Friday 27 April 2018

Blog Tour: Those Other Women by Nicola Moriarty


It's my absolute pleasure to take part in the blog tour for Nicola Moriarty's (The Fifth Letter) new book, Those Other Women. Thank you to Sam Deacon at Michael Joseph for the advanced reading copy. You can buy your copy here.

The Blurb


Poppy never thought she wanted to be a mother - until her husband got her best friend pregnant.

Now everywhere she goes, mothers are reminding her of his betrayal . . .

So Poppy creates an innocent Facebook group to vent just a little about 'smug mummies'.

Except those 'other women' are already heartily sick of being judged by non-mums and stay-at-home mums alike. Two can play at Poppy's game.

Which is when the anger spills into the real world.

Cafés become battlegrounds, playgrounds become warzones and offices have never been so divided between the have children and have lives . . .

A rivalry that was once harmless fun is suddenly spiralling out of Poppy's control.

She started this - but can she end it?

From the author of the eBook sensation The Fifth Letter comes another darkly comic, controversial and compulsive read that you're going to want to talk about with everyone you know.

My Review


Being a mother of four, you'd think I would never be able to understand why some women just do not want children. But if I say I do understand, that does not mean I wish I had never had any. I just know that for some, the maternal instinct just isn't there. And that's fine. each to their own. As far as I am concerned, every woman is entitled to her own opinion, on her own decision to have, or not to have children. 

Of course there are sadly many, many women who desperately want to be mothers, but for various reasons cannot - it took me 22 months of heartbreak and desperation to fall for my first, so I can empathise.

So when I was asked if I'd like to take part in the blog tour for this novel, and I read the blurb, I thought 'Wow - this is a very emotive subject' and dove straight in.

And emotive it is. I had wondered if it would be a case of the author siding with one side over another - them and us, the haves and have-nots (of offspring), but of course it is much more complex than that. This book proves nothing is ever black and white.

In this world, where the battle for women's equality grows stronger each day, it is sad to see so much in-fighting among the ranks. What makes one woman better than another? There are strong arguments for having children, but those who choose not to have children have strong arguments too.

Not that they should have to argue at all - somewhere, in the lives of the women in this book, they forget a person's right as an individual. Poppy, wounded by her husband having a child with her best friend, forms a new Facebook group for women who don't want children when she is barred from joining an online 'Mummies' group. We meet characters from both groups, each of them written sympathetically and could easily be you or someone you know. These women, divided into two main camps, start a vicious campaign against each other when the Facebook group is infiltrated by someone from the enemy camp, and all war breaks out over a posted comment. After all, it's too easy to vent on social media and it may well not be the most sensible thing to do (hands up, I confess I have done it myself). It leads to misunderstanding, and a pack mentality.

I did not mean for this review to turn into a discussion on motherhood, but that is what this book does - it makes you question! It's brilliant! Nicola Moriarty has written an evocative, exciting story filled with a dark humour, where you may go in on one side, then find yourself switching sides then back again. She also reminds of the important point that a woman is allowed to change her mind!

I thoroughly recommend Those Other Women. A five star read!

Sunday 8 April 2018

Blog Tour: A Home at Honeysuckle Farm by Christie Barlow



I'm delighted to be part of the blog tour today for Christie Barlow's new novel, A Home at Honeysuckle Farm, published by HarperImpulse on 6th April 2018. Click here for your copy!

The Blurb


A family secret

One shocking argument and ten-year-old Alice Parker’s world was turned upside down. Her peaceful life at Honeysuckle Farm in the quiet rural village of Brook Bridge swapped for the bustling metropolis of New York City. Alice’s life was changed forever…

A second chance


Now, thirteen years later, Alice’s American dream is over. With her life in tatters, there is only one place Alice wants to be… home at Honeysuckle Farm. So, when Alice learns her beloved Grandie is ill, she knows this is her last chance to heal the family rift.

A forever home?

But secrets still swirl in Brook Bridge, and Alice is no closer to discovering the truth. And for some reason her new friendship with local heartthrob Sam Reid seems to be making the locals tense.

Sick of the lies Alice knows it’s time to lay the past to rest once and for all. But could the truth ruin her hopes of ever calling Honeysuckle Farm home again?

My Review

I love Christie Barlow's books. They are light-hearted without being fluffy, featuring strong women who don't take any nonsense from anyone, and who inspire those whose lives they enter, and of course, there is always at least one gorgeous man ready to win our heroine's heart (and our own!).

Alice Parker is no exception. Having stayed in New York to please her mother, she is drawn back to her childhood home of Honeysuckle Farm when she hears her beloved Grandie is ill. Estranged from him as a young child for reasons unknown, Alice is desperate to reconnect with her grandfather.

She is welcomed back into the village, which has a real sense of community - until it comes to Sam Reid. His family has been ostracised for years; but no one will tell Alice why. She ignores the animosity towards Sam, as she finds herself more and more attracted to him.

Unearthing old memories and secrets, Alice realises she is exposing old wounds, but sometimes these wounds have to be debrided in order to heal properly. Although Alice arrived full of embarrassment at her failure to succeed in New York, she finds she does have a lot to offer here at her true home. 

Honeysuckle Farm is full of warmth and emotion, and the author brings her characters to life in such a wonderful way, I felt as if I knew them all personally. I'd quite like to live there myself!

About the Author


Christie Barlow is the author of A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother, The Misadventures of a Playground Mother, Kitty's Countryside Dream, Lizzie's Christmas Escape, Evie's Year of Taking Chances, The Cosy Canal Boat Dream and A Home at Honeysuckle Farm. Her writing career came as somewhat a surprise when she decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. The book she wrote to prove a point is now a #1 bestseller in the UK, USA & Australia. 

Christie is an ambassador for @ZuriProject raising money/awareness and engaging with impoverished people in Uganda through organisations to improve their well-being as well as Literary Editor for www.mamalifemagazine.co.uk bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the book world. 

She loves to hear from her readers and you can get in touch via her website www.christiebarlow.com Twitter @ChristieJBarlow and Facebook page Christie Barlow author

Follow Christie on the rest of the blog tour!