JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

The Spanish Promise by Karen Swan

Charlotte, a wealth counsellor who knows from personal experience the complications that a sudden inheritance can bring, helps her clients navigate the emotional side effects of sudden wealth syndrome. When she is asked by Mateo Mendoza, heir to a huge Spanish estate, to fly to Madrid to help resolve an issue in his father’s will, she’s confident it will be straightforward. The timing isn’t great as Charlotte’s due to get married the following week, but once her client signs on the dotted line, Charlotte can return to her life in London and her wedding, and live happily ever after. Marrying Stephen might not fill her with excitement, but she doesn’t want to live in the fast lane anymore – safe and predictable is good.

But Carlos Mendoza’s final bequest opens up a generation of secrets, and Charlotte finds herself compelled to unravel the mystery. As Charlotte digs deeper, she uncovers the story of a family divided by Spain’s Civil War, and of a love affair across the battle lines that ended in tragedy.

And while she is consumed in the drama of the Mendozas, Charlotte’s own tragic past catches up with her, threatening to overturn everything in her life she’s worked so hard to build.

The Spanish Promise is the latest novel from Karen Swan, a book with a split timeline and two grand love stories that transcend decades. The dual narratives in the book take place in the present day, but also 1930s Spain. The book explores relationships, family, war, wealth, privilege, legacy and secrets.

Charlotte, a wealth counsellor, is due to be married in a week. Her husband is rude and bossy, and her mother expects very little of Charlotte’s career and encourages her to quit her job. But Charlotte is very good at her job, and when a wealthy man in Spain is set to give his entire fortune to an unknown woman, Charlotte is given the task of tracking down the women and uncovering what secrets are hidden in her past.

“Nene pulled the brim of her hat low. She had stolen it from a peg in the maids’ quarters, the thin shawl and dress too. The dress was slightly too tight across the bodice and a fraction too short in the arms and length — she was so much taller than most other women — but comfort mattered for nothing right know.”

I have to admit, this wasn’t my favourite of Karen’s novels. Perhaps it was the complex and — at times — convoluted storyline or just the overall plot that had me feeling a little bored with the book. I finished it, and I didn’t mind it, but I wouldn’t say I loved it.

The two storylines didn’t feel like they realistically gelled together, and I struggled to relate to Charlotte. A wealth counsellor actually seems like quite a mundane job, and in this book, she shares very little chemistry with her fiancé and so it was pretty predictable what was going to happen with that. I think I just wasn’t the target market for this book, and my disinterest in the storyline was nothing to do with the quality of the book, and everything to do with my reading tastes.

“And then she saw that Montez still had his gun raised and pointed towards the rest of the men — that none of them dared move, neither to save her nor join her. In a flash she understood why.”

As always, Karen is particularly skilled at capturing glamorous settings. No matter the location, you always read her books and feel like you’re on holidays. She captures the feel, the atmosphere, the temperature, and the essence of the place that her books are set in.

Karen is also really great at capturing realistic dialogue and sexual tension between long lost love interests. Charlotte reconnects with an old flame in Spain, and the two of them have a lot to work through if they’re going to overcome their differences and work together on this project.

The Spanish Promise wasn’t for me, but there have been — and will continue to be — many readers who will adore this latest book by Karen Swan.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Spanish Promise
Karen Swan
April 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Rip by Mark Brandi

A young woman living on the street has to keep her wits about her. Or her friends. But when the drugs kick in that can be hard.

Anton has been looking out for her. She was safe with him. But then Steve came along.
He had something over Anton. Must have. But he had a flat they could crash in. And gear in his pocket. And she can’t stop thinking about it. A good hit makes everything all right.
But the flat smells weird.

There’s a lock on Steve’s bedroom door. And the guy is intense. The problem is, sometimes you just don’t know you are in too deep, until you are drowning.

The Rip by Mark Brandi is an urban crime novel set in Melbourne.

The plot itself is not overly complex — two friends live homeless on the streets of Melbourne, with the young girl’s dog, Sunny. They’ve both come from troublesome childhoods and adolescent years, but they have learnt how to live as comfortably as they can. They feel safe where they are. Until they meet Steve.

