The Florence Letter by Anita Chapman #BooksOnTour #TheFlorenceLetter @neetschapman @bookouture #BookReview

 

Looking out over the twinkling city lights of Florence, Claire thinks of the letter that has brought her here. Written by a woman who escaped the Blitz, it holds a secret kept for a lifetime… but can Claire make the woman’s dying wish come true?

Claire arrives at her new job as researcher at a grand English country house, nursing a broken heart. But tucked into the back of a long-forgotten drawer she finds a letter written in an elegant hand. It tells of a wartime secret about the beautiful Lady Violet – whose passionate affair with an Italian prisoner of war scandalised the village and ended in tragedy.

Captivated, Claire promises to find Violet’s daughter, Tabitha, and reunite her with a priceless piece of her mother’s jewellery. With only the name of an Italian bakery, Pasticceria Mancini, to guide her, and the help of her handsome neighbour Jim, Claire travels to Tabitha’s last known location – Florence.

Winding through the colourful streets, the sun warm on her bare shoulders, a tantalising scent of freshly baked bread floats on the air and Claire’s heart leaps at the sight of an ageing bakery sign: Mancini. Although she learns that Tabitha hasn’t been there for many years, Claire refuses to give up. And as she and Jim talk late into the night over glasses of local chianti, Claire looks into his piercing blue eyes and finds herself growing closer to him…

But when they finally track Tabitha down, it isn’t the happy reunion she expected and Claire is left reeling in the wake of discovering a devastating family secret.

Violet’s story has an ending – but will the truth lead to forgiveness, or will it only bring more pain? And will Claire be forced to walk away from a chance of happiness with Jim at last?

Escape to Italy in this gorgeous story of past and present colliding. Readers of Lucinda Riley and Fiona Valpy will be utterly enchanted by this sweeping, romantic page-turner.

The Florence Letter by Anita Chapman was published on 19 June 2024 by Bookouture. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour. 

I read and reviewed Anita Chapman's first novel; The Venice Secret, in March last year. I loved it, it was one of my favourite books of the year. I was delighted when she secured a publishing deal with Bookouture after the success of her self-published novel, and have been looking forward to The Florence Secret for a while. 

Once again, this clever and talented author has presented a dual time novel that will captivate the reader. Set mainly in Gatley Hall, a stately home in the Surrey countryside, we are introduced to two main female characters. Margaret who left London during the Blitz of World War II to take up a position as a lady's maid at the hall, and in the modern part of the story; Claire who has also escaped the big city to work on a special exhibition at the hall. 

At the beginning of the novel Margaret is 91 years old and writing yet another letter to the owners of Gatley Hall. She has been desperate to track down Tabitha, a character from her past. Whilst Margaret has written many times, she has never had a response. When Claire discovers the latest letter stuffed in a drawer of paperwork, she is intrigued and becomes determined to solve the mystery of the missing woman. 

Anita Chapman really does her research so well, she combines historical fact with this beautiful fictional story and expertly interweaves the modern day story too. I particularly enjoyed Margaret's story, the details about the hierarchy of servants was fascinating, the absolute dedication that is expected from a lady's maid, and the general running of the household is fascinating. 

The modern day tale is also very well presented, Claire is a woman who has experienced difficult times and her adjustment to life in the country takes some time. She often does things that make me squirm, but she's a determined character and driven to find the answers for Margaret.

Claire's neighbour Jim is the only main male character and whilst their first meeting is quite awkward, they soon form a relationship. Jim and Claire travel to Florence in search of Tabitha and the author's descriptions of this beautiful city are just breathtaking. 

Although divided by decades, Margaret and Claire's stories are similar, and I thought this was exceptionally clever of the author. The reader compares and contrasts the differences faced by women of different eras who are dealing with issues that mirror each other. 

Another fabulous piece of historical fiction from a talented author. I look forward to her next book. 

Anita Chapman's first novel, The Venice Secret was published in March 2023 and spent six weeks in the overall Amazon UK Kindle Top 100, reaching number thirty-eight. The Venice Secret has had over five million Kindle Unlimited pages read and received more than 4000 Amazon reviews since publication. Anita’s next novel, The Florence Letter was published by Bookouture on 24 June 2024 as ebook, paperback and audiobook. 

