The Truth About Secrets, Revenge has never tasted so sweet, L.P. Dover

The Truth About Secrets, Revenge has never tasted so sweet, L.P. Dover

Genre: General Fiction, Romance, Women’s fiction

Gah, bl!!dy Women’s Fiction again…there is no place for that in 2021 IMO!

Well, this is a short novel, and I’m not a fan of those, but I didn’t know before I started….I’m guessing its around 150-170 pages and for me that means the story gets rushed, too much crammed in. The humour was fun though, made me snigger, so that redeemed it a bit.
Its not a novel I could dislike, a good premise, exactly the kind of thing I want to read but…it was very cute and sweet rather than the depth and drama that I enjoy. I’d guessed one part very early though the other was a surprise! Characters were likable in the main, and felt real.
I did get somewhat puzzled over the chemo Clara’s dad underwent. He was pretty sick and yet didn’t seem to be in hospital but at home. The effects too, hit him very quickly, and when they talked about IV fluids at home I was shocked, that would be hospital here. Granted its 25 years since I had chemo but I was in hospital for it, and was tested constantly. Anti sickness meds given for when I was home, though it took a few days to hit. I think a bit more realism here would have helped, or maybe its just the US and UK treatments and aftercare are very different? If that’s so, my apologies.

Stars: Three, a cute read but a bit light for me.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

A Home in the Sun, Sue Moorcroft

A Home in the Sun, Sue Moorcroft

Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Romance, Women’s Fiction

Ahhh, boo, hiss, spit. That awful outdated category AGAIN. One day..please?

Anyway, wow what a read. Sue is one of the few authors I’ve found that can juggle so many threads in a story, and weave them neatly into an engrossing tale. Often when I read books with multiple threads they feel disjointed, too busy, but here its just perfect, opens up parts of the characters that would otherwise be hidden.

Judith, divorced from the awful Tom and found new love in Malta. Her life is happy she thinks, her stepson who she adores, brought up since he was nine, often visits, and she lives with the gorgeous Giorgio. Slight hiccup due to the heavy religion and legal issues in Malta, but they’re in love and work round it. Then as things do, it all falls apart and heartbroken, she sadly can’t face her life there and comes back to the UK. That starts another fabulous thread, but Malta is still there in the background.
Adam is renting her UK house, he’s also divorced ( what a deliciously horrible woman his ex is, I do love characters like that, they add so much extra!) and lives with his son, who in his early 20’s. Adam also had past issues to deal with, the divorce, a horrible accident, trying to run his business, and of course now Judith wants her home back….
I really felt for Adam over his disability, I know from disabled friends his experience wasn’t unique – it happens way more than we would like to think. I was lucky, my husband never made me feel “less that” after my leg amputation, but many marriages break up as partners can’t deal with it. We put way too much emphasis on “perfection” IMO.

I just loved the way the story played out, the little things, Fingers the snake ( fabulous), when Judith went to throw some weed found down the sofa into the fire….Judith’s mum and the care home staff ( yes, Lovie/Love instead of names gets used all the while in these places. I just wish all care homes were like this one.) Judith’s sister Molly, and her husband – what is it with those males, so sexist. Sadly there are a lot of them about it seems.
I loved that Malta and the people there were always in the background, I wondered if perhaps Giorgio’s actions were a product of what had happened, how depressed and upset he was, how much he was keeping inside.
I understood Kieran and Bethan, I had similar issues at the same age, and my parents reactions were pretty much the same as hers. All these little things, all these multiple plots, wrapped up into a wonderful story that once more kept me reading “just one more chapter” til it was far too early in the morning to be reading but I needed to know how it ended!

Stars: Five, Its a wonderful mix of drama, tragedy and lightened with some very real humour.

ARC supplied by Netgally and publishers

The Sultan’s Wife, Jane Johnson

The Sultan’s Wife, Jane Johnson

Genre: General Fiction, Romance, Historical fiction

Well, this came as a surprise for me. I thought it was my first Jane Johnson read, but when I began it put me in mind of a book I read years ago, pre-kindle, when my eyes were better and I could read print books. That story stayed with me for a long time, and I remembered how I loved it while reading this. Then on looking to see what else she has written (and yay, lots of KU reads, I’m going to be busy!) I discovered she was the author of that book I loved, The Tenth Gift, published back in 2008. That was around the time I read it, buying a kindle in 2010 as my eyesight was deteriorating.

So, that same lovely richness of language, of characters, of descriptions of day to day life, scenery, foods, all the things that bring a book to life for me were here. There’s a shocking disregard for life looking at it from current day perspective, but for the time that was usual. No-one said anything, just kept heads down in case the rage was turned their way. I love the way we see how different times were in historical novels.
I loved Nus Nus. An educated man, yet subject to the whims of others, made into a eunuch, valued for his ability, but not for himself and yet, if the Sultan was in a rage, as we see in one part, that education and ability wouldn’t save him. Then there’s Alys, caught up on her way to be married and prized for her fair skin. Nus Nus helps her to survive, with advice to try to keep her alive, I can’t write safe, that luxury didn’t exist between the Sultans rages, the jealousies of other wives/concubines, the easy availability of poisons and just everyday illness.
I loved the day to day stuff, the couching book, the manipulative Zidana, the petty jealousies, the sharp divide between favoured and dispensable. Tomorrow the favoured too could become dispensable. The Sultan seems mad at times, a spoiled child at others and yet he was very astute, and saw more than he was credited with, choosing to allow some things to slide to see how far those he trusted would go. The real Moulay Ishmail who ruled a s monarch 55 years, must have been a similar character, clever and yet ready to show his strength by killing and ruling through fear.
There’s romance her but very much a stolen glance, at a distance type, very subtle and its the barest thread in a story that’s so full of more. I love romance but appreciated how this was kept very low key, really only coming out at the end. I’m looking forward to reading more from Jane.

