Lindyloumac Female, 61, Married. Viterbo, Italy

I had never heard of this author before he approached me offering a copy of 'See John Play' in return for an honest and unbiased review. In retrospect I really should have declined this generous offer as I doubt very much that I would ever have selected this title myself if browsing in a bookshop, library or on-line. However something must have caught my attention and interest when I read the blurb of this novel as I accepted. I found it to be a fairly average unremarkable read but if I was a golfer I feel I may have enjoyed it much more as it is full of golfing terms and scenarios. Just because this was not for me does not mean you will not enjoy this original formula, just bear in mind if you are not interested in golf, that this may not appeal to you either. The novel's story is very much a character based one and I did not like any of them but felt that this was probably the author's intention.

This is the story of a marriage in chaos and the trials the couple face because of the situations they find themselves in. The story is mainly told from the perspective of the wife, Connie rather than her husband John of the title. John Kaminski is a professional golfer, a compulsive gambler and a womaniser, a combination that not many women would be willing to put up with. Connie though is committed to her marriage and against the advice of friends and family prepared to stand by her man. As John plays around with his life getting deep into debt and consequently involved with 'the bad guys' his long suffering wife shows great strength of character as she fights to save their marriage. I have to say I did wonder why she bothered at times.
Although not particularly to my liking I am sure 'See John Play' will appeal to many and I wish the author every success with his writing.

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In this memoir Elisa bravely shares with us her coming of age story in intimate detail, by writing this, which is taken from the love letters that she wrote to her husband years later whilst he was working away from home. Documenting the time they fell in love, although published after 'The Golden Sky', it is in fact a prequel. The memoir is like it's sequel written in a very honest and personal way and Elisa bares her soul to the world in these letters.

Cade, her husband the Bad Boy of the title, came into this innocent young girl's life at a time when being the religious good girl is finding her battling against beliefs and trying to decide what she really wants from life. When this mysterious and mature young man arrives on the scene she just doesn't know if she should trust him, or if his presence is just going to make things worse. She reveals in her writing that it was indeed a difficult time, struggling as their relationship became deeper to stay true to her beliefs. Their love was strengthened by their shared love of music and E.C. Stilson has already published 'Homeless in Hawaii' about the next stage in the relationship. You will have already realised there is a happy ending as he is now her husband but you will have to read the book to find out how this comes about.

I recommend this young woman's writing as written from the heart her books put life into perspective.

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I had picked this book up at the local library as it sounded like a good read, when the very next day I came across an excellent newspaper article about how Liz Trenow got inspiration from her family background in the silk weaving industry. It is a fascinating article and inspired me to start reading the book at once and what an enthralling read it is. The historical setting in a silk mill during the Second World War is captivating and along with the romance and intrigue of the story, one also gains a fascinating insight into the history and production of silk.

Narrated in the first person by the heroine of the tale Lily Verner, it is easy to immerse yourself in her story. Feeling emotional and with many things to think about Lily is at her husband's funeral as the novel opens. A week later whilst with her granddaughter, they come across something, which along with Emily telling her grandmother of her plans to do a parachute jump, triggers memories. She drifts back to those long ago days and tells us the story of how thanks to the imminent start of WWII all her plans change and she finds herself unexpectedly working in the family silk factory. Life at the factory turns out to be far more inspiring than Lily had expected, also somewhat harrowing thanks to the war, although there is love amongst the sadness.

In summary if you are looking for a romantic read that has plenty of poignancy and emotion then I think this is one you will enjoy.

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Sarah Rayner is an author I have only recently come across and this is the first book I have read of hers. Impressed by this début novel I have already sourced a copy of her latest published last year 'The Two Week Wait'. The subject matter of this story is a sad one but the author carries it off with out becoming unduly sentimental and with good characterisations. The main themes of the novel are death, grief, alcoholism and sexuality, cleverly dealt with this made for a pleasurable read. I also enjoyed the fact that the novel is set in Brighton, a city I am fond of and I felt the atmosphere of the place was expressed well in this novel.

Following the lives of three female protagonists over a period of just one week; starting with a terrible tragedy that links them together. Karen Finnegan is on an early morning train from Brighton to London, with her husband when tragedy strikes. So for Karen a period of learning to cope with a very different life to the one she is used to begins. The other two women are her best friend Anna who in supporting Karen realises that her own personal life is very unsatisfactory and that she needs to make some changes. Lou the third young women gains a whole new point of view on life through a chance encounter with Anna and via her getting to know Karen and being in a position to help both these grieving women. The descriptions of this period in these young womens lives are very plausible and at times quite moving.

If you can cope with a novel that tugs at your heart strings then this is definitely worth reading.

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Kate Morton has a great talent for blending her novels themes across time and 'The Secret Keeper' is no exception as the story takes us from the present day, back to the protagonists childhood in the sixties and further back to the years of her mother's youth.

