Short Book and Scribes

To the point book reviews and other bookish stuff

Home
About
Contact
Review Policy
In Print
Fame at last!
Reviews
Extracts
Guest Posts
Q&A
Articles
Giveaways
Cover Reveals
Tales from the Backlist
Seven Day Spotlight Posts
Privacy Policy

Short Book and Scribes

Fame at last!

I thought it would be nice to have a place on my blog for times when my reviews are quoted or I get a mention in an author’s acknowledgements (both of which absolutely make my day). Huge thanks to publishers and authors for liking what I have written enough to quote it.

Quote from my review of After Leaving the Village by Helen Matthews (in Lies Behind the Ruin)

“This review was featured on Twinkl as part of their Christmas campaign.“

Quote from my review of When I Was Yours by Lizzie Page in the US edition of Daughters of War

Acknowledgements in Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls by Michelle Rawlins

A mention in Cara Hunter’s Newsletter

A mention in the acknowledgements of The Steel Girls

My quote in the Norwegian edition of Shiver by Allie Reynolds

A quote on the back of the Czech edition of When I Was Yours by Lizzie Page

A mention in the acknowledgements of Betray Her by Caroline England.

Canongate Blogger of the Month

Quote inside Summer of Secrets by Nikola Scott

The Weekend Spa Break by Anne John-Ligali

My first cover quote on Louise Walters’ The Road to California.

A section from my review of The Mountain in My Shoe was quoted at the beginning of Maria in the Moon by Louise Beech

A mention in the acknowledgements of Maria in the Moon by Louise Beech.

Close to Me by Amanda Reynolds

Follow Short Book and Scribes

Follow Short Book and Scribes on WordPress.com

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

In doing so you are consenting to this website storing your personal information, none of which will be shared with any third parties.

Email Address

Search for:

Currently Reading

Follow me on Twitter

FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK

FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

shortbookandscribes

Ad/PR product. New review: Message Deleted by K.L.

Ad/PR product. New review: Message Deleted by K.L. Slater. Published by Penguin Michael Joseph and out now.
📱
I felt in the mood for a thriller and thought Message Deleted had a great premise. Saffy receives three messages in quick succession from her best friend, Leona.

Can't speak.

Don't text or call.

Pls just come.

As quickly as they are received they are deleted but Saffy knows what she saw. She hotfoots it round to Leona's house but something about her and her husband, Ash, just doesn't seem right and even more so when they are later reported missing along with Leona's daughter, Rosie.
📱
This all happens at the beginning of the book and there are plenty of ups and downs to come for Saffy and her sister, Poppy. For me, it could have done with going quite a bit faster in the first third to a half of the book to try and keep the pace up. I didn't always feel like I wanted to pick it up but I also knew I wanted to keep reading. The writing is very good but the pacing wasn't quite enough to grab me by the collar and thrust me into the action in the manner I was hoping for.
📱
There were a few plot twists that I didn't expect and I was kept guessing as to what had happened to Leona and her family. I think this book is a combination of a psychological thriller and a domestic noir. There's quite a chunk of the narrative based around something that happened to Poppy and how Saffy dealt with it, which definitely falls into the domestic sphere.
📱
Whilst I think it would have benefitted from being a bit shorter and pacier, I did enjoy this book and it kept me interested and intrigued enough to want to read to the end.
📱
Thank you to the publishers for the fabulous slipcase proof copy.
*
*
*
*
*
*
#bookreview #psychologicalfiction #psychologicalthriller #domesticthriller #domesticnoir #thrillerfiction #thrillerbooks #fortheloveofbooks #booklover #bookish #reader #reviewer #bookblogger #booksread #ilovebooks #thrillersofinstagram #shortbookandscribes

