Love Will Tear Us Apart by Holly Seddon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Fearing eternal singledom, childhood friends Kate and Paul make the age-old vow that if they don't find love by thirty, they will marry each other.
Years later, with the deadline of their 30th birthdays approaching, the unlikely couple decide to keep their teenage promise. After all, they are such good friends. Surely that's enough to make a marriage?
Now, on the eve of their 10th wedding anniversary, they will discover that love between men and women is more complex, and more precarious, than they could ever have imagined. As Kate struggles with a secret that reaches far into their past, will the couple's vow become the very thing that threatens their future?
Love Will Tear Us Apart is a moving and heart-breaking exploration of modern love and friendship, from the bestselling author of Try Not to Breathe.
After reading the two other Seddon novels, I was really looking forward to starting this one. Her other two have been psychological thrillers and that's what I expected from this one. However, this was very different. We are lead to believe early on that there is a 'secret' threatening Kate and Paul's marriage, however I thought it was disappointing and I was left feeling, 'so what?'
This is told through two time periods, when Kate and Paul are growing up and about their lives and then married with two children, which is the present day. For me the book took a long time to get going and I kept thinking, soon something major will happen, but I never got that.
Although I did enjoy this, I found the pace a little slow, it felt like nothing much was happening for the majority of the book. I did finish it, but I felt a little deflated by it. I would still read Seddon's next novel but I am hoping she goes back to what she is good at and that is writing great thrillers.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
The Secrets of Happiness by Lucy Diamond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The best things in life . . . can be just around the corner
Rachel and Becca aren't real sisters, or so they say. They are stepsisters, living far apart, with little in common. Rachel is the successful one: happily married with three children and a big house, plus an impressive career. Artistic Becca, meanwhile, lurches from one dead-end job to another, shares a titchy flat, and has given up on love.
The two of them have lost touch, but when Rachel doesn't come home one night, Becca is called in to help.
Once there, she quickly realizes that her stepsister's life is not so perfect after all: Rachel's handsome husband
has moved out, her children are rebelling, and her glamorous career has taken a nosedive. Worst of all,
nobody seems to have a clue where she might be.
As Becca begins to untangle Rachel's secrets, she is forced to confront some uncomfortable truths about
her own life, and the future seems uncertain.
But sometimes happiness can be found in the most unexpected places . .
For the beginning of the half term I was at a lost of what to read. This was sent to me a while ago and I hadn't got round to it, mainly because it seemed intimidating in size and I knew I wanted to be able to really devote some time to it. I decided to settle down with it and I am so glad I did.
I have previously read short stories by Lucy Diamond and have really enjoyed them, so I was hoping I would enjoy this just as much and I did.
Rachel and Becca are step sisters, they have never been the closest and Becca has not heard from Rachel in a long time. So when Becca is called one night from a 'friend' of Rachel's stating she has the children and Rachel has gone AWOL Becca jumps in t help out, hoping that she can perhaps rekindle her friendship with her sister along the way.
When Becca steps into Rachel's shoes she starts to discover that her sisters life isn't as perfect as it seems and she begins to wonder exactly where Rachel is. This is a completely different life to Becca's and she struggles to slip into Rachel initially, after a while she begins to realise she is enjoying the country lifestyle and it gets he questioning her own life.
This is a family drama book, where both sisters go on a journey to really find out who they are, the characters are well developed and even secondary characters have great story lines and are likable. I couldn't really say who my favourite character was in this book as they all have their own qualities that I enjoyed reading about.
The story was a little predictable, however I didn't mind this as I was rooting for a happy ending for all involved. Although the book is a monster - over 450 pages, it didn't seem like that to read. I managed to finish this in three sittings, it also didn't seem too long, just the right amount. It is a heartwarming tale that was an easy read. I enjoyed the element of mystery in the story along with the romance and 'finding yourself' aspect. I also felt it encourages you to look at your own life and if your stuck in a rut, remember the grass is not always greener...
I would recommend this as a great read for a holiday, or when you have time to really invest in the book. I also will be reading more novels by Lucy Diamond in the future.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
