Review: Sanctuary of the Shadow by Aurora Ascher

 

Title: Sanctuary of the Shadow {Elemental Emergence #1}

Author: Aurora Ascher

Published: 9th January 2024, Bantam

Status: Read January 2024 courtesy Penguin Australia

++++++++

My Thoughts:

Sanctuary of the Shadow is the first book in a planned trilogy by Aurora Ascher, a ‘romantasy’ featuring love and magic.

Harrow is the last of her kind, an Elemental seer whose source of power is The Water. She has spent her life in hiding, pretending to be human, afforded the protection of the Enchanter Salizar and his traveling ‘Incredible Elemental Circus’. When dreams of fire and shadows begin to disturb Harrow’s sleep they lead her to the circus’s newest attraction, a dangerous creature thought to be a myth. Raith has no memory of who he is, not his name or his purpose, but Harrow is certain he is her destiny, and she will risk everything to set him free.

I won’t reveal why Harrow and Raith should in fact stay far away from each other, but there is a good reason, just not one either remember. Yet the two are drawn to one other, also it turns out for a good reason. I’m not that keen on the insta-love situation generally but at least it makes sense within the context of the story. It does cause some pacing issues though, especially as they tumble into bed before they’ve had much of a conversation.

There are some really promising elements to this story with the magical world Ascher has created which includes warring sister queens, magic welders, and animal hybrids. Harrow was just ten when her clan was massacred by one of Queen Furie’s legendary assassins, ephemeral creatures made of shadows and fire, her escape from their fate inexplicable. In Harrow’s present, the queens, of whom there are five each representing an Element, have all but withdrawn from the world, the population of their elemental subjects having been devastated as a result of their infighting. Often despised by humans, the circus offers stateless Elementals safety and security. I thought it was a shame that more was not made of the circus spectacle, we get a glimpse of the performances of Harrow’s best friend, Malaikah, a black panther Hybrid who performs on the high wire, but not much else.

While I was interested in elements of Ascher’s imagined world, and some of her characters, unfortunately I was disappointed by the execution of the novel. Even though Sanctuary of the Shadow is 400 pages long, it feels like the editing process was too brutal, stunting both the worldbuilding and the romance. The writing is also disappointing. Despite the explicit sex scenes there is a lack of maturity, and little finesse or lyricism.

While Sanctuary of the Shadow didn’t enchant me in the way I hoped, there is potential here I hope it might be better realised in the second book since the basics of the worldbuilding has been established and the focus will be on another couple.

++++++++

Available from Penguin Australia

Or help support* Book’d Out

*Purchase from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

 

Review: The Witch is Back by Sophie H. Morgan

 

Title: The Witch is Back {Toil and Trouble #1}

Author: Sophie H. Morgan

Published: 15th August 2023, Harlequin

Status: Read August 2023 courtesy Harlequin/Netgalley

++++++++

My Thoughts:

The last witch Emmaline Bluewater expects to see walk though the door of Toil and Trouble, the Chicago bar she part owns with her best friends, is Bastian Truenote. It’s been almost seven years since her fiancé, and best friend, abandoned her without so much of a word, and in his absence Emma’s made a life for herself among humans, far from the disapproval of Witch Society, and her mother.

Bastian literally can’t tell Emmaline why he left her seven years ago but, with his mother suffering from the ill effects of his and Emma’s expired cursed engagement contract, he needs her to marry him now. He’s grateful when Emma agrees, but surprised when she demands the marriage be in name only.

The Witch is Back is a second-chance romance by Sophie H. Morgan. I was hoping to be pleasantly distracted by a lighthearted, low stakes story laced with magic, and I was in part, but there were elements of this novel that I found disappointing.

To begin with I was baffled as to how Bastian could believe that Emma would welcome his return with open arms after no contact for seven years, and why Emma wouldn’t demand an explanation the moment she saw him again. I found it really hard to move past this introduction as it flatters neither character and it’s never really resolved.

I found it easier to forgive Emma, whose issues are clearly the fault of her horrifyingly abusive mother. With not a single redeeming feature, Clarissa puts the ‘b’ in witch and everything that has gone wrong between Emma and Bastian can be traced to her really.

However, though a hex may have prevented Bastian from justifying his reasons for leaving, to do so without some sort of excuse for Emma was cruel. It takes Bastian far too long to apologise when he should have been well aware of what the consequences of him absconding would be for her.

I was also puzzled as to how Emmaline didn’t recognise the signs of the silencing spell that prevents Bastian from telling Emma the secret he is keeping. I would have thought the violent coughing and choking would have been a clue. Emma’s secrets are both benign and not, but she at least is proactive about the more damning of the two, which again is not her fault but her mother’s.

