Review: The Hemlock Cure by Joanne Burn

I downloaded this book because I love historical fiction and the cover is beautiful! Also the story is set in Eyam, which is where my grandmother's family came from!

It is 1665 and teenage Mae desperately wants to be an apothecary, like her father Wulfric. But Wulfric ignores Mae's obvious natural talent, preferring instead to take on a male apprentice - whom, ironically, Mae ends up teaching! So Mae turns to Isabel, the village midwife, who walks a dangerous line with her herbs and remedies. In those days an intelligent, strong-minded woman could easily be accused of witchcraft. As Mae tries to hide her friendship with Isabel (and Isabel's adopted son, Rafe), another danger is on its way from London. One that threatens to engulf them all.

The village of Eyam, in Derbyshire, is now famous for being the 'Plague Village' - where the inhabitants courageously chose to close themselves off from the rest of the country to avoid the sickness passing onto others. 'Lockdown', basically! Despite being an apothecary, Wulfric favours prayer as the best way to prevent the Plague from spreading, even destroying Mae's notes when she tries to research a treatment or cure. The author's research into herbs and their use in the 17th century is incredible, and I also loved all the historical detail, about how the Plague affected London, and how only the rich could run from it - the poor had to stay and suffer! Eyam itself was not quite as realised as I'd hoped, but many real-life characters had 'walk-on' parts, which was a nice touch.

The only negative for me was the omnipresent narrator, who kept pulling me out of the story while I tried to work out whose viewpoint it was. Despite that, I loved this story of female friendship and empowerment.

Thank you to Joanne Burn and Sphere/Little Brown for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Lighthouse by Fran Dorricott

I downloaded this book because I love stories about old lighthouses. They have lots of history and an air of mystery about them - very much like the lighthouse in this story!

Six friends travel to a remote island north of the Scottish Highlands for an old school reunion. The island is uninhabited apart from the lighthouse and a cluster of old cottages, now renovated into holiday homes - although there is one room the friends are unable to get into, or find a key for. Only one of them, Genevieve, has done any research into the history of the island, but none of them are interested in her tales of deaths, drownings and disappearances - they are here to have a good time!

The pace of The Lighthouse is a little slow but the desolate island and creepy lighthouse are described in a way that brings them brilliantly to life. The tension as Strange Things Happen builds up terrifically. The only reason the story didn't really work for me is that Genevieve is the only one who properly knows the history of the island and she never gets to tell anyone until the end, which means the denouement comes left of field. I'm the kind of reader who likes to work things out from clues scattered throughout the story, rather than have it explained to me, but the story is atmospheric, well-written and deserves a solid four stars.

Note: Fran Dorricott also writes as Francesca May.

Thank you to Fran Dorricott and Avon Books UK for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Family You Make (Sunrise Cove #1) by Jill Shalvis

I've only recently discovered Jill Shalvis and have been happily working my way through her backlist, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Family You Make.

Levi and Jane are stuck in a ski lift gondola (cable car), halfway up a mountain, when a blizzard hits and the gondola in front of them crashes to the ground. Faced with the very real possibility that they are going to die, Levi phones his family to say goodbye but then can't bring himself to utter the words. When his mother hears Jane in the background, she assumes Jane is his new girlfriend. Unable to tell his mother the truth, he goes along with it. What harm can it do? Except Levi and Jane are then rescued and now his family will go to any lengths to meet her...

The Family You Make features two couples. Commitment-shy Jane trying to navigate her fake/not fake relationship with Levi, and her friend Charlotte, who also has problems trying to form relationships because of trauma in her past, and is trying to ignore her attraction to Levi's friend Matteo. Levi has a large, exuberant family, who love him despite not really understanding him. Jane, after being passed from relative to relative while she was growing up, is so used to having no one care about her, she is always ready to move onto the next job before she outstays her welcome. Can Levi persuade her to stay and give him a chance - despite the 'help' from his family? And can Charlotte learn to trust Matteo enough to take their relationship to the next level?

