“Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up, depends on us”
L Thomas Holdcroft
You picked a good ‘un there, Spidey!
The grindstone is pretty much everywhere in my life right now, from the daily grind, to the tough graft of setting up a new home, to the work graft which will be starting up again tomorrow!
Currently, we are settling up the home office spaces, and trying to get the wardrobe situations under control. I am constantly on the go, it seems, either cleaning, ordering and paying for new stuff, or putting flatback furniture together!
It is definitely a grind, I tell you! But, I’m positive. It will get so much better, because of all the effort we are putting in! Our new home will be polished in every sense of the word, because of all the work we are putting in.
So… tell me, are you following the Euro Matches this year
Now, if you read this blog regularly, you’ll know that I am one HUGE Amanda Prowse fan, and any book she releases, will automatically go to the top of my TBR pile, because, well, you know, she is my FAVE!
So, a few short months ago, I was approved for an arc of what is her twenty seventh full length novel, called Waiting To Begin. Here’s my signed copy! (Sorry, #fangirling like mad, here!)
Here’s the blurb:
From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a story that asks: what would you risk for a shot at happiness?
1984. Bessie is a confident sixteen-year-old girl with the world at her feet, dreaming of what life will bring and what she’ll bring to this life. Then everything comes crashing down. Her bright and trusting smile is lost, banished by shame—and a secret she’ll carry with her for the rest of her life.
2021. The last thirty-seven years have not been easy for Bess. At fifty-three she is visibly weary, and her marriage to Mario is in tatters. Watching her son in newlywed bliss—the hope, the trust, the joy—Bess knows it is time to face her own demons, and try to save her relationship. But she’ll have to throw off the burden of shame if she is to honour that sixteen-year-old girl whose dreams lie frozen in time.
Can Bess face her past, finally come clean to Mario, and claim the love she has longed to fully experience all these years?
And my ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review!
Waiting To Begin is the story of a woman, Bessie, but told on two simultaneous days, her birthday, but thirty-seven years apart. At sixteen, Bess thinks she has it all. Her results are out today, her future is all but planned out, she just needs those results to get where she wants. Bess’s family is your usual type, a caring, but an annoying set of parents and an older brother who is just – urgh! She’s got a tentative boyfriend and dreams of their life together Thirty-seven years later, Bess is content. Well, on the surface, anyway. Nothing quite panned out how she hoped, but she’s not unhappy with her life. A doting husband, two great kids, one of them married, their own home. But, there are still gaping holes in her life. There are still secrets that are eating away at her, affecting everything she does, though no one else knows. Not wanting to give the story away, I will comment on the essence. Decisions we make, flippantly, can have huge effects on our life. The need to be keeping up with the rest of the world can eat away at you, making you do things you might not have, otherwise. My heart filled with pity for teenage Bess. I wanted to scoop her up into a hug, and tell her everything will be okay. I will admit to wanting to physically harm a certain young man, too, The same sorrow was felt for older Bess, who is sifting through her life decisions, not sure whether to rock the boat, but finding herself in a situation where she has no choice. An emotional story that will definitely tug, hard, at your heartstrings. When Waiting To Begin flashed up as another new book to come, by Amanda Prowse, I jumped at the chance to read, because she is my all-time favourite author. Her stories never fail to touch the heart, and the way she tells them leaves you emotional for a long time to come, Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Amanda is a hugely prolific author, writing stories that really resonate with the reader. You need to check out her website to find out about all the amazing books she has written. I can proudly say, I’ve read them ALL!
A whole week has gone by since we moved into the house. A full week of half term has slipped by. Thank goodness I still have one more week!
Right, so, did you get your drink? I’ll update you on more house shenanigans!
If we were having chai I’d tell you it was a jam-packed week. Even though it was half term, once you move into a new house, there is no such thing as relaxing, for the first few weeks, at least!
If we were having chai I’d tell you that I have been driving to all the local supermarkets, to work out the best one for my weekly shop. Asda, a straight drive, perfect. Sainsbury’s could be straight, but the journey involves a stretch through a country lane where no one can pass you, so you could end up having to reverse, to let another vehicle pass! There is another route, so it is still an option. Hubby Dearest discovered a local Co-op, so for little bits, that will do. I did try the local Tesco, but, erm, local? Well, the SatNav took me on a 45 minute journey there, then on the way back, it took half an hour – definitely an only in emergency place, but it was a lovely store!
If we were having chai I’d mention that Amazon has become our best friend. We have ordered so many bits and bobs, to get going, from a nest of tables for the living room, to cleaning products in bulk, and a whole host of other things. The delivery driver is going to know our address off by heart!
If we were having chai I’d say that the gardener came and cut the lawn, at least, and the garden is looking pretty good, already. We have a random fence to remove, and some weeding to do, but then it is as good as it is going to get, for now! There are beautiful Rhododendron bushes too, most with purple flowers, but one with fuschia coloured blooms, too!
If we were having chai I’d have to let you know that there are some amazing walks around here, too. We haven’t been on many, yet, but I look forward to getting to know more of them!
