Tag Archive | One More Chapter

The Spa Break by Caroline James

Jan21

New Discoveries

The Spa Break by Caroline James is a really fun contemporary read that entertained me from the start.

The reader joins four friends in their sixties on a weekend spa break to celebrate a seventieth birthday.

Not shackled by the confines of daily life, it is a journey of discovery for each one of the four.

It is a time of new opportunities. Life is for living, and the four ladies certainly expand their horizons as they try out new activities.

Caroline James writes with much lightheartedness and wit. Her observations, as well as her dialogue, create the comedy.

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The French Cookery School by Caroline James

May2

New Horizons

The French Cookery School by Caroline James is a positively delightful contemporary novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

All the characters were well drawn, realistic and likable. They were an eclectic mix who traveled from England to the French cookery school. There are larger than life characters, salt of the earth characters, a brow beaten woman, a newly widowed woman and more, plus a Michelin starred chef and the owner. Everyone has a back story.

We witness that branching out alone after losing a partner to cancer, takes much bravery, as the late partner’s dream is realised. As he lets a little light in, he finds the strength to live again.

The reader cannot help but like a bubbly northern lass who always has a smile and a kind word. She is hoping for a long-held dream to become a reality.

Our hearts break for a character who has been forever squashed by her husband who is a philanderer and a gambler. She fears the future. She is also caught in the grip of anorexia. A near miss helps her to open her eyes to the possibility that the second half of her life can be better than the first.

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The Promise Tree by Elisabeth Hobbes

Oct7

To Last A Lifetime

The Promise Tree by Elisabeth Hobbes is a very beautiful historical fantasy that I read in just one sitting.

The tale is set mainly from 1902 to just after the end of World War I, and then into the twenty first century. It is a tale as old as time. It is a tale that transcends time. It is a tale of great beauty.

We see the beauty when a character is at one with nature. Nature should be cherished, adored and preserved for future generations.

In contrast there is the ugliness of war. There is the tragedy of the Pals regiments where a generation of young men were lost to the battlefields of France. Whole villages went to war and only a handful of young men returned.

We witness how a tragedy caused a life to become bitter and full of hatred, blaming an innocent for what was simply, a tragic accident.

And we see a beautiful relationship that is gentle, cares, protects and preserves. It is a beauty that needs to be shared. We see the dark satanic mills of northern England where whole sways of people have no access to green spaces. A generous philanthropist decides to right this wrong.

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Saving The Good News Gazette by Jessie Wells

Aug6

Most Charming

Saving The Good News Gazette by Jessie Wells is a most charming contemporary novel that made me smile. It is the second book in The Good News Gazette series but can be read as a stand-alone.

This is a book about community and big, generous hearts. The Good News Gazette exists to bring good news. Zoe, its editor, is the voice of the novel as it is written in the first person.

Zoe is community minded, spearheading the campaign to save the old cinema. She is also forward thinking and has innovative ideas that help transform the lives of those around her. She could, figuratively speaking, beat with the stick but she chooses the carrot instead, to help transform hearts.

Zoe is also a single mum, juggling many pies but remains cheerful and giving.

The tone of the novel is fun and light-hearted. It is absolutely hilarious at times. I just laughed out loud – especially in the scenes at the party with the nautical theme. I cannot ‘unsee’ the pictures that I conjured up in my head!

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