Newest Women's Fiction Reviews
Women's Fiction
Thoroughly Modern People: The Long Way Home by Chima Njoku-Latty
The front cover graphics are good: interesting and refreshingly modern and when I opened the book I liked the easy-on-the-eye print format. And I think that's where my positive comments end. The back cover blurb says that this book is A beautifully moving story. I found it neither beautiful nor moving, I'm afraid. Full review...
About Last Night by Adele Parks
I've noticed a trend in recent women's commercial fiction titles of rather dark subject matters. It seems that the light-hearted romps involving shopping and shoes are out and the subjects have grown up and become much more serious. This latest from Adele Parks certainly deals with some weighty issues. Steph and Pip have been best friends since they were at school together. They've supported each other through everything, and although they both find themselves living very different lifestyles they are still best friends. Or at least, that's what they think until Steph desperately needs Pip's help after one eventful night and Pip suddenly isn't sure if she can help her best friend. Full review...
The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly
I read the back cover blurb with delight and couldn't help but applaud Donnelly for her ingenuity. I loved the book Little Women when I read it many years ago and television adaptations keep it fresh for new generations. So, before I'd even turned to chapter one, I was loving this book. But will it live up to my lofty expectations? Full review...
Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
Sylvie Serfer married Richard Woodruff and from that day on made herself the perfect politician's wife. The senator came first in everything, even before their children. That's not to say that the girls were neglected – it's just that they never came first. The senator's image, his convenience, his schedule and his clothing were of paramount importance to Sylvie. There's a problem though – the senator has been having an affair and as with all such matrimonial earthquakes in political circles it broke on the national news rather than in the privacy of the matrimonial home. What's Sylvie to do? Full review...
Love and Freedom by Sue Moorcroft
Honor Sontag left her home in the States and came to the UK. Her career had hit a sticky patch but she was determined to take a four-month break in Brighton to think things over and get herself back together again. She needed a job that would help to supplement the money she had - and she definitely didn't want anything 'heavy'. The other thing that she didn't want was any sort of romantic entanglement. She's not even that tempted by the brother of her landlady, who's good looking, but his sister can't stop commenting about how irregularly he works although someone else mentions that he's on the buses. Not much of a starter there then. Full review...
L'Auberge by Julia Stagg
L'Auberge des Deux Vallees was sadly neglected but it had been bought, not as everyone expected, by a relative of the mayor, but by an English couple who, by all accounts, had little French and not a lot of experience in running a restaurant. Obviously, such a travesty cannot be allowed to continue, and within hours of hearing the news, mayor Serge Papon has called an emergency council meeting to ensure that the newcomers are forced out as quickly as possible. Unfortunately he hadn't reckoned on Christian Dupuy, whose politics are guided by his conscience rather than his wallet. When it comes down to it are quite a few other people in Fogas who don't see what's happening in quite the same way as the mayor. Full review...
The Untied Kingdom by Kate Johnson
Eve Carpenter is having a very bad day, and it is about to get worse. She comes round from a paragliding accident but everything is rather strange. Although she’s still in London, this is a city and a world she hardly recognises. There is just enough that is familiar to be totally confusing. In this world, England is a backward country with a population kept too busy fighting in a civil war to do much else. She is taken captive by a small group of soldiers who take her marching across the country with them. The leader, Major Harker, is obnoxious and scruffy, and is convinced Eve is a spy, or perhaps she is just mad. While they apparently speak the same language, they struggle to understand each other – their worlds are so different. Full review...
Ophelia in Pieces by Clare Jacob
Barrister Ophelia Dormandy had been working hard – well, overworking – for the last six months and on the eve of her thirty-ninth birthday she decided that she would go home early and cook a decent meal for her husband and herself. She even decided that she would wear the red dress which Patrick liked. But when she got home Patrick and their son, Alex, were eating ice creams. He didn't seem in the least interested in dinner and then admitted that he was having an affair. Ophelia threw him out – and then began the long haul of trying to be a decent single parent in a job where the hours were long and the money uncertain. Full review...
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Rachel Miller and Darcy Rhone had been friends forever. Rachel was the older by just four months, but it was Darcy who sailed through life getting everything that she wanted. Rachel might have reached her teens first, got her driving licence first and then gone on to become an attorney, but on the eve on Rachel's thirtieth birthday Darcy is the one who is having a whale of a time, with her glamorous PR job and very presentable fiancé. Rachel is very obviously still single – and then an ill-considered birthday fling puts everything in jeopardy and – to cap it all - she begins to realise that her friendship with Darcy might not have been all she thought. Full review...
