Review: Meet Me in the Margins

Title: Meet Me in the Margins

Author: Melissa Ferguson

Publisher: 15th February 2022 by Thomas Nelson

Pages: 315 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: women’s fiction, contemporary, romance

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

When You've Got Mail meets The Proposal, Melissa Ferguson's latest romantic comedy is one for the books. Savannah Cade's dreams are coming true. The Claire Donovan, editor-in-chief of the most successful romance imprint in the country, has requested to see the manuscript Savannah's been secretly writing while working as editor herself - except at her publishing house, the philosophy is only highbrow works are worth printing and commercial fiction, particularly romance, should be reserved for the lowest level of Dante's inferno. But when Savannah drops her manuscript during a staff meeting and nearly exposes herself to the whole company - including William Pennington, new publisher and son of the romance-despising CEO herself - she races to hide her manuscript in the secret turret room of the old Victorian office.

When she returns, she's dismayed to discover that someone has not only been in her hidden nook but has written notes in the margins--quite critical ones. But when Claire's own reaction turns out to be nearly identical to the scribbled remarks, and worse, Claire announces that Savannah has six weeks to resubmit before she retires, Savannah finds herself forced to seek the help of the shadowy editor after all.

As their notes back and forth start to fill up the pages, however, Savannah finds him not just becoming pivotal to her work but her life. There's no doubt about it. She's falling for her mystery editor. If she only knew who he was.

My Thoughts

As I've noted before, I love a good bookish book and this one proved to be a winner. When you open the cover of a book of this genre, you know what you are in for … mostly. I get annoyed when people complain about such books being cliched and predictable but sometimes that’s what a reader is looking for. Such books provide comfort, much like a warm hug. 

Meet Me in the Margins has all the classic romcom features - quirky characters, missed opportunities, mixed messages, solid side characters, all the bookish business I love and the prerequisite happy ending. It’s also really sweet - no swearing and no funny business except a couple of kisses. Nice. It is full of charm and wit and some classic dialogue between the two leads. It’s simple, it’s straightforward and it’s delightful. 

‘All this time I thought I had something. An idea. A spark. All this time, I thought, I may just be able to do this! I may just have a writer’s soul after all! But what am I, really? Just a girl, sitting in a coffee shop, who’s completely deluded herself.’

What lifted this book to the next level for me were two things. One, Will makes for a great leading man, I only wish more time had been dedicated to him and his backstory. Two, Savannah with her honesty about writing and love of all things literary: 

‘A total stranger had given me solace through the power of words, helped me escape the troubles of my world if just for enough time to get a much-needed breath ... Try new adventures. Dare. The written word became my passion. And from that moment on all I knew was what an incredible honor it would be to bring that adventure, that life, that joy, that hope, that world to somebody else.’

The release of this book could not be more perfect with Valentine’s Day. For lovers of this genre you will so enjoy the journey of Savannah as she works on her own manuscript. There are some great secondary characters and subplots that are fun and the workplace romance is sure to bring a smile to your dial ;)

‘I long to meet this man. He’s become a part of my thoughts every waking (and sometimes sleeping) hour of the day. He is brilliant. Witty. Blunt, yes, but in a way I’ve come to respect. And more than anything, someone I’ve come to wish was my companion everywhere.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Great Summer Street Party

Title: The Great Summer Street Party Part 1: Sunshine and Cider Cake

Author: Georgia Hill

Publisher: 3rd February 2022 by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

Pages: 250 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: women’s fiction, contemporary, romance

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

Welcome to Berecombe-by-the-Sea for a year of very special celebrations…

This year sees the seventy-fifth anniversary of D-Day. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to those brave boys who went to fight on French beaches for our freedom.

And now Berecombe is playing host to our American allies once more. All surviving soldiers who were billeted in the town have been invited for street parties, a D-Day parade, a black-tie ball at The Henville, and much, much more.

So, come along, get dressed up and join in the fun!

Ashley Lyddon arrives in the quaint coastal community of Berecombe feeling more than a little lost. The former art teacher desperately needs a fresh start after a car accident that cost her everything. How is it that the town’s older residents seem to have more zest for life than she does?

