It’s almost Christmas, and Freya, Manager of The Sphere Theatre in Chicago, is going home to see her family after a few years away, as her niece asked her to. Coincidentally, The Good Twin, her twin brother Thad, texted her to tell her that Jeremy, a former friend and next door neighbour, is on his way back to their hometown too (he also lives in Chicago) but not for happy reasons – his stepfather Gary died so he’s actually due back home for the funeral. While this is not really welcome news as there is old bad blood between Freya and Jeremy, Freya is also on the verge of being totally broke, due to unexpected expenditures, so while home she will rent her apartment for a couple of weeks to tourists and make some cash.
The journey back to Northview is not the greatest: the conversation between Freya and Jeremy lingers, especially because they haven’t seen each other since graduating high school, 15 years before, despite living both in Chicago. They – Freya, Thad and Jeremy – were inseparable as kids, living next door from each other. The fact that Gary wasn’t the loving and caring stepfather the rest of the world believed him to be meant Jeremy spent a lot of time at the Nilsen’s, where he could find temporary relief and some sort of adoptive family giving him the love and support he needed. And when children pastimes moved from the bedrooms to the attic to make space for first kisses and teenage love angst, the relationship between Freya and Jeremy transformed too, going from friends, to romantic interest, to hate. All in the timespan of a few weeks. Their reciprocal loathing continues during their high school years. And even now, 15 years later, when they are both two successful and confident grown ups, being in the confined space of a car is a struggle. Once home, though, there will be time and space to unpack some of the wrongs of the past and discover some of the skills they have acquired over the years – for example, Freya is able to take care of a lot of little details around the funeral that Jeremy didn’t even think about, while Jeremy asks no questions when Freya drags him to pick up her drunk niece from a friend’s house in the middle of the night – and they are finally in the right mindset to talk instead of bickering. The results will be stunning.
The story Campbell presents to us is not just ‘nice’, it is actually very good. While it is fairly clear how it will end, given this is a romance novel, the narrative is great and proceeds flawlessly; the alternation of point of view (the traditional A-B-A-B is not fully respected, but it’s quite close) makes the read dynamic and insightful and Campbell is very good at representing both characters’ distinctive voices.
While I personally do not read romance often, I have to say this is a very good book that ticks lots of boxes: humour, happy ending, romance, comedy, real-life challenges. It is well written, witty, insightful, relatable. Great if you are looking for escapism during the Christmas festivities.
The Influencer Who Saved Christmas. Mrs Amy Ripley, 2023.
Influencer Zander Maloney did not have the easiest start in life, his parents so caught up in their own issues that he was eventually adopted by his best friend’s parents. Knowing way to well what struggling to put food on the table means, and seeing today’s disparity between the rich and the poor getting wider, Zander wants to use his influence to reach out to businesses in his state to help him ensure nobody will go hungry at Christmas. A project initially met with indifference by the establishment and all the organisations he engages with will gradually turn into a roaring success, thanks to the help of ordinary people and the online community. Zander’s journey from quasi-anonymity to influencer stardom (and the Christmas Lunch of Christmas Lunches) will be packed full of events: increasing media attention, a march on the White House to face the powerful, the rekindling of the relationship with his dying father and, most importantly, a life-altering love story with hotel owner Austin.
Well done to Amy Ripley for seizing the unique and rich storytelling opportunity Christmas offers, and for reminding us all what’s real and beautiful about humanity. This story, if you are open to it, surely evokes feelings of warmth and optimism, getting readers into the holiday spirit by dealing with themes such as togetherness, generosity, hope, and the overall magic of the season. The love/fairytale element is also a welcome addition. Ripley rightly sheds a light on what we often tend to forget: all those people who are struggling to make ends meet through no fault of their own and need as much help as they can get.
The novella itself flows well (117 pages do not make it a book), moving from one event to another with relative ease, but it does have a fundamental flaw: below par editing. Consecutio tempori is the most evident challenge of all. The story is narrated half in present tense and half in past tense, even though it all takes place within the same timeline. Unfortunately, this spoils the reading experience almost immediately. Besides, the use of CAPS when characters say something loudly or to highlight certain passages is completely unnecessary and equally bothersome. Overall, the writing is not poor as such, but it is not of the quality you would expect from a published author (this is not Ripley’s first book).
In terms of the themes within in the book, Ripley could probably have dealt with Zander’s discovery of his sexuality a little bit more effectively. Sentences like
“The fact I have never thought about men this way before is so scary. Will people judge me? I hope people will accept me this way because even though it is so new, it must have always been a part of me deep down. Luckily, in society these days, being gay is more accepted, and I am so grateful for this”
sound alarmingly naive and do make you wonder if Ripley really chose the same-sex love story just because it’s trendy and may appeal to a wider public – it genuinely would not make any difference if the main character was a woman – or she really believes in the importance of sharing somehow more unconventional love stories, especially given the audience she is allegedly targeting is the 12 to 18 years old age bracket. If that is really her target market, I strongly believe it is the wrong one: sexuality aside, would such audience relate for example to the theme of Zander rekindling his relationship with a dying father? I felt this was unnecessary to the economy of the story and not even explored deeply enough to make it worth her time. This book was written in a rush and unfortunately it shows.
