I'm 47, married to Steve (50), Mum to two (24 & 23) and a Shih Tzu called Bella (13). I'm our Church Treasurer (on a voluntary basis) since July 2014. I started my Book Blog in October 2015. I created Bowen's Book Publicity in June 2020. I love to #sharethebooklove 💕
What a gorgeous read this is! I have absolutely LOVED it, from the very first page to the happy, smiley, last.
Grace is an instantly likable character and I really felt her unhappiness within her marriage to Harry. (Although Harry is oddly likeable in his own way.) I shared Grace’s optimism though that a relaxing holiday, with good friends, by the sea, might be all they need to recharge their batteries and find each other again. Considering they live, and work, in London the fresh air at least should do them the world of good. Little did they know….
I love the fact that this book is set in Pembrokeshire. We spent a glorious week there in July 2019. We were planning on going again in 2020, but Covid-19 well and truly put the kybosh on that! (Fingers crossed for summer/autumn 2021.) I loved reading about places we visited such as Barafundle Bay. It made me go back through my photo’s on Facebook. Happy days! It is such a gorgeous place. I am not at all surprised that Grace falls in love with the place or that Ella would love to stay there in her cosy little cottage, indefinitely.
Ella is another lovely character, who deserves far better than the bloke she’s ended up with!
I can’t say Flick was my favourite character, but I enjoyed the friendship the three women have shared since Uni. Friends are often as different as chalk and cheese, but as close as sisters. I imagine Flick might be okay in small doses. Noah (her latest conquest who she has brought along for the week) on the other hand is extremely likeable!!
What should be a relaxing week of quality time all together proves to be far more eventful than any of them could have ever imagined.
Full of fun, sunshine, friendship, romance, heartache and drama! I highly recommend!
This book has left me feeling more than a little unsettled. I had actual goosebumps at the end, and it made my blood run cold on more than one occasion.
Blythe didn’t have the easiest, most loving childhood. Her mother wasn’t really the maternal type, and that’s putting it mildly. Her mother’s mother wasn’t either. Blythe is determined to break that cycle though by being the best mother she can be when she has her own children.
When their baby girl, Violet, is born her worst fears are realised. She feels instantly that something is not quite right with her daughter and they struggle to bond. Her husband thinks she’s imagining things and that she should make more of an effort, but you can almost feel the hostility Violet has towards her mother as she grows. I can’t even begin to imagine. Violet is a proper Daddy’s girl too. In his eyes she can do no wrong. The way Violet seems to manipulate them from such a young age is quite terrifying.
Is she this manipulative little monster though, or is Blythe just paranoid and fixated on there having to be something wrong with her? I honestly changed my mind a hundred times throughout this story and I’m still not 100% convinced. I do know that my heart went out to Blythe, even more so as the story progresses.
When they have their baby boy, Sam, Blythe is determined to prove she can be loved by at least one of her children. They bond immediately and Blythe finally has what she has always dreamed of. Violet seems to share a loving relationship with him at first, but I admit I was feeling nervous from the moment he was born, so I could totally understand where Blythe was coming from. How awful to feel like that about a little girl though. I tried to convince myself that Blythe had it all wrong and that things would work out fine, but I knew there was more heartache to come.
I can’t really explain how much I physically felt the emotion, the despair, the panic, and the desperation Blythe felt throughout this story.
A powerful, dark, tense, heart-wrenching, and utterly compelling read which I think will stay with me forever. I highly recommend!
Many thanks to the author and publisher for my ebook review copy via Netgalley.
For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book please?
Others may find my answer strange, but becoming an author was never a career choice or life plan. Writing became a passion only after I tried a variety of other retirement hats – becoming an emergency medical technician, driving the fire trucks and ambulances, searching for treasure with my metal detector, guiding a historical preservation project, raising funds for our local hospice, trying to learn Spanish, trying to write apps for Androids, and taking calculus courses online.
I was drawn to writing because I wanted my grandchildren to know about my father. My first book, A Smile in One Eye: A Tear in the Other, told his story. He was a holocaust survivor – not a hero but simply an ordinary man who walked through life one step at a time, with grace and dignity, even in the most horrific and extraordinary circumstances. When readers selected the book as a 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards nominee for best memoir/autobiography, I couldn’t believe it. That’s when I became hooked on writing.
