Keep You Safe by Melissa Hill. Review and Giveaway.

As the HPV vaccination debate heats up in Ireland, there is a very timely new release from Irish author, Melissa Hill. Every parent has their own views on vaccines and no matter which side of the debate you are on, this is a novel that will drag you in to its story and may even introduce doubts that you never had. The MMR vaccine has saved million of lives and introduced the concept of herd immunity. But what happens when your child is not vaccinated and then contracts measles? Hill explores this idea in Keep You Safe, and it is a page-turning experience.

 I have five copies of this book, in a hat trick of giveaways: Two copies here on the blog (just leave a comment below); Two copies on twitter @margaretbmadden (see pinned tweet) and a copy over on the facebook page of Bleach House Library, (see pinned post). The giveaways end on 1st October and are open INT. Good Luck!

Photo from @MelissaHillBks

My Review

(originally posted in The Sunday Independent, 11 Sep 2017)

Kate's five-year-old daughter Rosie could not be vaccinated because of an intolerance to the gelatine used in live vaccines. Her classmate Clara was not vaccinated either - her mother Madeleine chose not to, fearful of its side-effects. Neither women anticipated the outcome of their decision, and Melissa Hill's new novel examines how both their worlds are turned upside down when their children are hit by the measles virus.

It is not against the law to refuse the childhood vaccination programme in Ireland, and Madeleine and her husband Tom genuinely believe they are protecting their daughter by refusing it: "They'd been hugely uncomfortable about the vaccine's link to autism, and while the original research paper suggesting the connection had long been discredited, it was very difficult to ignore the multitude of real-life anecdotal experiences that were so prevalent". On the other hand, nurse Kate, who thoroughly researched her decision, would gladly have vaccinated Rosie were it not for her allergy. While she is now widowed, her husband had approved her decision: "We had no choice but to opt Rosie out of the standard childhood vaccination programme and hope against hope that herd immunity would prevail".

Kate finds herself in a terrifying situation when Rosie is hospitalised. Meanwhile, Clara recovers from her illness but parenting blogger Madeleine is feeling the pressure in another way: "The public loved to express an opinion - never more so than on the internet - and right now, the full force of those primarily negative opinions was heading directly her way". The two women find themselves embroiled in a legal battle which seeks to assign blame. The media are having a field day with sympathy leaning toward Kate and Rosie while Madeleine and Tom are not being afforded the same respect: "It wasn't just her and Tom's decision on vaccination that was on trial here - it was their parenting".

Kate is homely, medically trained and dealing with the long-term effects of her daughter's illness; Madeleine - wealthy and media-savvy, is judged more for her personality than for her decision. Told from both mothers' perspectives, Keep You Safe is both astute and divisive and Hill (pictured left) has addressed the vaccine debate in a fictional tale of fear, judgement and choice. A topical, timely read.


Keep You Safe is published by HQ and is available in HB, TPB and ebook format. You can order your copy, with Free Worldwide Postage, HERE. The ebook can be ordered via amazon link below:

" A Gift To Remember " by Melissa Hill

Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for approving a review copy via Netgalley.


Book lover, Darcy Archer, has the ideal job in a small independent bookstore in Manhattan. For a single girl, in her thirties, who adores classic literature and surrounds herself with books at home and work, she is quite content.  Her dreams are set in the world of Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters.  She has a tiny apartment, regularly meets us with her aunt, who raised her after her parents death, and enjoys her daily bike ride through the busy streets of the city.  That is, until she runs over a man out walking his dog, and things get a little bizzare.
The man, unconscious, is rushed off in an ambulance but Darcy is left with his rather large dog and no idea how to reunite them.  There is also a beautifully wrapped gift left at the scene of the accident and she feels obliged to make sure the present also makes it to its intended owner.
She begins a the unusual manhunt and, with some help from her fellow booksellers, she finds Aidan.  Happy ever after, right?  Actually, no. There is a small problem. Other than his name, Aidan has no memory of his life before the collision. Trapped in the hospital, it is left to Darcy to try and figure out who Aidan is, and why no one seems to be looking for him?

This novel is set in the snowy December period that lends to some beautiful descriptions of Manhattan, and all its glories, under the crisp frost, ice and snow.  Christmas shoppers are out in force and the atmosphere is positively dreamy.  However, I read this on a (rare) scorcher of a day in Ireland, and didn't feel the out-of-season vibe that a reader sometimes gets when turning the pages of a Christmas book.  The season is irrelevant to the story, so don't be put off by a bit of snow or fairy lights on the streets.
One of my favourite aspects of the book was that each chapter begins with a famous literary quote.  Each one seems to be have lovingly chosen rather than just Googled and I recognised a lot along the way.  Darcy's character was a complete book nerd, which I am too, and I felt like we could be great friends if she wasn't fictional!  Her investigative skills were a bit slumped and not thought through very well, but I think this was perfect for her persona. More pen and paper than i-cloud, letter writing than e-mails.  I found her work colleagues a lovely addition, a real mix of characters that gelled well, despite their different backgrounds.

I have been a fan of Melissa Hill for many years and was delighted to see that, if anything, she is getting better and better with each book.  I have added this to my Top 5 reads for summer, as not many books cause me to ignore all my daily chores and even forget to feed my children at their normal times. Maybe the sunshine helped, maybe it was pure laziness, but I think it was more that I was in Darcy's world for those three or four hours and could smell the bookstore, feel the spines of the classics and wanted to be walking down the streets of Manhattan with my dog on a lead and a Starbucks in my hand.  Well done Melissa. A fantastic light read, with fab quotes and lots of book talk. But, you owe me a days housework!!

This edition of A Gift To Remember is published by Simon and Schuster UK on 3rd July 2014







Although this was released last year in trade paperback, with a different cover, I somehow missed the boat and didn't get my hands on a copy.  Seeing it again reminded me that it was on my TBR list and started it the minute it arrived.  Here is a glimpse of the original cover.......

My Top 5 Summer Reads

The second quarter of the year and I have read some amazing titles since my spring post.  it is so hard to pick only 5, but I have to be ruthless!!  So, without further ado ........



1. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.
A clever blend of amazing storytelling and humour made this my favourite read this season.





2. Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey
A mystery told through the eyes of an elderly dementia sufferer. A stunning debut from this young author.




3. The Closet Of Savage Mementos by Nuala Ní Chonchúir
Immaculate prose and a personal story,  this should not be missed.




4. The Lost by Claire McGowan
The first in her Paula McGuire series. A gripping crime thriller which had me gasping for more.




5. A Gift To Remember by Melissa Hill
Technically a Christmas read, but paperback now on general release. An ideal light read for book lovers with lots of literary quotes.

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Each book has its own buy link underneath, for convenience. I hope I have guided you to a perfect read for this summer season!

November Giveaway - " Something From Tiffany's " by Melissa Hill - Random Recommendation

November Giveaway!!

It's fast approaching Christmas and when anyone asks what Christmas books I like, this always springs to mind.  Not technically a Christmas book, but has some wonderful scenes that make it qualify in my eyes!

I'm a huge fan of Melissa Hill and love promoting Irish Authors.  Random Recommendations tend to be older books, and this one is from 2011. 

This Giveaway is open Internationally and all you have to do to enter is leave a blog comment here, or RT and follow on Twitter @MargaretBMadden.

Last month saw tons of entries for the October Giveaway.  Let's see can we beat it this month?

Closing date : 10Nov13

Published by Hodder.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Something-Tiffanys-Melissa-Hill/dp/0340993367/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1383416767&sr=8-1