“It’s funny how quick it happens and without you really noticing. Anton said once that it’s like walking out into the sea, and you think everything’s fine and the water’s warm, but when you turn back you’re suddenly miles from shore. I’ve never been much of a swimmer, but I get what he means. Like, being caught in a current or something. A rip.”

This book is raw and emotional, rich and powerful. These characters are troubled and flawed, but they draw the reader in. Mark Brandi is such a wonderful writer. He captures dialogue so well, and even with very little plot, he is able to engage an audience. The Rip is predominantly character-driven, and it’s fantastic.

Truthfully, this was going to be one of my favourite reads of the last 12 months. This was going to be a book that I would shove in people’s faces and demand that they read. This was, by far, one of the best examples of writing I’d come across.

…until I got to the end of the book.

The ending makes no sense to me. It’s almost like Mark wrote a few chapters and then cut them out of the manuscript. There’s a mystery in the book surrounding Steve and his bedroom, and the mysterious barrels. That mystery is never explained. All of a sudden, the plot jumps forward in time with no explanation of what happened in between. Sure, there’s a quick mention of a ‘court case’ but that’s it. What was in the barrels? We can guess, but what really happened?

The first thing I did was look at reviews online, and I found comfort in knowing many many other readers felt the same anger and frustration at the ending as I did. All the brilliant writing and masterful work Mark Brandi put into this book felt completely wasted at the end.

“I take Sunny by the rope and walk quickly up the street. He follows me for a bit, but gives up once I get round the corner. Look, I’m not ungrateful or anything — the food was nice, the apple pie especially — but it seems like everything comes with strings attached. With some people, anyway. Like, they can’t just do you a favour without expecting something in return, you know?”

The Rip is full of beautiful writing, with characters who are fragile, yet incredibly strong. The book is engrossing and riveting and I loved it all, until the end. Many readers will love this. But many readers will not love the ending.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Rip
Mark Brandi
March 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

Something to Tell You by Lucy Diamond

When Frankie stumbles upon an unopened letter from her late mother, she’s delighted to have one last message from her . . . until she reads the contents and discovers the truth about her birth. Brimming with questions, she travels to York to seek further answers from the Mortimer family, but her appearance sends shockwaves through them all.

Meanwhile, Robyn Mortimer has problems of her own. Her husband John has become distant, and a chance remark from a friend leads Robyn to wonder exactly what he’s not been saying. Dare she find out more?

As for Bunny, she fell head over heels in love with Dave Mortimer when she first arrived in town, but now it seems her past is catching up with her. She can’t help wondering if he’ll still feel the same way about her if he discovers who she really is – and what she did.

As secrets tumble out and loyalties are tested, the Mortimers have to face up to some difficult decisions. With love, betrayal and dramatic revelations in the mix, this is one summer they’ll never forget.

Something to Tell You by Lucy Diamond is a novel about the Mortimer family and the many problems and secrets they all need to confront. The novel begins with Harry Mortimer finding out that he has a daughter called Frankie, the result of an affair he had many decades earlier. It’s a shock for him and for his wife, as well as their children. But after this secret is unveiled, we delve further into the Mortimer family history and find out there are many more secrets being hidden from the family.

“Disappointment had coursed through her, weighting her feet to the floor. Wrong time, wrong place. This was what you got for being hot-headed, for making it all about you, she told herself despairingly…This was her moment. The one she’d been wondering about for so long.”

Something to Tell You is told from many different POVs, which is common in a lot of Lucy Diamond books.

At the beginning, the book is a little overwhelming. There are a lot of characters mentioned and it takes a moment — and a re-read, in my case — for the reader to fully understand who everyone is and how they relate to each other.

The POV switched between women rather quickly so I kept getting the characters mixed up and forgetting who was married to who, and which subplot belonged to which character. I think perhaps there were too many characters in the book and more time should’ve been given to fewer characters to really allow for the reader to relate.

The book explores many different plots and problems, so it’s not just about Frankie meeting her biological father. In fact, that part of the story is quite non-existent for most of the book and Frankie’s storyline in the book is actually more about her relationship with her boyfriend and his child from another woman.

