Library of Clean Reads: British Literature

Showing posts with label British Literature. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

The Switch by Beth O'Leary (Audiobook Review)

This is another winner by Beth O'Leary!

AUDIOBOOK DETAILS:

Title: The Switch by Beth O'Leary (Unabridged)

Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction, Rom-Com

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Released: August 18, 2020

Narrator: Alison Steadman, Daisy Edgar-Jones

Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins

Content rating: PG-13 for some f-words and religious profanities

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A grandmother and granddaughter swap lives in The Switch, a charming, romantic novel by Beth O’Leary, who has been hailed as "the new Jojo Moyes" (Cosmopolitan UK)

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some long-overdue rest.

Eileen is newly single and about to turn 80. She'd like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen.

So they decide to try a two-month swap.

Eileen will live in London and look for love. She’ll take Leena’s flat, and learn all about casual dating, swiping right, and city neighbors. Meanwhile, Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire: Eileen’s sweet cottage and garden, her idyllic, quiet village, and her little neighborhood projects.

But stepping into one another's shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected. Will swapping lives help Eileen and Leena find themselves...and maybe even find true love? In Beth O'Leary's The Switch, it's never too late to change everything...or to find yourself.

My Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

This is another winner by Beth O'Leary! After listening to The Flatshare and loving it, I eagerly waited for the release of The Switch, another novel with an interesting premise. And it was just as good as I'd hoped it would be.

Twenty-nine year-old Leena from London decides to switch places with her 79-year-old grandma Eileen from a quaint village in Yorkshire. Leena is still mourning the death of her sister Carla and is overworked, and Eileen is ready for a bit of adventure in her life, although she does it more for her granddaughter and wonders what she is getting into.

Once again, O'Leary creates a wonderful cast of characters, both in London and in Yorkshire. I loved, loved the fact that this novel starred seniors (I work with seniors). As both Leena and Eileen share each other's lives, we get to see it through their different perspectives. Along with the characters, we get to appreciate the strength in the different age groups.

Oh, but I had some good laughs! This is British rom-com at its best. There was not one boring moment in the story as it alternated between Leena and Eileen's narration. Both Alison Steadman (who narrated Grandma Eilleen's part) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (who narrated Leena) were amazing! Their voices were spot on for their characters with good inflection and full of emotion, making this such a great listen. Steadman was able to get the men's voices well too. I was so impressed with her narration.

What I'm loving about Beth O'Leary's writing is that she tackles serious topics, in this case grief, anger, mother-daughter relationships, friendship and love of neighbor, all while telling a good story, mixing in some good romance, and making us crack up with laughter. I'm now a fan and look forward to seeing what lovely story she will regale us with next!

Disclosure: Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this audiobook for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

BUY THE BOOK OR AUDIO:

Amazon.ca ~ Amazon.com ~ Audiobook.com ~ Audible
Chapters Indigo

Add to Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beth O’Leary is a Sunday Times bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than 30 languages. She wrote her debut novel, The Flatshare, on her train journey to and from her job at a children’s publisher. She now lives in the Hampshire countryside and writes full time.

Visit her website.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

From the Future With Love by Alison McKenzie (Review)

If you're looking for a fun time travel tale with romance, friendship and family themes, then this will be a satisfying good read.

Book Details:

Book Title: From the Future With Love by Alison McKenzie
Category: Adult Fiction, 296 pages
Genre: Romance / Time Travel / Science Fiction
Publisher: Acorn Independent Press
Release date: Aug 4, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 for language

Book Description:

An invite from her best friend to spend the summer in Scotland, and celebrate her twentieth birthday, is just the thing Robyn needs to put some positivity back in her life. On the long drive from Devon, she is strangely drawn to a man she ﬁnds collapsed and bleeding in the middle of a wheat ﬁeld. There is something about this dark-haired, dark-eyed stranger that’s more than mysterious. The last thing Robyn expects is to become entangled in a romance before even crossing the border, but she feels an inexplicable connection, and perhaps Shay, feeling it too, or due to his bang on the head, starts dropping hints about life in another time.

