Review & Guest Post: 'Second Time Lucky' by Sophie King (2013)

Once Bridgewater House was the stately home of Lord Pearmain. Now, however, the house has been divided into separate residences for financial purposes. The Lord is forced to live in one of the humble apartments alongside his newly acquired housemates, among them a newly-divorced mother-of-three, a legendary screen goddess of the 1940s, and an American PhD student. Over an eventful year their children, a burglar, a friendly dog, a very capable cleaner, and at least one ghost will transform all of the residents' lives.

Earlier this year I was contacted by Corazon Books about reviewing Sophie King’s novel ‘Love is a Secret’ (click here to read my review). I really enjoyed it, so when I was contacted about a review copy of another Sophie King novel, I couldn’t wait to start reading! ‘Second Time Lucky’ was originally published in 2007, but was re-released as an e-book on the 7th of November 2013 by Corazon Books. I hadn’t seen or heard about ‘Second Time Lucky’ before, but I instantly liked the sound of the blurb and looked forward to getting to know a new group of characters created by Sophie!

Bridgewater House used to be a grand country house, but over the years it has been converted into several separate apartments, housing different kinds of characters. Louise used to be a happily married woman, until her husband left her for his mistress. She’s now a single mum with no job and three children to take care of, and forced to move from a large mansion to a small apartment. Roddy used to be the heir to Bridgewater House, but is now a recovering alcoholic trying to do everything in his power to be able to see his two kids, whom he loves more than anything in the world. Then there’s Molly, who used to be a famous actress and has just lost her beloved husband Gideon. However, she’s still able to see him and can’t stand the thought of being left alone. Last but not least, there’s Marcie, an American PhD student, who has turned her dream of marrying a true English gentleman into reality by marrying business man David. Yet, her two awful stepchildren weren’t part of her perfect picture and neither were their problems to have a baby together. All the residents of Bridgewater House have their own secrets, but nothing can stay hidden for long from your neighbours... 

One of the things I really love about Sophie King’s novels is her ability to create a truly fascinating and entertaining group of various characters who are all dealing with their own personal secrets and desires. This not only provides the reader with several interesting storylines to enjoy, but it also results in the novel dealing with numerous issues which I am sure most readers will be able to relate to, whether it’s one of these topics or more. I didn’t want to put this novel down, because each time I finished a chapter, a new chapter would start focusing on another storyline I had almost forgotten and couldn’t wait to find out more about. There were also a few twists and turns towards the end of the book I did not see coming, which resulted in a lovely ending.

Even though ‘Second Time Lucky’ was written in 2007, it’s a read that feels contemporary and I’m really glad Corazon Books is giving Sophie King’s novels the attention they deserve! ‘Second Time Lucky’ is an easy-to-read, thoroughly enjoyable and lovely read, and a novel I highly recommend to any chick lit or women’s fiction fans!

Rating:8,5/10

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I'm delighted to welcome Sophie King to the blog today for a special guest post! Enjoy! :)

AM I THE ONLY ONE who's forgotten what I learned at school? We've just come back from a short break in France. Great opportunity - or so I thought - to practice my schoolgirl French. But not a bit of it!

My 'Please could you heat up my croissant?'plea, was met with a stony gaze from the sultry-eyed Gallic waiter on our first day.

'I told you not to complain,' hissed newish husband who is much more laid-back.

It turned out, after a rather tricky conversation involving one of those 'Speak French in Five Minutes' books, that I'd asked the waiter to 'sleep with the frigid croissant'. Strangely, he didn't see the funny side! Still, maybe it's boosted les Anglais' reputation for unusual bedroom behaviour...

(The plus factor was that it gave me a chance to observe him from close quarters and make Hero notes for my next novel.)

Still, it made me wonder what exactly my brain had done with all that knowledge which had been drummed into me from my long-ago school days. Time was when I'd been more than capable of holding my own in a French conversation, partly because I was packed off on several exchange trips. ( There's another story to this but I daren't write it.)

Has my brain switched off its French app due to maturity (I'm not that old and besides, I knock back my omega oil capsule every day). Or is it simply because I don't need to use it on a regular basis? And if so, why can't I remember my nine times table which would still come in useful in the supermarket. (The other day I had one of those mortifying moments at the till where I didn't have enough cash even though I'd mentally trotted up the cost. It might have been all right if I hadn't left my credit card behind in one of my other handbags...)

