The Summer Of Serendipity by Ali McNamara - Review and Giveaway.

I am delighted to help kick off the blog tour for Ali McNamara's latest novel, The Summer Of Serendipity. I also have a copy of the book to giveaway to one lucky reader. Just enter via pinned post on Bleach House Library facebook page. Open INT and closes on Monday, 31st July. Good Luck! Serendipity Parker is a property hunter, who matches her clients with their dream homes. Travelling with her assistant, Kiki, the trip to Ireland proves more problematic that they anticipated. Although they have found the perfect property, in the small village of Ballykiltara, there is more to the house than meets the eye. Local folklore, century-old legends and a protective community all throw a spanner in the works. Serendipity and Kiki get to know the locals a little better and begin to see the magic in the small, touristy village.

 It's that time of the year: Summer is well and truly here and our reading tastes alter accordingly. The need for something light, fun and easy-going is what summer is all about. While we may not all have a holiday booked, or a sunlounger to rest on, the pace certainly eases over the summer months and sometimes all you want is a charming book that does not require too much concentration. This may just be what you are looking for. This is female fiction with a rom-com feel. Serendipity (or Ren, as she is known) is a businesswoman first and foremost and is used to getting what she wants. Her trip to Ireland sees a shift in her mentality, as she begins to see that a house is not just about the location or its prospective buyer. Kiki is a great character, with her tendency to mix-up well-known sayings resulting in some great comedic moments. Along with the hotel staff (especially Finn and Donal) there is a great selection of personalities and they blend well together.

This is a light-hearted read, with some nice nods to Irish History and Archaeology, and gives a glimpse into village life and the craic that can be had. It is not all woolly sheep and Guinness souvenirs; it is the people; the views and the historic atmosphere. There may be lots of cliché in the novel, but the banter makes up for it. A lovely, warm and sweet read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ali McNamara attributes her over-active and very vivid imagination to one thing – being an only child. Time spent dreaming up adventures when she was young has left her with a head bursting with stories waiting to be told.

When stories she wrote for fun on Ronan Keating’s website became so popular they were sold as a fundraising project for his cancer awareness charity, Ali realised that not only was writing something she enjoyed doing, but something others enjoyed reading too.

www.alimcnamara.co.uk | @AliMcNamara

The Summer Of Serendipity is published by Sphere and is available in PB and ebook format.

Blog Tour - 'English Animals' by Laura Kaye. Review and Giveaway.

Thanks to the publishers, I have two copies of English Animals to giveaway. To be in with a chance of winning one, just enter via rafflecopter link below. Good Luck!

A funny, subversive and poignant debut novel from an exciting new writer, perfect for fans of Cold Comfort Farm,

I Capture the Castle and Nina Stibbe.

I took off my belt and moved between the seats to look. We were at the top of a big hill. Below were squares and diamonds of green and brown fields all the way to the sunset. Then I saw the house. It was more perfect than the one I had been dreaming about. A red cube in the middle of the land, like someone threw a dice. I could not believe that I was going to live there.

When Mirka gets a job in a country house in rural England, she has no idea of the struggle she faces to make sense of a very English couple, and a way of life that is entirely alien to her. Richard and Sophie are chaotic, drunken, frequently outrageous but also warm, generous and kind to Mirka, despite their argumentative and turbulent marriage.

Mirka is swiftly commandeered by Richard for his latest money-making enterprise, taxidermy, and soon surpasses him in skill. After a traumatic break two years ago with her family in Slovakia, Mirka finds to her surprise that she is happy at Fairmont Hall. But when she tells Sophie that she is gay, everything she values is put in danger and she must learn the hard way what she really believes in.

My Thoughts on English Animals

This is an absolutely stunning literary debut that hooked me from page one, as Mirka approaches her new life in England. Landing in the midst of a strange environment, with an eccentric English couple she finds herself surrounded by tension, temptation and Taxidermy. The prose is both delicate and insightful as the author has chosen a protagonist who does not speak English as her first language. Sophie and Richard manage to make Mirka feel welcome yet an outsider; helpful but surplus to requirement and  yet she blends in like a piece of their quirky furniture. Creaky floorboards, dripping taps and rusty taps are balanced out with diverse personalities and a sense of claustrophobia. The art of taxidermy is Mirka's escape from the craziness and yet Sophie is a constant drug, flowing through her veins.  

This is a debut that deserves a lot of attention. Sublime storytelling from a new literary voice. Highly recommended.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura Kaye is a graduate of Goldsmith's Creative Writing MA and did a further year of study under the mentorship of MJ Hyland at the University of Manchester. When she isn't writing, Laura works on music and arts documentaries for the BBC including Flamenco: Gypsy Soul, Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany and Songs of the South.  She lives in Hackney. English Animals is her debut novel.
www.laura-f-c-kaye.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

'I Let You Go' by Clare Mackintosh

I received a review copy of this title from Netgalley.com.

How would you ever forgive yourself, if you thought you responsible for the death of a five year old boy?   Would you seek some sort of penance? Would you confront the truth? Would you run and hide, afraid to face reality?  Jenna chooses the latter option.  

Jacob was just crossing the road, on his way home from school, when he was hit by a car.  A collision that left no chance of life, the driver reversed back down the street and was never seen or heard from again.  Jacob's mother watched all this in horror as she cradled her dead boy in her arms.  She believes that she is to blame, as she let go of his hand as they crossed the familiar road.  

Jenna has fled to Wales, leaving no trace.  She hides out in a tiny run-down cottage and deals with her demons in solitude.  The locals are intrigued but she can't let them get too close.  She keeps up her guard.  Finding an abandoned puppy at the roadside, changes things.  She relaxes a bit and begins to feel again.  One tiny misjudgment brings trouble to her door, though, and she realises the past has caught up with her...

Meanwhile, back in Bristol, a young trainee detective and her supervising DI, are still trying to find out what happened on the day of the hit-and-run.  DI Ray Stevens is a career police officer with family problems.  Kate has the eagerness of youth on her side, and together they refuse to give up on the boy. 

This is a psychological thriller of two stories.  The inner turmoil of Jenna and how she got to be hiding away in Wales, afraid of her own shadow, alongside the day to day investigative work of the police officers trying to get justice for a young boy.  The chapters are alternating and the character development is pitched perfectly.  Ray is a genuinely good guy, just wanting to do his best by everyone, making mistakes on the way.  Jenna is a broken woman, devastated by Jacob's death but knowing by coming forward, she could make things worse.

This debut novel is superb.  The author has worked in the police force and her knowledge adds authenticity to the story.  The writing is perfect for the genre and while the first few chapters seem ti be bringing you into another average crime thriller, the twist that materialises, soon after, takes the book to another level.  I stayed up til 2am to finish this, furiously flicking through the pages to get to the end.  I hope there are more DI Stevens books in the making and Clare Mackintosh doesn't keep us waiting too long for book 2! 

Ideal for fans of SJ Watson and Elizabeth Haynes.

Highly Recommended...

I Let You Go is published by Little Brown Books UK and is available in paperback and ebook format