by Stephanie Geary
Computer turned on, headphones on, music sliding through my ears….let’s whip out another chapter of my book!
I have spent way too many days of this lockdown floating around the house and wasting the time I have. So this is me, making a stance, getting in front of my keyboard and letting the words slip away from me.
Maybe I will have it finished sometime this century 🤩 🙃🙂
Blogtour – Wednesday 22nd April
Morning Peeps,
Welcome to another fantastic review. I love being a part of Rachel’s Army, because she introduces me to some of the best reading experiences. The books I have introduced to have been amazing every single time. I can’t remember a time when I have come across a book that I haven’t liked. With every book I read and review, comes a new author that I follow. This book is no exception. The writing flowed so easily, and I dived straight into a story involving complex, characters. I am not ashamed to admit that I missed a mealtime, because I was so engrossed in the story. Each character was different, there were those that I liked, those that I was curious about, and those that I didn’t like. What I encountered was a story which spoke to me on some levels. The hard, first few days of parenthood, the insecurities as a new mom, the turbulent relationship and not knowing if you are good enough. I always enjoy reading books with differing character angles. We jumped from one character to another, finding out about both of them, and I was kept intrigued and my curiosity was peeked from the very first page.
Before I dive head first into my review, I would like to say a big thanks to the author and the superb blog host, who invited me to take part in this tour.
Rachel – Rachels Random Resources – https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com
H. A. Leuschel – http://www.heleneleuschel.com/
About the Author
Helene Andrea Leuschel gained a Master in Journalism & Communication, which led to a career in radio and television in Brussels, London and Edinburgh. She later acquired a Master in Philosophy, specializing in the study of the mind.
Helene has a particular interest in emotional, psychological and social well-being and this led her to write her first book, Manipulated Lives, a collection of five fictional novellas, each highlighting the dangers of interacting with narcissists.
She lives with her husband and two children in Portugal.
Website
http://www.heleneleuschel.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/HALeuschel/
Twitter
https://twitter.com/HALeuschel
About the Book
An emotionally charged and captivating novel about the complexities of female friendship and motherhood, from the author of Manipulated Lives.
Lizzie Thomson has landed her first job as a music teacher, and after a whirlwind romance with Markus, the newlywed couple move into a beautiful new home in the outskirts of Edinburgh. Lizzie quickly befriends their neighbour Morag, an elderly, resourceful yet lonely widow, who’s own children rarely visit her. Everything seems perfect in Lizzie’s life until she finds out she is pregnant and her relationship with both Morag and Markus change beyond her control.
Can Lizzie really trust Morag and why is Markus keeping secrets from her?
Purchase Links
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B084SN5KV7/
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084SN5KV7/
Amazon CA – https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B084SN5KV7/
Amazon AU – https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B084SN5KV7/
My Review
This book was easy to get into from the very start. I threw myself into the book, eager to read how the characters developed. From almost damaged, and unconfident Lizzie to controlling and manipulative Markus, and her caring, yet, mysterious neighbour, Morag. The character development was well written, I enjoyed getting to know both Lizzie and Morag on a more personal level, as we read from both perspectives.
This would be the first time that I have read work by this author, and she is definitely going onto the list of people to follow and watch out for. Her work and words took on a life of their own and I found myself believing the characters that I was reading about. The anxiety, the loneliness, the need for acceptance, they were all emotions that I recognised when I read through each page. An author has to have a real talent for writing to be able to speak to the reader on such a level that they believe in the people that they meet on a page of a book. And Leuschel is one of those authors.
With each chapter I read, I was brought closer and closer to the shocking twists that had my heart racing. The friendship between Morag and Lizzie which I was rooting for in the beginning quickly changed into something else, and I found myself willing Lizzie to abandon the relationship, which was quickly becoming controlling, like other relationships she had had in her life.
I really want to tell you all what happened, but I wont be the person to spoil it for you. Go ahead, follow the links above and purchase this book for your kindle…you will not be sorry! It really is a fantastic page turner!
Conclusion
This is the part of my blog where I say how much I liked a book and leave me rating… All I will say is this… 5 out of 5! Buy it! Give it a whirl! Take Lizzie’s journey and lap up those pages, I could not recommend this book anymore!
After months of not being in the right head space due to one thing or another, I have abandoned the work I was doing on my book. Yeah, yeah….some of my followers and social media readers may think ‘to write a book’ is to ‘dream’ – but it’s my dream. It may not happen! I may be sat on an unpublished book at the end of it, but I am determined to give it a go. Rather try than not!
