Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? by Louise O'Neill

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers  in exchange for an honest review.

Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? tells the story of Chelsea Stone, an ex-child actor who is now struggling with her adult life. Chelsea used to act with her identical twin sister Madeline but they grew apart when Chelsea beat her for a key role and Madeline went off the rails. Now Madeline has disappeared and Chelsea is left wondering what happened to her sister.

Louise O'Neill has a talent for writing stories which tackle the difficult aspects of being a woman and I was looking forward to her take on child stars. Unfortunately, I kind of felt this book was about the wrong twin. Chelsea is an interesting character but her main purpose as the protagonist is to allow for the mystery of what happened to Madeline to drive the story. In terms of the biting social commentary and emotional grit that I love in O'Neill's work, Madeline would have made for a much better main character. Instead of getting a close look at the darker side of child stardom, these dark aspects are experienced second hand by the narrator. This means that a lot of the emotional gut punches are muted and don't quite land.

Putting that aspect aside, the general plot is a little messy too. It took me longer to get into this book than it normally does with O'Neill's work and I think that's partially due to the mismatch between the present day plot and the flashbacks. The present day plot flirts with being a thriller but stays solidly as a contemporary drama. Neither plotline fully explores its events either and this combines with the problem mentioned above to weaken the story further. A good example of this is the twin's mother, Erin Stone. She is a complex and interesting character to explore and yet she is a little sidelined and the emotional payoff of her story never really makes it to the surface.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I really admire what it was trying to do. I think it was a bit messier and a bit less emotionally impactful than I have come to expect from the author. I also suspect that the marketing may draw in some thriller audiences who will be disappointed. If you want a thoughtful exploration of the exploitation of women, I think O'Neill's other books are unfortunately a better pick

Overall Rating:

3.5/5 stars

Beach Read by Emily Henry

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin Books (UK) in exchange for an honest review.

Oh boy. I am a fussy romance reader but damn, did this book knock it out of the park! Beach Read is the story of January (I promise her name is not indicative of the type of book this is) a romance author who is struggling to pen her latest work after a shocking truth about her dead father is revealed. Having lost her faith in love, she goes to her father's secret beach house in the hopes of being able to finish her latest book. Whilst there, she runs into an old college crush/rival, Augustus. Gus pens only cynical literary fiction so in a bid to stimulate her creative juices, January bets him they can't write a book in each other's genres. Hijinks and sexual tension ensue.

The best way I can describe the romance in this book is to compare it to Pride and Prejudice. You have the reserved, somewhat grouchy male love interest and the bright, judgmental female determined that he has already dismissed her and so she has nothing to lose in teasing him mercilessly. It is obvious from the start that January has misjudged Gus but the slow build of their friendship and their sexual tension is utterly delicious. This book made me swoon, cry, turned me on and put me on tenterhooks. In short, exactly what I want from my romance fiction.

In summary, everything good you've probably already heard about this book is true. It 100% deserves the hype and I only have the most minor of gripes with it. Firstly, I think the title of Beach Read works well on the surface but the beach setting is almost never used within the story and also they never really make the link in-text to romance novels being 'beach reads' which is a shame. Secondly, it becomes comical how often the characters are interrupted right when they are about to have sex. Apart from these incredibly minor niggles, Beach Read is amazing and I recommend it to anyone who wants a genuinely good, well-written and engaging romance.

Overall Rating:

.5

The Switch by Beth O'Leary

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a big contemporary romance reader but I knew Beth O'Leary was an author I wanted to check out. I've heard nothing but good things about her and those good things are 100% justified. The Switch is the story of Leena, a young workaholic who swaps homes with her grandma Eileen when she is forced to take a break from her job. Meanwhile Eileen goes to live in London as she always wanted to do when she was young. The story is told in dual narrative, as is the audiobook. Leena's plot focuses on her working out what is really good for her, whilst Eileen's is about her relationships, both romantic and platonic.

I really loved how this book was written. There is a lot of humour, all of the characters are fleshed out and interesting, and the plot has a fair amount going on in it. This isn't just a fluffy romance (although the romances in this are very enjoyable and done well) and it has a lot of heart and a lot of good things to say. Like I said, I typically don't read this kind of fiction unless it has some super appealing aspect and I enjoyed every second of this book.

In terms of the audiobook, that is also done very well. There are two different narrators and that meant it was very easy to tell whose plotline we were following which is always appreciated. Both narrators did an excellent job of infusing their characters with personality, and they mostly did different voices for the other characters which was similarly appreciated. There were only two very minor criticisms from me. Firstly, Eileen's narrator does a very grating voice for one side character (Letitia) which made it a little unpleasant to listen to those parts. Secondly, Leena's actress does a voice at one point for a character talking over the phone, then drops that voice for some of the dialogue, then returns to it which was a bit distracting. These really are incredibly minor niggles though and both narrators did a truly amazing job.

Overall, I strongly recommend giving this book a try and the audiobook is a great way to do that. It is a lovely, heartwarming story with enchanting characters and a great sense of humour. The audiobook makes it so easy to follow the story and I found it was perfect to listen to while I was doing other things without feeling like I was missing out on crucial details. If you want a good summer read or just a well-written adult contemporary, you can't go wrong here.

Overall Rating:

.5

Wife After Wife by Olivia Hayfield

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK in exchange for an honest review.

Don't be fooled by this cover, this is not a thriller. It is however an exceptionally good book! This is a retelling of the story of Henry VIII and his marriages, reimagined in the 1980s to modern day. I have a cursory knowledge of this part of history but I think one of the strengths of this book is you can enjoy it regardless of your historical knowledge. If you know the story, you can appreciate the amazing amount of work that has gone into researching this and how it is cleverly twisted to work in the modern day. If you know nothing, you can be surprised by the engaging plot and frankly very interesting life of the main character and his wives.

Another thing to be praised is what an easy read this is. The writing is so engaging and, despite it being a fairly long book for its genre, it never once dragged. In fact I read all of it in two days because I could not put it down. The character guides allow it to be more accessible for people who don't know their history, but it can be easily understood and followed without them. There are lots of characters but they are handled well and I never lost track of who anyone was. Henry is made very likeable despite his flaws and some artistic license is taken to make the plot flow better which I fully support. I even read the interview with the author at the end (which I almost never do) and I loved the explanations for why she made the changes she did. I can't see anyone but the strictest historian being bothered by them.

Overall, this is one of the best retellings I have ever read, if not the best. The source material is perfectly translated into modern day with what is clearly a lot of work from the author, and none of the writing style or enjoyment is sacrificed in order to make that happen. This is such an engaging book and it's clear to me that Hayfield is incredibly talented. If you want a fun way to digest history or just a really good adult contemporary book, I could not recommend this more.

Overall Rating:

.5

Just the Two of Us by Jo Wilde

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit, I was curious when I saw a quarantine-themed romance book. It's not my usual genre but quite a few have been popping up and I'm always intrigued by books that get written and published so quickly. Just the Two of Us sounded like more than a quick cash grab and this proved to be the case. It tells the story of Julie, a woman about to divorce her husband Michael when lockdown means they are stuck inside together. Can they rediscover why they fell in love or are they doomed to drift apart?

As far as chick lit goes, this was very enjoyable. Julie and Michael are both interesting characters and I liked reading about their relationship. Despite the subject matter, this is a very fluffy book and there aren't a lot of taxing things that happen to the main characters. Actually in one case, Julie thinks she might be ill and then this is never brought up again. That was a little odd.

My main criticism of this book is I found the timeline very hard to follow. It jumps back to previous points in their relationship, but also sometimes there are flashbacks within flashbacks and flashbacks not in these sections. It was difficult to tell when certain scenes were set due to this and it made me stop engaging with the story.

Overall though, this is a nice easy read with decent characters and a lovely romance plot. I'm confident people who typically read this genre will love it far more than I did, and it was enjoyable to read a book set during quarantine which didn't focus on the stressful elements as I personally can't deal with those now. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you like romance.

Overall Rating:

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin Books UK in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book unlike any I have ever read before, but the premise sounded so promising that I couldn't resist giving it a go. I am so glad I did. If I Had Your Face is the story of four Korean women, living in a society where plastic surgery is the norm and everyone earns a lot but saves nothing. This is not a plot-heavy book truth be told, but it is driven forward by the characters and the writing, which is incredibly compelling. It follows the typical format of having several narrators and plotlines and rotating through them, although most of the characters are close friends.

There are some flaws to this book sadly holding it back. I was 40% through the book before I reached the fourth narrator and by that point, I was slightly alarmed by the amount of time we were going to get with each storyline. As I mentioned, this is not a plot-driven book and honestly, there isn't really a plot to speak of. This is not something I consider a flaw because the book itself is still very engaging and has a lot to say. However, I would personally have cut the parts about Wonna (the pregnant neighbour) as her plot didn't go anywhere and she didn't really interact much with anyone else, so I can't say she added a lot overall. I did also find keeping track of some of the characters confusing, but that could be due to my own unfamiliarity with Korean names. In particular, I struggled to keep up with what was going on with Miho's boyfriend.

Overall, this was a refreshing and unforgettable read for me. I wish more time had been dedicated to building up the character's plotlines into a satisfying climax but putting that aside, I'm so pleased I picked this up. Frances Cha feels like an author who will go very far and I can't wait to read her next book.

Overall Rating:

Pretending by Holly Bourne

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review

There is no doubt about it, Holly Bourne has solidified herself as one of my favourite authors. Pretending is her second adult book and boy does it pack a punch. April is a woman in her early thirties, tired of putting up with mediocre men and worn out from her job at a sexual advice charity. After yet another failed date, she decides she is going to get her revenge on men. She is going to pretend to be Gretel, the perfect no-fuss woman.

That premise may sound like a light-hearted comedy romp but don't be fooled. As with all of Bourne's stories, the focus here is solely on the main character dealing with her mental health and trauma from her past. There are huge trigger warnings for sexual assault, trauma but also for general sexist, entitled, borderline abusive behaviour from men. These things are captured so well that it's astonishing how unafraid Bourne is to write them down. It is both refreshing and heartbreaking to experience them in a story form and I will forever treasure this book because of that. I cannot stress the potential triggers enough though, as important as they are. I have no history of sexual assault (at least in the traditional sense) but this book made me reflect deeply on my previous relationship and ask some serious questions about what marks it might have left on me.

Putting that aside, this is just a stellar example of Bourne's writing skill. The characters might as well be real people, the pacing is perfect and the plot, though a basic slice of life on paper, is exactly the story that needs to be told. I have no doubts this will resonate with any woman at least a little bit, but it could also open some eyes for some men if you're willing to not take the prose as a personal attack. I desperately want the straight men in my life to read this, if only so they can finally appreciate the complexity and depth behind navigating relationships from a female point of view. The beauty of it as well is that a book of this kind could so easily feel like cheap pandering but it doesn't even come close because it rings so true.

Is this book perfect? No. I can see some people having issues with aspects of the plot, and this is by no means an easy read. But I love Pretending for daring to tell women their feelings are valid and to not shy away from the uglier truths. If a book can rip you apart and stitch you back together, not by pretending everything is okay but by promising it might be...that's a book we all need to exist.

Overall Rating:

.5

The Other's Gold by Elizabeth Ames

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Pushkin Press in exchange for an honest review.

I read an extract of this book aaaages ago and was instantly intrigued, despite it not being my usual genre at all. As a rule, I dislike more literary books and I try to stay away from them. But something about The Other's Gold just drew me in and I was very happy when I finally got the chance to finish the story.

This is the tale of four women spanning several decades, who meet in college and form very tight friendships. Each of the four women will make a 'mistake' throughout the course of the story and the plot structure is built around that. This is literary fiction as I stated so you are kept almost at a distance from the four characters throughout the book. You get a strong sense of who they are but I never quite felt close to them and I think that's because of the writing style. Having said that though, I found them a varied and interesting group to read about.

