The Curvy Girls Club by Michele Gorman

The Curvy Girls Club

By Michele Gorman

Published by Avon Books UK

ISBN: 978-0007585625

Goodreads description
When the pounds start falling off Katie, founder and president of London's most popular social club for the calorie-challenged, it seems like a dream come true. But as the overweight stigma recedes and her life starts to change, she faces losing more than the inches around her waist. Everything that's important to her - her closest friends, boyfriend, and acceptance into the club itself - are at stake in a world where thin is the new fat.

A funny, heart-warming story about overcoming the prejudices we hold, no matter where we tip the scales.

My verdict
Being no stranger to dieting, I could relate to this group of women who realise that their lives are being consumed by a relentless desire to lose weight, as a means of fitting in with the modern 'skinny' society, rather than having any fun and living life to the full. The book is well written and made me laugh from the start, with its descriptions of the slimming club and its members.

During the course of her book, Michele Gorman covers fad diets, from cabbage soup to Special K cereal, licensed diet aids from pharmacies and illegal diet pills bought online. She isn't afraid to highlight the emotional distress experienced by overweight people: the loss of self-esteem and the social stigma attached to being a plus size figure. I enjoyed it when the tables are turned towards the end, and one overweight character reveals her prejudice of thin people, showing that prejudice can be directed towards anyone if they don't fit the accepted 'norm'.

Many chick lit books can be rather negative about weight, taking the attitude that a character's weight loss during the course of the story is a positive step to finding romance. In The Curvy Girls Club, however, being overweight isn't a barrier to a relationship. Jane has a lovely caring husband, who loves her for who she is, rather than her size, while Katie's romantic interest fancies her before she loses a lot of weight.

It was great to see a focus on a chronic treatable health problem. I rarely see conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, diabetes or, in this case, an overactive thyroid discussed in a novel. As a health journalist, I'm a firm believer in raising awareness, and getting people to talk about, these long-term conditions.

Although written as chick lit, The Curvy Girls Club covers a wide range of more serious social and moral topics - domestic abuse, internet drug purchases, sexual discrimination in the workplace and bullying. However, due to the genre of the book, I felt that these are skimmed over and rushed rather than dealt with in any great depth. I also found that the book switches from being a story of celebrating your size, whatever it may be, to one of four friends falling out. The actual outings, which are the whole point of The Curvy Girls Club, seem to disappear from around halfway through the book.

Overall though, this was an enjoyable read tackling some serious social and emotional issues surrounding weight.

I won a copy of The Curvy Girls Club through a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne

The Ice Twins

By S.K. Tremayne

Published by Harper Collins UK (29 January 2015)

ISBN: 978-0007459247

Publisher's description
One of Sarah's daughters died. But can she be sure which one? A terrifying psychological thriller that will chill you to the bone.

A year after one of their identical twin daughters, Lydia, dies in an accident, Angus and Sarah Moorcroft move to the tiny Scottish island Angus inherited from his grandmother, hoping to put together the pieces of their shattered lives.

But when their surviving daughter, Kirstie, claims they have mistaken her identity - that she, in fact, is Lydia - their world comes crashing down once again.

As winter encroaches, Angus is forced to travel away from the island for work, Sarah is feeling isolated, and Kirstie (or is it Lydia?) is growing more disturbed. When a violent storm leaves Sarah and her daughter stranded, Sarah finds herself tortured by the past - what really happened on that fateful day one of her daughters died?

My verdict

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy through NetGalley.

This is a haunting tale of mistaken identity (or it is?).

The Ice Twins is a chilling, sad story of a family torn apart (and haunted) by tragedy, with many mysteries to solve. Is this just a confused little girl or something more sinister? What is the secret that Angus is so desperate to hide? And why is Sarah so fragile and confused about the events that fateful night?

I couldn't put the book down and actually read it in around two hours. This ghostly psychological thriller reminded me of Diane Setterfield's The Thirteen Tale. It is beautifully written, keeping you guessing and wanting more, and I could picture the remote Scottish island and its surroundings. The intrigue began on the first page and continued non-stop until the last. Even the final chapter came as a surprise, to provide a satisfying conclusion.

I could see this being turned into a film or TV one-off drama.

I am intrigued to discover more about the author, as all of the available information about him/her seems to be shrouded in mystery.

One of my favourite books of the year so far.