A certain American history lecturer, Eddie McQueen, has also blown into town, just like the GIs did seventy-five years previously. Then, as now, they shook things up, and left secrets trailing in their wake.

Ashley knows all too well, like the D-Day soldiers, that laying the past to rest is easier said than done although her new community seems to believe that tea and cake – lots and lots of cake – solves most of life’s problems. And as Ashley is forced to admit, they are nearly always right…

My Thoughts

This proved to be such a lovely inbetween read - a light and refreshing sweet tale that provided a perfect balance of history and romance in a wonderful English coastal community. It must be stated from the outset that this is the first book in a new series for Georgia and it is definitely ‘Part 1’. 

‘The escape Berecombe afforded was gradually eroding the brittle façade she’d constructed in order to face the world. She was beginning to relax.’

The Great Summer Street Party is an interesting mix of past and present. The tale of Ashley’s accident is very much front and centre with her moving to the coastal community for rehabilitation and a redirection in life. She quickly becomes involved in projects and with the locals, including a visiting American history lecturer. Tales of the past are told through reminiscing or letters and I found this aspect of the story very engaging - but very open ended. Herein lies my problem.

‘I think I want–wanted–the fairy-tale.’ ‘Fairy-tales are hard to come by, love.’ ‘I know. Doesn’t stop you wanting them, though.’

This is very much ‘Part 1’ as stated in the book title. To get a complete story you will, I assume, have to read all three expected parts. Both the contemporary and historical tales are left very open by the conclusion. This book appeared more of an introduction to the characters and their backstories. I found the historical romance tales more engaging with the contemporary romance a bit too ‘insta-love’ for me and very quickly addressed. 

Overall this is a quick and enjoyable read with final resolutions to come with the next instalments. Readers who enjoy an easygoing romance in a lively local community are sure to sign up for this new series. 

‘In my considerable experience, as soon as you decide what you want to do in life, it always throws you a curve ball, making you re-think it all over again. Live for today is my advice, maybe next week at a stretch.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Lily Harford's Last Request

Title: Lily Harford's Last Request

Author: Joanna Buckley

Publisher: 2nd February 2022 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA

Pages: 256 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary, women’s fiction

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Lily Harford is nearing the end of her once joyful life - and for her, it can't come soon enough. Who will have the courage, kindness and love to grant her last request? A compassionate and heartfelt story for readers of Jodi Picoult, Tricia Stringer and Fiona Lowe.

Knowing she is sliding into dementia, Lily Harford is ready to give up her life ... but can she persuade someone to commit the illegal act of taking it from her?

Lily has lived a joyful, independent life in a seaside town in Queensland, running her own business and raising a daughter as a single mother at a time when few women did so. Now health and circumstance have pushed her into a nursing home, and her memory is failing, although events of the past remain fresh. Like pulling back the layers of a Russian doll, Lily recalls the former selves - mother, professional woman, lover, daughter - who still exist inside her.

Lily's daughter, Pauline, has been pushed to her limits by her demanding job, as well as the needs of her mother, husband, daughter and grandchildren. And now her mother is begging to die. Nurse aide Donna, still recovering from a dysfunctional childhood and the demise of her marriage, finds comfort in Lily's kindness and down to earth wisdom. As Lily fades, she asks Donna, too, to help her end her life.

A thought-provoking, vivid and moving exploration of how we value a life well lived, and the decisions we make when that life is coming to an end.

My Thoughts

‘… sometimes I close my eyes and say something, just to allow myself the momentary fantasy that it’s a youthful me uttering the words. I know that sounds stupid and foolish but in lots of ways, inside, I don’t feel all that different to when I was young.’

Lily Harford's Last Request was never going to be an easy read but I was unprepared for just how beautifully Joanna captures this contemporary issue of assisted dying. With exceptional writing offering three viewpoints that comprehensively explore the struggles and complexity of this poignant and thought provoking topic. Taking place over a period of eighteen months, Joanna gives her readers three narratives with an inclusion of flashbacks from Lily’s past also embedded in the tale. The final epilogue over some six years later brings it neatly to conclusion. 