Anita enjoyed writing stories from a young age, and won a local writing competition when she was nine years old. Encouraged by this, she typed up a series of stories about a mouse on her mum’s typewriter and sent them to Ladybird. She received a polite rejection letter, her first.

Many of Anita’s summers growing up were spent with her family driving to Italy, and she went on to study French and Italian at university. As part of her degree, Anita lived in Siena for several months where she studied and au paired, and she spent a lot of time travelling around Italy in her twenties.

Anita likes to read journals and diaries from the past, and one of her favourite pastimes is visiting art galleries and country houses. Her first published novel, The Venice Secret is inspired by her mother taking her to see the Canalettos at The National Gallery in London as a child.

Since 2015, Anita has worked as a social media manager, training authors on social media, and helping to promote their books. She’s run several courses in London and York, and has worked as a tutor at Richmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College.

Website: anitachapman.com (also found at neetsmarketing.com).

Twitter: at neetschapman

Facebook Page: Anita Chapman 

Instagram: at neetschapman

We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer BLOG TOUR #WeUsedToLiveHere @Marcus_Kliewer @PenguinUKBooks @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

You let them back in.

You shouldn't have...

Young couple Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they got on an old house in a beautiful yet remote neighbourhood nestled deep in the mountains. One day, a man knocks on the door. He claims to have lived in the house years before and asks if he can show his family around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in.

As soon as they enter, strange things start to happen, and Eve wants nothing more than for them to leave and never come back. But they can’t – or won’t – take the hint that they are no longer welcome.

Then Charlie suddenly vanishes, and Eve begins to lose her grip on reality. She’s convinced there’s something terribly wrong with the house and its past inhabitants . . . or is it all in her head?

The Turn of the Key meets Parasite in this gripping, eerily haunting debut and Reddit hit – soon to be a Netflix original movie starring Blake Lively – that will keep you up into the early hours. Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Leave the World Behind.

We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer was published on 20 June 2024 by Bantam / Penguin. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

I can't remember the last time that I read a horror novel, probably way back in my James Herbert days, so this one took me out of my comfort zone a little. However, I was intrigued by the premise, and was sold by the blurb. It is most certainly horrific at times, but it's also a cleverly crafted psychological thriller, filled with tension and suspense. At times, I felt as though I just didn't know where this would go, but the story and the characters are so compelling that I became hooked. 

Eve and her partner Charlotte, known as Charlie are a young couple who buy old houses, do them up and then sell them. Their most recent purchase is an old house that is pretty isolated, situated in a forest. There are neighbours but they are quite far away. The house is a rambling place; there are lots of corridors, lots of nooks and crannies,  and a basement and an attic.

Eve is home alone when a family arrive at the front door. A couple and their three children. The father explains that he lived in the house as a child and would really like to show his family around. Despite her misgivings, Eve is a people-pleaser, she knows that Charlie would tell them to leave, but she lets them in .... just for fifteen minutes. 

So creepy, and Eve's first mistake. From the moment that the family enter, strange things begin to happen. At first, Eve just gets annoyed by their daughter who hides in the basement, but as she and the father search for her, she experiences things that she cannot work out. 

And, it gets creepier. There's no way that I'm going to relate the story, but be warned, this is a total head messer. We learn more about the family, about the history of the house, but what can we believe? Who are they, in fact, who is Eve, and where is Charlie?

Interwoven with extracts from reports and articles that only add to the mystery, this is a novel that will leave the reader with a spinning head for sure. With scenes of quite graphic violence at times, and some incredibly tense moments, it is not for the faint hearted. With an ending that is explosive, but throws up so many more questions, it is a book that lingers for a long time after you've turned the final page. 

Soon to be a Netflix series, starring Blake Lively.  I will be fascinated to see the adaptation when it's on screen. 

Marcus Kliewer is a writer and stop-motion animator. 

He lives in Vancouver, Canada.

X @Marcus_Kliewer

Instagram @marcus_kliewer

Day One by Abigail Dean #DayOne #AbigailDean @Hemlock_Press #BookReview @HarperCollinsUK

 

What really happened on Day One?

Everyone has their own version of what happened to the school that day:

The survivor, who escaped but is now trapped in a lie.

The newspapers, hellbent on turning a tragedy into a spectacle.

And the outsider, who claims it never really happened at all…

They all want the truth.

But who’s ready to face it?

As events spiral out of control and conspiracies ignite, the true story is revealed. Piece by shocking piece.

