Review: 'We Are All Made of Stars' by Rowan Coleman (2016)

Stella Carey has good reason to only work nights at the hospice where she is a nurse. Married to a war veteran who has returned from Afghanistan brutally injured, Stella leaves the house each night as her husband Vincent, locks himself away, unable to sleep due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
During her nights at the hospice, Stella writes letters for her patients containing their final wishes, thoughts and feelings – from how to use a washing machine, to advice on how to be a good parent – and usually she delivers each letter to the recipient he or she has died.
That is until Stella writes one letter that she feels compelled to deliver in time to give her patient one final chance of redemption…
One of the first novels I reviewed for this blog was Rowan Coleman’s ‘The Home for Broken Hearts’ and that’s something I always think of when I am about to read another novel by this author. I remember searching for a great chick lit novel to start my blog with and I really enjoyed Rowan’s novel, so decided it would be a good book to kick things off with. And here we are now, several years and many, many reviews later and I’m once again standing here with a Rowan Coleman novel in my hands! I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of ‘We Are All Made of Stars’, which was released in paperback format on January 28th by Ebury Press. I had heard many positive things about this book already, including some warnings that I would need to keep a box of tissues ready, just in case. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to check out this Rowan Coleman read!
Stella Carey used to work as a trauma nurse, a job she loved. However, after her husband Vincent came back from Afghanistan badly injured, things haven’t been the same between them and especially the long nights can be challenging. Because of this, Stella switched jobs and now works the night shift at Marie Frances Hospice, a place where people come for their last resting place. In her own way Stella has found something extra she can to help some of the patients, namely by writing letters for them with final words or wishes for their loved ones. Usually Stella makes sure the letters are sent after the patient has passed away, but with her latest letter Stella can’t help but feel the urge to deliver the letter as soon as possible, in the hope of fixing what might at first seem unfixable…
‘We Are All Made of Stars’ is a touching and simply stunning read that really managed to tug at my heart strings. Rowan Coleman is a great author and her engrossing writing style really turned this novel into the beautiful read it is. The story is told from the point of view of several characters, namely Stella (who works as a nurse in a hospice and is married to war veteran Vincent), Hope (a 21-year-old with Cystic Fibrosis who finds it difficult to deal with the fact that she has no idea how long she still has to live), and Hugh (a historian who likes to hide away from the world). These three different storylines were all really captivating and I was fascinated by all characters, wanting to continue on reading to see what would eventually happen to all of them. The storylines were also all connected to one another in a specific way, which was really well done by the author. 
Next to the chapters with various perspectives, there is a whole collection of letters in the novel; letters Stella has written including the last thoughts and wishes from many of her patients. I loved these letters; they formed a great combination of humour and sadness and really added a special feel to the novel as a whole. When I discovered the setting of this book I was afraid the novel would be really sad, but Rowan Coleman really managed to turn it into something special; a book that definitely brought tears to my eyes, but also made me smile and feel hopeful. Fans of authors such as Amanda Prowse definitely will not regret picking up this book, I’m sure; ‘We Are All Made of Stars’ is a touching, emotional and beautifully-written story and a novel that has made me fall once again just a bit more in love with Rowan Coleman.

Rating:9/10

  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.

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 back to September 2012 to look back at...

'You are a remarkable woman and you deserve all the happiness, contentment and love in the world. I, for one, know that I have never met anyone quite like you.' 
When Rose Pritchard turns up on the doorstep of a Cumbrian B&B it is her last resort. She and her seven-year-old daughter Maddie have left everything behind. And they have come to the village of Millthwaite in search of the person who once offered Rose hope. 
Almost immediately Rose wonders if she's made a terrible mistake - if she's chasing a dream - but she knows in her heart that she cannot go back. She's been given a second chance - at life, and love - but will she have the courage to take it?

I haven't read Rowan Coleman's 2012 release 'Dearest Rose' yet, but I've heard so many incredibly positive things about it I decided to share it with all of you today for this week's 'Once Upon a Story...' The book was named the Best Romantic Read 2012 at the Festival of Romance and was shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year 2013. I'm familiar with Rowan Coleman's writing and really enjoyed some of her other novels, and I am sure this one won't disappoint either. The book is described as a warm-hearted and poignant novel and it's one of those books I think I can recommend without having read it myself!   