Ad/PR product. New review: Ordinary Time by Cathy

Ad/PR product. New review: Ordinary Time by Cathy Rentzenbrink. Published by @phoenix_bks and out now.
🚃
Ordinary Time is the story of Ann, vicar's wife, mother, sister - this is how she is defined but it's stifling her. Her husband, Tim, thinks more of God than of his own son, let alone his wife, pushing both aside for often trivial pastoral matters. The family have newly arrived in Cornwall for Tim to take up residence as the vicar - another move, another new school, same old stale marriage.
🚃
Cathy Rentzenbrink portrays small parish life perfectly, one in which the vicar and his family are almost public property. Barbara and Doreen think nothing of simply popping their head around the back door, and the dining room of the vicarage is full of jumble that Tim doesn't even notice, let alone think is a problem.
🚃
This is an intensely character driven novel, with human nature and all its foibles observed to great effect. Rentzenbrink writes with dry humour but it's also a moving tale of childhoods marred by great tragedy and how the trauma of dealing with it can trickle down through the rest of your life.
🚃
When Ann meets Jamie, a man who she feels not only attraction for, but a kinship with, it drives her to reflect on what's important to her. I thought this thread was beautifully written with both yearning and possibility (and impossibility too).
🚃
Ordinary Time is a story of a marriage, a family, a loss and a love. It's a quiet novel but one which delves deep into feelings and emotions. I particularly appreciated the honesty in Ann's narrative and how she let rip internally all that she didn't feel able to say aloud. It's a fabulous novel. I enjoy this author's perceptive and funny writing so much.
🚃
Thank you to the publishers for the proof copy of the book.
*
*
*
*
*
*
#bookreview #OrdinaryTime #characterdrivenbooks #fortheloveofbooks #bookishlove #bookish #reader #reviewer #bookblogger #booksread #ilovebooks #booklover #booksofinstagram #shortbookandscribes

Thank you so much @bonnierbooks_uk @zaffrebooks @e

Thank you so much @bonnierbooks_uk @zaffrebooks @emblabooks for this amazing 'Harrogate at Home' box of goodies.

What a treat it was this morning to unbox:
#TheGoodFather by #LiamMcIlvanney
#TheGhostwriter by @julieclarkauthor
#GuiltyByDefinition by @susiedent
#TheReunionParty by @pennybatchelorauthor

Plus bookmarks (including one for my beloved Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series), sweets, interactive scratch card, Getting Away With Murder badge and a lovely typewriter keyring.

I might not be going to Harrogate but I've got all of this to stop me feeling too left out!
*
*
*
*
*
*
#HarrogateAtHome #BBUKHarrogateAtHome #bookbox #crimefiction #crimebooks #crimebooksofinstagram #ilovereading #booklover #bookishcontent #bookishreels #fortheloveofbooks #reader #reviewer #bookblogger #shortbookandscribes

Ad/PR product. New review: Gallows Wood by Louisa

Ad/PR product. New review: Gallows Wood by Louisa Scarr. Published by @canelo_co and out now.
🐕
PC Lucy Halliday is a police dog handler. Along with her spaniel, Moss, she is tasked at the beginning of Gallows Wood to locate the body that fits the hand that has just been found. That is Moss's speciality as he is a recovery dog. Before this came a prologue that did exactly what I want a prologue to do: it excited me, it got me thinking about what led up to the events in it, and it made me want to read the rest of the book.
🐕
Lucy has had a troubled few years. Her husband, Nico, has been missing for a long time and her professional life has gone to pot. Her work as a dog handler is what keeps her going and she's about to find herself in the thick of it with new DI on the scene, Jack Ellis.
🐕
Gallows Wood is the start of a new series to feature Halliday and Ellis and I'm so pleased about it! I thought it was an absolutely superb book, a story with a conclusion but with enough to take it forward, both in terms of character and plot. I particularly liked the dog handling element which I haven't come across in crime fiction before, and I loved the bond between dog and handler.
🐕
This book is made up of brilliant writing, a spellbinding plot, and fascinating multi-layered characters that I want to know more about. There are already two plot points that could feature in future books (I believe at least two more instalments are planned) and I can't wait to see how Louisa Scarr develops them. Gallows Wood is for anyone who likes police procedurals and/or Line of Duty, or even for those who just enjoy a rollicking good read. I thought it was fantastic.
🐕
Thank you to the publishers for the proof copy of the book.
*
*
*
*
*
*
#bookreview #GallowsWood #crimeseries #crimebooks #crimebooksofinstagram #crimefiction #fortheloveofbooks #policeprocedural #doghandler #booklover #booksread #5starreads #grippingreads #ilovereading #ilovebooks #reader #reviewer #shortbookandscribes

Ad/PR product. It's #PublicationDay for #TheParisM

Ad/PR product. It's #PublicationDay for #TheParisMuse by Louisa Treger and I wanted to tell you a bit about this book. It tells the story of Dora Maar, a photographer and artist who meets and finds herself incredibly attracted to Pablo Picasso. They begin a relationship which is volatile and controlling and yet also full of passion and mutual respect for the other's artistic expertise.

