#fiction

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Dark Cracks of Kemang – Another Mrs B book review

Author; Jeremy Roberts

Release date: 23rd September 2022

Blurb: That old childhood saying ‘pick what you want from the tree of life’ simply not working anymore? Becoming a foreigner in Indonesia might be as good a stab at something new and rewarding, as anything…”

Armed with a teaching contract, some poems, and a guitar-playing buddy, Roberts discovers a potentially life-changing experience in 2013. And so the Bajaj Boys make themselves at home.

Indonesia is revealed as a challenging but welcoming land of ‘instant millionaires’, ‘beautiful rubbish’, abundant romance, powerful religion, and unnerving history.

Nasi goreng, alcohol, cigarettes, bajajs, motorbikes, a gentlemen’s club, poetry gigs, wild animals, and electrical storms weave together, as the dark cracks of Kemang open.

My thoughts:  I loved this book.  From start to finish it has been a great dive into the adventures of Jeremy and his buddies.  There were even things I have learnt about Indonesia and the experience of the “Great kiwi OE” – maybe I’ll do one myself one day. The poetry included and translations of the local lingo really added to the pizzaz. A solid 5 star book.

Disclosure: I was given a paperback copy of this book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Where to buy:You can buy this book through amazon here, by contacting the author direct( through the facebook link on his name) or request it through your local bookstore.

Another Mrs B Book Review – If I never met you

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If I never met you

Author Mhairi McFarlane

Book Blurb:

Laurie and Jamie have the perfect office romance
(They set the rules via email)

Everyone can see they’re head over heels
(They staged the photos)

This must be true love
(They’re faking it)

When Laurie is dumped by her partner of eighteen years, she’s blindsided. Not only does she feel humiliated, they still have to work together.

So when she gets stuck in the lift with handsome colleague Jamie, they hatch a plan to stage the perfect romance. Revenge will be sweet…

What do I reckon: 

Laurie (our main character) has been a relationship with Dan for almost 20 years.  She’s happy, she has good friends, a good job and a home that her and Dan own and live in together.

One night, all that changes and suddenly Laurie is alone.  Soon Laurie and a work colleague hatch a plan for Laurie to get some normality and confidence back in her life. 

The book is set in Manchester.  The use of Social media kept in style with current times.  The characters are all likable and it was a great way to relax and forget about real life for a minute. 

I enjoyed this book.  There were a few twists and turns which kept me interested.

Disclosure: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Where to buy. You can buy this book from my amazon affiliate link here.

Radio Ireland – Another Mrs B book review

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Lets start with the ending.  Is that allowed in the world of book reviews? I guess it doesn’t matter.  I can be a literary rebel. 

The ending of this book is a big one.  It’s been a while since I’ve been stunned at the actions of the main character. After a few days to think about it the ending was right.  There are other ways the author could have gone with it. It wouldn’t have been the same.

Our main character Brendan is at a bit of a crossroads.  He finds himself in an ok(ish) job, no relationship and his father has recently died.  Without any close family nearby, he moves from his hometown in America to his ancestral home of Ireland. 

Brendan has never been to Ireland but from the stories told to him as a child by his father, it almost feels like home. 

The other big draw card is his best friend Rory.  Rory has offered him the job of a lifetime.  Co DJ (with Rory) on a morning radio show.   In short things for Brendan are looking up.

Then he arrives in Ireland………

There’s no Rory.  In fact no one knows where he is.

Suddenly, he’s hosting the radio show with a man called Eamonn.  I’ll keep the origins of Eamonn a secret in this review. 

Between the show with Eamonn, looking for Rory,  and exploring all the places his father grew up has Brendan got time to find love? Does he find Rory? What does he find out about his father?

Honestly, you’ll have to read the book to find out.

I was given the book by the author Kevin MaHon in exchange for an honest review.  As a rating I give this book a solid 4/5 stars.

If you would like to read the book, you can find it here:

https://www.amazon.com/shop/therealmrsbrady?listId=1FVZ80VAWHTKZ&ref=cm_sw_em_r_inf_list_own_therealmrsbrady_dp_uGz11XHvDnsWc

Entanglement – review.

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I will admit to being a bit sceptical at first, comparing this author to Douglas Adams is a big statement!  I must say it was a wonderful comparison!

This book is suited to anyone who is interested in sci-fi or something quirky.   The characters are all likable and the author captures their personalities very well.

This book is not in the “leave your brain at home” category.   The story line and points of view switch between the main characters quite regularly so you need to be engaged to remember what’s going on.  This wasn’t too difficult for my tired brain as I was enjoying it so much and wanted to see what happened next.

The continuing themes of cake, bricks, and moles added an extra something too.

I understand the Author is working on a follow up to this book and I cannot wait to read it.

In the mean time, if you would like to purchase this book you can through my affiliate link here: https://amzn.to/2JJj03o

I received this book from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I gave this book a 5 star rating on Netgalley and Amazon.

The Second Chance Supper Club. – Review

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The Second Chance Supper Club

The Second Chance Supper Club by Nicole Meier

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Julia and Ginny are sisters that have grown apart. Through a series of events Julia finds herself taking a break from her life in New York to fly across the country and pay Ginny a surprise visit in Arizona.
During the visit we find more about the sisters and why they grew apart. Julia also spends time with her now adult niece Olive.
The supper club is a charming setting and helps to weave the sisters stories together. Ginny runs the supper club from her home assisted by Olive. Ginny and Olive have a strained mother/daughter relationship. The addition of Julia adds a great perspective.
I found all 3 main characters and the peripheral characters reasonably likeable.
The book overall is a good read, its more “meaty” than a cozy romance. I did know fairly early on how the story would turn out.
A solid 3 star read.

I received and advance copy of this book and am giving this review voluntarily.



View all my reviews

The Corpse wore Stilettos, by MJ O’neil. With Coffee and a Cobblestone. Another Mrs B bite sized book review.

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Meet Kat Waters, she’s an ex socialite with a new job in morgue. With her eye for detail and fantastic makeup skills the morgue work seems fairly straight forward, if a bit icky.

One night she meets the very charming Burns McPhee. Through a series of events soon after meeting McPhee, the corpse she was working on gets stolen!

Throw in some other interesting characters, an eccentric grandmother, flamboyant friends and a newspaper reporter the book is a good read. There’s definitely potential for more books about these characters.

So where does the coffee and the cobblestone come in? The one place that I know you can purchase a cobblestone from is the restaurant that has “golden arches” for its logo. I see a cobblestone to be a cross between a muffin and a cinnamon scroll.

On the face of it this book looks like its written to the usual mystery formula. Instead it has a certain feel that veers away from that. The cinnamon scroll from the “golden arches” is a nice way to veer away from a hamburger.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Book Sirens. My reivew is honest.

If you would like to purchase this book (I recommend you do!) my affiliate link is: https://amzn.to/2JzWc5A If you purchase the book I will receive a portion of the sale amount.