The Wedding Wallah by Farahad Zama
Finishing 'The Wedding Wallah' is like leaving India at the end of a short holiday with myriad impressions of foreignness. I'll remember the crowds of Mumbai, the smells of cooking in small rooms, the colours and textures of saris, the dangerous forest. This may not be the greatest literature published this year – not even the finest romantic fiction – but the sheer novelty of the Indian world portrayed makes it five stars for enjoyment in my book. I imagined Farahad Zama as a female writer beavering away in rural India. Turns out I was wrong: the author is a male investment banker in London with two books previously published in this series. Oops. Full review...
Run, Mummy, Run by Cathy Glass
Aisha is a young, beautiful and successful woman who has worked hard to get where she is. But there is one thing missing in her life: a man. Still living with her parents at the age of thirty and inexperienced when it comes to men, Aisha wonders if she will ever find a husband. But then she spots an ad in the paper and plucking up all her courage and determination, she decides to reply. This could be her only chance at love and she doesn't want to waste it. Full review...
To My Best Friends by Sam Baker
Nicci Morrison had always been the first of the four friends to do everything: fall in love, marry, have children (and twins at that) and develop a successful business. Then, at thirty six, she was the first to die – of cancer. Nicci was an organiser and she couldn't let the opportunity pass to dress her friends for her funeral and to bequeath into their care her most treasured possessions. You're probably thinking in terms of jewellery, or something similar, but Nicci left her friends her garden, her three-year-old daughters and her husband. I mean – just how much more difficult than that can you get? Full review...
Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
Olivia Bellamy does not seem to have a lot of luck with men. When we meet her she's just about to put her third broken engagement under her belt and head of into the wilderness of the Catskills with Freddy. Don't get excited – he really is just a friend. They're going to revamp the family's old summer camp in readiness for her grandparents' fiftieth wedding anniversary celebrations and right now it seems like the best way to forget about her love life. Things turn from bad to worse though when she finds herself not only stuck up a flagpole but having to be rescued by the man who was her first boyfriend some nine years before. Full review...
Ragged Cliffs by Julian Ruck
Lise Jacobson was half Danish and half Welsh. She lived with her parents in Denmark but during the Second World War indulged in an innocent friendship with one of the occupying German soldiers. In retribution she had her hair shorn off and was raped by two masked men. After her father's death Lise's mother brought Lise and Lise's son, born as a result of the rape, back to Swansea and there they did their best to make a living for themselves. It was whilst Lise was working as a chambermaid that she met William Treharne, who would change her life permanently. Full review...
House of Silence by Linda Gillard
Gwen Rowland was a sensible, cautious kind of girl, but then the only family she'd ever known were all dead from a surfeit of unprotected sex, drink and the sort of drugs that don't come in a child-proof bottle. So – her relationship with an actor was a little out of the ordinary, but they seemed to be friends before they were lovers. The crunch came at Christmas when Alfie said that he was spending it with his family – which would have left Gwen on her own. She did slightly twist his arm to take her with him and he was obviously reluctant to comply. When they arrived at Creake Hall, home of author Rae Holbrook and her daughters, Gwen sensed a change in Alfie, a lack of warmth towards his family. Then there was the family photo which didn't fit the known facts and the complication of the gardener who said little but was a very good listener. Full review...
Chances by Freya North
Sharing a business with ex-lover, Tim, is a disaster for Vita. How can she possibly move on when he's popping into their souvenir shop every day? Though she shed the two-timing love rat from her bed over 12 months before, his presence casts dark shadows on her days. But ridding him from her life isn't a likely option and escaping into her precious classic fiction is sometimes the only way she can ignore her troubled thoughts. She cannot afford to buy his share of the business and she isn't prepared to risk losing 'That Shop' with its delightful trinkets and resident shoplifter! Full review...
Not Funny Not Clever by Jo Verity
Elizabeth was rather looking forward to her trip to Cardiff. She and Diane hadn't got together for a really good chat for a long time and with Laurence being away on a cookery course in France it seemed like the ideal opportunity to take advantage of Diane's invitation. She had visions of girly chats – if you can still have girly chats at nearly fifty. But her plans were going to be disrupted. Her son blessed her with his partner's teenage son 'for a few days in an emergency' and she had no option but to take Jordan in – and then to take him to Cardiff with her. Full review...
