Recent Reads Reviewed #11

A Summer at Sea by Katie Fforde – 3/5

I picked this up as I was attracted to the beautiful cover and a chance to try out the author for the first time. The story is set in the Western Isles of Scotland where protagonist Emily accepts a summer job as a cook assistant on a puffer boat. My personal highlight included the chapters focusing on this as I did feel some of the on land periods dragged a little. The pace of the book was a little slow, but the characters were lovely as was the overall story.

The Last Dance and Other Stories by Victoria Hislop - 4/5

This was my first experience reading anything by Victoria Hislop and I enjoyed her collection of short stories. Each showed a different side of Greek culture, and the messages were informative of life living there. The tone was quite melancholy on occasions, but I flew through this quick read. I would be interested to read more from the author.

Laughter Lines by Des O'Connor – 5/5

I came across this book in my local free charity book shop, and grabbed it as I was in the mood for something light and humorous. Des O’Connor is known for being a comedian and TV presenter in the UK. The book is in comic verse to celebrate life's little moments, and I enjoyed reading through his poetry. Naturally, they were very English and quaint which was part of the appeal for me.

Summer Nights at the Moonlight Hotel by Jane Costello – 5/5

Jane Costello is a fairly well-known chick lit author and she has wrote some great books such as All the Single Ladies, The Time of Our Lives and Girl on the Run to name just a few. I was pleased to have come across this particular title, and in my opinion it’s one of her best. The story develops around three friends who join a dance class at the Moonlight Hotel, and follows their dynamic as well as the romances that form along the way. If you are looking to try out the author, this one would be an excellent place to begin.

Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs – 5/5

This book was a joy to read; a perfect mix of fantasy, and contemporary middle grade. Main character, Lily is half-human half-mermaid and in this second book from the series it follows her life on land. The story was written in a way that could suit a broad range of ages and I was able to read it as a standalone with ease. There was something special about this book so I would certainly recommend it! 

Have you read any these books or come across the authors? 

What are you currently reading? :-) Xx