Warm, witty and wise, with thoroughly engaging characters, I was really rooting for both couples to have their very own happy ever after. I loved Levi's quirky family, especially his niece Peyton, and I can't wait for the next book in the series (The Friendship Pact). A five-star read. Would suit fans of Sarah Morgan and Susan Mallery.

Thank you to Jill Shalvis and Headline Eternal for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

My Top Ten Reads of 2021

I read 120 books in 2021 and it was so hard to choose just ten for this post! In the end, I did a If-I-was-about-to-be-marooned-on-a-desert-island-which-ten-books-could-I-not-live-without thing, and so here they are!

Scrolling through my Goodreads account, I can see a definite tailing-off of crime fiction, which I rarely read anymore, unless it is by favourite author such as Harlan Coben, Elly Griffiths or Lisa Jewell. I'm reading less historical romance but more general historical fiction, and I love the new trend for gothic mysteries! I'm also reading more romantic comedy and romantic fantasy/YA fantasy. A reaction to the times, I wonder?

(The books are listed in the order I read them!)

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is a companion to Holly Black's bestselling Folk of the Air series, about a human girl who rises to power in the land of the fey. This book is a series of linked short stories about one of the characters, Prince Cardan. Beautifully illustrated but best suited to fans/readers of the series! If you're interested, start with #1, The Cruel Prince! 

Win by Harlan Coben

Twenty years ago, Win's cousin Patricia was kidnapped from the family home during a robbery and kept in an isolated log cabin for months. She finally escaped, but so did her kidnappers, and the items stolen were never seen again - until now.

An elderly recluse has been found murdered in his penthouse apartment, alongside a priceless Vermeer painting and a suitcase with Win's initials. How is the man linked to Patricia's kidnapping and is it connected to another cold case involving domestic terrorism? The two cases have baffled the FBI for decades but Win has two things they do not - a personal connection to the case, a large fortune - and his own unique brand of justice!

Full review here.

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry

Poppy and Alex meet on their first day at university and Do Not Get On, but that doesn't matter because they'll never see each other again, right? Wrong! When Poppy's friend manages to blag her a lift back home at the end of the year with someone who lives in the same town, guess who it is? Alex. By the time they reach their home town they've developed a friendship of sorts and agree to go on a summer vacation with each other.

A few years later Alex is a teacher, happy to stay in the dead-end town where they grew up. Poppy, however, cannot wait to travel the world. The blog she writes, detailing her experiences, becomes such a success she's offered a job at a famous travel magazine. Soon she and Alex are taking holidays all around the world at the magazine's expense. Until one summer, she and Alex fall out. For two years they don't even speak until she accidentally texts him, one text leads to another, and they agree to go on one last holiday together...

Full review here.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This story is set in Malibu and split between the 1950s (leading up to the 80s) and 1983. In the 50s we see singer Mick Riva marry sweet loyal teenager June Costas, and witness the effect his fame (and philandering) has on their marriage and four children. In the present, his daughter Nina is preparing for her famous annual party - except her tennis-star husband has just left her and she'd rather be surfing anyway. And her sister has invited an unexpected guest... It looks as though it will be a very fiery family reunion...

Full review here.

The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

Kathleen used to have a popular TV travel show but now she's 80 years old and chaffing at the restrictions others (mainly her daughter, Liza) seem to want to force upon her due to her age. Liza feels Kathleen should give up her home on the beach in Cornwall and go into some form of retirement home. So Kathleen retaliates by booking a road trip across America. She can't drive but that's not a problem - she'll hire Martha to drive her!

Martha is only too eager to jump at the chance to get away from her family and ex-boyfriend, who want to belittle her at every opportunity. Won't they be surprised (and hopefully impressed) to learn she has a new job driving a TV star across America? There is only one teensy problem. Martha can't drive...

Full review here.

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

In 2017, Tallulah goes on a date with her boyfriend Zach, leaving her baby with her mother Kim. The next morning Tallulah still hasn't come home. Kim discovers that Tallulah and Zach were invited to the local big house, Dark Place (which already has a sinister reputation), but when Kim calls around the owner says that all the teenagers left after the party. Kim knows Tallulah would never willingly abandon her baby. So where is she? 

