Flawless by Tilly Bagshawe

A quick rundown… A fun chick-lit set in the diamond dealing business. Sex, romance, intrigue, goodies and baddies all in one.

Strengths: Light and easy, a bit of conscience thrown in.

Weaknesses: Some scenes are a little clichéd.

Why I read it: I like chick lit by Ms Bagshawe.

Pages: 400

Published: 2009

Publisher: Orion

Setting: United Kingdom, Africa, Russia, USA

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

If you liked this, try: Adored by Tilly Bagshawe

Flawless is a perfect book for the times when you need to escape the daily grind but don’t want to bog yourself down in a serious, convoluted book. This book is exaggerated fun – the hunks are hunky, the women beautiful, the baddies bad and the plot interesting but easy enough to be remembered. While not as much fun for me as Adored (which was perfect escapist fare), this book is still a very good beach read.

Flawless centres around the diamond industry – the heroine, Scarlett Drummond Murray designs jewellery; the Meyer twins (Jake and Danny) are diamond dealers and the baddie, Brogan, owns diamond mines. This is how all the characters link up initially, at diamond dinners and trading stones. Scarlett sticks out somewhat in the diamond business, as she runs a campaign for Trade Fair diamonds (diamonds that are not the product of war, where workers are fairly treated). This gets her into a lot of trouble with a number of people, mainly Brogan. Then strange things start to happen – her tyres are slashed and her shop burns down. Scarlett then moves to L.A. to work with Jake Meyer, but their relationship is topsy turvy…

I’m sure you can guess what happens from there, but that doesn’t make the journey of the book any less fun. While not as good as some of her other books, Flawless (also known as Perfect in some areas) is above the standard for chick lit. Bagshawe puts in the ethical message about Trade Fair diamonds as well as having several plot threads running. Flawless doesn’t quite hit the wild peaks and troughs of this kind of genre, but it’s still solid, containing passion, intrigue and fiery arguments. The characters are likeable and flawed enough to make things more memorable. Some of the turns of phrase are clichéd (in particular, the sex scenes) but you do notice this less as the book continues.

A light story, good for escapism.

Next to Love by Ellen Feldman

A quick rundown… Three American women and what befalls them during WWII and after. Three different but plausible stories.

Strengths: Easy to read, light and interesting.

Weaknesses: A lot of pain and compromise. It’s not always rosy.

Why I read it: Reviewed for Net Galley.

Pages: 320

Published: 2011

Publisher: Spiegel & Grau

Setting: USA

Rating: 8 out of 10

If you liked this, try: The Morland series during World War I deals with similar themes.

Next to Love was an absolute find on Net Galley for me. This was such a cozy book to read despite its content. The book opens as Babe, who is running the Western Union Telegram office in a town in the USA, is rushed off her feet as telegrams flood in from the War Office. The town receives many cases of bad news in just one day, affecting her friends Millie and Grace but not her.

The narrative then moves back in time to before America’s entry into WWII when all three of the girls were still at school. It then goes through each of their marriages and how they received the news that their husband was dead – or alive. But the majority of the book focuses on the period after the war and the issues each woman faces. Babe got Claude back, but he’s not the same man. How can they go on? Grace lost her husband and is extremely devoted to his memory – how can she move on? Some say that Millie is moving on too quickly from her widow status, but is she? Feldman covers many topics that are not generally discussed in books set in this time period – post-traumatic stress disorder, remarriage and grief. She also tells us the story from the female, left behind point of view which is refreshing.

This was a quick read and is very easy to pick up again after a day of work or during busy times. My only small gripe would be that it would be useful to have different fonts for each of the girls’ perspectives – it can occasionally be difficult to keep track of whose story is being told.

This is not a war story, but a story about the personal effects of war. The reactions and thoughts of each characters will remain with you long after the book is closed.

Thank you to Random House for allowing me to read this galley.