So I finally opened up the story I have been working on today, and managed to knock out a whole chapter. It’s not great yet. It’s a first draft, there will be many rewrites after this, but I am writing!
And that’s all that counts right? I am giving it a go! 🙂
Today was like most of the other days since I have had to take on the role of Mother, Housewife and Teacher. We have got up, had breakfast, tidied out some of the boys room, done a bunch of school work, including crafts and ate at all the right meal times. The only difference was that I actually got out to the shop today. Conveniently, Tesco Express is a 5 minute walk from where I live. So I took a walk and picked up a few essential items. By essential I mean, not really TOO essential….not unless you think 4 bags of sweets and Pringles essential! These were obviously not the only things I brought! I am not a savage! I also picked items to make meals out of. The whole experience was surreal. The queue when I got there was pretty small, and I stood on the ‘X’ as marked. A One out, one in system was being used in the shop, and before long I was one of the few walking the aisles to buy supplies. The floor inside was marked with tape, placed 2 metres apart. This gave shoppers an easy way of maintaining a healthy distance from one another. That didn’t stop one fella from brushing against me on more than one occasion as he swiftly gathered what he needed to buy……knob jockey!
I got home, feeling particularly chirpy. The shop experience was one that I hadn’t been looking forward to, having seen all of the bad news on social media…but I got what I wanted, and got a tiny bit of fresh air to boot. I have to admit that it was kind of refreshing seeing how quiet it was out there. The roads were clear and there were hardly any people around. I felt quite peaceful actually…
Anyone else feel that the hours in these days are rushing by quickly? It feels like the days are rolling quickly into 1! I can’t complain, because the alternative would be painfully frustrating. I just hope that these days or months ahead of us go just as quickly…..I have been thinking about how we as a country might celebrate New Years 2021! All this should hopefully be behind us, and we can finally get back to a bit of normality….and possibly have a party to mark all parties!
Hi all, today was the day when I could get let out of isolation! Did I go anywhere I hear you ask? The answer would be No! Well, that is a small lie as I did drive my car around the block for an exciting 5 mins, as it hadn’t been started up in a couple of weeks. The streets were empty! It felt surreal being out of my tomb, but I was eager to get back again quickly….
Today has been like any other, apart from it sucking arse a little bit more! I have dropped nearly everything I have picked up (a condition known as ‘dropsies’) and I have walked into a few things too! I burned the potatoes meant for cheese and potato pie, which filled the house with a lovely burned spud scent! Beautiful aroma! Beautiful! And I feel on the verge of crying….
Has the lockdown got to me? Am I suffering from cabin fever? I can not honestly say what is wrong with me today….hormones? I don’t know, but today has been one of those days where nothing wants to go right!
The boys (and in boys I mean children, husband and pug) have all been happy. Ethan has completed the build of his Lego city which he proudly showed off to us all. Oliver has been stuck into homework today, and he has been super keen on learning his time’s tables. He has done amazing! Ethan wrote another page in his diary about how the isolation is affecting him and those around him. I have to admit that I have found a nice stride when it comes to home schooling. I can’t fault the teachers at all with how well they have been with sending home work for them to do. We do a lot of lessons in the day, followed by a workout with Joe Wicks and then reading.
Bad parent of the day award goes to me! Ethan has been grafting away since yesterday to crest this masterpiece above – clicking each piece together and following the instructions meticulously. And then the time came when he could try it out! Only problem was that it needed 9 AAA batteries! Who on earth has that many of those batteries lying around? I searched the battery box, found a mix of AAA batteries that probably were half used ages ago and with hardly any juice left in them….Ethan watched eagerly as I placed the batteries where they were needed, but alas, the train and controller wouldn’t work! Damn it! Any other time I would throw my coat on over my PJs (not really, I wouldn’t be seen out and about in my frayed Friends PJ bottoms…..although I did wear them when I was out on my drive earlier today) and drive or stroll to the shop to purchase more, but it’s not that easy now with everything that is going on…..for one, I wasn’t sure they would even have enough of what was needed, and for two, I would be buying from the local shop, meaning the prices would be criminal! I have watched my son push that train around the track today and make the engine noises by mouth! Part of me laughed inwardly, but I also berated myself for not having enough batteries in supply….
After I burned the potatoes for the boys cheese and potato pie, they were given random potato shapes (waffles, alphabets), chicken nuggets and beans. Our freezer supplies are running low, which is why I must try to venture out tomorrow. I am not looking forward to it at all. I have seen the stories and don’t want to be on the receiving end of abuse from any disgruntled shoppers but needs must….and added to the list, are AAA batteries!
Writing from the Heart 