Once again, Treger has taken a real woman and brought her back to life. Dora is fully fleshed out and is portrayed as a clever and talented woman, forgotten by history and treated carelessly by the men in her life. This book can be unsettling and disturbing at times and the interweaving of fact and fiction is seamlessly executed by this talented author.

One for #histfic and art fans.
✨
Synopsis:
Paris, 1936. When Dora Maar, a talented French photographer, painter and poet, is introduced to Pablo Picasso, she is mesmerized by his dark and intense stare. Drawn to his volcanic creativity, it isn't long before she embarks on a passionate relationship with the Spanish artist that sometimes includes sadism and masochism, and ultimately pushes her to the edge.

The Paris Muse is the fictionalized retelling of this disturbing love story, as we follow Dora on her journey of self-discovery and expression. Set in Paris and the French Riviera, where Dora and Pablo spent their holidays with their glamorous artist friends, it provides a fascinating insight into how Picasso was a genius who side-stepped the rules in his human relationships as he did in his art. Much to Dora's torment, he refused to divorce his wife and conducted affairs with Dora's friends. The Spanish Civil War made him depressed and violent, an angst that culminated in his acclaimed painting 'Guernica', which Dora documented as he painted.

As the encroaching darkness suffocates their relationship - a darkness that escalates once the Second World War begins and the Nazis invade the country - Dora has a nervous breakdown and is hospitalized.

Atmospheric, intense and moving, The Paris Muse is an astonishing read that ensures that this talented, often overlooked woman who gave her life to Picasso is no longer a footnote.

I read #FrankAndRed by @manversusbaby earlier this

I read #FrankAndRed by @manversusbaby earlier this year and it was full of warmth with an unlikely, but truly uplifting, intergenerational bond.

If you haven't read it yet then why not pick up the paperback when it's published by #WildfireBooks @headlinebooks on 15th August?
*
*
*
*
*
*
#paperbackrelease #upliftingreads #fortheloveofbooks #booklover #booksofinstagram #ilovebooks #reader #reviewer #booksread #reviewbooks #bookblogger #loverofreading #shortbookandscribes

Ad/PR product. New review: The Last Time I Saw You

Ad/PR product. New review: The Last Time I Saw You by @joleevers. Published today by Lake Union.
✨
When heavily pregnant Georgie sees a photo in the news of a woman who has found a missing child on a remote Scottish island, she is taken aback to see it's her mother, Nancy, who left Georgie and her brother Dan twenty years earlier, never to be seen again. Wanting answers, the siblings set off on a long drive to find Nancy but nothing on the unusual trip goes to plan. What struck me most of all about The Last Time I Saw You is how one side of the story, the one you know (or think you know) is never the whole story and as the journey progresses so many things change and come to light for all of the characters.
✨
This is very much a character-driven book and I grew to really like and care about them all. The story unfolds so beautifully and it's written with such thought, sensitivity and empathy. I liked this book from the beginning but as I delved into the characters' pasts through Georgie's chapters in the present and Nancy's in the past, I began to understand the complexities of their mother-daughter relationship and it got to the point where I really didn't want to stop reading and put it down.
✨
I read and enjoyed Jo Leevers' first book, Tell Me How This Ends, last year but she's really excelled herself with this heartfelt and exquisitely drawn portrayal of human emotions, the intricate highs and lows of family life, coercive control, motherhood, and grief for somebody who is not truly lost. The Last Time I Saw You wrapped itself around my heart and I won't forget it in a hurry.
*
*
*
*
*
*
#bookreview #TheLastTimeISawYou #characterdrivenbooks #motherdaughter #5starreads #fortheloveofbooks #lovelyreads #reviewbooks #booksread #reviewer #review #reader #ilovereading #booklover #booksofinstagram #bookish #read #shortbookandscribes