Two years later, when everyone but Kim has moved on with their lives, a crime writer called Sophie spots a sign in the local woods that says 'Dig Here'...

Full review here.

Midnight in the Snow by Karen Swan

Award-winning director Clover Phillips is enjoying the accolades from her last documentary when she encounters Kit Foley, a surfer and snowboarder as famous for controversy as he is for winning championships.

Involved in an accident that had devastating consequences for a bitter rival, Kit has never told his side of the story. Determined to change that, Clover heads to the Austrian Alps with the intention of making Kit the subject of her next documentary.

It's hard to get the truth out of someone who hates you, and goes out of their way to avoid you, but is Kit really the heartless monster that everyone believes he is?

Full review here.

One More Christmas at the Castle by Trisha Ashley

Elderly widow Sabine knows this will be her last Christmas in her beloved home, Mitras Castle. Determined to make it just like the ones she remembers from her childhood, she employs Dido Jones of Heavenly Houseparties to help with the big day.

Dido is enchanted by the castle as soon as she steps through the imposing front door. And as Christmas Day approaches, her feeling of connection to the old house runs deeper than she first thought.

But when the snow begins to fall and Sabine's family arrive at the house - including Dido's teenage crush Xan - tensions rise around the castle's future and long-buried mysteries begin to unravel...

Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman

London, 1799. Dora Blake is an aspiring jewellery artist who lives with her uncle in what used to be her parents' famed shop of antiquities. When a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, Dora is intrigued by her uncle's suspicious behaviour and enlists the help of Edward Lawrence, a young antiquarian scholar. Edward sees the ancient vase as key to unlocking his academic future. Dora sees it as a chance to restore the shop to its former glory, and to escape her nefarious uncle.

But what Edward discovers about the vase has Dora questioning everything she has believed about her life, her family, and the world as she knows it. As Dora uncovers the truth she starts to realise that some mysteries are buried, and some doors are locked, for a reason.

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Thanks to falling in love with the wrong man, Maria Owens ends up on a scaffold, about to be hung for witchcraft, and curses any man who falls in love with an Owens woman ('broken, body and soul'). Four hundred years later and her family are still feeling the tragic effects of this curse.

After witnessing her mother's suffering, teenager Kylie Owens has no intention of risking the life of the boy she has fallen in love with and is determined to do anything to break the curse, once and for all. Even if that means abandoning her family and heading back to England (where it all began), and risking her own life by using a dark magic book that was once owned by Maria's daughter...

Full review here.

Have you read any of these? Which were your favourites?

You can see more of the books I've enjoyed reading this year over on Instagram and Goodreads.

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Favourite Reads of 2017 (so far)

Favourite Reads of 2017

Favourite Reads of 2018 (so far)

Favourite Reads of 2020 (so far)

Review: The Book of Magic (Practical Magic #4) by Alice Hoffman

I first fell in love with Alice Hoffman's stories after watching the 90s film Practical Magic - which, ironically, is nothing like the book!

Since writing Practical Magic, over twenty-five years ago, Alice Hoffman has written two prequels and now this sequel. You could probably read The Book of Magic without reading the other three, or only after watching the film, but you'd be missing out on a wonderful series.

Thanks to falling in love with the wrong man, Maria Owens ends up on a scaffold accused of witchcraft and curses any man who falls in love with an Owens woman ('broken, body and soul'). Four hundred years later and her family are still feeling the tragic effects of this curse. After witnessing her mother's suffering, teenager Kylie Owens has no intention of risking the life of the boy she has fallen in love with and is determined to do anything to break the curse, once and for all. Even if that means abandoning her family and heading back to England (where it all began), and risking her own life by using a dark magic book that was once owned by Maria's daughter...

