Maddy's Book Blog

  Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger I was beyond excited to receive this sequel to The Time Traveler's Wife , which remains one of my favourite books. While I enjoyed revisiting the fascinating premise that made the original so special, I found this story became a little too political and rather gloomy for my taste. I would have preferred the focus to remain on the characters and their relationships, rather than the bleak political landscape that increasingly took centre stage. Despite that, it was still interesting to return to the world Audrey Niffenegger created and see where the story went next. Henry’s daughter, Alba, has inherited the same rare chrono-displacement disorder as her father, meaning she experiences life out of order. The story focuses mainly on Alba and her husband, Zach, but also reveals what happened to her mother, Claire, after Henry's death, including a new romance in her life. Alongside a wide cast of friends, Alba uses her knowledge of the fut...

The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne Cyril Avery grows up knowing that he's not a 'real Avery' as his adopted parents tell him so all the time. He is starved of affection, and feels like he is just a lodger in his own house. His adopted father is a wealthy businessman who doesn't agree with paying taxes and does a couple of spells in prison as a result. His adopted mother is a writer, but doesn't want fame and fortune for her writing. All in all a very strange household to be bringing up a small boy. In the beginning of the book you find out that Cyril was born to a sixteen year old Irish girl, and owing to the location and times is cast out of the village by the local priest and her family. She goes to Dublin and manages to secure a job, and end up living with a friend she makes on the coach to Dublin, but quickly realised that she will be unable to keep her baby without any support and is forced to give him up to a " hunchbacked Redemptorist Nun...

  The Weight of Angels by John Boyne   I am not sure there are enough words to do this latest novel by John Boyne justice. He is a modern literary titan, not unlike the subject of this book was in his own time. I recently had the pleasure and privilege of hearing him speak about the novel and read a chapter from it, and I can happily say that the major difference is that John Boyne is a thoroughly lovely man. This is a substantial book that took me quite a while to read, but I savoured every word. This is a novel that brilliantly blends fact with fiction. In reality, the Marquess of Queensberry left his infamous calling card at the Albemarle Club in February 1895 bearing just his name and five words: "For Oscar Wilde, posing sodomite." Oscar Wilde's decision to sue for libel set in motion a chain of events that led to his arrest, imprisonment and, ultimately, his premature death. But what if he had simply ignored the card? What if he had escaped prison and been given ...

  Counting Down to You by Emily Stone   I have now read four books by Emily Stone, and they just seem to get better and better. Counting Down to You has everything I look for in a great read: deep emotion, romance, humour, and stunning scenery. From the very beginning, I was completely drawn into the story and couldn't wait to see how it would unfold. Ali and Robyn have been best friends and couldn’t be closer, sharing everything, especially their love of Christmas and the tradition of creating advent calendars filled with challenges for each other. When Robyn becomes seriously ill, she creates one final advent calendar for Ali, packed with special tasks designed to push her out of her comfort zone. Devastated by the loss of her best friend, Ali feels completely adrift, but completing the challenges gives her a way to honour Robyn's memory. As she works through each one, she finds herself embarking on a journey of friendship, healing and self-discovery. Emily Stone bala...

  Always A Silver Lining by Jessica Redland I have read so many books by Jessica Redland, and I am always completely immersed in her stories, which feel like sinking into a warm bubble bath. Although Always A Silver Lining can be enjoyed as a standalone novel, it is the sixth book in the series, so I loved revisiting old friends and learning more about characters who have only been mentioned briefly in previous books. Juliet is a wedding planner who has helped many couples achieve their dream day, but despite being engaged twice, she has never made it down the aisle herself. When she meets Christian following a cycling accident in a car park, the attraction between them is immediate, and she cannot stop thinking about him. However, Christian is concerned about their age difference, while Juliet is hiding a secret that she fears could destroy any chance of a future together. As their feelings deepen, both must decide whether they are willing to take a chance on love and hope th...