“Fergus didn’t seem to like this idea, leaning against Frankie’s legs and sliding a thumb into his mouth. He stared at the floor and shook his head, no, and Frankie crouched down too, putting a protective arm around his small warm body.”

All of the characters have something they’re worried about, whether it’s a secretive husband or an affair, or a hidden incident from the past that’s threatening to be revealed. There’s plenty in the book to be unpacked — there’s so much for the reader to be intrigued by.

My favourite character was Bunny — she’s sweet and passionate but also anxious and nervous. She’s flawed, but relatable. She’s worried about her past and if the secret she’s keeping will affect her relationship, and I think a lot of women will relate to her insecurities and her self-doubt.

My favourite storyline was Robyn and John Mortimer. Robyn finds out from an acquaintance that John has actually been fired from his job at the university, and it appears to be quite the scandal. She probes him for information, and she even follows him to uncover his secret. What unfolds is shocking for everyone involved.

“Until Robyn met John she had never really held down a very long or enjoyable relationship. She was quite shy and awkward…and never felt as if she was getting the whole boyfriend thing right.”

The book explores female friendship, sisterhood, tragedy, bonding, reconnection, and it also explores the beginnings of relationships and the end of relationship.

I was intrigued in the story and the plot, although I think the book was let down by the pacing and some of the dialogue. The really tense scenes in the book — in particular the scene where Harry Mortimer explains to his family that he has an illegitimate daughter, and also the scene where Jeannie tells Harry that she’s going on their overseas holiday solo — are written too quickly and the conversations progress really fast. The reader experiences a wave of different emotions and the scenes don’t come across realistic or relatable. Additionally, the dialogue is at times forced and unnatural and it can be jolting for the reader.

Recommended for fans of family saga , chick lit, and romance novels.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Something to Tell You
Lucy Diamond
January 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

REVIEW AND AUTHOR INTERVIEW: 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

Crush (n.): a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach…

Darcy Barrett found her dream man at age eight – ever since, she’s had to learn to settle for good enough. Having conducted a global survey of men, she can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that he’s her twin brother’s best friend – oh, and that 99 percent of the time, he hasn’t seemed interested in her.

When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.

Suddenly Darcy’s considering sticking around – just to make sure her twin doesn’t ruin the cottage’s inherent magic with his penchant for chrome. She’s definitely not staying because of her new business partner’s tight t-shirts. But sparks start to fly – and not just because of the faulty wiring. Soon, a one percent chance with Tom is no longer enough. This time around, Darcy’s switching things up. She’s going to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers.

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne is a heartfelt romance novel about two friends who grew up together and who might finally have their chance to start a relationship.

The timing never quite worked out for Darcy and Tom, and so Darcy buried her feelings about Tom and learnt to never get attached to anyone or any place. Tom has been in a relationship with another woman for almost ten years and so Darcy always assumed her love for Tom was unrequited and it was never going to happen between the two of them. But when Tom comes back into Darcy’s life and is now single, there’s a chance that her and Tom can finally be together. There’s a chance he feels the same way about her too.

Darcy Barrett is an interesting protagonist, a witty, self-deprecating woman who is bold, brash and very herself. She makes no apologies for who she is, and she doesn’t let other people’s opinions of her affect how she acts. She’s quite a unique main character for a romance novel, and a breath of fresh air to the genre.

The romance in the book is a slow-burn, building tension and anticipation for the climax of the story. This book will satisfy any reader looking for a good love story.

“I haven’t seen the colours of sunrise in a long, long time. In my old life, I’d be loading my car with photography gear even earlier than this and heading off to a shoot, a slave to this buttercream light. Everyone looks beautiful in this glow. It airbrushes in a way that my software package never could. It puts a flush in everything it touches.”

Darcy, Tom and Darcy’s brother Jamie have been friends since they were all kids. When they were eight years old, Tom got locked out of his house and turned up on their doorstep. It’s been eighteen years and Darcy has had a crush on him ever since.

Darcy and Tom have a lot of sexual chemistry that leaps off the page, and Sally Thorne has nailed the dialogue between them. It’s funny but also emotional, and one of the main strengths of the book.