If you can skate over all of that, the romantic tension between Emma and Bastian works, and the spice is gratifying. I enjoyed the scenes where Emma spends time with her besties, Tia and Leah. It’s not difficult to see that Morgan probably has plans for Leah and Emma’s brother, Kole, for a future book.

Morgan’s world building is interesting too, but the upper echelons of Witch Society are really not pleasant, Morgan describes a world largely of grasping, power hungry socialites. The type and strength of magic varies between individuals, Bastian for example is a Higher Born son, a strong magic wielder with a particular talent for mind magic such as telekinesis, while Emma’s abilities are not very powerful. I did like the magic involved in the Divining, a process that determines the compatibility and power of a betrothed couple, though the hierarchical judgement seems a bit harsh.

Hovering around the ‘OK’ rating for me, The Witch is Back wasn’t the spellbinding read I hoped for.

++++++++

Available from Harlequin

Or help support* Book’d Out

*Purchase from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

 

Review: Don’t Call It Hair Metal by Sean Kelly

 

Title: Don’t Call It Hair Metal: Art in the Excess of ’80s Rock

Author: Sean Kelly

Published: 16th May 2023, ECW Press

Status: Read May 2023 courtesy ECW Press/Netgalley

++++++++

My Thoughts:

“But in the end, don’t call it hair metal. It’s only rock’n’roll. And I like it. I think you might too.”

These days I’m not exactly an melophile. As a pre-teen/teen I spent pocket money on cassettes (and later CD’s), I bought Smash Hits magazine, watched Video Hits andCountdown, and listened to the Top 40 on the radio, fingers poised to press ‘Play’ and ‘Record’ to make my own mixtapes. I went to a handful of big act concerts, saw some smaller bands in pubs, and went clubbing all night. I even dated a bass guitarist in a heavy metal garage band who tried to teach me to play Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven. But then I got married and had kids and for the next decade or so The Wiggles and High 5 played on repeat. All this explains, I think, why my taste in music tends to be stuck in the 1970’s and ‘80’s. From the pop hits to the power ballads, the one-hit-wonders to, yes, hair metal, I love it all.

In Don’t Call It Hair Metal, Sean Kelly defends the integrity of the hard rock bands whose sartorial style of big hair, spandex and leather outfits, makeup and showmanship, belied their musicianship. As a musician himself, he writes with authority as he explores the influences on their sound, defined by the combination of a traditional heavy metal sound with elements of pop-influenced hooks, guitar riffs, and shreds, it’s evolution as the look and sound captured commercial interest, and its eventual decline in popularity. Commentary from iconic musicians provides insight into, and reflection on, the era of the industry, including both its music and its culture.

Among the many bands Kelly makes reference to are Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Whitesnake, Skid Row, Stryper, Warrant, Def Leppard, LA Guns, Slaughter, Kiss, Cinderella, Poison, Europe, Guns N Roses, and Motley Crue. I ended up browsing through YouTube searching out well remembered, and forgotten, hits to watch the performances with new appreciation, and fond nostalgia.

I appreciated the moments that Kelly wrote about his own connection to the music, because for me songs are almost always tied to memories. I have to admit, a lot of the technical information in this book went right over my head, so I think perhaps it’s best suited for readers conversant with musical knowledge to extract full value from it.

While I may not know much about music, I know what I like, and whatever Kelly, or others, wants to call it, I’ll continue to enjoy playing air guitar and belting out the lyrics whenever Livin’ on a Prayer, We’re Not Gonna Take It, or Paradise City play.

++++++++

Available from ECW Press

Or help support* Book’d Out

*Purchase from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

 

 

 

Review: The Woman Who Knew Too Little by Olivia Wearne

 

Title: The Woman Who Knew Too Little

Author: Olivia Wearne

Published: 1st February 2023, HQ Fiction

Status: Read February 2023 courtesy HQ Fiction/Netgalley

++++++++

My Thoughts:

It’s late at night in December of 1948 when 29 year old policewoman Kitty Wheeler, nearing the end of her shift. spies a man in a suit slumped against the breakwall on Somerton Beach. Assuming he is sleeping off a few too many drinks and noting nothing amiss, she and her partner decide not to roust him. It’s a decision Kitty regrets when she learns the next morning that the man has been found dead.

As a policewoman, Kitty’s role is quite narrowly defined by her gender. She and her fellow female officers mainly deal with offences involving women and juveniles including domestic violence, prostitution, and runaways; patrolling to remind to uphold standards of public decency; and paperwork. Kitty wants to do more, and  volunteers to help the detectives investigate the case that becomes one of Australia’s most famous real-life unsolved cases*.