However, if you are looking for a light-hearted, quick and easy read do give it a go. It will not rock your world but will surely keep you entertained.
“I used to think that fairy tales were only for children and that happy endings were just a myth. But now, geriatric or not, I know for certain that we are never too old for fairy tales; we never know what could be just around the corner to make our dreams come true.”
Cally Jackson is not happy. In therapy, on the brink of divorce, with her journalistic career also in jeopardy after quitting her job over a travel review that didn’t go down well with her editor. If this wasn’t enough already, she cannot stop thinking about the handsome Jisung, whom she met during her summer holidays (yes, romance blossomed between the two). When everything is on the line, things need shaking up.
Determined to resume her career as a freelance journalist, Cally leaves for a Christmas holiday to a far-away Winter Wonderland with her daughter Lexi, with the plan to write a new travel review and attempt to rekindle her romance with Jisung. Will he still be thinking about her? Will returning to the Palace Hotel for a fabulous winter holiday turn out to be as magical as the summer just past? But most importantly: will Cally finally find her happily ever after? Spoiler alert: she will, but will also have to overcome numerous hurdles – misunderstandings, sticky situations, and most importantly her own self-sabotaging skills.
For full disclosure: I am not a fan of romance novels and do not read them regularly. Having said that, I do recognise a good romance novel when I read one. Four things Melissa John did really well: firstly, this is a romance novel through and through. The evolving relationship between the main characters is the red thread that holds the book together from beginning to end. It is not the sole focus, as the author skilfully manages to also deal with the topics of being a newly single mother, having to manage several relationships in addition to a romantic one and working hard to reinvent oneself and building a career out of a great passion. Let’s be honest though: readers approach a romance novel with the expectation that two characters that want to be together will be able to get there in the end, after facing adversity. Romance is by nature escapist, so accuracy/truthfulness are not the point: you do not ask yourself if certain situations really happen in real life, all you look for is a feel-good story, something on which Melissa John certainly delivers. Secondly, the perfect depiction of a Winter Extravaganza: Melissa John takes the ‘Christmas Winter Wonderland’ theme and rolls with it from beginning to end, creating a Disney-like backdrop to our characters’ actions that shows impressive imagination. Thirdly, the relatabilityand familiarity of some aspects of the story: while not having experienced them directly, I did recognise some of the patterns and behaviours people over forty especially might go through when dealing with new relationships, such as teenage-like insecurities that have no need to exist, irrational behaviour and soul-crushing self-doubt. Finally, the author’s attention to secondary characters within the story, to create the caring, solid support system Cally needs to finally break through and achieve happiness. Diane’s story in particular is very touching (you’ll have to read the book yourself to find out more!).
There are a few elements, however, that perhaps could have done with a little more attention. While the main character Cally does get what she wants in the end – a breakthrough in her career, the man of her dreams and more – I would have liked to see this positive progress matched by a personal growth also, and a more ‘feminist’ approach to character development. It’s not that Cally does not change at all, but it would have been great to see her really taking charge of her destiny and become a stronger person because of the obstacles she has overcome, evolving from a woman at the mercy of her own misadventures to one that does not have to rely on the validation of others to be happy. As a reader, there is so much fragility and insecurity you can take from a main character before it becomes too much to bear. You would think that after all this romantic ordeal she does find the strength in herself to hold on to what really matters. Her accomplishments, however, are too often wiped away by a holiday romance that might not turn into anything else (except it will, being the genre it is).
All in all, a well-written (closed door) romance novel with a language that is direct and easy to understand, the right amount of steam and enough twists and turns to make it intriguing, leading up to the happy final we all expected from the very beginning.
