Review: 'Sand in My Shoes' by Jenny Harper (2015)

Headteacher Nicola Arnott prides herself on her independence. She has successfully juggled motherhood and career, coping with early widowhood by burying her emotions somewhere deep inside herself. When a cancer scare shakes her out of her careful approach to life, she finds herself thinking wistfully of her first love, a young French medical student. 
She decides to revisit the sleepy French town she remembers from her teenage years – and is astonished to meet up with Luc again. The old chemistry is still there – but so is something far more precious: a deep and enduring friendship. 
Can it turn into true love?
Summer wouldn't be summer without some fun and quick short stories to read during an hour or two in the garden in the sunshine, enjoying a breeze on the balcony, or spending a day on the beach! Earlier this year I was part of the blog tour for author Jenny Harper's novel 'People We Love'; a book which I really enjoyed (click here to read my review). When Jenny contacted me, asking whether I would be interested in reading and reviewing her summer novella 'Sand in My Shoes' (which was released as an e-book on the 4th of July) I straight away said yes. I managed to find the time to squeeze in this short and quick summer read and am excited to share my review with all of you today!
Nicola Arnott has been through some difficult periods in her life, mainly becoming a widow and single mum at a young age after the completely unexpected death of her husband. Yet, Nicola managed to raise her daughter and build up a career for herself, leading a calm and careful life. So, when her life is shaken up by a cancer scare, Nicola decides she deserves a break. She goes back to the French small town of Arcachon where she spent some wonderful summers when she was a teenager. It also makes her think of her first love, French medical student Luc. Nicola doesn't expect to run into Luc again, but when she does it raises a few questions. Will they be able to pick things up from where they left it all those years ago, or has too much happened to the both of them...?
I really enjoyed this short story with a summer feel by author Jenny Harper. The story focuses on a fascinating protagonist whom I straight away liked; Nicola has dealt with a lot of things in her life and after a recent cancer scare she decides to take a break from it all. While there's usually not a lot of space and time in short stories to really provide the reader with a lot of detail, I really felt like I got to know Nicola and was curious to see what this trip to France would lead to. The story also includes some flashbacks, going back to the time when Nicola was a teenager and fell in love with French student Luc. The chemistry between the two of them is definitely there, and I loved being able to go back in time to see what happened to young Nicola and what this period meant to her. 
Jenny Harper's writing is a true pleasure to get lost it and really suitable for a quick and entertaining but also touching summer read like this one. I already feel like I had some sort of connection with the characters and wouldn't mind reading more about them! The setting of the short story is perfect for a summer read and will make you long for a holiday to the beautiful town of Arcachon yourself! Overall, 'Sand in My Shoes' is a thoroughly enjoyable, fast-paced and touching read by an author whose work I am starting to enjoy more and more. A great novella to pick up if you're looking for a quick summer read, and I personally already can't wait to pick up Jenny Harper's next novel!

Rating:9/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour & Giveaway: 'People We Love' by Jenny Harper

Jenny Harper is back with the fourth instalment in her popular Heartlands series.

People We Love will be on tour for the next few weeks, visiting some of the best and brightest book blogs for reviews, guest posts and a colourful giveaway!

 

For readers of Jojo Moyes, Jodi Picoult and David Nicholls, you will love Jenny Harper's People We Love. 
  Her life is on hold – until an unlikely visitor climbs in through the kitchen window.

A year after her brother’s fatal accident, Lexie’s life seems to have reached a dead end. She is back home in small-town Hailesbank with her shell-shocked parents, treading softly around their fragile emotions.

As the family business drifts into decline, Lexie’s passion for painting and for her one-time mentor Patrick have been buried as deep as her unexpressed grief, until the day her lunch is interrupted by a strange visitor in a bobble hat, dressing gown and bedroom slippers, who climbs through the window. Elderly Edith’s batty appearance conceals a secret and starts Lexie on a journey that gives her an inspirational artistic idea and rekindles her appetite for life. With friends in support and ex-lover Cameron seemingly ready to settle down, do love and laughter beckon after all?    
I’m really excited to be part of the blog tour organised by CandleLit Author Services for Jenny Harper’s latest novel ‘People We Love’ today! The book tells the story of Alexa Gordon, also known as Lexie, who is trying to pick up her life after the unexpected death of her beloved brother Jamie. She’s back in her hometown Hailesbank and tries to help her family and the family business. However, what Lexie loves most is to paint; it has always been her dream of having her own show at a gallery, but due to everything that has happened this dream is still just a dream. Until one day an elderly lady named Edith climbs in through the Gordon family’s kitchen window. Edith is looking for something and this something helps Lexie to start a new project, a project in which she is finally able to express her passion for painting but also a project that will change both her and her family’s lives.
I was not familiar with author Jenny Harper’s work before I got the chance to read and review ‘People We Love’, and I’m really glad I got the chance to discover her writing. It took me a bit of time to really get into the novel, but the characters and storyline managed to draw me in after a few chapters and after that I just wanted to keep on reading. The story is incredibly captivating and beautifully written, filled with tons of emotion, and the characters are well-drawn and fascinating. I quickly warmed to Lexie and was really curious to see whether she would be able to get on with her life after her brother’s death and which choices she would make. A big focus lies on Lexie’s love life, with appearances by her exes Cameron and Patrick, and I loved the fact that the story included this romance element, but also focused on other characters and the relationships between them, such as Lexie and her best friend Molly.
As I already mentioned but just want to focus on again, this novel has some great in-depth characters at its core. Not just Lexie and her family, but other characters such as the elderly lady who climbs through the kitchen window, Edith, and the local eccentric shop owner Pavel, really managed to steal my heart. The storyline of this novel is just beautiful and I want to applaud the author for coming up with and creating this emotional and wonderful tale. ‘People We Love’ is a captivating story about healing, overcoming things and going on with your life with a smile on your face. A truly wonderful story which I can’t recommend enough!

