Letters to Iris by Elizabeth Noble book review

Letters to Iris written by Elizabeth Noble publisher Michael Joseph (an imprint of Penguin) is available NOW in ebook and hardcover format.

To buy link:  https://goo.gl/ErY46d

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Tess has a secret – one which is going to turn her life upside down in just nine months’ time.
The only person she can confide in is her beloved grandmother. But Iris is slipping further away each day.
Then chance brings a stranger into Tess’s life.
Gigi’s heart goes out to Tess, knowing what it’s like to feel alone. She’s determined to show her that there’s a silver lining to every cloud.
As their unlikely friendship blossoms, Tess feels inspired to open up.
But something still holds her back – until she discovers Iris has a secret of her own. A suitcase of letters from another time, the missing pieces of a life she never shared.
Could the letters hold the answers that Tess thought lost for ever?

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of  this book.  All opinions are my own and no content may be copied.  However, authors and publishers may use elements of my reviews for quotes. 

I am in total awe of this wonderful novel and it will definitely be one of my standout reads for 2018.  Letters to Iris is Elizabeth Noble’s eighth novel and I am astonished that it is my first introduction to the author’s work.  Elizabeth Noble’s writing flows beautifully and you are soon enraptured in the hearts and lives of the characters she has described on the pages.

Letters to Iris focuses on predominantly four female characters with the principal character being Tess.  Tess adores her grandmother Iris, who at 96 years of age is now living with the devastating condition of alzheimers.  Tess’ mum Donna has led abit of a nomad lifestyle and Tess spent a lot of her childhood with her gran Iris.  Tess and Donna’s relationship is a little strained but when Iris’ condition becomes worse and she needs more specialist care in a home Donna surprises everyone with her attention to detail when visiting her mother.  When Tess’ own life takes on a new journey that shakes up her love life she soon faces an uncertain future but once again Donna surprises Tess with a solution to her immediate problems.  Tess is quite overwhelmed emotionally with all that is going on in her life but when she bumps into another visitor, Gigi, at the Care Home a bond is soon formed.  Gigi’s father-in-law is a resident of the same care home and Gigi has spent many hours visiting him.  Gigi has been married for over 30 years to Richard and has three grown-up children and a granddaughter.  Gigi is starting to feel a little invisible in her marriage and she starts to question her future.  Reading about how each character’s relationship is evolving with each other was wonderful to see and left you feeling hopeful and gave you a warm cosy glow.

Four different women at different stages in their lives coping with changes in their journeys.  Changes that can bring positive directions to their lives but also new enlightenments bringing many thought provoking moments and questioning of the past. Secrets from the past that are so heart wrenching and unbearable to think about.  A highly emotive story but also with a beautiful, underlying story of romance.  You cannot help but fall in love with Letters to Iris and I didn’t want to leave the characters I had warmed to and soon classed them as my friends.  Truly stunning, emotive storytelling.

To learn more about the author Elizabeth Noble please visit the publisher’s website page:

Penguin UK:  https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/elizabeth-noble/32447/

 

 

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After You by Jojo Moyes book review

After You by Jojo Moyes, publisher Michael Joseph, is available now in ebook format, hardcover and audio download.

To buy link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/After-You-Jojo-Moyes/dp/0718179617/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1451899673&sr=1-1

Product Details (as per amazon page)

Lou Clark has lots of questions.

Like how it is she’s ended up working in an airport bar, spending every shift watching other people jet off to new places.

Or why the flat she’s owned for a year still doesn’t feel like home.

Whether her close-knit family can forgive her for what she did eighteen months ago.

And will she ever get over the love of her life.

What Lou does know for certain is that something has to change.

Then, one night, it does.

But does the stranger on her doorstep hold the answers Lou is searching for – or just more questions?

Close the door and life continues: simple, ordered, safe.

Open it and she risks everything.

But Lou once made a promise to live. And if she’s going to keep it, she has to invite them in . . .

Its hard to put into words how much I enjoyed Me Before You, the prequel to After You, so when I heard that Jojo had written a sequel I was excited to find out what happens next to the wonderful lady we fell in love with.

I wasn’t disappointed in this book.  Its 18 months since Will died and Lou has tried to ‘live’ her life like Will had requested, she has travelled and she is now working in a bar at an airport in London.  However, she still feels empty and each day after work she returns to her little flat and thoughts of Will are always with her, she wonders whether she could have done more for him.  Lou has a near death accident which startles her family and they start thinking that Lou needs help so they encourage her to attend grief counselling sessions were she meets some wonderful characters.

Upon her return home from the accident Lou receives an unexpected visitor which rocks her world and holds a history with Will.  This new visitor causes more heartache for Lou, reliving the past and she has to help them deal with this news and more. Lou also happens to bump into the paramedic that helped her when she first had her accident.  A friendship of sorts develops but Lou is fighting her emotions on how she still feels about Will and how she feels about moving on with new friendships.

I was gripped with Lou’s story especially with the introduction of new characters.  Without revealing too much about the new characters I feel as if that it was fate they happened upon each other at this time.  They all helped each other with their grieving and moving on with their lives.

A gorgeous, beautiful, emotive story filled with love and hope.  I’m feeling slightly bereft that the story has finished but in my head I am hoping for more from Lou.  5/5*

To find out more about Jojo Moyes and her books please visit the following links:

http://www.jojomoyes.com/

https://twitter.com/jojomoyes

https://www.facebook.com/JojoMoyesAuthor