What I enjoyed most about The Woman Who Knew Too Little was learning about the role of women police officers in post WWII Australia. Their experience of misogyny was not unexpected given the time period, but I was surprised to learn they patrolled the streets late into the night, and that they wore no uniform, instead having just a pin worn discretely to identify them as police.

I thought centering the plot around the real-life Somerton Man investigation was an unusual choice. The broad details of the case are generally well known so there isn’t really any opportunity for Wearne to surprise the reader, or to provide a resolution to the mystery. However there were elements of Kitty’s perspective on the crime, the evidence, the investigation, and the public response that I found interesting. The glimpses of other cases Kitty was involved in, from the fake psychic to the tragedy of a missing toddler, added interest too.

Unfortunately I didn’t find Kitty to be a particularly compelling character, which is problematic since the story is related from the first person point of view. I also found the dynamics of her personal life to be a bit strange. Her relationship with her fiancé, Peter, was obviously doomed, and the introduction of Alec as a romantic rival of sorts didn’t really appeal to me.

While I found the historical elements of The Woman Who Knew Too Little, and the novel’s subject, of interest, I didn’t find the novel as engaging as I hoped.

*The Somerton Man was finally identified in 2022 through DNA but an explanation for the circumstances of his death is still elusive.

 

++++++++

Available from Harlequin Australia

Or help support* Book’d Out

*Purchase from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

Review: The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson

 

Title: The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks

Author: Shauna Robinson

Published: 1st November 2022, Sourcebooks Landmark

Status: Read October 2022 courtesy Sourcebooks/Netgalley

++++++++

My Thoughts:

 

Unemployed and living at home, twenty eight year old Maggie Banks isn’t sure what she’s looking for but she knows she hasn’t found it yet. When her heavily pregnant best friend, Rochelle, suggests Maggie comes to Bell River to help out at her bookstore for a few months, Maggie leaps at the opportunity for a change of scenery.

Though she hasn’t read a book in years Maggie is confident she can handle managing Cobblestones Books, but she isn’t prepared for the strict rules the store operates under. Like most businesses in Bell River, the shop plays a role in promoting the literary legacy of the late Edward Bell, which draws a steady stream of tourists to the town. The store hosts Bell’s writing desk, where he wrote his most celebrated novel, features his oeuvre, and is only permitted to stock classics written before the authors death in the late 1960’s. Adherence to the guidelines of the Bell Society, run by Bell’s descendant, Ralph, who has financial interest in several of the towns businesses including the bookstore, are rigorously enforced and it doesn’t take long for Maggie to run afoul of them.

Maggie is a likeable character, she’s a people person, warm and friendly but also a little impulsive and even reckless. I love her subversive solutions to the store’s financial issues, which include launching a clandestine book club with its own unique twist, but it’s a risky move. Maggie means well but she has nothing to lose, whereas her co-conspirators, and Rochelle, who knows nothing of Maggie’s machinations, do.

Malcolm, Ralph Bell’s assistant, is pretty clear he won’t risk his job for Maggie, even though he is clearly attracted to her. Their romance is a case of opposites attract, and I liked the way Robinson developed their relationship, though I think Maggie does take advantage.

There’s some exploration in the story about the value of classic literature vs genre fiction, an age old debate. I also liked the small thread of mystery involving the authorship of Edward Bell’s famous book. There are some glaring holes in the plot overall though which some might find hard to overlook, but the conclusion is quite satisfying.

A light and engaging read, The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks has elements that will appeal to book lovers, and readers who appreciate a happy ending.

++++++++

Available from Sourcebooks

Or help support* Book’d Out

 

*Purchase from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

Review: When Life Gives You Vampires by Gloria Duke

 

Title: When Life Gives You Vampires

Author: Gloria Duke

Published: 4th October 2022, Sourcebooks Casablanca

Status: Read October 2022 courtesy Sourcebooks/Netgalley

++++++++

My Thoughts:

 

“My name is Lily Baines. I’m twenty-five years old. I live on Bleecker Street in the West Village. I work as an overnight web editor… And apparently, I’m a f*cking vampire.”

When Life Gives You Vampires is a fun paranormal romantic comedy debut from Gloria Duke.

When Lily wakes up with little memory of the night before, she’s stunned to find she has fangs and no reflection. It takes prompting, and a bag of blood, from her best friend, Cat, to remember the gorgeous guy, Tristan, she went home with from their local bar, and biting his earlobe in retaliation when he unexpectedly sank his teeth into her neck. As far as Lily can see, they’re aren’t any upsides to becoming a vampire -she can’t go out in the sun, she’ll outlive her friends and family, will have to scrounge for blood, and she will forever have a plus size body.

