Book Review · Books

Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown with Kathleen McGurl [BOOK REVIEW]

Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown with Kathleen McGurl [BOOK REVIEW]

Nineteen Steps is a beautiful and emotional story about a girl that navigates growing up, finding love and living through tragedy in the midst of World War II.

Synopsis:

It’s 1942, and London remains under constant threat of enemy attack as the second world war rages on. In the Bethnal Green neighborhood, Nellie Morris counts every day lucky that she emerges from the underground shelters unharmed, her loving family still surrounding her.

Three years into the war, she’s grateful to hold onto remnants of normalcy—her job as assisting the mayor and nights spent at the local pub with her best friend. But after a chance encounter with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby, Nellie becomes enchanted with the idea of a broader world.

Just when Nellie begins to embrace an exciting new life with Ray, a terrible incident occurs during an air raid one evening, and the consequences are catastrophic. As the truth about that night is revealed, Nellie’s world is torn apart. When it seems all hope is lost, Nellie finds that, against all odds, love and happiness can triumph.

Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown with Kathleen McGurl [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 372

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Harper Collins , HQ Stories

Format I read it in: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★★★

Thoughts:

The story is inspired by Millie Bobby Brown’s family history and based on true events about the Bethnal Green tragedy. In all honesty, I wasn’t aware of this tragedy, and it was quite insightful, albeit sad, to learn something new about what people went through during the war.

I also want to give credit to the amazing Kathleen McGurl for ghost writing this book and collaborating with Millie. I haven’t read any of her books yet, but I will definitely be checking them out.

Nineteen Steps follows the life of a young girl, Nellie Morris, who lives with her mum, dad, brother and sister. She works at the town hall, assisting the mayor, and dreams of someday travelling the world, once the war is done.

“But she wanted more from life than to marry the boy next door, the boy who’d said he’d never leave the East End. She wanted to travel, to see the world. When the war was over, she intended to do just that.”

She will very soon experience tragedy and try to continue living with a huge sadness and loss in her heart.

One scene in particular, where a running for a bus is involved, made me cry for hours. For personal reasons, I connected to this scene and it really touched and broke my heart. We get to see Nellie living her day-to-day life, in a very uncertain environment, dealing with things a young woman shouldn’t be dealing with. Her support network through this tragedy is incredible – her family, her friend Babs and of course, Billy, are an incredible help when she is at her lowest. 

We get to see her fall in love, a beautiful romance starts, promising light at the end of the tunnel. Nellie’s first kiss and her thoughts are written so beautifully!

“It felt as though her whole soul was melting into his, as though time had stopped, the world was no longer turning, the war was a distant memory. If ever she had to pick a moment she’d want to last for eternity, she thought, this would be the one she’d choose.”

And then, when everything seems to be going okay, despite the terrible war, Nellie, her family and friends, and the people of Bethnal Green will experience a tragedy that will change their lives forever. Nineteen steps is an emotional rollercoaster. It’s a story full of emotions, from the beginning to the end. There is romance, but it’s not the main part of the book. There is sadness and grief, but it’s a story about looking forward. A story about coming-of-age and being brave when it seems impossible. A story where in times when you cannot be brave, there will be people ready to be brave for you. As a historical romance, it’s not the best in its genre, but it’s a story that will certainly touch a person’s heart.

I recommend it warmly, tissues included!

About The Authors:

Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown with Kathleen McGurl [BOOK REVIEW]

Millie Bobby Brown is a British Emmy Award–winning actress. She has been featured in the TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people and is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Nineteen Steps is her first book.

Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown with Kathleen McGurl [BOOK REVIEW]

Kathleen McGurl lives in Bournemouth with her husband and cat. She has two grown-up sons who have now left home. She always wanted to write, and for many years was waiting until she had the time. Eventually she came to the bitter realisation that no one would pay her for a year off work to write a book, so she sat down and started to write one anyway. Since then she has sold dozens of short stories to women’s magazines and written three books for writers. These days she is concentrating on longer fiction and has published several dual timeline novels with CarinaUK and HQ. She works full time in the IT industry and when she’s not writing, she’s often out running, slowly.

