"The Fire Child" giveaway winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered the competition to win a copy of this fab book!

The winners are:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you enjoy the book! I will let Harper Collins know the winners and they will ensure you receive your prize shortly!

Thanks again to all of you who entered and winners, let me know what you think of the book!

"The Perfect Girl" Gilly MacMillan

Zoe, child prodigy and extraordinary pianist, is giving the most important performance of her lifetime when a man appears in the audience accusing her lying to each and every person in the room - including her new step father and step brother.

Zoe recognises the man. She killed his daughter. And six hours later, her mother is dead too.

The opening is very gripping - I had so many questions and was intrigued by this seemingly perfect girl who insinuated a dark hidden past. Indeed, Zoe has been in a Secure Unit for 18 months after killing 3 teenagers in a drink drive accident when she was 14. I had to read on. I had to know how a teenager with an exceptional IQ, caring, nurturing parents and a normal upbringing had become a murderer......... But as Zoe says, "A high IQ doesn't mean you're clever enough to avoid being a massive teenage cliche."

The story then moves backwards and forwards; one strand following on directly from events after the concert and the subsequent 6 hours leading up to the death of Zoe's mother, Maria. Another strand filling us in with events leading up to the accident which led to Zoe's arrest and further flashbacks from inbetween the events. The chapters are very short and we hear from Zoe, Lucas - her step brother, Tessa - her aunt, and Sam - the lawyer involved in defending Zoe and then called upon once her mother's death is discovered. This use of multiple narrators is really effective in revealing crucial information, clues and insight, so that the reader is able to piece together a full understanding of events and the complexities of the relationships between all the characters, as well as the events leading up to the fatal accident and then the death of Maria. I found it impossible to put down.

My favourite voice was Tessa, Maria's sister and Zoe's aunt. In a way, she is more of a friend to the reader; chatty, inviting confidence, giving us a more truthful account of events and providing more reliable insight about the other characters and events. There is more to Tessa than meets the eye. Prejudged by others because of her childlessness and still being single, she harbours some resentment and bitterness but is candid and astute in her observations. Tessa listens to Chris (Maria's new husband) as he reflects on Maria's "extraordinary qualities of sweetness and poise". Tessa knows that this shows how little he knows about her and her past as he's only met "her version of her ....coshed by antidepressants and shock not frailty and composure."

Zoe is also a very well drawn character. MacMillan successfully evokes a very normal, authentic, believable voice of a teenager. I liked her use of capital letters for added emphasis - "Second Chance Family", "Second Chance Baby," "Miracle Baby", "A Gift To Us All." They cleverly hint at underlying tension and the fact that Maria and Zoe are basically living under a ticking time bomb until their past catches up with them. MacMillan also captures the tension between Zoe and her mother both before the accident and after the man's outburst at the concert. She captures Zoe's grief following her mother's death convincingly; her confusion, anger, fear and regret as the full story unravels in front of everyone, are very well handled and presented. Zoe is also very likeable, very down to earth and very normal. She is sharp; her asides and comments capturing the dry sarcasm of a teenager: "I didn't realise I wasn't supposed to speak to Jack Bell because no one had explained to me that by virtue of his parents money, boy band hair, low riding jeans, Jack was Social Gold Dust and as Music Scholar I was automatically granted status of Social Pond Life."

MacMillan has made this novel very prevalent by incorporating the sinister side of social media in the life of teenagers and how various apps which seek to unite teenagers actually divide and destroy them. The anonymous messages that haunt Zoe create tension and suspense.

Lucas is also a great character. He has his own dark secret to reveal. He choses to tell Zoe his story through a film script he has written. I loved this technique. It is amazingly effective. Firstly it creates a change in narrative style which alters the pace and tension, but also it provides another point of view. It also creates a little bit of space between the reader and the emotional events it is about to recount. I found these sections quite captivating as well as beautifully executed. These sections are poignant and affecting without becoming too harrowing as we are essentially "watching" them through a screen that is a kind of buffer between us and the text.