‘Happily Ever After’ is the standalone sequel to ‘Never Too Old for Fairy Tales’, published in the summer of 2023. Get both books here:https://amzn.to/47VlgOo
What if you could go back in time and correct that mistake you made that started a chain-reaction of successive events leading you to where you are right now? It’s a question that Sam Harris would like to know answer to, sitting on a sofa bailiffs will probably take from under his arse in the next few minutes. The reason why bailiffs are taking any valuables out of his dirty apartment and he’s sitting on the above mentioned sofa with a social worker is because he’s a very depressed man who can’t take care of himself. He might have a way out, though: his social worker says there is a programme he could take part in, a medical trial for depressed people, that will study which of his genes got damaged by traumatic events leading him to wrong choices and then help him to ‘switch’ these genes back through an innovative epigenetic therapy. He has nothing to lose after all, and accepting this offer means that he can have a roof over his head for the night, instead of sleeping rough. The sessions are divided into two parts: during part one he will receive an injection targeting the damaged genes, while during part two, another injection will provide a protein compound that supposedly heals the damaged genes, and he will wake up a better person. Once again: why not? Worse case scenario he will wake up with two pinches on his arm. Instead, he wakes up skinnier, a lot skinnier than when he’d been put to sleep, and despite his insistence, both the doctor and the nurse who administered him the treatment are positive that when they gave him the first injection a few hours before, he was already that skinny. After the initial shock, Sam soon realises that every time he relives an episode of his past and, using his hindsight knowledge, changes a detail, he inevitably changes the future chain of events that brings him to the present time.
The journey that leads him to his happy ending is long, complex, full of peril and, at times, difficult and painful moments. But it’s a journey that keeps you glued to the chair – and the page – and makes you wonder ‘what’s next?’ We are not surprised that Atkinson won the Page Turner Awards 2022 – Genre Award because this book is simply great. It has everything: the mystery component, the romance, the inevitable ‘what if…?’ regretful question we all asked ourselves at least once in our lives, the happy ending, the rich prose, the spot-on narrative and an amazing control over the sci-fi element, something that, when it comes to time-travel is quite difficult to master. A must-read book that comes with its own Spotify Playlist: each song has been specifically written to correspond to a key moment in the book, to enhance the overall reading experience.
The incredible first book of the ‘Joshua Bane’ seriesbyJonathan A. Cerruto
We are in Trisna. The day is about to begin. A woman we don’t know anything about is giving birth. As soon as the boy is out of his mother’s womb, the guards of King Gabriel, the ruler of Trisna, bang on the door, asking to enter. Despite the exhaustion, the woman raises her hand, ready to evoke and make use of her powers. She is the Keeper of the Seals, a powerful but complicated figure of the court. her position forbids her from having babies, something she clearly disregarded, because she went on and had a baby with a Medicadum, a palace staffer in charge of wellbeing. On the other side of the door, though, along with the guards there is also Nonna (nana) Betty, who is King Gabriel and the Keeper’s mother. They take the baby and the keeper is brought to jail, where she starts writing on the walls until nighttime, when she is summoned by King Gabriel.
What his sister did is absolutely unqualifiable, but she is the King’s sister after all. So the boy is taken by Queen Eva and the King to be raised as their own, while the King’s sister is banned from Trisna for the rest of her life. Before leaving the reign, though, she puts a curse on the royal household.
She is transported to the Dark Land, where, as the name suggests, there is nothing – no sun, no vegetation, barely any water – and finds shelter in a cave. The night passes somehow, and the next day she receives a visit. The person is a copy of herself, and that leaves her puzzled. The person in front of her is a doppelgänger that her mind created years before. Her Spectrums (her magic powers) are gone, but the doppelgänger explains that magic can’t be ripped off, the person can only be tricked into thinking that they don’t have their Spectrums anymore but it’s not like that. Besides, the doppelgänger literally planted a plan b inside the Keeper, right under her skin. Trust me, says the doppelgänger, drink this and your powers will be restored. Not completely sure, she takes a weird concoction, dies but soon after she is born again, oozing a dark substance, the same that she oozed when she gave birth. This is your real Spectrums, says the doppelgänger with a big smile. She can finally work out her comeback strategy and take her revenge. It will take her 11 months to release the dark souls trapped in the Dark Land, but once she is done, she has an army at her disposal.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, though, and the Keeper can be patient. She plans the attack on the day Queen Eva is giving birth to her twins. It’s pure chaos: no one was expecting that, especially not on such a joyful occasion. After a bloody and cruel battle, using a magical spell, King Gabriel manages to send Nonna Betty, the twins and Celsius, his sister’s boy, away, saving them from her fury.
In a final attempt to stop her, the King sacrifices himself and the Five Stones on his sword, the ones he’s the keeper of, fly away.
The twins are named Joshua and Ashley. They end up at Childs Hill, an orphanage and the most miserable of places. Joshua’s situation is made even more miserable by the fact that, after a brief permanence, Ashley disappears, her fate unknown.
