This week’s picks will keep you up all night reading – plus, you can bag yourself a copy of Adele Parks’ brilliant new bestseller!
This week I’ve been reading:
Whatever It Takes by Adele Parks (£6.99, Headline) Out Thursday
When city lover Eloise Hamilton agrees to leave the London life she so loves and move her family to Dartmouth where her husband Mark grew up, she knows it’s going to be tough, but she isn’t prepared for the way her world starts to fall apart. Her best friend Sara is desperate for a slice of Eloise’s ‘perfect’ life, including the children she and partner Charlie can’t have and needs Eloise back in London. Then there’s Mark’s mum, Margaret, who has been having moments of ‘confusion’ that are getting worse. Plus Eloise has to make friends with the other mums at the school gate, who are the polar opposite of her glam London ladies-that-lunch friends. And what of her relationship with Mark? Pulled in all directions by the people closest to her, Eloise starts to wonder if love is enough…
The verdict:
If you’ve read any of Adele Parks’ previous novels, you’ll know that her writing is interesting, insightful and that she really gets under the skin of her characters. Whatever It Takes is no exception. While the central character, Eloise, is pretty, kind and likable, the author has made Sara as spiky and unlovable as possible, which is a brave move. But, surprisingly, it doesn’t stop you feeling empathy towards her – you may not like her, but you can understand where she’s coming from – and it makes the story feel very real. In real life, you don’t get one with everyone, so why should you in a book? The other element of the book that I really liked was Margaret’s story. The funny yet heartbreaking descriptions of her descent into dementia is told sensitively, with just the right amount of humour that left me laugh-crying as I read. A brilliant story, brilliantly told. In fact, just brilliant!
- We’ve got 20 copies of Whatever It Takes to give away – just click here to enter.
I’ve also been reading:
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (£7.99, Phoenix)
Everyone who’s anyone is talking about Gone Girl. So obviously I just had to find out what all the fuss is about. And, boy, am I glad I did! I don’t want to give too much away as this book is all about twists and turns and the unexpected, but it is centred around Amy and Nick Dunne, who live in Missouri. On the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick comes home to find the living room in turmoil and his wife gone. The police quickly turn their suspicions on Nick, but despite the mounting evidence against him, he denies having anything to do with Amy’s disappearance. Told through the eyes of both Nick and Amy, slowly the truth about her disappearance is revealed. And then everything you thought you knew is turned on its head! This is another of Richard & Judy’s spring Bookclub picks (and is just £3.99 at WH Smith) and it’s so brilliantly captivating, you’ll want to devour this thriller in one go. It starts off a little slowly, but once the scene setting is out of the way, BAM! – you’re immediately drawn in. Clever, terrifying and addictive, this literally had me on the edge of my seat. Do. Not. Miss.
- What are you reading this week? Tweet me @FabFrosty and let me know! See you next week for more fab reads…
