I attempted to reduce my book purchasing over the last couple of months, and actually start to read the books I’ve been buying. And I have to say, I’ve done well(ish….)
First up we have…
The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal
The Doll Factory, the debut novel by Elizabeth Macneal, is an intoxicating story of art, obsession and possession.
London. 1850. The Great Exhibition is being erected in Hyde Park and among the crowd watching the spectacle two people meet. For Iris, an aspiring artist, it is the encounter of a moment – forgotten seconds later, but for Silas, a collector entranced by the strange and beautiful, that meeting marks a new beginning.
When Iris is asked to model for pre-Raphaelite artist Louis Frost, she agrees on the condition that he will also teach her to paint. Suddenly her world begins to expand, to become a place of art and love.
But Silas has only thought of one thing since their meeting, and his obsession is darkening . . .
I got this book from the Rare Birds Book Club as a tester for their subscription.
The synopsis doesn’t sound like it’s one of my usual books, but I’m excited to try something new.
Next up is…
The Eve Illusion by Giovanna and Tom Fletcher
Eve is the last girl on earth.
For the last sixteen years, Eve has been a prisoner. Guarded by the Mothers. Trapped by her fate. Watched by the world.
Until she took her chance, and escaped.
Eve finally has the freedom she has wanted for so long, and with Bram she has the love. But both come at a price. In this dangerous new world beyond the Tower, the regime are only ever one step behind. And together with the desperate rebel group fighting against them, Eve has found herself in more danger than she ever could have imagined.
With everything stacked against them, can Eve and Bram survive?
This is the second one in the series of Eve of Man. Keep an eye out for my review of this next week!
The third one my boyfriend bought for me,
Sushi for Beginners by Marian Keyes
Lisa Edwards
This Prada-wearing magazine editor thinks her life is over when her “fabulous” new job turns out to be a deportation to Dublin to launch Colleen magazine. The only saving grace is that her friends aren’t there to witness her downward spiral. Might her new boss, the disheveled and moody Jack Devine, save her from a fate worse than hell?
Ashling Kennedy
Ashling, Colleen’s assistant editor, is an award-winning worrier, increasingly aware that something fundamental is missing from her life — apart from a boyfriend and a waistline.
Clodagh “Princess” Kelly
Ashling’s best friend, Clodagh, lives the domestic dream in a suburban castle. So why, lately, has she had the recurring urge to kiss a frog — or sleep with a frog, if truth be told?
As these three women search for love, success, and happiness, they will discover that if you let things simmer under the surface for too long, sooner or later they’ll boil over.
The fourth and final book I got this month was,
Saturdays at Noon by Rachel Marks
When Jake and Emily meet, sparks fly. And not the good kind…
Emily just wants to keep the world away.
After getting into trouble yet again, she’s agreed to attend anger management classes. But she refuses to share her deepest secrets with a room full of strangers.
Jake just wants to keep his family together.
He’ll do anything to save his marriage and bond with his six-year-old son, Alfie. But when he’s paired with spiky Emily, he wonders whether opening up will do more harm than good.
The two of them couldn’t be more different. Yet when Alfie, who never likes strangers, meets Emily, something extraordinary happens.
Could one small boy change everything?
I was sent this by my cousin after she read it, and it seems right up my street! I can’t wait to get stuck in.
Let me know if you’ve read any of these and what books you’ve purchased this month!
Lucy xox
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Elle Hache 