My new book, The Other Mrs. Samson, is my third. It tells the story of three people – Hilda, born in 1884 and raised in a wealthy San Francisco family; Katie, a German girl born twenty-five years later; and Dr. Josef Samson, a Berlin Jew, whom they both loved and married. While neither a romance novel nor a war story, the book is about privilege, struggle, survival, and escape. For me, it is a story about love. And the thing about love is it can be complicated and emotional.
Where did you get the idea from?
From the people I know, the stories I heard, and from a small black lacquered antique cabinet in the attic. It had been hidden in a corner for nearly fifteen years when I rediscovered it one day. I knew where it came from and why we had it but knew little about its journey or the secrets it would lead me to uncover. That’s when I found the missing clues to questions I have been trying to answer and the riddles I have wanted to unravel for years.
Tell me about your characters. How did you create them? What was your writing process?
The people – Hilda, Katie, and Josef are all real. So are the places and events. I did change a few names to preserve some privacy. To create the story, I had to connect many dots. While I knew Katie quite well, there was always a wall of privacy that surrounded her. For the others, I had to dig. And, of course, I was left to my own imagination to portray their personalities. I think the characters make the story and I hope that readers can relate to them in some way and can witness the events through their eyes.
As for the process, when I am working on a book, I write from early morning until late in the afternoon when it’s time for Scrabble and martinis. For me, writing a book (and finishing) is a very intense undertaking, filled with long days and restless nights, an all or nothing proposition. I try to avoid distractions because I know I can be easily tempted. The only sound I want to hear is the tapping of my fingers on the keyboard.
Do you have a favourite author?
One author who always comes to mind is Carlos Ruiz Zafόn. He paints amazing pictures with his words. I thought the Shadow of the Wind was an absolutely wonderful book and recommend it. I like authors who make the story authentic and write to entertain, inform, and excite the reader. I enjoy books with a good ending.
If you could meet any author, who would it be? And, what would you ask?
That is a much more difficult question. There are so many who impress me. I tend to enjoy serious books that have a well written story, books that genuinely develop the characters so you feel you intimately know the personalities. My interests are wide – biographies, historical, political, and stories with a good plot. What would I ask? I would ask how they could start with a blank canvas and create what they created. And, with all that would be rolling around in their heads how could they ever sleep?
Were you a big reader as a child? What about writing?
My mother loved to read and always encouraged me to learn about the world through books. I never saw my father read a book. So I suppose I was somewhere in the middle. As for writing? Most would tell you that I excelled at talking but never writing. In school, I was the kid sent to wood shop, never advanced English or literature class. My aptitude was numbers, never words.
Are you working on a new book at the moment?
At the moment I am taking a rest and focusing my attention on taking part in book club discussions. I love to interact with readers. I learn so much from the comments of others. And with Zoom and Skype it is so easy to do virtually – anywhere around the globe. Perhaps I will try to write again one day but right now book clubs are far more interesting.
How can readers keep in touch with you?
They can email me anytime at ralphwebsterobx@gmail.com or go to my website: ralphwebster-author.com. I always enjoy the conversation.
Surviving two wars, sharing one husband, searching for answers.
A hidden compartment in a black lacquer cabinet left in an attic reveals the secrets of two incredible women: Hilda, born and raised in one of the wealthiest Jewish families in turn-of-the-century San Francisco, and Katie, whose early life in Germany is marked by tragedy and death. Their lives are forever entwined by their love of the same man, the brilliant and compassionate Dr. Josef Samson.
From the earliest, rough-and-tumble days of San Francisco, through the devastation of the Great War in Berlin and the terrors of Vichy France, and then to a new yet uncertain life in New York City, their stories span the most tumultuous events of the twentieth century. In the end, one of these women will complete the life of the other and make a startling discovery about the husband they share.
About Ralph Webster
Award winning author Ralph Webster received worldwide acclaim for his first book, A Smile in One Eye: A Tear in the Other, which tells the story of his father’s flight from the Holocaust. Voted by readers as a Goodreads 2016 Choice Awards Nominee for Best Memoir/Autobiography, A Smile in One Eye: A Tear in the Other, his second book, One More Moon, and now his third book, The Other Mrs. Samson, are proven book club selections for thought-provoking and engaging discussions. Whether in person or online, Ralph welcomes and values his exchanges with readers and makes every effort to participate in conversations about his books.
A Place Called Winter is such a beautifully written novel. I wish I had read it sooner.
Harry Cane is the eldest son of a privileged family. He has never needed to work and leads a comfortable, relaxed life. He gets married and they have a baby girl, and all seems right with the world. Then there is an affair which at first seems not to impact on his marriage or their family. However, his secret is discovered, and he has no choice but to abandon his current life or face the consequences. Consequences which will shame his family, ruining their reputation, as well as see him facing arrest.
