Tag: general fiction

Falsley described: The Day We Met by Roxie Cooper (Book Review) #BookReview #GeneralFiction #TheDayWeMet #BookBloggers

The day we met by roxie cooper cover

Title: The Day We Met
Author: Roxie Cooper
Publisher: Ebury Press, Penguin
Date: March 7th, 2019
Pages: 464
Format: Physical ARC
Source: from Publisher for a review

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Review:

Warning: This review contains spoilers

Warning no2: This book talks about cheating!!

There is a reason why I told myself multiple times I have to write my reviews as soon as I finish a book.
I read this book during Valentine’s Day (and was nervous because I expected an epic romance and got a cat in the bag!), so I have to warn you that this review will be all over the place, because it has been a month since I finished it.
I will try to keep it short, and the only excuse I have is that I wasn’t ready to articulate my thoughts, after so much disappointment this book brought into my reading life.

The Day We Met was presented as a love story between two people who were meant to be together, but they have to find the way to be with each other.

Let me tell you stories about destined lovers who have to find their way and courage to be with each other are my absolutely favorite.
I love stories in which it takes time for love to find happiness, so because of that The Day We Met was my most anticipated novel of 2019.
I expected to be similar to One Day in December, but instead of that we got a story about two cheaters we should root for.

I don’t mind cheating in my stories, I think it is one big part of the world we live in, but this time it was too much even for me.
I couldn’t morally agree with our main characters, and the fact they were too weak to grow a spine, so they made fools of their partners for 10 years with cheating and daydreaming about each other.
And the worst thing? It could have all been avoided, because when they met Stephanie wasn’t even married!

Talking about main characters, I really, REALLY didn’t like Stephanie. She is that type of girl who is actually a snake in lamb’s clothes. She is selfish cheater who thinks of herself as a victim who needs protection.
Jamie was a whole nother story!

The only good thing about this book was the writing style. It was almost perfect, read so fast and it is the reason why I would want to read another book by Roxie Cooper.

The end was, in lack of better description, Nicholas Sparks going bad.
You know how his stories usually take dramatic turn… Well, this one took that turn and run over bridge.
It made me question if I’m a bad person, because I didn’t care for that “heartbreaking” thing that happened. I wasn’t sorry. There, I said it!

And speaking of the end, the very end was unrealistic and just plain stupid. There is just no way Stephanie’s husband would allow it!

Overall, since so many people find this book to be amazing, if you thought about reading just give it a try, but I can’t say I recommend it.

book review rating 2,75 hearts

Book Review: The Island Affair by Helena Halme (Blog Tour) #BookReview #BlogTour #TheIslandAffair #GeneralFiction

The Island Affair by Helena Halme book cover

I am so honoured to participate in The Island Affair blog tour.
I want to say thank you to Anne Carter from Random Things Tour for inviting me.
I enjoyed reading this novel as it reminded me of something that felt like home, even if I’ve never experienced anything similar to characters from this novel.

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About the book:

Can one summer mend a broken heart?

After the tragic loss of their 17-year-old son, journalist Alicia and surgeon Liam struggle to keep their marriage afloat. During their usual holiday to Åland, the Nordic islands where Alicia grew up, the rift between the couple deepens.

Enter tall, blonde Patrick, with the most piercing blue eyes Alicia has ever seen. When Patrick confides in Alicia about the near loss of his daughter and the breakdown of his marriage, Alicia is surprised to feel an affinity with the Swedish reporter. He’s the only person who understands Alicia.

But secrets held by people close to Alicia give her life another surprising turn and she finds there is a reason to live – and love – again.

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My Review:

The Island Affair is a story about loss and grief, about love and betrayal. It is a story about life.

When I first heard about The Island Affair (thanks to Anne Carter) I had a strong feeling this book would be perfect for me.
It’s been a while since I read good quality general fiction, and I craved for some!
This book came to my life just when I needed it.

I loved many things about this story, but what I liked the most was the setting. I think the author captured Nordic islands perfectly.
Even if I’ve never been there myself, the whole time I was reading The Island Affair I had a feeling I was somewhere else.

