Holiday Reads

The Cornish House

First of all, I must tell you that lovely Liz Fenwick is an RNA friend of mine but I bought her book with my own money, so no strings attached!

When artist Maddie inherits a house in Cornwall shortly after the death of her husband, she hopes it will be the fresh start she and her step-daughter Hannah desperately need.
Trevenen is beautiful but neglected, steeped in history. Maddie is enchanted by it and determined to learn as much as she can about its past. As she discovers the stories of generations of women who've lived there before, Maddie begins to feel her life is somehow intertwined within its walls.
Still struggling with her grief and battling with Hannah, Maddie is unable to find inspiration for her painting and realises she may face the prospect of having to sell Trevenen, just as she is coming to love it.
And as Maddie and Hannah pull at the seams of Trevenen's past, the house reveals secrets that have lain hidden for generations.

The Cornish House is a good holiday read, not chick lit (though there is a handsome hero or two) as it deal with serious matters - the heroine Maddie is a widow, with quite a few problems. No money, as often happens, but worse an astonishingly rude teenage stepdaughter, Hannah. Hannah’s vile behaviour can be explained, as not only has her father recently died of cancer but her own mother deserted the family when Hannah was a child. There are numerous others strands to this complicated plot, but the hope that Maddie would finally be able to cope with and become close to Hannah drew me on into the novel. I was also intrigued by Maddie’s investigations into her Cornish birth family (she was adopted as a baby).

Liz Fenwick’s love of Cornwall is clear and many people enjoy a ‘dilapidated country house with a history’ novel. I know I do.

Monday to Friday Man by Alice Peterson (only 20p on Kindle) was a pleasant amusing read, more chicklit than the above. The Bridget-Jones heroine has a lot of charm, though I couldn't fall for the true-love hero who wore a hat all the time, even indoors. Seemed a ridiculous affectation, or was there some reason for it that I missed?
There is a touching subplot about a disabled sister.

The Making of Us by Lisa Jewell. Slightly unlikely but interesting plot about siblings all sired by the same sperm donor. Lisa is a good writer, getting under the skin of different characters, and her fans will enjoy this one. 'Lydia, Robyn and Dean don't know each other - yet. They live very different lives but each of them, independently, has always felt that something is missing. What they don't know is that a letter is about to arrive that will turn their lives upside down. It is a letter containing a secret - one that will bind them together, and shows them what love and familyand friendship really mean...'

I've only just found my way back to Old Blogger. Don't know how long I'll be able to. Lots more books to report on soon.