When We Were Sisters by Beth Miller

When We Were Sisters
By Beth Miller
Published by Random House UK, Ebury Publishing (15 January 2015)
ISBN: 978-0091956318

Publisher's description

'I never think of Laura as my step-sister, but that's what she is.'

Once they were the best of friends, inseparable as only teenage girls can be.

That is until Miffy's Jewish father runs off with Laura's Catholic mother and both of their families imploded - as well as Laura's intense relationship with Miffy's brother…

Twenty years on, they're all about to meet again…ever think of Laura as my step-sister, but that's what she is.'


My verdict
I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley.

This is a story of how extra-marital affairs and divorce can break up families and leave children's lives in tatters. When We Were Sisters follows the paths of two girls in North West London in 1979, as they turn into teenagers. The girls' lives change when two of their parents run off together to make a new life in Norfolk. When the women meet again as adults, over two decades on (in 2003), they (and their families) begin to address the past.

The story of When We Were Sisters is complicated by the fact that one family is Jewish and the other is Catholic. I took an instant dislike to Laura, as she was very disrespectful of her step-family's religious observance and was intent on causing mischief, although her character did improve slightly towards the end of the book. I enjoyed the references to Edgware, where I grew up in the 1970/80s. However, I felt that the way some of the more observant Jewish characters were portrayed was a bit unrealistic.

Overall, however, this was an enjoyable, quick and easy read.

The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths

The Zig Zag Girl
By Elly Griffiths
Published by Quercus Books (30 October 2014)
ISBN: 978-1848669857

Publisher's description
Brighton, 1950. When the body of a girl is found, cut into three, Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is reminded of a magic trick, the Zig Zag Girl. The inventor of the trick, Max Mephisto, is an old friend of Edgar's. They served together in the war as part of a shadowy unit called the Magic Men. Max is still on the circuit, touring seaside towns in the company of ventriloquists, sword-swallowers and dancing girls. Changing times mean that variety is not what it once was, yet Max is reluctant to leave this world to help Edgar investigate. But when the dead girl turns out to be known to him, Max changes his mind. Another death, another magic trick: Edgar and Max become convinced that the answer to the murders lies in their army days. When Edgar receives a letter warning of another 'trick', the Wolf Trap, he knows that they are all in the killer's sights...


My verdict
I received this as an Advance Reader Copy through NetGalley.

I have read the first book in Elly Griffith's Ruth Galloway series, but this standalone novel is completely different in its subject and approach.

The Zig Zag Girl is set in the 1950s, focusing on a group of magicians and illusionists who tour seaside towns. This particular group served together in the war. The book reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel, with its well-written prose and gentle murder mystery approach. Around halfway through the book, I guessed the identity of the killer and what the twist would be. But this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.

Overall, The Zig Zag Girl was an enjoyable read. There was some humour and romance thrown in, although I would have liked more action. I felt that some characters (e.g. Edgar) didn't seem to have enough depth to them and came across as a little dull. I also couldn't understand why Edgar appeared to investigating such major crimes on his own (with the help of his magician friend), rather than with a whole cohort of other policemen.

The Dandelion Years by Erica James

The Dandelion Years
By Erica James
Published by Orion Publishing Group (26 February 2015)
ISBN: 978-1409146117

Publisher's description
Ashcombe was the most beautiful house Saskia had every seen as a little girl. A rambling pink cottage on the edge of the Suffolk village of Melbury Green, its enchanting garden provided a fairy-tale playground of seclusion, a perfect sanctuary to hide from the tragedy which shattered her childhood.

Now as an adult, Saskia is still living at Ashcombe and as a book restorer devotes her days tending to the broken, battered books that find their way to her, daydreaming about the people who had once turned their pages. When she discovers a notebook carefully concealed in an old Bible - and realising someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to hide a story of their own - Saskia finds herself drawn into a heart-rending tale of wartime love...

My verdict
I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What an amazing heart-wrenching story and beautifully written book. Over the last few days, I have cried at, laughed through and shared the memories of Saskia and her family.

The Dandelion Years had me in tears from the first page, with its tragic underlying story and vivid descriptions of Suffolk life. The book follows the story of Saskia, her father and two grandfathers who share a home after a terrible accident strikes their family, and Matthew, a young man who has recently experienced the loss of Jacob, his mentor and father figure.