‘In other cultures the elderly are revered, kept close to the family fold, their wisdom actively sought, their presence valued and appreciated. I don’t want outsiders to handle the burden of my decline, where I’m shunted off to an artificial world, a final whistle-stop where people don’t so much live as wait to die.’

Providing three narratives allows Joanna to provide multiple perspectives that provide a holistic tale with at least one sure to speak to her readers. Firstly, there is Lily the mother who is aware of her ageing and mental deterioration. Some see her wish as cowardice, others more decidedly courageous. Secondly, her daughter Pauline who finds herself not only struggling in adjusting to her mother’s condition but at a stage in her life where she is fighting her own demons. Finally, there is the carer, Donna, who through her interactions with Lily comes face to face with life challenges that have continued to plague her. 

‘She was sure her husband simply saw fatigue and disgruntlement, when what she was experiencing was a mental frailty she’d never known - and couldn’t reconcile within herself.’

All three women combine to produce a deeply emotional read that resonated with me on multiple levels. Indeed, it is confronting in its resonance as I could identify with something from each of their individual stories. The fear of losing one’s mind and memories deteriorating provides a physical and emotional upheaval entering into the frailties that age brings and its impact on those nearest and dearest. 

‘The reality is there’s been a role reversal: in growing old I have, in all practical matters, become the child and they the parents.’

Joanna’s writing on both the overarching theme and the three distinct narratives is done with such compassion and the utmost sensitivity. Relationships, decisions, resolutions will have readers considering what their own actions would be. The prologue and ending adds that mysterious dimension that engages readers on another level regarding the final outcome. 

‘I’m having a good day. I’m focused. Unlike other times when I almost scream at the frustration of not being able to draw forward a name or idea or object from the black depths of my memory, to bring it somewhere in the light where I can take hold of it and speak it and swish it around in my mind like I would a pleasing taste in my mouth. That luxury, of not ever having to give a second thought to the instant and easy accessibility of language, has gone.’

I highly recommend Lily Harford's Last Request in both its exploration and celebration of a life, love and ageing. Wherever you are on your own life journey - grandmother/father, mother/father, daughter/son - this book is sure to touch your heart with its careful look at how choices are never simple and very rarely easy.  

‘I’ve possessed a sharp mind all my life. It’s been the cornerstone of my success and my whole self-image. Without it, what am I?’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Anatomy

Title: Anatomy

Author: Dana Schwartz

Publisher: 25th January 2022 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 335 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: young adult, mystery, gothic, historical fiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

A gothic tale full of mystery and romance about a willful female surgeon, a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living, and the buried secrets they must uncover together.

Edinburgh, 1817. 

Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry. 

Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die. 

When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, the university will allow her to enroll. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need bodies to study, corpses to dissect. 

Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living, then. 

But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets. Hazel and Jack work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.

My Thoughts

‘It wasn't anything novel or helpful to anyone. She hadn’t contributed to the world. She had made a frog dance for her own amusement. She had been the dancing frog all along.’

Anatomy takes place in Edinburg in 1817 and centers around a young woman named Hazel who wants more from life than most other girls her age. Hazel wants to be a surgeon. She meets a Resurrectionist - Jack Currer - who makes a living by digging up dead bodies to sell them to universities. What can I say about this book:

• Time to state the obvious, the cover art is extraordinary! Captivating!

• To be fair, I would class this read predominantly as young adult, historical fiction, there is mystery with a touch of gothic, faintly fantasy with a little romance (still …  I will put it out there now - I love Hazel and Jack).

• The final twist … OMG … I did not see it coming.

‘It’s the lesson young girls everywhere were taught their entire lives - don’t be seduced by the men you meet, protect your virtue - until, of course, their entire

lives depended on seduction by the right man. It was an impossible situation, a trick of society as a whole: force women to live at the mercy of whichever man wants them but shame them for anything they might do to get a man to want them.’