As a teenager in the sixties Laurel Nicholson witnessed a terrifying scene while spending some time alone with her dreams in the tree house at Greenacres Farm where she has spent a happy childhood, until that moment. The secret stays with her until the present day when facing her Mother's forthcoming ninetieth birthday celebrations she finds herself overwhelmed by her old memories of that day. She decides it is time to find out the truth before it is too late as her mother Dorothy is failing fast; with the help of a few clues she manages to obtain from her Laurel's research begins. As a reader we are able to follow this not just in the present day but with the characters concerned as they lived through the events, helping our understanding of all they were experiencing in real time. The characters are all very complex and no one is as they first seem, but it is these characters their relationships and the secrets that are revealed that will keep you reading.

I will say no more but recommend this captivating tale of mysteries secrets and enduring love, especially to those of you that like a really long novel to curl up with.

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I have been a fan of Philippa Gregory for many years although I have not read any of her books in the last few years, in fact the last one was in the very early days of my book reviewing in 2009, I did not realise it had been so long. This is yet another intriguing tale from the Queen of historical romance. When reading her novels it is very easy to forget that they are works of fiction as her extensive research brings history alive on the printed page. 'The White Queen', the story of Elizabeth Woodville is the first in a new series covering the Wars of the Roses, the feuds between the houses of York and Lancaster. Philippa Gregory has called this series the wars of the cousins, something I never heard this war referred to as, when we studied it in history lessons at school. As a fictional telling of the feud between these two great families she has done a great job, with plausible embellishments to the historical facts although I remain unconvinced about the witchcraft ones. I will certainly be picking up the sequel 'The Red Queen' to read in the very near future.

In this trilogy the author plans to captivate us with the stories of the women of the families of York and Lancaster, starting with the story of Elizabeth Woodville. A beautiful young widow whose husband was killed in battle she sets out to win the love of the King of England. Elizabeth was a Lancastrian but she successfully won the love of King Edward IV, from the house of York and became his Queen. Although she was successful there was always going to be complex rivalries between the two families, both with claimants to the throne. She therefore had to fight with stubborn devotion for the success of their large family of sons and daughters, including the daughter that would one day unite the families and the sons shut away in the Tower of London. Elizabeth Woodville is one of those exceptional women in history that made some courageous decisions as she did her best to protect her loved ones during a time of war.

If you want to read a fictional but well researched account of the Wars of the Roses, then I recommend Philippa Gregory's take on the mystery of the Princes in the Tower whose true fate still remains unknown to this day.

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It is worth noting that Hothouse Flower was republished in 2012 with the title of The Orchid House just so that any confusion with readers thinking it might be a different story, when this is not the case are cleared up straight away. Although the central theme of a family saga set in a country house spanning from the 1930's to the present day is far from an original one, this one is different. It has such a multi layered story to tell us with so many stirring and compelling love stories, secrets and surprises to share I stayed awake far too late at night reading this as I was engrossed. Extremely well written the story flows beautifully, period and locations are credibly described and the characters feel realistic. The situations that they face are ones that we are all able to empathise with from generation to generation. Certainly one of the best family sagas of the genre that I have read recently.

At the centre of the story is the female protagonist Julia Wharton who growing up had spent many happy hours in the heated greenhouses of the Wharton Park estate where her grandfather tended the orchids. It seems only natural therefore for her to return to the area when she needs to recover from a devastating personal tragedy. It is whilst coming to terms with her grief that she discovers quite by chance a family secret that will cause even more heartache. The story of the family history is related to Julia by her grandmother and stretches back to the nineteen forties when Harry Crawford the heir to the estate marries his bride Olivia before the second world war separates them. The results of this enforced separation will be felt for generations to come as this poignant and atmospheric story takes us from war torn Europe to the present day alternating between Norfolk and Thailand. With plenty of passion and twists and turns along the way I highly recommend this to all fans of the genre.

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This was an easy read and although it is the first one I have read by this author I did not enjoy it enough to be adding her back catalogue to my wishlist. Sorry it was just not satisfying enough for me, although the idea that love can be found in just a few minutes if you meet your soul mate was an interesting theme, the content did not really live up to the title for me. Maybe I just interpreted the blurb incorrectly, but I was expecting something more romantic than the trials and tribulations of the protagonists family life.

Zu Forbes is back in London with her father and brothers after spending time travelling to try and sort out the emotional baggage she has carried around for years. In fact since her alcoholic mother first made her teen years a misery she has been a very mixed up young lady unable to make commitments in her life. She needs to sort her life out and come to terms with her past if she is ever to find happiness for herself, her father and brothers. These are issues she needs to deal with if she is ever going to be able to travel again without feeling guilty about how lonely her father is. Her problems may be partially solved when she unexpectedly finds herself working for a dating agency, with an opportunity to sort out her Dad's love life. This would of course leave her free to run away from her own demons with a clear conscience. However it is no surprise that nothing goes according to plan and there are some witty and comic scenes involving trips to the Ukraine, drug abuse and dominatrices!
There is enough going on in this novel to make it worth picking up and reading if it is a light easy read with some humour that you are looking for.

