Good morning friends! This the second book I’ve read by @tjenkinsreid this year and it’s safe to say I’ve fallen hook, line and sinker for her – she is just incredible!!!
Here are my thoughts on The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
👗💚📸💍👼🎞👯♀️💋👏🏼👰🏼⭐️
This was a fascinating read.
When Monique is approached by Hugo’s people to interview her for a piece in her magazine, she is shocked. Why her? She’s not high up in the company and she hasn’t done many features. Her boss is thinking the same thing but an actual interview from Hugo is like liquid gold, it’s not worth overthinking.
Monique knows as soon as she begins talking to Evelyn that she had an ulterior motive in picking her, but neither she or us find out why until the end of the book. (WOW – btw)
Evelyn then begins her tell-all exclusive, for Monique to piece together, as we begin to understand why she married seven times and how she became the icon that she is.
Broken into sections, Evelyn recounts to Monique what each husband meant to her and brings to life the 50s, the 60s, the 70s and the 80s through her wonderful depiction of Hollywood and those in the industry at that time.
Taylor’s style captivated me again with her ability to make everything seem so real, her books are THE definition of atmospheric for me – as they sweep you up and fully surround you in the glitz, the magic and all the glamour of the era.
Monique’s own backstory provides a link to the present and we discover that she, too, has suffered a fair share of heartbreak. Can Evelyn’s story help her heal or is it just providing her with a short term fix – distraction?
My favourite husband had to be Harry, he’s the best friend all girls dream of. He’s selfless and caring, and his story… WOW… it really moved me.
I don’t want to spoil anything about this story, but what I will say is Taylor has included a powerful message within these pages to stand up for what you love.
The book flowed so beautifully that is was difficult to put down, I had it finished in record time and felt pure devastation as I finished the final words.
I’ve fallen hook, line and sinker for Taylor Jenkins Reid – she is incredible!
🐝 The Honey Bus by Meredith May 🍯
@bestbookforward had mentioned The Honey Bus in one of her IG videos and not only was I hooked by the cover, I was curious about the topic of this memoir.
Meredith uses these pages to tell us about her childhood and her relationship with bees. With complicated family dynamics, her grandpa and the bees become her confidants and provide her with the refuge she craves from her turbulent relationship with her mum.
The more time she spends with the bees, the more she learns of their roles and their family dynamics; and whilst she’s not experiencing it at home, she sees the stability, support and strength that a family should have. Her grandpa uses the bees as a medium, to discuss family issues, allowing Meredith to understand and cope with her mum.
After finishing this memoir, it’s fair to say I clearly knew very little about honey bees before I started it!
I was absolutely fascinated by how these bees ‘work a hive’; it’s a very sophisticated mini-metropolis with every bee having a role to play in their society, their dedication to everything they do is both enthralling to watch and incredibly humbling. We could learn a lot from bees.
This is a beautiful, moving and powerful read that will make any reader reflect on themselves and the relationships surrounding them. It’ll make you feel grateful for the stability you may have overlooked, and remind you to pay attention to those chores/jobs that people around you do, without you even appreciating how it keeps your home/your work/your life moving smoothly.
But the most important message is to understand how much we need bees, which is starting to be well heard thanks to the campaigns, however I’ve never before appreciated the severity and the detailed reasons of why the bees are in decline.
I adore books like this, there is nothing more satisfying than reading and learning at the same time. My heart grew from reading of Meredith’s childhood, and my brain stored even more compelling facts.
#bookblogger #blogger #book #books #bookpost #newpost #bookstagram #ukpublisher #readersofinstagram #readers #bookish #bookgram #bookphotography #bookworm #bookishthings
Kicking off the #blogtour for Come Back For Me by Heidi Perks over on Twitter 👯♀️🎉
In 1993, Stella’s family left Evergreen Island abruptly and during a storm. It made no sense – why leave? – Stella loved living on the island.
In present time Stella is a relationship counsellor, helping families in all shapes and sizes to work through their differences and understand each other. The irony of Stella’s job vs her own family life was not lost on me. With her brother estranged, her father riddled with dementia and her sister’s moods; I admired Stella’s constant love for them all, albeit it did feel as if she was burying her head in the sand a lot.
And then a news story shakes her to the core. A body has been found in Evergreen, practically in their old back garden. Stella’s childhood now seems tarnished. Denial seeks through her, has she remembered those summers wrong?
As the plot develops, Perks explores how other characters’ felt/feel about being on the remote island and it’s clear it wasn’t and still isn’t all rosy. Secrets are beginning to surface and the tension between the residents is mounting.
With the dramatic prologue – the quick escape – it felt like Perks had geared it up for me to fully doubt The Harveys. Danny’s curious behaviour, Bonnie’s strong thoughts on friendship, Maria’s doubts about newcomers and David’s over friendly nature, made it feel like Stella was on a fast track journey to heartbreak as she travels to the island to find out more.
On the island, she discovers that her neighbours’ behaviours aren’t quite what she remembered, and the feeling of danger begins to mount. Just as the suspect list increases, someone comes forward and confesses, but did they actually do it?
The police don’t think they’ve got the right person and so the investigation continues…
This plot just kept on giving, Perks’ writing style is gripping from the get go and continues to play mind games with the reader from the very start to the final pages.
Continued in comments ⬇️
❄️ Let’s go for a total Opposite Day with my photo! The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley is set in cold and snowy Scotland... I’ll take a photo of it next to my pool in Abu Dhabi 🤣
This is going to be one of those reviews where I struggle to find the words… so apologies from the start!
Set in a scarily remote part of Scotland, we’re introduced to a large group of old friends and we know from the blurb and the first few chapters, that one of them is found DEAD.
But who? And why?
I loved how long Foley decided to keep it quiet on who it was, the wait was tantalisingly good and thriving with tension. To distract the reader, we have very short chapters told from multiple perspectives that kept me from guessing the truth. These nine friends have a lot of history and it’s clear that they’re all hiding something…
And they’re not the only people with secrets, the staff chose to work in a secluded location for a reason too! Some of them are escaping their pasts… dun dun dunnnn.
This is a skilfully plotted murder mystery that delves into the complex dynamics of old friendship. Foley carefully brings out the vulnerabilities in her characters, beit their own personal ones or their feelings towards the group. My personal favourites were the depictions of Emma and Miranda; some of the specific characteristics of these two just hit the nail on the head for me – I’ve seen this kind before!
A snowstorm means they’re all trapped. Along with the killer. With a timeline that flips between present and a few days prior, it’s time to get that detective hat on and try workout ‘whodunnit’. Except with a heap load of secrets, once you think you’re on to something, it all unravels with the next twist… ahhhh!
With a very similar vibe to An Unwanted Guest, I found myself comparing the two!
🍇 Both have clever plots
🥂 An Unwanted Guest is slightly faster paced than The Hunting Party
🍁 I preferred the setting in this book, it seemed unbelievably beautiful as well as deadly…
💐 I loved discovering the complex relationships within this story, whereas An Unwanted Guest has many of the guests as strangers (although this helped build more tension I thought)
4⭐️s
