The Flavours of Love by Dorothy Koomson
| The Flavours of Love by Dorothy Koomson | |
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| Category: General Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Jo Heffer
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| Summary: Eighteen months ago, Saffron's husband Joel was murdered. Ever since, she has tried her hardest to keep going and make a new life for her two children and to try to come to terms with what has happened. The only problem is that there is no rule book that tells you how to behave after such a tragedy. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 416 | Date: November 2013 |
| Publisher: Quercus | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1780875002 | |
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Saffron's husband, Joel, was stabbed in the street eighteen months ago and no one has ever been arrested for his murder. It's hard for Saffron and her two children, Pheobe and Zane, to live with what happened but somehow they have to find a way of getting on with their lives; lives that no longer have Joel in them. It's hardly surprising that they struggle on a daily basis and it all culminates when Saffron is called into school to discuss fourteen year old Pheobe. Saffron doesn't know how to deal with the situation especially as her daughter won't talk to her. On top of all that, Joel's killer is still out there somewhere and that makes her scared for all her family's safety.
Dorothy Koomson always tells a gripping tale and this is no exception. It's a book which makes you think and feel on so many different levels. Her stories are always tense and emotional as she makes her reader wonder how they would bear up to tragedies such as Saffron has to. She also makes you wonder how you would behave towards someone in Saffron's circumstances. This is a strong theme in the book as different people expect her to behave in different ways. Her callous boss expects her to get on with things as usual and Joel's death is treated as little more than an inconvenience that has got in the way of her work. Her friend Imogen is always there for her but she seems to gain a certain thrill from all of Saffron's trials and tribulations.
This is an emotional and absorbing read. I always love Dorothy Koomson's characters and I felt that I got to know Saffron really well as the story unfolded. I liked the way that it was written as it seamlessly moved between past and present events in order to slowly reveal life before Joel's murder and what had happened since. Joel had been writing a recipe book before he died and I found it particularly poignant the way Saffron was attempting to carry on with this work for his sake despite all her own problems. There is also a tension within the story: Joel's killer is still out there somewhere roaming free and the reader is in suspense as to whether they will be caught and brought to justice.
I very much enjoyed reading The Flavours of Love and found myself caught up in the story from the very first page. It's a must for all Dorothy Koomson fans.
Why not also take a look at The Rose Petal Beach and The Brighton Mermaid, also by Dorothy Koomson?
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Flavours of Love by Dorothy Koomson at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Flavours of Love by Dorothy Koomson at Amazon.com.
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