Five Wakes and a Wedding - Karen Ross

Date of Reading: 16/06/2019

Author: Karen Ross

Publisher:Avon

Publication Date: July 22, 2019

Source: NetGalley

My Rating: 4.5/5

About the book:

Undertaker Nina Sherwood is full of good advice. For example, never wear lip gloss when you’re scattering ashes.

Nina is your average 30-year-old with a steady job, a nice home – and dead bodies in her basement. As an undertaker, she often prefers the company of the dead to the living – they’re obliging, good listeners and take secrets to the grave.

Nina is on a one-woman mission to persuade her peers that passing on is just another part of life. But the residents of Primrose Hill are adamant that a funeral parlour is the last thing they need… and they will stop at nothing to close down her dearly beloved shop.

When Nina’s ‘big break’ funeral turns out to be a prank, it seems like it’s the final nail in the coffin for her new business. That is, until a (tall, dark and) mysterious investor shows up out of the blue, and she decides to take a leap of faith.

Because, after all, it’s her funeral…

The perfect antidote to all those books about weddings, this book will make you laugh until you cry, perfect for fans of Zara Stoneley’s Bridesmaids, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Good Place.

My Review:

    How many books do we get to read on undertakers? For me: Not a single one. So without a doubt, this was a fresh breeze in a genre I love so much. But don't be misled by the blurb, it is not as intriguing as it sounds. It is your usual relaxing story even if it is all about funerals. Oh! don't make that face like the residents of Primrose Hill. Death is one of the realities of life and we need to face it whether we like it or not. But how you want to make your grand exit is entirely up to you.
       Yes! I know love and death are polar opposites. One is a nourisher while the other is destruction. So a love story featuring funerals (five in fact) is strange indeed. What is stranger is that we are going to love the funerals much more than the wedding at the end. Nina's passion for business clearly dominates the story of her love life. If I have to pick a favourite among the funerals, it is going to be the second one. It was spectacular as well as surprising. 
      If you haven't thought about your funerals yet, this book is a good place to start. Do you want everyone to weep over your death or be glad about the moments they were able to share with you? So don't miss this precious gem, you are bound to get a lot of ideas.     

Muhammad Bin Tughlaq - Anuja Chandramouli

Date of Reading: 20/06/2019

Author: Anuja Chandramouli

Subtitle: Tale of a Tyrant

Publisher: Penguin Ebury Press

Publication Date: May 10, 2019

Source: ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 4.5/5

About the book:

Muhammad was a good man who did terrible things and a tyrant of a Sultan who tried to do good. 

When his father dies, Prince Jauna Khan succeeds to the throne of Delhi as Muhammad bin Tughlaq. His reign will prove to be epic and bloody, but unsurpassed in splendour, innovation and defeat. 

A formidable strategist and remarkable scholar, the Sultan will go down in history for his brutality as well as his brilliance, unfairly remembered only as a cruel tyrant who might have been raving mad. His high-flown aspirations and grandiose ambitions may have met with crushing failure, but even so, Tughlaq was a great hero of the fourteenth century, albeit a tragic and fatally flawed one.

In this fictional retelling, Anuja Chandramouli, one of India's best mythology writers, reimagines Muhammad bin Tughlaq's life and times in incredible detail to bring to life the man behind the monarch.

Review:

         I took a lot of time to finish this particular historical fiction, partly due to the awfully small letters characteristic of Penguin and also because this is a book which, as per Baconian dictums, should be chewed and digested. Meanwhile, I took it wherever I went -- meetings, academic gatherings -- and unsurprisingly it drew a lot of attention. 'Are you implying that the agendas we are discussing are of Tughlaquian in nature?' One teased the presence of the book. Well, that aptly summarises what Tughlaq means to Indians -- a mad monarch with crazy projects. And we are forgetting, quite conveniently it seems, that most of his crazy plans are practised nowadays including that of paper money.

      If a writer's function is to remind, inspire and correct, then Anuja Chandramouli has completed that task to perfection. Here is the best defence to a monarch who is largely misunderstood due to his innovative schemes. It is said that a wise man goes with the people, a foolish man against them and a great man brings the people to his way. Looking it in that way, it seems there is only a thin line that separates the foolish and the great. Though Muhammad will surely be categorised with the former (he could never stand the foolish whims of his people), his ideas are nothing short of great. 
       In a way, Chandramouli's cleverly crafted work is a eulogy to a monarch who was too modern for his times and who never cared what history speaks of him. We close the book with a heavy heart mourning for a great man whose intentions never really came to fruition.

