BOOK REVIEW: Mhairi McFarlane - Here's Looking At You

“Anna Alessi – history expert, possessor of a lot of hair and an occasionally filthy mouth – seeks nice man for intelligent conversation and Mills & Boon moments.

Despite the oddballs that keep turning up on her dates, Anna couldn’t be happier. As a 30-something with a job she loves, life has turned out better than she dared dream. However, things weren’t always this way, and her years spent as the ‘Italian Galleon’ of an East London comprehensive are ones she’d rather forget.

So when James Fraser – the architect of Anna’s final humiliation at school – walks back into her life, her world is turned upside down. But James seems a changed man. Polite. Mature. Funny, even. People can change, right? So why does Anna feel like she’s a fool to trust him?”

Anna is haunted by her past and, though she thinks she’s over it, she’s really just spent years blocking it out, a fact she realises when she decides, thanks in part to her friends, to go to her school reunion and face her demons. It turns out the people in her past don’t remember her so can she start afresh and prove she’s changed as those from her past prove they’ve changed too? Maybe…

When she goes to the school reunion, she sees James and Loz; James being the main character from her past that broke her down and Loz being his sidekick. Neither of them recognise her (she’s lost a hell of a lot of weight and truly blossomed, in all senses, by all accounts) and Laurence tries to make a move, causing Anna to make an excuse and leave, with the hope that she’ll never have to see them again.

Oh, how wrong she was! She ends up having to work with James, a situation she is definitely not a fan of. She decides she can either be nice and give him another chance or make his working life difficult. Turns out she can’t stick to the option she chose and I’m so glad that’s the case.

They build a friendship that’s by no means smooth but, oh jeez, you feel compelled to keep reading in the hope they work it out. If they were my friends in real life, I would definitely have bashed their heads together at various points in the book.

Whilst Anna and James are attempting, and sometimes failing, to sort out their differences, Anna’s sister Aggy is in the process of planning her wedding – something that doesn’t go to plan either but, thanks to a surprising helpful hand, Aggy gets her wedding after all, even if it’s not the one she’d been dreaming of.

In most stories, when the lead female has been hurt in the past it’s usually some stupid guy who didn’t realise what he had and left or, worse, cheated and then left. Anna’s story is so different to that. Without giving too much away, she wasn’t just hurt by the guy she liked, she was publically humiliated too, in front of a school hall of judgemental, rude, teenagers. Yes, it involves a boy but not a boyfriend.

It was nice to read a story whereby the lead character has literally been to their lowest point possible and made it through, growing into a strong woman that men adore and want to be with whilst women want to be her. Anna’s not perfect but that’s part of her charm and what makes her character such a joy to read.

It’s also touching to see the way James reacts when he finds out just how much of an impact his actions had on Anna; genuine horror and remorse. The length’s he goes to in order to win back her trust and become the friend to her that she needs also makes for great reading.

There are twists and turns throughout which keep you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages, a fine testament to McFarlane’s exceptional writing skills. This would be a great read for anyone who has been belittled by another human and made to feel worthless and not good enough because it’s inspirational and shows that you can become the butterfly you always wanted to be.

Although it’s based around a horrible topic, ‘Here’s Looking at You’ had me smiling, laughing, and full of happiness. Okay, fine, I’m not that tough – I also shed a tear or two as well. I can’t recommend this book enough and I’m going to have to read more of Mhairi McFarlane’s work in the future!

Kindle Edition | Paperback Edition

*paid for by myself*

BOOK REVIEW: Stefan Haucke - Shadows of Ghosts

“Shadows of Ghosts carries readers to Enara, a kingdom at war with itself, where for centuries centaurs have been treated like animals because of their horse-like lower bodies; they've been forced to work as slaves in the southern agricultural provinces, and have been bought and sold like livestock. But a strong abolitionist faction has convinced many that centaurs' human torsos, heads, and intellectual abilities make them humans, who should be liberated from slavery and granted the same rights as any other person.

After four years of being forced to live in a remote village and having to keep his real identity a secret, Cal Lanshire, days away from his thirteenth birthday, is given the best birthday present he can imagine. He is told he can soon return home.

But then an old acquaintance unexpectedly arrives with news that changes everything. Cal's father, the king, has been assassinated.

Suddenly the outcome of the war and the very fate of the kingdom depend upon Cal being able to reach the capital where he will take his father's place.

With only his crafty best friend by his side and an escaped centaur slave to guide him, can Cal make it through an enchanted, hostile wilderness, past the assassins sent to kill him, and back to the capital before it's too late?”

‘Shadow of Ghosts’ follows Cal and Mont as they set out on a quest to lead Cal to safety, with the guidance of Zinn (Cal’s fathers advisor) and then Ellsben, a trusty centaur. It’s by no means an easy journey, not least because of the urgency of the situation and the war going on. As we know from Stefan’s guest post, the book falls under the fantasy genre but with a lot of historical influences. This provides enough of a resemblance to the past that we know to help us get into the book, it just has added centaurs and that’s never a bad thing.

