Stephanie Dagg's Blog, page 8
October 15, 2020
Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord
Synopsis
Get ready to learn what really happens behind closed doors.
Landlords have become one of the most hated groups in society. Parasites, they’re often called. And there’s a lot of them. The Treasury estimates there are almost 2.6 million landlords in the UK with around 5.45 million rental properties.
But the real life of a professional landlord is very different from what most people think. From burglaries and break-ins to drug raids, police warrants, crazy tenant antics, bailiffs, squatters, lawsuits, wrecked properties, interfering council officers, game-playing freeholders to moments of heartfelt joy and happiness, the life of a landlord is never dull. Especially when the government keeps moving the goalposts.
This explosive front-line exposé blows the lid off what it’s really like to be a landlord and the shocking reality of renting out a property. Hovering close to a nervous breakdown and likely suffering PTSD, the Secret Landlord exposes truths rarely shared. Stories that will grip you, move you and smack you in the face.
My review
As someone who rents out a holiday cottage I had an inkling of what to expect. It came as no surprise to find remarks such as how giving an inch means the tenant then proceeds to take a mile, and how from being a trusting person the author has turned into someone who will only trust people as far as they can throw them!
However, even as a pre-cynicalised landlord I was truly shocked by some of the events that came the author’s way. What seemed the worst was the council’s attitude. Councils need private landlords to help home disadvantaged persons yet seem to delight in making life as difficult as possible for the owners of the properties that they so desperately need. It emerges clearly in this book how much things are actually stacked against landlords: how easy it is for tenants to make unjustified trouble for them through official channels. It’s a true eye-opener. Yes, absolutely tenants need protection too, but responsibilities must be faced on both sides.
The author, who deserves a medal, ploughs her lonely and besieged furrow with determination, energy and, where it can be found, humour. And restraint. If I were to write my similar diary there’d be a whole lot more swearing going on!
It’s a lively, sensitive read, clearly presented without becoming too technical regarding the various legal issues that crop up, and engaging throughout. If you’re a landlord, considering becoming one, or simply fancy a different sort of book for a change then make straight for this one.
Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Parasite-Secret-Diary-Landlord-ebook/dp/B08DTPYVFZ/
US – https://www.amazon.com/Parasite-Secret-Diary-Landlord-ebook/dp/B08DTPYVFZ/
Author bio
The Secret Landlord has been renting, refurbishing and selling properties across the UK for almost two decades. An award winning landlord, as judged by the National Landlords Association, The Secret Landlord has provided accommodation for hundreds of tenants from all walks of life.
Social Media Links –
October 14, 2020
Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse by Nina Schick: a must-read
About the book“In writing this book, it is my modest aim to help you understand how dangerous and untrustworthy our information ecosystem has become, and how its harms extend far beyond politics – even into our private and intimate life. It is my hope that this understanding can help us come together to bolster our defences and start fighting back. As a society, we need to be better at building resilience to the Infocalypse. Understanding what is happening is the first step.” Nina Schick
In Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse, Nina Schick warns us urgently of the impending information overload (known as the ‘Infocalypse’) and explains the dangerous political consequences of this Infocalypse, both in terms of national security and what it means for public trust in politics. Deep Fakes have been around for less than three years, to silence and for revenge and fraud. Government, business and society are completely unprepared.
Schick also unveils what it means for us as individuals, how Deep Fakes will be used to intimidate and to silence, for revenge and fraud, and how unprepared governments and tech companies are.
The malicious use of Deep Fakes is not only a real threat for democracy but they take the manipulation of voters to new levels. With the impending US election, and with vast amounts of money being spent of social media, it is expected that Deep Fakes will become a huge story later this year…
AI generated fake content is here for good, and we will have to figure how to navigate a world where seeing is no longer believing.
My review
This is a fascinating yet chilling book written by an extremely knowledgeable person. I’d describe her as an expert in misinformation, but that might be misleading! Ms Schick is a top expert about misinformation, so we couldn’t be learning about this worrying subject from a more qualified person.