The first half of the novel concerns itself with the Zoe's involvement with the death of three teenagers. It is not until just over 50% of the way through that we are reminded that Maria is also now dead. The novel then switches to the dramatic events between the end of the concert and the discovery of Maria's body. MacMillan expertly pulls the reader along with drama, revelation, unexpected twists and plenty of extra threads of further complications and twists; all speeding towards an incredibly satisfying and suitable climactic conclusion.

A very engaging read. I enjoyed Zoe's characterisation - a highly gifted and beautiful child whose talent actually separates her from her peers and her intelligence being academic rather than the common sense necessary for navigating her way through school and the teenage years. I liked the tension created through Maria's determination that she can simply bury her past and reinvent herself and her daughter in a Second Chance Life and the consequences of what happens when it catches up with you. I also liked the fact that Maria and Zoe are not the only characters with dark and sinister pasts........

I would recommend this book for all lovers of psychological thrillers who enjoy fast paced stories with multiple narratives and plenty of well executed plot lines which all converge to a devasting conclusion.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review.
For more recommendations and reviews please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or sign up to receive future posts via email.

"The Hummingbird's Cage" Tamara Dietrich

"Put a frog in a pot of boiling water and he will jump out at once. But put him in a pot of cold water and turn up the heat by degrees and he'll cook to death before he realises it." 

Joanna and her 7 year old daughter Laurel live in the small town of Wheeler, new Mexico with Joanna's husband (and Laurel's father) Jim, the town's Deputy Sheriff. The book opens with:

"My husband tells me I look washed up. Ill favoured, he says, like old bathwater circling the drain. If my clothes weren't there to hold me together, he says, I'd flush all away. He tells me these things as often as he can, til there are times I start to believe him and I can feel my mind start to dissolve into empty air."

Prepare yourself. The first 20% of this novel is a heart-rending account of a wife living with a monster. Although having served a short jail sentence and being on probation, Jim continues to physically abuse Jo frequently. The violence and psychological damage he has caused her is quite harrowing and the impact of his behaviour is destroying Jo. She recounts her attempts to leave, to report him, to escape and to challenge him but because of his outward show of being the most diligent and caring husband and with his respected role of Deputy Sheriff, it is impossible to condemn him. The consequences of her actions against him are also devastating.

Help comes from the most unexpected places. One day Bernadette, an ex girlfriend of Jim's, offers Jo a way out for both her and her daughter. Jo seizes it and leaves him.

Dietrich leaves us hanging in mid air as we watch Jo try to escape - an escape full of tension and real nail-biting moments. The next section of the book starts with Jo waking up in a strange house. She finds herself in the home of a kind farmer and wife, in the idyllic town of Morro which is set deep in the barren countryside of New Mexico; enclosed by a huge mountain. With their diligent care, gentle wisdom and insight- never probing, never judging - Jo and Laurel begin to heal.

At about 40% I had worked out the twist but was still intrigued and read on, keen to see how it would play out - and if I was right! The characters in Morro were so endearing and the magic of their "perfect pitch town where whims can come true" was quite spellbinding. I liked how the Native American folklore, myths and rituals shaped the beliefs of the towns' people and how they used them to guide Jo through her journey to rebuild herself, physically and mentally. The hummingbird metaphor was particularly effective.

The most obvious metaphor is probably the mountain that overshadows the town and reflects both Jo's real and spiritual "climb". There is a deep connection with the landscape throughout the novel. Dietrich creates vivid imagery and description to paint a detailed picture of the place, hinting that there is something fantastical about it. As one person tells Jo, "You are a welcome guest. But there's somewhere else you have to be. It's not a bad thing."

As well as themes of ritual, ancient spirituality, ceremony and faith, there is also Jo's realisation that she needs to take control of her life. Despite having been such a victim, Jo is very reflective and begins to make some very astute observations. She wants nothing more than "unremarkable days" and when asked to read her poetry at a public event she realises that her real fear was not standing up in front of everyone, not trying to find her own voice, but "whether she had anything worth listening to in the first place. And the only one who could determine that was me." She needs to learn of what she is really capable.