Love is the Reason by Mary Malone
Lucy Ardle was driving home, wondering what sort of a mood her husband would be in. When she'd left earlier, words had been spoken. She was nearly home when she was overtaken by the fire engine: the house was in flames and it was touch and go as to whether or not Danny would make it. Thankfully Lucy's friend, Carol Black had seen the flames and called the fire brigade or the outcome would have been much worse. Full review...
Girl in a Spin by Clodagh Murphy
Jenny Hannigan might look like the original good-time party girl but all she really wants out of life is a settled home and family – mainly because that's what she's never had. So when she begins a relationship with Richard Allam she dares to hope that the dreams might be coming true. Richard is young, good-looking and leader of Her Majesty's opposition. He has high hopes of becoming Prime Minister after the next election. Jenny isn't exactly the ideal mate for someone who expects to be the next Prime Minister and as Richard has only recently separated from his wife Jenny is going to take some selling to the country. Enter publicist Dev Tennant whose job is to make the country fall in love with Jenny. Full review...
New Beginnings by Fern Britton
Christie Lynch is a widowed mother with a couple of children and she's been keeping the proverbial wolf from the door by doing some journalism – but then she gets the lucky break of an appearance on daytime television. She's spotted by Julia Keen, the most successful agent and it seems that the sky's the limit. It's not long before Christie has a high-profile presenting job. The public loves her. The camera loves her. What's not to like? Full review...
Before I Knew You by Amanda Brookfield
Two couples agree to swap homes for the summer, urged on by a mutual friend. Sophie and Andrew are teachers who live in London, rather jaded with life and each other, but hoping for a break. Their two teenage daughters are on a music tour, but hope to join them for the last week.
William and Beth are a newly married couple, who live in a gorgeous home in Connecticut in the USA. William is rather older than Beth; he's a Brit who has three teenage sons living with their mother in London, not far from Sophie and Andrew's home. William wants to spend time with his sons in the summer, and Beth hopes to get to know them better. Full review...
What Women Want by Fanny Blake
I'll be honest: I had my doubts about this book. Fanny Blake is a well-known journalist and she's also written for programmes such as Location, Location, Location and A Place in the Sun. I wasn't entirely certain how this would fit with a book about the lives of three middle-aged women who are dealing with change in their lives – and they're not moving house. I sat down to have a quick look to see if it was going to be worth reviewing… Full review...
To Marry A Prince by Sophie Page
Bella Greenwood has just been away on a tropical island doing an eco-job for a man she though she rather fancied. She returned home when she realised that she was being taken for a mug and when it came down to it she didn't really fancy the man that much either. Getting back into the swing of things is a little difficult though – he mother and step-father have a full house and can't take her in. Her father is up a mountain somewhere and she's just thankful that her friend Lottie is prepared to take her in at short notice – and to take her to a posh party. Full review...
The Travelling Matchmaker: Emily Goes to Exeter by M C Beaton
Emily Goes to Exeter is by way of 'Being the First Volume of the Travelling Matchmaker' as the subheading has it on the frontispiece: the beginning of a new series obviously.
If like me you have come to Beaton by way of Hamish Macbeth this might seem like something of a diversion. A little research shows you that in fact Marion Chesney, who writes under a number of pseudonyms (including Beaton) has a prolific work-rate. Having produced upwards of 130 books since starting writing full time in the 1980s, focussing on crime and historical romance, there can be few avenues down which she has yet to wander. Full review...
The Yearning Heart by Sylvia Broady
It is 1941 so when an unmarried Frances Bewholme becomes pregnant she is shunned by her family and sent to an isolated farm to live and work. To add to her shame and disgrace Fran's unborn baby is not just any man's; it is her brother-in-law's. Victor Renton, home on leave from the war takes advantage of Fran one night when she comes home, upset and heartbroken. Full review...
