But I Smile Anyway…

I can already tell you that this month will not be an epic month like last month! But I can assure you what I read was quality! Are you ready to find out? Nine books, is still pretty respectable, isn’t it?

The Road She Left Behind by Christine Nolfi

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Christine Nolfi has penned a beautiful story here, dealing with family, secrets, loss, discovery and forgiveness.
I was swept into the life of Darcy Goodridge straight away, intrigued by why this woman was on the run from her past, her old life, for the last eight years.
Over the first few chapters, the story unfolded and we were introduced to characters who you fell in love with. Samson, the ray of sunshine who attaches himself to Darcy, despite her not wanting reminders of any pasts she has forgone, Rosalind, Darcy’s mother, a scary character, who is full of misconceptions. Emerson, the nephew she left behind – but who is crying out for a mother’s love, and Michael. Darcy’s childhood best friend who she had to leave behind – twice.
A wonderful tale filled with twists and turns, and secrets that prove you shouldn’t really hide things you think you know… because they may just not be the truth…
Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Published – 11th June

The Things I Know by Amanda Prowse

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I do love Amanda Prowse and her books. Ever since I read the first one, I have been hooked, and I was really looking forward to this new one.

Delving into the mind and world of Thomasina, or Hitch, as she is known, and reading about her meeting Grayson, and falling in love, felt like a privilege.

I have to commend Amanda for executing the nuances of this novel with such sympathy and grace. The thoughts and feelings of someone with a disability, but a person who is like everyone else, someone who wants her own life, and to be able to do everything others do, without the limitations that have been imposed upon her by her own loved ones.

That, and her capture of a person on the spectrum, someone whose thought process is so very different to the majority of the world.

And their love story.

I was hooked. I loved Pops and Mum, and I adored Thom and Gray!

One of my favourite quotes from the book – ” I like the way you care for my daughter and, for the record, I happen to agree with you. I think she’s pretty perfect too.” Thomasina’s Pops.

There’s a lesson in this – in the end, anything is possible – you just have to make that first step towards change.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing and Amanda Prowse for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Published 11th June

An Unsuitable Woman by Kat Gordon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Just seeing Kenya in the description was enough for me to want to read the book!

You see, my family, both my parents were born in Kenya to Indian Immigrant parents, and I have spent many a summer going there to visit.

It was great to read names of places and to be able to picture them and to know the names of the tribes mentioned, and the descriptions of some of the places, and animals…

But I’ll tell you a secret… I was never told of the Happy Valley set, and the indulgence, and the debauchery!

This story is set between the years of 1925 and 1937, following the life of 14-year-old Theo Miller who moves to Kenya with his family for his father’s job heading the railways. He gets caught up in the antics of Freddie and Sylvia, and their little Happy Valley band, wanting to be accepted by them, and dreaming of being just like them. ( I must ask my parents if they were aware of the goings on of the Happy Valley Set… My mum went to a British boarding school out there, so you never know…)

Though his thinking is not always aligned with theirs: their views of British supremacy, and how they are making the lives better for the natives, by keeping them in their place clash with Theo’s sister Maud, who is appalled by the double standards, choosing to try and fight for natives rights and those of the natural farmers in the area.

An interesting read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Borough Press for providing me with an ARC. in exchange for an honest review.

Published 31st May

Stories for South Asian Supergirls by Raj Kaur Khaira

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An absolutely wonderful, inspirational collection of biographies celebrating the South Asian superwomen out there, some already known and some lesser-known, but no less inspirational.
What a brilliant book to show our girls what they can aspire to be!

What Have I Done? by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another gripping story from one of my favourite authors, Amanda Prowse.
Not my favourite, but a good read nonetheless.
Kathryn Booker does something pretty despicable at the beginning of the book, but, as you get into the story and continue with her on her journey, you realise that she had a very good reason for acting as she did.
A woman caught in the web of domestic violence; both physical and mental abuse piled upon her, and the pressure of acting like the perfect, happy wife and mother to the rest of the world takes its toll.
Then finally, Kathryn becomes Kate again – the woman she was always meant to be.
I loved the build-up and the to-ing and fro-ing of the timeline so you gradually found pieces to the jigsaw of Kate’s life and saw how it led her to where she ends up.
That said, I was a little disappointed in her children, though they start to come through at the end, and then I wanted the story to carry on more, so I knew more about how the whole situation affected them and their relationship with their mother. A sometimes disturbing account of a woman’s journey through abuse and fighting her way out of it.

Three-and-a-Half Heartbeats by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another Amanda Prowse book means I know I need to gear up for a shed load of emotion, and this was no different.
It is always the case when I read a story about the loss of a child…
And I don’t mind admitting that I actually sat in the car, waiting for my son to finish his cricket training, reading this book, and had to wipe away tears…
Grace and Tom Penderfold have all they could want, a wonderful marriage, a beautiful home and a precious child, with Grace bringing in the income, and Tom being the amazing house husband and daddy… until tragic circumstances rip their child, Chloe, from them.
A heart-rending story exploring the changes that loss can wreak upon couples after the loss of a child, and also a story of hope.
The added benefit of educating the readers about the dangers of a potentially fatal condition, Sepsis, makes this a truly gripping read.
Having had to have emergency surgery 13 years ago because of the possibility of septicemia, this hit home even harder.
Definitely a recommended read.

The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started to read this debut novel from Joanna Glen, but one thing I can tell you. I was not left disappointed at all.

We follow the story of Augusta Hope, one half of a set of twins: Julia and Augusta – two girls born on either side of midnight July 31st, meaning on was born in July and the other in August.

As can be the case, the girls were polar opposites in many ways, from appearances and personalities to likes and interest, but they still had that twin pull.

We are taken to Burundi as well, a little known African country, which has captured Augusta’s interest from a young age, and meet Parfait and his family, caught in a country suffering from bloodshed.

How the lives and stories of these two characters intertwine, is a testament to the brilliance of the author, and I did wonder… ‘Who actually was the other half of Augusta Hope?’ at the end.

Definitely a recommended read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Borough Press for granting me a wish with this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Published 13th June

Half a World Away by Mike Gayle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maybe I should be ashamed to admit this, but Half a World Away is actually my first Mike Gayle book.

And I’m pretty sure it won’t be my last.

What a journey I went through, reading this story of Kerry and Noah, two extremely different individuals who are linked in the most basic of ways – by blood.

Life caused these two siblings to be separated,

We have Kerry bumping through life on the low roads, through foster care and children’s homes, before finally living an independent life, becoming a mother to Kian, but never forgetting her baby brother, who was separated from her.

Then there is Noah, cruising along the highroads, married, a barrister, a father, and living a life far removed from his real beginnings

The reason that Kerry finally reaches out to her brother is revealed slowly, and in such a manner that it makes the readers heart break.

I don’t want to go into the details, but I was hooked. it didn’t take me long to become fully immersed in Kerry and Noah’s story, and accompanied by tissues, snacks and copious cups of tea, I finished the book in a haze of emotions.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Published 13th June

Becoming Dad by J. C. W. Helmkamp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A highly descriptive account of a journey through both the seas and fatherhood.
Reading this, I could picture the scenes, smell the salt (and diapers, on occasion) and taste the whiskey that William encounters on his sailing journey of a lifetime, connecting him with his father, and allowing him to reminisce about becoming a dad.
It’s good to read of a man who isn’t afraid to show emotion too!
Definitely worth reading to find out whether William reaches his destination, and how he handled early fatherhood, and beyond!

And there you have it!

I shall be reading more, between writing reports and finally getting to that edit of mine, so chat soon!

Have you read any of the above? Let me know!