My Last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin

I wanted to like this book. Really. Considering I had ordered it from halfway around the world, I wanted to enjoy it. I saw that Downton Abbey also has a American heiress called Cora; I wanted to enjoy this. But all throughout this book I was wondering, is this it? Where is the suspense, the moment of crisis? Was I missing it? Was it too subtly written? Have I read too many books like this one? This book brought back memories of the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen in the way dresses are lavishly described, the writing is similar and the rich American girl setting. I liked it marginally better than the Luxe series but I don’t think I’ll be going back for more any time soon – it’s confusing whether this is a long book for young adult readers or a light read for older readers.

The plot is straightforward – Cora Cash, rich American heiress has anything money can buy (including gold hummingbirds and digging for gem treasures – and that’s just at parties). However, her mother wants her to be titled. After Cora is caught in a compromising clinch with Teddy (rich, but not titled) and Mrs Cash is disfigured when her electricity dress catches fire, Cora goes to England to find a suitably titled husband in need of her money. After falling off her horse, she is discovered by Ivo, the new Lord of Wareham. She falls in love with him and they get married very early on in the book. The intrigue involves a portrait, a friend who is not all she seems, an increasingly distant husband and a snooty mother-in-law. It’s kind of predictable and the ending is quite rushed, with feelings changing each paragraph. I still wonder if Cora got what she wanted – or even knew what she wanted, after pressures from family and friends.

Some characters were drawn better than others – the Duke remained an enigma to me, dipping in and out of the action frequently. Cora’s mother was determined while Cora was confused for me. Was the naming of the rich heiress – ‘Cash’ deliberate? I think it was a pun this book didn’t need to have. The historical setting is dealt with lightly, we get the gist of the time but none of the politics or defining events.

Yes, it was predictable but perhaps this is a new fashion – historical chick lit. Some have likened this book to those written by Jane Austen or Edith Wharton but I believe that the prose is too simple for that.

Note that this book also goes by the title The American Heiress.

Read this if: you loved the Luxe series or like historical chick-lit.

6.5 out of 10.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

I was given this book for Christmas as part of LibraryThing’s SantaThing (secret Santa book giving). Thank you kismoody, who recommended this book based on my library.

CeeCee (or Cecelia) is a young girl with a tragic past. It’s 1960s America, and her mother is suffering from an unspecified mental illness, causing her to believe she’s still the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen and wander the town aimlessly in tiara, gown and sash. While her mother is the talk of the town, her father copes by leaving town regularly as part of his job as a travelling salesman. When CeeCee’s mother is tragically killed in an accident involving an ice cream truck, her Great Aunt Tootie appears on the scene to give CeeCee something she’s never known – a normal life in Savannah. CeeCee learns what it’s like to be loved – by Oletta, Tootie’s cook and housekeeper, Miz Goodpepper, her neighbour, Mrs Odell, her former neighbour and Aunt Tootie. Through many mishaps and events involving slugs and the sea, CeeCee learns that she is secure.

Yes, you can tell from the above that it’s a sweet book. Sometimes I’m not sure if this book is aimed at young adult readers (a masked man and a lady in a negligee are dealt with very innocently) or it’s just being told faithfully through CeeCee’s eyes. This book is a light, quick read. It’s nowhere near as deep as The Help, but nor does it try to be. It features some great descriptions of the houses of Savannah and gardens. Just enjoy the ride and smile at the end.

Read this if: you like light Southern stories. 

7.5 out of 10.

Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan

I had heard Ellis Island being mentioned as ‘being a book you’d like if you enjoyed [Colm Toibin’s] Brooklyn’. I really enjoyed Brooklyn, so I thought I’d read it. However, don’t trust what you hear- although this book has vague similarities to Brooklyn (namely Irish girl goes to America), that where the comparison stops. Firstly, Ellis Island is set earlier, during the War of Independence, so our main character Ellie, steps foot in New York in the 1920s. Secondly, Ellie is married with an injured husband to support.

I should backtrack to give you an overall idea of the plot – it quickly explains Ellie’s restricted upbringing in Ireland and her hasty (but loving) marriage to John, a boy she’s known since childhood. Her parents cast her out after hearing of her marriage (she was meant to be joining a convent) and Ellie and John live in a small cottege in the woods. Money is scarce and when John is wounded during the war, Ellie goes to America to work as a lady’s maid to save money for John’s operation. It will only be for one short year…or not. Ellie finds life in America to be free and cheerful in comparison to home. She makes good friends, earns good money and doesn’t want to come back to Ireland. She is eventually forced back by circumstances, but will she stay?

