May 2023 Mini Reviews - part 3

 The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop

Published: 25th May 2023 by Random House

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

I've heard quite a lot of buzz surrounding this debut novel, so I was excited to give it a go, and I have to say it was a great bit of escapist fiction that I definitely needed. Although I'm not the biggest fan of Thrillers, I enjoyed the build-up of the mystery in The Girls of Summer, and I did keep reading to find out exactly what happened. I do think that the alternating chapters of 'Now' and 'Then' really worked, and certainly made me want to keep reading, as I was equally invested in Rachel's story as a teenager in Greece and a married woman in London. The story wasn't groundbreaking by any means, and I did easily guess every twist and turn that Bishop tried to surprise us with, but I didn't really mind, because her writing style really allowed me to be fully immersed in the story, as though I were a teenager getting up to trouble like Rachel. This would be the perfect book to bring on holiday, very quick and not difficult reading at all, in the best way possible.

3.5 stars

August Blue by Deborah Levy

Published: 4th May 2023 by Hamish Hamilton

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

I've heard a lot of good things about Levy's works, and knowing that she had been nominated for a Booker Prize a couple of times made me really want to pick up one of her works and see what the fuss was about! I tend to like the works that Hamish Hamilton picks up, like Assembly by Natasha Brown, and this was no exception - I really enjoyed the fragmented nature of Levy's storytelling, and the way that the plot of the mysterious horse-buying woman following her around Europe was interwoven with her identity as a renowned pianist and the tense relationship she has with her teacher. For someone clearly going through a tough time, the way that Elsa connected with her students was really heartwarming and I enjoyed these little interludes between the bigger story being told. The city-hopping through Europe kept the pace nice and quick, and although there wasn't much going on, I kept coming back for more.

4 stars

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

Published: 2nd May 2023 by Piatkus

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

I've heard a lot about Fortune's debut, Every Summer After, so I was excited to read this newest work of hers, and I have to say I really enjoyed this. It was a bit more of a slower read but I liked the pace of it as I felt it really allowed the characters to develop and the story to expand more naturally. The setting was amazing, and I felt really envious that I wasn't there at the resort, by the lake! I don't know why but I have such a soft spot for stories about business owners, especially family-run ones, so I loved reading about the legacy Fern's mum left her. In terms of the romance, I'm not normally the biggest fan of second-chance ones, but I was rooting for Fern and Will the whole time and I did really like the impact they both had on each other over the course of only one day, even if I did prefer the present-day chapters. I will definitely be going back and reading Fortune's debut!

3.5 stars

The Lantern's Ember by Colleen Houck

Published: 11th September 2018 by Hodder & Stoughton

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

I read the first two books of Houck's Reawakened series years ago, and I remember really enjoying them, so when I saw I had an old standalone of hers I thought I'd give it a go, especially because the concept sounded refreshingly unique. The reading experience of this book lulled for me, unfortunately, as I found myself enjoying it more than I initially thought, only for my attention to waver and I started getting confused as more characters and plotlines were introduced. Although it may not have made for such an exciting story, I would've much preferred a somewhat quieter plot just following Ember, Jack and Dev and their love triangle, but instead that whole storyline got lost in the mix of the whole 'mysterious doctor, double-agent' thread. The ending left me unsatisfied, but as always the writing was solid.

3 stars