.” Grief throws up many emotions. It is a question of wading through the grief journey. “One day you’ll wake up and though the pain will still be there, it will be a little duller. A little easier to bear.”

Loss never goes away. “It’s okay to cry… You don’t get a quota of tears.” Tears can come when we do, and when we don’t, expect them.

Guilt is the bedfellow of grief. “It’s okay to laugh… It doesn’t mean you don’t miss them.” We are allowed to smile and laugh again. “The start of spring. A beautiful but painful reminder that life does not stop. Even when your best friend dies.” We feel that life should stop turning when loved ones die, but the wheels just keep spinning.

The children left behind are five-year-old Phoebe and her baby brother Zack who is not one yet. Phoebe’s grief is hard to deal with as her pain cannot be taken away. “She [Phoebe] asks if it is possible to un-die once you have died.”

Love never dies. “They [Phoebe & Zack] will forever be the love that links me to the best friend I ever had.” Loving her children is the last act of love that Zoe can do for Lou. “We will make sure Phoebe and Zack remember Louise and Rich. They don’t need a house to do that. And we will help them make new memories.”

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The Orphan’s Last Goodbye by Glynis Peters

Dec4

A New Cub In Canada

The Orphan’s Last Goodbye by Glynis Peters is a powerful historical novel that I loved. It is the fourth book in the Red Cross Orphans series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The year is 1947 and the war has been over for a couple of years but its’ effects are still being felt in lives. Nightmares of things that they cannot change, remain.

We witness that relationships formed in war cannot always stand the test of peace time. In contrast, other relationships strengthen due to shared experiences.

There are hearts of gold. “You always invested your heart into each child who stepped over the threshold.” Orphans of war were guaranteed a loving home in a big family house in the North East. These huge hearts continue as nothing is too much trouble despite personal hardship. In contrast, a heart is selfish, seeking out personal gain and not thinking of others.

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