✨June Reads✨ A pretty good month with some ex $✨June Reads✨ A pretty good month with some excellent reads, some of which were standouts for me. Let me know in the comments what your favourite June read was. ✨My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout is an introspective story in which the eponymous Lucy tells of a time when she was in hospital for nine weeks and her estranged mother came to spend time with her. A short book that seemed to take me ages to read. ✨The Last Time I Saw You by Jo Leevers is a beautifully written story of the fractured relationship between a mother and her two grown-up children and shows that the narrative we have always believed may not be correct. ✨I Died on a Tuesday by Jane Corry is a three-stranded novel about a victim, a criminal and a protector which was easy to read and fast-paced, and it flipped all that I believed about the characters on its head. ✨Garden of Her Heart by Zoë Richards is a delightful, warm and uplifting debut that sells a dream that is all about finding your particular place in the world. Holly is broken when she goes to Pinewoods Retreat and by the end of the stay she has a great future ahead of her. ✨Love in Provence by Jo Thomas is another gorgeous travel/food story from a favourite author. Del is preparing for this year's lavender harvest with a new group of pickers but change is afoot and she has to try to weather the storm that's coming into her life. ✨The King's Witches by Kate Foster follows three women over the course of a couple of tumultuous years during which the witch trials were gathering pace. Anna of Denmark travels to Scotland with her maid, Kirsten, to marry King James VI. The third woman is Jura Craig, a so-called cunning woman and the three strands link beautifully. ✨The Phoenix Ballroom is a charming story of family and friendship, with a sometimes eccentric cast of characters. Venetia is newly widowed and a granny nanny, a young boy and a dilapidated ballroom give her a new lease of life. ✨You Are Here by David Nicholls is a superb character-driven story of a man and a woman tackling an epic walk across the country. It's a tale of chance encounters and second chances and it is very funny and a complete joy to read.$

Ad/PR product. Happy #PublicationDay to Ruth Hogan

Ad/PR product. Happy #PublicationDay to Ruth Hogan and #ThePhoenixBallroom 🎉

This is a charming story of family and friendship, and dealing with the secrets of the past whilst wondering what the future holds. Venetia's husband, Hawk (I loved his family full of people named after birds!) has recently died and she finds herself wondering what the future holds. Enter a granny nanny, a young boy and a ballroom that brings back memories for Venetia and she might just find herself with a new lease of life.

The Phoenix Ballroom has a sometimes eccentric and always fabulous cast of characters and is a lovely read that is uplifting and full of hopefulness.

Thank you #CorvusBooks @atlanticbooks for the beautiful proof package.

*******************************************************

Synopsis:

When it's time to face the music, all we can do is dance...

Recently widowed Venetia Hamilton Hargreaves is left with a huge house, a bank balance to match and an uneasy feeling that she's been sleepwalking through the last fifty years. Determined to live fully again, she embraces life with an enthusiasm and purpose she'd forgotten she could muster.

Buying the dilapidated Phoenix Ballroom and with it a drop-in centre and spiritualist church could be seen as reckless, but Venetia's generosity, courage and kindness provide a refuge for a touching cast of damaged and lonely people who find their chosen family. As their stories intertwine, long buried secrets are revealed, missed opportunities seized and lives are renewed as the Phoenix lives up to its name.

The Phoenix Ballroom is a story of hope and second chances across the generations.
*
*
*
*
*
*
#ThePhoenixBallroom #review #fortheloveofbooks #upliftingreads #booklover #bookblogger #reader #booksread #bookloversofinstagram #bookishcontent #lovelyreads #feelgoodfiction #reviewer #reviewbooks #shortbookandscribes

Cover Reveal! Doesn't #TheBookOfWitching by @cjco

Cover Reveal!

Doesn't #TheBookOfWitching by @cjcooke_author sound amazing? 🧙 It will be published on 10th October by Harper Collins @harperfiction.

Synopsis:
Four hundred years separate them.

One book binds them.

Glasgow 2024: Clem waits by her daughter’s hospital bed. Erin was found on an idyllic beach in Fynhallow Bay, Orkney with catastrophic burns and only one memory: her name is Nyx.