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

Help Rowan Coleman raise £10,000 for Refuge!

On September 10th Rowan Coleman is publishing her novella 'Woman Walks Into a Bar' as an ebook for the first time. And 100% of her proceeds will be donated to Refuge.

Her goal is to raise £10,000 and you can help. All you have to do is buy a book, or two, and get your friends to buy one too. You’ll get a funny, romantic and touching summer read and you’ll be helping women you’ve never even met at the same time and all for the price of £1.59!

 

The story behind the story

 

Every book Rowan has ever written has meant a lot to her, but with her latest book ‘Dearest Rose,’ something really special happened when the real world and the fiction she loves to write collided. It changed her as a person and a writer, forever.

She was getting ready to research her tenth novel, which with the help of her Facebook readers she decided should pivot around the theme of domestic abuse. It was a subject she’d touched on briefly once before, when she wrote a short novella as one of the first Quick Reads called Woman Walks into a Bar, which to this day remains one of the pieces of work of which she is most proud.

So she posted on her Facebook page asking if anyone had any personal experiences of domestic abuse, and any stories they might share with her in confidence.

 She was shocked and amazed by the response; there were more than 200 emails waiting in her inbox the next day. Each story she read was horrific and frightening in its own way, giving her an insight into the secret lives of many women; lives that all too often remain hidden. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone - well educated wealthy women are just as likely to suffer as women from a working class background - but the one thing all those women had in common was that they were survivors. After years of being mentally and physically beaten down, they had managed to find the emotional strength, somehow, to break free and start again.

Now Rowan wants to do something that will help other women find that inner courage, and change their lives.

 

 

‘Woman Walks into a Bar’ is the story of 28-year-old single mother Sam spends her days working in the local supermarket and her Friday nights out with her friends letting her hair down at the White Horse. Life hasn’t been easy for Sam and her daughter, Beth (who always looks on the bright side) but she’s always hoped that one day she’ll break free from her past and meet The One.

But after a series of terrible dates with men she’s met through an internet dating site, that have all been as awful as her daughter’s terrible jokes, she’s starting to lose heart - until her friends tell her they’ve set her up on a blind date. Sam’s horrified but finally she agrees to go. After all you never know when you might meet the man of your dreams; maybe Sam’s happy ending is just about to begin….

£1.59 Amazon Kindle UK

 

So, come on and join Rowan, and help to #supportafriend on September 10th. Every time you buy or pre-order ‘Woman Walks into a Bar’ you’ll be entered into a prize draw for fabulous prizes every week, while the #supportafriend #womanwalks campaign is running. On 10th September, tweet Rowan photos of you and your friends, tell her your ideas to support a friend, and why your friends mean so much to you.

You can be a best friend to someone you have never even met. You can help someone out there find the support they need to change their lives.

If you are a blogger or tweeter, spread the word using #supportafriend #womawalks. If you are a company who could offer a prize to drive book sales and thereby money for Refuge, please get in touch. If you are a woman in an abusive relationship, or if you have a friend about whom you are worried, please get in touch with Refuge and ask for help today. 

About Rowan

Rowan Coleman grew up in Hertfordshire secretly longing to be a writer despite battling with dyslexia. After graduating from university she worked in bookselling and publishing for seven years before winning Company Magazine Young Writer of the Year in 2001. Her first novel ‘Growing Up Twice’ was published in 2002.

Rowan has gone on to write eight novels for women including the bestseller ‘The Accidental Mother, The Baby Group’ and ‘The Accidental Wife‘ and eight novels for children and teens including the paranormal adventure novels Nearly Departed and Immortal Remains under the name Rook Hasting. Her books are published around the world. She now lives in Hertfordshire with her family.