From the Future, With Love is a love story with a time-travelling twist, and a reminder that today’s actions have future consequences.

My Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

I'm always drawn to books that feature time travel and usually it's about travelling back into the past, however this book features a hero from the future, 2000 years in the future to be exact! And his world is a little dystopian. Although there are also scenes of travelling to the past, this book was different from the other time travel books I read because of the futuristic component, and I liked that.

Robyn needs a change in her life. Her university major is not working out, her mom has turned into an alcoholic to drown out her sorrows after Robyn's dad passed away and her best friend has moved to Scotland where she is undergoing physical therapy to recover from a serious car accident. Robyn decides to make an impulsive move from England to live in Scotland to be closer to her friend and on the way there has a strange encounter with three men, one of whom is Shay, from the future.

Robyn becomes romantically involved with Shay, who is not only different but also keeping a secret as to why he has travelled to her time period. What ensues is an entertaining tale about family, friendship, second chances, love and following your heart's desire.

I enjoyed this story because it was so much more than just a romance. McKenzie truly captured the importance of family and friendship in her debut novel. Robyn was a feisty character with a good heart who loved her best friend and needed to find her purpose in life. The story started out strong, lagged a little mid-way and then ended with a great twist at the end. It was a bittersweet and lovely ending. There were occasional f-bombs and religious expletives, which I thought were not necessary. The love scenes were tame and not explicit.

If you're looking for a fun time travel tale with romance, friendship and family themes, then this will be a satisfying good read.

Disclosure: Thanks to author for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

But the Book:

Amazon.com ~ Amazon.co.uk

Add to Goodreads

About the Author:

Heralding from a mix of Scottish and Germanic ancestry Alison McKanzie was never going to surrender completely to convention. Excelling at English Language and Literature in an otherwise uneventful school career, it is no surprise that she would eventually be drawn to writing a novel, only how long it took her to come to this conclusion.

Immersing herself into marriage and raising my two children, not to mention a thirty-five-year nursing career kept her occupied until such times as they flew the nest and she suddenly found the luxury of time on her hands.

Imaginary worlds and situations, that are realistic enough to create that ounce of belief they could be real, led her to a blueprint for the books she has written so far. From the Future, with Love, is her debut novel.

Connect with the Author: Website

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

The Unexpected Gift of Joseph Bridgeman by Nick Jones (Review)

This book is one of the best time travel novels I've read and reminded me a little of The Time Traveler's Wife, except this book made me laugh. And I mean laugh-out-loud belly laugh. I'd find myself bursting into spontaneous laughter at some of the scenes. It's been a long time since any book did that for me.

Book Details:

Book Title: The Unexpected Gift of Joseph Bridgeman: A Time Travel Adventure (The Downstream Diaries Book 1)

Author: Nick Jones
Category: Adult Fiction, 456 pages
Genre: Time Travel
Publisher: Createspace
Release date: May 2, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 (for language, lots of f-words)

Book Description:

Meet Joseph Bridgeman, a reclusive insomniac with a weakness for ‘The Beatles’ on vinyl and a constant headache. When his annoying accountant suggests hypnotherapy might help him sleep, Joseph accidentally discovers he can time-travel and things get a little complicated.

With the help of Vinny, a local record shop owner, Mark, his old school friend, and Alexia Finch, his hypno-time-travel guru, Joe sets out to change the course of his life. He needs to get back to 1992, the year his world fell apart, the year that Amy, his sister, went missing. The only problem (apart from his clothes disappearing) is that the further back he goes the less time he gets to stay there. Can Joe master his new-found gift before time catches up with him?

Buy the Book:

Amazon.ca ~ Amazon.com

Add to Goodreads

My Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

I'm always looking for good time travel stories and this novel intrigued me from the book cover to the back cover blurb. I began reading it not knowing what to expect and began smiling as I dug into it. I love discovering Indie gems and this book turned out to be one. It's one of the best time travel novels I've read and reminded me a little of The Time Traveler's Wife, except this book made me laugh. And I mean laugh-out-loud belly laugh. I'd find myself bursting into spontaneous laughter at some of the scenes. It's been a long time since any book did that for me.