We live in a post-truth society, post-truth being defined as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief”. Hence it’s also the age of meaningless three- or four-word slogans, bluster and cheating.
It’s not a great age to live in, most definitely not one to proud of, and it seems the worse is yet to come. We’re becoming increasingly familiar, unfortunately, with the blatant faking aka lying by governments, particularly the English-speaking ones, but it’s likely more and more sectors will follow suit. That is inevitably what happens when the people who should be setting the highest example fail to do so.
Nina Schick presents her findings and understanding in a clear, concise way. What she’s saying is pretty horrific but she doesn’t sensationalise it anyway, just backs up her claims and calmly moves on to the next point.
All is not lost, even though this phenomenon maybe here forever, although personally I think anything that’s based on dishonesty is unsustainable in the long term. Truth will out, as they say, even though it can take its time. But my optimism is simply based on emotion, whereas Ms Schick is writing from experience. The author makes us aware of the very serious problem, but also suggests how to approach it so that it doesn’t completely overwhelm us and leave us hiding under the bed covers. Personally I’m starting to feel less defeated by the ghastliness of Brexit having read her book.
‘Deep Fakes and the Infocalpyse’ makes for an informative, unnerving and necessary read.
About the author
As a political advisor to select technology firms, Schick is at the forefront of trends emerging from the worlds of data science, machine learning and AI. In Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse, Schick tells us what we need to do to prepare and protect ourselves. “Too often we build the cool technology and ignore what bad guys can do with it before we start playing catch-up. But when it comes to Deep Fakes, we urgently need to be on the front foot.”
Nina Schick is a political commentator, advisor and public speaker, specialising in how technology is reshaping politics in the 21st century.
Most recently, her work has seen her focusing on the evolution of disinformation, and the fallout generated by election interference in the US (and around the world) since 2016. Nina has advised global leaders including Joe Biden and Anders Fogh Rasmussen (the former Secretary General of NATO), through her research on next-generation disinformation and AI-generated deep fakes. She has also worked at the heart of historic campaigns, including on the presidential campaign, the Brexit referendum and with Emmanuel Macron. Half German and half Nepalese, she speaks seven languages and holds degrees from Cambridge University and University College London. She divides her time between London, Berlin and Kathmandu.
October 11, 2020
Winter Wishes at Swallowtail Bay by Katie Ginger
Grab your cosiest jumper and escape to the beautiful Swallowtail Bay!
Christmas and romance are in the air and Nell is obsessed! She can’t stop watching her favourite Christmas romcoms and dreaming of the day when she meets her own romantic hero, especially as she is hosting the first ever wedding at her small hotel, Holly Lodge.
Nell’s best friend, Tom, has been in love with her ever since they met. But Nell has never seen him that way, and he’s always kept his feelings a secret in case it ruins their friendship.
After the opening of the glamorous Langdon Mansion Hotel in the bay, Nell’s hotel is struggling for survival and she must fight, with Tom’s help, to keep Holly Lodge open. Can the magic of Christmas help two old friends save Holly Lodge and open Nell’s eyes to a love that was always there the whole time?
Winter Wishes at Swallowtail Bay is the hilarious new romantic comedy from Katie Ginger.
My review
This is such an enjoyable book!
The key phrase in it is ‘the one’ and it refers to many ‘best’ things: the one wedding dress, the one best wedding venue in Swallowtail Bay, the one best friend, and The One, the man of Nell’s dreams.
Nell is fabulous. She’s both romantic head-in-the-cloudsy, and very down to earth. She’s confident one moment, and a dithering bundle of nerves the next. She’s perfect in being so realistically imperfect.
Tom is gorgeous in an understated, natural way. He’s Nell’s The One, but of course, she doesn’t realise that. Will she finally stop alternating between daydreaming and overworking and see what’s under her nose?