I found Ellie a very likeable character who desperately wants to fit in with her neighbours, but is not sure how to go about doing it. I found John to be rather frustrating at times (particularly later in the book) but his reasoning for being so stubborn is understandable. The story flows well, and I didn’t find myself skimming over any parts. I think it’s a light and interesting representation of the Irish and American people at that time.

I finished this book very quickly, as I was reading almost every moment that I had. I’m also excited to hear that there’s a sequel in the works – is Ellie happy with her decision?

If you enjoy historical novels dealing with love, family, religion and happiness, pick this book up. It’s a lot happier than Brooklyn and has a definite resolution.

Read this if: you enjoy Irish/American historical fiction. 

9 out of 10.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Despite the name, this is not some kind of vampire fiction book. It is entirely true. So how can someone be immortal and this book be true, I hear you ask? Well, Henrietta Lacks is gone in soul, but her cancer cells live on, having been responsible for many advances in science. Little was known previously about her life and her family (and conversely, her family knew little about her cells’ scientific life) but Skloot brings this together in a fantastically written book. She combines the heartache of Henrietta’s family with clear, simple explanations of the research involving Henrietta’s cells and how they were grown in the lab for the first time. 

The book brings to the fore many things that are not generally discussed – did an African-American woman and her family have a right to know that her cells were being used for research in the 1950s and beyond? Should they have been asked for consent? Why did scientists evade the truth when taking blood from relatives? Was there a racial element to not discussing further with Henrietta and her family? Do we automatically give up the rights of research and potential profit if surgeons remove noxious parts of our bodies? 

This is an exceptionally well written book and all the twists and turns in it are true. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a scientist, the author describes scientific processes (such as the cultivation of human cells) in such terms that you wish she was your high school science teacher. As someone who works in oncology, I found it fascinating to see the differences in treatments and the role Henrietta had to play in it – thank you. This was the kind of book that had me reading in traffic jams – a rare thing!

Read it if: you’re interested in how people and science can link together.

9.5 out of 10.

The Ultimate Guide to Mad Men by Will Dean

This book offers excellent coverage of the first three series of Mad Men. It contains episode synopses, a review and critique by the author, followed by points to note (eg. pop culture, timelines) and comments from the ‘typing pool’. The typing pool are comments from the author’s blog (on the Guardian website) and are very well thought out with a lot of thought provoking points. The book also contains interviews with some of the actors (yes, Jon Hamm is there).

I really enjoyed this book – it reignited my love for the TV show as well as providing a sound reference for things I’d forgotten. I read the last few episode guides along with watching the show – these people are very perceptive, noting a lot of things that I’d missed! There is also a lot more fandom related to Mad Men  out there that I’d realised – this book introduces us to the Peggy Olsons on Twitter (good and bad), Sad Don Draper and What Would Don Draper Do? Worth a look if you’re a fan of the show.

A good reference for fans of the show, or those looking to get better acquainted with Sterling Cooper and associates. There are no pictures though, so you will need to find your fashion somewhere else.

Read it if: You need more Mad Men. Now.

8 out of 10.

Glory Girl by Peter Yeldham

Glory Girl was yet another Christmas present I received. It had one of those stickers ‘love this book or your money back’ on it – I actively dislike those. Is it telling me that I’ll love this book with a passion? Or that the publisher is not that sure about it and willing to give it a chance? What is actually meant by ‘love this book’? I enjoyed this book but I think it’s a bit extreme to say love. Does that mean a refund? (Obviously not, because it was a present and I don’t have the receipt). I enjoyed this book, but I preferred Barbed Wire and Roses.

