Don’t Look Back by Jo Spain

For one week, everything in Luke Miller's life is perfect. Surprised with a belated honeymoon by his wife, Rose, he's had seven days with her in a Caribbean paradise. It's more than he ever thought he'd deserve.

But as they pack their bags, Rose breaks down, confessing that on the day they left London, a violent man from her past tracked her down and broke into their home. He wasn't expecting her to fight back. And, in her terror, Rose killed him. Now there's a dead body in Luke's apartment, and only one person he can think to turn to.

Mickey Sheils never expected to hear from Luke again, not after he disappeared the first time. Luke knows Mickey can't deny a woman who needs help, so she promises she'll deal with things - she'll make sure Rose doesn't have to keep running. 

But it turns out, some lies are too big to run from.

Thanks so much to Quercus and Netgalley for my e-arc in return for an honest review.

I buddy read this with my good pal Janet, we both had similar thoughts on it.

So the second half was much better than the first half, we were 52% in saying it was a bit slow then bam, it hit us with a lot lol. The characters were quite easily likeable, and easy to follow who was who. I liked the 2 main characters Luke and Rose, but I think I likes the side character of Mickey the best. She works with vulnerable women trying to escape violent partners, she seems very head strong and persistent.

I’d read another of Jo Spains books, this was good.

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Graceland by Nancy Crochiere

Hope Robinson can't seem to please anyone lately, especially not her mother, the flamboyant soap star Olivia Grant. Olivia loves Elvis more than Jesus and, convinced she's dying, insists on a final visit to Graceland. Unfortunately, that's the one place Hope can't take her. Hope fled Memphis years ago with a shameful secret and a vow never to return.

Olivia, though, doesn't understand the word no. Instead, she wrangles Hope's pink-haired daughter, Dylan, to drive her to Memphis by promising to reveal the mystery of her long-lost father. Hope must stop them before they expose the truth and all hell breaks loose.

As the women race from Boston to Memphis, encountering jealous soap actors, free-range ferrets, and a trio of Elvis-impersonating frat boys, everyone's secrets begin to unravel. In order to become the family they long to be, Hope, Olivia, and Dylan must face hard truths about themselves and one another on the bumpy road to acceptance, forgiveness, and ultimately, grace.

I was very excited to be on the tour for this one, I love Elvis so this one appealed to me from the get go.

Graceland is a lovely book, totally different to what I expected. There were a load of Elvis nods throughout, mentions of his songs (which has me totally listening to his songs and watching his videos by the way, it also helps that I watched Elvis on the plane ride to Florida a few weeks ago), and plenty more. I loved the character of Olivia, I could see Dolly Parton playing her in the movie! She was so funny, a total schemer, but I bet she would be so much fun to be around. Hope was a good character, not my favourite I must admit, but I liked her. 

The story is full of adventure, fun, hijinx, and a twist I didn’t see coming but I loved!

Thanks so much to InstaBookTours for letting me join in, Avon Books for my gifted copy of the book, and Nancy Crouchiere for the fabulous trip to Graceland.

Windswept and Interesting by Billy Connolly

'I didn't know I was Windswept and Interesting until somebody told me. It was a friend who was startlingly exotic himself. He'd just come back from Kashmir and was all billowy shirt and Indian beads. I had long hair and a beard and was swishing around in electric blue flairs.

He said: "Look at you - all windswept and interesting!"

I just said: "Exactly!"

After that, I simply had to maintain my reputation...'

In his first full-length autobiography, comedy legend and national treasure Billy Connolly reveals the truth behind his windswept and interesting life.

Born in a tenement flat in Glasgow in 1942, orphaned by the age of 4, and a survivor of appalling abuse at the hands of his own family, Billy's life is a remarkable story of success against all the odds.

Billy found his escape first as an apprentice welder in the shipyards of the River Clyde. Later he became a folk musician - a 'rambling man' - with a genuine talent for playing the banjo. But it was his ability to spin stories, tell jokes and hold an audience in the palm of his hand that truly set him apart.

As a young comedian Billy broke all the rules. He was fearless and outspoken - willing to call out hypocrisy wherever he saw it. But his stand-up was full of warmth, humility and silliness too. His startling, hairy 'glam-rock' stage appearance - wearing leotards, scissor suits and banana boots - only added to his appeal.

It was an appearance on Michael Parkinson's chat show in 1975 - and one outrageous story in particular - that catapulted Billy from cult hero to national star. TV shows, documentaries, international fame and award-winning Hollywood movies followed. Billy's pitch-perfect stand-up comedy kept coming too - for over 50 years, in fact - until a double diagnosis of cancer and Parkinson's Disease brought his remarkable live performances to an end. Since then he has continued making TV shows, creating extraordinary drawings... and writing.

Windswept and Interesting is Billy's story in his own words. It is joyfully funny - stuffed full of hard-earned wisdom as well as countless digressions on fishing, farting and the joys of dancing naked. It is an unforgettable, life-affirming story of a true comedy legend.

So I have this on my kindle, but when I found it available on my audiobook subscription, I had to listen to it instead. Billy Connolly is an absolute diamond, hes a living legend and I was so happy he narrated his book himself. 