This novel felt like home to me, but not because I experienced something similar in my real life, but because it reminded me of a tv show I like to watch: The Affair.
Guys, I think that the same muse who visited creators of that show visited Helena Halme as well!
The similarities are undeniable, even though they are two different stories.
Maybe some readers will not be thrilled with that, but to me it was a plus.

The story is written in third person, following mostly Alicia’s perspective, but we do get rare chapters with other characters’ viewpoints.

The Island Affair has an interesting, unhurried plot, but it is mainly character driven story.
It explores people’s reactions in certain situations, their way to deal with emotions and the progress of healing and letting go.

As I already stated, it’s been a while since I read good story that explores emotions and inside worlds of people, and this novel reminded me why I love this type of stories.

The Island Affair is the first book in the series, and I would like to continue with it if the next book also follow the same characters.

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A book everyone talks about: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (Book Review) #AnAmericanMarriage #GeneralFiction #BookReview

Title: An American Marriage
Author: Tayari Jones
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Date: March 7th, 2019
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: from Publisher for a review

Review:

If you keep up with books and new releases, you have probably heard about An American Marriage. How could you not?
It was released in America for the first time last year, and ever since it saw light of the day, everyone keeps talking about it. And I mean everyone! Not only book reviewers and youtubers, but also famous people like Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey. In a matter of fact, this novel was also pick for Oprah’s book club one moth, it was Book of the Month one time, and it also won many bookish awards.

When I saw it on Netgalley I couldn’t believe it! Since An American Marriage was already on my tbr list, I tried my luck and requested it, and was pleasantly surprised when I saw that I was approved for this master piece.

The story follows Roy and Celestial who are married for more then one year. Everything falls apart for them when Roy is accused for the rape crime he didn’t do. Innocent, he was sent to prison.
While he was serving for the crime he didn’t do, their marriage is shaken, Celestial finds it hard to act like Roy expects her to, and they fall apart more each day.

The novel is written in unique kind of way. At first we get to follow Roy’s and Celestial’s POVs, all written in first person. 
Then we read letters they send to each other while Roy was in prison, and after that we follow the story from Roy’s, Celestia’s and Andre’s POVs, again written in first person.

The writing style is really good. It sounds authentic and realistic, and it is easy to follow.

The story itself is very realistic and raw, driven by characters who all have their flaws, and who’s point of views are so much different and the reader has to go into the story with an open mind.

I will be first to admit that I had some hard time to back Celestial. Even though I did understand where she was coming from, and how independent she was, I think she could have acted with more respect for her husband while he was rotting in prison.
I don’t talk about unfaithfulness here, but about the fact she almost never visited Roy.

I hoped for the happier ending, even though I do understand it wasn’t possible.
I feel like the victim of the story ended up the worst, while “bad guys” got their happy ending.

Overall, I am so glad I had an opportunity to read this book, and I would highly recommend it to everyone who likes to read beautiful, but also raw and realistic prose.

A story without silver lining: If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman #BookReview #IfOnlyICouldTellYou #GeneralFiction

Title: If Only I Could Tell You
Author: Hannah Beckerman
Publisher: Orion
Date: February 21st, 2019
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: from Publisher for a review

Review:

Trigger warning: this book talks about serious illness, miscarriage, suicide…

If Only I Could Tell You is a book everyone talked about still in 2018, even though it officially came out few days ago.
Many bloggers said it will be on most people favourite lists for 2019, how emotional and touching it was, and now when the book is released, it’s Goodreads page is full of positive, 5 and 4 stars reviews.

I am aware that I am in minority here, but I have to say I didn’t like this story as much as others. I mean, I do appreciate it, and I do think it was a touching story that talks about so many serious subjects that happen every day and need to be talked about, but I needed some hope from it.

I read books to feel better. I am aware that life is not beautiful, and I also like to read serious book, and hard books, but I like when books have at least one positive thing in the story, a little silver lining hidden between pages.
This book had none.
It was like a punch in the face filled with all the negative things life can bring, with one tragedy after another. And just when the story punched me so hard I was mentally lying on the floor, and I needed that last hope towards the end, it kicked me once again and walked away…

Okay, I know I’m exaggerating, but I hope you got what I mean…

The story follows two sisters, Jess and Lily who have no connection to each other because Jess blames Lily for something that happened in their past, and can’t ever forgive her.
The third character is their mother Audrey who wants to make things right, heal their family before she says her final goodbye.