Stars: Five, a fabulous story, rich in detail and felt so very real.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

Call Me Maybe, Could it be love at first talk?, Cara Bastone

Call Me Maybe, Could it be love at first talk?, Cara Bastone

Genre: Romance

Well, I’m a romance sucker and this sounded fun. For me though it was just that bit too cutesy, the conversations were humorous but at times it all felt a bit forced.

I liked the characters but they were almost too nice, neither seemed to have any real flaws. Then the “crash” – the bit where things go wrong was just a real storm in a teacup for me. The ending too, not really what I look for, its almost the start of the romance really. IMO of course 🙂 however as always horses for courses and all that, this sweet story has people that love it. Each to their own.
Its a very short read, more novella than novel and maybe that’s part of the issue for me, I don’t really feel they let the story be told fully. Maybe if it had another 100 pages or so following on from that end then….

Stars: two and a half. I didn’t dislike it, its not a two star as there really wasn’t anything to dislike, but its not a three, good read, either. That’s why I’m meeting in the middle.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

The Soulmate Equation, the New York Times Bestselling rom com, Christina Lauren

The Soulmate Equation, the New York Times Bestselling rom com, Christina Lauren

Genre: Romance,

I loved this, it’s a really fun, feelgood read. The characters feel so real, they’re lovely but have flaws, and their lives aren’t all plain sailing. That makes them feel like one of us. Even River, who on the face ( and what a face!!) seems to have it all, rich, gorgeous, fabulous home, is actually kind of shy, reserved and that comes over as rude and arrogant.
I’m not sure who’s my favourite, I adored Jess and her grit, her determination to be a better mum to Juno that her own mum. Her parents were a wonderful pair, so supportive and loving. Fizzy, everyone deserves a best friend like her. River, who starts off cold and unlikable but actually is very different. Then there’s Juno, old beyond her years adorable girl who was a scene stealer.

Its a great mix of long term events, and short term crises. I love how Fizzy and Jess both do their work in the cafe, laptops out, coffees to hand and chat breaks. What a great working environment.
The plots are perfect, lots going on but not confusing, and I love when a book has multi layers like this, not all in, one main plot style. The surprise of River and Jess matching – when neither had real plans to meet others. The gradual unfolding of River’s true personality ( swoon) and the closeness and respect that grew between them. The other work colleagues with River, the interviews, it was all so easy to read.

Then after everything is built up comes the crash. I didn’t see that coming, I knew of course something would put its spoke in, I read a lot of romance, you know the way it works after a while, but that disaster came as a shock. I love that it wasn’t a quickly sorted issue, that it covered a time period and several pages. I love the downside part of drama, want it to last, not be over by next page. And it felt right, the reactions matched what I knew of the characters, felt true, realistic. After that sort of shock you would want a time out, and after things were explained I understood just why they acted that way, heartbreaking though it was.

Stars: Five, I really enjoyed this, fun to read, great humour but with a serious side too.

ARC supplied by Netgally and publishers

Fighting Chance, Book One, Anni Lee

Fighting Chance, Book One, Anni Lee

Genre: LGBTQIA, Romance.

I really thought I’d love this book and…it was good-ish…. Just not great.
I didn’t really like Jay, he’s quite cold almost, rude to Roland and yet when they are together there’s a really feeling of sensuality, lust, but I felt the Love part was way, way too soon. I kind of understood Jay more by the end, and came round to actually liking him.
Roland though, I know he’s got grit and determination to have taken this chance but he just feels like an enthusiastic overgrown puppy. I just can’t see other than lust whats between him and Jay. I’m puzzled too how his writing goes from awful as Jay so kindly describes it, to winning when there doesn’t appear to be much driving that change?

I liked that there’s more than just romance here. Given that’s not doing great for me its just as well 😉 I know its book-land, fiction, but I’m feeling that possibly events and people are a little too coincidental to believe, but will find out more in next book I guess. I’m on the fence about that, do I want to read more given I really aren’t feeling the romance? Actually on balance yes, its got real possibilities and Jay’s actions at the end show that he really does feel strongly for Roland. I also want to learn more about the past, about Jay’s history, there are some real game changers revealed in those final pages.

I’ve one HUGE caveat though. Condoms – or lack of them. In any book now I feel its irresponsible of characters not to talk tests and use condoms unless they are very very certain of partners. Getting it wrong can have livelong consequences and for me its the wrong message to be sending. Its not just LGBTQIA reads though, any story involving sex IMO, regardless of sexuality. It affects anyone and everyone. I felt in this story, especially given Jay’s history, and Roland’s uncertainty about it the lack was inexcusable. I’ve dropped a star for that, I really feel its too important to ignore 😦

Stars: Three, a bit lacking in romance, but the later events brought it up. Four if there wasn’t that glaring personal safety issue.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers