Review: 'The House on Mermaid Point' by Wendy Wax (2014)

Maddie, Avery, and Nikki first got to know one another—perhaps all too well—while desperately restoring a beachfront mansion to its former grandeur. Now they’re putting that experience to professional use. But their latest project has presented some challenges they couldn’t have dreamed up in their wildest fantasies—although the house does belong to a man who actually was Maddie’s wildest fantasy once...
Rock-and-roll legend “William the Wild” Hightower may be past his prime, estranged from his family, and creatively blocked, but he’s still worshiped by fans—which is why he guards his privacy on his own island in the Florida Keys. He’s not thrilled about letting this crew turn his piece of paradise into a bed-and-breakfast for a reality show... though he is intrigued by Maddie. Hard as that is for her to believe as a newly single woman who can barely manage a dog paddle in the dating pool.
But whether it’s an unexpected flirtation with a bona fide rock star, a strained mother-daughter relationship, or a sudden tragedy, these women are in it together. The only thing that might drive them apart is being trapped on a houseboat with one bathroom...
Thanks to the wonderful Deb at Joan Schulhafer, I received the opportunity to review author Wendy Wax’s latest novel, ‘The House on Mermaid Point’, which was released on the 1st of July. I think this book has to have one of the most colourful and summery covers I’ve seen in a long time, and it immediately made me long for a trip to a faraway island to sit on the beach with nothing to worry about! I had heard of Wendy Wax before, particularly her novel ‘While We Were Watching Downton Abbey’, which many people on Twitter seemed to be enthusiastic about. I love Downton Abbey, so look forward to picking up that novel myself, but I was really happy with the chance to check out Wendy Wax’s work in the form of ‘The House on Mermaid Point’!
Maddie, Avery and Nikki have become good friends since they started working on the restoration of houses together. They have managed to turn their love for make-overs into an actual reality show called ‘Do Over’ and they are ready for their next challenge. At least, they think they are, until they meet ageing rock legend William Hightower, who just got out of rehab and is not in the mood for company as he is busy trying to come to terms with his troubled past. His home, a beach house on a small island called Mermaid Point in the Florida Keys, desperately needs a make-over, which is where Maddie, Avery and Nikki come in. While dealing with their own individual troubles at the same time, the ladies try to take on this new challenge with a positive attitude, but it seems both William Hightower and the producer of the TV-show aren’t planning on making things easy for them...
I had no idea this book is actually the third part of a series when I started reading it. The group of characters first starred in ‘Ten Beach Road’, followed by ‘Ocean Beach’, short story ‘Christmas at the Beach’, and are now back in ‘The House on Mermaid Point.’ The fact that I didn’t read the other novels before sitting down with this one didn’t spoil the reading experience for me; it can definitely be read as a stand-alone, even though I have to admit it did get me really curious about the previous books! Wendy Wax is a fabulous author with a captivating writing style and a true talent for storytelling. I easily warmed to all three leading female characters in the novel (Maddie, Avery and Nikki) and loved that each of them had their own story to tell and their own individual issues to deal with while working on the same project.
There’s a great group of characters at the core of the novel, mainly consisting of strong and intriguing women. I really liked reading the different storylines and seeing how it was all brought together in the main storyline, namely the make-over of William Hightower’s house.  I enjoy watching shows like ‘Extreme Home Make Over’ and I thought it was a lot of fun to read about that particular concept instead of seeing it on TV. The novel had me interested from beginning to end, and I was even quite shocked by some of the things that happened near the ending of the story. Overall, ‘The House on Mermaid Point’ is a thoroughly enjoyable and well-written novel, perfect for a day at the beach, and part of a book series I can’t wait to check out! Rating:

8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Authors I Own the Most Books From

'Top Ten Tuesday' is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. I love making lists, so this feature fits me perfectly! If you also take part in this feature or have any additions to my lists, please get in touch; I'd love to hear from you!  

  Ten Authors I Own the Most Books From
I couldn't join in with the Top Ten Tuesday fun last week, but I'm back again with this week's new top 10 list which includes the 10 authors I own the most books from. There are a few authors which I could straight away add to the list, but I have to admit I found myself counting books to see which other authors would make the list! I'm curious to see who are some of your favourite authors, so be sure to leave a comment or a link to your own Top Ten Tuesday list!    

---

1. Jane Austen

I'm a big Jane Austen fan, and even though I already have multiple copies of each of her books, I can't help myself whenever I see a pretty new edition I don't have yet. Austen's name is definitely one that appears a lot of times in my book collection, whether it's different editions of her own work or adaptations or retellings of her stories!
 

---

2. J.K. Rowling 

I own all the Harry Potter books, so that already makes 7 J.K. Rowling titles. I do own several editions of some of the parts, and I also have her other books, including the ones she wrote under a different name, which I think at least counts for half in this list! 
 

---

3. Lindsey Kelk

I love love love Lindsey Kelk's books. Her 'I Heart...' series is simply fabulous, but next to the 6 parts of that particular series I also have copies of all the other books Lindsey has released so far. 
 

---

4. Carole Matthews

Carole Matthews has become one of the household names within the world of chicklit. She has released more than 24 books, and I think I own at least half of them, and am still adding to that collection!
 

---

5. Meg Cabot 

I fell in love with Meg Cabot's 'The Princess Diaries' book series when I was young and over the years I've continued to read her amazing books. She has some great series for all ages, and I still can't get enough of her writing.
 

---

6. Ann M. Martin 

There were no books I loved more than the Babysitters Club series by Ann M. Martin when I was a little girl. I've saved all the copies I ever bought and there are quite a lot of them!
 

---

7. William Shakespeare 

 During my time as an English Literature student I think I've had to read every single Shakespeare poem and play that exists. I have all kinds of different Shakespeare books lying around the house, so he definitely deserves a place on this top 10.

---

8. Alexandra Potter

Alexandra Potter was one of the first chick lit authors I fell in love with when I was a teenager, and I remember walking around book shops, searching her novels. I have all of them (11 in total, I think), which gives her a place on this list as well! 
 

---

9. Nicholas Sparks

My Nicholas Sparks book collection is almost complete, but I'm still missing a few titles. He's one of those authors whose books I pick up without even looking at the description, because I know I'll end up loving it.
 

---

10. Sophie Kinsella

Another chick lit author whose novels I can't get enough of. I have almost all Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham books, and soon a new Shopaholic book will be added to it... I can't wait!

Blog Tour: 'Last Bus to Coffeeville' by J. Paul Henderson

Today I'm really excited to be part of the blog tour for J. Paul Henderson's novel 'Last Bus to Coffeeville', which was released on the 23rd of April 2014. I'm delighted to have some information about the book for you and a guest post by J. Paul Henderson on the 'On the Road' section of the Coffeeville website, be sure to check it out!

Nancy Skidmore has Alzheimer’s and her oldest friend Eugene Chaney III once more a purpose in life – to end hers

When the moment for Gene to take Nancy to her desired death in Coffeeville arrives, she is unexpectedly admitted to the secure unit of a nursing home and he has to call upon his two remaining friends to help break her out: one his godson, a disgraced weatherman in the throes of a midlife crisis, and the other an ex-army marksman officially dead for forty years.

On a tour bus once stolen from Paul McCartney, and joined by a young orphan boy searching for lost family, the band of misfits career towards Mississippi through a landscape of war, euthanasia, communism, religion and racism, and along the way discover the true meaning of love, family and – most important of all – friendship.

Charming, uplifting and profoundly moving, 'Last Bus to Coffeeville' is a chronicle of lives that have jumped the tracks; a tale of endings and new beginnings; a funny story about sad things.

Click here to read an exclusive excerpt of the novel!

 

---

J. Paul Henderson


J Paul Henderson was born and grew up in Bradford, West Yorkshire, gained a Master's degree in American Studies and travelled to Afghanistan. He worked in a foundry, as a bus conductor, trained as an accountant and then, when the opportunity to return to academia arose, left for Mississippi, returning four years later with a doctorate in 20thC US History and more knowledge of Darlington Hoopes than was arguably necessary. (Hoopes was a Pennsylvanian socialist and the last presidential candidate of the American Socialist Party). American History departments were either closing or contracting, so he opted for a career in publishing, most of which was spent selling textbooks, in one position or other, for John Wiley & Sons. He lives in a house in England, drives a car and owns a television set. And that's about it.

Links:

@noexitpress

coffeeville.co

---

On the Road with J. Paul Henderson!

Last Bus to Coffeeville by J Paul Henderson sees Nancy, Gene, Bob, Jack and Eric embark on an unforgettable road trip towards Mississippi through towns rich in American history. Having done the road trip himself, Henderson amusingly captures the richly varied places that the characters stop at on their journey through the South. Historical towns include Staunton, the birth place of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th the popular Walton’s museum and Pulaski, the home of the Klu Klux Clan. From the civil rights movement, to the manufacture of chocolate that doesn’t melt, Last Bus to Coffeeville charmingly captures significant, sometimes unusual, aspects of American history as it tells its funny story about sad things... 

The group arrive in Coffeeville, Mississippi, where years ago Eugene promised Nancy that, should she suffer from Alzheimer’s in the same way as her mother and grandmother had, he would peacefully bring her life to an end. As the gang reach the final stop of their road trip, Gene knows it’s sadly time to make good on his promise. But hasn’t it been a swell ride! 

As the #Coffeeville blog tour continues, you can check out the interactive map of the Last Bus to Coffeeville Road Trip via the image above. The ‘On the Road’ tab on the Coffeeville.co website offers links that you can follow to discover more about the characters and the history of each of the stops on this uplifting road trip adventure! 

 

---

Last Bus to Coffeeville Blog Tour

Monday 21st July - Franny & Perks

frannyandperks.wordpress.com 
 Tuesday 22nd July - Laura's Little Book Blog
lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot.co.uk 
 Wednesday 23rd July - A Cup of Coffee and a Book
nercupofcoffeeandbook.wordpress.com 
 Saturday 26th July - A Spoonful of Happy Endings
spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspot.co.uk 
 Wednesday 30th July - Books, Biscuits & Tea
booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk 
 Friday 1st August - Writer's Little Helper
writerslittlehelper.blogspot.co.uk 
 Monday 4th August - Page to Stage Reviews
www.pagetostagereviews.com 
 Tuesday 5th August - On My Bookshelf
onmybookshelf.blog.pl 
 Monday 11th August - A Book and a Tea
abookandtea.wordpress.com 
 Wednesday 13th August - She Loves to Read
shelovestoread.weebly.com 
 Friday 15th August - Laura's Little Book Blog
lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot.co.uk 
 Thursday 21st August - Writer's Little Helper
writerslittlehelper.blogspot.co.uk 
 Tuesday 26th August - The Reading Thing
thereadingthing.blogspot.co.uk
Be sure to check out all the other stops on the blog tour! 
Thanks to the publisher for letting me be a part of the tour! :)

Weekly Feature: Once Upon a Story...

 'Once Upon a Story' is a weekly feature in which we go back in time and focus  on a specific novel that was released in the same month we're in right now (in this case May), but a few years back! It can be a women's fiction classic from the 1990's or perhaps a great chick lit read from 2011. I thought it would be nice to not just focus on recent releases, but also take the chance to jump back in time once a week and look back at wonderful reads that have been released over the years!

This week, we're travelling not so far back to July 2012 to look back at...  

Divorcee Jennifer Irwin has it all – a successful interior design business and two loving children. But as her 45th birthday approaches and her children prepare to start their own lives, Jennifer is left feeling lonely in her empty nest.

That’s when she meets Ben Crawford – a man 16 years her junior – as their attraction heightens, Jennifer realises what she’s been missing. But mindful that the small-town Ballyfergus residents would never approve, they conduct their affair in secret.

But a secret is never a secret for long…

As the affair surfaces, Jennifer encounters opposition from friends and family, especially her daughter Lucy. Enraged by her mother’s relationship, Lucy seeks comfort in the arms of charismatic but troubled, Oren. Jennifer knows that Oren is not the man he seems, but can she convince her daughter of that?

And with everything going against them, can Jennifer and Ben’s love survive? Or will she risk losing her daughter to be with the man she loves? 

I read my first Erin Kaye novel last year for a Twitter Book Club I was a part of, and this novel was 'Second Time Around', which was published in July 2012. I had heard of Erin Kaye before, around that time lots of bloggers were enthusiastic about her latest release 'Always You', which is still lying on my to-read pile. 'Second Time Around' is a great novel and I thoroughly enjoyed Erin's writing style. The story was captivating, the characters were wonderful, and the book had me fascinated from beginning to end. If you're still looking for a good read, definitely consider picking up this one!  

Be sure to visit the blog next week for another blast from chick lit past with 'Once Upon a Story...'!

Cover Reveal: 'Dangled Carat' by Hilary Grossman

Earlier this year I got the chance to read and review Hilary Grossman's novel 'Dangled Carat' (click here to read my review). BookTrope will re-release 'Dangled Carat' this summer and today I'm really excited to be part of the cover reveal for the book!

For every girl who wondered if she should love him or dump him.....
For every girl who listened to her heart instead of her friends advice....
For every girl who l wondered if she was wasting her time dating that guy....
meet Hilary....
She had gotten used to dating the commitment-phobic Marc, thirteen years her senior. They had a great relationship--why rush into things? She saw no need to pressure him for marriage, believing that when the time was right, he would propose. But after they had been together for four years, their friends decided to take matters into their own hands, pushing Marc to propose and making Hilary realize how much she really did want to marry the man that she loved. Unfortunately, Marc still wasn't ready--and their friends' meddling in the form of a faux engagement party led to a disastrous New Year's Eve that brought their relationship to an inevitable turning point.   For anyone who has ever dated a commitment-phobe, who has found their patience wearing thin with the one they love, or who has sat around wondering if he is ever going to pop the question while trying to remain the very picture of patience and grace, Hilary's humorous and honest story will hit home. I love the new cover of 'Dangled Carat', it's gorgeous, right?! Be sure to pick up your own copy of the book now!

The Page Girls Birthday Week!

The Page Girls is a new online mag with an emphasis on books, cocktails, and female friendships. Each week, they publish a themed issue containing short stories, book reviews, personal and funny essays, videos, cocktail recipes, and more. Some sample issues include The Craziest Thing I Did For Love and LYLAS (Love You Like a Sister). 

From July 21-25, The Page Girls is celebrating its first official “birthday week,” which means a giveaway every day plus other goodies! I love the Page Girls website and definitely recommend book fans to have a look and join in with all the fun! 

As part of the Page Girls birthday week, I'm incredibly excited to give away one e-copy of Emily Poule's 'Here for the Cake'!

No, of course she wasn't going. Are you insane? For 29-year-old academic Mina Joseph, going to Luke's destination wedding to the venomous Ella Hutchinson would be the ultimate act of lunacy. It would be much safer to stay in her small studio in Boston so she could stalk the Facebook pages of the bride, groom, and every other guest in attendance before falling asleep in a box of tears and Wheat Thins.
But Luke's best man, the insufferably charming Benjamin Fogarty, has different plans for Mina. Both desperate to break up the mismatched couple before they say their "I do’s” and convinced that Luke is still in love with Mina (though he can’t figure out why), Ben offers her a plane ticket and a wad of cash to come out of hiding to seduce the groom. 
Armed with a new wardrobe, devious friends, and copious amounts of tequila, Mina has five days to rekindle her love with Luke, expose Ella for the certifiable psychopath that she is, and at all costs, avoid having sex with the best man, regardless of how hot it could be...
Just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below; good luck to everyone!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: 'You Had Me at Merlot' by Lisa Dickenson

Elle and Laurie are the last ones standing: they're single, they're not having babies any time soon and their weekends aren't filled with joyful meetings about mortgages. For Elle, this is fine - she likes her independent life, she loves her job, and she has no desire to walk down the aisle anytime soon. But Laurie wants love and she wants it now.
So when Laurie begs Elle to come with her on a singles holiday to a beautiful vineyard in Tuscany, Elle is reluctant. You Had Me at Merlot Holidays promises crisp sunshine, fun and a chance to stir up some sizzling romance. Elle has no intention of swapping her perfectly lovely life for someone else's idea of her Mr Perfect, but ten days under the Italian sun with her best friend and lashings of wine? How bad could that be?
You Had Me at Merlot is the kind of love story that will have you crying with laughter one moment and nodding your head in agreement the next. Full of sultry summer nights, hilarious moments and plenty of wine, it will warm even the most cynical of hearts and have you believing in the magic of romance (and the power of a decent glass of Merlot).
I am SO incredibly excited to be part of the blog tour for Lisa Dickenson’s second novel, ‘You Had Me at Merlot’, today! Not only is Lisa one of the loveliest authors around, her debut novel ‘The Twelve Dates of Christmas’ was one of my favourite reads of 2013 and a book I can’t recommend enough to others (click here to read my review). Lisa has a brilliant and incredibly funny writing style and I couldn’t wait to read more of her work. Thankfully, the first part of ‘You Had Me at Merlot’, which is a four-part digital romantic comedy, was released on the 14th of July and the second part is now also available! I was lucky enough to receive an early review copy (I already got incredibly excited when I heard the title, I love it) and I can’t even describe how much I looked forward to sitting down with one of Lisa’s stories again!
Elle and Laurie are two best friends who have one important thing in common: they are the only ones of their group of friends who are still single and not worrying about planning a wedding or having babies. Elle is absolutely fine with this; she loves being on her own and making her own decisions without having to worry about someone else, but Laurie needs love and she has found the perfect way to get it. With the promise of lots of sunshine and delicious wine, Laurie convinces Elle to join her on a singles holiday to Tuscany, organised by You Had Me at Merlot holidays. Elle and Laurie both know what they want and expect from their ten-day trip, but Italy has quite a lot of unexpected things in store for them...
Honestly, where do I start? I just want to say: Lisa Dickenson has done it again, what an absolutely fantastic read! I loved everything about this book. Yes... Everything. I just tried to think of something, even something small, I didn’t like, but I can’t think of anything. Elle and Laurie are fabulous characters; they make a great duo, both with their own individual personality and their own issues. There’s also a great supporting cast of characters; I particularly loved Sophia and Sebastian, the elderly couple who run You Had Me at Merlot holidays, their hunky son Jamie, and Elle’s boss Donna. 
The plotline had me entertained from the first until the last page, and it even managed to surprise me every now and again. Lisa’s writing style flows so easily; I could honestly just keep on reading and reading, and she is incredibly funny. I have to admit, there aren’t many authors who manage to make me literally laugh out loud while reading a book, but I had several moments while reading this book when other people in the train or bus looked at me because I was laughing so hard. The book is divided into four separate parts, which also makes it an easy read, for example when you don’t have that much reading time, but also works perfectly as one novel which you finish in a day. ‘You Had Me at Merlot’ is an incredibly funny, feel-good, sunny romantic comedy which is the perfect summer read. I hope publishers are standing in line to give Lisa Dickenson a book deal, because she is undoubtedly one of the most exciting new voices within the world of chick lit and I can’t wait to read more of her work in the years to come!  

Rating:

10/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour: 'The Things I'd Miss' by Andrew Clover

If you could change anything in your past, what would it be?
If only things had been different, Lucy Potts, 43-year-old mother of two, would be married to Hugh Ashby - the man she loved and lost. Instead, she married his best friend, Simon.
And then a devastating car crash leaves her unconscious, and she finds herself revisiting the crucial moments in her past. But everything is slightly different. Suddenly, she is able to change all the things she's always wished she'd done differently.
But by concentrating on her past, she is forgetting about all the things she would miss in the present, and as she comes round, she makes a devastating discovery.
I’m honoured to be part of the blog tour for Andrew Clover’s new novel ‘The Things I’d Miss’ today! When I was contacted by the lovely people at Random House about being a part of the blog tour, I immediately thought the blurb of the book sounded quite fascinating and the cover grabbed my attention as well. I wasn’t familiar with Andrew Clover’s work, even though I did hear from others that his debut novel ‘Learn Love in a Week’ is incredibly funny. ‘The Things I’d Miss’, which was released on the 17th of July, promised to be a slightly different read, but one I was definitely curious about. I’ve also got a special guest post from Andrew himself on the blog today, so be sure to scroll down to check it out!
Just like any other person, Lucy Potts can’t help but ask herself occasionally: what if...? What if she had managed to stay together with the love of her life, Hugh Ashby? What if she hadn’t married Hugh’s best friend Simon instead? But then, one day, Lucy has a horrible car crash which results in her revisiting the past, particularly those important moments that shaped her future. It doesn’t take long before Lucy notices she isn’t just a bystander, but can actually change things in her own memories. Suddenly Lucy is given the chance to make these ‘what if’s’ happen, but by focusing so much on the past, she starts to forget about everything that’s going on in the present...
The plotline of this novel straight away fascinated me; I love novels in which the main characters get to do things which we won’t be able to do in real life. The main character in the book, Lucy, is involved in a car crash and her soul is separated from her body, providing her with the opportunity to travel through her own past and memories, and at the same time being able to change these important events. I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel; travelling with Lucy to different stages in her life, from her being a little girl disobeying her mother to her being at university completely infatuated with a boy. The fact that Lucy is actually able to change these memories was a remarkable aspect of the book and I was incredibly curious to find out what Lucy would do and how it would all turn out in the end.
I particularly enjoyed reading about Lucy’s time at university, because this is the time where she gets to know some of the most important people in her life: her best friend Gemma, her future husband Simon, her big love Hugh. As the novel progressed, I have to say I didn’t really feel the chemistry between Hugh and Lucy, which is a shame because I think it would have made the novel even stronger if this chemistry had been there. I also sometimes felt like I didn’t know enough about Lucy, which made it difficult for me to really connect with her as a character. Overall, though, ‘The Things I’d Miss’ is a touching, well-paced and thoughtful novel which I could hardly put down. I really enjoyed Andrew Clover’s writing style and look forward to his future work! 

Rating:

8,0/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

---

Guest Post by Andrew Clover

What if there were just one thing you could do?

The trick to writing the best book you can is to ask yourself questions:  What do you love?  What if there were one thing in your life you could change - what would it be? 
I know the answer to that one...
When I was at school, I had a friend called Derk.  I met him in Chemistry over a hot Bunsen Burner.  He was tall, and he had twinkling eyes, and the gift of being able to tease, without a hint of mockery.  We quickly struck up a firm friendship.  I visited his home.   I often slept in his room, and enjoyed knowing his habits.  He slept with a foot dangling from the duvet, as if he were always ready to leap into action.  He loved action.  One summer we windsurfed all around The Isle of Wight, with our friend Callum...  And then, twelve years on, I bumped into Callum in town one day.  “How’s Derk?”  I asked.  “You know he had ME,”  began Callum,  “well he took his own life.” I was stunned.                         I knew Derk had got ME.  After school, he went on to college with me.   I visited his room several times, but, after the first, he never seemed to be in.  In retrospect, I realised he’d been inside all along.  I should have knocked harder.  What if I had?  How might I have helped?
Starting a new book, those were certainly the questions I needed to explore.   One day, I sat down and wrote...  I discovered a narrator.  She was 43, she was artistic, she had kids.  One day, she left them at home, she drove off to the shop to buy rice, but she had a terrible car accident.  Next thing she knew, she was a student again, and she was lying beside a handsome man – the one she’d always loved, the one she’d never kissed.  She realised she was living her life again.  What if she could do things differently?
I didn’t realise I was writing about Derk, at first.  I just liked the story since the scenes that flowed out seemed ten times more vivid than anything else I’d written.  You can see why...  If my heroine died, these were the things she’d miss.  So I got hooked on her story.  Would she be able to save the handsome man, by giving him love?  If so, would her past change?  And would she ever get back to those kids? 
They all seemed good questions, and I kept writing till I found out.  I wrote a first draft, without planning, or stopping to change a word.  It seemed the best way to serve the truth of the tale.  But did it work? I’d love you to order the book, and then to tell me.  But more than that,  I’d love you to ask yourself these questions:   do you have a friend, right now, who might appreciate your call?  Could you arrange to meet?  And if you do,  do you think you might, for a moment, light a Bunsen Burner in memory of my friend Derk?
I’m still cross I wasn’t a better friend, but perhaps you could be.
www.andrewclover.co.uk
Girls Love to Read: Seeing my dogs every day #thethingsidmiss Book Club Mum: An impromptu hand-hold from my children #thethingsidmiss Spoonful of Happy Endings: The feeling of my grandmother's amazing hugs #thethingsidmiss

Blog Tour: 'Letters from Skye' by Jessica Brockmole

March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.

June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.

Today I am incredibly excited to be part of the blog tour for Jessica Brockmole's novel 'Letters from Skye.' The book was first published in 2013, but was re-released  on the 17th of July by Windmill. Thanks goes to the lovely people at Random House for contacting me about this novel and providing me with a review copy. I love epistolary novels (books written in the form of letters) and I love wartime romance stories, so I had a good feeling I would really enjoy this one!

Elspeth Dunn is a published poet who lives on the Scottish Isle of Skye in 1912. One day, she unexpectedly receives a fan letter from an American college student named David Graham. David loves Elspeth's poetry and what starts with a simple fan letter quickly turns into a dedicated correspondence from both sides. Elspeth and David only have their letters, but in it they share everything with one another, from their darkest secrets to their dreams and goals. When World War 1 takes over their lives, and David becomes an ambulance driver at the front, everything could change in a second. In 1940, at the start of another war, Margaret Dunn finds an old letter from a man called David, and she is determined to find out what happened to her mother all those years ago. 

I love books that are completely written in the form of letters, especially when it's as amazingly done as this one. Wow, what a touching and simply lovely read! The author really managed to create a convincing and engaging tale of wartime romance, one that will stay with me for quite some time. Even though the book only consists of letters, there is enough background information to get to know the characters. I really liked both Elspeth and David, and I loved seeing their letters to another develop with time; it really shows how much a letter can say or mean to someone.

While I loved Elspeth and David's story, I think it's great that another aspect is added to the novel in the form of Margaret's letters in the 1940s, during World War 2. She accidentally finds one of David's letters and is curious to find out who this David is. Her search really added something to the story and so did she, as Elspeth's daughter. I just loved everything about this book; it's perfect for hopeless romantics like me! Overall, 'Letters from Skye' is an incredibly romantic, touching and beautifully well-written novel, and undoubtedly one of my favourite wartime romances of all-time.

Rating:

10/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.