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patchworkbunny's Reviews (2.12k)
Emma spends her evenings in the cemetery. Mourning the recent death of her boyfriend, Daniel, she feels his presence there even though he has no grave. Her friends and family try their best to help but Emma is broken. She doesn’t want to meet someone new but when Alex starts at her school, she can’t help but find him familiar. There’s little things he does that reminds her so much of Daniel. And Alex seems interested in her too but there’s something not right about his father. As her feelings grow more and more confused, Emma finds herself wondering if she’d be better off staying far away from Alex…
I feel the blurb for this book is a spoiler; knowing what it is loosely based on gives the whole story away. There is maybe less than a quarter of the book that isn’t predictable due to that fact. I’m not sure it will be easy to avoid but I am going to skirt round it in this review, just in case the blurb is pulled and replaced with something a bit more mysterious!
It’s written in present tense which is quite unusual for young adult and may not be to everyone’s tastes. However the prose is haunting and fittingly gothic. The autumnal setting is atmospheric and it’s the perfect read for this time of year. I loved the descriptive nature of this book which gave it a much more literary YA leaning. Full of teenage angst, Emma’s situation is heart-breaking. Her sadness weighs her down because she is feeling the loss of someone so much. Perhaps their love would have been fleeting, but being ripped apart so early has left her feeling that Daniel was her soulmate and no one could compare. As the title suggests, the characters are indeed broken.
And the reveal, even though you know it’s coming, is just as heart-breaking if you stop to think about the whole situation. Yes, it’s a little disturbing as well, but this is a YA take on the horror genre so we have to expect a few chills. It stayed with me after well after I put the book down. It might be a bit too woe-be-me for some readers; Emma isn’t much of an optimist to say the least but the story is beautifully written and the characters genuine. I enjoyed it despite its predictability; I just wonder if I would have absolutely loved it if I hadn’t known. There are a few hints along the way so I’m not going to pretend the end would be a complete surprise anyway, it’s just nice to have the chance to work it out for yourself.
I feel the blurb for this book is a spoiler; knowing what it is loosely based on gives the whole story away. There is maybe less than a quarter of the book that isn’t predictable due to that fact. I’m not sure it will be easy to avoid but I am going to skirt round it in this review, just in case the blurb is pulled and replaced with something a bit more mysterious!
It’s written in present tense which is quite unusual for young adult and may not be to everyone’s tastes. However the prose is haunting and fittingly gothic. The autumnal setting is atmospheric and it’s the perfect read for this time of year. I loved the descriptive nature of this book which gave it a much more literary YA leaning. Full of teenage angst, Emma’s situation is heart-breaking. Her sadness weighs her down because she is feeling the loss of someone so much. Perhaps their love would have been fleeting, but being ripped apart so early has left her feeling that Daniel was her soulmate and no one could compare. As the title suggests, the characters are indeed broken.
And the reveal, even though you know it’s coming, is just as heart-breaking if you stop to think about the whole situation. Yes, it’s a little disturbing as well, but this is a YA take on the horror genre so we have to expect a few chills. It stayed with me after well after I put the book down. It might be a bit too woe-be-me for some readers; Emma isn’t much of an optimist to say the least but the story is beautifully written and the characters genuine. I enjoyed it despite its predictability; I just wonder if I would have absolutely loved it if I hadn’t known. There are a few hints along the way so I’m not going to pretend the end would be a complete surprise anyway, it’s just nice to have the chance to work it out for yourself.
Pressia was only a young child the day of the Detonations. The day that changed the world forever. Those inside the dome were protected but the masses left outside were irrevocably changed; the combination of radiation and nanotechnology leaving them fused with their surroundings. When Pressia turns sixteen, she is expected to join the OSR, a militia intent on taking over the dome and the Pures inside but like everyone else her age, she will do whatever she can to avoid them.
Julianna Baggott has created a dark and oppressive world in Pure. Pressia’s hand has been fused with the doll she was holding when the detonations happened. Bradwell shares his back with a flock of birds. El Captian and his brother now share the same body. It’s a book in which physical perfection has little bearing. Where Patridge is a Pure from the dome, his appearance is more shocking to the so-called wretches who only have the memories of what their bodies were like in the Before.
