Wildacre by Philippa Gregory

Wildacre was the first book I have read written by Philippa Gregory.  She is a widely aclaimed author of The Other Boleyn Girl (which was made into a movie I quite enjoyed) and other historical fiction based on the kings and queens of England.  You can find out more about Philippa Gregory's books here.  Wideacre is the first of a trilogy... but I won't be reading the sequels or any of Gregory's other books.  This one put me off her books completely.


Here is the cover and the blurb on the back of the book:

The central character is Beatrice Lacey.  She is the second child of what is essentially a loveless marriage  Her elder brother, Harry is sickly and mothered excessively by their mother, while Beatrice is strong and healthy.  Consequently, her father, the Squire, takes her out on the land, teaching her all he knows about farming and the land, growing within her a passion for the land, for Wildacre.


As Beatrice blooms into her early adolesence she begins to understand that she will not inherit Wildacre.  It will instead be entailed on Harry who is away at school.


This realisation ignites something within Beatrice that consequently makes the character not a character I loved or even liked.  The change in Beatrice and the actions she was to undertake and their consequences made her one of the most unlikable central characters to a book I have ever read.


Between the murder, debauchery, incest and deceit that the book descended into, I was left with a dissatisfied feeling reading this book.  I completed it, because I rarely leave a book incomplete, but I have no desire to read the sequels or any other Philipa Gregory book as a result.  It simply is not a book I would recommend.

The Other Woman by Jane Green

The title The Other Woman automatically makes you think there will be an affair involved, and there is.... just not who you expect, and the other woman referred to by the title is not referring to the affair.  It's actually referring to the mother-in-law, Linda.


I have not read anything by Jane Green previously.  However, Jane Green has published at least eighteen novels.  I may be hunting more out after reading this book.  You can read about Jane Green here.


This is the front and back covers and the blurb from inside:

As you read this book you can easily see that many of Linda's behaviours may appear helpful.... from her point of view.... but to Ellie, they are not.  To Ellie they are a threat to her identity as Dan's wife and Tom's mother.  Ellie has tried to be forgiving, has tried to be honest in what she wants, has tried bowing to Linda's whims and wishes... but no matter which tactic Ellie takes, Linda just barrels on through with her agenda.

When Ellie and Dan move to a new home and have their son Tom, Ellie and Dan make a new set of friends who they invite to go on holiday with them when Linda and Michael offer them a holiday home in France for a week while they go sailing with friends.  Things are already tense between Ellie and Linda, but this holiday accellerates the tension, especially when an accident occurs due to Linda's continual meddling, an affair is ignited, a friendship crashes and burns and events lead to Dan and Ellie's marriage reaching breaking point.

The theme of this book is something many young married couples could apply to their own marriages when it comes to mother-in-laws, or even father-in-laws.  Therefore most people reading this book will understand the points of views of Ellie and Dan, and even Linda and Michael.  I enjoyed the book and it kept me reading until I finished it... which took about two days on holiday I think.....



The Pretty Delicious Cafe by Danielle Hawkins

I am a big fan of Kiwi author Danielle Hawkins and I was hanging out for this third helping from her which I picked up from the lovely ladies at Paper Plus in Te Awamutu before Christmas.  They even found me one of the last remaining copies signed by Danielle on the night of the book launch and kindly pointed out her dedication to them too.  They did offer to sign the book as well... but didn't follow through.


The Pretty Delicious Cafe is a well anticipated follow up to Dinner at Rose's and Chocolate Cake for Breakfast (aka: my happy place), by the author/mum/wife/vet/farmer from Otorohanga.  This is a piece about A Day in the Life of Danielle Hawkins by her publisher, Harper-Collins.  Here is the cover, blurb, a brief (signed!) author bio and the dedication to the ladies at Paper Plus and Danielle's "mint" husband:

Again, this book is set in a small rural town, this time on the Northland east coast, with a collection of interesting locals to add colour to the story.  The central character is Lia, who owns a cafe with her best friend Anna, who is also engaged to Lia's twin brother Rob.  Lia and Rob's mum Margaret also lives in town and they have a much older half-brother, Mike, who visits when he can get away their father's farm down past Taumarunui. 


Other supporting characters include Hugh, who has a crush on Margaret, and Monty, the local mechanic who would rather go fishing than fix cars.  Lia also has an ex-boyfriend, Issac, who just doesn't get the message she is no longer interested.


Then one dark night after Lia has been reading a scary book lent to her by Hugh, a stranger knocks on her door asking for help.  Lia is petrified by this and this reveals a link between Lia and Rob that is a reocurring theme throughout the book and a source of tension between Lia and Anna.