Time goes by and Joshua grows up, studies, gets a job, and makes a career. He’s a young, talented man who lives in London and has a nice apartment and some good friends. His past, as painful as it is, is behind him, and, most of all, he has no recollection of Trisna, or magic, or anything even remotely connected to it. One night, though, Keira, the magic mount of the King, takes Joshua to his island, Kroyden, and tells him that She is coming back and he has to fight Her. Who’s coming back? Is the first question Joshua asks. There is a book, Croydon continues, the Boom of Light, that the king scribbled with notes and letters. If Joshua wants to find answers and have a chance to defeat Her, he has to find it. He still has a million questions, but there is no time, because Joshua is abruptly woken up. He is in London and Nicky, a friend and co-worker, is looking at him, wondering if everything’s ok. Joshua says that yes, everything’s fine. He checks his phone and realises that the battery is almost drained. So, while looking for a charger, he finds a golden key that emanates a strong wave of energy. There is only one place where that key can open a door: Villa Bane. He has to go there and check himself. While driving out of London, he gets stuck on the M25, the creature stopping him a tall man with no facial features, two big white eyes, and a black substance that oozes out of his nostrils. Even if he doesn’t know, She sent him.
Joshua arrives at Villa Bane, where spiderwebs and dust dominate the landscape, and is desperate for his Nonna’s help. She sends it to him in the form of a book. When Joshua finds it, he starts reading it. In the last page, in an entry more recent than the rest of notes, there are the name of two places, one in Rome and one in Brazil. Joshua starts with Rome. There he will find out that Nonna had been in Rome too. But why? He doesn’t know, but he finds out a bit more about his mother: her name was Eva, she was a soldier of the Royal Army, a sword master, and she also was a healer, a person who, only by placing her hands on someone healed them immediately. But She was jealous and wanted to be in Eva’s shoes, so She tried all She could to keep Eva and Gabriel apart, clearly with no success.
Then, all of a sudden, Joshua finds himself in front of Villa Borghese. How did he get there and why or how he needs to carry on is kind of a mystery. He looks around, at loss for ideas, but there is a small hint, a clock, that marks the time very loudly and gets his full attention. The clock opens and Joshua, against his better judgment, gets into it. It’s his best decision: inside, it’s like a house, with rooms and corridors, and what he finds is astonishing. Joshua finally finds the Book of Light, and he manages to grab it before running back, finding himself no longer in the pendulum but in the lift of his London apartment.
This is the beginning of another set of twisted events that will continue, page after page, until the epic final : unbeknown to Joshua, Ashley is alive and wakes up, her exact location unknown.
This book is as dense as any good fantasy book can be. Imaginative, rich of descriptions and strongly penned characters, the story is eventful to say the least. Events follow each other with a good pace and a skilful balance. There are times when the narrative is slowed down by the wordy descriptions, and, in my opinion, the jumps in time, space and different worlds can be refined, giving each of them the attention and care they deserve. But altogether it’s a good job! It’s full of good, relatable characters and feelings, the main character is openly gay (always a plus despite all the Pride months and the gay right movements) and, last but not least, this book is full of magic, something we so desperately need in everyday life.
We start with a funeral. Charles – Chuds – Douglas is dead. He had a long and fulfilling life, he experienced a lot, met some amazing people along the way and made a fair share of enemies too. He fought a lot of battles, including a fatwa against his person for allegedly killing the brother of one of his enemies, but he lost the one agains cancer [the term fatwarefers to an edict or ruling by a recognised religious authority on a point of Islamic law. The process of issuing a fatwa usually begins when a Muslim, confronted with a problem of life, belief or law, is unsure what to do, ed.]. He had recently been diagnosed, and contrary to his doctor’s opinion, he decided to refuse any form of treatment. This left him with 3 to 6 months to live and he decided to live them the way he wanted, enjoying every single minute surrounded by the people he loved and whom loved him back.
So, here we are. Time has ran out for Chuds, and his friends and family are surrounding his burial site. Everyone’s there: Ro, his partner, Brian, Anil, his lawyer, Wrong Way Ronnie, Deepa, Poncy Pete and Big Man. They do their best to gather around Ro and cheer her up, or at least make her feel less lost.
In the following pages, we step back a few months and from Gravesend we go back to the Philippines, where Chuds and Ro are operating a restaurant/night club, with plans to expand the business. It’s their baby, they are are happy there, they are creating their own support system, making friends and having the time of their life. So, when Agent Smith and Agent Darby knock on their door it’s a shock to the system. During one of his trips, Chuds managed to wipe out a terrorist cell that was raising money to fund the indoctrination and subsequent radicalisation of young people all over the world, including the UK. The brother of the cell chief is the one who issued the fatwa and Chuds was enlisted as a Home Office agent, meaning he is under their protection. When he doesn’t check in with them, as he is supposed to do, Agent Smith and Agent Darby decide to travel to the Philippines to make sure he is still alive and kicking. He is and they are somehow reassured. Chuds’s life can go on.
He is on a trip when his journey is diverted to Kuala Lumpur. It’s not part of the original plan, but he uses the unexpected diversion to say hello to an old friend, Lena. During his sojourn, though, a weird accident happens: Chuds loses his phone, someone finds it and sends it to his hotel with a courier, but the guy is found dead in a ‘tragic accident’ that doesn’t sound like an accident at all. Chuds decides to not see anything more into this: it’s been reported as an accident and for Chuds it was, weird and tragic, but nothing more than an accident. He also decides it’s high time to sever his contacts with Agent Smith and Agent Darby, and finally flies back home to the Philippines.