Whilst told in third person narrative, the story does jump between perspectives and it took me a while to get into the story. There is quite a lot to take in, especially in a world so changed from ours. I also over-though the detonations; at first I assumed they were nuclear bombs and the fusings and resulting DNA mutations didn’t quite make sense. However, a brief pseudo-science explanation is given, that there was nanotechnology combined in the bombs, partly designed to regenerate tissue and to do something a bit vague with DNA. If you don’t think about it too much you’ll be fine!
Once I got into the story, I didn’t want to put it down. The post-apocalyptic world is more than just a setting for a coming of age story. In fact, I think Pressia has already grown up very much before this story starts. It’s not reliant on romance to drive the plot. It is about relationships under extreme conditions; loyalties and sacrifices. When to be selfish and when to fight for something bigger. I did think Partridge was a bit stupid at times, but he has had a sheltered existence and it probably suits his character.
It's one of those books that treads the line between YA and adult fiction. I would certainly recommend to those who wouldn't normally pick up a YA book. I'm excited to read the next instalment, Fuse, but not because Pure has a non-ending. In fact, it's been the first time in ages that I haven't been annoyed by the ending of book one in a trilogy!
Julianna Baggott has created a dark and oppressive world in Pure. Pressia’s hand has been fused with the doll she was holding when the detonations happened. Bradwell shares his back with a flock of birds. El Captian and his brother now share the same body. It’s a book in which physical perfection has little bearing. Where Patridge is a Pure from the dome, his appearance is more shocking to the so-called wretches who only have the memories of what their bodies were like in the Before.
Whilst told in third person narrative, the story does jump between perspectives and it took me a while to get into the story. There is quite a lot to take in, especially in a world so changed from ours. I also over-though the detonations; at first I assumed they were nuclear bombs and the fusings and resulting DNA mutations didn’t quite make sense. However, a brief pseudo-science explanation is given, that there was nanotechnology combined in the bombs, partly designed to regenerate tissue and to do something a bit vague with DNA. If you don’t think about it too much you’ll be fine!
Once I got into the story, I didn’t want to put it down. The post-apocalyptic world is more than just a setting for a coming of age story. In fact, I think Pressia has already grown up very much before this story starts. It’s not reliant on romance to drive the plot. It is about relationships under extreme conditions; loyalties and sacrifices. When to be selfish and when to fight for something bigger. I did think Partridge was a bit stupid at times, but he has had a sheltered existence and it probably suits his character.
It's one of those books that treads the line between YA and adult fiction. I would certainly recommend to those who wouldn't normally pick up a YA book. I'm excited to read the next instalment, Fuse, but not because Pure has a non-ending. In fact, it's been the first time in ages that I haven't been annoyed by the ending of book one in a trilogy!
On the day of her father’s funeral, Holly received an anonymous gift; a charm bracelet. Throughout her life, charms have turned up mysteriously marking important events or choices. When she finds another charm bracelet in a vintage coat, she is determined to reunite it with its owner. When she can’t find the previous owner of the coat she must piece together the clues hidden within the charms themselves.
Set around Christmas time, The Charm Bracelet is a slightly whimsical seasonal read. Holly makes all sorts of assumptions about the charms and there are a lot of coincidences but it’s exactly the sort of story that works during the holidays. It’s a little bit of the magic of Christmas.
The charm bracelet stories follow two lives; that of Holly and the events which contributed to her bracelet and that of the anonymous owner of the lost bracelet. They sort of make me want to start a charm bracelet myself! Holly works in a vintage clothes shop and it starts out with some lovely descriptions of the clothes. I wanted a bit more of that really. The strongest part is that of Greg’s parents’ relationship and this lifted the book from a bit of festive fluff to something quite moving by the end.