Meet the author:

Anuja Chandramouli is a bestselling Indian author and New Age Indian Classicist. Her highly acclaimed debut novel, Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince, was named by Amazon India as one of the top 5 books in the Indian Writing category for the year 2013. Kamadeva: The God of Desire and Shakti: The Divine Feminine are her other bestsellers. Currently, all three books are being translated into Hindi, Marathi, Gujarathi and Bengali, a real achievement for one so young. 

Her epic fantasies called Yama’s Lieutenant and its sequel has received an overwhelming response. Her books on Kartikeya, Padmavati and Prithviraj Chauhan have been very successful. Her latest book is Ganga: The Constant Goddess. 

An accomplished orator, she regularly conducts workshops on Creative Writing, Story Telling and Mythology in schools, colleges and various other platforms. Her motivational speeches have also been well received. According to Chandramouli, her work with youngsters in the rural belt helping them improve their Spoken English and Writing skills has been wonderfully satisfying and enriching. 

This happily married, mother of two little girls, lives in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. She is a student of classical dance and Yoga. 

Email: anujamouli@gmail.com

Our Stop - Laura Jane Williams

 Date of Reading: 03/07/2019

Author: Laura Jane Williams

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: June 13, 2019

Source: NetGalley 

My Rating: 4/5

 

About the book:

 

What if you almost missed the love of your life?
Nadia gets the 7.30 train every morning without fail. Well, except if she oversleeps or wakes up at her friend Emma’s after too much wine.

Daniel really does get the 7.30 train every morning, which is easy because he hasn’t been able to sleep properly since his dad died.

One morning, Nadia’s eye catches sight of a post in the daily paper:

To the cute girl with the coffee stains on her dress. I’m the guy who’s always standing near the doors… Drink sometime?

So begins a not-quite-romance of near-misses, true love, and the power of the written word.

My Review:

       This is indeed 'Serendipity' reborn. I loved that movie and so was in no doubt got engrossed with this prettily written novel. With an exciting start (Nadia's first day of new beginnings), the story turns out to be unputdownable halfway through. I am not a regular fan of dual narration, but here I grudgingly admit that the technique was perfect.
        There are so many near misses to make you groan aloud in frustration and will also push you to see it to the end. And the meeting at last . . . ah! it was so worth it. The train guy was right in front of her the whole time. If that is not a lesson to get acquainted with our neighbours, I am not sure what is.  
     Altogether if you are looking for an easy to finish, exciting romance, just go for this blindly. Mind you, better start believing in destiny and true love because as the story of Nadia and Daniel teaches us, miracles do happen. 

Meet the author:

Laura Jane Williams is the author of cult non-fiction memoirs Ice Cream for Breakfast and Becoming, as well as rom-com Our Stop. Our Stop is a HELLO! Magazine summer book club pick and RED Magazine called it "a must read". She is currently working on her next novel - and Instagramming at @laurajaneauthor

Le Tour de Love - Lilac Mills (Blog Tour)

Date of Reading: 30/06/2019

Author: Lilac Mills

Publication Date: March 31, 2019

My Rating: 4.5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources)

About the book:

“…the opportunity of a lifetime.”

When physiotherapist Molly Matthews is offered a dream job by a guy who shaves his legs and has an obsession with his bicycle, she has serious doubts about accepting. But, as she keeps telling herself, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime and she’ll never get another chance like this. So, she does what anyone in her position would do – she agrees to join a professional cycling team for the most prestigious race in the cycling world – The Tour de France. 

The reality, though, isn’t exactly what she had anticipated; instead of eating out at restaurants in pretty French villages and spending her free time lounging around the hotel pool, Molly finds herself living out of a suitcase for three weeks, massaging eight pairs of sweaty legs, administering ice baths and treating saddle sores. And neither did she anticipate falling for a gorgeous, passionate, professional rider by the name of Alexander Duvall…

My Review:

       Finally here comes the Lilac Mills book I have always dreamed of. I haven't read all her works, but out of the three I had, this is definitely the best. Add a steady mix of cycling euphoria with her humorous style and an out of the ordinary happy ever after and ta-da . . . you have the Le Tour de Love.

       Cycling was a sport that I never cared much but all is about to change now. You will be bitten by this bug too, once you finish this gem of a book. The story was cute from the beginning and there was no question of putting down. Yes, that is one thing you need to be warned. Make sure you have enough reading time at your hand if you don't want to be told off by your boss.