Rating:9/10

Click Here To Buy This Book - UK

Click Here To Buy This Book - US

 

 

Author Bio:

Jenny Harper lives in Edinburgh. She is the author of four books about Scotland and Scottish culture, a history of childbirth, and The Sleeping Train for young readers. When she isn't writing, she enjoys walking in the Scottish countryside or anywhere warm, and travelling to Europe, America and India.    

Find Jenny:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads

 
 

Enter via the Rafflecopter below to win:

1st Prize: 1 x Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolour Sketchers Pocket Set and an E-copy of People We Love by Jenny Harper

2nd Prize: 1 x Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolour Sketchers' Pocket Set

a Rafflecopter giveaway     Giveaway is international. Jenny Harper and CandleLit Author Services reserve the right to cancel or amend giveaway details at anytime and without prior notification.
   

Blog Tour: 'Maximum Exposure' by Jenny Harper

Jenny Harper and Accent Press are thrilled to announce the publication of Maximum Exposure, the newest addition to the Heartlands Series. They are celebrating its launch with a blog tour!

For the duration of the event, Jenny and her contemporary romance novel will be welcomed onto a selection of top book blogs for reviews and the odd guest post + enter the giveaway to bag yourself either an e-copy of Maximum Exposure, a chic daisy photo frame or a cute Daisy teddy.

'She’s a professional photographer – but is she ready to expose her heart? 

Adorable but scatterbrained newspaper photographer Daisy Irvine becomes the key to the survival of The Hailesbank Herald when her boss drops dead right in front of her. And while big egos and petty jealousies hinder the struggle to save the paper, Daisy starts another campaign – to win back her ex, Jack Hedderwick. 

Ben Gillies, returning after a long absence, sees childhood friend Daisy in a whole new light. He’d like to win her love, but discovers that she’s a whole lot better at taking photographs than making decisions, particularly when she’s blinded by the past. When tragedy strikes Daisy’s family, loyalty drives her home. But it’s time to grow up and Daisy must choose between independence and love.'  

I’m really excited to be part of the Candlelit Author Services blog tour for Jenny Harper’s latest release ‘Maximum Exposure’ today! I wasn’t familiar with Jenny Harper’s work and looked forward to checking out a new author. ‘Maximum Exposure’ tells the story of Daisy Irvine who works as a photographer for a newspaper, the Hailesbank Herald. The paper is in danger of being shut down and Daisy wants to do whatever she can to save it, while at the same time she is trying to get her ex-boyfriend Jack back. Daisy’s childhood friend Ben is back in town and realises he might be having feelings for Daisy, but is not sure what to do about them. Daisy has quite a lot going on in her life and we get to join her on her journey to deciding what she wants and what she needs to walk away from.

It took me a bit of time before I really got into the story, even though I instantly warmed to the main protagonist of the novel, Daisy. She’s a warm and lovely person and many female readers will be able to relate to her in one way or another. Whether it’s the ex-boyfriend she’s trying to win back or trying to save her job, I felt myself rooting for Daisy from the start and was curious to find out what would eventually happen to her. Next to Daisy, the story includes some wonderful secondary characters as well, specifically Ben Gillies, Daisy’s childhood friend who returns back to town. He’s quite a dreamy guy and I loved reading about him trying to deal with his feelings for Daisy. 

The plotline of the novel is quite interesting; I really enjoyed reading about the newspaper business, and there were even a couple of twists and turns I personally did not see coming. Jenny Harper’s writing is fast-paced and entertaining, and after reading this book I’m looking forward to her future work. Overall, ‘Maximum Exposure’ is a thoroughly enjoyable and warm read, perfect for a lazy afternoon on the couch!

Rating:8/10

 

Click Here To Buy This Book - UK

Click Here To Buy This Book - US

 

Author Bio:

Jenny Harper lives in Edinburgh. She is the author of four books about Scotland and Scottish culture, a history of childbirth, and The Sleeping Train for young readers. When she isn't writing, she enjoys walking in the Scottish countryside or anywhere warm, and travelling to Europe, America and India.  

Find Jenny

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads

 

Enter the tour giveaway to win:

1st Prize: An e-copy of Maximum Exposure by Jenny Harper

2nd Prize: A daisy photo frame

3rd Prize: A Daisy Teddy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is UK only. Jenny Harper and CandleLit Author Services reserve the right to cancel or amend giveaway details at anytime and without prior notification.