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I have always found Prue Leith an interesting personality and have followed her career as a professional chef and food writer in the press so of course it will be no surprise that when she started writing fiction, I wanted to read them. I have now read four of her five novels including this one, starting with Leaving Patrick in 1999, Sisters in 2002, and The Gardener in 2008. Her novels are not great literature but they are enjoyable and realistic, as she draws on her own life experiences as a business woman and a cook. Her writing will appeal to fans of contemporary fiction. Although sometimes a little predictable she provides exactly what one should expect if you pick up a book in this genre, an engaging and well written story. The theme of food, politics and celebrity gossip seen through the eyes of the two main characters and how innocent people can be drawn into a scandal held my interest.

The female protagonist Kate McKinnon is your average single mother of a five year old son, attempting to balance bringing him up alone and keep up the success of her private catering company. When Kate is hired by the Foreign Office to cook at private functions for them she comes into contact with Oliver Stapler, Secretary of State. She finds herself befriended by him and does not see the dangers that this might lead to, as she knows he is unobtainable to her, or is he? Unfortunately there are people that would like to see Kate fail, so alerting the press to an affair, true or not, is a good way of destroying her business. As well as Kate's narrative of events we are also told Oliver's side of the story, through his own voice. I must say I was surprised at how naive he was portrayed as, considering his political position in the government, one would have expected him to be more worldly.
In conclusion an interesting scenario that left me not really knowing what was going to happen to the friendship between Kate and Oliver. Maybe Prue Leith is planning a sequel?

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I was particularly interested in reading this novel as I live in the area known as Etruria where the novel is set, at the peak of Etruscan society over two thousand years ago. Lucky enough to have visited some of the amazing tombs, dwellings and bridges left behind by them, I enjoyed this fascinating tale that brings the Etruscans to life as you read. Set in Tarchna (Tarquinia), Cisra (Cerveteri), Veia (Veio), Roma, Pupluna (Populonia), Velathri (Volterra), Murlo, Curtun (Cortona), and across the Mediterranean to Athenai (Athens), and into Aegypt (Egypt), the authors writing, research and knowledge makes it easy to visualise these ancient cities of that era. It is quite amazing just how these extraordinary people were leading the lifestyle they did, while outside their own society, deception, brutality, murder and plague was rife.

Although since reading I have discovered that this is the third in the trilogy it was fine as a stand alone read, although this might explain why it took me quite awhile to come to grips with all that was going on and the style of writing. It is an epic family saga that spans three centuries and three generations of the lives of the noble and ambitious Porenna-Laris families and how two powerful but rival cities threaten to split the family. With at least eighteen important characters and many more minor ones I guess it was not surprising that at first I had to keep referring to the authors family tree and list explaining the hierarchy of Etruscan society.

The family lead an advanced lifestyle compared the rest of the world in those times, with men and women seen as equals, they live richly and dress well. Wealth, wisdom and artistic beauty flourish with families having lavishly appointed tombs built to ensure their comfort in the afterlife. The mysterious flutist who represents time, life and death is ever present in the novel as he guides the Etruscans on their journeys to the afterlife. Throughout their lives the Etruscans are also aware of The Great Prediction heralding the fate of their society.

By reading this novel you will learn something of the rich lives of an incredible but forgotten civilization.

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Nicky Pellegrino is an author I only discovered in the latter months of last year and this is already the third book of hers I have read. Surely a good recommendation in itself, she writes novels that I always enjoy drifting off to another world with. So far always set in my beloved Italy but each novel has portrayed a different Italian world. This time she transports us back to the romantic era of 1950's Rome with a story woven around a real life singer from the period Mario Lanza, with a story that she has obviously researched well. If you know a little something about the life of this famous American- Italian tenor you probably already know it was a sad one.

The female protagonist of the novel is Serafina, the eldest of three sisters that has grown up in a tiny apartment building in the centre of Rome. Their mother is a single parent and the four of them have learnt to get by on very little. When they can the three girls sing for money in the local piazzas so that they can buy cinema tickets to watch the matinee idols of the fifties on the big screen. Serafina has big dreams and one day with a great deal of luck, her path crosses that of her greatest idol Mario Lanza. She actually finds herself working as a personal assistant to his wife and this opens up a whole new outlook on the world for her. Will she be happy living in the world of her dreams or will she miss the world she is familiar with?
Although the novel is told from Serafina's perspective throughout it really is the story of Mario Lanza and his family. Wealthy and apparently wanting for nothing, but not all was as it seemed. It is interesting to compare the life of his families happy and sad times with those of Serafina's family who despite having nothing were still happy.

A novel for those italophiles that cannot resist another story set in Italy, fans of the author's writing, or indeed anyone interested in the life of Mario Lanza.

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