This book is easy to read with an ending that, whilst slightly too quick, took me for  quite a ride. Hazel is an incredible lead at a time when girls could not have dreams of their own outside of society’s expectations. Her life was to be all about medicine and assisting those in need. Jack makes a great partner in crime (literally!) and the chemistry between them is there. 

‘Somebody should tell you that you're beautiful every time the sun comes up. Someone should tell you you're beautiful on Wednesdays. And at tea time. Someone should tell you you're beautiful on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve and the evening before Christmas Eve, and on Easter. He should tell you on Guy Fawkes Night and on New Year's, and on the eighth of August, just because.’

The ending … the jury is out for many people. It will certainly leave you shocked and unsure. Maybe somewhat too quickly wrapped up given your investment throughout the book as a whole. Could there be more to come? I don’t think so. Still, I appreciated it. What there is no doubt about is the research Dana has gone into with regards to Edinburgh at the time, the differences in classes and the spectacular insight into the advances of medicine of the age. 

I really enjoyed this book with the last fifty pages having my eyes glued until completion. More historical fiction than fantasy/gothic, more mystery than romance it still gives off the Frankenstein-Mary Shelley vibes. Well written, cover art TDF and I would be pumped if there turned out to be a sequel. 

‘… you realize how thin the line is between everything being all right and everything being ruined forever and you just become suddenly aware that you know nothing.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Very Last List of Vivian Walker

Title: The Very Last List of Vivian Walker

Author: Megan Albany

Publisher: 9th February 2022 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 298 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Vivian Walker is dying. This is not on her list of things to do. A darkly funny debut that proves even the most imperfect of lives is worth celebrating.

Now that I've got cancer, I know I should be letting go and just being in the moment with my child but, seriously, what mother has got time to spend with their kids?

Vivian Walker's life is exceptionally ordinary. Average husband, check. Darling son, check. Refrigerator in a state of permanent disarray, check. Everything is thoroughly and frustratingly routine, even being terminally ill.

After receiving her diagnosis, Viv's family won't let her lift a finger . . . for at least a week. But once the novelty wears off, she's lucky to get a cup of tea for her trouble. In preparation for D-day, self-professed control freak Viv has made a list of essential things to do, such as decluttering the playroom and preparing her taxes. She doesn't expect to become spiritually enlightened or have any outlandish last-minute successes. All she wants is to finish her unfinished business.

As her final days unfold, Viv realises her life has become a love letter to the mundane but she still manages to keep her wicked sense of humour and cynical take on life unapologetically intact. The Very Last List of Vivian Walker will make you ugly cry, snort tea out your nose with laughter and want to embrace humanity in all its selfishness, beauty and awkwardness.

My Thoughts

‘We’re also trying to pretend I have lived some sort of incredible life, like I was supposed to, so we can make sense of why I was on the planet in the first place.’

I am a self confessed list maker so I was always going to be drawn to this book. I mean, what would your final list on this earth include? This book is both reflective and left of centre in its approach to this difficult topic. 

Author Megan takes you on a journey with Vivian and her lists as her life is coming to an end because of cancer. I am sure you can appreciate that there is most definitely a certain amount of sadness associated with this story. However Vivian, for a variety of reasons, will make you laugh at times, make you cry or cringe at others. Yet through it all the reader will discover some very profound contemplations about life and living. 

This book certainly packs a punch and puts all the good, bad and ugly on display for all to read. Dying is not celebrated and Megan includes it all in a very honest and raw approach lined with dark satire and humour. Vivian is one hundred percent a no nonsense character and calls a spade a spade (and a lot of other things to boot!) So depending on where you stand, the reader will either understand, cringe or find it refreshing. At times, despite her sad situation, Vivian is most unlikeable and treats those around her abysmally (Clint, aka husband, is front and centre). Yet, given her upbringing and diagnosis, does it make it understandable?

What I take away from this book is some reflections that I found to be both profound and confronting. This is a book about self, family and those nearest and dearest. This is also a book that is a gift (dare I say ‘list’) from someone who, facing death, aims to reconcile the here and the hereafter. 

