The Lion Tamer Who Lost by Louise Beech

The Lion Tamer Who Lost
By Louise Beech
Published by Orenda Books (E-book - 15 July 2018; Paperback - 30 September 2018) 
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher 

Publisher's description

Be careful what you wish for…

Long ago, Andrew made a childhood wish, and kept it in a silver box. When it finally comes true, he wishes it hadn’t…
Long ago, Ben made a promise and he had a dream: to travel to Africa to volunteer at a lion reserve. When he finally makes it, it isn’t for the reasons he imagined…
Ben and Andrew keep meeting in unexpected places, and the intense relationship that develops seems to be guided by fate. Or is it? 
What if the very thing that draws them together is tainted by past secrets that threaten everything?
A dark, consuming drama that shifts from Zimbabwe to England, and then back into the past, The Lion Tamer Who Lost is also a devastatingly beautiful love story … with a tragic heart. 

My verdict
While The Lion Tamer Who Lost is a love story between Andrew and Ben, it was also a love story for me - as I was bewitched by Louise Beech's stunning writing for a fourth time (having read her previous books How to Be Brave, The Mountain in my Shoe and Maria in the Moon).

This is a sweeping drama of Zimbabwe, with evocative descriptions of the African landscape and two rescue lions who need to learn how to live independently. I found myself reading some of the prose again and again, with everything so vividly described that I felt I was there too. The narrative switches between Ben and Andrew (relaying their thoughts, feelings and emotions), between past and present, and between the two contrasting locations of Africa and England. The characters felt very real and, once again, reminded me of the talent shining through the pages.

I believe that everyone who reads this book will take away something different. For me, it was a story of unrequited love, of families and friendships, lovers and relationships, and promises, wishes, hopes and dreams. Of feeling trapped and desperate to break free, but needing the confidence to learn to fly, with similarities between Ben's own situation and that of the lions he was caring for. It was about the strength of love and the selfless sacrifices that people make at a time of crisis, and also having the maturity and courage to deal with life's setbacks if things don't go as planned..

I knew this book would be a tearjerker as soon as I immersed myself in Louise Beech's story, with her poetic words leaping off the page like little sparks of light. I had tissues, chocolate and counselling service on standby by the time I reached the end. Each one of her books is unique - nothing like her previous ones, but just as compelling and compassionate. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

The Last Day by Claire Dyer

The Last Day 
By Claire Dyer
Published by Dome Press (15 February 2018)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher 

Publisher's description

Every ending starts with a beginning; every beginning, an end. 

Boyd and Vita have been separated for six years when Boyd asks if he can move back in to the house they both still own, bringing with him his twenty-seven-year-old girlfriend, Honey. 

Of course, Vita agrees: enough water has travelled under enough bridges since her marriage to Boyd ended and she is totally over him; nothing can touch her now. Boyd and Honey move in and everyone is happy - or so it seems.

However, all three are keeping secrets.

My verdict
The Last Day is an emotional read with flowing poetic prose. This was one of those books that I had to read out loud at various points to appreciate the author's well-crafted words and beautifully observed character descriptions and interactions. It's tightly plotted, with a underlying sense of mystery about events to come.

The story focuses on three main characters - Vita, her estranged husband Boyd and his young girlfriend Honey. This sounds like a recipe for disaster, but this book isn't a love triangle. It's told in the first person through Vita's eyes and through both Boyd and Honey in the third person. Yet through the author's beautiful writing, I felt that I got to know the characters equally well - their thoughts, beliefs and inner turmoil. I was living their lives with them.

The Last Day is a story of relationships, love and marriage, grief, loss and tragedy, life's ups and downs, secrets, deception and lies. It's very much a story of people, rather than places, and is heartbreaking, compassionate and poignant. It's about who we love and how we love. What drives us and what breaks us. How secrets, and life events, can make us stronger but also weaken us. As the book evolves, secrets bubbling under the surface gradually spreading their wings towards the final page.

The Last Day reminded me of the importance of living each day to the full, as we never know what's coming next. No day can be like the previous ones as our lives are constantly changing, and every day influences the days ahead of us - for better or for worse.

I recently found these two quotes on 'last days'. Which path in life one do you follow?

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Tin Man by Sarah Winman

Tin Man
By Sarah Winman
Published by Tinder Press (27 July 2017)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher.

Publisher's description

It begins with a painting won in a raffle: fifteen sunflowers, hung on the wall by a woman who believes that men and boys are capable of beautiful things.

And then there are two boys, Ellis and Michael,
who are inseparable.
And the boys become men,
and then Annie walks into their lives,
and it changes nothing and everything.

My verdict
Tin Man is only a short book but it packs a powerful punch and is filled with emotion. It's packaged beautifully, inside and out.

This book was clearly written to be read slowly and savoured at every sentence - with its stunning poetic writing and the compelling haunting tale. It's a book about love, loss, loneliness, desire, friendships, sexuality and relationships. There are no speech marks, which means all of the writing flows into one, taking you on a journey through the characters' lives.