I loved this story! Although it starts with several shocks - have a box of tissues handy! - it is a wonderful finale to the series. The different branches of the family are finally reunited and they travel to England to walk in the footsteps of their ancestor, Maria. They make friends with other witches, see ghosts, and work together to try to break the curse. It is a lovely, heart-warming story; a kind of family saga but with witches! I adored the references to the previous books, the reappearance of the aunts, and the rules of magic: no walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, and absolutely no books about magic... Utterly fabulous!

Thank you to Alice Hoffman and Simon & Schuster for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

Review: Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chaptman

I chose to download this book because the cover is absolutely gorgeous and I love reading historical fiction with a touch of gothic.

Some doors are kept locked for a reason...

The story is set in London in 1799. Aspiring jewellery artist Dora Blake is the daughter of well-respected archaeologists who died when she was only a child. She lives above the shop of antiquities that used to be theirs but is now owned by her uncle. Her uncle is only interested in making money and doesn't care if his stock is genuine or not. Dora can only watch as the reputation of her parents' shop sinks lower and lower, until one day a mysterious vase arrives from overseas, which her uncle hides away in the basement. Intrigued by his secrecy, Dora investigates the origins of the vase with the help of her new friend Edward, an antiquarian scholar - who has his own reasons for offering his services. Will the vase help Dora restore her family name? Or are some mysteries better left unsolved?

Pandora is a beautifully written historical mystery/adventure story. Dora is a fabulous heroine, determined to change her fate. Georgian London is vibrantly brought to life, the Greek myth of Pandora dances through the story, there's even a touch of romance. And I absolutely loved Hermes the magpie!

One of my favourite reads of 2021, I'd recommend Pandora to anyone who loves cracking good historical fiction.

Thank you to Susan Stokes-Chapman and Vintage/Random House for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown

The absolutely gorgeous cover for this book first caught my eye, and then I realised it was written by Beth Underdown, who also wrote The Witchfinder's Sister, which I had previously enjoyed.

The Key in the Lock is a dual timeline mystery, set in Cornwall in 1888 and 1918. Ivy is the daughter of the village doctor, who is slowly becoming too old and frail to practise medicine. There is an understanding that she will marry the local coroner, who is a lot older than her, but Ivy has a crush on Edward who lives at the Great House - although he is engaged to another woman. Thirty years later and Ivy is overcome with grief at losing her son during the war, in mysterious (perhaps dishonourable) circumstances. As she becomes obsessed with finding out the truth about his death, she remembers her part in the events of the past, when the Great House caught fire and a young child died.

The Key in the Lock is an enjoyable historical mystery with a touch of the gothic and a tiny hint of supernatural. Right from the start there is an atmosphere of menace with the sinister house and the thoroughly unpleasant man who owns it - and keeps the key to every room. The lines between class are very strongly drawn and I did feel for Ivy when she inadvertently ended up acting as a maid at the house (because they were short staffed), waiting on Edward's fiancée, when in reality she would have been almost the other woman's equal.

Recommended to fans of Sarah Waters (The Little Stranger) and Jane Healey (The Animals at Lockwood Manor).

Thank you to Beth Underdown and Viking (Penguin) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related post:

The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown

Review: A Winter Memory by Lulu Taylor

Lulu Taylor writes fabulous family dramas, set over dual timelines. In this story we follow Tigs's story onward from 1968 and Helen's on from 2001, and discover how they are both connected to the beautiful Ballintyre House in Scotland.

Helen is married to Hamish, the younger of the Ballintyre brothers. They met as students and Helen fell in love, not just with Hamish but with the romantic Ballintyre family and their beautiful house on the edge of a loch. But marriage to Hamish has not proved happy.

Now, years later and with a family, Helen and Hamish have been forced to move back to live at Ballintyre with his older brother, Charlie. Helen is surprised to find that Sylla, Charlie’s wife, has disappeared and no one seems to know where she is. Surely someone should be looking for her . . .