Guerrillas in Our Midst by Claire Peate
The book opens in south-east London. It's a rather gritty urban place but friends Edda and Beth love it. And we soon get the low-down on a hush-hush project by some of the locals. They call themselves, rather grandly I thought, a guerrilla gardening society - but what the devil does it all mean? Edda and Beth stumble into the situation simply by listening to their gut instinct and doing what they feel is right for their neighbourhood. Basically, an eyesore of a skip (full, smelly) has been abandoned near Edda's house. No one wants to deal with it and take it away so the two girls come up with the idea of 'beautifying' it, if you like. Tipping in a whacking great load of topsoil and then planting it up with flowers etc. But all of this is done under cover of darkness. And Peate (what an appropriate name) gives us all the silly, giggly, half-drunken details of the girls' adventure. They've had plenty of adventurous times in the past (which we hear about later) and this lark is just another one to add to the list. They manage to keep it a secret. Difficult, they manage it - just. Full review...
Summer of Love by Katie Fforde
Sian Bishop is a single mum who makes her living by restoring and painting furniture. She hopes that by moving to the country she will be able to provide her five year old son Rory with a good life away from the hustle and bustle of London. Although she is happy on her own, she knows that her good friend Richard is looking for something more and would love to marry her and to provide a home for herself and Rory. However, although she recognises that he is a good dependable man, he does not excite her, unlike Rory's father who she had only a brief fling with many years before. Should she settle for security and a quiet life or should she hold out for something more exciting? That is the dilemma that Sian struggles with throughout this story. Full review...
The House of Hope by Audrey Willsher
It was November 1946 when Marianne made her way to Hope Grange. She was taking the job of a maid in the house owned by Hugo Lacey, but she hadn't even arrived before she wondered if she'd made a mistake. The villagers were unwelcoming and finding he house wasn't easy, particularly as she didn't like to ask the German Prisoner of War she met – he was one of the ones who had been responsible for the death of her beloved Nan two years before in a V2 attack. When she did find the house she encountered a difficult child, his very difficult grandmother and the realisation that they and the house were on their uppers. Full review...
Travelling Matchmaker: Belinda Goes to Bath by M C Beaton
Miss Hannah Pym was a housekeeper until recently but has now received a legacy which lifts her out of the servant classes and enables her to fulfil her long-held wish to travel. It might be winter but Miss Pym is taking the stagecoach to The Bath (as the upper classes call the city) just for the adventure. The company in the stage is joined by an obviously well-bred young woman, Miss Belinda Earle who, accompanied by her companion, is being sent in disgrace to stay with her aunt. Full review...
Love is on the Air by Jane Moore
'Love is on the Air' is all about trying to find the perfect relationship. Cam knows that things are not right with her boyfriend Dean but after six years together, she is afraid to do anything about it. They are behaving like an old married couple and they are not even married. Therefore, when she goes on holiday with friends Saira and Ella, she is somewhat vulnerable and so it is no surprise that she is attracted to fun loving single dad Tom. After a few drinks one thing leads to another but the next day Cam is racked with guilt. She resolves to forget about Tom and to make more effort in her relationship with Dean. Full review...
Mr Bishop and the Actress by Janet Mullany
Strait-laced Harry Bishop has just started his new job as steward in Lord Shad's ramshackle household when he is sent off to London to sort out Shad's errant relation Charlie and his debts. Here he meets actress Sophie Wallace, Charlie's mistress, who now finds herself set adrift from her protector with only a few dresses and a rather ostentatious bed to her name. Full review...
The Story of Us by Felicity Everett
Back in 1982 there were five girls sharing a house in Brighton. Their course works takes second place to demos, parties and no-strings sex for Stella, Bridget, Vinnie, Maxine and Nell but it's against the background of Greenham Common and the miners' strike that the girls realise that life is not quite as straight forward as they imagined. They will forge friendships in Albacore Street which might occasionally be stretched to the limit, but they'll never be completely forgotten. Having met them back in the eighties we meet them again two decades later when they're struggling to cope with all that life throws at them. Full review...
To Touch the Stars by Jessica Ruston
Cavalley's creates the most luxurious hats in the world along with a host of other items without which the rich cannot survive. At the company's head is Violet Cavalley, now celebrating her sixtieth birthday with her family about her. She looks as though she could go on forever, but Violet and one or two others know differently. There are a few other people who know that Violet isn't who she says she is and that he background wouldn't stand a lot of close examination. From the villa in Capri, to the London homes of the family and the private jet, it's all good living, but there are plenty of secrets which are going to be aired. Full review...