It's a melancholy book, though it made me smile in places, and certainly made me think - about what's important in life and how to hold on to those friendships that mean the most. I cared about each of the characters, and they seemed very real. I felt as if I knew them by the end - their hopes and dreams, likes and dislikes.

I don't think Tin Man will appeal to everyone, but I think many people will be reaching for the tissues. I think it helps if you know what to expect before you dive inside. This isn't a book of action or fast-paced plotting. This is very much a book about thoughts and emotions, how different people belong together and how the right or wrong choices can influence our future.

A highly moving book about that 'what might have been' feeling that touches so many people.

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce

The Music Shop
By Rachel Joyce
Published by Transworld (13 July 2017)

Publisher's description

1988. Frank owns a music shop. It is jam-packed with records of every speed, size and genre. Classical, jazz, punk – as long as it’s vinyl he sells it. Day after day Frank finds his customers the music they need. 

Then into his life walks Ilse Brauchmann.

Ilse asks Frank to teach her about music. His instinct is to turn and run. And yet he is drawn to this strangely still, mysterious woman with her pea-green coat and her eyes as black as vinyl. But Ilse is not what she seems. And Frank has old wounds that threaten to re-open and a past he will never leave behind ... 

My verdict
The Music Shop is a heartwarming character-driven novel with rhythmic writing, descriptive prose and gentle humour. It's a quirky and nostalgic easy read and should appeal to most people.

Set in the late 1980s, it prompted me to reminisce about the music and culture of my teenage years. This was a great time of change, with the housing boom and property development, and within music itself, with the rise of shiny CDs and synthetic pop bands. Yet Frank, the key character in The Music Shop, doesn't like change. Instead, he loves his old vinyls and the other small high street shops. He has a gift for choosing music to suit his customers' needs, yet he ignores his own.

The Music Shop has a love story at its heart, but not just between Frank and the mysterious Ilse. It's about loving yourself, your community and the changing world. This is a book about dealing with change, whether it's sticking to your principles or accepting that the world is moving on around you - and that you'll be lost if you don't take the plunge yourself.

The ending is a bit 'cheesy' and maybe a little rushed. But overall, this relaxing read provides much food for thought.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher (through Lovereading).

This Beautiful Life by Katie Marsh

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for This Beautiful Life by Katie Marsh. This Beautiful Life was published by Hodder & Stoughton on 27 July 2017.


This Beautiful Life
By Katie Marsh
Published by Hodder & Stoughton (27 July 2017)

Publisher's description

What happens when you get the second chance you never expected?
Abi is living her happy ending. She's in remission and is ready to make the most of her second chance at life. But during Abi's illness her family has fallen apart. Her husband Johnhas made decisions that are about to come back to haunt him, while her teenage son Seb is battling with a secret of his own.

Set to the songs on Abi's survival playlist, this is the story of what happens next as Abi tries to rebuild her family. Can she bring the people she loves most in the world back together again... before it's too late?

My verdict
Katie Marsh has done it again. Smiles and laughter sprinkled with tissues and tears are how I would describe her books.  Or maybe tissues and tears sprinkled with smiles and laughter. I can't decide which combination was triggered the most while I read This Beautiful Life, a stunning book that's honest, beautifully written and filled with raw emotion.

I loved both of her previous books, and still she's managed to top them. Yet again, she's tackled a health issue that will be close to people's hearts - the impact of cancer on the whole family. A terrible disease that leaves few families untouched. Abi is in remission from cancer and now needs to put her family back together. I lived these characters' lives as if I were a fly on the wall - or rather, inside their heads, reading their thoughts, feeling their feelings... Abi's family felt like mine - and could be mine as I feel I know them all so well.

This Beautiful Life left me an emotional wreck, taking me on a family's rollercoaster journey as they look towards the future. Just as well I finished reading this late at night after the rest of the household had gone to bed, as I was clasping a box of tissues in my hand. There's a Spotify playlist associated with the book. The song titles are scattered between chapters, making this book seem ever so real and ever so personal. I tried to read it slowly, but couldn't put it down.

Bring on the next Katie Marsh book. I'll be waiting with tissues at the ready, prepared for more tears, smiles and laughter. This is going to be one of my favourite books of 2017.

I received an Advance Reader Copy.

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Woman of the Hour by Jane Lythell

Woman of the Hour
By Jane Lythell
Published by Head of Zeus (3 November 2016)

Publisher's description

Meet Liz Lyon: respected TV producer, stressed-out executive, guilty single mother. 

StoryWorld is the nation's favourite morning show, and producer Liz Lyon wants to keep it that way. Her job is to turn real-life stories into thrilling TV – and keep a lid on the scandals and backbiting that happen off-stage. 

But then simmering tensions erupt at the station, trapping Liz in a game of one-upmanship where she doesn't know the rules. As the power struggle intensifies, can Liz keep her cool and keep her job? Does she even want to? 

