amothersmusings1's reviews
1939 reviews

Set in Norfolk 1919, this is book three in ‘The Royal Station Master’s Daughters’ series where we get to learn what life was like on the Sandringham estate for the staff and the Royals. This book is set just after the war, when women were learning their husbands would not be returning home from overseas or were suffering from the effects of war. Women who could no longer support themselves and their children, were often sent to the workhouses and it was horrendous to learn of the character Kitty having to resort to this, with her six children. It was painful to read of their experiences and a real eye opener. The introduction of psychotherapy for mentally suffering soldiers was also an interesting read. 

The camaraderie and true friendships of the families helping each other through thick and thin, just to survive, always trying to raise a smile was commendable and Ada’s tea dance was a joy to read. 

Based on the real life station master, Harry Saward, I enjoyed the author’s take of this emotional World War 1 saga of family, love and our Royal family. This book is a gripping and heartwarming historical saga and I can see exactly why these novels have attracted so many readers. This was my first read in the series and worked perfectly as a standalone novel but I would have liked to know more about the daughters back stories, so as expected, reading in them order is beneficial for continuity but not completely necessary. Superbly developed characters with realistic pre and post war issues, heartwarming storylines with emotional reminders of how the Sandringham Company of soldiers and their families were affected by the war the men fought in Gallipoli, makes this a first class read. 

Needless to say I’ll be reading the first two books to catch up on the series and if historical saga stories are your go to genre, then you must read Ellee Seymour’s books. 

#TheRoyalStationMaster’sDaughtersInLove - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Atom Inc” is book three in ‘The Race Is On’ series and is the first I have read of these books.  However, I personally believe reading the previous ones would help with the continuity and understanding the author’s intent, due to the complex structure of the storyline but it didn’t stop my enjoyment and I soon picked up what was going on and what had preceded.  The short, concise chapters keep the pace steady and enable you to follow what’s occurring, by reading them in smaller chunks. 

 

I liked how the author involved real world issues and events into the story; global warming, over population, the Icelandic volcanic eruption of 2010 and the deep water oil spill disaster, which allowed the reader to clearly understand how the LEAP machine benefited the public and how it worked. At the same time, the story sees the flip side to this, the job casualties when no one needs conventional travel anymore which in turn affects the fuel industry etc. This obviously causes a backlash and protests from these workers, as we see happening within the story. 

 

There’s been an obvious, huge amount of research carried out for this series, something I believe the author relishes and together with his very active imagination, the potential ability to LEAP from place to place instantly and step into a machine to improve looks, health and backup your self, in the event of death, seriously scares me and I’m not sure whether to welcome the future or fear it. 

 

This complex but thoroughly entertaining story is suffused with tense twists and turns that will keep you on your toes throughout and with book four in the pipeline and an ‘Ed Fox’ spin off series booked for 2025, OC Heaton has his work cut out developing even further imaginative (but possibly realistic) storylines  and I for one wish him continued success with this brilliant series. 

 

#ATOMInc - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

I thought the book was exceedingly well presented and would appeal not just to the younger generation but for the older ones too who likes to know titbits of knowledge about random things. I can see this book going down a treat in primary schools and will fascinate the kids as they talk about all the different facts mentioned in this book about inventions. I for one will read it cover to cover and intend passing it onto my near ninety year old mother to enjoy too. 

Colourful, beautifully illustrated, well presented, full of intriguing and interesting knowledge about all kinds of things I’d happily recommend “The World’s First Rollercoaster”; and other amazing invention to readers of all ages and gender. 

#TheWorldsFirstRollerCoaster - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  for such an ingenious read

I love a good historical fiction novel and Stacey Halls knows exactly how to write one, I’ve read her previous books and every time I’ve fell in love with her writing, her characters and well researched realistic stories. 

 

Set in Victorian London during the time of Charles Dickens, the city’s bustling atmosphere is portrayed perfectly, with the transport modes, fashion, attitudes and social economics and it was easy to imagine Urania Cottage in the midst of it all. The author has a knack for creating characters that you instantly endear to and it was impossible not to feel emotional at the plight of the girls living in the cottage and their various, unique background stories. 

 

“The Household” is a fictional story based on the real ‘Urania Cottage’ which Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts set up in 1846, as an asylum for women and girls working the London streets as prostitutes, and ex prisoners who showed they wanted to reform. By offering the skills needed to serve a house, they were trained and then later ‘transported’ to the colonies to build a respectable life. 

 

I found the social differences between the girls and the very prominent and rich Angela Burdett-Coutts, very interesting.  Angela didn’t show any rightful airs and graces towards them and really did care deeply for their safety and reform.  Her own story too, is intriguing and I couldn’t help feeling quite sad for her at times. 

 

The denouement was sentimentally satisfying and I could really see this easily being made into a series, continuing with new girls being admitted to the cottage and following up on those who moved on with their lives. I loved reading “The Household” and have no reservations on recommending this book and author. 

 

#TheHousehold - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about finding romance with a talking lift, in fact I know I haven’t, so this was a first for me and a very enjoyable one too. This charming romcom, balanced with a special blend of romance, comedy and some incredibly endearing characters who suffer from social awkwardness, made this a breeze to read and I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this well executed story. 

 

I adored the superb banter between Hannah and Drew, her ‘potty mouth’ was a refreshing change from the sickly sweet female characters you often get in twee romcoms. To see two characters who have so much emotional baggage and suffer from anxiety, overcome their fears is a joy to behold. The side characters were equally as captivating and I feel there’s a lot more of Pirin, Charlotte and Amy to write about. With a typical sleazy boss and a #MeToo theme, this kept the unique love story realistically modern and I championed Hannah and her crusade for justice. 

