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The Muse
The Muse
Jessie Burton | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
4
7.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
18 of 230
Book
The Muse
By Jessie Burton
⭐️⭐️

Seductive, exhilarating and suspenseful, The Muse is an unforgettable novel about aspiration and identity, love and obsession, authenticity and deception – a masterpiece from Jessie Burton, the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist.

A picture hides a thousand words . . .

On a hot July day in 1967, Odelle Bastien climbs the stone steps of the Skelton gallery in London, knowing that her life is about to change forever. Having struggled to find her place in the city since she arrived from Trinidad five years ago, she has been offered a job as a typist under the tutelage of the glamorous and enigmatic Marjorie Quick. But though Quick takes Odelle into her confidence, and unlocks a potential she didn't know she had, she remains a mystery – no more so than when a lost masterpiece with a secret history is delivered to the gallery.

The truth about the painting lies in 1936 and a large house in rural Spain, where Olive Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer, is harbouring ambitions of her own. Into this fragile paradise come artist and revolutionary Isaac Robles and his half-sister Teresa, who immediately insinuate themselves into the Schloss family, with explosive and devastating consequences . . .


Oh it started so well and I was enjoying it but I just got so bored. I really wanted to enjoy this book but I couldn’t find anything to keep me hooked in! The characters were wushu washy and the story lost it appeal. Such a shame!
  
BW
Black Widow ( Annie Carter book 2)
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
97 of 230
Book
Black Widow ( Annie Carter book 2)
By Jessie Keane
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In Dirty Game, Annie Bailey was an East End Madam. In Black Widow she's queen of the gangs and trying to save her daughter's life! Annie Bailey had done it all; Madam, mistress and Gangster's moll. Now she's Annie Carter, and she taking over the East End. Annie knew that it wouldn't last. Everything was going so well; she was living in Majorca, had Max Carter - the head of the Carter firm by her side, and had given him a beautiful daughter, Layla. But if there was one thing life had taught her, it was that everything could change in the blink of an eye. One minute she's lying by the pool, the next she's out cold. When she comes round Max and Layla are gone. It's not long before she gets the demands. They want money or she'll be getting her little girl back in pieces! There's only one thing Annie can do, she heads back to the East End of London and gathers the Carter firm together. Someone has snatched her husband and child. Now there's a score to settle, and it's being settled Annie Carter style!

Loved it!! I couldn’t put it down or stop thinking about it! This is the second book and this time they mess with her child. From start to finish it had me on edge. I really like this writer. We see that hard faced Annie almost crumble and I do say almost!
  
R(
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
55 of 220
Kindle
Ruthless ( The Privileged of Pembroke High 4)
By Ivy Fox
⭐️⭐️

Since before I could even spell the name Grayson, I only had eyes for one boy—my perfect, larger than life best friend, who always managed to bring his bright light into my very dark existence with just one of his boyish smiles.

With Chad, I could forget the dismal life I had of being the flawless privileged daughter of a cruel, evil man.

He was my escape.

My solace.

My hope that one day I’d be free of it all and live how I always envisioned with my green-eyed boy at my side.

He was my everything until the devil’s piercing black eyes seduced him away from me.

They call him Saint, but heaven is not at fault for his pitiful creation.

Only the devil could produce such mouth-watering beauty to hide the ugliness that dwells inside.

He’s the demon that terrorizes my days and haunts my restless nights.

Saint wants to steal all that I love, believing he can beat me, but the fool has another thing coming.

I’m Eleanor Grayson, b*tch.

You want a fight, Saint?

Well, I’ll give you one you’ll never forget.

I was born and bred to be ruthless.

By the time I’m through, not even hell will recognize you.

Got to admit I wasn’t keen on this one! Think i expected more as the I really enjoyed the first 3 something was missing. This is the start of Elles story but I honestly struggled.
  
The Silence Factory
The Silence Factory
Bridget Collins | 2024 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I’m an arachnophobe. I run from rooms when there’s a particularly large spider around - and I still loved this book. I have to admit, I did have to visualise them as chunkier and furrier with fewer legs. Web-weaving Jack Russells, if you will 🤦🏼‍♀️ But that’s the joy of reading!

A factory in Telverton seems to have acquired a particular breed of spider whose web, when spun into a silken fabric, can bring silence to the person/ people sitting inside. However, if the fabric is the other way round, it produces sounds that can make people go mad (they don’t make too much of that fact). So, no the best factory to work in, then!

I enjoyed the two timelines: the discovery of the spiders in 1820, told through the journals of Sophia Ashmore-Percy; and the manufacture of the silk in a factory town decades later along with an audiologist who goes to work for Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy. He has the task of helping Sir Ashmore-Percy’s deaf daughter to hear.

I love how Bridget Collins mixes historical fiction and fantasy, and makes it all seem perfectly reasonable. There’s a lot to be said in this story about taking advantage of people for profit (in the factory in particular) and how nature can be used for man’s own ends, regardless of the consequences. Humans aren’t painted in the best of light, and I actually felt sorry for the spiders 🕷️🕷️🕷️

Still don’t like spiders though.