Day One by Abigail Dean was published on 28 March 2024 in hardback by Hemlock Press, the crime imprint from Harper Collins. The paperback will be published on 12 September. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

Day One was my fourth holiday read. I've been looking forward to this one for a long time after reading and reviewing the author's debut; Girl A, in January 2021.

Well, there's no doubt at all that this author is not scared of dealing with very dark, very emotional issues.  A school shooting in the beautiful, usually peaceful Lake District is something that's so hard to stomach the thought of, and especially tragic when the victims are so tiny, in this case, primary age. 

Ava Ward has taught at Stonesmere Primary School for a couple of decades. She is a dedicated teacher, well loved and happy with her small family in this friendly community. Day One refers to an event that is held yearly, the opportunity for four year olds who are about to start primary school to attend an event, hosted by the older pupils. It's a sort of welcome party, a way for them to see the school and other pupils and it's been a tradition for many years. 

Nobody will ever forget this Day One. As the children take turns to do their bit, watched and helped by Ava, there's a sudden entrance at the back of the hall. A figure, in a helmet, with a gun. Shooting indiscriminately, children die. Ava is killed whilst trying to protect her students. 

The novel is the story of the aftermath. It's harsh and emotional and there are so many questions. Centre stage is Martha, known as Marty. Marty is Ava's teenage daughter and as it is her short interview given to a reporter immediately after the event that pushes the central theme of the book. 

Abigail Dean really does unreliable narrators so very well, there are many times the reader will question the events and Marty's short interview. Add some really vicious conspiracy theorists to the mix and this becomes an explosive and question raising novel that had me gripped throughout. The rise of the conspiracy theorist movement has been all too obvious in recent years, with the wide use of Social Media enabling anyone who wishes to, to create their own version of events. These people are clever, read enough and you could be convinced, the author plays on this and the reader will never be quite sure just who to believe. 

It's an emotionally draining subject for sure, but is handled extremely well. The grief of parents, relatives and members of the community, contrasting with the total ignorance of those who come to look at them is shocking. This is another excellent read from an author who does not hold back. Recommended

Abigail Dean was born in Manchester and grew up in the Peak District. 

Abigail has worked as a Waterstones bookseller and a lawyer. 

Her debut novel, Girl A, was a New York Times and Sunday Times top ten bestseller and a Kindle number 1 bestseller. 

The rights to Girl A have sold in 36 territories and a television series is being adapted with Sony.

www.abigail-dean.com

Instagram @abigailsdean

Boys Who Hurt by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir BLOG TOUR T. Victoria Cribb #BoysWhoHurt @evaaegisdottir @OrendaBooks #BookReview #ForbiddenIceland

 

Fresh from maternity leave, Detective Elma finds herself confronted with a complex case, when a man is found murdered in a holiday cottage in the depths of the Icelandic countryside – the victim of a frenzied knife attack, with a shocking message scrawled on the wall above him.

At home with their baby daughter, Sævar is finding it hard to let go of work, until the chance discovery in a discarded box provides him with a distraction. Could the diary of a young boy, detailing the events of a long-ago summer have a bearing on Elma's case?

Once again, the team at West Iceland CID have to contend with local secrets in the small town of Akranes, where someone has a vested interest in preventing the truth from coming to light. And Sævar has secrets of his own that threaten to destroy his and Elma's newfound happiness.

Tense, twisty and shocking, Boys Who Hurt is the next, addictive instalment in the award-winning Forbidden Iceland series, as dark events from the past endanger everything…

Boys Who Hurt by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir was published by Orenda Books on 20 June 2024 and is book five in the Forbidden Island series. It is translated by Victoria Cribb. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this blog tour. 

Boys Who Hurt is book five in the Forbidden Iceland series. I have been reading these from day one, and can honestly say that they get better and better. Such an accomplished, clever author, this one is most certainly my favourite of the series. I was hooked from the opening paragraphs, right through until the explosive ending. 

Whilst this is the fifth book, and the reader certainly benefits from knowing some of lead character Elma's back story, it is perfectly possible to read this as a stand-alone story. The author cleverly incorporates things from her history into the narrative, without an overload of information, but enough to make the character and her actions believable. 

Detective Elma has just returned from maternity leave. Her partner Sævar also works for the police, and he is still at home on paternity leave, caring for baby Adda and supporting Elma through one of the most difficult and disturbing cases she's worked on. 