If we were having chai I’d leave you with the image of a very cosy Sonu Singh, who is more than happy, and trying his hardest to find all the hiding spots, or sleeping all day!
This week, I am still on half term break, but there won’t be lots of relaxation. See, Lil Princess is back at school, so I’ll be practicing the commute every morning, to get her to school, then there are appointments with furniture people, as well as Lil Man and his cricket matches. Oh, and I need to start writing my class reports!
And while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!
Thank you, Spidey for a thought provoking quote to ponder upon, this week.
And, thank YOU, Peeps, for bearing with our little break, last week, as we dealt with the craziness of moving house.
If you read my Chai post the day after, you’d have found out that we finally moved into our forever home, but the move wasn’t without a huge amount of angst. When are these things ever simple?
There were moments when we wondered whether we had done the right thing, to be honest, but when I think back over the last week, there have been so maany opportunities to learn new skills, that I have to count that as a bonus.
In dealing with an errant vendor, and an estate agent who isn’t as much help as he should be, on top of trying to keep a stressed Hubby Dearest calm, I have learned a lot.
And, to add to my new skills, I have become an expert at putting together ottoman beds (three, put together by myself and Lil Princess!), assembling a TV cabinet with a little assistance, locating switches for different services that weren’t working, how to use a dishwasher (never had one, before!), how NOT to fix a washing machine, and I have taught myself how to fix loose toilet seats on an enclosed toilet! (Thank you, YouTube!)
I’ve also attempted, but not mastered, the countryside driving that we will have to do a little more of, with some places having such narrow roads, that there isn’t even a pass point for another vehicle to pull over in!
All skills that will come in handy, at another point in my life, I am sure!
And, I’m sure there will be more to come. We have the internet being connected tomorrow, properly, so the next thing to learn, is how to us the smart home system that has been set up here, that controls the heating, water and lights!
Though we had some really rough days, I’ve come out, the other side, with plenty of new knowledge, and a house to be proud of!
So, tell me, what new skills have you learned, or taught yourself, recently?
Seeing a new Laura Jane Williams book, being touted out there, I was like “Yes, please!”, when I saw it was available to request as an arc! I have thoroughly enjoyed her first two books and knew this would be no different. And, I was right. Obviously! The Lucky Escape charts the emotional journey of Annie, a thirty-something woman who is jilted at the altar. Life was all planned. They’d been together since university, and lived together for all these years. Marriage was the next logical step, they thought. Well, so Annie thought, but not Alexander. She’s left, with no contact from him, no idea what is going on. Then she meets an old friend, Patrick, an acquaintance from her secondary school years. As they rekindle their friendship, Annie is offered the chance to go away, to take the honeymoon she was meant to have, as a gift from who should have been her in-laws. What better than a drunken dare with a still unfamiliar ‘old’ friend? They both find themselves on the trip of a lifetime, in Australia. Oh, my! What a situation to be in! I did feel for Annie, though. Initially, I couldn’t work out why she was so accepting of everything that was going on, but as the story went on, and more from her own childhood was revealed, it became much more apparent, why she was the way she was. Patrick, what a sweetheart! I knew I wanted them to get together right from the off, but then, his own little secret made me doubt my instincts. Annie has some strong-willed friends, behind her, who feature a bit, and a family I had mixed opinions about. But, I loved her sister, Freddie! Who knew a youngster could be so wise! All in all, a great easy read, and definitely one to enjoy on the beach, if you get to one. But, then again, you could enjoy it anywhere! Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Looking for an easy, feel-good read, with plenty of romantic twists, as well as lots of talk of food? Oh, and the idyllic setting of a seaside town, complete with beautiful beaches? Well, then you need to get yourself a copy of High Heels! Becca, our MC is on the cusp of real womanhood. You know, she’s got it all figured out. Turning thirty. Decent job, fab best friend, great boyfriend, who looks like he’s about to take their commitment to the next level.. that sort of thing. Then, as her birthday hits, it all goes wrong. Finding herself without a man, said best friend, a flat, or even a job, for at least three months, Becca has some thinking to do and needs to do it fast. Unfortunately, the only place she can turn to, initially, is back home with her parents and sister, in their little family-run B & B in Sunny Bay. Back to a place filled with memories, some of which she’d rather forget, as well as a handful of males who have all featured in her life at some point. This is a story of finding the real you, after being swallowed up in trying to fit into what everyone else thinks is a success. Becca starts up pretty messed up, but various events along the way, pull her towards her rightful place in life. I was spoilt for choice with romantic interests, pre-empting what might happen at the end – who would be Becca’s ‘one’? And I have to admit, there were some great choices to pick from! And I loved Madame DoTell! You need a crackpot psychic in every story, I think! Overall, a lovely read, leaving me with the yearning to go spend some time at The Yellow Beach House, just so I can take some Gram-worthy food pics! This was my first book by Bettina Hunt, and I have convinced myself that I’ll need to invest in the previous three, now, too!