It's not just Maths either which has become eroded over time - although, to be honest, it was never firmly entrenched in the first place. My current geography know-how is a continual source of hilarity to my children who are much more location- aware than I am. Indeed, my eldest will never let me forget that I got him a D at school for declaring that Sydney was the capital of Australia. (Yes, yes, I know it's really Canberra.)

Frankly, I think it's because I was taught the wrong things at school. Below is a list of the subjects that would really have come in useful;

How to budget my Ins and Outs (money-wise)

How to budget my Ins and Outs (relationship-wise)

How to get my children to do what I want

How to stop worrying

How to have self- confidence

How to deal with bullies

How to cook (properly)

How to remember names of politicians so I can attempt a reasonably-informed conversation

How to hold my own with the computer

In fact, the list is endless! If you've got something you'd like to add, do email me at sophie@sophieking.info under the subject heading ' What I wish I'd Learned At School' . You could win a copy of my latest novel. 

Can't wait to hear from you! Bon Chance! (I think I got that right....)

Read more Am I The Only One? posts on my blog at http://blog.sophieking.info

Thanks to Sophie King for writing this lovely guest post! Be sure to order your own copy of 'Second Time Lucky', available on Amazon here!

Review: 'Love is a Secret' by Sophie King (2013)

Caroline is finding it difficult to trust her husband Roger. Can a marriage really survive an affair? Then a chance meeting makes her wonder if it's time for a fresh start....

Susan is struggling to bring up her disabled daughter Tabitha on her own, and dreams of a better life for them both. But just when it seems things can't get any worse, a knock at the door changes everything.

Mark is learning how to be a single dad while his wife Hilary is away. But as he wrestles with the secrets he is keeping from his family, he's blissfully unaware of the secrets they're keeping from him.

Lisa is looking forward to the birth of her child. Will a new baby help her get over the past? Whatever that is...

Sometimes you have to keep a secret from the one you love - and sometimes you have to keep the one you love a secret.

Thanks to Ian at Corazon Books I received an e-copy of Sophie King’s new novel ‘Love is a Secret’ to review. I was already familiar with some of Sophie King’s work; several years ago I read ‘The Wedding Party’ (2009) and ‘The Supper Club’ (2008), and I enjoyed both books. So, I was quite excited about reading ‘Love is a Secret’ (previously published under the title ‘Mums@Home’) and finding out whether I would still enjoy Sophie King’s writing and ideas!

‘Love is a Secret’ centres around four main characters that all have two things in common: they are all users of the forum ‘Mums Know Best’, which has been set up for mothers around the country as a place to come for advice or just to talk to other parents about their experiences. Next to this, they all have a secret which they are keeping from one another or from the people closest to them... There’s Caroline, who is trying to make her marriage work after she caught her husband Roger cheating on her, but when she meets another man, her whole world is turned upside down. We meet Lisa, who wants nothing more than to have her own baby, but her past continues to get in the way. There’s Mark, who is trying to be a working single dad while his wife Hilary is away from home, but he has some trouble trying to juggle everything at once. And last but not least, there’s Susan who has been used to bringing up her disabled daughter Tabitha all by herself, until suddenly her ex-husband decides to come back into the picture. Within the world of parenting, everyone has their own secrets and things might not be what they initially seem...

I have always had a specific love for novels that focus on more than two characters that tell their own story. I always find it fascinating to find out about these individual tales, and the things that ultimately link these different characters together. So, as soon as I read the blurb of ‘Love is a Secret’, I couldn’t wait to get started and read about Mark, Susan, Caroline and Lisa. I really liked how each chapter was written from a different perspective, and that the novel included four separate storylines which all came together in a way. The characters were well-written and their individual tales were each fascinating and tackled a different aspect of parenting. I specifically liked Caroline and Mark; I thought they were great characters, and I couldn’t wait for their chapters to find out what would happen to them and their families. 

‘Love is a Secret’ is easy to read and I can imagine mums (and dads!) can really relate to the various characters and storylines in this novel. However, as someone without children I also really enjoyed this book and felt myself wanting to read on to find out what was going to happen to the four main characters. The novel didn’t really make me laugh out loud or shed some tears, but I didn’t really miss feeling any kind of strong emotion for a change. Sometimes, it’s nice to just sit down with a lovely book and to be transported to another universe where you can look over the shoulder of other characters and find out how they deal with the cards life has given them. If you are looking for a good, well-written, not too complicated or intense read, then definitely pick up ‘Love is a Secret’!

Rating:7,5 / 10