There are many times in the book where it feels like Darcy is playing games with Tom, toying with him and making him suffer around her. I think this shows Darcy’s character — she’s confident and outgoing, but I think this masks her inner pain and confusion around Tom, and she is playing games with Tom so she can avoid really thinking about their friendship and where it’s possibly going.

Darcy’s best friend Truly is a fun addition to the novel, bringing humour and heart into Darcy’s life. Darcy may move around a lot and she doesn’t commit to guys or relationships, but her friendship with Truly seems to be one of the more stable parts of her life.

“Truly Nicholson is the queen of a cult indie underwear label called Underswears, and no, her name is not a nickname. Well, it was initially. She was called Truly in utero when she finally made her appearance on an ultrasound screen. That little baby was truly a miracle.”

I didn’t always like Darcy and I found her a bit mean, especially to Tom. Also, Jamie’s presence in the novel felt a little underwhelming. He’s mentioned a lot, and Darcy and Tom talk about him all the time and he’s heavily involved in the remodelling of the home, but he only appears at the very end of the novel? It felt a little jarring.

I wasn’t overly interested in the remodelling storyline because I don’t really care about construction/renovating/building etc, but that doesn’t matter. That plot just forms the skeleton of the story – the real plot is the development of Darcy and Tom’s relationship and the two of them navigating their feelings for the other person.

I’d recommend this to lovers of romance and contemporary fiction, and anyone who read and loved Sally’s previous novel The Hating Game.

99 Percent Mine is available now, Hachette Book Publishers Australia, RRP $29.99.

***

AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH SALLY THORNE

How did you find writing 99 Percent Mine compared with The Hating Game?
I’ve never intentionally written a book before. The Hating Game was written as a gift for a friend’s birthday and I had no plans to publish it. However, that book wanted to get published very much, and it turned out to be a smash hit. 

Writing the second book was very hard. I’ve never experienced success before, and I haven’t had to follow anything up. The Hating Game felt like a fluke to me. I got writer’s block for a very long time. People would ask me how I was dealing with the pressure. I wasn’t dealing well at all. A successful book on sale in 25+ countries didn’t feel so great when I could barely write a single new word.

But, like anyone who’s written a book knows, you just have to ignore the voice in your head that says you’re a fraud. I nearly gave up many times, kept on going, and got out the other side. I was helped by my wonderful agent, who always told me that I’m talented and I can do it. I also had support from many established authors who sent emails to check in and helped me through it.

What’s important to your writing process?
I need a blank day on my calendar. If I have an appointment later in the day, I don’t write as well. But if I know I have all the time in the world, I can just gradually relax into that creative zone and just see what happens. It’s not a terribly practical way to get work done, but I do my best work when I have nowhere to be except my computer.

What’s not important to your writing process?
I personally don’t plot out my book beforehand, I just write the relationship between the characters and make things up spontaneously. I love the moments where my hands type out something I’ve never even thought of, and when characters just say things that seem perfect. I tried plotting once, but I got bored and never even started that book.

What do you think readers are looking for in a romance novel?


Intensity of emotion. It’s what I put the most effort into in my books. Every single moment that those two characters are together should feel electric. Readers want that delicious slow burn as the characters tease and back away, building up to something that should be beautiful and life changing when they finally give in to love. I want the reader of my book to feel like they’re in that character’s shoes, standing opposite that man, feeling every single heartbeat.

What do you like to read?


I like reading genres different to my own (rom com), so I do like reading Alice Hoffman’s beautiful magical-realism, Annie Proulx’s Wyoming short stories and also sexy intense dark romances. I can always count on Christina Lauren books to make me feel and laugh. I also have a penchant for Harlequin novels from the 1980s and 1990s. They’re great.
I should own up to the fact that in 2018 I was so stressed out writing 99 Percent Mine that I probably only read four or five books.

I read in an interview that you used to write fanfiction. How did that prepare you for writing your novels?
Fanfiction is something that I’d recommend to anyone who wants to try writing. It’s an in-built community who already likes a similar thing, and within that space you can really work on creating something with a point of difference. I was writing around 2008-9 and there’s an astonishing number of writers from that period who are now bestselling authors of original fiction. 