That is all you have to know before going into the story, because there is so many tragic things that happen in this story, I don’t think any premise can prepare readers for what’s inside.
So many events from the book can be triggering, so be aware of that. Miscarriage, suicide, illness just to name the few…

There was one scene that described miscarriage in such a detailed way that it made me weak. I had to stop reading, skip some pages and then after some time I was ready to continue with the story.

The story is written in third person, following all three main characters’ perspectives.

I think Hannah Beckerman is good author, and I understand why people like her work, but in all honesty, I don’t think she’s the author I’ll come back to. At least not in this point of my life.

However, I have a need to stress out once again that this book is loved by so many readers.

If I should recommend it, I would to readers who like to read tragic and realistic stories.

Book Review: One Day in December by Josie Silver #OneDayInDecember #BookReview #Christmas

Title: One Day in December
Author: Josie Silver
Publisher: Penguin
Date: October 18th, 2018
Pages: 417
Format: eARC
Source: from Publisher for a review

Synopsis (from Goodreads): A love story about what happens after you meet, or rather, don’t meet the one.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic…and then her bus drives away.

Certain they’re fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn’t find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they “reunite” at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It’s Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.

Review:

Warning: This book talks about love at first sight.

Pure and simple: I loved this book.

…and to be honest with you, it took me by surprise how much I loved it. It was a perfect book to read, with beautiful writing and fascinating story with feels that gave me shivers.

The story follows Laurie who, one day in December, sees a boy and falls in love. They didn’t talk, she knows nothing about him, but the chemistry and the connection they had by just looking at each other is too strong to forget.
She spends a year dreaming about that boy, trying to find him and believing they were made for each other.
One day, a year later, she happens to meet him, but as her best friend’s boyfriend.
Laurie keeps her secret with her because she doesn’t want to ruin her friendship with Sarah. However, erasing Jack from her heart is not an easy task.

Going into this book I thought it’ll be a quick, easy read. Boy, was I wrong!
I mean, reading this book was pure pleasure, but it was not a light read.
It talks about love, life and human relationships, and if you ask me, it stands somewhere on the edge between women’s fiction and general fiction.

We follow our characters during a decade and we see what they went through during that period of time.

This is pitched as a love story, and it is a love story, but it doesn’t talk only about romantic love.
It talks about different shapes of love: platonic love, love between lovers, friends, parents and children.

It also talks about grief, falling apart, life taking you different directions, marriage and human interactions.

The writing style is beautiful. Some scenes were so emotional and it takes talent to engage readers in a way Silver did.

The story is written in first person, following two POVs: Laurie’s and Jack’s.

The Christmas setting is captured excellently and the novel really gives you that festive vibe, even if the story itself doesn’t take time only during Christmas.

The only thing I wish for is an epilogue. I loved how the story ended, but I think with two, three pages more that talk about some time later it would be even better.

I loved this book so much more then I thought I would. It is now one of my favorite Christmas stories, if not even my favorite, and I would recommend it to everyone who believes (or want to believe) in love at first sight, likes to read about friendships and life twists and turns.

It’s a brilliant piece of fiction.

Book Review: How We Remember by J.M. Monaco (Blog Tour) #BookReview #BlogTour #HowWeRemember @RedDoorBooks

I am so honoured to be today’s host in the How We Remember blog tour.
I want to thank Anna at RedDoor publishing for giving me this chance.
I really liked this book and it had a huge impact on me.

About the book:

When Jo returns home following her mother’s death, she is shocked to learn of an unexpected inheritance and her mother’s diary. Jo thought she could put to rest her darker past until an entry implies the messy aftermath of an uncle’s sexual advances towards her when she was fifteen. Like the diary, Jo’s memory of events is full of gaps, but one thing is certain – she will never regain what was lost. What is the full story of what happened between Jo and her uncle?