Following Saskia's discovery of hidden wartime diaries, The Dandelion Years weaves these modern day relationships with the story of a young man at Bletchley Park, and Kitty, the love of his life. This is a story of missed opportunities, the importance of taking risks and living life with no regrets.

The Dandelion Years gets a five star rating from me.

Never Smile at Strangers by Jennifer Jaynes

Never Smile at Strangers

By Jennifer Jaynes

Published by Amazon Publishing/Thomas & Mercer (27 January 2015 revised Kindle version)

ISBN: 978-1477821916

Publisher's description
When nineteen-year-old Tiffany Perron vanishes without a trace, the residents of rural Grand Trespass, Louisiana, launch a desperate search to find her. But few clues are unearthed, and before long another young woman disappears.

As locals continue to vanish, residents begin to discover that they might not know those closest to them as well as they had thought. Lies and insecurities quickly surface, leading everyone to question one another... and their involvement in the disappearances.

Meanwhile, an unstable, twisted killer is hiding quietly in their midst. Ever since his mother's murder four years earlier, he's been forced to raise his disturbed teenage sister. He's terrified of her - and of women in general - and his world revolves around his fear of and obsession over them.

In this USA Today bestselling thriller, debut novelist Jennifer Jaynes delivers a psychologically riveting page-turner that is packed with surprises and will have readers guessing to the very last page.

My verdict

I received an Advance Reader Copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I reviewed the revised Kindle version, which will be available on 27th January 2015. The paperback was published in November 2011.

The fact that I enjoyed Never Smile at Strangers so much was a surprise, as I had heard nothing about the book until the author followed me on Twitter and I then noticed that the book was available for review on NetGalley. I am an active member of a large book club on Facebook (with over 1300 members, majority UK based) and no one has mentioned this book to date.

Never Smile at Strangers is quite dark - it's set in a miserable town that, on the whole, is full of despondent characters. No one seems to have a particularly happy life. Then a girl goes missing and people start to question those around them...

Virtually all of the main characters have secrets, which are revealed as the book goes on. My advice is: don't read this for light relief!

The book focuses on several characters. At first, it felt disjointed but gradually all of the characters' lives came together. The killer is well disguised and his identity (and that of his sister) was a surprise to me at the end. Great twist.

Never Smile at Strangers is well written and flows well. There are good descriptions, but nothing that I felt was excessively graphic.

Very impressed that this is a debut novel. I will look out for more from Jennifer Jaynes in the future. And I will be recommending Never Smile at Strangers to like-minded readers.

Criminal Confections by Collette London

Criminal Confections
By Collette London
Published by Kensington Books (27 January 2015)
ISBN: 978-1617733451

Publisher's description
Hayden Mundy Moore is an expert on everything chocolate, helping clients develop new products and revamp recipes until they're irresistible. But sometimes, a dash of murder finds it way into the mix…
Hayden Mundy Moore has bushwhacked through African jungles and haggled in exotic markets to find the finest cacao beans and the most flavourful blends. It's thrilling work but rarely dangerous - until a colleague turns up dead at the exclusive chocolate-themed Lemaotre resort spa in San Francisco.
Adrienne Dowling's heart attack is blamed on an accidental overdose of the secret ingredient used in Lemaotre Chocolate's new line. Hayden can't believe that conscientious Adrienne would make that mistake. And between chocolate body scrubs, cocoa mud baths, and a non-stop frenzy of chocolate-based treats, Hayden starts to suspect that she, not Adrienne, was the intended target. Finding a killer among the rival chocolatiers and potential suspects won't just be satisfying - it might save her life...

My verdict
I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy through NetGalley. As a chocoholic, I wasn't going to turn down the chance to read a novel with chocolate at the heart of the storyline.

This book is a combination of chick lit and a whodunnit. It reminded me of the Murder She Wrote TV series and Agatha Raisin's books, as well as being a lighter version of an Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novel. I was relieved that it wasn't a 'happily every after' and 'girl gets boy' ending, although the book came to a satisfying conclusion. The ending suggests that there will be another book in the series to follow this one.

I am not sure how realistic the story is in terms of the criminal investigation. I was surprised that the police didn't conduct a full investigation, even if they suspected that the first death was accidental poisoning. And they also weren't interested when a second supposedly accidental death occurred.

However, it's an enjoyable story and on the whole well written, although I felt in places stricter editing would have cut out some unnecessary waffle.