But how did she get these burns? And how did her boyfriend end up burned alive?

Orkney 1594: accused of witchcraft, Alison Balfour awaits trial. The punishment? To be burned alive.

Separated by four hundred years but bound by the Book of Witching, two women stand imperilled. Can they unlock a centuries-old mystery? And will Fynhallow Bay give up its secrets before someone else dies?
*
*
*
*
*
*
#CoverReveal #historicalfiction #witchyreads #witchtrials #witchybooks #shortbookandscribes

Ad/PR product. New review: I Died on a Tuesday by

Ad/PR product. New review: I Died on a Tuesday by Jane Corry. Published by @vikingbooksuk and out now.
✨
I Died on a Tuesday is a multi-layered psychological fiction novel with three main strands, that of Janie, Robbie and Vanessa. Each has their own story to tell, their own demons to battle with and their own role to play in this book. When put together, the three narratives made for a compelling read that, despite it being a big book at 480 pages, never let up on pace and kept me interested throughout.
✨
There are lots of short chapters so it was easy to read on to find out about Janie's accident, Robbie's shocking arrest and Vanessa's past. It wasn't always clear how each was linked to the other and there were one or two very convenient coincidences but it didn't matter as I was along for the ride and enjoying it very much.
✨
I always enjoy a Jane Corry book and I Died on a Tuesday was no exception. She took me into the murky depths of prison life and into the complexities of a criminal court case. She painted a moving portrait of life for Janie after the accident and flipped all that I believed about Robbie and Vanessa on its head. This is a book that is very easy to read and one that I always looked forward to picking up.
✨
Thank you to the publishers for the proof copy of the book.
*
*
*
*
*
*
#bookreview #IDiedOnATuesday #psychologicalfiction #domesticnoir #grippingreads #fortheloveofbooks #booklover #bookloversofinstagram #bookishcontent #bookreviewer #reviewbooks #booksread #reader #bookblogger #ilovefiction #fictionlover #fiction #shortbookandscribes

Ad/PR product. New review: Garden of her Heart by

Ad/PR product. New review: Garden of her Heart by Zoë Richards. To be published by @uclan_publishing on 20th June.
🌿
Holly Bush (yes, really!) is having a tough time following an attack at work. When her extended absence leads to her being made redundant she's not sure how to cope with the wreckage of her life. After seeing an advert for Pinewoods Retreat by chance, she decides to give it a go in the hope that she can salvage something and move forwards.
🌿
Pinewoods sounds absolutely perfect to me. I think it's one of those places that ends up being whatever each person there needs and it's not only Holly who is looking for change. She meets new friends there. Some are people like her, guests at the retreat, and others are the people who work there such as Lorraine and Dee who run the place, and (dishy) Hunter, the personal trainer. I loved all the main characters and how the author wove all their individual stories together, and I particularly enjoyed Holly's transformation from someone with zero self-confidence and nothing to look forward to, to someone who has a future and lots of great things to come.
🌿
What makes this story work so well is that it taps into our desire to be able to live the life we want, even if that life isn't obviously available to us. Who hasn't dreamed of a change that seems out of reach? This book makes it all seem possible and sells a dream that is all about finding your particular place in the world. Garden of Her Heart is a delightful and uplifting debut novel from Zoë Richards. I enjoyed it very much and closed it with an extremely satisfied 'aah'. It's about friendship, love, growth and fulfilment and it wrapped itself around me like a warm and cosy blanket.
🌿
Thank you @stretchy_123 for the proof copy.
*
*
*
*
*
*
#bookreview #GardenOfHerHeart #upliftingreads #feelgoodfiction #lovelyreads #fortheloveofbooks #booklover #bookishcontent #reviewbooks #booksread #reviewer #reader #bookphotography #debutfiction #debutnovel #ilovebooks #shortbookandscribes

First Line Friday Today I'm sharing the first lin

First Line Friday

Today I'm sharing the first line from chapter one of The King's Witches by Kate Foster. I reviewed this wonderful book earlier this week and highly recommend it for historical fiction fans, especially those who like to read about the witch trials and/or royalty.

So that first line….