This is when he has his doctor’s appointment. He wasn’t already feeling too well and decided to book a check-up. Unfortunately, it’s too late. Prostate cancer, malignant tumour. Even with radical treatment, the situation doesn’t look too bright. On top of that, his project to expand the restaurant is not looking great either: the idea of having a theatre, that could eventually double up as cinema, is not making any profit. Chuds finds himself in a position where he needs to call his friend Two Dinners Terry, a former event manager, to get help.
“I stand before you ladies and gents, the fine figure of several men! And I hear you saying to each other, ‘Why do they call him Two Dinners Terry?’ Well I’ll tell you why, because my name’s Terry, pretty simple really if you think about it. BUT, I am here tonight to give you men a warning though, consider this a PSA – NEVER cheat on your wife. While you may think it’s exciting to get some strange on a regular basis, there are hidden dangers. The worst of which is that you have to eat two dinners, one with the bit of fluff and one with the missus when you get home. I used to be able to hide behind this mic stand I was so skinny, take a fucking look at me now!”
This quote gives you a very good indication of what to expect from this book: ‘smarty-pants’, quick-witted characters, an incredible voice and a spectacular narrative packed with action, but also tenderness. The plot is very well developed, there are no loose threads or questions that remain unanswered. Everything will become clear in the end. The pace is fast, but not rushed, the characters are a paper representation of your friends and family, they look like them, they live like them, they even talk like them!
And the end will leave you with your mouth hanging open.
This book is a delight from the first to the last line, one of those books that I wouldn’t mind to read again in the future! But for now we will focus on Peter’s next book which is no more than a bunch of jotted lines so far, but we are sure it will grow big and strong just like the others!
Book Three of the ‘Phineas Mann Series’ by Mark Anthony Powers
Nature’s Bite. Hawksbill Press, 2022.
It is our pleasure to introduce you to one of our favourite self-published authors and his latest literary endeavour. Mark drew from his own 40-years’ career in medicine to create his successful, beautifully written medical thriller The Phineas Mann series (three books in the series so far).
It’s 2024, a good few years after the terrible hurricane that hit New Orleans and the life of a young Phineas Mann. He’s now a mature man, with his wife Iris still by his side, their two kids now grown up and with families of their own.It would only be right for him to retire and spend the rest of his life the way he wants, but it’s not time yet. We soon find out that he’s working on a research project: phase three trial of a new, promising asthma drug is about to start very soon.
But life is unpredictable and full of irony, and when the FBI knocks at your door, that’s a call you need to answer. Special Agents Meyers and Richter (a caricature of the more famous MIB agents) ring Phineas and Iris’s bell and, despite the initial confusion of the couple, they let them in. After a creepy and quite nonsensical string of questions – about their jobs, their children, their citizenship, where their incomes come from – the two Special Agents leave the Manns house, not before asking Phineas if he’s ready to serve his country.
In the meanwhile, Marie Porter, the daughter of Angela Porter (a nurse who poisoned several patients in Book Two and almost got Phineas convicted for the murders), is back in Durham after 26 years. Her early years weren’t carefree and full of joy, all the contrary: Marie and her mother moved frequently from town to town, school to school, group of friends to group of friends, while her mother took private nursing positions. Sometimes they had enough to rent a small flat, other times they lived in with the patient, crammed in one room, but all her mother’s patients were frail enough to die not long after she took the job, and the whole moving shenanigans started again. Her best time was in Chinook, Montana, where they lived for three years. At that point, when Angela moved to a new city, Marie moved to college. She graduated at the medical school of the University of Washington and after her beginning as an internist and the challenging years of Covid, she landed a 9 to 5 job in the pharmaceutical industry. She is actually supervising phase three of a trial of a new, promising asthma drug (what are the chances?!).
The reason why the FBI came to visit Phineas and his wife to ask for his cooperation will become clear later in the story, when the US President will develop a severe case of “alpha gal syndrome”, a medical condition meaning that the patient is allergic to mammalian meat: if ingested, the patient will develop a bad urticaria. The reason of the disease is to be found in a particular species of tick that is moving North on the planet due to global warming, provoking life-threatening allergic reactions.
Even if the America of the book is set in the future and the President (or POTUS as he is known) is an imaginary, unnamed figure, he is still very recognisable and gives a very hard time to all those not aligned with his extreme Right agenda, making Phineas life (he’s a Democratic through and through) very difficult.
There are many references to voters’ rights, the environment and the infamous public/private healthcare system. Once again, Powers makes use of his outstanding medical skills, explained to the non-medical reader with simple and clear words. A situation that seems worrying but controllable turns into a life-or-death deadlock, keeping readers on their toes until the last pages, when Phineas is faced with a very difficult decision.