This is not the sci-fi kind of time travel. Joseph, is a regular guy. He's become a reclusive, having lost his business, living without purpose and affected by traumatic events in his past. The reader feels for him and the author slowly builds his character as we begin to piece together how Joseph got to the sad state he's in. When Joseph accidentally discovers he can time travel, he now tries to adjust to this new gift and the possibility that he can now travel back in time to find his little sister who disappeared at the fair when they were children.

This was not only a fun book to read but I found that the author created a brilliant plot with complex characters and emotional situations. Joseph is an anti-hero who has to overcome emotional barriers to take action in his life. He lives with guilt and remorse and this has nearly destroyed his life. He has to get past his reclusive lonely state and enlist the help of others. The author peels back the layers of his life through flashbacks. I loved the cultural references to the 90s interspersed through the book.

I couldn't help but like Joseph and the other characters too. The scenes between him and his sister were so endearing and touching. The author skillfully blends action, intrigue, time travel and comedy to bring us a unique and original story. I couldn't put this book down and read snippets of it every free moment I had! It was unpredictable, funny, sad, romantic and utterly satisfying to read. The only thing I would have preferred would be less f-words and bad language.

If you love time travel or just a very good story that propels you all the way to a great finish, pick this one up. It's one of the best books I've read this year.

Disclosure: Thanks to the author for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

About the Author:

Nick Jones was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England in 1972. His debut novel ‘The Whisper of Stars’ was released in April 2014. He can usually be found in his garden studio, working on his latest mind-bending idea, surrounded by notes and scribbling on a large white board. He loves movies, kindness, gin and vinyl.

Connect with the author: Website

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Simply Dickens by Paul Schlicke

This is one of the best introductions to Dickens' life and work.

Simply Dickens by Paul Schlicke

ISBN: 9781943657025
Published: May 9, 2016
Published by: Simply Charly
Kindle edition: 97 pages
Content rating: G

Book description

The quintessential Victorian author, Charles Dickens not only created some of the most vivid characters in English classic literature, but he also lived his own life with a zest and drama that were novelistic in their intensity. In Simply Dickens, author Paul Schlicke explores the fascinating link between Dickens the writer and Dickens the person - a dynamic and driven social reformer who worked to improve the living conditions of the poor.

My review

Reviewed by Sandra Olshaski

I enjoyed this 97-page foray into the life of the noted author Charles Dickens. The author, a Dickens' scholar, has presented a brief yet insightful look into one of the greatest novelists of all time. I learned that the early deaths of relatives as well as being separated from his family caused Dickens to consider childhood as precious and precarious – hence he wrote convincingly of the worlds of David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and Little Nell. The reader learns that in David Copperfield, Dickens drew upon his own past more directly than anywhere in his published writing.

Dickens was a journalist all his life besides being a prolific, successful author and actively engaged with the theater. During travels in American, "he crossed over into Canada, where he immersed himself in theatricals in Montreal." Public readings of his work not only provided an income for his growing family, but also resulted in increased intimacy and popularity with his admirers. During these public readings, Dickens had an amazing ability to bring his characters to life just through voice and gestures, "impersonation, in which he stepped out of his own self and assumed the personality and mannerisms of each of his characters."

I highly recommend this scholarly yet very readable overview of Charles Dickens, the author and the man.

Sandra Olshaski's disclosure: Thanks to Simply Charly for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate this book.

About the author

Paul Schlicke, an internationally renowned Dickens scholar, celebrates 200 years since the birth of one of Britain's most popular authors. He draws together an unparalleled diversity of information on one of Britain's greatest writers, covering his life and work,. He throws new and often unexpected light on the most familiar of Dickens' work, and explores the experiences, events, and literature which influenced him. Prior to his retirement in 2010, Dr. Schlicke taught English at the University of Aberdeen for 40 years.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The Best of Daughters by Dilly Court

The Best of Daughters by Dilly Court
Arrow Books
ISBN: 978-0099562580
Published March 18, 2013
Mass Market, 448 pages (includes excerpt of The Workhouse Girl)

Last week I reviewed The Lady's Maid by Dilly Court which I truly enjoyed. (Read my review.) I liked The Best of Daughters even more. It takes place between 1912 and 1917 during the first World War years that signalled so much change in society, from the role of women to the class status. In many ways it reminded me of Downton Abbey.