Swallowtail Bay is a bustling, interesting place with a population of interesting characters who enjoy good and bad relations, friendships and rivalries with each other, and there are interlinked and opposing businesses too. It’s beautifully portrayed.
Lots to entertain and enchant you in this seasonal romcom.
Purchase Links
UK Amazon ebook: https://amzn.to/2Ni5ipv
US Amazon ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Wishes-Swallowtail-Bay-Book-ebook/dp/B08B4D1N1M
Author bio
Katie Ginger lives by the sea in the south-east of England, and apart from holidays to very hot places where you can sit by a pool and drink cocktails as big as your head, she wouldn’t really want to be anywhere else. Winter Wishes at Swallowtail Bay is her sixth novel. She is also the author of Spring Tides at Swallowtail Bay, Summer Strawberries at Swallowtail Bay, Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage and the Seafront series – The Little Theatre on the Seafront, shortlisted for the Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year award, and Summer Season on the Seafront.
When she’s not writing, Katie spends her time with her husband and two kids, and their dogs: Wotsit, the King Charles spaniel, and Skips, the three-legged Romanian rescue dog. (And yes, they are both named after crisps!)
For more about Katie, you can visit her website: www.keginger.com, find her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KatieGAuthor, or follow her on Twitter: @KatieGAuthor.
October 10, 2020
You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Louise Marley
You Make It Feel Like Christmas
The only thing preventing Beth’s perfect family Christmas? Her family!
Television presenter Agatha Holly has built her career on telling viewers how to have the perfect Christmas. A Holly Jolly Christmas has been screened every December for twenty years and her entire family are involved, including her daughter Beth—the unwilling star of a thousand memes and gifs. But Beth has finally had enough of public ridicule. All she’s ever wanted is a traditional family Christmas away from the television cameras. If she can’t persuade her family to change, should she consider celebrating Christmas without them?
My review
There’s an awful lot going on in this book! It’s about Christmas – obviously! – expectation, over-expectations, appearance, reality, traditions and family. Family is really the crux of the matter, and that theme is explored in both poignant, tension and explosive modes. Loyalty, love and hostility jostle for prime place. Sound familiar? The author has a fine eye for detail and portrays many situations we’ve probably come across with humour and honesty.
There’s romance too, and that’s beautifully handled.
Christmas is a time when divisions are healed and new starts are made and those are both elements of this novel.
The action is brisk on the whole, with occasional changes in pace to focus on something else, and the plot is cleverly put together. The characters aren’t ones you can ignore. You either love them or hate them, and quite often you do both!
This is a very enjoyable festive read, perfect for getting you into a Christmassy mood, and also thinking about your own family and the Christmases you’ve had together, and those that are yet to come.
Purchase Links
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Make-Feel-Like-Christmas-ebook/dp/B08HL8QH9B
USA: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HL8QH9B
Author bio
Louise Marley writes murder mysteries and romantic comedies. She is lucky enough to live in a village where there is a famous library and TWO ruined castles. (Her husband still thinks they moved there by accident.)
Her first published novel was Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, which was a finalist in Poolbeg’s ‘Write a Bestseller’ competition. She has also written articles for the Irish press and short stories for women’s magazines such as Take a Break and My Weekly. Previously, Louise worked as a civilian administrative officer for the police.
Louise’s books have spent a total of 7 months in the Amazon Top 100 (UK). Three of her books have been #1 bestsellers in Romantic Suspense and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes was #1 in Romance.
Social Media Links
Website: http://www.louisemarley.co.uk/
Amazon Author Page (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Louise-Marley/e/B005FV0ITM
Amazon Author Page (USA): https://www.amazon.com/Louise-Marley/e/B005FV0ITM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/louisemarley @LouiseMarley
Blog: https://louisemarleywrites.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouiseMarley
Facebook (Page): https://www.facebook.com/LouiseMarleyAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisemarleywrites/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4557986.Louise_Marley
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/louisemarley/
October 8, 2020
The Creak on the Stairs by Eva Björg Ægisdottir
Synopsis
The first in the electrifying new Forbidden Iceland series, The Creak on the Stairs is an exquisitely written, claustrophobic and chillingly atmospheric debut thriller by one of Iceland’s most exciting new talents
When a body of a woman is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, it soon becomes clear that she’s no stranger to the area.
Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who has returned to Akranes following a failed relationship, and her collegues Sævar and Hörður, commence an uneasy investigation, which uncovers a shocking secret in the dead woman’s past that continues to reverberate in the present day …
But as Elma and her team make a series of discoveries, they bring to light a host of long-hidden crimes that shake the entire community. Sifting through the rubble of the townspeople’s shattered memories, they have to dodge increasingly serious threats, and find justice … before it’s too late.
My review
I often wonder what Nordic noir has done for the tourist industry to that part of the world (ignoring the impact of Covid) since the TV dramas are all in shades of grey with bleak scenery, dismal weather, morose detectives and lots of loaded silences. Add the element of a killer on every street corner in town and in each remote village, and that’s more to put you off!
However, novels such as this one bring out the stark beauty of Scandinavia, in this case Iceland. I liked having a map and also an explanation of elements of the language and names that we need to know. It’s always nice to learn something new.
As you expects from this genre, there are layers to the story. We see both past and present events, and Elma, our central character with emotional baggage, is as much a subject of the novel as the murder mystery. There is social commentary too, so this really is an extremely complex and rich novel.
The writing in clear, concise language is understated in that there’s nothing graphic and no sensationalism. The plot moves steadily and menacingly towards the final denouement, when things shift up a gear.
The Creak on the Stair is a gripping, absorbing read. It’s the first in the series, and I’ve no doubt any subsequent books will be as polished and entertaining as this one.
About the author
Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva moved to Trondheim, Norway to study my MSc in Globalisation when she was 25. After moving back home having completed her MSc, she knew it was time to start working on her novel. Eva has wanted to write books since she was 15 years old, having won a short story contest in Iceland. Eva worked as a stewardess to make ends meet while she wrote her first novel. The book went on to win the Blackbird Award and became an Icelandic bestseller. Eva now lives with her husband and three children in Reykjavík, staying at home with her youngest until she begins Kindergarten.
The paperback is priced £8.99 and published by Orenda Books
The Winter We Met by Samantha Tonge
The Winter We Met
When charming, mysterious Nik sits next to Jess on a plane home from a Christmas toy trade fair, she never could have imagined the impact he’d have on her life. As they touch down in London, Jess is hesitant to let Nik walk away, and before she knows it, she’s invited him to visit.
As the two take in the delights of the toy store where she works, Jess gets an upsetting phone call. Willow Court, her grandmother’s care home, is to close before Christmas. Jess is determined to find the perfect new home for her Gran – and throw the best Christmas party Willow Court has ever seen!
But time is running out with the closure looming and Jess becomes increasingly drawn to enigmatic Nik who joins forces with her and best friend Oliver to realise those plans.
Will a chance encounter on an aeroplane bring love to Jess’s life or is this Christmas miracle too good to be true?
My review
This is an enjoyable and festive story, that’s more than just a seasonal romcom. There’s almost two stories with the toyshop element, and the Willow Court care home element. They tie together cleverly with very touching and inspiring consequences.
The characters are all larger than life and fascinating. Nik is gorgeous, Jess is strong and genuine, Gran is sweet and courageous, to name just a few of the lovely people we meet.
It’s an original Christmassy story that uses toys, a staple part of Christmas fare, and a more serious issue of senior care that can be rather fragile.
Great fun, moving, absorbing.
Purchase Link – getbook.at/WinterWeMet
Author Bio – Samantha Tonge lives in Manchester UK and studied German and French at university. She has worked abroad, including a stint at Disneyland Paris, and has travelled widely.
When not writing she loves family time, reading and baking. Samantha has sold many dozens of short stories to women’s magazines.