This book was not what I expected. It is tricky to define the genre of this book. Dietrich's novel fuses dreams and reality to create an unusual story. It's an interesting concept and one which readers will either embrace fully or find a little too fantastical. There is still plenty of tension and drama in the final section of the book which makes a good ending. The characters are quite memorable and I think there is plenty to discuss - as does Dietrich who at the end has helpfully added a few pages of thought provoking questions for Book Groups.

It's been quite a difficult book to review as I don't want to spoil anything or create any preconceptions. My advice would be to give a whirl - it's different and it's well written.

My thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for a fair review. For more recommendations and reviews please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk) or sign up to receive future posts via email.

"Intrusion" Mary McCluskey

"A domestic drama with a chilling conclusion"

This is the story of Kat and Scott, mourning the death of their son, Christopher. Scott has thrown himself into work, Kat has become reclusive and listless; consumed by grief and loneliness.

Then a face from Kat's past in England turns up in their home town in California. A school friend who appears to have transformed herself into a wealthy and formidable business woman. Can she help Kat move on to a brighter future or is she harbouring a deep grudge and only interested in revenge?

I was drawn to this book after reading several reviews on Twitter and was pleased when I was able to claim it as my June 2016 Kindle First Read via Amazon.

Kat's grief at losing her only son is very well described. I thought the way people's sympathy for her made them "virtually inarticulate" and how they "murmured a welcome and then drifted off to easier company" captured the sense of isolation and loneliness that becomes two fold for Kat; not only has she lost a child but she is also excluded from society, her grief setting her apart and generating huge awkwardness for everyone. Kat can not contemplate returning to work and as Scott's hours become longer and longer, their marriage is threatened by the aftermath of the worse tragedy to befall parents.

When Sarah, Kat's school friend, suddenly appears at a business function, Kat is immediately wary of her. McCluskey sows seeds of suspense and tension with the implication that there is something more untoward about this beautiful, self confident woman and she is not as she seems. Kat herself observes that her voice is soft, "indicating gentleness and was dangerously deceptive." Maggie, Kat's protective sister, is much more vocal about her dislike and distrust of Sarah, using words like "deceptive", "vindictive" and "nasty." But Kat is vulnerable and desperate. Will she unwittingly play right into Sarah's hands?

Sarah is a great character - she is such a good villain. McCluskey keeps you guessing about her true motive and true character throughout the novel. We watch with horror as we begin to see through Sarah's behaviour and manipulation, trying to call out to Kat to see beyond her false hand of friendship. I loved her predatory nature and think she reminded me of several famous female villains.

So much of the story is revealed through suggestion and clues, the reader trying to piece together the reality as it hurtles along to a dramatic finale. The theme of revenge is so powerful and McCluskey shows how it is like a disease - slowing gnawing away at somebody until it consumes them. I always love it when the author gradually reveals the immense planning that has gone on by a character and you have that stomach-churning-penny-dropping moment as you realise the full threat they present to the protagonist - with whom you have emotionally bonded!

It is also a story about Kat and Scott, their marriage and their journey to finally accepting their loss and learning to confront their grief together. I found this really interesting and very sensitively handled. It could have become overwhelming or too melodramatic but it is gently handled to remain authentic, relatable and necessary to the plot.

This is a story with some strong characters, strong themes and it is well written. It basically has all the ingredients of a good thriller, with self absorbed characters bent on self destruction, raw emotion, harrowing pasts, secrets and complex plans to seek revenge. It is a straightforward, satisfying read. Perhaps a little predictable in places and with some slight cliches around the characters but all in all, very readable and enjoyable. A good thriller.

I received "Intrusion" as my June 2016 Kindle First Read.

For more recommendations and reviews please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or sign up to receive future posts via email.