In our opinion, the book offers food for thought around today’s political and environmental problems and anxieties. We did appreciate the “twist” brought about by Marie, Angela’s daughter, even if, at times, we found that the themes portrayed were probably described in too much detail, with the narration almost shifting to non-fiction.
All in all, however, the book was a great, enjoyable read – as it is always the case with Mark’s books. We love in fact the crafty way Powers has to imbue his characters of notions and teaching moments, still keeping them what they are, i.e. book characters. The appropriate conclusion to such an emotional and action-driven rollercoaster trilogy.
Having interviewed Mark in the past (read more here), we cannot wait to find out what he’s going to write about next: is the protagonist going to be a doctor?! Or perhaps a new subject entirely… ‘write about what you know’ is a formula that does not work for everybody after all. Well, it is highly likely his next book will keep us glued to the page regardless, just like this one.
It’s a tepid night at the end of summer when Marci Torres, who prefers to be referred to as Marcia, and bestie Charlie are on the fifty-yard line of their high school football field and Marcia comes out as gay. She expects hell to break loose, but Charlie, as the best friend she really is, dismisses Marcia’s words by simply saying she already knew.
Marcia feels lighter, since she can finally share her love crushes with Charlie. There is this girl, Shannon Palmer, who plays in the same softball team as Marcia, and also runs the Bible Study Club. Even if Marcia is not a fervent Catholic, she decides to join the club to get to know Shannon better. However, during one of the group meetings Marcia has an altercation with another girl, Ashley. Contrary to Marcia and Shannon, Ashley is very strict on the interpretation of the Bible: it says nowhere that it’s ok to be gay, and it doesn’t matter if present times are different from the times the Bible was written. This confrontation is so cruel that Marcia is brought to tears and runs away, hiding in the toilet. Shannon follows her and calms her down changing topic: they have a softball match coming up in the next few days and Shannon promises that, if they win, the two of them will go out for an ice cream.
They do win the match and Shannon, faithful to her word, meets Marcia for an ice cream, specifying it’s not a date. If Marcia invited her to the freshmen ball, then that would be a date. Marcia dutifully records the message. They chat almost about everything and eventually Shannon opens up about how hard it is for her to live at home with her father, who is deeply religious and a high achiever, and has great ambitions for his daughter. He is constantly beating her up verbally, saying that she can’t do anything, that her efforts are not enough, and this constantly leaves Shannon in a dark place. Marcia feels for her. It’s clear that, in such environment, being gay is just not an option. The whole conversation becomes a ‘please be patient with me, give me some time, don’t be pushy but don’t ignore me’.
Talking to Charlie, Marcia finds out there is no freshmen ball: only junior and senior students will be allowed. Marcia marches to Mrs Williams, the students’ counsellor, explains her situation and she is told that, to promote one, the motion must come from the student council. The elections for representatives are running at the end of the month and Marcia puts herself forward as a candidate. The only problem is she will be running against Ashley. It’s clear from the first day that Ashley is not ready to lose, and she is willing to go the extra mile to make it happen: on Monday morning Marcia finds herself slandered all over social media. It’s a hard blow but it will make Marcia cross paths with Patience Lancaster, who defines herself a ‘sort of a fan’. Patience tell Marcia that her and all her friends hate Ashley too. It gives her the strength to continue her battle to become the next students’ representative.
Speech day comes and both candidates take the podium, but while Ashley’s speech sounds very ‘political’, Marcia’s speech is honest, powerful and most of all, proud. After the longest second of her life, Marcia is mesmerised by a long and loud standing ovation. It’s clear who will win.
But the happy ending is nowhere near.
This is, at a first glance, an unassuming book: the target audience are teenagers, and even though there may be a few repetitions (for example, Shannon is told at least twice that Marcia and Charlie are besties, and the fact that Ashley and Shannon behave politely around each other because their parents are part of the same church is reiterated a number of times), it’s far from being an easy to digest book.
The number of themes discussed is simply astonishing: self-discovery, self-acceptance, coming out, parents-sons relationship, the role of religion in personal lives and choices, domestic sexual abuse, self-harm, attempted suicide, jealousy and conflict. In a light plot the author is able to condense in few, specific words the troubles, the fears, the delightful pains and the awkward happiness of being a teenager. Not only you are discovering yourself, but you are also discovering that you are different from what is expected of you and from the role models you have around, and you need to accept it and deal with it because there is nothing else you can do, even if the only thing you want is to belong, to anything, anywhere, and stop feeling lost and alone. All this narrated with no drama, no judgment, and a lot of hope.
It’s rare to find books so powerful, so well written, with such a beautiful message and self-published. It’s a welcome surprise we want to read more of and will never grow tired of.