In 2013, she landed a publishing deal for romantic comedy fiction with HQDigital at HarperCollins and in 2014 her bestselling debut, Doubting Abbey, was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction Best Ebook Award.
In 2015 her summer novel, Game of Scones, hit #5 in the UK Kindle chart and won the Love Stories Awards Best Romantic Ebook category.
In 2019 she was shortlisted for the RNA’s Romantic Comedy Award.
In 2020 she won the RNA’s Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award with her novel Knowing You, from publisher Canelo.
Social Media Links – Twitter: @ SamTongeWriter
Instagram: @ samanthatongeauthor
October 5, 2020
‘THE ACCIDENTAL MEDIUM’ and ‘THE GIN PALACE’ by Tracy Whitwell
The Accidental Medium: synopsis
Tanz is a wine-soaked, potty-mouthed, once successful TV actress from Gateshead, whose career has shrivelled like an antique walnut. She is still grieving her friend Frank, who died in a car crash three years ago, and she has to find a normal job in London to fund her cocktail habit.
When she starts work in a new age shop, Tanz suddenly discovers that the voices she’s hearing in her head are real, not the first signs of schizophrenia, and she can give people ‘messages’ from beyond the grave. Alarmed, she confronts her little mam and discovers she is from a long line of psychic mediums.
Despite a whole exciting new avenue of life opening up to Tanz, darkness isn’t far away and all too soon there’s murder in the air.
My review
This is a refreshingly different novel with a refreshingly different heroine. Tanz isn’t the usual twenty-something ditzy lead character you find in a cosy mystery, nor a Miss Marple wannabe. She’s somewhere in the middle: a thirty-eight year old, moderately successful Geordie actor who’s genuine, likeable, occasionally irresponsible and fun to be around. She has gifts of clairvoyance and clairaudience which suddenly make themselves clear to her. She’s been aware of vague ‘symptoms’ of both but it’s only thanks to Sheila at Mystery Pot that she realises what they fully mean. Now she’s coming up against spirits, good and bad, happy and sad, at almost every turn.
The writing is lively and clever, with lots of wit and humour. All the characters, dead and alive, are interesting and very convincing, particularly Tanz’s family with their many foibles.
The story moves swiftly and the writing really flows. All in all, a highly unusual and enjoyable novel.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Accidental-Medium-Tracy-Whitwell-ebook/dp/B08DJ9PKJ7
The Gin Palace: synopsis
After a fast-paced introduction to the world of clairvoyance, ghost busting, mystery and murder, Tanz is currently hiding in bed, having nightmares about a suicidal psychopath, drinking red wine, irritating her cat and waiting to be evicted. Life as she knew it seven months ago has turned on its head and only the prospect of a new TV job in Newcastle and a month with her best friend Milo can help pick her up off the floor.
But when she gets home, the Newcastle of more than a century before decides to haunt her bringing all kinds of spooks and horrors with it. She also finds that her new job involves more than it’s own share of intrigue and humiliation. Then it’s a case of six of one and half a dozen of the other, as Tanz, along with her dead friend Frank, attempts to expose a brutal murder that nobody even knows about. Join Tanz and her friends on another crazy, supernatural ride in GIN PALACE, the second in The Accidental Medium series.
My review
The mayhem continues in this excellent sequel to ‘The Accidental Medium’. It’s every bit as enjoyable and good quality as the first book, with added character development. Tanz’s honesty lands her a job, at last, and she’s happy to go back to her home town for a while. Having lived both north (in Northumberland) and south (in Cleveland) of Gateshead, it’s a part of the world I know well and its atmosphere comes over brilliantly in the background to the action.
What’s really great about these books is their energy and humour. They’re a real pick-me-up: trust me, their vitality is contagious.
A series not to be missed.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08DJ8NPBM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tracy Whitwell was born, brought up and educated in Gateshead in the north east of England. She wrote plays and short stories from an early age, then had her head turned and ran off to London to be an actress. By 1993 she was wearing a wig and an old fashioned dress and pretending to be impoverished on telly in a Catherine Cookson mini-series, whilst going to see every indie/rock band she could afford.