"Dept of Speculation" Jenny Offill

With cool precision, in language that shimmers with rage and wit and fierce longing, Jenny Offill has crafted an exquisitely suspenseful love story that has the velocity of a train hurtling through the night at top speed. Exceptionally lean and compact, Dept. of Speculation is a novel to be devoured in a single sitting, though its bracing emotional insights and piercing meditations on despair and love will linger long after the last page. (Goodreads blurb)

This actually really is a one sitting read. There are 177 pages but the text is spread out sparsely - almost like poetry, with lots of short paragraphs and chapters. It is a collection of thoughts and reflections about marriage and family life but it is amazing how much can be gleaned about the couple from the efficient choice of images and observations. The author is merely referred to as "the wife" and the narrative charts the roller coaster ride of the course of love; from the initial excitement of marriage, through to parenthood and beyond. 

I first came across this book via a quote in someone's blog (sorry, can't remember any more than that!):
"And that phrase - 'sleeping like a baby'. Some blond said it blithely on the subway the other day. I wanted to lie down next to her and scream for five hours in her ear." This comment really resonated with me and I immediately added the book to my TBR pile then later on, ordered a copy via Amazon. 

The novel opens by capturing the emotional state of the narrator:
"Buddhists say there are 121 states of consciousness. Of these only three involved misery or suffering. Most of us spend our time moving bak and forth between these three." 

The writing is so understated that it is beautiful:
"I remember the first time I said the word to a stranger. "It's for my daughter," I said. My heart was beating too fast, as if I might be arrested."

Offill's ability to create a relatable, interesting, captivating character through these short, candid statements is impressive. "The wife" is a wonderful character. Although the book is absent of  much dialogue and action it is not without events and emotion. The humour is also sophisticated:
"Three things no one has ever said about me: You make it look so easy. You are very mysterious. You need to take yourself more seriously." 
"In (my daughter's school reading book) alliteratively named animals go on extremely modest adventures and return with lessons learned. A child in a wheelchair is thoughtfully pencilled in in the background. My daughter yawns as I finish it. 'Tell me a better story,' she says." 
"My Very Educated Mother Just Serves Us Noodles is the mnemonic they give her to remember the order of the planets."

I agree with another reviewer on Goodreads who said they literally underlined every sentence in the book! I was without a pen but have (sacrilegiously) folded down the corners of pages with resonant, amusing, sad, pertinent observations -it is nearly every other page! The book is ruined! 

This is a really interesting, pensive, reflective read which despite its brevity, induces a huge range of emotions and responses. Some of the reviews on Goodreads are incredible so worth having a little scroll through to see the effect that this book has had on readers! 

I highly recommend it. It was different, short, exquisitely written and a complete change of scene from everything else I've read recently. I identified with the character and think the writer is highly skilled in creating pertinent images and moments through her concise use of language. It does leave you a little stunned and dazed at the end - but in a very good way!

For more recommendations and reviews please follow me on twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK)

BLOG TOUR: Christina Hopkinson "The Weekend Wives"

Christina Hopkinson's witty novel is about the unlikely friendship between three women - all "weekend wives", all seemingly living the coveted dream of a stay-at-home-mum in a large house in the idyllic countryside. But as their friendship develops, they begin to face some hard realities of absent husbands, marriage, motherhood and village life. With the help of each other, they find themselves uncovering some difficult home truths and learning to confronting their problems.

"The Weekend Wives" publishes on Thursday June 30th 2016 and it is a great honour to host the first stop on the Blog Tour. In today's post, Christina talks to us exclusively about the love for her Jawbone. My review and link to buy the book follow. 

Welcome Christina and thank you so much for coming to visit me today! It's lovely to host your exclusive post!

Why do writers love fitness trackers?

For those who have so far remained blissfully ignorant of their existence, Fitbits and Jawbone Ups are electronic tracking devices that count steps, primarily, as well as calories burned and kilometres covered. Some prefer to leave their wrists free of the tell-tale rubberised bangles and just count steps using an app on their phone. They all do the same thing – announce when you’ve been good (10,000 steps or more) or chide you when you’ve been bad (once I think I stooped as low as 3,000, oh the shame).

Lots of people have them, but I’m not sure any profession has embraced them quite as enthusiastically as writers.

The American humourist David Sedaris wrote a brilliant piece in the New Yorker about his obsession (and it really was obsessive) with his Fitbit. It starts off with him aiming for 10,000 steps a day (around 7km or an hour and a half of walking), but gradually spirals into an extraordinary 60,000 steps a day. Even when his Fitbit dies, he only lasts five hours without ordering a new one – walking anywhere seemed pointless without the machine to mark it.

Bestselling You Before Me author Jojo Moyes wrote an equally great article for Red, but in contrast it was about how she’d fallen out of love with the bossiness of her fitness tracker. Novelist Katie Fforde, on the other hand, explained in the Daily Mail how striding around the living room in front of the TV shaking her Fitbit had transformed her body. I can sympathise - I do a dance in front of the TV in the evenings to get up to the magic 10k, which is highly irritating for anyone else in the room.

Why do authors love their trackers so much? I’ve been wearing rival band, the Jawbone Up, for two years and I feel naked without it. Even walking across a room feels worthless without the little bracelet counting for me.

The obvious reason is that writers lead very sedentary lives aka sitting on our butts making up stories. Before I had mine, it was easy for hours to pass where the most exercise I took was to turn the kettle on. Now I stride when I’m on the phone and look with horror when my Jawbone announces just how long I’ve been inactive.

But the reasons go deeper than the merely corporeal. I often describe the act of being alone all day locked in your own private world and then presenting all these interior thoughts for the world to critique, reject or ignore, as petri dish for paranoia. We don’t get to share an office with others or get told we’re doing well in a performance review. There’s no promotions or pay rises or grade progressions. We (or is it just me?) are prone to self-recrimination and feelings of worthlessness.

But lo, into our empty daily lives comes a little device that offers validation and self worth. Mine sends me little messages of congratulations, virtual pats on the back: ‘You did it!’, ‘Savor [sic] this moment.’, ‘go for it and stay focused.’

Aw shucks, I preen, pathetically grateful that somebody thinks I’m doing OK as I struggle with the middle rump of my novel.

We’re desperate for ways to make our lives count, figuratively and literally. It’s why we have word counts and set ourselves random numbers to reach before we can relax.

I’d love to write more on this subject, but I’ve just checked and I’m only on 4,531 and I’ve been inactive for over an hour. Why, thank you Jawbone for making my life worthwhile.

The Weekend Wives by Christina Hopkinson is available from Thursday in paperback http://amzn.to/28SGjni

MY REVIEW OF "THE WEEKEND WIVES"

I read "The Pile of Stuff at the Bottom of the Stairs" in 2011 when I was juggling a brand new baby and a sleepless toddler. I needed something light that I could read quickly in those desperately snatched moments between feeds and changing nappies. This was perfect! Not only did it "speak" to me- it made me laugh, giggle and even spit out my tepid tea (no child was harmed during the reading of this novel). I handed it on to my equally over tired friends but not before pointing out at length all the bits where Hopkinson had captured the very things we had complained about with our own husbands! So when I saw this new paperback arrive, I absolutely knew I had to read it!

Meet the "Weekend Wives"- a wife who's husband works away and only comes home at the weekend.  Or more accurately, a wife who misses her husband when he's gone, but wants him gone when he's home! This group of "Weekend Wives" live in an idyllic rural village. There is Sasha and Ned, whose success in America means he's absent for months on end. Their main method of communication is via Skype. Tamsin's husband John works away all week but ensures he keeps track of her every move by eerily getting her to text selfies throughout the day. Emily and Matt have recently moved in to the area and the harsh reality of living in the countryside is gradually dawning on Emily. And to make it worse, when Matt does return at the weekend, he is growing increasingly preoccupied and distant.

Three women, three marriages, three very different lives.

I truly enjoyed this book. From the opening pages I was snorting in agreement, recognition and pleasure as Hopkinson's observational wit leapt of the page. It is a perfect recipe for a summer read, a lazy Sunday read or just to give you a bit of a lift or gentle escapism. It covers all the basic elements essential for a chick lit read - it's full of melodrama and madness; it's charming and heartwarming, there are moments of shock, tears and laughter. The wry tone keeps it light and engaging. Hopkinson's insight into marriage, commuting and women's friendships are spot on and will have huge resonant and appeal to any reader's who can relate to this set up.

The novel is full of contemporary references, so even though the pressures on a marriage may not have changed that radically over 50 years, this novel feels like it is taking a fresh look at those issues and it is really easy to engage with it.

Each character is well constructed and realistic enough to find them authentic rather than cliched or over the top but with enough vitality and spark to create entertainment and drama. There is naive, young Tamsin who has always lived in the town and is slightly out of her depth amongst the new families that have now begun to set up home here -most people moved away, particularly if they wanted a job that was "new fangled" with the word "digital" in it. She is controlled by John who, even during sex, "gives commands with the precision of a powerpoint presentation." She has no sense of self worth and John's hold over her is unsettling and disturbing.

Then there's confident, wealthy, privileged Sasha who actually feels as if she is a doll "with a certain number of preprogrammed speeches that would vomit out at the touch of a button." Her primary school aged son explains to his babysitter that he needs to read aloud for 15 minutes everyday as it's "part of his success criteria.....to see if your learning is competent, accomplished or exceptional." But who is this strange woman who seems to be lurking at the bottom of the driveway and what is bothering her daughter?

My favourite character was Emily who having wanted greenery now "wants tarmac and pop up coffee shops." She finds the countryside like a beautiful man she knows to be gay - "appreciate its aesthetic splendour but knew she'd never really get it." She craved to be a stay at home mum with her non-Aga-Aga and persists in creating "as a family time" but her attempts are continuously disrupted by screens and she is beginning to feel bereft of the intellectual stimulation her career had offered. I loved that the first conversation they have when Matt returns at the weekend is who is more tired.....Oh yes, I've been there!!! And that word "work" which "shuts down any argument now that she could no longer use it as her excuse".

Emily brings the 3 women together to form the club "Weekend Wives". Little do any of them realise just how significant this friendship will become, how they will end up forming such strong bonds which will support them as they confront difficult pasts (as well as a tricky present) or rediscover themselves and their potential. Above all they will support each other as wives and mothers throughout a time of unease and change.

It is a comfortably predictable novel with a happy and satisfying resolution. The characters are endearing and although a little exaggerated, not unrealistic. The reader will feel empathy and friendship towards them. It is a witty novel and I smirked, giggled and rolled my eyes in agreement all the way through it. Sometimes it was a little close to home ("I've just got something to check on line said Matt standing in the middle of the room staring open mouthed into his phone....physically there but mentally absent.") and sometimes voicing thoughts I'm not brave enough to say aloud ("there's something comfortable about the hamster wheel of work, you don't have to worry about where you're going, just go round and round.") Hopkinson is insightful and although there are definitely some serious issues and moments, it is all well balanced in a tightly constructed plot. There is more to each of these women than just being a wife and they need to find this for themselves. Hopkinson clearly has a lot of affection for her characters and carries them through their emotional journeys as they work out just what kind of wife they are, and what kind of wife they want to be, with comedy and humour. I have to say, at this moment in time, it hit the spot and I really did enjoy it.

My huge thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of the paperback in return for a fair review and also for the opportunity to be part of the blog tour.

For more recommendations and reviews follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK)

Don't miss the rest of Christina's Blog Tour!