A local man, forty-one-year old Thorgeir has been brutally murdered. His body was discovered in the family holiday home, butchered with a knife. Above his body, on the wall, Elma discovers a quote, written in blood. What does this mean? 

The author has structured this novel wonderfully. She gives an insight into the events leading up to Thorgeir's death, when he met a young woman called Andrea and fell instantly in love. It is clear that Thorgeir was not the nicest of men when he was alive. Investigation shows that he was a large, powerful man who used his size to intimidate and bully. His father has been dead for many years, but his reputation is well known. Thorgeir's mother is a strange character, appearing quite eccentric, overly religious, but certainly has secrets of her own that she'd like to hide. 

It's a complex and mysterious case that causes Elma and her work partner and boss Hörður a lot of problems. Coupled with Hörður's recent accident and that fact that he is still grieving for his wife, Elma has to take on the majority of the team work. 

As Elma digs deeper, it becomes clear that Thorgeir's death may be connected to events of years gone by, with various local residents becoming involved in the mystery, and more than one more body being discovered too. 

This is a fabulous series, expertly translated by Victoria Cribb and with a stunning sense of place. The characters are perfectly formed, and the plot races along with some unexpected twists and turns along the way. 

Absolutely wonderful writing, one of my favourite authors and series of recent times. Highly recommended. 

Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva moved to Trondheim, Norway to study her MSc in Globalisation when she was 25. 

After moving back home having completed her MSc, she knew it was time to start working on her novel. 

Eva has wanted to write books since she was 15 years old, having won a short story contest in Iceland. 

Eva worked as a stewardess to make ends meet while she wrote her first novel, The Creak on the Stairs. 

The book went on to win the CWA Debut Dagger, the Blackbird Award, was shortlisted (twice) for the Capital Crime Readers' Awards, and became a number one bestseller in Iceland. 

The critically acclaimed Girls Who Lie (book two in the Forbidden Iceland series) soon followed, with Night Shadows (book three) following suit in July 2022. 

Eva lives with her husband and three children in Reykjavík.

X @evaaegisdottir

Instagram @evabjorg88

The Other Woman by Tania Tay #TheOtherWoman @taniatay88 @headlinepg #BookReview

 

Jade has the life she always wanted: a husband and three perfect children. She's happy. Except, recently that isn't enough. Her husband is never home, and when he is, he's distant. She's a constant source of disappointment to her mum, and even her children are starting to push her away.

Then she unexpectedly finds herself reconnecting with Christina, an old friend from university, and she starts to feel like herself again.

As the women become closer, and Christina needs a place to stay, Jade welcomes her into their chaotic family home. But when Jade discovers a suspicious text on her husband's phone, she soon she starts questioning those around her.

The Other Woman by Tania Tay was published by Headline on 9 May 2024. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

This is Tania Tay's debut novel and won Headline's inaugural Modern Stories Open Submissions Initiative. In a market that seems to be packed with thrillers and psychological fiction at the moment, this is a great achievement for this author and I really hope that this is just the beginning of her success. 

Billed as a thriller, but in my mind, more of a psychological domestic noir drama, The Other Woman is populated with characters who are perfectly created. The female voices are especially well done, with many readers empathising with Jade's feelings of restlessness and wanting to do something more. 

Jade and her husband have three young children, she's achieved all that she wanted after having a strained relationship with her own mother. However, now the children are getting older, going to school and to nursery, Jade wants something more in her life.  Her husband Sam is a hard-working bloke but recently she's felt distanced from him. There are niggling worries about her relationship.

When Christina, a friend from University, contacts Jade via Instagram, she's delighted. She's also very curious.  Christina dropped out of University, she didn't say goodbye and until now Jade has heard nothing from her.  

It seems that Christina did finish her medical training and has recently taken a job in a local hospital as a doctor. She's also just split from her husband and needs somewhere to stay. The woman come to an agreement. Christina will stay with Jade and her family, she will look after the children and Jade will go back to work as a copy writer. Perfect, yes?

It all seems to be working well, and then Jade sees the text on Sam's phone .... 

I really enjoyed the different points of view throughout this story. There's an unrelenting feeling of paranoia and mistrust from Jade, and the introduction of Mazza; a young woman who works in Sam's office just adds more mystery to the mix. 

