Handwritten Girl

Nov 22

Forgive Me By Susan Lewis

”Forgive me’ is the latest book by Susan Lewis.

This is Claudia Winters’s last chance for a fresh start. Changing her name and leaving her old life behind, she has fled to the small town of Kesterly with her mother and daughter. Here, she hopes they can be safe for the first time in years. But the past can’t stay hidden forever. And even as Claudia makes new friends and builds a new life, she can’t help feeling it’s all about to catch up with her… Until one disastrous night changes everything forever.

This was the first book that I’ve read by Susan and it was a fantastic introduction to the story.

The story is primarily seen through the narrative of a woman called Claudia who is escaping from her old life with her only daughter Jasmine and her mother called Marcy who have undertaken new identities to escape their old lives. But a terrible incident occurs when both lives connect leaving the family in chaos.

This book is a complex story of morals and forgiveness and delves into the concept of restorative justice which gives the victim of a crime an opportunity to meet the offender and put their views across, an interesting concept that I wasn’t aware of. It made me wonder about this concept whether it was successful and helped bring closure to victims and offenders.

The story travels at a fast pace and includes narratives from both Claudia and her family as well as an unknown man who is remorseful for his actions. As the story develops, we come to understand the unknown man and terrible repercussions of his actions.

The characters are a great mix of personalities, but I felt such a warmth towards Claudia and Marcy as they settle into their new lives and make new friends but they’re always on edge that they’re going to be exposed. Dan is also an interesting character, as him and Claudia tentatively begin a friendship and he introduces her to restorative justice.

There’s an element of suspense to the story as Claudia fears that her identity will be revealed, as well a deep underlying sadness as the family have to come to terms to the trauma that has come to their doors.

Beautifully written, filled with compassion and moments of poignant, ‘Forgive Me’ is a story of hope and new beginnings and is an deep exploration of morals and forgiveness.

You can buy ‘Forgive Me’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Nov 20

The Chalet By Catherine Cooper

‘The Chalet’ is the debut novel by Catherine Cooper.

French Alps, 1998. Two young men ski into a blizzard… but only one returns. 20 years later. Four people connected to the missing man find themselves in that same resort. Each has a secret. Two may have blood on their hands. One is a killer-in-waiting. Someone knows what really happened that day.

Catherine’s debut novel is a fast paced and action packed novel that made chilling reading.

The story is written in past and present sequences leading up to the discovery of a body in the French Alps. This all happens when Ria and her husband Hugo are there, when Hugo is trying to encourage new clients with his holiday business. He’s deeply in love with his wife Ria, but Ria isn’t as committed as he is and sees the life as more of an convenience.

There are multiple narratives in the story and one of the narratives is particularly interesting as they aren’t revealed but they have a huge role in the story and throughout the story. I’m found myself trying to guess scenarios and culprits and was pleasantly that each time I was wrong, proving this is far from a predictable story.

There’s a wide range of personalities in the story and Catherine has a skill of creating multiple dislikable characters that make for sad and unsettling reading.

Chillingly written and a book that I consumed in one seating, ‘The Chalet’ is a claustrophobic and atmospheric story that was a thrilling adrenaline journey from the very beginning.

You can buy ‘The Chalet’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Nov 20

Christmas Island By Natalie Normann

‘Christmas Island’ is the latest book by Natalie Normann.

After all the years of hard work it took Londoner Holly Greene to become a doctor, now it could all be taken away and she only has herself to blame. She’s retreating to her brother’s rustic home on an island off the coast of Norway to lick her wounds. Only, it’s the middle of winter and icy slush plus endless darkness isn’t exactly the cheery, festive getaway she had imagined. Nearly stumbling off the edge of a cliff in the dark, Holly is saved by Frøy, a yellow-eyed cat of fearsome but fluffy proportions, and his owner – grouchy, bearded recluse, Tor. Tor has his own problems to face but the inexplicable desire to leave a bag of freshly baked gingerbread men on Holly’s doorstep is seriously getting in the way of his hermit routine. Call it kindness, call it Christmas, but Holly’s arrival means midwinter has never looked less bleak.

If you’re a fan of Christmas and need a distraction, then I would wholeheartedly recommend this warm hearted Norwegian story.

The story is seen through the narrative of Holly and Tor who meet when Tor rescues Holly from almost falling off a cliff, when she first arrives on an island in Norway to visit her brother at Christmas. At first, the pair are tentative towards each other, they’re both at a crossroads in their lives and uncertain as to what will happen next so they decide to enjoy their time together, as they celebrate Christmas with the residents of the island.

I adored this book, life is grim right now with lockdowns and restrictions so it was wonderful to escape into this romantic and festive story that is brimming with delicious flavours, recipes and smells. Throughout the book, my mouth was literally salivating at the delicious food that was created and it was lovely to read the various traditions that are done each year.

