All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

 

From Goodreads

Late one summer, the town of Monta Clare is shattered by the abduction of teenager Joseph 'Patch' Macauley. Nobody more so than Saint Brown, who will risk everything to find her best friend.

But when she does: it will break her heart.

Patch lies alone in a pitch-black room - until he feels a hand in his. Her name is Grace and, though they cannot see each other, she lights their world with her words.

But when he escapes: there is no sign she ever even existed.

Left with only her voice and her name, he paints her from broken memories - and charts an epic search to find her.

As years turn to decades, and hope becomes obsession, Saint will shadow his journey - on a darker path to hunt down the man who took them - and set free the only boy she ever loved.

Even if finding the truth means losing each other forever...

My thoughts

I started this book way back in September 24, but due to it's length, life and the fact that it was a Library book that other people had reserved, with me having to take it back and collect it again, it took me quite some time to finish it.

Telling the story of two best friends.  Joseph 'Patch' Macauley and Saint Brown are two friends, whose life is turned upside down when Patch is abducted.  No one knows what has happened to him, or where he has been taken.  As the lives of the two best friends are separated, their lives are never going to be the same as they once were.   

Both Patch and Saint are sent on journeys of discovery, as they go in search of people that they once knew, but will have changed forever.  

This was a lengthy read, full  of small chapters (some only being half a page in length), that encourage you to just read that little bit more.

Whilst I enjoyed it on the whole, personally I found that it was rather overlong and possibly the same could have been achieved with a bit of ruthless editing.  Please don't let my thoughts put you off as plenty of people have found it an outstanding read.

Christmas at Emmerdale Farm (Emmerdale #1) by Pamela Bell

From Goodreads 

A wonderful Christmas gift for fans of ITV's Emmerdale and readers who love heartwarming and heartbreaking stories set in wartime. August 1914, and a terrible war begins, one that will affect the lives of everyone in the village of Beckindale. For Maggie Sugden, left to run Emmerdale Farm on her own while her husband, Joe, is at the front, it will bring grief and loss but also independence and the chance to find a place to belong - and perhaps even to love again. 

Christmas At Emmerdale is the first in a sweeping new saga series, exploring the lives of Emmerdale's much-loved families during the run up to the Great War. 

What readers are saying about Christmas at Emmerdale

'An enjoyable read with well written and well-developed characters '

'Had a fantastic Christmas and Emmerdale feel to it. Really enjoyed it!'

'A fantastic book!'

My thoughts

My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  The book has been sat on my TBR pile on my Kindle for some time.  I should have got round to it sooner, but better late than never.  This was one of my last reads of 2024. 

This is an easy to read story set in the run up to World War I telling the tale of the villagers living in Beckindale and the surrounding area.  Focusing on the Sugden family who inhabit Emmerdale Farm.  Maggie Sugden is left to run the farm with the help of others as her husband Joe, is sent off to fight on the front line during the first World War.  Life for Maggie isn't going to be all plain sailing as life om a farm can be hard work for a woman.  To find out how Maggie copes, grab a copy and see for yourself.

I enjoyed this story, it was nice to find out some of the back story to what life was like in Beckindale prior to how it was when it was first aired on the TV as a long running TV drama series, 

If you're a fan of Emmerdale the TV series and enjoy reading, this is the perfect read for you as it gives some history to what life was like in the Yorkshire Dales in the early years of the 20th century.

Her Passion (Her Erotic Endeavours #4) by Felix Alexander

 

From Goodreads

Successful real estate developer Alaric Ruiz is on the verge of closing the biggest deal of his career when his mother's condition takes a turn for the worse. He reluctantly returns to his hometown and crosses paths with Annabelle Thompson, the high school crush he once wrote poetry for as her secret admirer.

Annabelle is back in town for the summer while she sorts things out after her divorce. Still reconciling her past with her future after her husband, Henri's affair, she finds Alaric the perfect distraction from her emotional turmoil. She lingers in the realm of Alaric's seductive charm, feeling the spark of heat she hasn't felt in years, and wonders where things will lead.

As Alaric reconnects with his mother and learns the truth about the circumstances that tore his family apart, his deal is threatened when Pedro de Guzman, one of the parties involved in the real estate deal, unexpectedly backs out. Unbeknownst to Annabelle and Alaric, Henri is the lawyer representing Pedro, whose own motives are fueled by revenge for past transgressions. Their aim is to ruin Alaric for good.

Amid the chaos in their lives, Annabelle and Alaric can't resist the need to be near each other. She's captivated by the hungry look in his eyes, his velvety voice, and firm caress. He remembers the innocence in her eyes from when they first met and is now further intrigued by the woman she has become, attracted to her curves, scent, and innocence that remains as he lures her onto the shores of sweet seduction.

The questions that remain in both their Will she walk away from what could have been, or will she surrender to her passion?

My thoughts

My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When two  high school pupils paths cross in their adulthood, will the crush that Alaric had on Annabelle resurface or will they remain apart?

This is the fourth book in Her Erotic Endeavours series.  The books can be read as standalone reads as they don't follow on from one another.  This is the first book in the series that I have read.  I found it an easy read that I finished in 7 days, but could have finished quicker if it was the only book on the go at the time.  This book is an easy read that flicks from the POV of the characters.  Whilst it's posted as an erotic read, it doesn't have much erotica in at all and if that's what makes you look into this book, then you may be disappointed if you read it.  It reminded me very much of a slightly more risque Mills & Boon style read than the normal run of the ,mill romances that I read in my teenager years.

Six Poppies by Lisa Carter

From Goodreads

Afghanistan, 2007. Carl meets Sarah, a nurse, at Camp Bastion and feels an instant connection with her. But when he discovers that she’s the childhood sweetheart of his fellow soldier, Danny, he vows to keep his distance. Little does he know how much she wishes he’d reach out. . .