High in tension, with a slow, character building beginning, leading to a fabulous ending, this one was my third holiday read in Corfu and certainly kept me gripped throughout. I think the author creates place and character so well, her attention to detail is great and the plotting was evenly paced. 

Recommended, and I will look forward to more from Tania Tay.

Tania Tay is the debut author of The Other Woman, published by Headline Accent. 

Her writing often explores female friendship, and motherhood. 

She’s also the author of Spellcasters, a magical middle grade series under pen name, Crystal Sung. 

She developed a screenplay with BBC Writersroom, worked as an advertising copywriter, and has an MA in History of Art from the University of Edinburgh.

www.taniatay.com

X @taniatay88

Instagram @taniatay88

Facebook Tania Tay

Hungry Heart by Clare Finney BLOG TOUR #HungryHeart @finney_clare @aurumpress @RandomTTours #Win #Prize #Giveaway #Competition

 

The Times Food Book of the Year. A soul-searching memoir for foodies everywhere. Let award-winning food writer Clare Finney take you on a passionate exploration of food and love.

From family feasts to comfort food, first dates to office cake; how does what we eat define us, and the relationships we have with others?

 Finney investigates the role that food plays in modern society, exploring how eating unites us in varied ways throughout our lives. She discusses her own childhood spent in her grandmother’s hotel kitchen. She talks about the meals and recipes that have shaped the person she is today.

Think of the dance of culinary courtship entailed in dating. Or the funeral foods that remind us of the connections between life and death, Finney examines the power of food and drink to attract, bind and define us—and of course, its power to divide and repel.

Hungry Heart by Clare Finney was published in paperback on 13 June 2024 by Aurum. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour I am delighted to have one copy to give away today. Entry is simple; just fill out the competition widget in this blog post. UK entries only please. 

GOOD LUCK! 

One copy of Hungry Heart by Clare Finney

Clare Finney is an award-winning food writer – Fortnum and Mason Food Writer of the Year 2019 – and author of The Female Chef, which won Fortnum and Mason’s Debut Food Book Award in 2022. 

Born in London in 1988 and unhappily educated at an all- girls school, she spent large stretches of the school holidays in her grandparents’ large hotel kitchen on the south coast. 

There, food and love were inextricable; yet it wasn’t until after university that she fell in love with food writing itself, whilst working for Borough Market’s magazine. 

Today her food journalism appears regularly in the Guardian, the Evening Standard, delicious magazine, Vogue, the Telegraph and the iPaper, amongst many other titles. 

She writes about sustainability, food and relationships, producers, food and feminism, trends in food culture, and cheese.

IG: @finneyclare

Dorothy by Neil Rathmell BLOG TOUR #Dorothy #NeilRathmell @RandomTTours #BookExtract

 

“One evening
when they are sitting quietly together
she breaks the silence
and starts to talk”

Dorothy tells the complete story of a Yorkshire woman, in verse, from her birth early in the last century to her death in the first years of this. Like so many of her generation, she lived a life both ordinary and extraordinary; shaded by grief, troubled by family dynamics, and restricted by the realities of class, location and gender. Hers was a life where survival itself, the simple act of continuing, was a victory to be celebrated – but one where the reminders of why we continue, the blinding moments of sunshine when the clouds part, were that much sweeter because of it.

Tender and insightful, harrowing and uplifting, Dorothy is a stunning act of empathy from a son towards his mother. Her story, told through the author’s assured, unpretentious verse, is both specific and universal enough to resonate with all who encounter it; to challenge some, heal others, and leave a lasting impression on the world Dorothy came to love.

Dorothy by Neil Rathmell was published on 18 May 2023 by Valley Press. As part of this #Random ThingsTours Blog Tour, I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today. 

Extract from Dorothy by Neil Rathmell

Our Dot

1.

this one’s different
Jack said when he saw the baby

she was the runt of the litter 
John William had come first
Dinah came seven years later both sturdy infants
now this one
it seemed to happen every seven years whether they liked it or not

but that wasn’t what he meant 
Annie didn’t know what he meant 
but she knew it wasn’t that

growing up in a harbour town
before she knew him
he used to dive for pennies in the harbour

when he was old enough to leave home he left
taking nothing with him
because they gave him nothing to take

he was small but fearless
fierce like a dog
he earned money from bare-knuckle boxing

but when he married Annie
a bonny girl
not much more than half his age
he promised to give it up

one of his eyes was half closed
but that happened later
when a cow kicked him

their first house was a tied cottage
at the top of a hill
Annie put chairs outside
where people could sit and get their breath back
she sold them home-made lemonade
a penny a glass

she learned to milk
they worked on farms
and saved until they had enough
to pay the rent
on a little farm of their own

when he came home one night
with his face cut and bruised
she thought he had broken his promise
and gone boxing again
but she was wrong
he had taken a drunken chap home to his wife 
and when she came to the door
she threw a teapot at him

Neil Rathmell was born in 1947 and grew up in Yorkshire. 