"The Light of Paris" Eleanor Brown

This is a really pleasing read following the two lives of Margie and Madeleine, grandmother and grand-daughter, on their journeys of self discovery- decades apart, but full of similarities.

Margie's story is set in 1924. Unhappily confined by the expectations of her parents and society, she finds herself trying to reject the inevitable path of marriage and submissiveness that lies ahead. Taking the opportunity to travel to Paris as a companion to another debutant, Margie then finds herself inspired, awakened and empowered by the people and city. But can it last or will she eventually have to return to "real life" and all it's constraints?

Madeleine's story is set in 1999 (although it sometimes feels more like the 1950s!) and sees her returning to her mother's house to contemplate the unhappiness and the restrictions she feels marriage and society have imposed upon her; suffocating her real desire to paint and carve her own path out for herself.

Both stories are about self discovery and the role of women in society. When Madeleine stumbles across her grandmother's diary, she is fascinated to read of her time in Paris and all the artistic and interesting people she meets. What she is not prepared for is the secret that she unwittingly discovers as she learns more about her grandmother's time there. It helps her to consider her own position in life and within her marriage. Can it give her the confidence to make decisions and changes that were beyond her grandmother?

I thought this story was beautifully written. It was compelling and the alternating story lines were full of interesting similarities and overlaps despite their distance in time and location. It is a reflective book and very pensive in its style but both the main female protagonists are vivid and very easy to form a relationship with. They are both engaging and relatable.

Margie feels like a woman before her time. Her mother is obsessed with her marriage and Margie is very bored with being a constant disappointment or a doll that won't perform.

"Margie crossed her eyes. There was going to be no husband. She knew it, and she guessed her mother knew it, and only said things like that to keep the fiction alive, for whose benefit she wasn't sure."

It feels very Austen -like at times; it is the 1920s and yet Margie is totally defined by her marriageability and how she is regarded within their class of society. Her mother has nothing else to really do but negotiate a match. Indeed, Mr Chapman's proposal is similar to that of the dreadful Mr Collins in "Pride and Prejudice". He begins with "I'm sure you're aware of how closely your father and I work together," then continues with the very pragmatic "it is an alliance I wish to preserve at any cost." Margie's response - as it so often does - made me giggle: "Margie wished there were a nearby plate of potatoes she could put her face in." She knows little of what her father does, (interesting historical comment on how some men still persisted in refraining from involving women with business and finances) only that he has something to do with the Washington Senators - a basketball team - but she's never allowed to go to the games as " 'The obligations of someone of your class' apparently didn't include eating peanuts, or doing anything fun, for that matter." Mr Chapman then tells her that he'd "like to cement that relationship by marrying (her)". So romantic! Any reader is going to find it hard not to sympathise with her plight. Margie's dry, sarcastic reactions - whether only unspoken or not - bring a lot of gentle humour to the novel and make her a very appealing young woman. It reflects her intelligence and exaggerates the importance of her trying to escape such a restrictive future.

Madeleine too is insightful, resourceful, bright and talented. She is very creative and her link with art is an important part of her characterisation. She is very similar to Margie. For Madeleine there are times when it feels that despite the progress made in Women's Rights, things are still complicated for women. And Margie's voice often felt as contemporary as a woman speaking in the 1990s. Both are very authentic and I was as intrigued with each story line. The alternating order of the tales encourages the reader to keep turning the page. The final twist, although creating a great ending and a necessary part of the plot, wasn't the thing that really struck me or kept me wanting to read more; I just wanted to know what happened to them both. I was part of their emotional journey of self awareness.

The chapters are relatively short and the plot is well controlled. I liked the author's use of language and found the description effective and at times, beautiful. The setting of Paris is really captivating and I would recommend the book to people who are interested in this period in time or Paris as it is a big part of the novel.

Overall, this is a thoughtful and interesting story of two women in two different times as they learn about love, duty, ambition and fate. I would strongly recommend you take a look!

My thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for a fair and honest review. For more recommendations and reviews please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or sign up to receive future posts via email.