The main characters are lovely, Holly is instantly likeable and relatable with her fun personality. Tor is quite a guarded character, who’s locally known as ‘the hermit of the island’ but Holly helps bring him out of the shell and embrace the locals. There’s an sense of underlying sadness with both characters, as they are both are going through hardships and they are drawn to each other for comfort. One of my favourite characters in the book was actually a cat called Frøy, I loved his personality and his mood swings, one minute he loved her owner Tor and the next he wouldn’t look at him. Even though, Tor is the hermit of the island, Frøy is notorious, going from various houses for food and comfort.

Beautifully written and wonderfully descriptive with heartwarming characters and flavours that will instantly brighten your day. ‘Christmas Island’ is a charming and engaging story about new friendships and new beginnings that read like a hug in a mug.

You can buy ‘Christmas Island’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Nov 18

The Secret Of You And Me By Melissa Lenhardt

”The Secret of You and Me’ is the latest book by Melissa Lenhardt.

Nora hasn’t looked back. Not since she left home, and her broken heart, far behind her. But now tragedy calls her back, where she must finally come face to face with ex-boyfriend Charlie, and best friend Sophie. Only now will she be able to confront her past―and reconcile her future. Sophie seems to have everything. Married to Charlie, with a wonderful daughter and a successful career. Yet underneath that perfection lies an explosive secret. A secret that ripped through their town and destroyed her friendship with Nora. So when Sophie finds out that Nora has returned, she hopes Nora’s stay is short. The life she has built depends on it. But first love doesn’t fade easily. Memories come to light, passion ignites and old feelings resurface. As the forces that once tore them apart begin to re-emerge, both Nora and Sophie must accept that true love is something worth fighting for.

Founded in 1908, Mills & Boon is the UK’s number one publisher of romantic fiction and publish over 700 new titles a year and ‘The Secret of You and Me’ is their very first LGBTQ novel.

The story is written in the past and present tense between once best friends Nora and Sophie. Nora has returned home for her father’s funeral and to tie up a few loose ends including facing up to Sophie, her first love and best friend. Nora left home estranged from her father and joined the army, leaving her old love and life behind. She’s comfortable with her sexuality, whereas Sophie has hidden hers and had a traditional life, married with her daughter.

As the story progresses, both women confront their past and try to move on but their old feelings have returned. Even though they have hurt each other with their decisions in life, they are unable to stay apart.

Mills & Boon’s first step in the LGBTQ genre, is a tender and tentative one hat made for sweet reading. An exploration into first love, the story focuses on the issues of prejudice and homophobia as the small town are religious and against gay relationships. Life is particularly hard for Sophie, being married to an upcoming politician and pillar of the community, she has an image to maintain even though she is deeply unhappy.

The interactions between the 2 women made for heartfelt reading as they tried to ignore the feelings between them and Nora was feisty to point out her opinions, particularly when it came Sophie’s close-minded mother called Brenda.

Sweetly written, this book was a tender and sensitive read from start to finish. A story that recognises the hardship of coming out as well as the pressures of trying to lead a secret life, ‘The Secret of You and Me’ is a story of love overcoming all and new beginnings and is a triumph of a love story.

You can buy ‘The Secret Of You And Me’ from Amazon is available to buy from Amazon and other good bookshops.

Nov 17

Our Story By Miranda Dickinson

Miranda Dickinson has returned our bookshelves with her latest book called,’Our Story’.

Otty has just landed her dream job. She’s about to join the writing team of one of the most respected showrunners in TV. And then the night before her first day, she’s evicted from her flat.Joe has been working with Russell for years. He’s the best writer on his team, but lately something has been off. He’s trying to get his mojo back, but when his flatmate moves out without warning he has other things to worry about. Otty moving into Joe’s house seems like the perfect solution to both their problems, but neither is prepared for what happens next. Paired together in the writing room, their obvious chemistry sparks from the page and they are the writing duo to beat. But their relationship off the page is an entirely different story, and neither of them can figure out why. And suddenly the question isn’t, will they, or won’t they? It’s why won’t they?

The story is seen through alternating chapters between Otty and Joe who as flat mates as well as colleagues and this give interesting insights into the pairs thoughts, perspectives and experiences.

Otty has always dreamt of being a script writer even though her father thinks it’s a bit of pipe dream and even when she lands the dream role of working with one of her dream writers, she can’t believe her luck! An established writer, Joe is hoping that he will achieve success with this new television series and lives up to the hype of his previous show. Paired with his new flat mate and Otty he’s under immense pressure to succeed but is distracted by Otty and her enthusiasm.

The pair of them have a great dynamic in both professional and friendly sense but are attracted to each other but they don’t want to blur the lines and ruin a great relationship. I loved the interactions between the pair of them, their shared passion television shows and great writing, but the underlying chemistry between them made for sizzling reading.

I loved both characters, Otty was a joy with her bubbly and sweet personality and is determined to succeed and leave her past life behind. Whereas Joe was quiet and brooding, but Otty really brings him out of his shell and the pair of them at their happiest when writing.

Beautifully written with characters that are both enchanting and relatable, ‘Our Story’ was a joy to read and is a modern day love story that warms the cockles of your heart.

You can buy ‘Our Story’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.