After an interesting number of years messing about in front of the camera and traveling the world though, Tracy discovered she still loved writing and completed her first full length play. A son, many stage-plays, screenplays and two music videos followed until one day she realised she was finally ready to do the thing she’d longed to do since she was six. She wrote her first novel. A crime/horror/comedy tale about an alcohol-soaked, gobby, thrill-seeking actress who talks to ghosts. (Who knows where the inspiration came from, it’s almost like she based it on her own ridiculous life.) Then she wrote a follow up and realised she couldn’t stop writing books.
Now Tracy lives in north London with her son, still travels whenever possible and has written novel number four. Now being edited.
Tweet her @WhitwellTracy
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October 2, 2020
Minnie’s Orphans by Lindsey Hutchinson: brings history to life
Minnie’s Orphans
Let bestselling author Lindsey Hutchinson transport you back in time to Marshall’s Children’s Home, for this heart-warming tale from the Black Country.
The Fitch children are finally safe, after they and their friends were rescued from the grim orphanage Reed House by Minnie and Billy Marshall. Their children’s home Marshall’s is full of love and laughter, and a world away from their terrible ordeal of being sold to Una Reed for five shillings.
There are many more children who still need a home, especially in a world where the workhouse is the last option for desperate families, and so Minnie makes it her mission to build Marshall’s into a refuge for all the waifs and strays.
But kind hearts can be taken advantage of, and before long, Marshall’s is under attack. Can Minnie and Billy keep their family together and keep all the children safe, or will they be torn apart again?
My review
This is the second book in a series but works well as a standalone since enough back-story is provided to allow you to gather what’s what and who’s who.
You don’t have to particularly be a saga fan to enjoy this book. It has some lovely characters, and an atmosphere of optimism and loyalty pervades, despite the conditions of extreme poverty that are prevalent. I like how the author gives such humanity to these desperately poor people who suffered such deprivation but who still strove to do the right thing, although sometimes being overwhelmed by need and temptation.
The Black Country setting is well portrayed with a smattering of dialect terms that add interest but aren’t overdone to the point of confusion. The detail surrounding food, clothing, accommodation and so forth is amazing, and the author must have done an incredible amount of research. The book really brings this period of history to life in a very vivid and immediate way.
Enjoyable, heart-string tugging and thought-provoking.
Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/33rBCQd
Author bio
Lindsey Hutchinson is a bestselling saga author whose novels include The Workhouse Children. She was born and raised in Wednesbury, and was always destined to follow in the footsteps of her mother, the multi-million selling Meg Hutchinson.
Social media links
Newsletter sign up: http://bit.ly/LindseyHutchinsonMailingList
Twitter @ https://twitter.com/LHutchAuthor
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Lindsey-Hutchinson-1781901985422852/
Bookbub – Bookbub: @LindseyHutchinson
Goodreads – GoodReads: Lindsey Hutchinson
September 29, 2020
Eternal Forever by Syl Waters
Fame, glory and… foul play!
Jessie was a shop worker dreaming of the big time, then YouTube found her. But staying in the limelight requires meticulous management: pop stars are made not born.
With awards night approaching, the pressure’s on for Tito, Jessie’s manager, to whip her into shape. Getting so close wasn’t in the contract, but then neither was him being murdered in Spain.
Alone and scared of the negative publicity, Jessie turns to Mack, her account manager at Eternal Forever, the UK’s first digital legacy management agency. But Mack’s got his own issues: the company’s fast running out of cash, his key developer’s on the turn and a blogger’s suicide looks suspicious.
With the assistance of J-Pop, Mack’s assistant and wannabe reality TV star, Jessie turns sleuth. But in a world where everybody’s watching, it’s hard to escape. Reputation is everything and some people will do anything to protect it.
