Description…..

Caitlin’s life is a mess. Her marriage to a man everyone else thinks is perfect has collapsed, along with her self-esteem, and breaking free seems the only option.

Nancy, her four-year-old daughter, used to talk all the time; in the car, at nursery, to her brother Joel. Then her parents split up. Her daddy moves out. And Nancy stops speaking.

Nancy’s Auntie Eva, recently widowed and feeling alone, apart from the companionship of two bewildered pugs, is facing a future without her husband or the dreams she gave up for him.

But when Eva agrees to host her niece and nephew once a fortnight, Caitlin and Eva are made to face the different truths about their marriages – and about what they both really want . . .

My review…..

Well, what a beautiful ending to an emotional, thought provoking and, at times, amusing story.

Caitlin is married to Patrick and they have two children, 10 year old Joel and 4 year old Nancy. Both are happy, outgoing children, but something changes in Nancy when Caitlin and Patrick hit a rough patch in their marriage and decide to separate. Patrick had been offered a job miles away, Caitlin didn’t want to move from the comfort of the home her Nana left to her, but Patrick goes anyway. They feel like they’re making each other miserable, but don’t really know why, so it seems like the only option, but they do their best to keep things amicable.

When Nancy stops talking, no-one knows why, other than the obvious distress of Patrick moving out, but it soon becomes more than that and it terrifies them both. Caitlin is desperate to have her loud, bubbly little girl back, but has no idea how to make that happen.

When the children start to spend time at Auntie Eva’s house, Nancy soon forms a special bond with her two pugs, Bumble and Bee. I think Bumble and Bee were my favourite characters, but I did really warm to Eva. Eva is almost 45 and already a widow, having been married to an older man, famous actor Mick, for 7 years. She has no children of her own and initially feels awkward with these little people in her home, but she soon bonds with them and they develop a lovely relationship.

As Caitlin and Patrick struggle to agree to terms of their divorce at the same time as trying to figure out what’s wrong with Nancy they’re faced with another trauma and it seems their only hope is Nancy and Bumble.

This is a very easy read, in the sense that it is beautifully written, although it does deal with sensitive subjects. It highlights how much children can be affected by adult relationships however much you try to shield them and also how younger children can take things completely literally.

It’s a very believable story of family, love, marriage, marital problems, parenthood and how damaging a lack of communication can be, but also how it’s never too late and there can always be a happy ending. It’s full of likeable and very real characters who I found myself really caring about (Alex was another of my favourite characters) and wishing for that happy ending for them all.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for approving my request on Netgalley.

I am thrilled to be joining in with Sandy Taylor’s When We Danced At The End Of The Pier blog tour! 🙂

My review…..

When We Danced At The End Of The Pier is a beautiful story, set before and during the second world war.

I bloody loved Maureen (read it and you’ll understand!) and her little sister Brenda. They have a relatively happy early childhood, in Brighton, with loving parents. They don’t have much money, but their home is full of love. They spend a lot of time with their Dad, who they love dearly despite not really understanding him or why he can’t work. He had served in the first world war and had never been the same since. His love for his daughter’s was heart-warming, but his struggles heart-breaking. Their Mum worked, cleaning the homes of the rich, to pay the rent and put food on the table.

It was lovely to read of a time before the distractions of the internet and social media, etc. Maureen and her family didn’t have a lot, but they made the best of everything and truly cherished each other and their friends.

Maureen is in love with Jack, from the very first time she saw him over her garden fence. She knows she will marry him one day and as she grows up she becomes more and more convinced that they are destined to be together. Jack is going to be a doctor and she can’t wait to be a doctor’s wife. They spend most days together, along with their best friends Monica and Nelson. Awwww, I loved Nelson. He’s such a sweet character. They are happy with each others company.

When World War 2 breaks out it changes everyone’s lives forever. I can only imagine living through such a frightening and uncertain time.

I don’t want to say much more for fear of spoiling it for anyone, but I was totally immersed in Maureen’s story as she grows into a young woman. She made me laugh out loud at times and I have had a tear in my eye on more than one occasion.

This story is full of love, family, true friendship, grief and finding happiness after heart-break. I have loved every page!

Many thanks, as always, to Bookouture for my auto-approval status on Netgalley and to Kim Nash for inviting to be a part of the blog tour for this wonderful book.

Publisher: Bookouture (31st March 2017)

Brighton 1930: Maureen O’Connell is a carefree girl, but her family is on the brink of tragedy, war is looming and life will never be the same again.

Jack and Nelson have always been dear friends to Maureen. Despite their different backgrounds, they’ve seen each other through thick and thin.

As Maureen blossoms from a little girl into a young woman, the candle she’s always held for Jack burns bright. But just as she’s found love, war wrenches them apart. The man she cherishes with all her heart is leaving.

When the bombs start to fall, Maureen and her family find themselves living in the most dangerous of times. With Jack no longer by her side and Nelson at war, Maureen has never felt more alone. Can she look to a brighter future? And will she find the true happiness she’s dreamt of?

An utterly gripping and heart-wrenching story about the enduring power of love, hope and friendship during the darkest of days. Perfect for fans of Pam Jenoff, Nadine Dorries and Diney Costeloe.

🇺🇸 http://amzn.to/2hU0mp2

About the author…..

Sandy Taylor grew up on a council estate near Brighton. There were no books in the house, so Sandy’s love of the written word was nurtured in the little local library. Leaving school at fifteen, Sandy worked in a series of factories before landing a job at Butlins in Minehead. This career change led her to becoming a singer, a stand up comic and eventually a playwright and novelist.

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