How We Remember traces the effects of alcoholism, mental illness and abuse on one Irish-Italian-American, working-class family. As Jo’s first-person narrative weaves together past and present stories, she creates a portrait of her family’s life and her own as she faces new decisions amidst the tragic consequences of mismanaged grief.

Full of moments of light and dark, Monaco’s debut novel –set during a week that anyone would dread –provides a mesmeric narrative portraying the pain of grief, the tenuous nature of memory and the earth-shattering effect that the death of the ‘glue’ of a family can cause. How We Remember is an unforgettable novel that tackles issues every reader will be able to relate to on some level.It’ll capture hearts and capture imaginations.

My Review:

Trigger warning: This book talks about sexual abuse and some scenes can be disturbing to some readers.

How We Remember is one of those books that you choose to read not to forget about the world around you, but to remind yourself how harsh it can be.

It is a story you don’t read for a pleasure, but for the appreciation. It makes you appreciate the life you have, the written word and the courage it takes for an author to tell this kind of story.

I know How We Remember is a fiction, and may I say, the author did a beautiful work by telling this story to the world, but stories similar to Jo’s do exist in the real world.

The story follows Jo who returns to home after her mother’s death. She finds her mother’s old diary and starts to remember her life before she moved to London.
All kind of disturbing scenes and painful memories come back to her, and she tries to cope with them along with the loss of her mother, and her brother’s demands.

We follow two different time frames. One in the present and one in the past. The one from the past lead to the one in the present, and they do give reasons why some characters act in a way they do.

I loved reading this book even though it was hard to read at times. Some scenes were so difficult to read, that I had to take small breaks between reading.
Nevertheless, I am so glad I had a chance to read this book, as I find it significant and beautiful at the same time.

It has been some time since I read a serious general fiction, and this book reminded me how good they can be.

However, I do have to stress out that it took me a while to get into the book, since I found myself lost sometimes between the time frames in the book.

What I think I will remember the most from this book is how people can be manipulative and make you feel small with their ignorance and just how awful mind games can be.

Overall, I really liked this book and would recommend it to general fiction fans. I think it is a perfect choice for the cold and rainy days that are about to come in this time of the year.

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Book Review: Friend of the Family by Tasmina Perry

Title: Friend of the Family
Author: Tasmina Perry
Publisher: Headline Review
Date: September 20th, 2018
Pages: 384
Format: Physical ARC
Source: from Publisher for a review

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads): 

You trust your friend, so you’d trust her daughter. Wouldn’t you…?

When an old university friend gets in touch with a request for work experience for her daughter, magazine editor Amy agrees. Twenty-year-old Josie walks into Amy’s office, moves into the basement of her Notting Hill house and is soon helping out with her children after Amy’s nanny is hit by a car. It seems the natural thing therefore for Amy to invite Josie on the family’s annual to Provence. When a series of things start to go wrong in their luxurious villa, Amy begins to suspect that Josie isn’t quite the friendly presence she appears. But when no one, not even her husband believes her, she realises she will have to play Josie at her own game in order to expose her true intentions…

Review:

This year has been great when it comes to discovering to me new authors. Tasmina Perry is one of them.

I appreciate so much the chance I got to read and review Friend of the Family, because I really enjoyed this story, and I loved the writing style, and now I want to read more work by Tasmina Perry.

The story follows Amy who works in journalism, in a magazine called Verve.
One day she is contacted by her high school best friend, who asks her to take her daughter in for a week while she’s doing her internship.
One week turns into two, then two turns into even more, and Ivy feels like Josie (that’s the daughter) is trying to steal Amy’s life for herself.
There is no doubt someone is sabotaging Amy’s career and personal life, and Amy is determined to get some answers before it’s too late.

I’ll be honest with you: I didn’t make much effort when it comes to reading synopsis. No matter how cliche it sounds, I do like to go blind in books most of the time.
I’ll even choose to read someone else’s review before I’ll read synopsis, that’s how weird (especially for a book bloggers) I am.
Yet, somehow I end up reading good books most of the time (I pick up my reads by listening to my instinct, paying attention to authors and publishers, looking at the book covers (I think that is the most important aspect tbh) and observing my twitter and goodreads feeds).