Billy is full of so many hilarious stories, I laughed so much listening to his random memories and tales. But it wasn’t all laughs. Billy tells of his childhood, his mother abandoning him and his sister when they were just young, his father being in a different country. He talks about his mother with so much love, how he remembers her beauty and kindness. But I felt so bad for him, hearing how she still didn't really come back, fleeting visits once in a blue moon. And how life with his father when he returned wasn’t the best at all, abused by the person who is supposed to take care of you.

But the laughs and the comedy, as usual in true Billy Connolly style were there. So many stories of bums, running naked, and whacking willies left right and centre had me in stitches. I laughed so hard listening to him retell how he and his sister were taken and put to bed by a drunk neighbour who thought they were one of his 9 children! He’s an absolute true legend and I’m loving that he’s living his best life right now.

Keep on keeping on Billy!!

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The Daughters of Madurai by Rasjree Variyar

‘A girl is a burden. A girl is a curse.’ 

Madurai, 1992. A young mother in a poor family, Janani is told she is useless if she can’t produce a son – or worse, bears daughters they can’t afford. They let her keep her first baby girl but the rest are taken away as soon as they are born. The fate of her children has never been in her hands. But Janani can’t forget the daughters who weren’t allowed to live.

Sydney, 2019. Nila has a secret, one she’s been keeping from her parents for far too long. Before she can say anything, her grandfather in India falls ill and she agrees to join her parents on a trip to Madurai – the first in over ten years. Growing up in Australia, Nila knows very little about where she or her family came from, or who they left behind. What she’s about to learn will change her forever…

Thanks so much to Hachette for my gifted proof, absolutely stunning it is, and Netgalley for my e-arc.

I read this alongside 2 of my buddies, Lucy and Wendy. We read 4 chapters a day and left voice notes about our thoughts. Wow what a powerful book! Lucy and Wendy felt the same too.

So Nila and Janani were amazingly strong women, they were both my favourite characters. I loved the timeline switching from the past to the present day, and I liked how some people weren’t named until later in the book, which keeps you guessing as to what is going on.

The culture shock in this book is huge, I didn’t realise things like this happened, and I have a feeling somewhere in the depths of India it still does. What a horrible feeling it must be to feel scared to find out you are pregnant with a girl, especially if you already have a daughter. Knowing your family could take the child and give it away, or worse leave it to die. Janani faced just that, her babies gone forever. Her awful, awful mother in law hurling abuse at her every second of the day, the name calling, the hitting. But the pain of losing her babies had to be the worst hurt. Her little girl Lavanika was such a ray of sunshine in her life, I’m glad she had her.

Honestly, this story was so emotional, extremely hard hitting, and has stayed with me since finishing it. I would recommend this one. Thanks again to Hachette for my copy, and for Rasjree Variyar for writing it.

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The Last Goodbye by Tim Weaver

 

One day ago...

On the night Tom Brenner and his nine-year-old son Leo visit the Seven Peaks theme park, they head straight for the ghost house. They go in. But they don't come out. Somewhere inside the ride, impossible as it seems, the two of them simply vanish.

Forty years ago...

When Rebekah Murphy was three, her mother walked out of their childhood home and never returned. Nearly four decades on, Fiona Murphy is still missing. But then, out of the blue, a letter arrives in the post. It says it's from Fiona.

Now...

Missing persons investigator David Raker is hired by Rebekah to find out if the letter is actually from her mother - and soon makes a connection to the Brenners. But these are mysteries whose secrets were never meant to be found. And with his closest ally under arrest and about to reveal some truths of his own, the danger to Raker is coming from all sides…

I received a copy of this from Netgalley and the publisher Penguin Michael Joseph in return for an honest review.

I first read a Tim Weaver book when I was sent an amazing proof of The Blackbird, and it was his latest book (out of quite a few). I loved it so much i went out and bought all of his books, mostly from charity shops, and now have the full collection. I’m still to read from the start.

The blurb for The Last Goodbye got me wanting to dive into this quickly, and I’m so glad I did! What a story!

So far, Tim is the king of twists, and his latest book does not disappoint. By the end I was messaging my friend with so many shocked faces as I didn’t see any of the twists coming! I love David Raker, and there’s so many times I just want to hug him, he’s been through a lot! I really liked Rebekah, and have found out from a friend that she is the main person in Weavers’ standalone novel Missing Pieces. So that may be next up.

Thanks again to Penguin Michael Joseph and Netgalley for my review copy, and thanks to the author Mr Weaver, as always.

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The Push by Ashley Audrain

The arrival of baby Violet was meant to be the happiest day of my life. A fresh start.

But as soon as I held her in my arms, I knew something wasn't right.

I have always known that the women in my family weren't meant to be mothers.

My husband Fox says I'm imagining it, but she's different with me. Something feels very wrong.

Is it her? Or is it me?

Is she the monster? Or am I?

I’ve had this on my tbr for ages, why did I wait so long to read it! What a book, Ashley Audrain has written a corker, which has you guessing all the way through. You can never seem to tell if what Blythe is thinking is true or not, whether her child hates her and is evil, or her head is all over the palce and she is imagining everything. I loved her bond with Sam when he came along, and the relationship between Violet and her father. I also liked the back stories too, we learn a lot about Blythes childhood, and her mothers childhood. 

This was a brilliant story and i can’t wait to dig into Ms Audrain’s new book The Whispers.