Maddy's Book Blog

One Christmas Eve by Shari Low A solid 4.5 stars from me.   I hadn’t read any of this Author’s books before but I will certainly be looking for more. This one was FREE on Amazon Prime and I loved the premise, it was well written, and lived up to my expectations. The book is told in 3 timelines, but a daughter, a mother, and a grandmother – but each take place on Christmas Eve. Eve’s story takes place in 2023, her mother Helena’s is in 1993, and her mother Cathy is in 1968. By switching between the timelines, we slowly find out the reasons for the relationship between the 3 women in the current day. When Eve receives some shattering news, we circle around the timelines to find out what happened one Christmas eve – to both her mother and Grandmother. Cleverly written, and full of Christmas spirit and love. I didn’t want it to end. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7058786115

  Bombshell by Alison Hammond   I do love Alison Hammond. She is warm and witty so I knew her book would be the same. Her characters are extremely true to life, and I suspect they are based on people that she knows. It’s a fun book about friendships, family, heartbreak, and heart-make.   Madison thinks she has the perfect life. A TV heartthrob, handsome husband, 2 gorgeous children, a bunch of close-knit friends and a wonderful house – and as an interior designer it is just as she wants it. The only thing that isn’t perfect is a job that she hates. When her husband suddenly tells her that he needs some space, and moves out to stay with a cousin, Madison’s world is turned upside down. Can Madison discover her own worth, and change her life for the better or will she fold under the pressure? Sometimes new friends can come into your life at the right time and improve your life for the better.   I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, and I polished ...

  The Favourites by Layne Fargo   This book immediately made me think of Daisy Jones and The Six. It was written in a semi journalistic style, although this book is about an ice dancing pair rather than a band.   I really enjoyed it, and I thought it gave a good insight into the world of ice dancing and the Olympics.   Katarina Shaw has always wanted to be a gold medal winning Olympic skater. Heath Rocha has always wanted to be with Katarina, and so partners her in the ice skating. They both had a very hard childhood and were drawn together – their relationship was a turbulent as it is passionate. They become ice dance champions, and have their sights firmly set on the Olympic Gold. However, the course of true love, and ice dance, never runs smoothly - and jealousies, rumours, and even sabotage abound. The story is told from the beginning by Kat herself, and a number of other key players in the sport who take turns in filling in the narrative.   This...

  Still the One by Aimee Brown I had never heard of the author, and chose this book purely based on the blurb, and I am so glad I did. It was right up my street and kept me captivated until the end. Eve and Foster had a whirlwind affair and married within a month. Unfortunately, they broke up almost just as quickly breaking both their hearts in the process. Foster rode motorbikes for a living, and spent his life travelling the world, and risking his neck on evermore dangerous stunts. Everyone knows the daredevil, handsome rider – or at least they thought they did. The two had no contact until Foster arrived, close to death in the ER of the hospital where Eve worked as a nurse. When Eve started to work on the seriously damaged biker, and realised who he was, her world, once again, tipped upside down. This is a will they/won’t they love story, but so much more. Well written, with great characters. I really loved it. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7014279784

  Into the Storm by Cecilia Ahern I have enjoyed several Cecilia Ahern books previously and I was intrigued at the premise of this book. Dr Enya Pickering is driving home in the pouring rain when she is flagged down by a taxi driver. On the floor she sees a boy, who looked uncannily like her son, who had been knocked over. She performs CPR on the boy until the ambulance arrives and so saves his life. Her life then falls to pieces – her husband, also a GP in the same practice wants her gone, and her beloved son won’t speak to her. When her father tells her about an opening for a GP in a remote village in Ireland, she decides that it’s fate and takes the job. However, is everything as it seems and will the past catch up with her? I really enjoyed this story. It’s somewhat of a ‘whodunnit’. It has great characterisation and shows how people are not always inherently good or inherently bad, but more all a bit of a mixture. A great, well written story. https://www.goodreads.com/...

  Escape for Christmas by Phillipa Ashley Who doesn’t love a Christmas love story at this time of the year, and this one is up there with the best of them. It’s a lovely story with some good twists. After an awful break up, Sophie leaves the Christmas shop she ran with her ex, and fulfils her lifelong ambition to run a guest house in Cumbria. She decides to fill her guesthouse, over the festive period, with others like her who want to get away from celebrating Christmas. Unfortunately, all doesn’t go to plan. Luckily their lovely neighbour, the vet, is on hand to help out. However, is he as nice as he seems? This was a lovely, feel-good book, full of fabulous characters, beautiful scenic descriptions, and I’d love to book into her Cumbrian guest house myself! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6992578914

  By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult I have really enjoyed many of Jodi Picoult's books, and this is up there with the best of them. This is a book calculated to make you think. If someone told me that this was based on a true story, as believable as the characters are. This was so well researched, and a really stunning read. The story is told by two amazing women. In 1580s England we meet Emilia Bassano who is sold as a mistress to a much older man, by her cousin. The one thing that keeps Emilia going is the fact that she is a playwright and writes plays and poetry. Unfortunately in those time women were not allowed to write plays - so she sold them to Shakespeare to pass off as his own. In the current day her ancestor is also having problems -    Melina Green is also a playwright. She is having similar problems in that she believes that her plays will not be taken seriously as they are written by a woman. When she writes her best play, about her ancestor Emilia, her ...