🔸The witch Doritte Olsen is being burned at the stake today and they're making us watch.

It's enough to send shivers down my spine. What do you think of this first line?
*
*
*
*
*
*
#firstlinefriday #TheKingsWitches
#historicalfiction #histfic #historicalfictionbooks #booklover #bookloversofinstagram #fortheloveofbooks #bookishcontent #witchtrials #witch #scottishfiction #shortbookandscribes

Ad/PR product. New review: Love in Provence by Jo

Ad/PR product. New review: Love in Provence by Jo Thomas. Published by @bantambooksuk and out now.
🇫🇷
Love in Provence is Jo Thomas' first follow-up book, returning to Del and Fabien who we first met in Escape to the French Farmhouse (but don't worry if you haven't read that one as Love in Provence works perfectly as a standalone read). Once again I have been completely transported to beautiful Provence for a tale of love, friendship and food.
🇫🇷
Three years have passed and Del has never regretted her move to France and taking on the lavender harvest at her farmhouse, Le Petit Mas de la Lavande. She's also cooking after her friend Henri's bistro and life is good. But life comes with ups and downs and change is afoot. Will Del weather the storm?
🇫🇷
A group of people come to the farm to assist with the lavender harvest and they help to make up a cast of characters that I loved reading about. Thomas always manages to make me wish I was there with them, sharing the delicious food and drink and being a part of the camaraderie that takes place around the table. Although love is a part of the storyline, this book is very much about friendships, both old and new, and their restorative power. I just loved how everybody pulled together when things got tough.
🇫🇷
Love in Provence has everything I love about Jo Thomas' books. It has the setting full of atmosphere and local charm, the food that I could practically smell and taste, characters that I really cared about, and a story to warm the cockles of my heart. I loved every word.
🇫🇷
Thank you @chloerose_pr for the review copy.
*
*
*
*
*
*
#bookreview #LoveInProvence #travelfiction #foodfiction #frenchfiction #lovelyreads #5starreads #fortheloveofbooks #booklover #bookish #reader #review #reviewbooks #booksread #shortbookandscribes

Ad/PR product. New review: The King's Witches by K

Ad/PR product. New review: The King's Witches by Kate Foster. Published by Mantle and out now.
🧙
The King's Witches follows three women over the course of a couple of tumultuous years. Princess Anna of Denmark leaves her country to travel to Scotland for a trial period before hopefully becoming the wife of King James VI of Scotland. She travels with her maid, Kirsten, a trustworthy companion to Anna but she has her own reasons for wanting to be in Scotland. The third woman is Jura Craig, a young Scottish woman trying to find her own way in the world, using the healing skills and charms her late mother, a so-called cunning woman, taught her.
🧙
Eventually the paths of these woman converge and I was wondering what the catalyst for that would be. The author did a brilliant job at pulling each strand together and there were plot points that I never guessed at. This was a worrying time for everybody, but particularly for women, as the witch trials were gathering pace. There are some shocking scenes in this book and it's hard to comprehend that anyone with an ounce of sense could have believed any of it. Sadly, history tells us that it's all true.
🧙
After loving Kate Foster's debut, The Maiden, last year, I was really looking forward to The King's Witches and I wasn't disappointed. It's so well-written and the kind of historical fiction that I like, where it's full of atmosphere and true to the time it's set in but has a contemporary feel to the language used. This story of three strong women, determined to survive in turbulent times, had me completely gripped from start to finish. I needed to know what would happen to them and hoped so hard that their outcome would be a good one, although it often seemed impossible. Foster has become a favourite author of mine and I'm now very much looking forward to book three.
🧙
Thank you @libraryofchlo for the proof copy.
*
*
*
*
*
*
#bookreview #TheKingsWitches #historicalfiction #witchtrials #scottishwitchtrials #5starreads #grippingreads #historicalfictionbooks #fortheloveofbooks #booklover #bookishphotography #reviewer #booksread #reviewbooks #reader #bookblogger #ilovereading #booksofinstagram #shortbookandscribes

First Line Friday 🖊️ It's a long time since I

First Line Friday
🖊️
It's a long time since I joined in with this hashtag but I read #TheBurialPlot last week (review on grid and blog) and I was very taken with the first line. I think it's one of the best first lines I've read. Here it is:

