The Secret of Clouds by Alyson Richman

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Velvet Hours and was incredibly honoured to have been selected to review Richman's newest book.  The Secret of Clouds is a moving story about a mother's love, a teacher's promise, and a child's heart.

Richman's writing at times is simplistic and initially I was concerned that I would start skimming, but stick with it, there are two beautiful stories in play.

Katya, a ballerina, and Sasha, a student, are a young couple just starting out when tragedy falls on their homeland, Kiev.  The couple emigrate to America in the hopes of a better life, but the consequences of the tragedy surface in their son, Yuri, who was born with a heart condition and a compromised immune system. He grows up isolated from other children in the hopes of sparing him from sickness.

Maggie, a wonderful and passionate young teacher, takes on tutoring Yuri at home.  Yuri gives her pause—he reminds her so much of her friend that died as a child.  The The two form an unlikely connection that runs deep.  Maggie is inspired by Yuri and draws on his strength to make a difficult change in her own life.

We've all had at least one special teacher, you know, the kind that sees your potential and ultimately changes your life.  This story is a beautiful tribute to those teachers and it fills the heart.

ALYSON RICHMAN is the international bestselling author of The Velvet Hours, The Garden of Letters, The Lost Wife, The Last Van Gogh, The Rhythm of Memory, The Mask Carver’s Son, and Grand Central.

She lives in Long Island, New York, with her husband and two children.

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

A special thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My real name, no one remembers.
The truth about that summer, no one else knows.

Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel that contains a sepia photograph of a beautiful Victorian woman, and an artist's sketchbook with a drawing of a gabled house by the river. She is taken aback by the drawing because it is so familiar—it reminds her of the house from the stories her late mother used to tell her. But who is the beautiful woman in the picture? This sends Elodie on a journey to Birchwood Manor, an estate on the river Thames, in the hopes that she will uncover the identity of the girl that transcends the photo with her arresting gaze.

A century and a half earlier, Edward Radcliffe hosts a month-long retreat for group of artists at Birchwood. Their plan is to create art, but at the close of the month, Radcliffe's fiancée has been shot and killed, his muse and a family heirloom have vanished, and his life and reputation is in disrepair.

The Clockmaker's Daughter is a remarkable story that is told in multiple voices and spans many years.  Its themes are adversity, loss, love, and resilience and at the heart of it all is the ghost of Birdie Bell, the clockmaker's daughter.

Morton's writing is gorgeous, sweeping, and intricate. This hauntingly beautiful story is made up of vignettes—which are stories from the people that lived in the house—that thread the past and present storylines together. My only criticism is that there are too many of them and what happens is that they detract from the narrative. There are times where several chapters go by without any mention of the main characters and unfortunately, this is where some of Morton's audience will jump ship.

The finale is incredibly satisfying and I encourage the reader to slog through the vignettes because their patience will be rewarded. Morton makes it all worthwhile by harmonizing the stories and characters. She is a master and her writing is breathtaking.

KATE MORTON a native Australian, holds degrees in dramatic art and English literature. She lives with her family in London and Australia.

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy is folding laundry at her dining room table when a police car pulls up to the home she shares with her husband, Ollie, and their three children.  Although there is no fanfare—no lights or sirens—it's never good news when they make a house call. The police have come to inform them that Ollie's mother, Diana, has died in an apparent suicide although they are still investigating.

Diana has always been polite to Lucy, but has kept her at a distance.  It was apparent the first time they met that they would never have the closeness that Lucy had always hoped for, especially since she lost her own mother.

Upon further investigation it appears that Diana's death is a result of suffocation and everyone appears to be hiding something... But who would want to hurt Diana? She's was a pillar of the community, a wonderful wife and mother, and an advocate for social justice.

The story moves back and forth between Lucy and Diana, between past and present, and explores the complexity of relationships—especially between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.  The two person perspective was brilliant, we were able to see both sides of a situation and how easy things can be misconstrued.