A Winter Memory is a coming-of-age story, about how to move on when first love doesn't go the way you'd hoped. It is incredibly sad in places, and there is a sense of impending doom, but it was inspiring to see how the female characters adapted and found the inner strength to keep going. Sylla is a wonderful character and I found the mystery of her disappearance enthralling, reading the book very quickly to find out what happened to her and her daughter! I also loved Helen and Tigs (obviously!), although I think my favourite part was the country house party to celebrate Hogmanay at the start of the novel.

The only thing stopping A Winter Memory from being a five-star read for me is that I was hoping for a little more romance, which isn't really hinted at until the end.

Recommended for fans of dual timelines, family secrets, big old houses, and scenic Scottish settings!

Thank you to Lulu Taylor and Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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Review: Call of the Penguins by Hazel Prior

Call of the Penguins is the sequel to Away with the Penguins (one of my all-time favourite books), so when I was offered an early copy I think I may have screamed with excitement! You don't need to have read Away with the Penguins to enjoy this story, but you will get more out of it if you do.

In Call of the Penguins we meet 87-year old Veronica and her much put upon housekeeper Eileen, who are living in Veronica's huge Scottish house along with 9-year-old Daisy, who is recovering from having chemotherapy. To help keep Daisy positive, Veronica has been telling her about her previous adventures in the Antarctica (Away with the Penguins), where she met orphan penguin chick Pip.

When national treasure and documentary filmmaker Sir Robert Saddlebow invites Veronica to co-host a TV programme on seabirds, she is thrilled - even though it means travelling across the world to Australia and the Falkland Islands. However, as Veronica and Daisy set off on their adventure, Veronica's grandson Patrick is heading in the opposite direction, arriving from the Antarctic after falling out with his 'penguinologist' girlfriend Terry. Wondering if irresponsibility is in his genes, Patrick decides to find out more about his father, who abandoned him when he was a baby.

Call of the Penguins is a warm-hearted, witty, thoroughly uplifting story about family, finding your true 'family', and friends who become like family - with all the associated arguments and misunderstandings that go with that! In Veronica's case, her 'family' also includes penguins and she is very passionate about their environment and survival. A reoccurring theme is climate change and the effects of single-use plastic on wildlife. Veronica is a fabulous character, even when (particularly when?) she is being interfering, bossy and/or annoying. I love her!

Thoroughly recommended, particularly if you loved Away with the Penguins and books such as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. One of my favourite reads this year.

Thank you to Hazel Prior and Transworld/Penguin Random House for my copy of this book, which I received via the publisher and reviewed voluntarily. 

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Away with the Penguins by Hazel Prior

Review: The Duke's Counterfeit Wife by Louise Allen

I love the escapism of historical romance and Louise Allen is one of my favourite authors. The Duke's Counterfeit Wife is a fabulous fast-paced story about a lowly lady's companion and a duke, thrown together after being kidnapped by pirates. 

Sarah Parrish was left almost destitute by the collapse of her father's shipping business, caused by the crooked behaviour of his assistant. Now she has to earn her living as a lady's companion. Travelling around the coast by ship to her next employment, rather than taking a stage coach, she is effectively 'kidnapped by pirates' when the crew turn rogue and begin murdering the other passengers. She is only saved because Nicholas, the Duke of Severton, tells the captain Sarah is his wife and they could earn a large ransom in exchange for their lives. But has Sarah's life been saved only at the cost of her reputation?

Sarah and Nicholas race around the country trying to solve the mystery of what the ship was carrying in its cargo hold that made it a target for the 'pirates'. Sarah is convinced it is connected to the collapse of her father's business and forces Nicholas to let her tag along on his investigation.

I've read most of Louise's historical romances and this is one of her best. Her books are always meticulously researched, the pace does not let up, and the main characters become friends in a very realistic way before becoming lovers. I adored the way Sarah and Nicholas, along with her maid and his valet, become a tight-knit team, working together to solve the mystery regardless of rank. Sarah stands up to Nicholas, despite their social differences (and much to his surprise!) and there is at least one occasion where she saves him!

Fabulous escapism and a solid five-star read. Recommended for all fans of Louise Allen and historical romance.

Thank you to Louise Allen and Mills & Boon for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

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