Mrs Cooke’s Books

Lake Child by Isabel Ashdown

Welcome to my stop on the #blogtour for Lake Child by Isabel Ashdown! Being an avid reader of her books, I jumped at the chance to read Ashdown’s latest offering and I was not disappointed.

Synopsis

You trust your family. They love you. Don’t they?

When 17-year-old Eva Olsen awakes after a horrific accident that has left her bedbound, her parents are right by her side. Devoted, they watch over her night and day in the attic room of their family home in the forests of Norway.

But the accident has left Eva without her most recent memories, and not everything is as it seems. As secrets from the night of the accident begin to surface, Eva realises – she has to escape her parents’ house and discover the truth. But what if someone doesn’t want her to find it?

My Thoughts

Being a fan of Ashdown’s work, I’ve come to know what to expect of her writing; exceptional plotting conveyed in beautifully written prose; and I am pleased to report that she has managed to do it yet again!

Lake Child is a moody and atmospheric thriller set against the stunning backdrop of the Norwegian fjords. Ashdown hooks you in from the first line and I was gripped ‘til the final page. This is a dark, brooding and unsettling novel, which I found rather creepy (in a good way) at times!

I loved how the dreamy yet vivid descriptions of the valley were seamlessly woven in with the secrets from the night of the accident. Ashdown has such a talent for making the reader feel like they are right there in the room as a scene is being played out; it makes for such a tense and compelling read.

I did think I had it all worked out by about two thirds of the way through the book, but the twists just kept coming and I’m pleased that the ending was a total surprise. Ashdown has delivered yet another intricate and anxiety-inducing page-turner and I can’t wait for her next!

Lake Child is out now in paperback and you can buy it here

My thanks go to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for my invitation to the #blogtour and also to Alainna Hadjigeorgiou of Orion/Trapeze for my eye-catching, proof copy in exchange for my honest review. If you enjoyed my post, please do check out my others, and also the other stops on the #blogtour (see below).

Until next time!

@mrscookesbooks

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The Day We Meet Again by Miranda Dickinson

Welcome to my stop on the #blogtour for The Day We Meet Again by Miranda Dickinson! I was excited to read this as Dickinson is a new author (to me) and I was not disappointed!

Synopsis

Their love story started with goodbye…

The brand-new novel from The Sunday Times bestselling author, Miranda Dickinson.

‘We’ll meet again at St Pancras station, a year from today. If we’re meant to be together, we’ll both be there. If we’re not, it was never meant to be . . .’

Phoebe and Sam meet by chance at St Pancras station. Heading in opposite directions, both seeking their own adventures, meeting the love of their lives wasn’t part of the plan. So they make a promise: to meet again in the same place in twelve months’ time if they still want to be together.

But is life ever as simple as that?

This is a story of what-ifs and maybes – and how one decision can change your life forever…

My Thoughts

This is a tale of two sides: After their chance meeting and exchange at St Pancras Station, we are treated to Sam and Phoebe’s separate journeys over the coming year in alternate chapters, always wondering whether or not they’ll come together at the end of it.

Dickinson cleverly ensured that despite Sam and Phoebe being apart, their adventures always seemed to somehow mirror one another’s. I enjoyed this as it gave the book a lovely rhythm and spurred me on to find out more.

Dickinson has created two utterly gorgeous characters; Sam and his burning passion for music; Phoebe with her love of books (very relatable!) and I found myself heavily invested in their lives. I was so drawn in that there were parts where I just wanted to give each of them a good shake!

The narrative is generously sprinkled with decadent descriptions of rugged Scotland and sumptuous details from Phoebe’s travels in Europe. We are also introduced to a cast of characters who will become lifelong friends and who teach them both new traditions.

This is definitely a “shoulda woulda coulda” book; a life lesson in if’s but’s and maybe’s and thinking about what it is you really want.

I must admit when I began this book I was expecting a sugar coated, gently lilting love story, but instead I was thrown on a roller coaster of emotions; tossed about in anger, sadness and love. I laughed, I cried, I even punched the air and may have sworn. Dickinson has presented us with a beautifully written and joyful love story; celebrating friendship, love and the journey to finding yourself.

The Day We Meet Again is out now in paperback and you can buy it here

My thanks go to Lily Capewell and HQ Stories for my invitation to the #blogtour and also to Lily for the gorgeous self care kit that arrived with the finished copy of the book (see above photo). If you enjoyed my post, please do check out my others, and also the other stops on the #blogtour (see below).

Until next time!

@mrscookesbooks

The Familiars by Stacey Halls

Welcome to my stop on the #blogtour for The Familiars by Stacey Halls! The weather has turned positively autumnal here in Warwickshire, and this book couldn’t be more perfect to cosy up with by the fire.

Synopsis

To save her child, she will trust a stranger.
To protect a secret, she must risk her life.

Fleetwood Shuttleworth is 17 years old, married, and pregnant for the fourth time. But as the mistress at Gawthorpe Hall, she still has no living child, and her husband Richard is anxious for an heir. When Fleetwood finds a letter she isn’t supposed to read from the doctor who delivered her third stillbirth, she is dealt the crushing blow that she will not survive another pregnancy.

Then she crosses paths by chance with Alice Gray, a young midwife. Alice promises to help her give birth to a healthy baby, and to prove the physician wrong.

As Alice is drawn into the witchcraft accusations that are sweeping the North-West, Fleetwood risks everything by trying to help her. But is there more to Alice than meets the eye?

Soon the two women’s lives will become inextricably bound together as the legendary trial at Lancaster approaches, and Fleetwood’s stomach continues to grow. Time is running out, and both their lives are at stake.

Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other.

