Lettice and Victoria - Susanna Johnston

Lettice & Victoria by Susanna Johnston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'Roman à clef? This darkly comedic novel revolves around the interactions of five main characters. Victoria, barely twenty, finds herself acting as amanuensis to Laurence, an elderly man of letters, now blind, who lives in a ravishing house by the sea in northern Italy. Soon after her arrival, she indulges in a heady night of passion with Edgar, a youthful Englishman. Their subsequent union introduces an extraordinary, dominating mother-in-law in the form of Lettice, who is jealous and suspicious of Victoria's prettiness and her ability to amuse Lettice's intellectual friends. Lettice makes it her goal to ensure that Victoria’s new life in England is not just complicated but completely confusing, too. Enter Archie, one of the inner circle, whose relationship with Victoria provokes a scandal that threatens to destroy her. Darkly funny and deeply insightful, Lettice & Victoria is not just a love story with a fanciful and flawed female protagonist, but a wonderful portrait of 1950s English society.'


I just want to say to Karen at Arcadia, thank you sooo much for sending me this copy to review and I am sorry it has taken me so long to read it… I am trying to catch up on a backlog of books while I was in hospital as well as trying to meet some release dates now… my bad.

Right first of all what can I say, the cover to this book is fabulous!!! I love how it has been drawn and the paper is thick and slightly textured to feel. This really drew me into the book as it stood out.

I found that the way it was  written was quite unusual, and that some younger readers may struggle with this style of writing, it did take me a while to get my head around it. Once I did I loved the level of description for the characters and the setting. It really drew me in and I could picture being in the book transported back to the 1950’s.

This book I managed to read in one sitting, it only has just over 160 pages and I found it a refreshing read in between a heavier book.

This is about a young woman, Victoria. She goes to Italy to be a companion for an elderly gentleman  who is blind. She is there to be his eyes and read him his favourite books and letters. Victoria meets Edgar and has a night of passion with him. She is soon introduced to Lettice is his mother and she doesn’t seem to like the effect Victoria is having on Edgar. Victoria ends up marrying Edgar, and although it would seem the story should be a love story, to me it came across more as a marriage of convenience.

There were moments of humour in the book, but to be honest I did expect it to be more humorous than it was. I enjoyed that there were short chapters in the book too; it made it very convenient for breaks. (I like to get to the end of a chapter for a cup of tea or to go to sleep etc).

I did enjoy this book and I think one thing that made it most enjoyable is that it was a little different and I found it to be a breath of fresh air. I was a little disappointed by the lack of humour in it but the way it was written was so beautiful that I will forgive that.

If you are looking for something a little different, be sure to give this a try.

Zenith Hotel - Oscar Coop - Phane - Giveaway!!

Zenith Hotel by Oscar Coop-Phane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'Narrator Nanou, a street prostitute, gives a detailed account of her day, from the moment she wakes up with a foul taste in her mouth, in her sordid rented room, until the minute she crawls back into her bed at night to sleep. Interwoven with her story are portraits of her clients. Oscar Coop-Phane invents an astonishing cast of original and deeply human characters - losers, defeated by the world around them - who seek solace in Nanou's arms. Original and moving, this short book deftly paints a world of solitude and sadness, illuminated by precious moments of tenderness and acts of kindness.'



I was sent this book from Arcadia publishers in exchange for a honest review.

I took this with me away for the weekend, it is relatively short so I thought I would be able to finish it in one sitting, which I did.

This is not my usual read, I don't think I would have chosen it, if it had been on offer, however I was pleasantly surprised.

We are given a snap shop of a day in the life of Nanou, a Parisian prostitute, there is nothing sleazy about the book. Just the loneliness of her life and those of her clients. We hear from all her clients that day and this as she puts it herself is the same day after day.

The story jumps between her clients thoughts and her own, there is brief speech between the clients and Nanou. All the characters in the book are well written and developed well, throughout the book.

I believe that this gives an insight into Parisian life which is not so glamorous and stylish. I think that this should be part of everyone's TBR pile.


Thanks to my friends at Arcadia Books they have very kindly offered me 3 copies of Zenith Hotel to giveaway! Please enter my giveaway!! It is INTERNATIONAL so what are you waiting for??? 



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