  Winter Magic at Hollybrae Castle by Jaimie Admans I absolutely love a Jaimie Admans book, and this one is right up there with her best. I'm a sucker for a love story, and if it has a healthy dose of comedy, even better. This book has both in spades. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I absolutely loved it! Lula is a window dresser, but disaster strikes just before Christmas and she ends up getting fired. After all, who wants to see Santa decapitating Paddington Bear?! When Lula spots an advert for someone to decorate a castle for Christmas, she jumps at the chance. There's just one catch: she has to pretend to be the owner's long-term girlfriend, Lucy. The fact that Oliver is drop-dead gorgeous certainly makes keeping up the charade a little easier! Add in a couple of fake children, plenty of festive chaos, and some laugh-out-loud moments, and you have the perfect recipe for a heartwarming romance. This was such a fun read, packed with humour, Christmas...

  Under Story by Chloe Benjamin   I hadn't read anything by Chloe Benjamin before, but the premise of the book really appealed to me. I'd previously read and enjoyed a book about time moving backwards, so I was very keen to read this one. It started a little slowly, but picked up around the 30% mark. She covered most of the backwards-time concepts that I'd enjoyed in the previous book, along with some physics, although she didn't touch on the concept of eating. Imagine that going backwards! 😊   Lauren is a renowned scientist, but after experiencing a traumatic event, she and her husband, fellow scientist Eli, separate. Seeking a complete change of direction, she moves to Antarctica and ends up working in the kitchen. When Eli arrives at the research station, old feelings begin to resurface. After Lauren has the epiphany that the mysterious Arc may be a portal, she must convince Eli to take a leap of faith with her. However, sometimes what you think you want isn...

  The Perfect Gift by Sarah Bennett Halfmoon Quay No. 4   I was so excited to be offered the fourth book in the Halfmoon Quay series, and it genuinely felt like meeting up with a group of old friends. I was immediately immersed and couldn’t put it down — the kind of story that sweeps you along so completely that you finish it within 24 hours. Although it is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Who needs sleep when a book is this good?   In this instalment, absent brother Ed finally returns to Halfmoon Quay, excited to move back in with his cousin Matt — only to arrive home and discover Matt isn’t there to greet him. What he does find delivers a shock that sends ripples through the whole story. Meanwhile, Frankie Webber, a well‑known actress with a traumatic past, is filming in Halfmoon Quay and quickly becomes part of the local friendship circle. She fits in so naturally that it’s impossible not to warm to her. And honestly, how much do I wish Half...

  The Comeback by Mel Giedroyc   I love Mel Giedroyc, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. While it isn’t badly written, I struggled to connect with the characters and didn’t enjoy the storyline, and ultimately it just wasn’t for me.   Gill Piper returns to Leatherhead to help promote the Youth Theatre she grew up in, only to find her old nemesis Carla still firmly entrenched there — and the battle lines drawn almost immediately. The whole dynamic is meant to be comedic and chaotic, but I just found it all a bit cringe, and it stopped me from connecting with the story.   Overall, it’s a light, easy read, but it just didn’t land for me. The premise had potential and Mel Giedroyc’s humour does shine through in places, yet the characters and the theatre‑based drama felt more awkward than engaging. In the end, it wasn’t a book I connected with, though I know others may enjoy it more than I did.   https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/89270...

  I'll Be Home for Christmas by Helen Rolfe This is my third Helen Rolfe book, and I’ve enjoyed every one of them. The characters are so easy to love, and the wintery ski‑resort setting is absolutely gorgeous. The family dynamics are interesting, believable and full of heart, and the whole story has that gentle, comforting charm Helen Rolfe does so well. I really enjoyed it.   Sarah’s wedding is fast approaching, and although she loves her husband‑to‑be, she’s getting cold feet — nudged along by her mum, Chrissie, who worries she’s too young and rushing into things. Instead of spending Christmas with her mum or fiancé, Sarah decides to stay with her grandparents in their chalet, especially as they can’t attend the wedding due to ill health. When she arrives, she’s surprised to find her Aunt Meg already there. She’s always known her mum and Meg don’t speak, but never understood why. Over the holiday, she takes the chance to get to know her aunt properly and quickly grows fo...