He read English at Jesus College, Cambridge. 

His first novel, The Old School, was published by Faber & Faber in 1976. 

His short fiction has been published in literary magazines including Ambit, Prole, Popshot and The Penny Dreadful. 

His plays have been produced by youth theatres and amateur drama groups in the UK, India and the Czech Republic. 

After a career in education which took him to Cheshire, County Durham and Shropshire, he  is now back in Yorkshire enjoying retirement with his wife, Jaspreet.

You Are Here by David Nicholls #YouAreHere @DavidNWriter @SceptreBooks #BookReview

 

Marnie is stuck.

Stuck working alone in her London flat, stuck battling the long afternoons and a life that often feels like it's passing her by.

Michael is coming undone.

Reeling from his wife's departure, increasingly reclusive, taking himself on long, solitary walks across the moors and fells.

When a persistent mutual friend and some very English weather conspire to bring them together, Marnie and Michael suddenly find themselves alone on the most epic of walks and on the precipice of a new friendship.

But can they survive the journey?

A new love story by beloved bestseller David Nicholls, You Are Here is a novel of first encounters, second chances and finding the way home.

You Are Here by David Nicholls was published in hardback on 23 April 2024 by Sceptre. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.


You Are Here was my second book of my recent Greek holiday, and I really think that having the time to read for longer periods, with no distractions whatsoever is the very best way to enjoy this one. David Nicholls is a much loved author, probably best know for his 2008 novel One Day, recently adapted for Netflix. His book, Us, published in 2014 was long-listed for the Booker Prize. 

What Nicholls does best is create characters who are so real, so familiar, they could live on your street, in fact, they could be you. Marnie and Michael are not youngsters, and nor are they past their sell by dates. They are both damaged, a little raw and very sore. Reeling from the effects of their broken down relationships, they accept mutual friend Cleo's offer (or instruction, to be truthful) to join her group who intend to walk from the west coast to the east coast of England. A walk of almost two hundred miles and not to be taken lightly. Marnie is extremely good at appearing to take things lightly. On the outside, she's funny, in fact she's often hilarious, but inside she's a worrier, not really sure of what's coming next for her. 

Michael's experience as a geography teacher gives him something of an advantage on the walk. He's far more prepared and very knowledgeable, in fact he knows so many random facts about rocks and plants that he does wind Marnie up quite a lot. 

This is a slow and steady walk through rain, hail, storms and wind. During the trek, the reader learns as much about the two characters as they learn about each other, and it really is so beautifully done. There is no doubt that this is a love story, but it is complex and multi woven. There are times that I wanted to shout at both of them, tell them to stop right there and listen to their hearts! 

This is a beautifully told story, filled with warm wit and lots of wisdom. The reader will urge these two unlikely characters along the way. Laughing with them, holding back some tears but always wanting the best for them. The sense of place is perfectly done, with the changing English landscape, the wild moors and the small towns.  A joy to read. Recommended. 

David Nicholls is the bestselling author of Starter for Ten, The Understudy, One Day, Us, Sweet Sorrow and now You Are Here. One Day was published in 2009 to extraordinary critical acclaim: translated into 40 languages, it became a global bestseller, selling millions of copies worldwide. His fourth novel, Us, was longlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction. 

On screen, David has written adaptations of Far from the Madding Crowd, When Did You Last See Your Father? and Great Expectations, as well as of his own novels, Starter for Ten, One Day and Us. His adaptation of Edward St Aubyn's Patrick Melrose, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, was nominated for an Emmy and won him a BAFTA for best writer.

He is also the Executive Producer and a contributing screenwriter on a new Netflix adaptation of One Day. His latest novel, You Are Here, was published in spring 2024.

X @DavidNWriter

Instagram @davidnichollswriter