I think fanfiction prepared me for writing original fiction because it was uploaded like a serial, one chapter at a time. You learn to get good at ending chapters on a little cliffhanger or leave the reader wanting more- ‘Update soon’ is a very common request in reviews. You work on your pacing and heightening the will-they won’t-they aspects of romantic relationships to play your readers like a fiddle. Back then, all we wanted was reviews. We’d actually ask total strangers for feedback. How brave! Nowadays I don’t read my reviews at all.

What’s left on your bucket list?
I want to go to Korea, I would love to have the words New York Times Bestseller after my name and I’d love to sit in the cinema one day to watch The Hating Game movie.

And lastly, what are you working on next?
On the Hating Game movie front, the option was sold and is now in the development stage- David Mirkin (The Simpsons Movie, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion) is attached to direct it, a fabulous funny screenplay was written by Christina Menghert (I had input- how fun) and I’m hoping to have some meetings when I go over to the US in April for my book tour. I also signed another two-book contract for HarperCollins in December, and am drafting my third book.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

99 Percent Mine
Sally Thorne
February 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks

There are times when destiny and love collide. This story is one of them.

From the number one bestselling author of The Notebook and Two by Two comes an unforgettable tale of enduring love . . . Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. After six years with her boyfriend, she is no longer sure what she wants, and when her father becomes ill she heads to her family’s cottage at Sunset Beach in North Carolina to make some difficult decisions.

Tru Walls has been summoned across an ocean from where he was born and raised in Zimbabwe by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. In journeying to Sunset Beach, Tru hopes to unravel the mystery surrounding his mother’s life, but the letter will lead him in an unexpected direction.

When these two strangers’ paths cross, their chance encounter sets in motion a heart-breaking story – one that will transcend decades, continents and the workings of fate.

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks is a romantic novel spanning decades and generations of family. It’s about meeting the right person at the wrong time, and the impossibility of love.

Hope Anderson is thirty-six years old and her relationship with her boyfriend is something that I think a lot of readers will be able to recognise. They’ve been together for six years and it seems like they’re still together because it’s been so long; they’re not together because they’re actually still in love. The relationship has grown stale, and neither of them can see it.

It’s only when Hope meets Tru Walls that she comes to realise that things could be better for her.

Tru has spent most of his adult life as a safari guide in Zimbabwe. He’s split from his ex and they share custody of their child. He’s travelled to America to track down the father he’s never known, and find out why he left his mother.

There is a fair bit of info dumping at the beginning of this novel, but setting and tension are a couple of the Nicholas’ strengths. You can feel the beautiful, waterfront setting and the cool breeze and you can picture in your mind the wonderful letterbox where all of these notes are being deposited and then read by strangers.

“But what would happen when his father did show up? The man was a stranger; a single meeting wasn’t going to change that. Nonetheless, Tru hoped he’d be able to answer some questions, which was the only reason Tru had decided to come in the first place.”

Every Breath explores many things. It’s about love and the importance of timing. It’s also about family, bonds, relationships and expectations. It’s about purpose in life, and meeting your own expectations.

It’s also about tragedy and the heartbreak that can be present in so many lives, and the importance of acceptance and forgiveness.

“She interested him. That she was beautiful there was no doubt, but it wasn’t simply that. There was an air of vulnerability and loneliness behind her smile, as if she was wrestling with something troubling. Maybe even a few somethings.”

My biggest gripe with the development of the story was the lack of chemistry between Hope and Tru, mostly because their ‘connection’ and ‘love’ developed at a rapid pace, too fast to be believable. They fall in love rather quickly, and I think it’s a bit too much for the reader to really invest in.

The ending of the book, and Hope’s decision surrounding children, seems a little farfetched. Nicholas initially crafted Hope to seem courageous, brave, independent, career-driven. And then at the end of the novel, she seems to drop all that and deliberately enter into a relationship she knows to be doomed just so she can have babies. To be honest, I hated the ending. And the Author’s Note at the end was equally frustrating.

Fans of Nicholas Sparks will be able to suspend belief long enough to enjoy this book. Readers who don’t spend much time inside the pages of a romance novel will probably dislike this book.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Every Breath
Nicholas Sparks
October 2018
Hachette Publishers