Woman Walks into a Bar website

Rowan’s website

Twitter @rowancoleman

Rowan’s Facebook Author Page

Rowan’s Amazon Author Page

Rowan’s Goodreads Author Page

 

 

Review: 'The Happy Home for Broken Hearts' by Rowan Coleman (2010)

Ellie Woods spends her days immersed in the escapist pages of the romantic novels she lovingly edits. But her reality is somewhat less rose-tinted. Once upon a time, Ellie had her 'happily ever after' moment when she married her beloved Nick, but fifteen years later her husband's tragic death leaves her alone with their soon-to-become-a-teenager son, faced with a mountain of debt, and on the verge of losing the family home.

On the brink of bankruptcy, Ellie finally succumbs to her sister's well-meant bullying and decides to rent out some rooms. And all too soon the indomitable Allegra with her love for all things lavender, Sabine on secondment from Berlin and estranged from her two-timing husband, and unreconstructed lads' mag aficionado Matt enter her ordered but fragile existence - each with their own messy life in tow. And Ellie finds herself forced to step out of the pages of the romantic novels she hides behind, and learn to live - and love - again. Maybe a new chapter is about to begin for them all...

As soon as I saw the cover of this particular novel, I just knew it was the kind of book I would like. Not only does the title include the words ‘happy’ (who doesn’t like happiness?) and ‘broken hearts’ (which are there to be fixed, right?), but the caption on the cover also reads “Sometimes you have to write your own happy ending…” Well, obviously by just looking at the name of this blog it is quite clear that if a book promises something about a happy ending, you can count me in. 

This novel tells the story of Ellen Woods, a thirty-something widow living in her beloved Victorian home in London with her almost-teenage son, Charlie. After losing her husband Nick, Ellen spends her days taking care of Charlie, worrying about money, and using her work as an editor of romance novels to escape reality whenever she can. It is Ellen's sister, Hannah, who ultimately convinces Ellen that she has to get her head out of the sand: it's either moving out of the family home herself or letting other people move in. After making the decision, it doesn't take long before three lodgers arrive on her doorstep. Allegra (a determined elderly lady, who also happens to be Ellen's favourite romance novelist), Sabine (a German working professional with marital problems) and Matt (an attractive young man who has taken on a new job for all-man magazine 'Bang It!') all bring their own personalities into Ellen and Charlie's lives, and it doesn't take long before Ellen is forced to step out of the pages of happy ever after's and start facing the real world again, no matter how scary it might be.

I hadn’t read anything by Rowan Coleman before, even though I saw her name appear on my Amazon wish list every now and again. I love discovering new authors I can add to my favourites list and Coleman is definitely one of them. After just a few pages, I was already completely absorbed by this novel. Not only because the protaganist, Ellen, is an easily loveable and relatable character (who of us doesn't use stories to escape reality every now and then?), but because almost all of the characters are instantly likeable and bring something interesting to the table. The novel is really well-written and the mix of romance, grief, humour and strength is the perfect balance to form a story I simply could not put down.

What I especially loved about this book is the way Coleman developed her characters. In most books, there are always a few characters you love, maybe one or two you dislike and perhaps some you don't really care for. With this book, I surprisingly found myself falling in love with almost every single character: Ellen, who is shatterd by grief but is trying to pick up the pieces of her life; Charlie, who is struggling with his mother's behaviour and the fact that he is starting to turn into a typical teenage boy (which results in a couple of very funny scenes and conversations); Allegra, the demanding lady in lavender who you can't help but grow fond of; Sabine, who is perhaps not as present as the others but definitely adds something to the story with her own issues with her cheating husband; and, last but not least, Matt, who I couldn't help but develop a serious reader's crush on. The only character in the book I had a bit of trouble with was Hannah, but that most likely also has to do with the plot development (don't want to entirely give it away for those of you who haven't read the book yet!).

I was seriously gutted when I finished this novel, but at the same time it was a satisfying ending I can not complain about. The one thing about this book that slightly bothered me were the cursive passages that focused on The Sword Erect, the romantic story Ellen is editing during the course of the novel. I myself wasn't a big fan of this other plot and would have rather seen those couple of extra pages used to write more about the other characters. Yet, at the same time I do see the significance of this other storyline, so it is simply a personal comment on the side. Overall, a really well-written book filled with warmth, kindness and laughter which I would definitely recommend to any chick-lit fan!

Rating:

8,5/10