The blurb on the back of the book really covers only a small part of the book. It is about Daniel, an Australian journalist who is working on Fleet Street who meets Sarah Carson when she crashes a function at Australia House. They quickly move in together (it is 1927) when Daniel discovers Sarah’s love of flying. One night they meet an old acquaintance, James Harrington, who is planning to fly from London to Australia – the first person to do. Sarah convinces him that she should join him and Daniel covers the event for his newspaper. The flight is not without problems, but the story continues long after that. With fame comes problems and notoriety. Several years later, Daniel receives a plea for help from Sarah and quickly travels to Florida where it seems they are in deep trouble… (I don’t want to give away too much more of the plot here). So it’s not just about flying, it’s about tall poppy syndrome, social norms of the time and what happens after something momentous occurs.

Did I enjoy it? Yes I did. I didn’t find the character of Sarah too engaging, because she was quite flawed (and so was James for that matter). But it’s still true to life and the events post-flight were quite surprising. What was even more surprising was that the story was modelled on true events 

Read it if: you’ve ever complained about being stuck in a plane (their journey took weeks!) or if you’re interested flying in the 1920s.

7 out of 10.

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

When you open a book to find a list of characters and who they all are in relation to each other, you know you’re in for a big read. Even just looking at this huge book (all 985 pages of it, which is rather difficult to lift casually with one hand) made me realise it wouldn’t be the type of book I could read in a few days. However, it was certainly worth it.

Fall of Giants is the first in the Century trilogy and the second and third books will be released in 2012 and 2014 respectively. Each book will deal with a war and the same set of characters and their descendants. So it is worth learning that list of characters after all!

This book deals with the First World War, but eases the reader in slowly to the events leading to the war from the English, German, American and Russian sides. I have never come across a better explanation of the events from the assassination of Franz Ferdinand (not just a band) to full blown war. It was written so well and in an interesting fashion that it didn’t seem like boring old history. The book then continues into through WWI, broken down into months or days when something significant happens. It covers all aspects of the war – soldiers on each side and family at home sensitively.

The characters are also memorable – from English Maud, who falls in love with German Walter, to Grigori, the Russian soldier trying to achieve his dream. Each character is drawn well and I found that I rarely needed to refer to the list of characters at the front of the book. Real historical characters, such as Woodrow Wilson and Winston Churchill, also appear and interact with the fictional ones.

If I had to find a fault in this book (apart from the weight), it would be that it is more slow moving than A Dangerous Fortune but it is unfair to make the comparison. The slow build really does set the scene and reinforces the characters in your mind.

I really enjoyed this book and I hope that the next one comes soon, although I think I’ll buy it as an ebook!

Read it if: you want an in depth account of the First World War from multiple sides and memorable characters.

9 out of 10.

Naked Cruelty by Colleen McCullough

Naked Cruelty is the third in a series starring Captain Carmine Delmonico, detective in the Holloman police in the 1960s. The first book was the excellent On, Off, a truly creepy thriller, followed by Too Many Murders that had me throwing my hands up in the air in despair at the conclusion. (It was good, don’t get me wrong, but I felt really sorry for Carmine).

Naked Cruelty doesn’t continue with the murder theme from Too Many Murders. It starts with a series of rapes (described rather graphically) on women in Carew, a suburb of Holloman. One of the ways to combat the rapist is a walking club, the Gentlemen Walkers, walking the streets at night to protect the women from the ‘Dodo’ rapist. Are they hiding a rapist in their midst?

Add in a giant glass teddy bear, a pair of strangely acting twins, a kidnapping and guns found at the local school and you think Carmine must be in over his head. On top of that, he has a lot of bureaucracy to deal with – Helen, the wayward new recruit and others that are trying desperately to swim against the tide.

As always, Colleen McCullough writes a gripping crime story with many threads. Some seemed to be better ‘fleshed out’ than others (eg. the guns in the school doesn’t rate much of a mention and is tied up very quickly) but it’s easy to follow. Once again, the conclusion had me throwing my hands in the air – such an ending! I won’t give it away for you, but poor Carmine. He never seems to get a break.

This is very different from The Thorn Birds and also The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet (thank goodness). This series does not need to be read in order, but I’d suggest On, Off as the first book to read, as it’s the strongest. 

Read it if: you like fast paced crime set in the past.

7.5 out of 10.