Newest Women's Fiction Reviews
The Twilight Hour by Nicci Gerrard
Eleanor has been persuaded by her children to seriously consider sheltered accommodation. At the age of 94 and blind, she isn't considered safe rattling around a big old house. She doesn't surrender without conditions though: before she considers moving out, a stranger should be employed to sort her photos and papers before burning them. The family agree and Peter is appointed. Gradually he realises why Eleanor doesn’t want her children to see the documents as the story of hidden life, love and loss is revealed. Full review...
Cover Your Eyes by Adele Geras
For London fashion journalist Megan forbidden love ends suddenly and painfully, just when she thinks it will blossom into something lasting and legitimate. Elsewhere, in the countryside, Eva Conway lives with her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters in Salix House – the house that Eva used to call her own when she was a famous fashion designer. Now she feels alone, even in the heart of her family. Not only this but she also faces the loss of the home that means so much to her. As Megan and Eva's paths cross they discover that each of them has a dark guilty secret eating away at them, but then Salix House has secrets too. Full review...
The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes
Stella is an author working on her second book. Though now back in Ireland, she talks of a life in New York. It sounds fabulous. But something has changed. Whatever it is, we’re not sure. Maybe the mighty have fallen, the stars have stopped colliding. Either way, that adventure is over as the book starts. It’s not where the story starts, though, and we’re soon plunged back into the past, with the events that have lead Stella to this point. First on the list, a serious illness, without which nothing that followed would have happened, or at least not in the way it did. This may sound confusing but the book is anything but, and despite its great length, I sped through it. Full review...
The Seafront Tea Rooms by Vanessa Greene
Charlie, Kat and Seraphine, are strangers brought together in the Seafront Tea Rooms by their mutual love of afternoon tea. Kat is a young, single mum struggling to get by while her ex provides very little help, Charlie is a heartbroken journalist writing a tea feature for her magazine while visiting her difficult sister, and French Seraphine has come across the channel to au pair, improve her English and get some perspective on a new, complicated relationship. Full review...
A Most Desirable Marriage by Hilary Boyd
Jo and Lawrence have been married for nearly forty years. It has been a good marriage and they are both looking forward to spending more time together and pursuing new interests once Lawrence has retired. However, as the time approaches Jo notices that Lawrence appears more edgy and withdrawn. She puts it down to pre-retirement nerves; nothing to really worry about. So, when Lawrence makes a confession to her immediately after his retirement party, she couldn't have been more surprised. She realises that her husband has been living a secret life and that changes everything: instead of anticipating their rosy future together, she's now looking forward to the prospect of life as a single woman. Full review...
Zemindar by Valerie Fitzgerald
1850s India: Laura Hewitt accompanies her newly married cousin Emily Flood and Emily's husband Charles to the exotic sub-continent for a visit to Charles' half-brother Oliver Erskine. Although none of the travellers have ever met Oliver, many of the people they encounter have heard of him and the way he rules his small fiefdom as its Zemindar. These stories tantalise Laura as the information conflicts and she's unable to develop a mental picture of the man. That's not all that's conflicting: there's an increasing feeling of unrest in this furthest outpost of Queen Victoria's empire which will eventually lead to one of the bloodiest episodes in Indo-British history. Laura, Emily and Charles are naïve, but that won't save them from what's to come – something beyond their worst nightmares. Full review...
The Idea of Him by Holly Peterson
Allie Crawford seemed to have it made. She was married to Wade - the sort of man who made other women drool, had a job in a high-profile Manhattan PR firm and two kids whom she adored. What could be better? What could go wrong? Well, it looked as though something was going wrong when Allie found Wade locked in their laundry room with a decidedly glamorous blonde. There had been a bit of a blip in their marriage whilst Allie was breastfeeding their younger child, but Allie thought that Wade had learned his lesson and would be careful about hurting her in future. Full review...