‘My name is Marcia’ is book one of a four book series. All other novels by Clint Chico are available at: https://amzn.to/3LdVVXr
The second full length novel by contemporary fiction author AH Bracken
Love is the best Revenge. AH Bracken, 2022.
Set in the fictional town of Somerzoy, ‘Love is the Best Revenge’ tells the (love – hate – and everything in between) story of best-selling romance novelist Lady Marianne Clemenceaux and journalist Tom Underwood. What’s the catch? Lady Marianne, daughter of an Earl, is loved and respected by the local community and a well-established name in publishing. Life’s good until Tom Underwood takes a job at the local gazette and writes an unforgiving article about her, questioning her authenticity and ability to create relatable stories – given her privilege, does she really know how ordinary people live? It’s not really that simple though, as Lady Marianne has a secret: what is she hiding behind her pink aura of perfection and literary glory? Tom Underwood has a secret too: he’s in Somerzoy to rebuild his career and reputation following a journalistic reporting flop in his previous job. Tom’s article bewilders Somerzoy citizens, and they join forces to help Lady Marianne. One of them in particular, Maria – the enigmatic raven-haired town mechanic – seems really keen to seek revenge on Lady Marianne’s behalf. Instantly fascinated by her, Tom Underwood falls in love with her, failing to see her hidden agenda. Unfortunately, revenge is hardly straightforward, and all plans will come crushing down, as Tom and Lady Marianne’s paths finally cross.
While as a reader I am not naturally drawn to contemporary romance novels, I am making it my mission today to explain the 5 reasons why ‘Love is the Best Revenge’ is THE quintessential romantic novel and one to read NOW.
1 | A sympathetic heroine. Maria is a complex character with lots of different nuances to her personality. She is a strong-willed young woman who’s also vulnerable (but not weak), extremely intelligent and capable. Maria’s humanity makes her very relatable, especially when it comes to her constant struggle with her wealthy parents, who refuse to understand why she wants to distance herself from her family heritage and privilege by challenging stereotypes through her tattoos, raven-black hair and by working as a mechanic.
2 | A strong, irresistible (anti) hero. Tom Underwood is perhaps the polar opposite of the irresistible, fascinating male main character you would expect in a romantic novel. However, Tom is also a well-rounded character with very interesting layers to his personality: career-focused and trying hard to restore his reputation as a journalist after believing the wrong person; confident enough to put himself out there and chase what seems to be an impossible romance but sensitive and brave enough to question his own decisions and challenge himself to be a better man. Thanks to these two very strong main characters, Bracken makes you buy into the story immediately.
3 | Emotional tension. At the heart of every romance, emotional conflict keeps the heroine and the hero from being together throughout the story even though they want to be. Again, Bracken did a great job here, creating a tension that’s complex, never dull, believable, and grows from the interaction between the two characters. I must confess that while reading I almost found myself shouting at them to finally stop resisting their feelings and recognise they are made for each other.
4 | A believable plot. The context in which the emotional journey of our characters develops is perfectly believable. In terms of the social aspect, Maria comes from a noble family so that’s probably hard to relate to as it’s further away from our daily lives, but her rebellious, freedom-seeking spirit is by all mean something we can all understand. Tom comes from a middle class, caring family and has therefore a very specific outlook on life, considering privilege by lineage old-fashioned and anachronistic; if you think about how different they are to begin with, what an amazing journey for Maria and Tom (credit to AH Bracken for her narrative skills)! The backdrop to their journey, the small town of Somerzoy, is no different from any small town anywhere in the country, where everybody knows each other and has its own allegiances and conflicts but a perfectly pleasant place to live. I loved all the secondary characters, especially Maria’s best friend Kitty, always ready to stand by her friend and Maria’s relationship with her sister Annabel, who is acutely aware of how much Maria is suffering because she is “so lost and unable to be the person she badly wanted to be”. While some elements of the plot may be a bit far-fetched, this story is aspirational, fundamentally optimistic and provides some much needed escapism.
5 | A happy-ever-after ending. Of course. Maria and Tom do commit to coming together as a couple in the end, as you would expect from this particular genre: happiness is part of the promise of a romance after all!
If to all of the above you add seamless writing, Bracken’s great ability to create an organic flow of actions, revelations and unexpected twists… you are in for a real treat.
About AH Bracken
Happily married and living in Buckinghamshire, UK, AH Bracken is an avid reader of contemporary and historical fiction. Her favourite authors include Marian Keyes, Trisha Ashley, Katie Fforde, Lindsey Kelk, CJ Sansom and Philipa Gregory.
The desire to write finally became a reality in early 2021 when she began work on her first novel, and this enthusiasm also led to the release of ‘In December and Always’, ‘Someone to Cherish You’, and a new novel, ‘Love is the Best Revenge’.