Website: kathleenmcgurl.com

Social Media:
| WishlistKo-fi | FacebookTwitterGoodreadsInstagramPinterest |

Book Review · Books

Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie [BOOK REVIEW]

Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie [BOOK REVIEW]

Every time I read another Agatha Christie book, I fall in love again with her incredible storytelling of a murder mystery, and her ability to keep me guessing until the end. Hallowe’en Party was no different.

Synopsis:

When a Hallowe’en party turns deadly, it falls to Hercule Poirot to unmask a murderer…

During a night of party games, Joyce Reynolds boasts that she once witnessed a murder. No one believes her, but then she is found drowned, face down in an apple-bobbing tub.

Set against a night of trickery and the occult, Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver must race to uncover the real evil responsible for this ghastly murder.

Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 266

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: Harper Collins

Format I read it in: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★★

Thoughts:

Hallowe’en Party was the inspiration for the movie “A Haunting in Venice”, although the book and the movie don’t really share much in common, except for the character’s names and the fact the murder happens on Halloween. 

The murder in this book happens during a children’s Halloween Party, where a girl drowned in the tub where they bob the apples. It’s obvious that someone has murdered this girl by holding her head underwater. It also sparks a discussion, especially because the girl said something during the party preparations that may have put her in danger. 

Due to the large number of people around, it’s almost impossible to tell who the culprit is, and this is where Hercule Poirot joins, agreeing to help his friend and investigate this case as a favour. The book features a lot of scenes with Poirot interviewing people that attended the party, but also the preparations for the party. The people in the town are friendly and tight-knit, but they all have something to hide, and nobody is volunteering information to a person that’s just come to town to investigate a murder.

If you loved “Murder on the Orient Express”, you will probably also enjoy “Halowe’en Party”, due to the interviewing scenes we see very often. In the book, we notice a big accent given to young people. Interestingly enough, children don’t feature a lot in Agatha’s books, but this one is definitely an exception. The adults are very dismissive of the children, their words and opinions, and they make this very known. They all dismissed what the girl said during the party preparations, because she had a reputation of exaggerating stories. This situation reminded me very much of the “boy who cried wolf”, who even Agatha mentions in the book.

Poirot, however, as always, takes everything into consideration during his investigation.

“The victim is always important”, said Poirot, “The victim, you see, is so often the cause of the crime.”

People in town are adamant that this is a deed of a young kid with mental health issues. We can notice the book is dated by the way people describe this possible culprit. There is not much hope or trust in the youth with a rough upbringing, or young people that are known to cause troubles. 

“It seems to me that crimes are so often associated nowadays with the young. People who don’t really know quite what they are doing, who want silly revenges, who have an instinct for destruction. Even the people who wreck telephone boxes, or who slash the tyres of cars, do all sorts of things just to hurt people, just because they hate – not anyone in particular, but the whole world.”

There is a mention of how important and vital a child’s education is, such as below:

“One has to remember”, said Rowena Drake, “that there are young people at an age when it is vital that they should continue with their studies if they are to have the chance of doing well in life.”

Even though I agree education is extremely important for young people, I don’t think this is the only important thing. I want to say that a happy upbringing, good social circles, good environment and fair and equal opportunities are also very important for a child to find its place in the world without turning to violence. I also believe that young people who have made a mistake in the past deserve a second chance, a hand held out to them, to try and get them on the right path.

However, the town and Poirot are not that keen on mercy and second chances:

“He was a man who thought first always of justice. He was suspicious, had always been suspicious, of mercy – too much mercy, that is to say. Too much mercy, as he knew from former experience both in Belgium and this country, often resulted in further crimes which were fatal to innocent victims who need not have been victims if justice had been put first and mercy second.”

The book certainly opens the door for a very good discussion on so many topics, and I always find this intriguing. Not all books make me stop for a bit and ponder, and so I always cherish the ones that do. As for the murder reveal itself, I wasn’t too surprised, but I also couldn’t guess it myself. I guessed two of the people involved in the story, due to some clues they dropped, but I couldn’t have guessed the others nor put the whole story together. I really enjoyed the mystery and I’m quite happy I got to read yet another Christie book! Huge thank you to the teams at Tandem Collective and Harper Collins for sending me the new hardcover book printed for the occasion of the movie release!