Lily is likeable enough, smart and funny, but with a negative self image due to being overweight. The promise of a body acceptance journey was what drew me to this novel because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a female vampire that was anything but svelte. I appreciated Duke’s attempt at that goal, and felt Lily did take some steps towards changing her negative view of herself and recognising how it affected her relationships.

The romance between Lily and Tristan is a not particularly convincing, though Lily’s  lust felt sincere at least. I think mainly because they don’t spend a lot of time together so there isn’t the opportunity for chemistry to develop, and though we get some background on Tristan, including that he is a bestselling romance novelist which I loved, I didn’t feel his personality was well defined.

Conflict between Lily, Tristan and the leader of the Vampire Council with a grudge that threatens both their lives provides some suspense and action. As does Lily being stalked by a newbie vampire hunter she feels kind of responsible for.

I did enjoy the author’s blunt, sarcastic and sometimes sweary sense of humour, and Duke’s experience as a sitcom writer shows in her dynamic dialogue. However, one thing that struck me as odd was the reference to Tristan looking like ‘Clint Eastwood and Indiana Jones had a superhot baby’. I doubt that’s a reference anyone younger than Gen X would be able to visualise, and it fits uncomfortably with mentions of Twilight, and the use of terms like ‘obvi’.

I enjoyed the distraction When Life Gives You Vampires offered. With the loose ends remaining at the end of the book Duke obviously has hopes for a continuing series. Light and funny, I think the potential is there.

++++++++

Available from Sourcebooks

Or help support* Book’d Out

*Purchase from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

 

Review: Yours, Mine, Ours by Sinead Moriarty

 

Title: Yours, Mine, Ours

Author: Sinead Moriarty

Published: 7th July 2022, Sandycove

Status: Read July 2022 courtesy Penguin UK/NetgalleyUK

++++++++

My Thoughts:

Unfolding from multiple perspectives Yours, Mine, Ours by Sinead Moriarty explores the complications of blending families, especially when navigating step-parenting, and co-parenting.

There aren’t really any surprises in this book. Having fallen deeply in love, Anna and James are excited to be starting a new life together, and are sure that their respective children, 15 year-old Grace, 9 year-old Jack, and 14 year-old Bella will quickly embrace the merging of their lives. Neither are prepared when their dream of a happy family rapidly becomes a nightmare.

There’s plenty of drama as the children make life hard for Anna and James, putting a dent in their bubble of bliss. While Grace, a science geek, is willing to give the situation a chance, James’s spoilt daughter Bella doesn’t like sharing her father, and refuses to give Anna an inch. Jack, egged on by his immature father, Conor, is absolutely awful to James, and because of her guilt, Anna excuses his bad behaviour, which becomes a wedge between the couple.

I wasn’t very fond of Anna, though I had some sympathy for her, I found her lack of self awareness in several situations is irritating. James, a university professor, is a fairly bland character, though I admired his patience with Jack, and Anna. Conor, Anna’s ex, is an absolute douche who embraced every stereotype of toxic masculinity, while Bella’s mother, an ambitious career woman remarried to a wealthy hotelier, is focused on the wrong things when it comes to her daughter.

As you would predict, after tantrums, tears, break-ups and make-ups, it all works out in the end.

Moriarty writes well, there is genuine warmth, angst and humour in the story, but there was just not anything unique or particularly memorable about it for me.

++++++++

Available from Penguin UK

Or help support* Book’d Out

*Purchase from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

Review: Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby

 

Title: Godmersham Park

Author: Gill Hornby

Published: 23rd June 2022, Century UK

Status: Read July 2022 courtesy Penguin UK/Netgalley

++++++++

My Thoughts:

 

The premise of Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby appealed to me in part because of the main character’s connection with Jane Austen. Though little detail is known about their relationship, Anne Sharp and Jane first met during the period that Anne was engaged as a governess at Godmersham Park for Fanny Austen Knight, Jane’s niece, and remained close friends until Jane’s death.

Anne Sharp is 31 years old when she arrives at Godmersham Park, the Kent country estate of Edward and Elizabeth Austen, employed to educate their 12 year old daughter Fanny, the eldest of eight children. Though she has no experience in the position of governess, having until recently been raised in comfort, she is determined to do her best, and serve the Austen family well.

Hornby seamlessly blends history with imagination to tell the story of Anne’s time at Godmersham Park. The people Anne meets, close family and friends of the Austen’s, are real figures, whom the author lists at the beginning of the novel. Many of the events that take place in the story were drawn from Fanny’s preserved childhood diaries or correspondence between family members. The estate itself, said to be the inspiration for Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park, still stands today and is depicted on the 2017 Bank of England £10 note.