What I Love About You by Rachel Gibson
Natalie is the girl next door when Blake moves to town but it’s neither love nor even friendship at first sight. Sure, her daughter might have taken a shine to the handsome stranger who likes to keep himself to himself but to Natalie he’s arrogant and obnoxious. Still, you can’t live next door to someone and never run into them, just as you can’t avoid your neighbours in a small town, and since Truly, Idaho fits the bill on both, they’re going to see each other. Full review...
Your Beautiful Lies by Louise Douglas
South Yorkshire 1984: Annie Howarth comes from a mining family and is married to William, a police superintendent. Although she and their daughter have all the societal and financial status they could need, Annie's life is becoming very uncomfortable as the miners begin a strike that will become violent on both sides of the divide. It's either an illegal strike or assertion of rights depending on the side you're on but unfortunately Annie isn't permitted to choose. However this is only the start of her problems. Tom Greenwood, a former boyfriend, is back on the streets after serving a prison sentence for manslaughter and he has unfinished business. The problem for Annie is that the unfinished business is with her, eventually threatening her world and possibly even her life. Full review...
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
Historian witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont are back home in the 21st century but now face the tragic news of Aunt Sarah's partner, Em's death. Hard-to-get-along-with Baldwin has taken over as head of the de Clairmont clan and is making life dangerously difficult for Diana, Matthew and their unborn twins. If this isn't enough, they still need to find and remove the secret manuscript, Ashmole 782 – the Book of Life. However, they have very dangerous competition. Full review...
The 49th Day by Helen Noble
After escaping a disastrous marriage, Katherine Walsh travels to an island retreat in Wales in order to pick up the pieces of her life, relax and decide future direction. However, rest and recreation isn't all she discovers. During therapy sessions her ancient past is unlocked and odd happenings that have haunted her for years start to make sense. Katherine also realises that it may be to her benefit to learn how to trust a man again but the chance of love isn't her biggest surprise. She appears to be pregnant so any decisions she makes about her future must include the new life within her. Full review...
It Had to Be You by Ellie Adams
Lizzy thinks everything is going well in her life until it all goes startlingly wrong. Her boyfriend dumps her very publicly whilst she is dressed as Henry VIII at a thirtieth birthday party and unfortunately the whole debacle is filmed and ends up on YouTube. She becomes known as 'head butt girl' as she is filmed demonstrating her fury. Her PR job is also going nowhere as she finds herself having to try and promote some very strange concepts. At least she has her two best friends for solace and they can all be found, many evenings, drinking away their sorrows and putting the world to rights. Full review...
The Mill River Redemption by Darcie Chan
Rose and Emily are sisters who co-exist rather than interact. In the past, a devastating event drove them apart, and now they both have their own lives, far away from sleepy Mill River, Vermont, where they grew up. When their mother Josie dies, they are brought back together first in their mourning and then in their frustration at a message from beyond the grave: their mother is determined to achieve in death what she couldn't while still alive, a sisterly reconciliation. She has left her estate to the girls, but in order to access the funds they will need to cooperate and coordinate efforts to unearth the clues she has left them. With neither in a position to walk away from the potential gold mine, they have to put aside their differences, if only for the summer. Full review...
Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Death and kindergarten are not two things you would normally think went together, but this time they have. Someone is dead. A murder investigation has been launched. But why are the police finding it so hard to get answers? What actually went on that night? And can an incident in the playground on the first day really have come to this? Full review...
Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer
Mara and Scott are both on a countdown. Each has five days left. But when the weekend comes, who will be happy, who will be mourning, and who will be out of the picture forever? Full review...
The Girls from Corona Del Mar by Rufi Thorpe
Exploring the friendship of Mia and Lorrie Ann, two girls who grew up together in 1980's Corona Del Mar, this novel is unexpectedly tragic; definitely not just another trashy, girly work of fiction. Written from the point of view of Mia, it tells the journeys of the two friends and the events which have led them to where they are now. The Girls from Corona Del Mar explores not only the subjects of friendship, growing apart and growing up, but also those of death, war, drugs, abortion and coping with a disabled child. And, in my opinion, Rufi Thorpe does this brilliantly; sometimes with subtlety and elegance but often through the frank, brutal honesty of the character's narration. Full review...
Rock Chick Rescue by Kristen Ashley
Jet McAlister is working two jobs to help pay for her mother's medical expenses, after a stroke left her mostly paralysed on one side. It's okay - Jet likes taking care of people - but she can't deal with any more complications in her life. Full review...
Follow Me Home by Cathy Woodman
Cathy Woodman has written a number of books about life in the Devon village of Taylton St George. These all tell the tale of the comings and goings of the different villagers as they go about their daily lives. You don't have to have read the earlier ones in order to enjoy the stories although if you have read them you are more likely to appreciate the bigger picture. Full review...
Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand
Jenna is getting married and no one would be more excited than her mother Beth. But Beth passed away before she could see the baby of the Carmichael family happily hitched. Knowing she wouldn't live to see the day, she drafted The Notebook, a guide to help Jenna plan her nuptials with wise, motherly advice on every aspect. Full review...
Paper Swans by Jessica Thompson
Ben Lawrence has a charmed life it would seem. There’s the highly successful and lucrative career in PR, the fast car, and more girlfriends than he can possibly remember. However, despite all this, Ben is sad and lonely. He is scared to commit to any woman because of a tragic incident from his past. Even visiting his therapist does not seem to make a difference. Therefore, he is completely taken by surprise when, after meeting Effy Jones, the founder of the charity that Ben’s firm is sponsoring, he finds that he cannot stop thinking about her. Full review...
The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan
Eaden and Son is looking for the next Mrs Eaden. The original Mrs Eaden, Kathleen, has recently died and in her honour the upmarket grocery store is running a baking competition to find someone to advise the store on its baking products; to write a monthly magazine column; and to front Eaden’s advertising campaign. It’s an extremely appealing prospect and attracts many willing contestants that are eventually whittled down to five who will take part in weekly bake-offs in order to showcase their talents in all aspects of baking. Full review...
Any Other Mouth by Anneliese Mackintosh
With a title like Any Other Mouth, you know from the outset that this is, shall we say, a rather niche book. It’s not all about orifices, though. Partially autobiographical, this is the messy, ludicrous, wildly entertaining story of a girl who’s just a little bit different. Ok, make that a lot different. Full review...
Jam Tomorrow by Lorraine Jenkin
Joss Jeffries is a farmer. Not a farmer's wife and general help on the farm but the one who has to get out there and make it work. Her husband departed a while ago leaving her with their young son and a mountain of debt, so what she needs is money coming in, and preferably as quickly as possible. She and her father, Mick, come up with what seems like a good idea: walking holidays in the magical mid-Wales countryside. It looks to be quite a sound plan too. They'll take well-paying, decent people on great walks and let them experience the joy of camping and living close to nature. Only... Full review...
Train That Carried The Girl: 2 (Riccarton Junction) by W Scott Beaven
A few years have passed since we last met Kikarin, the then teenager growing up in the wilds of the Scottish borders surrounded by some pretty wild people. Her parents have gone back to live in Japan while her brother has fled abroad as a result of the family's near fatal brush with the criminal underworld. This leaves Kiri to continue her life with her friends Ainslie and Melanie filling the void. Although disappointed to have missed out on her honours degree in archaeology, Kiri finds alternative employment selling double glazing for commercial premises. Some things change but Kiri is still scarred by the past. She wants to settle down but will this past let her? Full review...
A Place For Us (Part 1) by Harriet Evans
Martha and David Winter live at Winterfold. David Winter is a famous cartoonist but he and his wife are getting on a bit and life isn’t quite as easy as it used to be, or, indeed for their children and grandchildren. As we meet them in August 2012 Martha is sending out invitations for her eightieth birthday and she makes it clear that she’d like them all to be there. Son Bill is the local GP and he’s struggling in his second marriage to the much younger Karen, but he’s still close to his daughter Lucy. The girls are much further away. Florence lives in Florence, just to confuse matters. She’s a Professor, ferociously intelligent and emotionally naive. Daisy is in India. Her childhood was ‘’difficult’’ but she’s now doing charitable work - which isn’t a lot of consolation for her daughter Cat whom she abandoned when she was a few weeks old. Full review...