For me, fantasy isn’t a genre I’ve read much of but, based on this book, that’s going to change. I loved it. It’s very easy to forget just how young the two boys (Cal and Mont) are when reading this and it’s also easy to forget that Ellsben was a centaur, two things that definitely helped me to get into the book. The war in the story is centred around centaurs – those who think they should have freedom and those that don’t. The fact that you read it and forget Ellsben is a centaur tells me that I’d be on the side of those who think they should be free, as they’re no different to humans.

There’s a clear timeline throughout the book which ensures you know where you are and everything falls into place. It also helps to set certain scenes and give you a better idea of how the characters would be feeling – how stressed, tired, weary they would have been, etc. The timeline is proof that the book is well structured which brings me on to the actual writing style. Not once was I bored when reading this, there was tension when there needed to be, excitement, fear, and so many other emotions – all of which were clear and kept you reading more, desperate to know how it ended.

 The friendship between Cal and Mont is very touching – they go through some of the worst things they’re likely to experience together and see some sights that nobody should ever see, least of all two people as young as they. Throughout it all, however, they remain firm friends. The fact that Cal and Mont come from completely different backgrounds is never an issue for them – they hold the same morals and beliefs – and that’s something that people in today’s society (and, sadly, I fear every society to come) could learn from. They go through some extreme things and to some even greater lengths to protect each other and help each other out which is fantastic to read about.

Not all of the characters are so much of a joy to read, however. One in particular, Kozal, is a peculiar character from the moment we’re introduced to him. He starts of creepy but helpful, then becomes a traitor, then becomes helpful again. I’m not sure of this is intentional but, for me, it gave me the impression that this was a way of giving an example of the impact the war (be it fiction or in reality) has on peoples mental states. He was a liar, crazy, and selfish and yet he was also true to his word and helpful.

There were a number of surprises in this book, both with things that happened and also the way in which characters reacted to them. The entire time I read this, I didn’t know what was going to happen; I couldn’t even hazard a guess. That’s rare for me – I’m not saying I always work everything out immediately but I often have a rough idea of the ending. With this, I didn’t; yet another reason to like the book and its structure/writing style.

Based on the blurb, I knew I would enjoy ‘Shadow of Ghosts’ but I never thought I’d love it as much as I did. It’s fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the book and felt like I was on the journey with Cal, Mont, and Ellsben. Although it is a fantasy book, there are certain elements that were relatable and, because of the influence history had on the book, it makes it easier to get into the book. What I would say, however, is there are some slightly graphic moments in the book which you might want to avoid if you’re easily squeamish – I bloody loved them!

Kindle Edition | Paperback Edition

*received via NetGalley*

GUEST POST: Stefan Haucke

Hello everyone! Today we've got a guest post from the ever-so-wonderful Stefan Haucke, author of 'Shadow of Ghosts' (review coming soon!!)

In the post, Stefan talks briefly about some of the interesting things he learned whilst doing research for his book.

"Shadows of Ghosts is a fantasy novel that takes place in a land that has many parallels to the United States during the era leading up to and during the Civil War. When I was researching this era I discovered that there was a rapid advancement in the technology of communications and travel; and this rapid advancement dramatically changed society during the first part of the nineteenth century.

Before the start of the nineteenth century, travel and communication was slow. Then, the invention of the steamboat and the building of railroads and canals suddenly made traveling long distances dramatically faster and more convenient. At the same time, the telegraph was invented. Now, with the telegraph, long distance communication became almost instantaneous. There were also major improvements in the ability to rapidly print newspapers and books. These changes in communications and travel allowed new ideas to flow across the United States. The abolitionist movement gained strength. The temperance movement, women's rights, improvement in the care of the mentally ill, prison reform—all these ideas gained a greater audience and led to major societal improvements due to the innovations in communications and travel."

A review of 'Shadow of Ghosts' is coming soon so keep your eyes peeled!!

BOOK NEWS: Lindsey Kelk Reveals ‘What A Girl Wants’ Cover!

From the moment I heard Lindsey’s next book was going to be released in July, I have been waiting not-so-patiently for more information about the release and the book itself. Today, Lindsey tweeted a picture of the front cover as well as the release date.

For those who don’t know (and why would you?) my birthday is in July so I was always going to be excited about the July release but it turns out that it’s released on July 17th, just 11 days before my birthday. I think it’s safe to say I know what I’m no doubt going to end up treating myself to for my birthday!

According to Goodreads, “Tess Brookes was the girl with a plan. Now she's the girl with a choice. Should she stay in London and start her own advertising agency with her best friend and potential boyfriend Charlie? Or should she head to exciting Milan to pursue both a new career as a photographer and a new man, the enigmatic and elusive (and highly irritating) Nick? For the first time, Tess has to choose between the life she always dreamed of and a future she never imagined possible. With her heart and her head pulling her in different directions, Tess has to make a life-changing decision about What a Girl Wants.”

It’s the follow up to About a Girl which I LOVED (no surprise, I love all of Lindsey’s work) and the fact this is the 2nd book makes up for the break I’ve had to take from Alex, haha. If you’d like to read About a Girl, here’s the Amazon links: Kindle / Paperback

What a Girl Wants is available for pre-order here: Kindle / Paperback and will be released on July 17th 2014.