  Saving Christmas at the Highland Repair Shop by Kiley Dunbar I was delighted to be invited back to Kiley Dunbar’s repair shop in the Scottish town of Cairn Dhu. I’ve read her previous books set around this wonderful community hub, and I’ve always loved the idea of a place where treasured items — and sometimes people — are mended rather than thrown away. The townsfolk have become such familiar, comforting characters, so I was genuinely happy to be reacquainted with them in this festive instalment. Florrie Norheim is the new girl in town — a consultant sent by her father to assess Hamish Skelton’s ski resort and ultimately recommend its closure. But Florrie is far from ruthless; she’s simply trying to prove she’s just as capable as her brothers. After a rocky start, including having nowhere to stay, she ends up living in the repair shop itself and is quickly drawn into the warmth of the community — and into Hamish’s life. Watching her soften, settle and slowly find her place in...

  My Chance to Fly by Samantha Tonge This is only my second Samantha Tonge book, but after enjoying the first so much I was delighted to have the chance to read this one — and it didn’t disappoint. The characters are wonderfully drawn, the story moves at a great pace, and the twists and turns along the way make it one of those books you simply don’t want to put down  Una lives in London with her best friend and flatmate Ziggy, carefully editing her life and her words so she never lets anyone in except him and his lovely mum. When she finds a part‑albino bird dying in her garden, she nurses it back to health and comes to treasure its yearly return from migration. But when Blue doesn’t appear one summer, she posts a video that unexpectedly goes viral — and is contacted by Konrad, a Bavarian who believes he’s seen the bird too, having once saved it himself. He invites her to Bavaria to find Blue, and pushing herself far beyond her comfort zone, Una decides to go. It’s a tende...

The Little Porto Book Club by Rebecca Raisin   I was so excited to get another Rebecca Raisin book to read, and I loved it. It has a slightly different feel from her previous novels — less focus on environmental themes — but the characterisation is absolutely incredible. She creates people you instantly care about, and this story is full of that trademark warmth, charm and emotional depth that make her books such a joy. Viviane appears to be very neurodiverse, and her mother worries about her lack of friends and her difficulty socialising. But when Viviane steps into a small coffee shop in Porto, she has no idea she’s about to spark a silent book club — or find a group of people who will quickly become friends. As the saying goes, every pot has its lid, and this quirky little circle fits together perfectly, each able to be fully themselves in each other’s company. The first person Viviane meets is Tiago, a handsome, nerdy tech entrepreneur who strikes up a conversation when he ...

  One Day at a Time by Shari Low I’ve read many of Shari Low’s ‘One’ books over the years, and although this one is a standalone, I still recognised a few familiar faces along the way. Shari first became well known writing with Russ King, but with over forty bestsellers to her name, it’s clear she’s earned her reputation in her own right. She writes with such ease and confidence, and her characters are always spot on. This story has a brilliant twist at the end too, and I absolutely loved it. Sheena, Orla and Maddie are all pregnant, each in completely different circumstances, and for all three it’s a surprise — but one thing they agree on is that they want their baby. And guess who else is pregnant? The midwife. They all meet at antenatal classes, forming an unlikely little group, but it soon becomes clear there may be more linking them than any of them realise. It’s a heartfelt, engaging story that brings these women together in ways that feel both unexpected and deeply s...

  A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor I’ve read many books by Jodi Taylor and they are completely bonkers — but I absolutely love them. Her Time Police novels fling you around the world in both place and time, creating chaos wherever they land and somehow emerging unscathed every single time. They’re fast, funny and gloriously ridiculous, and this one is no exception. Hilarious. Lady Smallhope and Pennyroyal are business partners with a secret romantic relationship, and between them they own two time machines they use as bounty hunters in the lucrative service of the Time Police. Life is already chaotic enough, but when Pennyroyal’s sister Amelia suddenly appears, he starts spending more time with her than with Lady Smallhope — until events take a dangerous turn. As ever with Jodi Taylor, the mix of time‑travel mayhem, sharp humour and emotional undercurrents makes for a wildly entertaining ride. It’s another wildly entertaining instalment, full of the trademark chaos, sharp humou...

