Showing posts with label chick-lit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chick-lit. Show all posts

26 December 2019

A Ration Book Christmas

I'm always fascinated to read about WWII and the 'spirit of the Blitz'. This was an enjoyable book featuring main character feisty teenager Jo Brogan.

Jo was evacuated to the country with her young brother. She blamed her sister Mattie for being sent away, thinking Mattie had told Mum about Jo kissing Tommy Sweete. The Sweetes were local petty criminals.

When Jo stops receiving letters from Tommy, she runs away back to London with her young brother. She has to find out why he has stopped writing.

But Tommy thinks she has stopped writing to him and there is a lot of misunderstanding and emotion before things get sorted between them.

Meanwhile, Tommy with his brother and brother's mates sign up to rescue bombed out victims from crumbling buildings. Chiefly so that his brother can look out for valuables to steal. And Jo signs up for ambulance duty.

There is also an interesting plotline around Jo's married older sisters: Mattie is heavily pregnant and there is mystery surrounding her absent husband. Cathy is trying to keep quiet about her husband being in prison for helping Nazi spies.

It was a pleasant read though felt a little predictable in places. I've awarded it 3*.

15 November 2019

A Secret Garden

This is the first Katie Fforde book I've read. It was light, easy, chick-lit reading. I liked that it wasn't sexed up.

The main characters are Lorna, a middle-aged single woman who works as a gardener, and Philly, who is in her early twenties who runs a plant nursery. Neither are particularly looking for love; Philly is busy with her plants and Lorna has a secret crush on her childhood friend Peter. But Peter is head over heels with new-love Kirstie who he met online and is much younger than him.

As the title suggests, the book is set around a particular garden though it does not appear until well over halfway through the story.

I found it a very gentle read and I generally prefer a bit more substance. I'd like to try another Katie Fforde book before making up my mind about this new-to-me author.

I've given this book 3*.