Maddy's Book Blog

  The Stand-in Dad by Alex Summers This was an absolutely charming story. The characters are extremely relatable, and believable, and the situation is one everyone has heard before – both within straight and LGBTQ families. The LGBTQ slant just gives another layer of interest to this delightful story   Meg has recently become engaged to her girlfriend Hannah, so why is she crying her eyes out outside the florist? Her parents aren’t happy about the union and haven’t turned up to help chose the flowers for the wedding. Enter David, the florist, who knows all too well what happens when your parents don’t approve of your partner – or your lifestyle, and he vows to help Meg in any way he can. David offers to be her stand in Dad and helps her to organise the wedding – at the same time as setting up a network of LGBTQ tradespeople who can also help each other and boost their wedding sales. David has a secret you see, his florist isn’t doing too well, and if things don’t improve, ...

  The Forgotten Book Club by Kate Storey   I have read one of Kate Storey’s books previously so I was looking out for more, and this one didn’t disappoint. Dealing with such difficult subjects as bereavement, ADHD, unemployment and depression, this book manages to skilfully and sensitively handle the topics whilst producing a fun, interesting and heartwarming novel.   Grace’s beloved husband passed away and Grace was struggling. Grace knew that he loved his fortnightly book club, but Grace had never gone as she wasn’t really a reader. When her Grandson Jude persuades her to go along, she was very surprised to see that there weren’t that many members, and that the evening was spent with them all reading their own books, silently. Grace can’t cope with the solitude and quiet, and runs, vowing to never return. Annie from the book club persuades her to return, and slowly with the help of her new book club friends, and her family, she reconnects with her late husband i...

  What If I  Never Get Over You by Paige Toon What a gorgeous story! For those that believe in love at first sight, or even for those that don’t, this is an intense love story of love, loss, love again and so forth. I have read a Paige Toon book previously so I was really looking forward to this, and it didn’t disappoint. Ellie has a difficult relationship with her family, and has been pressurised into going into the family business. She commits a minor act of rebellion and goes interrailing, and meets Ash. Three days in Spain is enough for them to fall in love. Before meeting Ash, Ellie had agreed to go home with her parents, but they make a plan to meet up again in Madrid the following week. Ellie is late, and Ash is no where to be seen. Unfortunately, Ellie has no way of contacting him, having never even asked for his surname. Ash also doesn’t contact her and Ellie spends the next 6 years trying to get over him. Ellie finds the strength to pursue her dream career and ends...