One of my favourite quotes was:

"I think about all my conversations with Jan and Liz and Kathy about daughters-in-laws. We'd always focused on how different they are from us, how their mothering is different, their attitudes are different. We've never once focused on our similarities. As women. As wives. As mothers. It occurs to me suddenly that there are a lot more of them."

Relationships are hard, and especially hard are the ones with people you didn't choose to be in a relationship with. There is definitely a dance that mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws do around each other. It's because they both love the same man in different capacities—one gave him life and raised him, the other shares their life with him and may even give him life (children). This book explores this dynamic, as well as looks at the relationships between a husband and wife, a parent and child, and between siblings.   

This was an incredible read and I was absolutely riveted.  I have nothing but effusive praise for Sally Hepworth's novel. Her characterization was rich and layered as were the family dynamics and on top of it all was a great mystery.

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SALLY HEPWORTH  is the author of five books, most notably The Secrets of Midwives, a novel she published in 2015.  She has been featured in media outlets that have included USA Today, The New York Times, and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Hepworth is based in Melbourne, Australia.

The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

A special thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and Harlequin Graydon House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"A fresh mantra springs to mind.

     If you love someone, set them free. 
     If they come back, they’re yours. If they don’t, make them."

Juliette is in love with Nate and will follow him anywhere. She now a flight attendant for the same airline that where he works as a pilot—this way she can always keep an eye on him.

It's fate, they are made for one another. The fact that Nate broke up with her six months ago is just a commercial in their fabulous life together. Juliette is going to win him back because she is the perfect girlfriend.

Hamilton's unreliable narrator is complicated, neurotic, and impulsive. Elizabeth (Lily to Nate) is now going by Juliette, her middle name because she is reinventing herself to win Nate back. The reader engages in a tug-of-war where Juliette is concerned—on one hand, we feel sorry for her given her tragic past, but on the other hand, she is so extreme and delusional.

Like most psychological thrillers, the strength of the novel lies within the writing. Hamilton pens some complex and interesting characters, yet none are particularly likeable. In fact, Nate is especially dull. Perhaps this was done on purpose to juxtapose his character against the manic and impulsive Juliet? There are a few times where you do have to suspend your disbelief, but all-in-all it's a fun ride.

Buckle up...with Juliette as your narrator, there's always turbulence.

KAREN HAMILTON previously worked as cabin crew for a major airline but has given up flying to raise her three sons and focus on writing.  The Perfect Girlfriend is her first novel.

The Exes' Revenge by Jo Jakeman

A special thank you to the author, Jo Jakeman, for providing me with a copy of the book.

Three women are connected by their romantic involvement with the same man. At first they have only this in common, but come to realize that they actually have another thing in common...they all want revenge against him.

Phillip Rochester is controlling, abusive, and narcissistic. Imogen, Phillip's second ex-wife, is dealing with the messy fallout from their divorce. He is becoming incredibly difficult, even going as far as demanding that she move out of their house by the end of the month or he will sue for sole custody of their son.

In an act of desperation and madness, Imogen does something so unthinkable and completely out of character, yet it gives her all the power in the relationship for the first time. What she could never anticipate is that both Phillip's other ex-wife and his new girlfriend would get caught up in her plan. These vastly different women become the most unlikely allies to take revenge on the same man that wronged them all.

In this psychological thriller, Jakeman opens with Phillip's funeral. Her twisty plot plays out between the past and present to reveal how Phillip died. This is an efficacious way to quell the reader's desire for revenge on such an abusive individual.

Imogen's character descent is fascinating. At first, she's a typical unreliable narrator—her perception is her reality so the reader naturally sides with her where the exes are concerned. But the more the story plays out, and the further across the line she goes, the more we learn about the other women.

This dark debut was originally titled Sticks and Stones, though I much prefer the current title, The Exes' Revenge. Jakeman's novel is not only hypnotic, but incredibly satisfying from start to finish. The pace is spot on, as is the revenge and there is also some dark humour sprinkled throughout which is incredibly clever. I literally could not stop reading and stayed up way too late. Thank you, Jo Jakeman, for taking me on this ride!

