Harmony Kent's Blog, page 43

#BookReview: Hadley & Grace by Suzanne Redfearn @SuzanneRedfearn

Hi everyone. First of all, I’d  like to apologise for not visiting as many blogs as  I would have liked lately. I’ve struggled with my breathing again and am on a course of yet more steroids. With my inhaler ramped up to the maximum dose, my health team want me to have a chest x-ray to make sure nothing unseen is occurring in my lungs. I’ve had around 8 separate treatments of steroids over about 11 months, some for a week and others for a fortnight.  Sadly, we’re no nearer identifying the underlying issue as yet. I’ll keep you updated as and when  I can. Here’s hoping for a clear x -ray result.

On a happier note: Today, I have a book review for you from an author new to me but who has become a firm favourite after reading this book. I’ll be checking out her other works >>>

 

About the Book:

 

 

The author of In an Instant delivers a heart-pounding and emotional roller-coaster ride of self-discovery in the tradition of Thelma and Louise.

Needing to escape her abusive marriage, Hadley flees with her two kids, knowing it might be her only chance. A woman who can’t even kill a spider, Hadley soon finds herself pushed to the limits as she fights to protect her family.

Grace, new mother of baby Miles, desperately wants to put her rough past behind her for good, but she finds it impossible when her path crosses with Hadley’s, and her quest for a new start quickly spirals out of control and turns into a terrifying flight for survival.

Stronger together than apart, the two find their fates inextricably entwined, and as the danger closes in, each must decide how much she is willing to risk for the other.

A powerful story of self-discovery, Hadley and Grace is the heart-racing tale of two women facing insurmountable odds, racing to stay one step ahead of the trouble that is chasing them, and discovering new kinds of love and family along the way.

My Review:

This book grabbed me from the get-go and didn’t ease up from there. This is a wonderful read along the lines of Thelma & Louise but with kids in tow and less violence, but it’s gripping and entertaining all the same.

I loved each and every character, and the author did a fantastic job of bringing alive Skipper, who has to be my absolute fave. He enhances the tale so much. While some coincidences do occur to bring the different folks together and trigger the unplanned ‘fugitive fleeing’, they are entirely believable.

Some lines that stood out for me:

‘Boston has weather, but it has a more clear opinion of it–fall, winter, spring, summer–all of it crisp, clear, and breathtaking.’

‘Then, like making the wrong move in Jenga, she pulled out the wrong brick–made a single horrible wrong move that sent three worlds tumbling.’

‘Coincidence is not something Grace beleives in […] it seems to her that some hidden connectivity existed in that moment that profoundly influenced their lives, intertwining their fates and bringing them to this remarkable place and time.’

And remarkable it is. The tension of this fast-paced read is infused with wonderful humour and very real human interactions. I could not put this book down and read it in two sittings. I only stopped to sleep. The ending is well rounded and nicely tied off.

You have to read this book. As you may have guessed by now, it gets a resounding five stars from me. I’d give it ten if I could!

 

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by

 

For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …

UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

 

The post #BookReview: Hadley & Grace by Suzanne Redfearn @SuzanneRedfearn first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Are You a Disciplined Writer? | Story Empire

Hi everone. Today, Mae has a great post on writing discipline/schedules over at Story Empire >>>

 

 

Hi, SEers! Mae here. We think of writing as a creative endeavor—as it certainly is­—but today I want to talk about the discipline of writing. Many of us have been writing since childhood. That’s no…

Source: Are You a Disciplined Writer? | Story Empire

The post Are You a Disciplined Writer? | Story Empire first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

March Book Reviews Part 1! @PTLPerrin @ColleenChesebro @teagangeneviene @harmony_kent #IARTG #ASMSG #WritingCommunity #BookReviews #WhatToRead #MustRead – Author D.L. Finn

Hi everyone. I had an awesome surprise this morning. Denise has a great review of my poetry, Slices of Soul, over at her place. I’m so thrilled! Lots of other great books and writers have reviews there well worth checking out >>>

 

Slices of Soul by Harmony Kent “Slice of Soul” is a beautiful collection of poetry that tugged on my emotions. There is a story weaved into the poems that had a memoir feel to it. Each section was …

Source: March Book Reviews Part 1! @PTLPerrin @ColleenChesebro @teagangeneviene @harmony_kent #IARTG #ASMSG #WritingCommunity #BookReviews #WhatToRead #MustRead – Author D.L. Finn

The post March Book Reviews Part 1! @PTLPerrin @ColleenChesebro @teagangeneviene @harmony_kent #IARTG #ASMSG #WritingCommunity #BookReviews #WhatToRead #MustRead – Author D.L. Finn first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Picture It, Portray It, Pen It

