marriage Archives - The Quick and the Read

Book Review: ‘Nuclear Family’ by Kate Davies

As a huge fan of Kate Davies novel ‘In at the Deep End’, I was pleased to be granted a review copy of ‘Nuclear Family’ by NetGalley. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review – as always, opinions are entirely my own.

The book opens with Lena buying a DNA kit as a Christmas present for her dad (Tom) and her twin sister (Alison). She thinks it will be fun – plus there was an offer on the kits, so they’re a bargain! However, it forces Tom into the confession that Alison and Lena were conceived using a sperm donor – something that neither were really ready to find out in their thirties. Both respond very differently – but the impact on both is lasting as they reconsider their relationships, thoughts about having their own children and what it means to be family.

Book Review: ‘The Darcy Myth’ by Rachel Feder

Happy publication day to this funny, thought-provoking, non-fiction book!

I am a ‘Pride and Prejudice’ fan. Not a super-fan, or a Janeite or an Austen obsessive, but I can enjoy the novel. I’ll never love ‘Mansfield Park’ (hideous A Level flashbacks) and I was the wrong generation to appreciate Colin Firth in THAT shirt (yes, I totally get it now…) but I totally respect the way that Jane Austen quietly wrote novels that are still part of the collective consciousness over 200 years after her death.

So I came to this book with purely an interest in a feminist reading of Mr Darcy by someone who really knows ‘Pride and Prejudice’ inside out – and has had the headspace to ponder on it at length as part of her career in academia. Rachel Feder is an associate professor in English at the University of Denver and really knows her stuff.

Book Review: ‘The New Life’ by Tom Crewe

This book has been garnering fabulous advance reviews so I wanted to read it to see what the fuss was about! Thanks to NetGalley for granting me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.,

The novel focuses on two unconventional marriages in late-Victorian England. The first couple, John and Catherine Addington, have older children who have flown the nest, something that gives John more freedom with which to pursue a relationship with Frank, a working-class painter. The second marriage, between Henry and Edith Ellis, is dealing with Edith’s love for the jealous and strong-willed Angelica. Both John and Henry think a ‘New Life’ is possible, with people able to lead their authentic lives – and it is this that brings them to co-author a controversial new science book on homosexuality. When Oscar Wilde’s trial takes centre stage in society, both men are forced to consider the costs and repercussions of living this ‘New Life’.

Blog Tour: ‘Small Angels’ by Lauren Owen

Today’s blog tour is for a gothic treat of a book!

Thanks to Claire Maxwell and Tinder Press for my place on the tour and for the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are always my own.

Book Review: ‘A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting’ by Sophie Irwin

I don’t usually read a lot of historical romance, but this one proved irresistible. The recommendations promised ‘witty’, ‘fun’ and ‘sassy’ which I’m absolutely here for, so I was pleased to be granted a copy by NetGalley for review. As always, opinions are entirely my own.

Blog Tour: ‘Hotbed’ by Joanna Scutts

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Hotbed’ by Joanna Scutts, a fascinating look at (as it is subtitled) ‘Bohemian New York and the Secret Club that Sparked Modern Feminism’.

Thanks to Random Things Tours for my place on the tour and for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review – opinions are all my own!

This book was published in hardback by Duckworth on 14th July, 2022.

Book Review: ‘It Ends at Midnight’ by Harriet Tyce

Thanks to Rosie at Headline for my copy of this tense thriller! As always, opinions are entirely my own.

I loved the premise for this book! A murder at midnight on Hogmanay in Edinburgh – we know there’s a body right from the start. But whose is it? And why has this New Year’s Eve party led to murder?

Blog Tour: ‘Yinka, Where is your Huzband?’ by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Yinka, Where is your Huzband?’ – thanks to Penguin/Viking Books for inviting me on the tour and for my copy of the book for review. As always, opinions are entirely my own.

The story centres on Yinka Oladeji, a thirty-one year old Londoner who is looking for love. Unfortunately, her extended Nigerian family don’t think she has time to waste and are praying for her – while constantly asking the whereabouts of her ‘huzband’. As her friends, cousins and sister get married and start families, Yinka seems to be treading a solitary path. When her cousin Rachel gets engaged, Yinka sets herself a challenge to find a date for the wedding – with some unexpected results.

Blog Tour: ‘Hotel Portofino’ by J P O’Connell

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Hotel Portofino’ by J P O’Connell.

Thanks to Random Things Tours and Simon and Schuster for inviting me on the tour and for the copy of the the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: ‘A Woman Made of Snow’ by Elisabeth Gifford

I love historical fiction, am utterly intrigued by the Arctic as a setting for a novel and am totally sold on duel timeline stories. It was clear before I even opened this book that it would tick a lot of boxes for me.

I just didn’t appreciate quite how many.

I loved everything about this book – the setting, the time periods, the gorgeous descriptive language, the characters, the mystery. Everything!