After many gruelling months, Carl, Sarah and Danny make it home - now living miles apart, no longer in neighbouring tents. Honouring the lives of the friends he lost to war with a tattoo of six poppies, Carl vows never to forget their stories. Many miles away, Sarah tries to forget the man she swore to leave behind.

But Carl and Sarah are thrown back together, it’s clear that both of them are broken – and that the scars of what they went through together run deep. .

My thoughts

My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn to this book by the cover and the premise of the story.  This book would have been the perfect read for this time of year.  I read this book at the beginning of November and finished it a few days before remembering all those that have passed away in wars and conflicts on Remembrance Day.  Unfortunately, the book isn't published until 30th January 2025, so you have all got a bit of time to wait until you can engross yourself in it..   

Remembrance Day from Wikipedia.

Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. The day is also marked by war remembrances in several other non-Commonwealth countries.

This is a dual time frame story that is centred around the conflict in Afghanistan and the years afterwards.  It features a love triangle between two soldiers, Danny and Carl that are friends and a young female nurse Sarah.  As their lives are thrown together Carl and Sarah form a connection, but Carl soon realises that Sarah is a childhood sweetheart of Danny's.  Carl makes a decision that he is better keeping his distance from Sarah, as he respects his relationship with his army colleague Danny. 

As their lives are thrown together again, how will Carl and Sarah cope with what fate has in store for them?

This was a deeply emotional read, that centred around the characters of Danny, Carl and Sarah , both during the conflict in Afghanistan and in the ensuing years once home following the conflict.  Unless you have been involved in similar situations, you have no idea how you would cope with the trauma of what you see and what happens to you, your colleagues, your friends or the people that live in the Country that you are fighting in.  

This will be among my top books of the year and will stay with me for some time.  Thanks for writing this story for us Lisa and I look forward to reading more books by you. 

Testimony by Anitra Shreve

From Goodreads

At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal breaks. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on camera. A Pandora's box of revelations, the graphic images trigger a chorus of voices - those of the men, women, teenagers and parents involved in the scandal - testimonies that detail the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

A gripping emotional drama with the pace of a thriller, Anita Shreve's Testimony explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, and how our best intentions can all too easily lead to our worst transgressions.

My thoughts

This was a local Library Reading group read.  I have read books by Anita Shreve a long time ago and they have met with mixed reception before.  It's not a book that I would have chosen to read if I had seen it on the shelf in the Library, but I am glad that it is one that was on the list of books for the Reading Group.

The basis of the story is set around a New England boarding school and a sex scandal that occurs between a young underage female teenager and a young man.  The sex scandal is caught on camera, regardless of this fact it takes time to determine who carried out the offence as the story jumps around among the characters, relating their involvement in what happened and how their involvement is being dealt with.

I quite enjoyed this story, the writing style, the basis of the topic of the story and how it affected the characters individually.  It did make a great discussion among the reading group. It makes you wonder how you would cope with a similar situation if ot happened among people that you know.

 

Olive Kitteridge (Olive Kitteridge #1) by Elizabeth Strout

From Goodreads

Olive Kitteridge: indomitable, compassionate and often unpredictable. A retired schoolteacher in a small coastal town in Maine, as she grows older she struggles to make sense of the changes in her life. She is a woman who sees into the hearts of those around her, their triumphs and tragedies.

We meet her stoic husband, bound to her in a marriage both broken and strong, and a young man who aches for the mother he lost - and whom Olive comforts by her mere presence, while her own son feels overwhelmed by her complex sensitivities.

A penetrating, vibrant exploration of the human soul, the story of Olive Kitteridge will make you laugh, nod in recognition, wince in pain, and shed a tear or two.

My thoughts

This was a recent read for my local Library Reading group (well a September group read),I didn't get it finished in time, so I reserved a copy from the library so that I could finish it.  To be honest the group didn't really rate it, but I was quite enjoying it, prior to our meeting and me collecting the copy from the Library.

This tells the story of Olive Kitteridge a retired schoolteacher, who has her own opinion on things and isn't frightened of letting others know what she thought.  Olive lives with her husband and their marriage isn't the most stable of marriages, but they're still together despite all that they've been through.  

This book has many chapters and each chapter takes on the basis of a short story, with characters being interlinked among them. Whilst, the book is quite well written it just didn't engage with me as much as it did before I picked the copy back up from the Library.  I found it quite a chore at times picking it up, but I was determined to finish it.

There is a second book in this series by this Author called Olive, Again.  If you enjoy this one, then why not look out the second book.  Personally I won't be looking it out as this one took some reading and life can be short where reading is concerned.  There are far too many books out there that I have my eye on.

This was the first book  by this Author and I may pick a different one up if I come across one, to compare them.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

 

From Goodreads

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.

My thoughts

This book is a NetGalley read that has been sat on my TBR pile for far too long. 

Reading the reviews on Goodreads, this book is very much a marmite book with plenty of people loving it and plenty of people hating it.  I was on the fence with my view of it.  At times it had me riveted and at others I was a little lack lustre over it.  I enjoyed the premise of it, but didn't feel that it completely delivered the full potential of it in my opinion.

Telling the story of a woman who has been locked up for the murder of her husband.  Alicia is reluctant to talk about what has happened and finds herself living in a secure unit that deals with patients that have committed crimes and require more than just being locked in a cell in prison.  Whilst residing in the Grove she meets therapist Theo whose job it is to try and talk about things.

This is a psychological thriller that you will either love or hate, grab a copy for yourself and see which side of the fence you find yourself on.

I will look out for more books by this Author as I would like to see where he takes us next.