You can expect smart, strong female characters with a story to tell, narratives that highlight difference, adversity and survival; and charming, gentle love stories based on romance and connection (source: www.ahbracken.com).
Book Three of Stephanie Shea’s ‘A Gia, San Francisco Romance’ Series
Andy and Whitney [i.e. Avery’s half-sister from Book Two, see our review here] meet again after six years apart, when Andy left San Francisco for London to study and become a director. They meet again in town by pure chance, and the awkwardness of the moment doesn’t escape either of them. They used to besties in high school until they started dating. It was amazing, it was great, they had ups and downs, like any other couple, but all in all they were doing well. Until they weren’t. And now, six years later, Andy is back.
Andy is actually after Jenn Coleman, chef patron of Gia’s Restaurant, keen to interview her for a docu-series she is working on about black women of power. Not only is Jenn black and self-made, but also queer and famous, making her appearance in the series even more meaningful. However, Jenn is not interested in appearing in front of a camera. She barely likes spending time front of house in at her own restaurant, and is much more comfortable creating in her kitchen. Whitney happens to be an employee at Gia’s Restaurant; it would be convenient to ask her for a favour so she can meet Jenn, but Andy finds the idea reproachful. It just wouldn’t be right. Especially because she is not expecting Whitney to still be mourning her departure, even less owe her anything.
As a matter of fact, Whitney has indeed moved on, and is currently dating Isabelle, a doctor. She is trying, at least. Because despite all her efforts, she knows deep down they are not meant to be. There are too many things that don’t work between them, and it’s just a matter of time before they go their separate ways.
While in town, Andy goes home to see her parents and meets Kasey, a very good friend of hers, for a drink. Once again, she runs into Whitney, who’s in the same bar with Isabelle. Andy can see them, but she can’t hear their conversation. What is really happening is that Whitney is finally breaking up with Isabelle. The following day, Andy goes back to Gia’s and meets Whitney again. She didn’t expect to find her ex-girlfriend working there, but she quickly recovers from the surprise and explains to her what she is trying to achieve. Unfortunately, they also start talking about other things, one word leads to another and after a very heated discussion, they end up having sex in the office. It is clearly a mistake, because it leaves them both even more empty, angry and confused.
Life goes on and Whitney’s brother is in a bit of a pickle. He has Encanto on Ice tickets, planning to take his daughter and his pregnant wife, but his wife gave birth earlier than expected and it’s not exactly the right time to leave her alone with a baby. As he doesn’t want to disappoint his daughter, he asks Whitney if she can go. There are two adult tickets though, so in the spur of the moment, Whitney asks Andy to come along. After a very pleasant night and a brilliant show, Whitney and Andy decide to have a drink somewhere. Things take yet again an unexpected turn and they end up hot and breathless on the sofa, but they accept their encounters are only a temporary thing: it will all be over as soon as Andy leaves San Francisco.
In the meantime, Andy manages to persuade Jenn to take part in the docu-series, so she starts shooting at Gia, meaning that Whitney is forced to see Andy more often than she would like. During a conversation with her mother, Whitney tells her that Andy is back in town, and the woman suggests she should talk to her ex and see why she really left all those years ago, clear up the air and finally move on.
The dreaded conversation takes place, but what comes out of it sheds a new light on many things, giving them a totally new perspective on their past, but, most of all, starting a nuclear fallout that will break down all the walls they built and allow them to have the much dreaded resolution they deserve.
What do I think about ‘Take Two’? Well, Stephanie Shea has done it again. But bigger and better. I simply loved her book! It’s a clean story, with lots of twists and a much more realistic setting that the previous one. This is a book that girls can identify with, because many of them might have gone through the same things. It’s the (in)famous ‘the right person at the wrong time’ situation, and the kind of story we want to read when approaching LGBTQ+ books.
Romance as a genre is fine, there is nothing wrong with an old fashioned love story, it’s appealing to many and I can see why: we need that bit of hope at the end of another stressful day, we crave that escape, we would pay good money for Prince(ss) Charming to sweep us off our feet and take care of all our problems. But so many times stories are artificial, unrealistic and not at all relatable. That is not the case with ‘Take Two’. What Stephanie writes about could have happened to me, or you, or your neighbour, it might be happening right now or in 10 years’ time; we’ve all made poor choices based on fear and we’ve all had to deal with the consequences; we can all think of situations where in hindsight we could have done things differently, perhaps hope to have a second chance, to explain or repair a damage. Most of the times, we don’t. But this story gives us hope, strength and courage. It’s never too late, don’t give up yet, believe you can do it, and if you can’t, be proud of yourself for trying.
A brilliant, brilliant read, a confirmation of Stephanie’s talent, a massive improvement from the previous efforts and the certainty she will continue on the same upward path with her next book. People, get reading now!