When I started Friend of the Family, I though I was reading a thriller. However, after some time, it was clear to me this was not a thriller, but very interesting and fascinating work of general fiction.
It could also be tagged as women’s fiction, in my opinion.

As soon as I began reading I fell in love. The story talked about everything I wanted to read about in that moment: magazines, modern women, rivalry, fashion and different relationships between people.

I think I can safely say that I enjoyed reading every single page of it, and if it was 200 pages longer, I probably still couldn’t get enough.

People’s relationships and their reactions are what I love reading about the most, and this book is full of those complex themes.
I really, really loved observing everything, every character’s part in the story and their attitude to each other.

We have that aspect on one hand, and on the other hand there’s a plot driven story that will make you want to read, read, and read some more. 
I am a slow reader who reads mostly in the morning, and this book made me want to get up early so I could read more, squeeze at least few pages more from what I’d usually read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am so glad and thankful that I have read it.
I would recommend it to readers who like stories about successful people, relationships and rivalry, with little splash of mystery and thrills.

Book Review: The Anniversary by Hilary Boyd (Blog Tour) #BookReview #BlogTour #TheAnniversary

I am so honoured to take part in this blog tour.

I really liked this book and I’d like to thank Jenny Platt from Penguin Random House UK, for giving me this opportunity.

About the book:

A deeply emotional new novel from the bestselling author of Thursdays in the Park

Is the one you tried to forget the one you can’t live without? 

Stella once thought that if she never saw Jack again, it would be too soon.

But life has other plans for her and her stubborn, handsome ex-husband.

Looking after their daughter in a time of need, Stella finds herself unwillingly reunited with the man she shared the best years of her life with – followed by the worst.

Where tragedy once tore them apart, now Stella and Jack are being drawn back together. But each of them has a new partner and a new life.

Should they fight temptation?

Should the past remain the past?

Or are some loves simply meant to be?

My Review:

Trigger warning: This book talks about child loss.

Going into The Anniversary I had no idea what to expect.
The premise was interesting as it explores the topic I am not familiar with, but at the same time I had no idea how I would react to everything that was about to happen’ in the story.

You see, reading is a subjective action, and the way one reacts to the story can be totally different from the way the other one would.

The Anniversary was a really good read that talks about so many difficult situations in life, and I appreciate it because of that.
Lately I like stories that talk about life, people and different situations that people find themselves in, and all the different ways people react in certain situations.
The Anniversary is that kind of the story.

It follows two main characters, Stella and Jack, who were married once, but they couldn’t get over the tragedy that happened to them so they separated. Twenty years later, they find themselves under the same roof, helping their daughter with her son while she’s expecting another child.
Spending time together plays with their emotions and they ask themselves what it would be like if they once again find the way to each other’s hearts.

First of all, I want to underline how great of a choice this book would be for book clubs. There are so many situations in this book that could be discussed and viewed from the different angles.
I love those type of stories, where there are no white and black situations, but many, many different shades of gray, because life is like that in reality.

I really liked the book, but if I’m being honest, I think I would appreciate it so much more if I’m older or maybe emotionally more mature, because at this point in my life, I just can’t understand or emotionally process some things that were described in this story.

From my subjective POV, I could read about our characters, try to understand them the best I can, but I just don’t know what it feels like to have the love of your life and let him go, because you are too hurt to handle yourself.
But then again, this is why we have books: they show us situations we haven’t experienced in our lives (yet).

The story is set in todays’ time, with some chapters set in 1985s, when Stella and Jack were young and in love.
Some scenes were emotionally hard to read, because they talk how Stella and Jack lost their little son, and how that tragedy changed them.

I really loved Jack when he was young. He was such a carrying person, always there for Stella.
Twenty years after, he was my least favorite character. I didn’t like how he treated his wife Lisa. I think he was selfish and I feel like his development as a person was realistically portrayed.

