Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Apr 26, 2022
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Liar Liar [Audiobook] in Books
Jul 31, 2022
![Liar Liar [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/c45/0b28ae40-c575-4c28-89c9-4a911a2ccc45.jpg?m=1659273441)
The plot is captivating and although it is a tad unbelievable, it's like one of those cheesy chat shows that you can't stop watching and you find yourself shouting at the tv! Well, all I can say is that it's a good job I was in my car and not on a train whilst listening to this otherwise I would have got some very strange looks!
The characters are well developed - I actually didn't like any of them very much apart from Mason, however, for this book, I'm not sure it mattered to me. The pace was quick and it's full of tension from start to finish and the gradual reveal of the "unspeakable secret" added to this.
The narrator was good however, there were times when her voice became a little stilted and robotic which was a little annoying and disappointing.
Overall, I think this works really well as an audiobook and if you like delving into the secrets and lies of a very dysfunctional family, I would definitely recommend it.
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to Liar Liar and to share my thoughts.
Lesser Evil (Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendency, #3)
7.0
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The fate of the Chiss Ascendancy hangs in the balance in the epic finale of the Star Wars: Thrawn...
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With her wedding to Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst just days away, strong-willed American ex-pat...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Jul 7, 2022
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Butterfly Summer in Books
Dec 7, 2018
The Butterfly Summer</i> is the latest novel by the Sunday Times bestselling author Harrier Evans. It is a story full of mystery and secrets that, although primarily set in 2011, whizzes back and forth in time. In London 2011 the narrator, Nina Parr, a young divorced woman of 25, is living with her mother and stepfather in the house she grew up in. In 1986 her father went on an expedition to Venezuela in search of the Glasswinged butterfly where he supposedly met his fate, thus never returned. However, after a brief but strange encounter with a confused old lady, Nina questions the truth about her father’s death.
Other mysteries begin to crop up from this moment forth. Nina hears of a woman named Teddy who she apparently looks like, and learns that the mansion from her favourite childhood book is a real place. But how are these things connected to Nina’s father?
As Nina begins to unravel her previously unaware of family secrets, the reader also learns more about Teddy – her past, her experiences and her connection with a house called Keepsake.
To begin with <i>The Butterfly Summer </i>was exciting and refreshing, the cryptic storyline pulling you in and not letting go. However from the midway point it began to considerably slow down and become rather dull, stale. Nina is such an interesting character that, by contrast, the snippets (rather extensive ones) about Teddy’s past were difficult to plow through.
One thing to commend the author on – although others may disagree – is the limit she put on romantic affairs. For me there was just the right amount of reference to these relationships to provoke the feeling of heartbrokenness yet not to detract from the main storyline.
For those who enjoy women’s fiction of a similar nature (e.g. Jill Mansell, perhaps) <i>The Butterfly Summer </i>is definitely a book to look out for. For me however, even though the first half I really enjoyed (four stars out of five), I had begun to work out the remaining mysteries myself and found the latter half less exciting.
ClareR (6253 KP) rated The Talk of Pram Town in Books
Jun 10, 2021
Sadie and Connie live in Leeds, and don’t appear to have any other family. Connie wants to hit the big time as a singer, but instead sings at local working men’s clubs, and works at the local supermarket. Sadie certainly lives the first 11 years of her life in a much different way to many other people. This house in Leeds seems to be the most stable and ‘normal’ way of life that she has had so far.
So when Sadie is forced to go and live with the grandparents she has never met, her introduction to Essex suburbia is quite a shock to her system!
I loved this book. It has a real sense of time and place, making me feel so nostalgic for my childhood. I really enjoyed Sadie's grandparents: Jean, her grandmother, especially. It’s clear from the beginning that she has her own secrets, secrets that have embittered her over the years. I felt that the slow reveal of her younger life, and how she deals with Sadie as well as her feelings for Connie and Bernard, were fascinating.
But Sadie really is the most wonderful part of this novel. The way that she approaches her new life with such stoicism, her intelligence and curiosity of the new world that she has to grow to at least like, really made me want to read more.
I can’t wait to see what Joanna Nadin writes next - I’ve loved both this and her last novel (The Queen of Bloody Everything), both of which look at mother-daughter relationships.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this - it’s a joy to read.
I'll Be Your Blue Sky
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The New York Times bestselling author revisits the characters from her beloved novels Love Walked In...
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Dylan: I’ve lived my adult life under the Hollywood spotlight, but no one really sees who I am....
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