🔹It was close to nightfall and Bonnie was killing moths in the bedroom that had once belonged to Mr Moncrieff's dead wife.🔹

Straightaway I wanted to know more. Do you? This book will definitely be one of my favourites of this year. Also a map! And just look at those glorious endpapers!
*
*
*
*
*
*
#firstlinefriday #historicalfiction #fortheloveofbooks #ilovebooks #booklover #ilovehistoricalfiction #grippingreads #gothicnovels #bookishcontent #bookblogger #reader #booksread #shortbookandscribes

Ad/PR product. New review: You Are Here by David N

Ad/PR product. New review: You Are Here by David Nicholls. Published by Sceptre and out now.
🚶‍♀️
With the number of glowing reviews You Are Here was getting, I was a bit wary when I was picking it up to read. Would I love Marnie and Michael's trek across the country as much as everyone else? I needn't have worried. I was in David Nicholls' safe hands and I adored this wonderful and witty story.
🚶‍♀️
Marnie and Michael meet when they are part of a small group put together to enjoy a few days walking. They couldn't be more different. Michael is a seasoned walker, a man getting more and more used to his own company, whereas Marnie is a city dweller, also used to being alone but not exactly thriving on it. Michael starts off with an intention to walk coast to coast from Cumbria to North Yorkshire and along the way, often (and quite unexpectedly) with Marnie by his side, a desire for change starts to creep over both of them.
🚶‍♀️
The story is told in chapters alternately from both points of view and it gave a real insight into what each character was thinking. I don't think a chapter went by when I didn't laugh out loud. The wry, observational humour is written to perfection, and yet this is also such a poignant read, a thoughtful book that never descends into melancholy, and felt true to life and the power of human emotions.
🚶‍♀️
You Are Here was a complete joy to read. I loved every second of my journey with Michael and Marnie, made all the better for the fact that it wasn't me out there in my waterproofs getting soaked through, sweaty and muddy! Despite that, it left me *almost* fancying an epic walk across the country myself because Nicholls writes it so beautifully. This is a character driven ode to the windswept and stunning landscapes to be found outside our own enclosed worlds, a story of second chances and chance encounters. I thought it was superb.
🚶‍♀️
Thank you to the publishers for the proof copy of the book.
*
*
*
*
*
*
#bookreview #YouAreHere #5starreads #lovel#fortheloveofbooks #ilovereading #booklove #bookloversofinstagram #reader #booksread #reviewer #reviewbooks #bookblogger #bookish #shortbookandscribes

#LastNowNext reading update I loved #YouAreHere.

#LastNowNext reading update

I loved #YouAreHere. I laughed so much but it's tender too.

I've only just started #TheKingsWitches and it looks set to be a cracker.

I love everything Jo Thomas has written so I know I'm in for a treat with #LoveInProvence.

#fortheloveofbooks #LastNowNextReads #booksr#TBRpile #TBR #bookishreels #bookupdate #ilovereading #booklover #bookloversofinstagram #bookreader #reader #shortbookandscribes

Ad/PR product. New review: The Burial Plot by @eli

Ad/PR product. New review: The Burial Plot by @elizabethmacneal. To be published on 6th June by @picadorbooks.
✨
It's London in the late 1830s and Bonnie and Crawford are living by their wits to survive, gaining money in cunning ways. After Bonnie finds herself needing to escape London and a terrible crime, she applies for a position as a lady's maid at Endellion House, the home of Mr Moncrieff and his daughter, Cissie. However, all is not as it seems and soon Bonnie realises that her place in the house is not as unplanned as she thought.
✨
This is Elizabeth Macneal's third book and quite possibly my favourite of them all. It has the kind of underlying sinister feel of The Doll Factory but with the addition of the inner workings and subterfuge at Endellion which made it really striking and particularly gripping. As things got underway and Bonnie found her feet in the house I struggled to put this dark and inventive book down.
✨
The Burial Plot is beautifully written and plotted impeccably. There were some plot points that I half-guessed at and some that I didn't see coming at all, and I found the whole story utterly mesmerising from beginning to end. The emotions of every character, whether prominent or not, jump off the page which makes for quite an edgy read. Bonnie is initially in thrall to the charismatic Crawford, but as time goes on her sense of unease is palpable and eventually I found myself rooting for our feisty heroine and what her future life could be. The ending was quite nerve-wracking!
✨
This book is rich with detail and atmospherically portrays this era in London's history and the juxtaposition between the seedy underbelly and the rich folk with their fancy houses. The Victorians' fascination with death is illustrated by the mausoleums Mr Moncrieff designs and which form a large part of the story. The Burial Plot is a tremendous book, a gothic thriller created to perfection. Easily one of my favourite books of the year.
✨
Thank you to the publishers for the proof copy and the gorgeous finished copy.
*
*
*
*
*
*
#bookreview #TheBurialPlot #gothicthriller #historicalfiction #5starreads #booksiloved #reader #bookishphotography #shortbookandscribes