Greg’s career story got on my nerves a bit and in all honesty, it doesn’t really contribute to the charm bracelet stories. Yes, he symbolises giving up a high paid job that he doesn’t love to follow his dreams but the way it’s done is pretty unbelievable. His girlfriend Karen is probably meant to portray the woman who values material possessions over happiness however I wanted to side with her. If you live with your partner and share a mortgage, you shouldn’t quit your job without telling them first and expect them to be OK. She tries to be understanding but that sort of lack of communication and disregarding others will drive a wedge in any relationship. Yes, maybe she likes the life that both their jobs provide but still, Greg’s behaviour was pretty selfish even if he meant well.
As for his photography career. He takes one photo of a much photographed building and sells it and suddenly he’s amazing. Again I sided with Karen on this. He walks into a cushy job with NYT with no experience and he shoots film. Now I’m all for film with regards to fine art photography but if you’re being sent on journalistic assignments, you need to be shooting digital. Think of all those potential Pulitzer prize winning moments that will be missed because you’re changing the roll. Plus he’s developing and printing colour at home? Please? And when Karen tries to help him get a paid, commercial photography job he’s all dismissive. Most struggling photographers would be grateful for the experience and, hello, money. I’m pretty sure non-photographers will not care about any of this but it was all so cloud-cuckoo land, I couldn’t cope with his part of the story.
Once the plot moved past Greg’s work life, I got quite into the intertwined stories and did stay up a little later than normal to finish it. I’m a little confused by something at the end but I was left with a tear in my eye. However it was very nearly a book I gave up on.
Set around Christmas time, The Charm Bracelet is a slightly whimsical seasonal read. Holly makes all sorts of assumptions about the charms and there are a lot of coincidences but it’s exactly the sort of story that works during the holidays. It’s a little bit of the magic of Christmas.
The charm bracelet stories follow two lives; that of Holly and the events which contributed to her bracelet and that of the anonymous owner of the lost bracelet. They sort of make me want to start a charm bracelet myself! Holly works in a vintage clothes shop and it starts out with some lovely descriptions of the clothes. I wanted a bit more of that really. The strongest part is that of Greg’s parents’ relationship and this lifted the book from a bit of festive fluff to something quite moving by the end.
Greg’s career story got on my nerves a bit and in all honesty, it doesn’t really contribute to the charm bracelet stories. Yes, he symbolises giving up a high paid job that he doesn’t love to follow his dreams but the way it’s done is pretty unbelievable. His girlfriend Karen is probably meant to portray the woman who values material possessions over happiness however I wanted to side with her. If you live with your partner and share a mortgage, you shouldn’t quit your job without telling them first and expect them to be OK. She tries to be understanding but that sort of lack of communication and disregarding others will drive a wedge in any relationship. Yes, maybe she likes the life that both their jobs provide but still, Greg’s behaviour was pretty selfish even if he meant well.
As for his photography career. He takes one photo of a much photographed building and sells it and suddenly he’s amazing. Again I sided with Karen on this. He walks into a cushy job with NYT with no experience and he shoots film. Now I’m all for film with regards to fine art photography but if you’re being sent on journalistic assignments, you need to be shooting digital. Think of all those potential Pulitzer prize winning moments that will be missed because you’re changing the roll. Plus he’s developing and printing colour at home? Please? And when Karen tries to help him get a paid, commercial photography job he’s all dismissive. Most struggling photographers would be grateful for the experience and, hello, money. I’m pretty sure non-photographers will not care about any of this but it was all so cloud-cuckoo land, I couldn’t cope with his part of the story.
Once the plot moved past Greg’s work life, I got quite into the intertwined stories and did stay up a little later than normal to finish it. I’m a little confused by something at the end but I was left with a tear in my eye. However it was very nearly a book I gave up on.
Jessica is the daughter of James Bond and Heavenly Melons, or at least the actors behind those much loved roles. She's fed up of everyone treating her differently because of who her parents are and decides to jump on a plane to London and create a new identity for herself.
Jemma's writing is amusing and I even managed a chuckle out loud in places. I did much prefer the story of Jessica's parents than the central plot. We barely stop to think that A-listers are often parents too and, whilst some things are easier for them than the average Joe, in many ways they are just the same as you and me.
Written in third person, the narrative seems to jump perspective quite a lot. When there's a conversation between love interests, I don't really want to know the thoughts behind both sides at that moment in time. It takes all the mystery out of it and makes it a bit predictable. I think I would have preferred the viewpoints to be more distinguished.
The story also attempts to deal with a more serious subject, that of post-natal depression. However it's not brought up in the first half of the book and therefore seems a little out of place after all the frivolity. The first half concentrates more on an American's view of the British, Jessica trying to be normal and making friends/boyfriends. At 472 pages, it's longer than I personally like in a chick-lit read but some people like to get plenty of pages for their money!
Definitely a fun read if you want something easy-going this summer.
Jemma's writing is amusing and I even managed a chuckle out loud in places. I did much prefer the story of Jessica's parents than the central plot. We barely stop to think that A-listers are often parents too and, whilst some things are easier for them than the average Joe, in many ways they are just the same as you and me.
Written in third person, the narrative seems to jump perspective quite a lot. When there's a conversation between love interests, I don't really want to know the thoughts behind both sides at that moment in time. It takes all the mystery out of it and makes it a bit predictable. I think I would have preferred the viewpoints to be more distinguished.
The story also attempts to deal with a more serious subject, that of post-natal depression. However it's not brought up in the first half of the book and therefore seems a little out of place after all the frivolity. The first half concentrates more on an American's view of the British, Jessica trying to be normal and making friends/boyfriends. At 472 pages, it's longer than I personally like in a chick-lit read but some people like to get plenty of pages for their money!
Definitely a fun read if you want something easy-going this summer.
One evening Cat’s father brings Finn home. He is to be her tutor. But Finn is no normal tutor; he is a robot, and not just any robot but a billion dollar prototype; one of a kind. To Cat, he is her friend. Her father tells her Finn’s kindness is a program but as she grows, so do her feelings for him. In a world where robots have helped humankind return from the brink of destruction, they struggle to be accepted. Is her father right? And if so what future can they have?
This book is just stunning; a beautiful story about the nature of love and the sentience of artificial intelligence. It’s a very intimate tale following Cat from her childhood through to adult via marriage and grief. The politics of the robot situation sits perfectly in the background, enough to fuel the plot but not so much that you need to be interested in robots to enjoy the storytelling. Cassandra’s prose is wonderfully descriptive and paints a vivid picture of Cat’s world. From the cottage that feels like an enchanting escape from the hostile world to the sterile environment of the glass house.
Cat’s a multi-faceted character and one you won’t always like. Home-schooled and isolated in childhood she can be a bit self-absorbed and has moments of selfishness. She takes far too much for granted but there is a prevailing sense of loneliness and your heart will break repeatedly for both her and Finn. She is a brilliant example of a flawed character that you can fall in love with. I cried bucket-loads and their story stayed with me long after the last page.
This book is just stunning; a beautiful story about the nature of love and the sentience of artificial intelligence. It’s a very intimate tale following Cat from her childhood through to adult via marriage and grief. The politics of the robot situation sits perfectly in the background, enough to fuel the plot but not so much that you need to be interested in robots to enjoy the storytelling. Cassandra’s prose is wonderfully descriptive and paints a vivid picture of Cat’s world. From the cottage that feels like an enchanting escape from the hostile world to the sterile environment of the glass house.
Cat’s a multi-faceted character and one you won’t always like. Home-schooled and isolated in childhood she can be a bit self-absorbed and has moments of selfishness. She takes far too much for granted but there is a prevailing sense of loneliness and your heart will break repeatedly for both her and Finn. She is a brilliant example of a flawed character that you can fall in love with. I cried bucket-loads and their story stayed with me long after the last page.
The year is 2 BC. Balthazar is a thief and not just any thief, but the infamous Antioch Ghost. A thief that has been running rings round the Romans for years and they really want to catch him. Meanwhile, a young expectant couple are headed to Bethlehem…you know where this is going. So how does Balthazar end up one of the three wise men?
Unholy Night is a bloody and violent alternative Christmas story. To be fair, the whole nativity story is pretty dark even if you don’t meddle with it. There’s a mad king killing babies! The Romans weren’t known for their kindness either and I think this book paints a quite realistic portrait of Judea at the time (some might argue things haven’t improved much since). There’s a thread of dark humour throughout but it’s not overtly funny; I especially liked it when Mary and Joseph go to view some religious monument and they feel a bit let down by the whole experience (think tourist trap).
There will always be some people offended by such works but, in all honesty, it’s not very blasphemous. Joseph might have his doubts at first but both him, Mary and Jesus are pretty much left alone. Mary is perhaps a little more fiery than expected but that makes her real; there are soldiers trying to kill her baby, for god’s sake (literally)! It’s a wonderful irony to have the atheist Balthazar rescuing Jesus, but deep down he is a good man no matter what he believes in (despite the stealing).
Some of the character development was a little flat but I enjoyed Balthazar’s back story. It’s much more about him than the nativity really. Herod is a fantastically evil and repulsive character and there’s a wonderful emperor’s new clothes style storyline. Recommended reading for those overdosed on saccharine festive fare!
Unholy Night is a bloody and violent alternative Christmas story. To be fair, the whole nativity story is pretty dark even if you don’t meddle with it. There’s a mad king killing babies! The Romans weren’t known for their kindness either and I think this book paints a quite realistic portrait of Judea at the time (some might argue things haven’t improved much since). There’s a thread of dark humour throughout but it’s not overtly funny; I especially liked it when Mary and Joseph go to view some religious monument and they feel a bit let down by the whole experience (think tourist trap).
There will always be some people offended by such works but, in all honesty, it’s not very blasphemous. Joseph might have his doubts at first but both him, Mary and Jesus are pretty much left alone. Mary is perhaps a little more fiery than expected but that makes her real; there are soldiers trying to kill her baby, for god’s sake (literally)! It’s a wonderful irony to have the atheist Balthazar rescuing Jesus, but deep down he is a good man no matter what he believes in (despite the stealing).
Some of the character development was a little flat but I enjoyed Balthazar’s back story. It’s much more about him than the nativity really. Herod is a fantastically evil and repulsive character and there’s a wonderful emperor’s new clothes style storyline. Recommended reading for those overdosed on saccharine festive fare!
In a Montreal suburb a boy’s parents are getting divorced. When his father moves out, he asks the sky to help him. The next day the temperature plunges and freezing rain brings the city to a standstill. On a street where everyone keeps to themselves, the extreme weather and power cuts starts to bring people together. The exotic dancer, the reclusive mathematician and his fish, the gay couple and the boy’s best friend. The sky appears to be helping everyone but him.
Set in January of 1998, Fish Change Direction in Cold Weather follows the timeline of the great ice storm that hit North America and left thousands without power. It’s a short and simple story in which a crisis brings a community together; or really creates a community where none existed before. I felt some of the stories were a bit predictable but it’s a sweet little book for this time of year and there were a few humorous moments.
The title comes from the story of the Russian mathematician, Boris and his story was my favourite. He is conducting research on knot theory for his PhD using his fish, which need to stay at exactly the same temperature for his results to remain valid. When the power goes out he needs to find a way to heat the water which leads him to calling on the stripper next door.
I do think it lends itself as a Christmas read, with the un-named boy’s discovery that Santa isn’t real at the start, the icy weather and the all a little bit too convenient scenarios. I think we are a little bit more lenient with plots if it’s festive! However the book is not released in the UK until January.
Set in January of 1998, Fish Change Direction in Cold Weather follows the timeline of the great ice storm that hit North America and left thousands without power. It’s a short and simple story in which a crisis brings a community together; or really creates a community where none existed before. I felt some of the stories were a bit predictable but it’s a sweet little book for this time of year and there were a few humorous moments.
The title comes from the story of the Russian mathematician, Boris and his story was my favourite. He is conducting research on knot theory for his PhD using his fish, which need to stay at exactly the same temperature for his results to remain valid. When the power goes out he needs to find a way to heat the water which leads him to calling on the stripper next door.
I do think it lends itself as a Christmas read, with the un-named boy’s discovery that Santa isn’t real at the start, the icy weather and the all a little bit too convenient scenarios. I think we are a little bit more lenient with plots if it’s festive! However the book is not released in the UK until January.
White witch Rachel Morgan is a runner for Inderland Security, a supernatural law enforcement agency, but she’s starting to tire of all the poor assignments she’s been getting. When she finally quits her job, two of her colleagues decide to follow suit; Ivy the vampire and Jenks the pixy. However leaving I.S. is not that easy and Rachel’s ex-boss is unhappy about losing Ivy so he takes a contract out on Rachel.
Dead Witch Walking is set in an alternative present where a large portion of the human population was wiped out by a virus caused by genetic engineering. During the outbreak, the supernatural beings of the world, witches, warlocks, vampires, weres, fairies and pixies, came out into the open to help but relations are still shaky. Biodrugs are now illegal and medicine restricted and because the virus was spread by tomatoes, humans are scared of them. I liked the concept and really wanted to enjoy the story but found it lacking.
The pacing is a bit off. Takes a while to get going which is fair enough, but it keeps stopping and starting. The section where Rachel turns into a mink is the best part and felt like a properly structured story but the padding around it seemed to go on and on. I didn’t really connect with the characters either, apart from maybe Trent who’s supposed to be the bad guy. The relationships were all a bit bland…I thought something interesting was going to happen with Ivy but she ends up taking the back seat.
There are a few loose threads that would make me consider reading more. I was recommended this series by a few people so it could be that it improves with further reading but it’s not one I wanted to leap onto the next book with.
Dead Witch Walking is set in an alternative present where a large portion of the human population was wiped out by a virus caused by genetic engineering. During the outbreak, the supernatural beings of the world, witches, warlocks, vampires, weres, fairies and pixies, came out into the open to help but relations are still shaky. Biodrugs are now illegal and medicine restricted and because the virus was spread by tomatoes, humans are scared of them. I liked the concept and really wanted to enjoy the story but found it lacking.
The pacing is a bit off. Takes a while to get going which is fair enough, but it keeps stopping and starting. The section where Rachel turns into a mink is the best part and felt like a properly structured story but the padding around it seemed to go on and on. I didn’t really connect with the characters either, apart from maybe Trent who’s supposed to be the bad guy. The relationships were all a bit bland…I thought something interesting was going to happen with Ivy but she ends up taking the back seat.
There are a few loose threads that would make me consider reading more. I was recommended this series by a few people so it could be that it improves with further reading but it’s not one I wanted to leap onto the next book with.
The Goddess Inheritance is the final book in the Goddess Chronicles and therefore this review will contain spoilers for the previous books.
Nine months have passed since Kate was taken hostage by Cronus, King of the Titans, with Calliope by his side. Pregnant with Henry’s child and with Calliope desperate to take it from her, Kate is given a terrible choice. Rule aside Cronus and keep her child or watch him go to war and destroy all of mankind.
After the cliffhanger ending of Goddess Interrupted, I was eager to pick up Kate’s story again. I have thoroughly enjoyed the other books in this series however the final instalment left me a little flat. It is always good to return to characters I have grown to love (and hate) and to have resolution to a series so I still enjoyed it in some ways but it didn’t live up to my expectations.
Calliope’s jealousy and need for vengeance has been done to death. Yes, she is single-minded but the repetitiveness of her speech and actions starts to deaden the effect. I was hoping for more character development in Cronus, who showed potential to be a complicated characters but ends up just being painted as a typical villain again instead of the tragic figure occasionally hinted at.
Kate’s two-ing and thro-ing becomes a bit repetitive too and in the absence of a strong plot, I struggled to really get into the story. On one hand she’s irresponsible and fairly selfish and at other times she’s lamenting how she’s shut out and of course she can save the world. I guess there was a little of this in the first book but I put it down as typical teenager behaviour. However, she’s now a goddess and a mother and should be growing up a bit.
I am sad to see the end of this series though. I liked the world and a lot of the lesser characters; perhaps why I loved The Goddess Legacy so much. If you’ve been enjoying the series so far, The Goddess Inheritance is still worth reading but not the amazing end I was hoping for.
Nine months have passed since Kate was taken hostage by Cronus, King of the Titans, with Calliope by his side. Pregnant with Henry’s child and with Calliope desperate to take it from her, Kate is given a terrible choice. Rule aside Cronus and keep her child or watch him go to war and destroy all of mankind.