One thing I wasn't expecting about this book is that it is remarkably refreshing. I had a rough idea of what the mistakes might entail before I started reading it and I was surprised by the nature of almost all of them. Two of them are very weird in an almost off the wall way and these were my favourite to read about (although that's an odd phrase given they're not pleasant haha). The first mistake is pretty pedestrian and I actively disliked the nature of the second one.

The main problem of this book is that there are several things which don't feel fully explored, despite the length and the entire plot basically being a character study. Each mistake is focused on in turn but then the feelings that caused those mistakes aren't really resolved for anyone. This isn't as big a detriment as it sounds but it particularly stood out at certain moments and was a bit of a shame.

Overall, The Other's Gold is a compelling and expertly-told tale of four women and the lives they build together. Is it perfect? No. But I found it both enjoyable and extremely hard to put down. The story and characters sucked me in and I know this is a book I will remember for a long time.

Overall Rating:

.5

The Quarry by Ben Halls

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Dialogue Books in exchange for an honest review.

I am not usually a fan of adult contemporary books in general. There's nothing wrong with them but it's very rare for one to catch my eye. The Quarry stood out to me because it focused exclusively on telling stories of men living in a desperately poor and unpleasant area. I had no idea of what to expect but I am so glad I took the chance and picked this up.

Halls' writing is truly phenomenal. It took me a few stories to get into the style and tone of this anthology but as an author, he pulls no punches with topics. Almost every character is vibrantly brought to life with his prose and he gives weightier issues all of the focus and nuance that they deserve. There are common themes throughout the stories-addiction, poverty, troubled relationships-but the content never feels repetitive and almost all of the stories earn their place here. Some of my favourites include the ones focused on the postman, alcoholic, gambling addict and the final story. All of them are good but these had the strongest sense of heart.

Several of the stories intertwine with each other but I'd actually hoped for a bit more from this element. A few stories have open endings and I half-expected them to be subtly resolved in later stories in the anthology. This sadly wasn't the case which left some endings a little unsatisfactory but I understand, that is how real life goes. The worst offender was the first story which felt like it would have had massive ramifications (for example, I would have expected a story from the POV of the manager left to deal with the fallout) but instead is never mentioned by anyone ever again. These are minor niggles but they did prey on my mind whilst reading which was a shame.

Overall though, I was incredibly impressed by this anthology. As a debut book, this has made me very excited to see more of Halls work and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes character-focused stories with a unique twist. This is a tightly-written, wonderfully themed and very enjoyable collection and I am so glad I read it.

Overall Rating:

The Years After You by Emma Woolf

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Amberjack Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This book is absolutely not my usual genre but I read an excerpt of it in the Buzz Books of 2019: Fall/Winter edition and I was intrigued enough to request the full ARC. The Years After You is a book about two women linked by one man: his wife and the woman he is having an affair with. That is in essence the entire plot and I can't really say much more without giving stuff away. It is told in dual perspectives from both women's POV, though the bulk of the focus is on Lily's POV who is the mistress in this scenario.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this story. Lily as a character was very well-written and I liked and identified with her a lot. Pippa's (the wife) part of the story was less important and while I could see why it was included, her passages almost peter out entirely towards the end. I do think there was a missed opportunity in (highlight for spoilers) not having the two meet and have a conversation about Harry. The ending was poignant but also it would have added a bit more depth if they had been able to share their grief. Instead this moment was done silently which resulted in less of an impact in my opinion.Harry was a bit of an unusual character and I think again, the story would have benefited from Pippa's sections being expanded upon as then we would have got more of a detailed idea of who he was as a person seeing more of him from a different perspective.

Overall, this was a very solid slice of life contemporary story. It has a bit more depth than your usual fluffy contemporary and the pacing and characterisation are all done very well. There could be a little more expansion in certain areas but this is worth checking out if you like more serious contemporary romances.

Overall Rating: