Tag Archives: family

Book Review: The New Wife by Amanda Brittany and Karen Clarke

Posted in Book review tours, Book Reviews by

About the Book:

The people you trust are the people who hurt you the most.

Nell Cosgrove is the new wife who got it all. She married her handsome, wealthy boss within six months of meeting him. They live in a beautiful riverside home. She has a flourishing career.

The only problem is her two stepdaughters, Ruby and Poppy, who are fiercely loyal to their mother, and reject all her overtures.

But now everything is falling apart. Nell’s marriage is starting to crack. Her husband spends more and more time away on business.

She gets creepy text messages from an unknown admirer. He sends mysterious bouquets of flowers to her office. She starts making mistakes at work.

Everything Nell thought she knew about her marriage and her new life is about to be turned upside down.

Book Links:
Buy Links – https://geni.us/dtHHa2
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63045634-the-new-wife

About the Authors:

Author Bio – Amanda Brittany


Amanda lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and cute dog. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family and friends, walking her dog, reading (her go-to is fictional crime and psychological thrillers) and she is far too keen on red velvet cake. She loves sunny days by the sea, and snowy days through the window of a cozy room. Amanda has raised over £8700 in eBook royalties for Cancer Research UK in memory of her sister. She is the author of six psychological crime thrillers, and co-writer of psychological suspense novels with author Karen Clarke.

Follow her at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amandajbrittany
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mandy.brittany
Instagram : http://www.instagram.com/amanda_brittany_author

Author Bio – Karen Clarke


Karen is a multi-published author of romantic comedies and psychological suspense novels, as well as co-writing thrillers with Amanda Brittany. She lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband and three grown-up children and when she’s not writing, she reads (a lot), loves walking and taking pictures — the birds in her garden are probably the most photographed in the country.

Follow her at:
Website: https://www.karenclarkewriter.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenclarke123
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karen.clarke.5682
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenanne37/

My Thoughts:

It’s my stop on the Book Tour for The New Wife today! I am grateful to be on this tour with so many wonderful bloggers and reviewers.

The New Wife is a suspense filled psychological thriller that will have the reader on the edge of their seat. The story is narrated from two points of view. One is of Nell, “the new wife” as she is called and the second is of one of her step-daughter’s, Ruby. Nell has a very unsteady relationship with her two step-daughters as they blame her for their parents break-up and divorce. They are rude to her and make life difficult for her in the hope that their father will leave her and reconcile with their mother.

All the characters in the story are portrayed in grey shades. As cracks start to appear in Nell’s marriage, she decides that perhaps couples counselling is the best way to save them. A fiercely independent woman, Nell hoped that marriage would bring stability and happiness to her life. However, she did not expect her husband to change as he did, or perhaps this was how he always was and she did not see it from the beginning.

A lot of things start to go wrong and Nell doesn’t know whom to trust. The authors have done a great job in throwing the reader off track while always focusing on Nell’s and Ruby’s thoughts and feelings. Little do we know that there are other forces and people at play and soon everything will come crashing down. I truly enjoyed the story and the twists and turns. Though some parts of it were predictable, I definitely did not see the ending and the events of the epilogue coming. That was a major curve ball which made me realize that I could not guess the complete story after all.

The story focuses on mental health issues and how the characters deal with it. It also shows us how the decision of each person affects them and the others around them. Overall this was a gripping read and I recommend this for all fans of psychological thrillers. It is definitely worth reading!

Book Review: Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

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About the Book:

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Anju is the daughter of an upper-caste Calcutta family; her cousin Sudha is the daughter of the black sheep of the family. Sudha is as beautiful, tenderhearted, and serious as Anju is plain, whip-smart, and defiant. yet since the day they were born, Sudha and Anju have been bonded in ways even their mothers cannot comprehend.

The cousins’ bond is shattered, however, when Sudha learns a dark family secret. Urged into arranged marriages, their lives take sudden, opposite turns: Sudha becomes the dutiful daughter-in-law of a rigid small-town household, while Anju goes to America with her new husband and learns to live her own life of secrets. Then tragedy strikes them both, and the women discover that, despite the distance that has grown between them, they have only each other to turn to. Set in the two worlds of India and America, this is an exceptionally moving novel of love, friendship, and compelling courage.

My Thoughts:

Sister of My Heart is a beautifully written story of cousins Anju and Sudha and their unwavering love for each other. The story introduces us to the girls and their early childhood. We follow them as they navigate the world and even find love. They get pushed into situations that they do not expect and end up in different parts of the world. Not everything is as happy as it seems on the surface. As time passes, we come to know of a secret that will shatter everything and change everything they know and that we know too.

I have always admired the author’s style of writing and I enjoy reading her books. This was no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed this story filled with love, heartbreak, a sense of belonging and maturity. The characters are well developed and interesting and grow into themselves as time passes. This is well depicted in the book and is something that pulled me instantly. The author also focuses on things left unsaid and hints of things that people want to say in a way that keeps us guessing. There is also a good understanding of their feelings and thoughts which are vital to the story. As readers, we are on a journey with these girls and the only way we can relate to them is if we understand what they are thinking and how they feel. This is brought out by the author in the way she has handled the plot and the characters, with a lot of care and love.

This story is one that will stay with the reader even after it is finished. The beauty of the relationship the two girls share and how they navigate the truth is what forms the backbone of the story. It goes to show that no matter how devasting a secret or fact is, we can go above it and still retain or even reclaim lost or broken relationships. What’s important is the understanding and maturity of a person and the choices they make. I truly enjoyed this book and strongly recommend it to everyone.

Book Review: Somebody’s Daughter: A Memoir by Ashley C. Ford

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About the Book:

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
NBCC John Leonard Prize Finalist
Indie Bestseller

“This is a book people will be talking about forever.” —Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed

“Ford’s wrenchingly brilliant memoir is truly a classic in the making. The writing is so richly observed and so suffused with love and yearning that I kept forgetting to breathe while reading it.” —John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author

One of the most prominent voices of her generation debuts with an extraordinarily powerful memoir: the story of a childhood defined by the looming absence of her incarcerated father.

Through poverty, adolescence, and a fraught relationship with her mother, Ashley C. Ford wishes she could turn to her father for hope and encouragement. There are just a few problems: he’s in prison, and she doesn’t know what he did to end up there. She doesn’t know how to deal with the incessant worries that keep her up at night, or how to handle the changes in her body that draw unwanted attention from men. In her search for unconditional love, Ashley begins dating a boy her mother hates. When the relationship turns sour, he assaults her. Still reeling from the rape, which she keeps secret from her family, Ashley desperately searches for meaning in the chaos. Then, her grandmother reveals the truth about her father’s incarceration . . . and Ashley’s entire world is turned upside down.

Somebody’s Daughter steps into the world of growing up a poor Black girl in Indiana with a family fragmented by incarceration, exploring how isolating and complex such a childhood can be. As Ashley battles her body and her environment, she embarks on a powerful journey to find the threads between who she is and what she was born into, and the complicated familial love that often binds them.

My Thoughts:

I read this book due to a recommendation from a friend. I did not know what to expect but this story and the writing blew me away. I had not heard of the author or the person before this and so did not know what to expect before reading the book. The synopsis gave me some idea, but honestly it does not even begin to scratch the surface of what is to come.

Author Ashley Ford has written a powerful memoir as her debut novel about her life and experiences while growing up in the 80s and 90s in a poor Black family. Her father was incarcerated and she talks about her journey as she navigates this along with the broken pieces of her family.

The author is candid and courageous as she talks about her experiences, trauma and how everything shaped her. She talks about her difficult relationship with her mother, her feelings towards her father’s incarceration and the support she received from some wonderful people like her grandmother. This journey is one which will gut you and question how the world works, but it is real and something that we should take note of. She focuses on how her feelings changed, how she processed things (though not in a lot of detail) and how she tried to find trust and love in a new relationships and finally how she processed the truth behind her father’s incarceration.

I truly appreciate how difficult it must have been for the author to pen this book and having said that, I admit that it is quite well written. For someone who spends most of her time in the world of fiction, I found this book to be moving and I think that it is worth reading. It has some trigger warnings of rape and abuse among others so I would recommend readers to take note of this before reading the book.

Book Review: Shut The Lights by Smita Bhattacharya

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About the Book:

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A dark and unpredictable tale of family secrets… and the lengths we go to, to save the ones we love. For lovers of non-formulaic domestic noir suspense.

For this family, the lockdown came as a blessing.

On 24 March 2020, with merely a four-hour notice, the Indian government declared a three-week lockdown as a containment measure for COVID-19. In terms of scale and severity, this lockdown was unparalleled worldwide. However, quite unexpectedly, for a family of four, cooped up in a plush Mumbai apartment, it came as a blessing.

On the face of it, Suvini, Mridul, Damien, and Tara belonged to an upper-middle-class family, with its typical privileges and pressures. But inwardly, each of them held a dark secret that threatened to derail their very existence. And the shutting down of everything had given them the unique opportunity to get away with it.
Or not.

Inspired by actual events.

For readers of Herman Koch, Elizabeth Haynes, and Leila Slimani.

My Thoughts:

Every time Smita tells me that she has written another story, I jump at the chance to read it. I was lucky to get introduced to her two years ago and I have been a fan of her writing ever since. What intrigues me the most is how she takes everyday incidents or current situations and turns them into a complete story, replete with strong characters and an entertaining plot with twists that you don’t see coming.

Shut The Lights is a suspense novel set during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic during the first lock down in India. This was a time of great confusion and uncertainty wherein we did not know what was happening, what to do, how to stay safe etc. Smita took this feeling and situation and turned it into a story that will have the reader on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what happens next.

In this book, we follow an upper-middle-class family as they navigate the lockdown and deal with being confined within the house all the time. We observe their strained interactions while the cracks in their relationships that were barely visible start to come to light. However, the most interesting part of this story is in the twist and how the family comes together, despite the web of lies, as one to protect their own and try to hide a shocking secret.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as the feelings of the characters and their reactions to a lot of the situations mirrored our own during the first lockdown of the pandemic. The book is relatable in this sense and full of mystery with well developed characters who could be anyone around us. I strongly recommend this book for those who enjoy reading non-formulaic domestic noir suspense as mentioned in the blurb.

Book Review: Breaking the Friendzone by May Lynn

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About the Book:

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Revenge is sometimes best served . . . in bed

When Lacey Mason was six-years-old, her family moved to the Hamptons. A beautiful location for sure, but not much fun when you’re the only kid in the area. When Lacey stumbles upon her next door neighbor, Luke Drake, on the beach it is instant friendship. For the next four years they spent almost every waking hour together. But just as Summer inevitably turns to Fall, all good things must end. As Lacey’s family sells their house and leaves the Hamptons, Lacey and Luke vow to stay in touch. But a dramatic meeting when they are teens leaves their friendship in tatters and Lacey’s heart broken.

Fast forward seven years, and 22-year-old Lacey returns to the Hamptons. During a night out partying, who does she run into? Luke Drake. The only thing is Luke doesn’t recognize her. At first, Lacey thinks it’s hilarious–a case of karma finally catching up with the golden boy–but then she realizes that all the feelings she’s buried for so long aren’t going to stay buried . . . especially when she and Luke are thrown together by internships at Drake-Mason Pharma.

Luke Drake wants to be anywhere but the Hamptons, and he certainly doesn’t want to be interning at his dad’s company. Luke’s got a secret plan: make enough money to break away from his controlling father and strike out on his own. Then one night he sees a girl at a club and after an incredible night together, he discovers that the mystery girl is his childhood friend: Lacey Mason. He knows what he did to her when they were teenagers was wrong and is determined to spend the summer showing Lacey that he’s changed…and that they belong together.

However, family secrets, including the one that ended their friendship in the first place, may prove to be too much and Lacey may not be willing to let Luke break the friendzone.

My Thoughts:

Breaking the Friendzone is a quick and light, summer read. This is perfect for those who enjoy the friends to enemies and then lovers trope. The reader is introduced to Luke and Lacey in the beginning of the book and then the story follows their journey from this meeting. Both of them are strong willed and trying to reconcile their feelings of the past with that of the present day.

The author has done a great job of interspersing the past with the present, bringing to us the story of how Luke and Lacey knew each other, how their friendship grew and a glimpse into the secrets that pulled them apart. Lacey has a lot of leftover feelings to deal with including ones of hurt and betrayal. The characters are relatable and real for most of the time though at times they act like teenagers which makes it very childish. This is the only part that I felt could have been handled a little better.

However, I did enjoy reading this book and discovering the story of the characters in the book. This is a YA romance that will keep the reader turning the pages until the very end. As the story unfolds, secrets that were buried deeply start to come out impacting everyone in the story and we follow them as they find a way to move forward from this. The book is definitely worth a read for those who enjoy the genre or the trope mentioned.

Book Review: The Woman I Was Before by Kerry Fisher

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About the Book:

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The perfect picture hides the darkest lies.

A new home can be a happy ending. Or a fresh start. Or a hiding place…

Kate Jones is running away. She has left her old life behind, changing both her own name and her daughter’s. No-one must ever connect Kate with the mistake that destroyed her life.

Starting afresh on Parkview Road – a brand new street full of newly built houses – Kate looks at the other women on the street with envy. They seem to have it all: Gisela with her busy life, full house and successful children, Sally with her exciting spontaneous marriage, her glamorous holidays, her high-flying career. The pictures that Kate’s new friends post online confirm their seemingly perfect existence, whilst Kate hides from the world at all costs.

Until one day, everything changes. Kate is called to the scene of a devastating accident, which is about to test everything the women thought they knew about each other, and themselves.

From the bestselling author of The Silent Wife, The Woman I Was Before is a book about the things we hide from those closest to us – and the terrible consequences that keeping those secrets can have. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain.

My Thoughts:

The story follows Kate as she relocates to a new place, running away from a past that she does not want to be known for. A small mistake changes the course of her life and that of her teenage daughter. Parkview Road, where they come to live, is not without it’s drama. The neighbors are interesting and seem to have it all together. On one side there is Gisela, living a busy and seemingly happy life with her husband and children. On the other is Sally, a successful career woman with a husband who is equally successful.

As the story progresses, we are provided glimpses into the lives of each of these three women and discover that they are not so put together as we were led to believe initially. The saying “the grass is greener on the other side” is apt in Kate’s case as she follows her friends lives on Facebook. Not everything is as it seems though and in reality there is so much that is going wrong in each of the characters lives. This is a good portrayal of reel life and real life where reel life in this case can be attributed to what is seen on social media.

Kate is a strong woman hiding from one incident that she feels she has to pay for. Even though she is found to have not been responsible in the end. Sally is dealing with a marriage that is great on the surface but at a stage where she and her husband seem to want different things in life. Gisela is dealing with everything that can go wrong with each member of her family. The author has wonderfully shown us the strength of these women and how one incident can either bring people together or tear them apart.

In the case of this story, the focus is finally on how the women come together to support each other as each one’s story comes to light. The bonds of friendship and togetherness that develop through the course of the story are delightful. I have always been a fan of Kerry Fisher’s books and it is no wonder that I picked up this book to read. As expected I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the way the characters evolved throughout the story. It did take me a little time to get captivated by the story, but once that happened I was hooked!

I strongly recommend this book and any book by Kerry Fisher. They are definitely worth reading and are more female centric with very strong women characters who are easy to relate to.

Release Blitz – Ruin of the Scarred (Sting of Love #1) by Medha Nagur

Posted in Book Blitz, BookWorld, release by

Bidisha, a 17-year-old braveheart, has lived all her life in hiding since she is the daughter of the most wanted woman in Bishnupur. In the calm of the British Raj, Bidisha embarks on the quest to free her mother from the false accusation. But for that, she needs to challenge the royals who dare not stand against the British.
And when she enters the palace, she encounters the power-hungry Yuvaraja Trinabh and his twisted mother, the Rani Maa. Rani Maa despises her dutiful but meek step-son Yuvaraja Prabir and his hound Debesh Das, a Yodha who is his master’s protector. And so, she assigns Bidisha a job to spy.
But hearts entwine, and love meddles their path in the most unpredictable and adventurous ways.
Furthermore, things become dicey when Bidisha slits off her lover’s thumb, the Yuvaraja himself. Her dream to live free becomes a farfetched nightmare as her hiding in the jungle is not an option anymore.
When the deadly romance and the moral complexity are only a superficial part of the deep-rooted dark conspiracy, will Bidisha survive her sinking ground?
Will she emerge a warrior, save her own heart and win her love?
Or, will she succumb to the royal politics, lose her mother and lose herself too?

Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon.in * Amazon.com 

Read an Excerpt from Ruin of the Scarred

Bidisha’s ears pricked up when she heard twigs snap behind the temple. She looked around as she walked inside after her mother taking cautious steps. Bidisha dumped the clothes on the floor in haste. And her hand went straight to her sword as she walked out. She closed the door behind her and latched it from the outside. Bidisha stepped out in the twilight and walked to behind the temple.
‘Could it be a bear?’
Howbeit, it was not an animal but a man fully clothed in black, his back to her. Bidisha held the sword straight at his neck even before he realised her presence. But in an instant, the man turned around and pulled his sword out. The two blades clanked.
‘Not bad. You sensed my presence,’ he said, his sword moving against her steel as he closed in on her.
‘You’ll be sorry for that soon,’ Bidisha sneered wrapping fingers around her worn hilt as she lurched back against his move, her nose just an inch away from his blade.
The man cut again. She scrambled back. But Bidisha came hard at him as she cut and thrust her sword against his. The two closed in on. Their swords clanked. His deeply set intense dark eyes peeked out at her from under his mask as their blades locked.
‘He is not the same man. He is not Debesh.’
Just when Bidisha aimed at his head, the man suddenly lunged. He caught her wrist and twisted it till she dropped her sword. He picked her sword before he let go of her hand. Bidisha aimed her fist at his jaw and connected. But he moved back just in time, so she was barely able to touch him.
‘Hold on. We can talk,’ he said, taking a step back.
Bidisha advanced, her hand headed straight to his mask. But he dodged her, stepping back into the bush and onto a snake that hissed back at him. To protect himself, he ran ahead and landed on her, losing his balance. Even as he tried to get a hold, Bidisha was on the ground, on her back, groaning. His face above hers, their breath hitched. The man was stiff on his fours as if he was desperately avoiding her touch.
And just when he tried to get up, her eyes widened as the cobra struck right at her face, making it through the gap between the two. She held it and, in an instant, threw it away while the man in the mask slid off her. Bidisha bounced back on her feet when he had already grabbed the two swords he had dropped on the ground. She shuddered as the open mouth of the snake made it again before her eyes.
‘Can we talk now?’
His deep voice reverberated in her chest.
The cool breeze from the lake brought the musk of the mud and the touch of the dew in the dusk moving her out of her thoughts.
About the Author:

Medha Nagur is anything but a stereotypical homemaker, at home full time but with a pen all the time!
A freelance blogger by profession in her past life, she was on her maternity break when she started writing fiction. Medha considers herself a chronic creative aficionado who loves painting and writing.
Once a lecturer in Science College, where she gave lectures in Computer Science soon after her Masters, was fascinated by the blog world and realized her love for the words and took up writing full time.
She is also at her creative best when it comes to cooking innovative dishes to cater to the needs of her 11-year-old son, 4-year-old daughter, and not to mention her epicure husband. Get a glimpse of her culinary art on Instagram.
A music lover who likes to hit the floor on Zumba numbers is also a fashion enthusiast (like any woman on this planet!).
She wants to be in the womb of nature when it comes to holidays, embracing its warmth, which she believes is a gift to mankind.
All in all, she is born to collect laughs and make a relentless commitment to love so that she can enjoy life in abundance.

Medha on the Web:
Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon

Book Review: An Affair by the Sea (The Siren’s Retreat Quartet #2) by Erica Ridley

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About the Book:

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What happens when a wallflower’s extremely make-believe fake suitor appears in the flesh just in time to ruin all her spinsterly plans?

Orphaned pianist Allegra Brown is a poor relation with nothing much to recommend her, save a minuscule dowry and a very big imagination. She has spent the past several years as governess to her younger cousins, who are now ready for their come out—and want Allegra to marry, too. Specifically, they eagerly await the return of Allegra’s dashing, handsome, swashbuckling, conveniently absent and secretly fictional fiancé, the dread pirate Captain L’Amour.

The only place Mr. John Sharp strikes fear is in the courtroom, where his neat, ordered mind is renowned for winning every case he presents. John loves predictability and longs to be a chef. Unfortunately, every time he puts on an apron, the entire kitchen catches fire. Much like passion burning between him and a certain wildly unpredictable spinster, who seems to have confused him for a dashing, exciting pirate. By fulfilling her fantasies, can his dreams come true…together?

My Thoughts:

I’ve read a few books by Erica Ridley before and so it was natural to request this upcoming book of hers from NetGalley. The story follows Allegra Brown and her younger cousins on an unexpected journey towards love and a fulfilling life. Having lived with her cousins and uncle since she was quite young, Allegra was used to being the one in the shadows, taking care of her cousins but not being noticed. This is until they almost run over Mr. John Sharp, handsome mad with a striking personality who seems to fit the mold of the made up Captain L’Amour.

It was indeed love at first sight for both our protagonists but I enjoyed how the story built up to it and how they find their space with each other. The characters are fun to read about and the setting is picturesque and beautiful to imagine. This is a quick read and is quite entertaining with romance, music, tasty food and a whole lot of fun. The bond that Allegra shares with her cousins is heart-warming and I did enjoy the way they worked to push Allegra and John together.

Overall this is a pleasant read that I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good romantic read!

Book Review: A Letter From Pearl Harbor by Anna Stuart

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About the Book:

58758179Ninety-eight-year-old Ginny McAllister’s last wish is for her granddaughter to complete a treasure hunt containing clues to her past. Clues that reveal her life as one of the first female pilots at Pearl Harbor, and a devastating World War Two secret.

1941, Pearl Harbor: On the morning of December 7th, Ginny is flying her little yellow plane above the sparkling seas when she spots an unknown aircraft closing in on her. She recognises the red symbol of the Japanese fighter planes almost too late. Somehow, she manages to land unscathed but the choices she is forced to make in the terrible hours that follow have tragic consequences…

2019, Pearl Harbor: Heartbroken Robyn Harris is reeling from the death of the strong, determined grandmother who raised her. Her only comfort is a letter written in Ginny’s distinctive hand which details a treasure hunt, just like the ones she used to set for her as a little girl. Except this time, the clues are scattered across the beautiful island of Hawaii. Despite her grief, Robyn finds herself intrigued as she follows the trail of letters, revealing the truth about Ginny’s service during the Second World War.

But Robyn’s whole world is turned upside down when she’s faced with a shocking secret which has the power to change the course of her own life…

Inspired by true events, this is a heartbreaking and unforgettable WW2 novel about love, loss and bravery. Perfect for fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and Kathryn Hughes.

My Thoughts:

A Letter From Pearl Harbor is a story of love, loss, learning and second chances no matter the situation. The story is narrated to us in two timelines, one in the current day from Robyn’s point of view and the other through letters and the narration in her grandmother’s point of view set in 1941. Robyn and her sister spend one last night with their grandmother who is on her deathbed. At this point, she tells them that she had a terrible secret and has set up a treasure hunt with clues scattered across Hawaii to tell them her story.

The sisters, Robyn and Ashleigh have their own share of demons to deal with. Ashleigh got into an accident which led to her being confined to a wheelchair and stuck without the use of her legs. Robyn moves to Hawaii (perhaps following in her grandmother’s footsteps) and works there, giving up a sports scholarship that she was not ready to devote time to. The sisters have unresolved feelings of resentment towards one another which are tackled through the story.

As we follow the girls on their hunt for clues, we get to know their grandmother better. Her story is set in the time of WWII when the was had still not come to America, but there was a hint. Then one day, Pearl Harbor is bombed by the Japanese and everything changes. In the midst of this bombing, a lot changes for Ginny and thus her priorities change. Determined and full of purpose, she goes to England in the hope that female pilots will be allowed to be a part of the war efforts.

This is a heartbreaking story that brings to us the realities of war, the frustrations, but more importantly how loss affects the people who still live. Additionally, as we discover Ginny’s secrets, we find out just how decisions can affect not just your life but that of the others around you and how the goodness of people can go beyond holding grudges and prove to be healing. Through her story, Robyn and her sister also learn to accept who they are, accept each other and form better bonds with each other and those around them.

Though the war is a part of the plot, the main focus is on the women who train to be pilots and participate in the war efforts. Their determinations, achievements and friendships form the backbone of this story. A truly well-written story, this book is worth reading especially for the messages it contains.

Book Review: Before We Grow Old by Clare Swatman

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About the Book:

Some people are just made for each other…When seven-year-old Fran first met Will they knew instantly that they were made for each other. For eleven years they were inseparable, but then, at the age of eighteen, Will just upped and disappeared.

Twenty-five years later Will is back.
Is fate trying to give them a second chance?

Still nursing the heart break from all those years ago, Fran is reluctant to give Will the time of day. The price Will must pay is to tell the truth – the truth about why he left, the truth about why he’s back…

And Fran has her own secrets to hide. The time has come to decide what Fran and Will really want from life – before it’s too late.

My Thoughts:

Before We Grow Old is an inspiring story of two people who find each other twenty five years later and realize that they still feel the same way about each other that they did growing up. Fran and Will were very close from the age of seven, first as friends which then grew into something more. When Will went away leaving just a letter behind, Fran was distraught and in a situation that she never expected to be in. Will on the other hand was dealing with the loss of his mother and a grieving father.

The story follows the two of them as they discover their friendship and love twenty five years later. There is a lot that was left unsaid, secrets that were hidden and feelings to rediscover and understand. This is indeed a story of second chances, learning to forgive, understanding a person’s decision and moving on in ways that make everyone all the more happier. This is also a story of seizing the moment, learning to live life to the fullest and dealing with loss.

I truly enjoyed reading about Fran and Will, their families, and friends. The story is beautifully written and fun in places where everyone comes together to try and complete a bucket list that Fran and Will prepared when they were seventeen. The author handles the concept of death rather delicately and I quite liked the way she handled the whole plot. Though sad in the end, there is something so fulfilling and positive in the way Will handles life and Fran steps up to deal with everything. In the end, the bonds of family tie everyone together and we can each learn something from this story.

I truly enjoyed reading this book and I laughed and cried along with the characters. This is definitely worth reading and I definitely recommend this book to all!