‘With time not on my side, I’ve still had the odd moment when I’ve considered stuffing everything into a backpack …. to see where life might take me for my final chapter … instead I am enjoying a chai and a chocolate brownie on a sunny day … I feel how much I am really, really enjoying it. It’s the small things they say, and today, for once, they are right.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Love and Other Puzzles

Title: Love and Other Puzzles

Author: Kimberley Allsopp

Publisher: 2nd February 2022 by HarperCollins Publishers Australia

Pages: 288 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Following the clues doesn't always lead you where you might expect ...

A witty, warm-hearted and appealing novel about how stepping out of our comfort zones can sometimes be the best – and worst – thing that can ever happen to us. 

Rory's life is perfectly predictable, ordered and on track – just the way she likes it. She walks her 12,000 steps a day, writes her to-do list, and each night she prepares her breakfast chia pods and lays out her clothes for the next day. She's doing everything right. So why does everything feel so wrong?

Deep down, she knows her life and career – not to mention her relationship – are going nowhere, and so Rory, in a moment of desperation, takes an uncharacteristic step: letting the clues of The New York Times crossword puzzle dictate all her decisions for a week. Just for a week, she reasons. Just to shake things up a bit. What could possibly go wrong?

A delightfully witty, deliciously original and astringently refreshing romcom that reads like you're inhaling a zingy citrus cocktail made by Nora Ephron, at a party thrown by Dolly Alderton and Beth O'Leary.

My Thoughts

I loved this book. It truly spoke to me. Go read it. The end.

No, seriously, this is an amazing read and I have completely used up all my tabs and highlighters for the words of wisdom and clever quips that had me totally enthralled. 

I have a reasonable level of self-awareness. I know that I like to plan, that checking items off lists fills me with joy and a sense of achievement. I know that not everyone likes mapping out their hours, days, weeks, lives. Kitt was being kind using the word regimented instead of rigid. But having everything in order and diarised wasn’t working for me anymore.

This is full of Australianisms that made me either smirk or laugh out loud. Yes, this is a romcom that has all the necessary ingredients - a cast of cringeworthy characters, embarrassing moments and a journey that is well worth it. It’s clever, it's quick witted and it is highly entertaining. Finding yourself stuck in life, turning to the crossword to look for direction is sure to make for many an amusing moment. 

Why not let the creators of the black-and-white grid guide me for a week? Let its themes be my themes. A week wasn’t long enough to do any lasting damage and if it wasn’t working, I would just find something else or resign myself to a lifetime of chickpea salads on a Monday. A life that I didn’t mind. I just didn’t love. The crossword was my constant ... Where was the harm in instilling a modicum of power in the grid, in the hope that it might empower me?

Yet, when you pause long enough, you realise how Kimberley has really captured some awesome memories and reflective themes. Firstly I just loved how I was taken back to being a little girl and watching my Mum sitting there doing the daily crossword from the newspaper, or the reference to the Hagar comic, which was my Dad’s favourite and we often shared a giggle over. But then, when I stopped to look at my highlights, it became obvious how Kimberley was right on point about so many things. Here was a woman just searching for consistency after a childhood of inconsistencies due to her mothers absences.

The true constant in my life – that I couldn’t control – was violently missing her when she was gone and then internally sighing with relief and exhaustion the moment she was back. But always love. Every shade of it.

So, when you realise that life is not what you want or wish it to be … how does one change? Looking to your reliable, regular puzzle is not so zany but still too confining as Rory’s friend tries to point out:

‘Rory, I love this crossword experiment. I do. It’s great to see you doing something fun. But I wonder if you’re relying on it, possibly, a little too much at the moment? You’re allowed to have your own agency. I mean you’re the one choosing which meaning you divine from what clues. You can take it easier on yourself.’

Love and Other Puzzles is totally awesome. It’s full of wit and charm, it's refreshing and never dull with a perfect combination of humour and hindsight:

I had to let people be human. I couldn’t live up to this fictionalised version

Stop pushing yourself to have it all worked out now. It’s okay to spend some time getting things wrong before you get them right.

You’ve never been about the journey. It has always been the destination that’s mattered to you, but that’s just not how the universe works.

It sure works Kimberley, this was such an enlightening journey. Thank you. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.