My verdict
Woman of the Hour is an intense fictional look at what goes on behind the scenes in the pressurised world of live morning TV. It's certainly not as glamorous as people are often led to believe.

In places, Woman of the Hour reads more like memoir than fiction, providing an honest and realistic account. Jane Lythell clearly knows her subject, having worked in TV for years, and this shines through in her writing with so much detail described - in terms of setting, daily lives and people's rising emotions. It was fascinating reading, filled with secrets, lies, ambition and power. Some things made me laugh, others brought tears to my eyes - and then there was some events that made me cringe. There are a wide range of characters, many with big egos and others that I couldn't help but hate.

The chapters alternate between Liz's work life and her home life, showing how she juggles the two (often struggling to do so) and how each impacts upon the other, shaping her responses to people and events. This book explores whether working women really can have it all - being good mothers while rising in their careers. It also looks at the trials and tribulations of single motherhood and dealing with feisty teenagers.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the author.

Hampstead Fever by Carol Cooper

Hampstead Fever
By Carol Cooper
Published by Hardwick Press (30 June 2016)
ISBN: 978-0995451407

Publisher's description

Ex-con Dan has it all. The perfect job and a new baby with his dream woman. So why is he still an outsider?

Laure had baby Jack late in life. It’s only natural she’s a little over-protective. Motherhood is terrifying.

After surviving serious illness, Sanjay’s got his life back. Now he wants adventure. Where does that leave girlfriend Harriet?

Karen’s love life is reduced to casual sex with the football coach. As a divorcee with four kids, romance is on her to-do list, just below the laundry.

Doctor Geoff’s relationship with actress Daisy is bound to be a bit dramatic. But why all the mystery?

My verdict
Hampstead Fever is a highly enjoyable read, with good writing and well-developed varied characters. I haven't read One Night at the Jacaranda, an earlier book that featured many of the same characters, and this was easy to read as a standalone.

In Hampstead Fever, several strands are intertwined, linking the love lives of key characters together. Each chapter focuses on one particular character's relationships, but other characters drifted in and out with ease. For this reason, the book reminded me of the film Love Actually.

I loved the underlying medical theme with its dark humour - a few important health messages snuck in there, which isn't surprising as the author is a GP. Be warned that there's lots of sex, slightly raunchy in places, so maybe it's not for those who prefer their fiction to be clean and cosy. I enjoyed the setting too, as I know Hampstead and the surrounding areas well - and there are several familiar London landmarks and locations.

Hampstead Fever isn't my usual genre, as I read mainly crime fiction. But this certainly made a welcome change. It's fantastic that it's been picked for a WHSmith promotion that's running over Easter - available at 30 of their bookstores at airports and railway stations on a buy one, get one half price offer. Make sure you grab it!

I received a copy from the author.

Because I Was Lonely by Hayley Mitchell - Blog Tour

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for Because I Was Lonely by Hayley Mitchell. Because I Was Lonely is being published by RedDoor Publishing on 2 March 2017. Read on for my review...

Because I Was Lonely
By Hayley Mitchell
Published by RedDoor Publishing (2 March 2017)
ISBN: 978-1910453292

Publisher's description

Meet Rachel. She is caught in a spiral of endless crying, dirty nappies, and sleepless nights. She fears for her sanity and the safety of her children.

She's lonely.

Meet Adam. Suffering from the pain and trauma of a terrible accident that he blames himself for, he stays at home, unable to bring himself to leave the house.

He's lonely.

So when Rachel and Adam rekindle their long lost friendship online, what starts as a little harmless flirtation, soon becomes an unhealthy obsession, and slowly the threads of their lives unravel before them.

Four lonely people . Two unhappy marriages . One dangerous, but inevitable climax.

My verdict
Because I Was Lonely reads like a book of two halves.

The first half is an introduction to the characters, with every detail of their lives put under the microscope. The author certainly has a knack for in-depth characterisation. I really felt like I knew each character by the time the story itself began.

Because I Was Lonely highlights post natal depression and the loneliness it can cause, especially if there's a lack of help when it's needed most, and how this can impact on relationships. Rachel, as a new mother, was portrayed very realistically. It was interesting to read her husband David's point of view too. Then there was Adam and Julia's story. Adam, an old friend of Rachel, is suffering with severe mental health issues after a tragic accident and his marriage is also falling apart.

Starting the book off in this way did, I felt, slow down the pace. Yet having seen some great reviews, I knew I had to keep reading to find out where this story was going. And I would urge others to do the same.

Around halfway through the book, the present day story began and the pace picked up. The characters' lives collided when Rachel and Adam found each other on Facebook. And they certainly collided with a huge bang. The narrative was tense and unsettling, as Rachel and Adam began to send messages to one another and their feelings escalated. I was nervous, worrying how this would end.

If you like loose ends tied up in the books you read, you may be a bit frustrated. The book ends on a cliffhanger, with many questions remaining unanswered, and makes me wonder if a sequel is on the way.

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