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Christmas Wishes at the Station Bookshop by Margaret Amatt #Review #Glenbriar SeriesBook16

  Welcme back to the beautiful Scottish Highlands for Margaret Amatt's  sixteenth in her Glenbriar  Series:Christmas Wishes at the Station Bookshop. This latest novel was published on 14th November by Leannan Press.   After one toxic relationship too many and more failed jobs than she can count, spirited Scarlett Finch has lost her sparkle and doesn’t think she can face this year’s festive season. The last thing she expects is to land a Christmas job at Glenbriar’s Little Station Bookshop, especially not thanks to a slightly unhinged older woman with a parrot, a pug, a wild imagination, and some crackpot ideas for displays – not to mention a flair for making unexpected decisions, like hiring Scarlett without telling the owner. Widowed dad-of-three Lloyd Miller is just trying to keep life on track. Between moving house, juggling his day job, and preparing to take over the bookshop from his retired mum, the chaos inside the shop is the last thing he needs, particul...

Sugar and Snails by Anne Goodwin #BookSpotlight

 

Some time ago, I reviewed an intriguing and complex book by Anne Goodwin: Sugar and Snails. I am delighted to tell you that there is a great opportunity for you to pick up a free e-copy of Sugar and Snails if you sign up to her news;etter. This offer closes 28th February.  If you are interested, here is the link to follow: Subscribe

 

Just to remind you about the book, here is a repost of my review:

  In Sugar and Snails, Anne Goodwin has written a complex and intriguing book which really makes you think about issues around identity. Diane Dodsworth, the central character, is well drawn and complicated. We learn early on that she harbours a secret and that she has self- harmed since adolescence. A quiet, withdrawn person, she keeps most people at arm's length.We come to know the  significant people in her life and gradually understand more about them. 

    I enjoyed the clever way the story was structured. Written in the first person, there are different strands of the narrative as it changes between the present day and different earlier periods in Diana's life. This novel certainly made me think. Not wanting to let slip any spoilers, I won't comment on the story in more detail. Suffice it to say, I had not guessed Diana's secret and I then enjoyed thinking back to earlier sections of the book with more insight.

    I particularly enjoyed the way that the author's psychology background shone through, at times with humour. Empathy for Diana is built up as she tries to come to terms with how she feels about herself and about decisions which she has made. The book examines ideas about identity, how others see us and self- image with a deft touch. 

In short: a poignant, challenging and ultimately enlightening read 

 Thanks to the author, Anne Goodwin for an e copy of the book. If you want to find out more about Anne, her website can be found here.

You can also follow Anne on social media here  

                                                                               About the Author

Anne Goodwin is the author of two novels and a short story collection. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, about a woman who has kept her past identity a secret for thirty years, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize. Throughout February, subscribers to her newsletter can read Sugar and Snails for free: https://www.subscribepage.com/sugar-and-snails-free-e-book
 

CLOSES 28 FEB

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnJ5pbhSLho&feature=youtu.be

Website: annegoodwin.weebly.com

Twitter @Annecdotist.

Link tree https://linktr.ee/annecdotist

Amazon author page: viewauthor.at/AnneGoodwin

YouTube: Anne Goodwin’s YouTube channel

Book Spotlight

  

At fifteen, she made a life-changing decision. Thirty years on, it’s time to make another.

When Diana escaped her misfit childhood, she thought she’d chosen the easier path. But the past lingers on, etched beneath her skin, and life won’t be worth living if her secret gets out.

As an adult, she’s kept other people at a distance... until Simon sweeps in on a cloud of promise and possibility. But his work is taking him to Cairo, the city that transformed her life. She’ll lose Simon if she doesn’t join him. She’ll lose herself if she does.

Sugar and Snails charts Diana’s unusual journey, revealing the scars from her fight to be true to herself. A triumphant mid-life coming-of-age story about bridging the gap between who we are and who we feel we ought to be.

Book link: Amazon UK

 

 


    

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