The Things That Matter is a beautifully crafted story about a couple, together since the teen years. The glue that has held them together, is a combination of love, need, and a shared history. Taz and Dan are two people from entirely different backgrounds, yet fate set them on a life journey together. She comes from the local estate, living with her alcoholic father, and abandoned by her own mother. He hails from a wealthy family, with the world at his feet. One event changes both their lives. This book sends you through all sorts of emotions. I really felt for Taz. She never shook the trauma of childhood poverty from her life, even though she has everything she needs, materially. Then to experience a loss, as harsh as that of losing a child? Well, my heart went out to her. The sense of abandonment appears in several forms, from when Taz’s mother disappears, to when Dan’s parents disown him, and even when Taz feels the need to get away from the life she is living as a thirty-something woman. Finding herself in the Scottish Highlands, to visit that mother who had left her, Taz discovers so much about herself, from a whole new family to her own inner strength. The fact that she could even contemplate cutting strings from the one anchor she’d relied upon, for most of her life – Dan – shows her strength. I have to say I loved Kit, Taz’s aunt. She is a character and a half, filled with crooked wisdom, that actually makes total sense. I truly enjoyed this read. Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins Uk and One More Chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed Dear Mrs Bird, so was happy to discover that a book two was following, and even more delighted to be offered an advanced copy. It was wonderful to be back in the world of Emmy, as she entered the world of journalism, in the WW2 era, as a fully-fledged reporter, with real responsibilities of her own. Mixed in with her blossoming relationship with Charles, and her new friendship with Alice, being reunited with characters like her best friend, Bunty, the story was a true pleasure to read. I loved how the plight of women, who wanted to be a part of the war effort, but who found themselves stuck, due to the ties of motherhood, was highlighted within this story, too. And of course, the love story’s culmination was perfect, though not without its own fraught moments! Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC, in exchange for an honest opinion.
Oh, I do love a Tess Thompson series, and the Emerson Pass books are so wonderful, with the historical set of stories, alongside the modern. I love the way history entwines itself through the contemporary books! Crystal and Garth are recovering from the aftermath of a fire that took their homes from them. Both feeling keen senses of loss, from events previous to the fire, then having this loss on top, leave them both fragile and emotional, and they begin to rely upon one another, more than they had planned to. The ‘will they, won’t they?’ nature of the story leaves you wanting more until you reach the climax, But there is so much more to this story. A tale of families, ripped apart by tragedies, or lost loves, all which surface during The Patron. I am happy to say that there was more than one happy ending! I can’t wait until the next one comes out!
I’ve read Katie Fforde’s books for years and loved the idea of getting a small dose of her storytelling in this Quick Read. A cute story, which may or may not be a little too good to be true, but I have to admit, I wanted more! Allie, our heroine, is stuck in a dead-end job, with a wastrel for a boyfriend, and, just as she thinks this is all life has in store for her, fate has other ideas. Finding a dream job, eyeing up a much more suitable candidate for a life partner, and meeting a wonderful older woman who ends up giving her the boost she needs, to improve her future, it all falls into place for Allie, but not without a little drama. As I said, before, it is a cute story but I really wanted to dig deeper into the characters, and the story! Katie Fforde, you might just have to develop this one a bit more and make it full length! Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
I’ve read a couple of Bella Osbourne’s books in the past and found them pleasant to read. This one, or part one of The Promise of Summer, was no different. Ruby’s life is passing by. She’s in her mid-thirties, with no real aim in life, no partner, and a job she enjoys, with no real future. A huge decision, made after a comment made by her mother on her deathbed, causes her to take a trip that will change her life. On the train to London, she meets not one but two men whose inputs into her day change the course of her destiny, Then there’s Kim, owner of the florist Ruby works at. She’s got her own secrets, I don’t know what more to say, without giving too much away, but in all honesty, I can’t tell you much more, anyway, because this was just a short part one of this story! We were left with many open-ended threads that make this the tale it is. What will happen with Ruby and Curtis, What about Lewis? And that letter that Kim hasn’t opened yet? It took me a little while to get into the beginning of the story but once in, I was gutted that it stopped where it did! Roll on the 26th, when I hope we get to read the full story! Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The moment I finished The Boy Toy, Nicola Marsh’s last Contemporary Romance, I was intrigued by the character Manish Gomes, the Anglo Indian Doctor who had an aversion to relationships. I was ‘stoked’ as the Aussies say, to hear that The Man Ban was going to follow, concentrating on the story of Manny, the unattainable Dr! So, here we have Harper, a woman who is on a self-imposed man ban, following the awful breakup she had with her last long term relationship, triggered by an extremely superficial reason. Then she goes and meets Manny, the cocksure, but hot doctor, at her friend’s wedding. And, despite everything, he’s the first man to make her doubt her ban decision. Manny might seem like a shallow guy, but he’s got plenty of reasons for keeping people at arm’s length, yet the moment he meets Harper, things are different. I loved the chemistry between both these strong characters, as they try their hardest to keep away from one another, but fate has other ideas. There is sizzle and steaminess, as well as more serious issues covered, in a sympathetic manner, such as dealing with a diagnosis of Vitiligo, and cultural pressures to get married. A real fun read! Many thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Published 27th July, 2021
Any of them tickle your fancy? Let me know what you’re reading, too!
But I Smile Anyway... 