  Blue Skies Ahead by Jessica Redland I just love Jessica Redland’s books, and I was delighted to hear she has a new series out — especially one set, like many of her previous favourites, on a country farm. She has such a gift for transporting you out of the city and straight into the heart of the countryside, with realistic, relatable characters and a wonderfully grounded sense of place. This one even comes complete with a very grumpy teenager, written with her usual mix of humour and empathy. When Grace and her husband break up, she heads to her mum Frances’s for a much‑needed holiday, taking along Maddie — her very grumpy teenage daughter. When they stumble across Hazelwick Farm for sale, Grace takes it as a sign, and she and Frances decide to buy it together. Frances will run the café, Grace will take on the farm work, and Maddie… well, Maddie might help if she can shake off her bad mood. The story is full of twists and turns, including a few I genuinely didn’t see coming, ...

  The Truth of Us by Sara Cox   I’d obviously heard of Sara Cox, and the premise of this book really intrigued me — and I’m so pleased to say it absolutely delivered. Sometimes celebrity‑penned novels can feel a little flat, but this one is a triumph. It’s engaging, heartfelt and far more assured than I expected, with a story that pulls you in and a voice that feels both natural and genuinely entertaining. In 1982, on a street in Manchester where all the houses looked much the same — though number 51 was always a touch neater than number 49 — two girls became inseparable. Abi and Christy, birthday twins and instant best friends, grew up side by side: Christy the wilder one, Abi happily led astray. Twenty years later, their lives couldn’t be more different. Abi is back in her parents’ house with a husband and children, while Christy is living the high life in London. But when Christy’s mum becomes unwell, she returns home, and the two women find themselves neighbours once a...

  Winter Lights in Pine Harbor by Tammy Robinson I’ve read nearly every book Tammy Robinson has written, and I’ve loved them all. Even though she’s based in New Zealand and I’m here in the UK, her characters and situations always feel incredibly relatable, as if she’s writing about people you might know yourself. There’s a warmth and emotional honesty to her stories that I adore, and Winter Lights in Pine Harbor is another beautiful example of why her books are such a joy to read. Mae was an ER nurse, completely burned out after years of pressure, and when a young boy dies on her watch she knows she can’t stay. She moves to Pine Harbor to work as a community nurse, hoping the slower pace will help her heal. Jonah has lived in Pine Harbor all his life; his parents want him to take over the family business, but he prefers the quiet, steady rhythm of being a lobsterman. When Mae becomes responsible for Jonah’s father’s care, sparks fly almost immediately. Jonah’s dream of showing...

  I Can’t Believe I Don’t Have a Boyfriend by Harry Trevaldwyn Having read and enjoyed the first book in this series, I was delighted to be offered the second — and it was just as enjoyable. These books feel like sitting down for a chat with a much younger, very amusing friend who has an endless supply of self‑deprecating humour and chaotic charm. I didn’t quite laugh out loud, but it certainly made me smile all the way through. Patch and Sam have shared their first kiss, but they’re not officially boyfriends yet — something Patch is desperate to change. He’s convinced the best way to make it happen is to give Sam the most perfect date imaginable… but, of course, the best‑laid plans rarely survive contact with real life. Meanwhile, his best friend Jean is tutoring one of the worst boys in school and doesn’t seem to hate him nearly as much as she should, Patch’s mum is suspiciously cheerful, and Sam’s friend Peter is being altogether too nice. With Peter also on Patch’s team for...

  The Way Home by Amanda Prowse   Amanda Prowse is one of my favourite authors, and her books are always a joy to read. She writes about real‑life situations and how real people deal with them, with characters who feel true to life and instantly relatable. The Way Home is no exception — heartfelt, honest and beautifully told, it’s the kind of story that stays with you long after you’ve finished. Lilly‑Bob has lived in the same council flat since childhood, sharing it with her beloved father and growing up with a view of the river that became part of her identity. The flat itself may be modest, but the community around her has become a kind of chosen family — especially the single mum in the block and her little boy, who have both become very dear to her. Her father bought the flat from the council so he could leave her something secure, a place filled with memories and love. Now in her seventies, Lilly‑Bob is devastated to receive a compulsory purchase notice: the council ...