Flick by Abigail Tarttelin

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and Abigail Tarttelin for allowing me an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

It pains me to say this after I adored last year's reading of Abigail Tarttelin's Golden Boy but this book was just not for me.  This may be because I am not a teenage boy but I found the language hard to follow, the sheer amount of characters unnecessary, and the love story not very lovely at all.  I understand from the background information that this was actually Tarttelin's first book and it does show.  This would be a skip for me, but definitely pick up a copy of Golden Boy if you can - it is well worth the read - even if Flick fell short for me.

Goodreads Rating: 2 stars

Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes

Many thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Publishing, and Jojo Moyes to the advanced reader copy of Silver Bay in exchange from an honest review.

Jojo Moyes catapulted into "must read status" after Me Before You, The Girl You Left Behind, and One Plus One but I have to admit, that the novelty of Silver Bay left me a little bit cold.  The characters in this book were characteristically realistic as I have come to expect from Moyes work but it took me a LONG time to get into the book and then, once I was in, i found myself skimming heavily as it drew a bit long for what the story demanded.

This was a re=release for the american audience, and, for those familiar with her work, it is obvious that this was one of her earlier efforts and lacked the substance that is found in her later works.  I retain my position in the court of Jojo Moyes and look forward to further offerings from the author in the future.


Goodreads Rating: 3 stars

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce

I want to begin this review by thanking Netgalley, Random House Publishing and Rachel Joyce for sharing an advance copy of The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy with me.

I was introduced to these characters almost two years ago through "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" and instantly fell in love with not only Harold and Queenie but also the author, Rachel Joyce.  Her ability to weave a story with memorable characters that are both real and surreal.  In this companion novel to Harold Fry, Joyce tells us the other side of the story of the woman that Harold is walking the entire length of England to see.  We see Harold through Queenie's eyes, the love that she has to keep secret from him until her death and her fight to stay alive to tell him the story she never could before.

The last chapter, "The third letter" will break your heart and have you wiping tears from your eyes.