My Thoughts

Firstly, I think that this book has one of the most seductive covers I’ve ever seen; so beautifully detailed with the eye-catching gold foil. Secondly, I’ll make it clear from the beginning: I was genuinely spellbound by this novel and The Familiars is a definite contender for my book of the year. This book is everything.

Halls tells us Fleetwood’s tale in a beautiful, almost musical narrative which is steeped in mystery and surrounded by suspense. Fleetwood’s world is unashamedly opulent. We are enveloped in sumptuous feasts, decadent clothing and reds, blues and emerald greens punctuated by rings and rubies. This is in stark contrast to Alice’s life of greys and browns and dirty whites.

Fleetwood has a lot to deal with, and despite already being married, this also feels like a “coming-of-age” novel. Fleetwood embarks on a journey to grow up and stand up for herself. She also manages to find the meaning of true friendship. Teamed up with her magnificent canine friend; a fiercely loyal Tibetan Mastiff called Puck, the formidable Fleetwood becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Halls cleverly creates a moody, misty and murky atmosphere. It is spooky and eerie and evokes ominous, shuddery feelings and a shimmering sense of foreboding from the very beginning.

I freely admit to being seduced by the mystical allure of this novel: I was totally, utterly and obliviously lost in it. The Familiars is sultry and seductive and full of so much witchy goodness.

Dogs, horses, witches, a spiky mother-in-law, and a suspicious husband; this book has it all. Every time I see the auburn flash of a foxtail (fairly frequently) I think back to this book and all of the wonderful autumnal feelings it evokes.

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to find myself a Tibetan Mastiff so I can live my best life (Fleetwood Style).

The Familiars is out today in paperback and you can buy it here

My thanks go to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for my invitation to the paperback #blogtour and also to Francesca Russell of Bonnier Zaffre for the stunning finished copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. If you enjoyed my post, please do check out my others, and also the other stops on the #blogtour (see below).

Until next time!

@mrscookesbooks

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Hello and happy weekend everyone! Today it’s my stop on the #blogtour for The Ten Thousand Doors of January and I’m really looking forward to sharing my thoughts on it with you!

Synopsis

In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.

Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

My Thoughts

First of all can we please just take a moment to marvel at this stunning cover! This is quite possibly one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t influence my decision to read and review this book!

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a captivating read. It is oozing with gloriously descriptive prose and there is even a peppering of footnotes throughout for those who want to be fully immersed in this truly Nania-esque world.

I don’t want to give too much away about the plot but the writing in this book is exquisite. I marvelled at the breadth and creativity of Harrow’s imagination as I turned each page and I was enchanted by her tantalizing and glorious details. The images that she manages to conjure up are so vivid and luminous I could almost reach out and touch them.

With fantasy not being my normal genre, I can honestly say that I’ve never read anything quite like this before. The story of the Doors is indeed compelling, but (for me) it is the calibre of the writing which sets this book aside from others; it is both enchanting and dazzling; a bewildering and multi-faceted journey of true escapism.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is out now in hardcover and you can buy it here. My thanks for to Tracy Fenton and Compulsive Readers for the invitation to the #blogtour and to Nadia Khatun of Orbit for a stunning proof copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you enjoyed my review, please do check out my other posts, and also the other stops on the #blogtour (see below).

Until next time!

@mrscookesbooks

The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott

It’s my stop on the #blogtour for The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott today and I am thrilled to share my thoughts on this hotly anticipated debut with you!

Synopsis

TWO FEMALE SPIES. A BANNED MASTERPIECE. A BOOK THAT CHANGED HISTORY.

1956. A celebrated Russian author is writing a book, Doctor Zhivago, which could spark dissent in the Soviet Union. The Soviets, afraid of its subversive power, ban it.

But in the rest of the world it’s fast becoming a sensation.

In Washington DC, the CIA is planning to use the book to tip the Cold War in its favour.

Their agents are not the usual spies, however. Two typists – the charming, experienced Sally and the talented novice Irina – are charged with the mission of a lifetime: to smuggle Doctor Zhivago back into Russia by any means necessary.

It will not be easy. There are people prepared to die for this book – and agents willing to kill for it. But they cannot fail – as this book has the power to change history.

My Thoughts

I have been looking forward to reading Lara Prescott’s debut for months, and I have not been disappointed! What a book! It has been riveting and it’s no surprise that Reece Witherspoon has chosen it as her book club pick for September.

This unusual story is both beautifully written and deeply compelling in equal measure. I found myself unable to tear myself away from Sally and Irina’s tricky tale of espionage, devouring huge hunks all at once, needing to know more.

I was utterly swept away by Prescott’s vivid style of writing together with her cast of strong and wonderfully convincing characters. It is rich in historical detail and covers (for me) a fascinating period in history with astonishing lucidity.

This really isn’t quite the run-of-the-mill, fast-paced, heart-in-the-mouth thriller I had expected; instead it is SO much more! It is thrilling, and it is pacy, yet it is also deeply emotional and full of zest.

The Secrets We Kept is out now in hardcover and you can buy it here

My thanks got to Anne Cater of Random Things for the invitation to the #blogtour and to Hutchinson/Penguin Random House for my beautiful proof copy in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

Lara Prescott was named after the heroine of Doctor Zhivagoand first discovered the true story behind the novel after the CIA declassified 99 documents pertaining to its role in the book’s publication and covert dissemination.

She travelled the world – from Moscow and Washington, to London and Paris – in the course of her research, becoming particularly interested in political repression in both the Soviet Union and United States and how, during the Cold War, both countries used literature as a weapon.

Lara earned her MFA from the Michener Center for Writers. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband.

Website : http://www.laraprescott.com/

Twitter : @laraprescott

If you enjoyed my review, please do check out my other posts and also the other stops on the #blogtour (see below).

Until next time!