After the cliffhanger ending of Goddess Interrupted, I was eager to pick up Kate’s story again. I have thoroughly enjoyed the other books in this series however the final instalment left me a little flat. It is always good to return to characters I have grown to love (and hate) and to have resolution to a series so I still enjoyed it in some ways but it didn’t live up to my expectations.
Calliope’s jealousy and need for vengeance has been done to death. Yes, she is single-minded but the repetitiveness of her speech and actions starts to deaden the effect. I was hoping for more character development in Cronus, who showed potential to be a complicated characters but ends up just being painted as a typical villain again instead of the tragic figure occasionally hinted at.
Kate’s two-ing and thro-ing becomes a bit repetitive too and in the absence of a strong plot, I struggled to really get into the story. On one hand she’s irresponsible and fairly selfish and at other times she’s lamenting how she’s shut out and of course she can save the world. I guess there was a little of this in the first book but I put it down as typical teenager behaviour. However, she’s now a goddess and a mother and should be growing up a bit.
I am sad to see the end of this series though. I liked the world and a lot of the lesser characters; perhaps why I loved The Goddess Legacy so much. If you’ve been enjoying the series so far, The Goddess Inheritance is still worth reading but not the amazing end I was hoping for.
Charley Lambert is a hard-working, successful business-woman, perfectly organised and with every minute of her calendar booked up. So what if sometimes she doesn’t really have time to sleep? And she doesn’t need time to date because she has been secretly obsessed with her boss her 6 years, awaiting the day he realises they are meant to be. So when Charley falls off the edge of Salisbury Crags and breaks her leg, she cannot fathom spending 3 months doing nothing. Instead she starts up a service ghost-writing for internet daters; she’s done it for her friends in the past and it will keep her brain busy until she can get back to work for the biggest launch ever.
Lucy Robinson is fast becoming one of my must read chick-lit authors. Her characters are authentic, modern day thirty-somethings who speak and act like real people. Well, at least like real people I know! She uses her knowledge of internet dating to good effect; after all, it is a fast growing way of meeting someone instead of the unlikely encounters most chick-lit writers rely on. Her characters communicate via emails, IM and text messages with a frequency more in keeping with our modern lives.
Charley is a wonderful example of a successful woman whose inner thoughts might not mirror her professional exterior. Her lifestyle might not immediately endear her to you but her thoughts and friendships will draw you in. Although the best bit of characterisation has to be Malcolm, the family Labrador. He is spot on and anyone who has ever known a lab will understand. He’s fantastic and made me laugh out loud.
Part of the plot is similar to The Greatest Love Story of All Time. I can’t say more without giving away spoilers but if you’ve read her debut novel, you will probably catch on quickly to what must be her favourite trope. But one little bit of predictability doesn’t mar an otherwise entertaining story. I’d recommend Lucy’s books to fans of Bridget Jones; there’s the same mix of reality, humour and romance.
Lucy Robinson is fast becoming one of my must read chick-lit authors. Her characters are authentic, modern day thirty-somethings who speak and act like real people. Well, at least like real people I know! She uses her knowledge of internet dating to good effect; after all, it is a fast growing way of meeting someone instead of the unlikely encounters most chick-lit writers rely on. Her characters communicate via emails, IM and text messages with a frequency more in keeping with our modern lives.
Charley is a wonderful example of a successful woman whose inner thoughts might not mirror her professional exterior. Her lifestyle might not immediately endear her to you but her thoughts and friendships will draw you in. Although the best bit of characterisation has to be Malcolm, the family Labrador. He is spot on and anyone who has ever known a lab will understand. He’s fantastic and made me laugh out loud.
Part of the plot is similar to The Greatest Love Story of All Time. I can’t say more without giving away spoilers but if you’ve read her debut novel, you will probably catch on quickly to what must be her favourite trope. But one little bit of predictability doesn’t mar an otherwise entertaining story. I’d recommend Lucy’s books to fans of Bridget Jones; there’s the same mix of reality, humour and romance.