Daisy Lennox grew up in a privileged household but she longs for more in life than just to be married and to become the lady of the house entertaining social events. When her father's business faces ruin, her family is forced to move to the country. Daisy eventually becomes engaged to her childhood friend, Rupert, a wealthy man with status, but she feels stifled from all the social obligations her new role will entail. Just before they are to marry, war is declared and Rupert who enlisted is now fighting. Daisy takes matters into her own hands and joins the FANYs, an organization of brave women who gave up their comfortable lives and were trained to help nurse the injured soldiers right in the midst of the battlefields.

Once again, Court entertained me right from the first page down to the last. The story is full of action and memorable characters brought to life through Court's deft penmanship and stirring dialogue. Daisy is a great character, vulnerable and struggling to find her place in her world, but courageous, bold and patiently striving to attain it. I love how Court developed her character from a naive young woman to one who experiences the horrors of war and comes out a mature and determined woman who makes the most of her experiences to pave the way for women who are strong and who work for a better society.

There are twists and turns in the plot and Court kept me guessing as to what would happen to the characters. Nothing was ever predictable or boring. The characters are flawed but likable and they seemed very real to me. I could very well see this story turned into a BBC mini-series.

If you like stories set in the Edwardian era, with strong female characters and a great plot, you will definitely love this one. Dilly Court is now one of my favourite authors.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.
To read more reviews, please visit the TLC Book Tour page.
To find out more about this book, visit Great British Reads.

About the author:

Dilly Court grew up in North-east London and began her career in television, writing scripts for commercials. She is married with two grown-up children and four grandchildren, and now lives in Dorset on the beautiful Jurassic Coast with her husband.

Dilly is a Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author in the UK, where she has sold over a million books to date. Her books have this year been released for the first time as ebooks in the United States. Print and e-editions are available in Canada and Australia.

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Friday, September 20, 2013

The Lady's Maid by Dilly Court

The Lady's Maid by Dilly Court
Arrow Books
ISBN: 978-0099562566
Published Oct 15, 2012
Mass Market Paperback, 512 pages (includes an extract of The Best of Daughters)

I thoroughly enjoyed Dilly Court's The Lady's Maid, which captivated my interest from the first to the last page. Kate and Josie were born on the same night and because of circumstances were raised in societies far different from their mothers who were forced to give them up at birth. Kate is a servant and has known only poverty in her life, but she is kind and optimistic. Josie grows up a spoiled girl having known only luxury and privilege. These two girls grow up together and both face different hardships until the circumstances of their birth is revealed and it changes their lives.

Court has built believable and memorable characters in this novel. I liked both the main characters although at times I wanted to smack Josie. Although this is a character-driven story, there is a lot of action. The story is never boring. There is always something happening in the lives of these girls. I felt Kate's desperation and Josie's too, but the way the two of them handled it showed their true characters. Josie was impulsive and conniving to get her way, whereas Kate put others ahead of herself even in dire situations. Sometimes I thought Kate was too good, too perfect.

I went through a range of emotions as I read this book. Court deals with poverty, death, courtship, betrayal, friendships, injustice and family issues. Although there is romance, this is not the main focus of the story, but rather the lives of two girls whose lives are entwined more than they know. Another character that I really liked was Boy and I wished he would have played a bigger role in the story.

I couldn't help thinking that this book reminded me of those I've read by Victoria Holt and Catherine Cookson. Dilly Court is certainly in the same league as these authors. What's more, her novel is squeaky clean. For lovers of Regency historical fiction, this one is a winner.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.
To read more reviews, please visit the TLC Book Tour page.
To find out more about this book, visit Great British Reads.

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.