en-US Sat, 07 Jun 2025 15:57:39 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review7635942682 Sat, 07 Jun 2025 15:57:39 -0700 /review/show/7635942682 Helen gave 4 stars to Birnam Wood (Hardcover) by Eleanor Catton
Would have been a 5 star read, because after a laborious start, it did get really gripping and unputdownable BUT that ending..?! It felt as though the author either didn't know how to end it or was just bored and wanted to stop writing. Very Shakespearean, I suppose (and as the novel's title refers to Macbeth, perhaps it was to be expected) but ultimately very disappointing and I felt cheated, as a reader. Too much left unsaid and unexplained. ]]> Review7619279004 Sun, 01 Jun 2025 15:09:55 -0700 /review/show/7619279004 Helen gave 5 stars to Human Remains (Kat and Lock, #3) by Jo Callaghan
Third in the series and another winner. Really enjoyed it and I can't wait for 4th book in the series! ]]> AuthorFollowing109323351 Sun, 25 May 2025 13:37:23 -0700 Review7598865702 Sun, 25 May 2025 13:32:49 -0700 /review/show/7598865702 Helen gave 5 stars to Leave No Trace (Kat and Lock, #2) by Jo Callaghan
Having enjoyed the first in this series, I couldn't wait to read the second and it didn't disappoint! Kept me guessing until (almost) the end.
I love the burgeoning relationships (not only Kat and Lock but Hassan and the Professor too), the humour and the social commentary (men horrified that they're told to stay indoors and not go to the pub for their own safety!).
An intelligent and 'different' police procedural, which kept me turning the pages and keen to get back to the story. ]]> Review7587087313 Wed, 21 May 2025 04:22:55 -0700 /review/show/7587087313 Helen gave 5 stars to Dear Miss Lake (The Emmy Lake Chronicles #4) by A.J. Pearce
I had an advance copy of this book via Netgalley. Thoroughly enjoyed it - blubbed at one point (no spoilers!) - and it was a very fitting end to what has been a brilliant series of books. I shall miss Emmy Lake and all her pals but I look forward to reading whatever AJ Pearce comes up with next! ]]> Review7572275970 Thu, 15 May 2025 15:22:00 -0700 /review/show/7572275970 Helen gave 4 stars to In the Blink of An Eye (Kat and Lock, #1) by Jo Callaghan
Loved this and I'm straight on to book 2! ]]> Review7568375123 Wed, 14 May 2025 06:35:26 -0700 /review/show/7568375123 Helen gave 3 stars to Almond (Hardcover) by Sohn Won-Pyung
Read this for my book club and I'm not sure what I think! It reads very much like a YA novel and the ending (spoiler alert) is a bit 'Disney' - perhaps because it is YA. But there's a lot of death and violence in it and some horrible cruelty that I did not enjoy reading. I'm also not that keen on reading books in translation. I always feel as though I'm missing something, reading it through someone else's lens. But having said that, it was an interesting read and gave us lots to talk about in the book club, so I *think* I quite liked it! ]]> Review7548313062 Tue, 06 May 2025 12:33:41 -0700 /review/show/7548313062 Helen gave 4 stars to The Rotters' Club (Paperback) by Jonathan Coe
]]> Review7507243947 Mon, 21 Apr 2025 13:20:24 -0700 /review/show/7507243947 Helen gave 5 stars to Out of Control (Kindle Edition) by Sally Jenkins
The heroine of this novel - Fiona � is in a situation that I’m sure many women of her age can relate to: alone, child-free and wondering ‘Is this it?� or ‘What next?�

And although Fiona’s retired and doesn’t have work woes, she does have to manage an increasingly-needy widowed mother. (I liked Dorothea, Fiona’s mother; she was quite a character. And the scene in which she meets a man from a lonely hearts ad, who’s clearly expecting more than a cuppa and a chat, is one of the best in the book).

Fiona’s been scarred by an experience thirty years ago, as a result of which, she’s become something of a control freak. So, when Joe - her once-a-week lover � turns up on the doorstep with a couple of cases � and, later, his pregnant daughter needs a roof over her head too � Fiona’s carefully-ordered life is suddenly well� out of control.

The book certainly keeps you guessing. Will Fiona decide that Joe is, after all, ‘the one� or will she end up with best friend Meeko, or with someone from her past who turns up unexpectedly � or will she say no to romantic entanglements and remain resolutely single and alone?

I enjoyed this uplifting story. It has lots to teach us about taking a chance, letting go � and that life really can begin at 60!
]]> Review7504132648 Sun, 20 Apr 2025 12:35:35 -0700 /review/show/7504132648 Helen gave 5 stars to The One Plus One (Hardcover) by Jojo Moyes
I love Jojo Moyes' writing and I think this is one of her best. Romantic, funny and true-to-life. I enjoyed it very much. ]]>