Book Review: Searching for a Silver Lining by Miranda Dickinson

Thank you to the author and publisher for a beautiful sparkly proof copy. This review is my honest opinion.

The Blurb

It began with a promise . . .

Matilda Bell is left heartbroken when she falls out with her beloved grandfather just before he dies. Haunted by regret, she makes a promise that will soon change everything . . .

When spirited former singing star Reenie Silver enters her life, Mattie seizes the opportunity to make amends. Together, Mattie and Reenie embark on an incredible journey that will find lost friends, uncover secrets from the glamorous 1950s and put right a sixty-year wrong.

Touchingly funny, warm and life-affirming, this is a sparkling story of second chances. Perfect for fans of Cecelia Ahern, Searching for a Silver Lining will take you on a trip you'll never forget.

My Review

I have loved reading all of Miranda Dickinson's books. This new book is very different to her previous novels, but I still loved it.

It's a gently-paced story of a road trip with a difference. For a start, it leaves behind the glamorous locations of earlier novels and is firmly rooted right back here in England. But what it lacks in exotic location, it more than makes up for in vintage glamour, from the shop Matty runs full of 50's memorabilia to the indomitable ageing glamour-puss Reenie.

A tale of regret and sorrow, and the search for forgiveness, Miranda brings the 1950's alive through Reenie's memories and the pages of Matty's late Grandad's diary. 

Nostalgia aside, the theme of friendship is explored as Matty befriends the lonely Reenie and gets a bee in her bonnet about helping the older lady right her wrongs from years ago, along with the not-so-welcome help in the form of nightclub owner Gil, who, Matty presumes, is only along for the ride in order to protect his investment. 

There are some great characters in here, not least of all Matty's beloved campervan. Will Rusty survive the journey?

Searching for A Silver Lining is full of warmth, laughter and many touching moments that make this book sparkle.

The book is available now either as an ebook or paperback from Amazon or other retailers. If you haven't read any of Miranda's books yet - I highly recommend that you start now!

The Author

Miranda Dickinson has always had a head full of stories. Coming from a creative family where stories and songs were always present, it was perhaps inevitable that she would end up adoring words. A songwriter for over 15 years, Miranda has successfully penned over thirty songs, delivering both live and recorded performances in a range of venues across the UK and Europe. Her first solo project album, About Time is due for release this year. To hear her music, visit www.mirandadickinson.com - and be sure to leave a message if you like it!

Miranda began writing in earnest four years ago with her first novel, Coffee at Kowalski's - a romantic comedy set in New York's Upper West Side. This was spotted on HarperCollins' site for unpublished authors, Authonomy.com at the end of 2008 and was released by Avon (part of HC) as Fairytale of New York on 12th November 2009. She has also written several short stories, scripts and novel excerpts, many of which are published on Helium.com. Miranda is also a regular contributor for www.myvillage.com writing a range of local interest articles for the Birmingham area and national film and festival reviews.

Book Review: The Swimming Pool by Louise Candlish

'I can't take my eyes off the water. Can you?'

 It's summer when Elm Hill lido opens, having stood empty for years. For Natalie Steele - wife, mother, teacher - it offers freedom from the tightly controlled routines of work and family. Especially when it leads her to Lara Channing, a charismatic former actress with a lavish bohemian lifestyle, who seems all too happy to invite Natalie into her elite circle.

Soon Natalie is spending long days at the pool, socializing with new friends and basking in a popularity she didn't know she'd been missing. Real life, and the person she used to be, begins to feel very far away.

But is such a change in fortunes too good to be true? Why are dark memories of a summer long ago now threatening to surface? And, without realizing, could Natalie have been swept dangerously out of her depth?

I was delighted to receive an advanced reading copy from the publisher.

This book got right under my skin. The main character, Natalie, is enticed into a friendship with the beautiful Lara and all her glamorous lifestyle has to offer. 

Bored, fed up with her husband's straight-laced predictable attitudes, her life has up to now been consumer by daughter Molly's severe phobia of water, to a point where Natalie knows that she is herself drowning her daughter with her own guilt.

Seduced by the hedonistic lifestyle of the rich and beautiful Channings, she finds herself becoming more distanced from her husband Ed and best friend Gayle, who are both disapproving of Natalie's new friends. Natalie is a perfect example of a woman in the grip of a midlife crisis, rebelling against those she loves for the promise of something new and exciting. Nat may appear selfish and needy but she is leaping at a chance to help her daughter where previous attempts have failed.

Lara's daughter Georgia is a replica of her mother, but ironically Ed cannot see this, he is swayed in his own way to see Georgia as a perfect role model for Molly. 

My experience of reading The Swimming Pool was like being submerged in the water. I was totally immersed in the story with its beautiful, vivid descriptions. It is an almost surreal experience, a story of toxic friendships, manipulation and guilt, filled with dramatic tension. The story is cleverly written, told from various points in time; after a terrible accident; the weeks leading up to it; and glimpses into a shameful secret in Natalie's childhood.

A truly mesmerising read.

Book Review: Summer Nights at the Moonlight Hotel - Jane Costello

The Moonlight Hotel sits on the shore of England’s best-loved lake, Windermere, exuding vintage glamour.

Lauren loves the hotel, for hidden inside its faded walls is the key to her most precious memories. So, along with her best friends, Cate and Emily, she signs up to a new dance class in its gorgeous ballroom. They aren’t going for the men, they’re going for a laugh – although a little romance wouldn’t hurt . . .

But then a chain of events off the dance floor puts their friendship to the ultimate test, and makes Lauren question everything she holds dear.

Put on your dancing shoes and escape to The Moonlight Hotel, for Jane’s funniest and most poignant novel yet…

Jane Costello is quickly rising to the top of my All Time Favourite Authors. I love love love her books; full of warmth, love, humour and that little bit of grit which shows real depth to the characters.

This book is no exception. I received this from the publisher Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review, and I can honestly say I loved it.

Lauren is the type of main character that we can all identify with in some way; a little bit clumsy and inept, and hopelessly in love with someone they can't have. I love the way Jane shows how blinkered we can be in refusing to see people for who they really are.

Edwin is the object of Lauren's affections, and she would go to the ends of the Earth for him - well, to Singapore, at least.

Cate and Emily are Lauren's best friends, and they have their own problems to deal with. Cate has a serious issue that is so very relevant in today's society, and Jane handles this with sensitivity and leaves you thinking about the consequences of such actions for a long time after finishing the book.

There is a beautiful poignancy throughout the story as we learn how much a father means to a daughter. My heartstrings were not so much tugged as yanked at times!

Of course it's not all doom and gloom and soggy tissues, Jane's humour lightens the book with genuine laugh-out-loud moments.

Summer Nights at the Moonlight Hotel is a wonderful story of love, friendship, hot men and hot salsa - but left me with no desire to go walking in the Lake District!