My review
This book is very lively and modern. It’s very relevant in this age of the celeb, and I think it very aptly shows the darker side of this rather shallow obsession. Everyone wants to be famous not just during their lifetimes, but beyond. But if too many people are after the same thing, it’s going to get a bit tricky. It definitely doesn’t bring out the best in them!
The story cleverly intertwines a variety of characters and situations. There’s a slow build-up to a very surprising yet satisfying denouement.
The author has been ingenious in coming up with this plot and this particular set of dramatis personae and bringing them altogether. I think she had a whale of a time doing so! It’s quite a quirky book which just makes it all the more entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08D6RNR18
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eternal-Forever-gripping-turner-rethink/dp/1916424554
Author bio
Most people know crazy cat ladies are a ‘thing’, but I’m a proud crazy guinea pig lady! I love fun in the sun and plenty of cocktails. My happy place is flip flops. I write stories to keep me company – my characters ensure I’m never lonely and always smiling (when I’m not tearing my hair out!)
Social Media Links –
twitter: @waters_syl
insta: @mrbob.guineapig
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/syl.waters.54
September 27, 2020
Food For Thought by Sara Madderson: a tempting treat of a book!
Synopsis
Evelyn Macleod has spent a decade helping her husband, charismatic TV chef Seb Macleod, to become a household name. Now they’re riding high and enjoying the spoils of their success. When a tabloid forces Seb to come out as gay, Evelyn and her young son flee to a friend’s luxury resort in rural Kent. Sorrel Farm is the perfect place to hide out, decompress from her disciplined London lifestyle, and comfort-eat. The enforced break also throws into question everything that Evelyn has worked so hard for. Should she continue to chase the glittering heights of wealth and power in London? Or should she choose balance—and the chance to find love—in the beautiful English countryside?
My Review
This is a wonderfully enjoyable book – you might say delicious! And very moreish. You plan to just read a couple of chapters but can’t resist another one, and then another one… I devoured this book in one sitting. Quite possibly there were family dramas of my own going on around me but I was too absorbed in this book to notice!
Evelyn is a lovely character. She’s very conscientious and kind, maybe a tad too regimented with her journaling and other daily routines, hard-working and caring. The brand she and Seb have built up between them is all-important, but not never more important as their son. (He’s a total sweetie, by the way.) When Seb pulls open the oven door on the perfectly rising soufflé of their life to that point, and the rush of the cold air or reality makes it sink, she hangs in their. Shaken, obviously, by the initial shock, and boosted by a little bit of comfort eating, she quickly sets to with cracking eggs and whisking a new life into shape. But it’s not going to be a doddle – soufflés never are. The enjoyment for us lies in seeing how she meets the challenges that come her way and the decisions she makes. She has some fascinating friends too and they add great interest and sparkle to the story.
The book has a beautiful cover, and which matches a theme the author has established for her books. The only thing I’d change is the title: there are many, many books with the same title so I do hope this one won’t get lost in their midst. There’s a phrase in the book, Evelyn’s words, along the lines of ‘Life’s not a buffet’ which I personally felt would have been a much more distinctive choice of title.
All in all, a tempting treat of a book.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sara Madderson is an author, entrepreneur, wife and mother. She was born in Ireland and moved to the UK with her family when she was ten years old. She lives in London with her husband Chris, their two children, Paddy and Tilly, and their cocker spaniel Charlie.
Before turning to writing, Sara worked in finance for a decade and then ran her own fashion brand, Madderson London, for eight years. She earned her MPhil in Early Modern History from the University of Birmingham.
Given that she spent most of her childhood writing and designing clothes, she’s now seen both of her childhood career dreams come true! She’s enjoyed the adventure of publishing independently as much as she’s enjoyed the writing process itself. She’s now completely hooked on writing!
Twitter @saramadderson
Book details
ISBN-10 : 1916353037
ISBN-13 : 978-1916353039
Paperback : 266 pages
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Food-Thought-Husband-Going-Carbs/dp/1916353037/