Even though I liked and appreciate this novel, I have to say that there were some things that I wasn’t a fan of:

First thing, I didn’t like how Stella’s beauty was so many times highlighted. I mean, I get that she was beautiful (especially when she was young), but I didn’t like how sometimes it was mentioned to put Lisa (Jack’s now-wife) down.
There is one particular scene that made me angry. Jack finds himself on a drink with his old friend. That friend congrats him on his wedding and immediately tells Jack how his ex wife Stella was so beautiful and that he shouldn’t have let her go.
If you ask me, it was disrespectful to Lisa and to Jack, and the fact that Jack didn’t even react to that bothered me (and let’s be honest here, Lisa is something like 20 years younger then Stella, and as far as I know, no beauty can win against time).

Second: I didn’t like how the author handled the whole Jack and Lisa situation in the end. I feel like she chose the easy way out for Jack.

As you can probably conclude from my review, my favorite character was Lisa, and this novel pictures perfect how sometimes innocent people get hurt when two people find the way to each other.

I would recommend this book to everyone who likes to read about people, about difficult situations in life, and who like to discuss about books with friends.

This is the perfect choice for book clubs and I think mature audience would appreciate it the most.

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Book Review + Giveaway (INTL): Malaren: A Swedish Affair by N.E. David

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Title: Malaren: A Swedish Affair
Author: N. E. David
Publisher: John Hunt Books
Date: November 25th, 2016
Pages: 296
Format: physical ARC
Source: from Publisher for a review

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Alan Harrison is a perfectly ordinary, middle-class, middle-aged and happily married man. But when his wife, Susan, suddenly dies, his life starts to disintegrate. Rather than stay at home where the memory of his wife still haunts him, he decides to spend the summer in Sweden at the invitation of his in-laws. On the shores of Lake Malaren, he discovers fresh reasons for living and a contentment he had not previously thought possible. But unexpected guests arrive to disturb his new-found peace and he is forced to take unprecedented steps to recover it. Set against a backdrop of stunning Swedish scenery, MALAREN shows us the redemptive power of physical labour and male bonding as an unlikely hero struggles to overcome his challenges.

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Review:

I don’t read literary fiction too often, but when I do, I usually always finish a book with a thought how I have just finished the most beautiful book ever.

Really, if you look at all the books I read this year, you’ll notice only few books from that genre, but when it comes to quality, they are all at the very top of my list.

I love literary fiction mainly because of the beautiful writing it is mostly famous for.
My second reason why I love it is because it explores characters on a deeper level.
Finally, my third reason is because it helps reader to improve his vocabulary.

Malaren: A Swedish Affair is a novel pitched as piece of literary fiction that explores man’s inner thoughts and one’s life under stress in exceptional situations.

Honestly, when going into this story, I had no expectations whatsoever, as I haven’t read any of N. E. David’s work before, nor do I know anyone who read this book before me.

The only thing I can say I expected were beautiful sentences that would make me think about human’s life.

I can’t phraise Malaren for beautiful writing style, although I can say it had quality, especially when it comes to describing one’s feelings and actions in real life situations.

However, I have to say that, to me, Malaren sounded more like a slow general fiction then literary fiction.
When I was reading, I actually wondered if there is a genre that’s a hybrid between general and literary fiction. Because if there is, Malaren would definitely belong to that category.

The story takes place in a course of 6 months.
It talks about one man’s life after his wife dies.
In order to move on with his life, he goes to Sweden, in his in-laws house.

In those 6 months, I felt like almost nothing happened, and, even if literary fiction is familiar for slow pacing, this one lacked something to make it more interesting.

I didn’t see any change in main character at the end of the story, excpet the one that was inevitable.

Good thing about this piece of work is that it kept me up at night as I was (not even sure why) curious if something was going to happen (already).

The novel is composed of four parts, and the fourth one is the one where the story finally becomes somewhat interesting.

It has less then 300 pages, but it does not read fast.

It is written in first person.

Malaren: A Swedish Affair maybe isn’t the most interesting book out there, but I think it’s solid read and it would be a good choice for someone who wants to try to read literary fiction, as this one reads like a mix of two genres (general and literary fiction).