 

Chrissie Harrison is a fantastic author who I’m going to ensure I follow in the future and if you love reading about finding love in the most unusual of places, you won’t be disappointed with “Floored”! 

 

#Floored - an undeniable ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

As a potential dog owner myself I will be reading this book from cover to cover, as the information is invaluable to someone like me, who knows absolutely nothing about dogs health and ownership.  The amount of knowledge and intense detail that the author has incorporated into this indispensable guide is just phenomenal. Who knew so much was needed to be known in order to be a thoughtful dog owner? 

 

The author’s experience as a clinical vet for more than 40 years, having academic literature widely published, as well as lecturing in both the UK and abroad, more than credits him as a worthy scholar to advise on such a responsible subject.  

 

There’s not much to add to my review that isn’t said in the blurb.  This self-help book is the complete bible and life saver for all dog owners, whether you’re a seasoned owner, considering looking after a dog or are a complete newbie to the world of pet ownership. This hand-care book will take you from the planning of getting a dog, which breed is right for you, choosing your vet, medicine, illness, neutering along with a continual chronological guide through the whole life of your pet, even advising how to cope with its loss. I can’t recommend this book highly enough, it should be in everyone’s home and I hope you have a wonderful journey and relationship with your dog using the extensive advice supplied by Dr Christopher Little. 

 

#TheDogCareHandbook - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Having now read all three books in the DCI Robin Lyons series, I would personally recommend reading these in order, since the development of Robin’s career and the relationship with her daughter Lennie is quite paramount to the dynamics of the storyline. I really like Robin, she’s a superbly developed character and the amount of time she spends at work, realistically affects her home life which torments her for being a neglectful single parent. Her turbulent relationship with her racist and selfish brother Luke, is another ongoing storyline that benefits from continuity and a situation that arose in the previous book, comes to a conclusion here. 

 

I was utterly gripped with the plot line in “Last Witness” - for some reason I was fastidiously invested into the who and why the events happened and it was only down to old fashioned, diligent and dedicated police work that the case was solved. A very interesting case too, which broke my heart in places but with a timely #MeToo theme, showing how the younger generation are supporting victims. This felt progressive, appropriate and certainly inclusive of modern day criminal investigations. I loved this book, my favourite of the three and hope that there’ll be a fourth very soon! 

 

#LastWitness - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Never Forgive You” opened with a gripping prologue that got the intrigue and curiosity juices flowing. Having read Hilly Barmby’s first novel ‘Best Served Cold’, I knew exactly how enticing her writing is and that she has a sadistic and warped imagination when it comes to revenge! 

 

There’s a lot of differing characters, not just in personalities but in class, attitude and moral standards. A few are totally unlikeable but as the saying goes, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and that really applies to a few of these people who are hiding secrets. 

 

You do need to stick with this book, preferably in a few sittings as possible to get the continuity of events, as the story is a long game, psychological drama. I enjoyed the ‘then’ events and how they started to explain the dynamics between the characters in the present. Hetty, an outsider to the family is an enigma herself, with her own tragic back story but I liked how she was able to stay detached to what was happening and how pivotal she was in the denouement.  

 

All in all a gripping story set in France, with a beautiful and atmospheric French wedding as a backdrop during the unraveling of the plot. The differences in traditions was an education and I learned a lot of interesting facts regarding the French customs. 

 

I love Hilly Barmby’s novels and I look forward to the next one, to see what revenge she has in store this time! 

 

#NeverForgiveYou - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 

As a crime thriller “Dark Rooms” makes a decent standalone but if you want to see Jane progress through the ranks from probationer to Detective Inspector then I’d recommend you read them in order to achieve full continuity. Jane has impressed me from the very first book, with her dedication to get justice for victims, young or old, no matter how long they’ve been dead or how they’ve died. She will work determinedly until she uncovers the truth, battling misogyny and sometimes defying police rules. In this book, when a young woman’s decomposed body is found chained to a bed in a disused air raid shelter and another body tragically found not long after, Jane must travel half way around the world to unveil a dark secret that has been kept buried for a long time. 

 

However, I did find this book a bit of a deviation from the normal style of the series with Jane taking slightly too much solo interest in an historical case. I felt with the filler of Jane’s house renovation and new love interest, that this was maybe the weakest book in the series but this is just my personal opinion. However, the multilayered plot with a tragic back story was heartbreaking for the characters involved, revealing incomprehensible horrors that pulled at my heartstrings. 

 

I’m looking forward to reading the next and latest book “Taste of Blood”, it’s always a pleasure reading any Lynda La Plante and highly recommend the ‘Jane Tennison’ series if you love police crime thrillers. 

As a mother myself, this book resonated profoundly with me, seeing both sides to the story - from the parents of the victim and the parents of the accused. The emotions were both so different but at the end of the day, no matter what your stance, your aim in life is to protect your child at all costs. I didn’t take to Simon or his parents, rich privileged and self centred people but no matter their advantages, their emotions as parents remain the same as anyone else’s would. It would make for an interesting book club discussion as to the moral rights and wrongs of their actions. 

 

I thought the inclusion of how social media escalates delicate situations was a timely and modern issue to raise and how the persecution of the some of the characters, caused influence to sway amongst the community. So sad when this happens but seen far too often in today’s widely available social technology. 

 

The events at the end were quite a surprise but considering how strong feelings and emotions were, not a complete shock. Certainly not something you saw coming. 

 

This character driven story was written with heart felt emotions, with first person accounts from the main protagonists and together with a decent crime story and atmospheric setting, “What Happened to Nina” was an addictive and enjoyable read. 

 

#WhatHappenedToNina - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️