JO JAKEMAN won the Friday Night Live competition at the York Festival of Writing in 2016.

Born in Cyprus, she worked for many years in London before moving to the countryside with her husband and twin boys.

The Exes' Revenge is her debut thriller.   

Forks, Knives, and Spoons by Leah DeCesare

A special thank you to the author, Leah DeCesare, for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

When Amy York goes off to college, her dad leaves her with some practical advice when it comes to men. He classifies them into three categories: forks, knives, and spoons. Amy puts his Utensil Classification System into practice and it becomes the dating guide for her and her friends.

On their quest to find the perfect steak knife, the girls use the system to navigate their way through college relationships and beyond. But what they never bargained for was actually learning about themselves, and to never settle.

When Leah contacted me to review, I was thrilled. This book had me smitten with all of the pop culture references and I ended up down a Google rabbit hole reliving my youth.

Based on actual advice from her father, Leah's debut is is a coming-of-age story with great advice: avoid forks, spoons are dull, and knives are the way to go. Knives are in the middle, they are balanced—not too sharp, not too dull. But they have an edge, so they are sharp when they need to be, and they are smart.

Although this novel is lighthearted, and has a fun premise, DeCesare has her characters work through some weightier topics and I applaud the effort. My only criticism was that it was too long, it needed to be a little tighter.  

All-in-all a fun read. Thank you, Leah for sending me a copy of the book!

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LEAH DECESARE is the author of the non-fiction parenting series Naked Parenting, based on her work as a doula, early parenting education, and mother. Forks, Knives, and Spoons is her debut fiction novel.

DeCesare lives in Rhode Island with her husband and three children.

The Suspect by Fiona Barton

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley Penguin Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Two eighteen-year-old girls that went backpacking in Thailand go missing. Their families are understandably bereft and worried, where could Alex and Rosie be? What were they doing before they disappeared?

Detective Inspector Bob Sparkes is on the case, as is Kate Waters. She has a way with people, they trust her. Kate is a sharp-as-a-tack journalist that does everything in her power to ensure she is the one with the scoop, at any cost, even to the detriment of her own family.  Although this case feels all too familiar—her own son left home to travel abroad two years ago and contact with him has been sporadic at best.

As the case unfolds, it becomes apparent that danger is actually closer to home than what they all think.

In Barton's third novel, we once again check in with journalist Kate Waters. The beauty of this book is that you do not need to have read The Widow or The Child, it can function as a standalone novel. Her writing is clever, succinct, and well-sculpted. She uses her personal experience as a journalist for the dominant voice in the narrative. Through this lens Barton provides the multi-faceted sides to the story and subsequently the ripple effect of the case—it impacts not only the victims and those of interest, but their families as well.

Told through multiple points of view (The Reporter, The Mother, The Detective, and from Bangkok), Barton effortlessly weaves the stories together.  First hand we witness the hope and despair of the families that are waiting for news about their missing daughters, the ruthless reporters and the lengths they will go to, and see just how quickly things can spiral out of control.

Another theme that is explored is perception—just how well do we really know anyone, even our own children?

This book had me, it was my favourite to date, that is until the end. Without giving anything away, I was left confused. Did she purposely finish it this way because there are no more books in this series? I feel that she might have painted herself into a corner.  That being said, if this is indeed the last novel featuring this character, than I loved it! If not, I'm sure she will redeem herself with book four and I would absolutely read it!

FIONA BARTON is a Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author.  Her debut, The Widow, was a bestseller and has been published in thirty-five countries and optioned for television. Her second novel, The Child, was a Sunday Times bestseller.

Previously, she was a senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at the Mail on Sunday, where she won Reporter of the Year at the British Press Awards. While working as a journalist, Fiona reported on many high-profile criminal cases and she developed a fascination with watching those involved, their body language and verbal tics. Fiona interviewed people at the heart of these crimes, from the guilty to their families, as well as those on the periphery, and found it was those just outside the spotlight who interested her most . . .

Born in Cambridge, Fiona currently lives in south-west France.