      I love how clear-headed Molly is and the slow development of her relationship with Alex. You both are so adorable! Alex's enthusiasm and dedication to his chosen vocation creep into you eventually. Undoubtedly my working hours witnessed a spring in my step.

      So if you are in the mood for a cute, sporty book with an incredible slow-burning romance, this is just your pick. No worries on the sports idioms, the heroine is as clueless as we are and so we learn together. Happy reading!!!

Meet the author:

Lilac spends all her time writing, or reading, or thinking about writing or reading, often to the detriment of her day job, her family, and the housework. She apologises to her employer and her loved ones, but the house will simply have to deal with it!

She calls Worcester home, though she would prefer to call somewhere hot and sunny home, somewhere with a beach and cocktails and endless opportunities for snoozing in the sun...

When she isn't hunched over a computer or dreaming about foreign shores, she enjoys creating

strange, inedible dishes in the kitchen, accusing her daughter of stealing (she meant to say "borrowing") her clothes, and fighting with her husband over whose turn it is to empty the dishwasher.

Stilettos & Stardust - D. L. Pitchford (Blog Tour)

Date of Reading: 23/06/2019

Author: D. L. Pitchford

Subtitle: A Gender-Swapped Cinderella Story

Publisher: Straight on till Morningside Prints

Publication Date: May 19, 2019

My Rating: 4.5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Random Things Tours)

About the book: 

A modern day Cinderella with a twist...

High school seniors Noah Barton and Eden Prince have competed for the top of their class since age seven. When their academic rivalry ruins a thermodynamics demo, their physics teacher decides to help them get along. By forcing them to be lab partners.

As graduation approaches, Noah and Eden are too busy figuring out college to deal with each other. Noah's football-loving dad sabotages his chance to win a big scholarship. Eden's traditional mother cares more about finding her a husband than encouraging her dreams.

Winning big at the regional science fair is their last hope.

Will Noah follow in his mother's footsteps? Can Eden show her parents the environment is more important than a boyfriend? Will Noah and Eden finally learn to work together?

Follow Noah and Eden's budding romance in this emotionally charged, sex-positive, gender-swapped retelling of Cinderella.

My Review:

     I was a goner the moment I saw that charmingly beautiful (ok, I am getting short of synonyms here) . . . well, to be short, one of the most amazing covers. And what lies inside is equally captivating. But before going into that, it is better to clear some things out. For one, 'Stilletos & Stardust' is the first in a series of YA romances titled 'True Love's Wish'. Nope, as far as I know, this story won't be continued in the next book. And for the other thing, if you are looking for a retelling of Cinderella within the background of a scientific community, you are in for a heartbreak. Anyway, I didn't find anything remotely related to the fairytale here.

        But that doesn't really affect your reading pleasure. Narrated through the dual point of view, the book follows the thoughts of Noah and Eden, who are struggling to get their tuition fee in order to attend the prestigious Archer Collins University. Each of them having a meddling parent, the regional science fair seems to be the last hope. For Noah, this is a way to follow his astrologist mother's footsteps who died recently. As for Eden, this is the chance to prove her mettle.

       Noah, I thought in the beginning, was slightly autistic. But as the story progressed that striking realisation came; there is someone far worse than him in failing to pick up social cues, his archnemesis Eden. Without a doubt, they make a great pair (frankly speaking, I don't think anyone else can stand Eden). They are rough diamonds, like many other eager young minds of tomorrow and one cannot blame if they are struggling in the social relations department.

     You must have got the drift of the story by now. More than a love story, this book revolves around questions of family relationships (especially the different ways the people react to grief), problems of identity and of course, gender equality. Trust me, you are going to have a new reverence to the scientific community once you finish off that final page.

Meet the author:

YA and NA author D. L. Pitchford is best known for her brutally honest stories and realistic characters.

Throughout her childhood, art and literature were encouraged in every form. Pitchford fell in love with The Lord of the Rings, The Dark Is Rising, and Harry Potter. By age ten, she wrote her first fantasy book. Her love of writing grew exponentially.

In 2013, Pitchford received her BA in English, Writing, and Fine Arts from Drury University. During her studies, she focused on the human condition and penned the first scenes of her debut novel. IF WE HAD NO WINTER released in April 2017 and has been commended for its gritty tone and character growth.

Pitchford lives with her husband and two sons in Springfield, Missouri, where she continues writing young and new adult novels.