Of course, this is a romance, and my first cat I will let out of the bag is that the stranger, Jed, becomes the love interest for Lia.  However, Issac can not let go and continues to beg Lia to get back together.  The second cat I am letting out of the bag is that there is partner violence - and I am only saying this as I know it can be a trigger for some people.


I really enjoyed reading this and I have lent it to a couple of cousins (one of which who has already read the previous two books) who also enjoyed it.  I have enjoyed it so much I have read it at least six times since before Christmas!  So of course, I do recommend this book.






An aside:
If you have read Chocolate Cake for Breakfast, you will be well aware of the 'date' Helen and Mark have with the dead calf in the cow.  I had a cow go down with calving paralysis, and as I watched the vet insert her arm into the cow to check her out, I asked if she had read Chocolate Cake for Breakfast.  My vet had - and Danielle works for the same vet company my family uses!!  Lovely!!

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

This was my first furore into a book by British author Sophie Kinsella, although I have seen the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic based on her best selling series about the Shopaholic.  Just looking at the front cover of Remember Me? screams chick lit and humour, and I wasn't disappointed.  There is a little drama and mystery to this book too.


Anyhow, here is the front cover and blurb.

The central character is Lexi, who has been in a car accident.  She wakes up in hospital thinking it is 2004, the last thing she remembers is being out for a night with the girls from work the evening before her father's funeral.  However, she is actually in 2007 with designer clothes, straight teeth, a flash hair do, a fabulous job and a husband she doesn't remember.  And no friends - well, at least not the friends she used to have.


Lexi has post-traumatic amnesia.  No one can tell her when - or even if - her memories will return.  Lexi has to learn her life all over again.


After being introduced to most of the main characters while Lexi is still in hospital - her mother, younger sister Amy and husband Eric - Lexi goes home to the appartment she shares with Eric, who is a property developer.  Gradually Lexi understands that her house keeper is scared of her, she eats practically nothing, her clothes are all very corporate and her friends are high-maintenance.  When Lexi makes it to work she discovers all her old workmates/friends hate her and that she is a golden girl to management.


However there are three sticky factors: she feels no connection to her husband, she can not figure out how Jon (her husband's colleague) is connected to her, and something is not right at work.


There are some amusing and embarrassing experiences.  Lexi realising she does know how to drive is one.  Lexi trying to fake her way through a senior management meeting without remembering what they are all referring to is another.  Lexi figuring out why her friends are no longer her friends and how Jon fits into her life as well as what a Mont Blanc is are also quite noteworthy.


This is chick lit through and through.  It demonstrates how a flaky girl turns into an ambitious take no prisoners woman who then realises what she truly wants in life.  A good summer read.

The Cloud Leopard's Daughter by Deborah Challinor

I am a big Deborah Challinor fan and I have reviewed a number of her books previously, including Behind the Sun, Girl of Shadows, The Silk Thief, and A Tattooed Heart.


In November, Challinor released the fourth book in her series The Smuggler's Wife about Kitty, Rian, Amber and the crew of the Katipo, The Cloud Leopard's Daughter.  This book follows on from Kitty, Amber and Band of Gold.  I have read all this series, but The Cloud Leopard's Daughter will be the first in this series I have reviewed.  Perhaps when I get my book collection out of storage I will go back and review these novels from earlier in the series.


Here is the front cover and blurb:

The Cloud Leopard's Daughter picks up in 1863, nearly a decade after Band of Gold, with the crew of the Katipo III entering the Dunedin Harbour enroute to see their old friend Wong Fu from the Ballarat goldfields in Band of Gold.  He has a huge favour to ask of Kitty and Rian and their crew: to find his kidnapped daughter Bao.


Bao has been kidnapped because Wong Fu is the Cloud Leopard, a tong master.  Bao is his heir.  Wong Fu's brother, Wong Kai, however wants the title for himself.  Kitty and Rian agree to find Bao and rescue her from her fate.


The crew of the Katipo III find themselves travelling to Sydney where Rian re-news his aquaintance with Friday and Aria (begun in The Girl of Shadows and again in A Tattooed Heart), the Phillipines and Hong Kong in their quest for rescuing Bao.  They face many dangers from Wong Kai and others, as well as a traitor within their own midst.


It is a riveting read, and I polished off the book quickly (surprise, surprise) because, as usual, Challinor writes a book that you just can not put down at the end of a chapter.  Cliff hangers have you wanting to continue the reading despite starvation and sleep deprivation.  Besides, when you are reading with a view like this to glance up to, you can see I was hardly deprived really....