2,75

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Giveaway (INTL)

Lovely people from John Hunt Books publicity were kind enough and offered a physical copy of Malaren: A Swedish Affair to one lucky winner.

This giveaway is internatonal.

Enter here:

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Book Review: A Year and a Day by Isabelle Broom

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Title: A Year and a Day
Author: Isabelle Broom
Publisher: Penguin, Michael Joseph
Date: November 17th, 2016
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Source: from Publisher for a review

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads): From the author of My Map of You

Welcome to a city where wishes are everywhere

For Megan, a winter escape to Prague with her friend Ollie is a chance to find some inspiration for her upcoming photography exhibition. But she’s determined to keep their friendship from becoming anything more. Because if Megan lets Ollie find out about her past, she risks losing everything – and she won’t let that happen again . . .

For Hope, the trip is a surprise treat from Charlie, her new partner. But she’s struggling to enjoy the beauty of the city when she knows how angry her daughter is back home. And that it’s all her fault . . .

For Sophie, the city has always been a magical place. This time she can’t stop counting down the moments until her boyfriend Robin joins her. But in historic Prague you can never escape the past . . .

Three different women.

Three intertwining love stories.

One unforgettable, timeless city.

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Review:

This year I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to read Isabelle Broom’s debut novel My Map Of You. I complitely fell in love with the story and Broom’s writing style (the book is in my top 5 books I read in 2016), so when I found out her second novel was also coming out this year, I was thrilled.
A Year and a Day immediately became one of my most anticipated releases of 2016.

This novel follows three different stories that intertwine, every story centered around another woman.
The stories take place in Prague, during period of 5 days, around Christmas time.

Megan came to Prague with her friend Ollie who has feelings for her. She doesn’t want to gamble their friendship into becoming something more. Although it could be risky, Prague sounds too good to pass. After all, she might find an inspiration for her upcoming photography exhibition in that magical city.

Hope goes to Prague with her new boyfriend, who gave her a trip to that place as a Christmas gift. She recently left her husband and now is on bad terms with her daughter because of that. She would do anything to make piece with her, but she also has an urge to live the life she never had for the first time ever, to find her indenpendency and to be a part of passionate relatonship.

Sophie came to Prague to be with her boyfriend, who’ll came few days after her arrival.
Prague has a special place in their hearts, as it’s the city where they met each other for the first time.

From those three stories, Sophie’s was one that was the most interesting to me.
Other two weren’t exciting and if I’m being honest, I found them boring at times.

The writing style is simply amazing. Broom captured the beauty of Prague perfectly and I guarantee you, after reading this book, you will probably want to visit that place.

I was in Prague myself years ago, but after reading this book, I’d like to visit it again and see the beauty and culture once again with new eyes. Now when I’m older, I would appreciate everything that Prague offers so much more then I did then.

The writing consists of so many beautiful descriptions, but less character conversations.
I liked it that way, but if you’re looking for a fast paced book, this isn’t the one.
This book is the one you should take your time with.

The story is written in third person.

I wish the book had no overture (or prologue). The first sentence is absolutely astonishing, but in my opinion that part of the book spoils the big surprise that was revealed closer to an end.
I suspected what was going on from the very beginning of the story, and my guess was right.

Every single character of the story is realistic.
You could meet people like them in your every day life anytime.
I can’t say I liked one character more then the other, but I can say who I’d probably get along with and who I wouldn’t, if I ever cross my paths with any of them.
(I’d get along with Sophie, and wouldn’t get along with Megan or Charlie.)

The ending was really good.
I was satisfied with it’s realness.

If you ever decide to go and visit Prague, I would recommend you to read this book prior that trip.
It brings the bauty of the city close to reader and it could be really helpful when you have to decide what places in Prague you’d like to see.

I would recommend this book to readers of general fiction who like for their books to explore human relationships as well as inner thoughts.

Even though it wasn’t as brilliant as My Map of You, A Year and a Day is a nice festive novel that, I trully believe, will be recognized by many readers for it’s delightful writing.

Broom’s third book should be released in April 2017 and I already can’t wait to read it.

3,75