✨May Reads✨ Another month has passed, another

✨May Reads✨

Another month has passed, another eight books read. It looks like eight is the new ten for me now (I'll never get through my humongous TBR pile like this, will I?). Once again though, these eight were all books I enjoyed.

🔹The Burial Plot by Elizabeth Macneal - a mesmerising story of Bonnie and Crawford and their life of trickery, and later when Bonnie takes work as a lady's maid and realises that maybe there's a lot more to Crawford than she realised.

🔹The Last House on the Cliff by Anne Wyn Clark - an ominous and atmospheric psychological thriller about a missing girl and a woman returning to her childhood haunt.

🔹The Life I Stole by Nikola Scott - an enjoyable story about a spirited young woman in 1950s London who wants to make her mark as a doctor, but how can she make a life for herself when she's living a lie?

🔹The Switch by Lily Samson - a dark, thrilling and sexy domestic noir about two women who swap partners under cover of darkness. An exhilarating and irresistible read.

🔹Hold Back the Night by Jessica Moor - a thought-provoking book set over three time periods, following Annie in 1959 as a young nurse in a mental hospital, in the 1980s when she took in young men during the AIDS crisis, and in 2020 in the midst of a pandemic.

🔹The F**k It List by Melanie Cantor - a fabulous character-driven novel in which Daisy, betrayed at her fortieth birthday party, decides to go it alone and have a baby without a partner. It's funny and joyful, moving and real.

🔹The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr - a wonderfully quirky story of Clayton, a young man who as a baby was left on the steps of the house lived in by people known for their great minds and puzzle skills. I found it utterly charming as Clayton follows a puzzle trail to find out who he really is.

🔹The Echoes of Us by Emma Steele - a tale of great love as, just as a truck is about to hit their car, Robbie is thrown into Jenn's memories and learns a lot about her but also about himself and how his behaviour comes across to other people. A well-written debut.

What was your favourite May read?

Load More Follow on Instagram

Popular
Comments
Latest

Today Week Month All

ShortBookandScribes #BookReview - Before the Swallows Come Back by Fiona Curnow #BlogTour
ShortBookandScribes #BookReview - Gallows Wood by Louisa Scarr
ShortBookandScribes #PublicationDay #BookReview - The Last Time I Saw You by Jo Leevers
ShortBookandScribes #BookReview - Ordinary Time by Cathy Rentzenbrink
ShortBookandScribes #BookReview - Message Deleted by K.L. Slater

ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Message Deleted by K.L. Slater
ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Ordinary Time by Cathy Rentzenbrink
ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Gallows Wood by Louisa Scarr
ShortBookandScribes #PublicationDay #BookReview – The Last Time I Saw You by Jo Leevers
ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – I Died on a Tuesday by Jane Corry

Today Week Month All

ShortBookandScribes #BookReview - Ordinary Time by Cathy Rentzenbrink

Archives

Archives

© Unauthorised use and/or duplication of material contained on this site without express and written permission from this site’s author and owner is strictly prohibited. Authors and publishers may use excerpts and links, provided that full and clear credit is given to Short Book and Scribes and shortbookandscribes.uk with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Powered by WordPress and Momentous.

Follow

Get the latest posts delivered to your mailbox:

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in .

Powered by GDPR Cookie Compliance

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

Enable or Disable Cookies

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.