About The Author:

Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie [BOOK REVIEW]

This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.

Social Media:
| WishlistKo-fi | FacebookTwitterGoodreadsInstagramPinterest |

Book Review · Books

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher [BOOK REVIEW]

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher [BOOK REVIEW]

How could I say no to another Colleen Hoover book, this time written together with Tarryn Fisher? Never Never! My review is below, and I’ve also included the first chapter of the book, if you want to give it a go.

I am so excited to be able to share an exclusive contect with you – the first chapter of Never Never! Dive into the romance and mystery of Charlie and Silas’s relationship, and tell me what you think 🙂 If you scroll down, you can read the full synopsis of Never Never, and here are the links for the First Chapter in Word and PDF formats.

First Chapter – Word Format | First Chapter – PDF Format

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 358

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Publisher: HQ Stories

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis

Charlie Wynwood and Silas Nash have been best friends since they could walk. They’ve been in love since the age of fourteen. But as of this morning… they are complete strangers. Their first kiss, their first fight, the moment they fell in love… every memory has vanished. Now Charlie and Silas must work together to uncover the truth about what happened to them and why. But the more they learn about the couple they used to be… the more they question why they were ever together to begin with.

Forgetting is terrifying but remembering may be worse…

The Number One Sunday Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us joins forces with the New York Times bestselling author of The Wives for a gripping, twisty, romantic mystery unlike any other.

My Thoughts:

I loved reading this book. I had the pleasure to read it alongside some amazing people and we shared our thoughts on Instagram and Discord. Reading it was easy. In fact, not reading more than the daily chapters was the real struggle. The book intrigued me so much and I couldn’t stop flipping the pages.

The initial mystery of Silas and Charlie’s memories turned into a big chase against the clock, with family, friends, tarot ladies and even the police getting involved. The ending was slightly underwhelming – it had its flaws, but I can’t help but admire it because it just kept me on the edge and I couldn’t stop reading it. I have been bored to death from so many books, that I now appreciate the page-turners way too much! 

My favourite parts where the little moments when Charlie and Silas would get to know each other again through their letters, their rooms, their tattoos… There was something very intimate about seeing them read their own love letters for “the first time”. It was also an amazing experience to see them realise that they don’t actually like some of the things they pretended they did, and not to be afraid to show it this time around.

“I may not remember anything about her, but I would bet her smile was my favorite part of her”

In terms of the epilogue (and I won’t reveal too much), I actually liked what they showed. It’s almost as saying – this is not just our story, it happens to all soulmates in the world, and I thought that was cute.

About The Authors:

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher [BOOK REVIEW]

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty two novels and novellas. Hoover’s novels fall into the New Adult and Young Adult contemporary romance categories, as well as psychological thriller. 

Website: https://www.colleenhoover.com/

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher [BOOK REVIEW]

Tarryn Fisher is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of twelve novels. Born a sun hater, she currently makes her home in Seattle, Washington with her children, husband, and psychotic husky. Tarryn writes about villains.

Website: http://www.tarrynfisher.com/

Social Media:
| WishlistKo-fi | FacebookTwitterGoodreadsInstagramPinterest |

Book Review · Books

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher [First Chapter]

I have something new and exciting for you today! If you are a Colleen Hoover or a Tarryn Fisher fan, you will know that their tandem book “Never Never” is being published on the 28th February!

I am so excited to be able to share an exclusive contect with you – the first chapter of Never Never! Dive into the romance and mystery of Charlie and Silas’s relationship, and tell me what you think 🙂 If you scroll down, you can read the full synopsis of Never Never, and here are the links for the First Chapter in Word and PDF formats.

First Chapter – Word Format | First Chapter – PDF Format

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher [First Chapter]

Synopsis

Charlie Wynwood and Silas Nash have been best friends since they could walk. They’ve been in love since the age of fourteen. But as of this morning… they are complete strangers. Their first kiss, their first fight, the moment they fell in love… every memory has vanished. Now Charlie and Silas must work together to uncover the truth about what happened to them and why. But the more they learn about the couple they used to be… the more they question why they were ever together to begin with.