The new life Harry must embark on is about as far from the lifestyle he has been used to as it could get. We join Harry on this back breaking journey and share his every emotion along the way.
Harry is such a likeable character, and I was fascinated by his story. Such a tender love story. A love which faces many challenges though, not least because it is the early 1900s.
This story is full of emotion, love, hard work and heartache. It is also full of hope. I loved it!
This is my first experience of Patrick Gale’s writing, but it will not be my last.
On the first Friday of each month I like to have a little look back at the books I was reading during the same month in previous years, since starting my blog.
Please do join in if you get the chance, I’d love to see your posts!
Here are my reviews from February 2020 and a link to previous February FBFs….
I have loved all the books in the Christopher Timothy series and The Drop of Death has been no exception. These books just get better and better!
I love when Alison has a new book out and I get to catch up with Chris again, although he seems a bit cranky these days. Understandable though given the circumstances. In The Drop of Death Chris, and the team, are faced with a more personal investigation when a man is found dead, apparently having fallen from the balcony of the flat he shares with his sister. I was shocked, and saddened, to learn who the victim is as he is a regular character throughout this series, and I was as keen as the team to find out who was responsible for this tragic loss of life. I was even more saddened when the circumstances of his death are realised.
Alison Lingwood always draws me in from the very first page of her books. I love her writing style and her books are so easy to enjoy.
I love that this book is set in my hometown. I love the police procedural aspects of the story. I also love that we get a glimpse in to the personal lives of the regular characters and learn that little bit more about them as the series progresses.
Reading a book by Alison Lingwood is always a treat. If you haven’t read this series yet, then I highly recommend that you do.
Many thanks to Alison Lingwood for my signed paperback copy 😊
I finished Song Of The Psychopath late last night. Wow, what a read!
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I have read every book, Mark Tilbury has published, and I have loved them all! Song Of The Psychopath is no exception. Awesome writing, as always!
This is no easy read, by any stretch of the imagination, from the point of view of the difficult and disturbing subject matter. The story centres around teenager, Tommy Scarlett, who had been missing from home for a year before being found with serious head injuries, leaving him unable to recall who he is, where he has been or what has happened to him during all that time. He has some extremely concerning scars also. Tommy suffers from severe depression and has lost all hope which is just heart-breaking to read. My heart went out to him. To his family too, who finally have Tommy back but not really. He doesn’t recognise any of them at all, or his friends, or anything about his life. I can’t even imagine. His Dad finds him a therapist in the hope of unlocking his memory and it starts to work. With what he has been through though, I’m not sure I would want to ever remember. There are other boys at risk though, and despicable excuses for human beings who need to be caught and brought to justice for their horrific crimes.
When things go from bad to worse, it seems there is no hope….
Harrowing doesn’t even begin to describe this story. However, Mark Tilbury always manages to captivate me with his writing. It’s quite hard to explain how he makes such horrifying subjects so readable, but he just does. If you have read his books before you will know what I mean. He treats the victims in his stories with such compassion and sensitivity you feel like you are right there with them, sharing their pain, and willing them to hold on to the hope of a brighter future. I was praying for a positive outcome for Tommy.
I have to admit that I was unaware of the Bridgerton’s until we watched the fabulous series on Netflix recently. We watched the whole thing in a weekend and absolutely LOVED it! So, naturally, I was straight on to Amazon to purchase the first book in the series, The Duke and I, and as is often the case the book is even better!
Obviously, I already knew Simon and Daphne’s story, but this didn’t hinder my enjoyment of this book in any way. There are a fair few differences between the book and the television series, as you would expect, and I have thoroughly enjoyed Simon and Daphne’s story all over again. There are many obstacles in their way, including a promise Simon made to his father before his death. Daphne also has older brothers! It seems like everything is against them. However, love always wins and the chemistry between them is obvious, no matter how hard they try to deny it at first.
I loved everything about this book.
I love the time and place, the language, the formality, the tradition, the family values, the romance and the drama.
I love Daphne’s character. She is quite hilarious at times. I love the banter between herself and her family. Her mother is brilliant! I love how her relationship develops with Simon and how she helps him to face his demons.
I love that Simon is completely besotted with Daphne.
I just love it!
This story has it all! If you love a historical romance full of passion with its fair share of heartache, arguments, and laugh out loud moments then you will love it too. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