Hi everyone. Joan has a great post over at Story Empire today on how to show not tell and ways of picturing the emotion you want to portray. Well worth a look. I’ll be keeping this in mind when I begin my revisions of The Vanished Boy! >>>

 

Hey, SE Readers. Joan with you today. Do you ever struggle with describing a character’s emotions or how they would react in a particular situation? I do. Even though I have several reference books…

Source: Picture It, Portray It, Pen It

The post Picture It, Portray It, Pen It first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

#NewRelease – The Emissary Trilogy by … ME! | The Write Stuff

Hi everyone. Marcia Meara has some special news today … she’s released a boxed set of The Emissary Trilogy! Hope on over to her place and take a look >>>

 

I’m happy to announce that all three of my Emissary novellas are now available in one eBook, cleverly entitled The Emissary Trilogy. If you’ve been planning to read these novellas, you …

Source: #NewRelease – The Emissary Trilogy by … ME! | The Write Stuff

The post #NewRelease – The Emissary Trilogy by … ME! | The Write Stuff first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

#BookReview: Or Not …

Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay

Hi everyone. Today, I had hoped to have some book reviews for you. Alas, I’ve read three duds in a row, the highest scoring of which I gave three stars and the lowest, just the two. I’d had high hopes of Later by Stephen King, which released in the UK yesterday, and I read it in one go. Sadly, a lot let it down, so it only earned 3 stars. Really, though it’s sold and priced as a novel, it’s more like a novella-sized book, and it’s full of passive writing and doesn’t have an ending as such. So, all in all, a disappointing reading week, lols.

I won’t share the reviews in full, because I no longer share reviews on my blog that rate less than four stars, but I will share the links in case you’re interested, next to the titles and Goodreads links. With the Stephen King book, I just rated that without reviewing, while the other two were NetGalley reads, so I’ve written reviews in full for them. If you look at the other reviews for The Stranding, you’ll see that some readers love it–I would say this book by Kate Sawyer is a marmite book: you’ll either love it, or you’ll hate it. 

 

Missing Pieces by Tim Weaver: 3 stars https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3849080968  The Stranding by Kate Sawyer: 2 stars https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3859481777Later by Stephen King: 3 stars … no review***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

Have a great rest of your week, everyone. Thanks for stopping by

 

The post #BookReview: Or Not … first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Cover Reveal: House of Sorrow #legendsofmadeira – Joan Hall

Hi everyone, another reblog for you today, and this one is a bit special … Joan Hall has posted a cover release for her upcoming prequel to the Legends of Madeira series, House of Sorrow. I can’t wait to read this. Fantastic cover and blurb! >>>

 

Hey, everyone! It’s been a long time coming (a lot longer than I planned or anticipated) but it’s time to reveal the cover for my upcoming release, House of Sorrow. This short-story is …

Source: Cover Reveal: House of Sorrow #legendsofmadeira – Joan Hall

The post Cover Reveal: House of Sorrow #legendsofmadeira – Joan Hall first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Basic Plots: Vonnegut’s From Bad to Worse | Story Empire

Hi everyone. Staci has her fourth post on Vonnegut’s plot points over at story empire. It sounds like last year, lols! >>>

 

Ciao, SEers. I’ve been talking about Vonnegut’s five basic plots. So far, I’ve discussed Man in Hole, Boy Meets Girl, and Cinderella, which you can find by clicking the links. Today, I’m going to t…

Source: Basic Plots: Vonnegut’s From Bad to Worse | Story Empire

The post Basic Plots: Vonnegut’s From Bad to Worse | Story Empire first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

Expansion Pack: Comedy wrap up

Hi everyone. Craig has a wonderful post about using comdedy/humour in your books over at Story Empire. Some great points in there and well worth a look >>>

 

Hi, Gang. Craig with you once more. This time I want to wrap up the mini-series about writing comedy. In the previous two posts, we gave a list of common situations you can use, or modify into your…

Source: Expansion Pack: Comedy wrap up

The post Expansion Pack: Comedy wrap up first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.

The Writing Spark | Story Empire

Hi everyone. Denise has a great post all about findind and/or rekindling your writing spark on Story Empire. Well worth a look. It resonated with me so much that my comment resembles a short essay … ahem >>>

 

Hi SEers!  Denise here, and I’m going to talk about that spark that started me writing. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment it ignited in me, but I remember my exhilaration when I wrote a short story…

Source: The Writing Spark | Story Empire

The post The Writing Spark | Story Empire first appeared on Welcome to Harmony Kent Online.