Forgetting is terrifying but remembering may be worse…

The Number One Sunday Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us joins forces with the New York Times bestselling author of The Wives for a gripping, twisty, romantic mystery unlike any other.

About The Authors:

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher [First Chapter]

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty two novels and novellas. Hoover’s novels fall into the New Adult and Young Adult contemporary romance categories, as well as psychological thriller. 

Website: https://www.colleenhoover.com/

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher [First Chapter]

Tarryn Fisher is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of twelve novels. Born a sun hater, she currently makes her home in Seattle, Washington with her children, husband, and psychotic husky. Tarryn writes about villains.

Website: http://www.tarrynfisher.com/

Social Media:
| WishlistKo-fi | FacebookTwitterGoodreadsInstagramPinterest |

Blog Tour · Book Review · Books

Far From Perfect (The Valentines #2) by Holly Smale [BLOG TOUR]

Far From Perfect (The Valentines #2) by Holly Smale book tour harpercollins kaleidoscopic tours blog blogging books review

I am extremely happy and excited to be part of the blog tour for Far From Perfect by Holly SmaleThank you to the team at Harper Collins and LoveReading– for sending me a copy of the book.

Far From Perfect is the second book in the Valentines series. Read my review of the first book – Happy Girl Lucky.

Synopsis:

Being born in a family that is considered Hollywood royalty is not easy. When all her family is expecting perfection form her, Faith just wants to be normal. 

Instead, paparazzi follows her everywhere. She needs to rehearse everything she says and does. She needs to be herself – but, you know, someone else… at all times. 

View this post on Instagram

🎉 I am so excited to be part of the Blog Tour hosted by @kaleidoscopictours for this amazing book! 🌺 Far From Perfect by @holsmale is the second book in The Valentines series, published by @harpercollinsch 💖 I loved the first book in the series, Happy Girl Lucky. I am also a huge fan of the Geek Girl series that Holly has written. If you have a copy as well, join me in reading this book in the first week of August! 💖 🍾 Have a look at the other bookstagrammers participating in this tour as well – they will be tagged and some will be in the comments! 🍾 Share the love! 💖 📖 SYNOPSIS: 📖 Be yourself but, you know, someone else . . . Enthusiastic but not desperate; calm but not dull; funny but not try-hard; sparky but not crazy; feisty but not aggressive; beautiful but relatable; elegant but not icy; confident but not arrogant; feminine but not girly; nice but not boring. Faith Valentine has it all – fame, money and extraordinary beauty. But what she wants more than anything is a quiet life away from the cameras. Except nobody ever asks Faith what she wants, and her family’s expectations are crushing her. The world thinks she’s perfect, but is there is more to perfection than meets the eye?

A post shared by Ivana and her books! (@diaryofdifference) on

My Thoughts:

Far From Perfect manages to portray an unwanted life in the spotlight of a girl that simply wants to be normal. I was very satisfied to see how the media was presented in this book. They push famous people’s boundaries, twist stories and stir waters, causing dramas. And while I understand this is their job, I am grateful to see someone write about the negative impact they have on famous people.

I loved Faith as a character and I was so proud to see her stand up and fight. It was so easy to put myself in her shoes and experience her anger and frustration of not being listened to. I loved the friendship Faith has with Scarlett. It is real and funny and strong. But most of all, I loved the sister bond that Faith has with Mercy. It is so pure and emotional, and it made me think of my own little sister and how much she truly means to me. 

The story Faith tells us is a story that will touch every teenager. The struggles of love, family, friendships and finding purpose in the world. We have all been there, we have all fought the same battles and we understand. Even though some problems may seem trivial as a grown up, I remember how important those moments were to me when I was young, and how they shaped me today, and I was glad this was not underestimated in this book. 

And sometimes, life makes us forget. Time passes by, and we are lost for a bit. Until a book comes in our hands – to remind us what really matters. This is that book. A beautiful continuation of the series. I recommend it to the teenagers – to find your purpose; and also to everyone else – to remember what that purpose is!

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |


Social Media:
| Wishlist | FacebookTwitterGoodreadsInstagramPinterest |