A refined and intelligent woman, educating Fanny poses no real difficulties for Anne but finding her place within the household proves to be more of a challenge. Anne is often lonely, and though she becomes friendly with regular houseguests Hariott Bridges, the younger sister of Elizabeth, Henry Austen, Edward’s younger brother with whom Anne forms an unwise attachment, and later Jane Austen herself, there is a distance dictated by her position. A sympathetic character given her circumstances and ill-health, I liked Anne well enough, but I didn’t really grow fond of her.

The story moves at a sedate pace as life unfolds at Godmersham Park. It’s a reasonably busy household with so many children, visiting houseguests, and family events, but not a particularly active one, and I felt the story lacked energy. While there are occasional instances of open conflict, most of the drama centres on Anne’s inner emotional turmoil, which I sometimes found overwrought.

Godmersham Park is a pleasant enough novel but I felt the story sacrificed dynamism for historical accuracy. It’s probably best suited for fans interested in its connections to Jane.

++++++++

Available from Penguin Books UK

Or help support* Book’d Out

*Purchase from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

Review: Til Death, or a little light maiming, Do Us Part by Kathy Lette

 

Title: Till Death, or a little light maiming, Do Us Part

Author: Kathy Lette

Published: 29th March 2022, Vintage

Status: Read April 2022 courtesy PenguinRandomHouse Australia

++++++++

My Thoughts:

 

The reported death of Jason Riley triggers a madcap revenge caper in Till Death, or a little light maiming, Do Us Part by Kathy Lette.

As sixty year old schoolteacher Gwen Brookes stares grief-stricken at all that remains of her handsome, loving husband of two years, Jason Riley, – a swimming cap and a piece of torn, blood-stained wetsuit – after he was reportedly taken by a shark while training for an Ironman competition, a woman in a bejewelled bustier and leather jacket barrels through the crowd calling her husband’s name. To Gwen’s horror, jazz singer Tish also claims to be Jason’s wife, and though she is loathe to believe it, Tish has their wedding certificate issued a year earlier, as proof. More shocks are to come when the women sit across from Jason’s lawyer and learn that his entire estate, and much of theirs, had been transferred to a female business partner in Egypt just days before his death.

Despite the antipathy between the two Mrs Riley’s, and Gwen’s fear of flying, the women fly to Cairo in the hope of recovering their money only to discover Jason, alive and well, in the arms of a younger woman. As Jason flees through the streets of the city, Gwen learns that Skye, a geologist, is not just Jason’s business partner but also his wife of less than a year, and though Skye is sceptical of the women’s claims, when she logs on to her banking account she finds both their business, and her personal account have been emptied.

Now three very hurt, angry and near broke Mrs Riley’s are on the trail of the conman they had the misfortune to marry, and Jason may well wish he was dead if they manage to catch him.

Sure the plot is absurd, but it’s also fun as the reader is led all over the globe while the women give chase, from Cairo to the Maldives, from Tanzania and through Europe, with Jason just barely eluding their grasp several times. Though it’s a whirlwind world tour, geography teacher Gwen insists on visiting at least some cultural sites as the women pursue their quarry by plane, train, ship and even bicycle, uncovering more victims of Jason’s as they go.

Tish’s bold personality and raunchy sense of humour contrasts sharply with Gwen’s sensible, timid manner, and Skye’s crystal loving spirituality. A descending decade or so apart in age (Gwen is the oldest) the women have almost nothing in common so there is plenty of conflict between them, but the bond that slowly develops between Gwen and Tish in particular is warming.

The dialogue consists mostly of wisecracks, innuendo and quips. Though Lette made me laugh more than once, the humour tends to be obvious and get a little one-note after a while.

For all its inanity however, the story does address issues such as the vulnerability of women of all ages and social groups to so called ‘love rats’, and explores the idea that women can choose to embrace the post menopausal period as an opportunity to redefine their lives.

Till Death, or a little light maiming, Do Us Part is a funny, raunchy, fast-paced adventure that you’ll likely either love or hate.

++++++++

Available from PenguinRandomHouse Australia

Or help support* Book’d Out

Buy from Booktopia*

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*

Review: The Tricky Art of Forgiveness by Meredith Jaffe

 

Title: The Tricky Art of Forgiveness

Author: Meredith Jaffe

Published: March 2022, HarperCollins Australia 

Stats: Read April 2022 courtesy HarperCollins Australia

+++++++++

 

My Thoughts:

 

A novel about love, marriage and redemption, The Tricky Art of Forgiveness is the fourth novel from Australian author, Meredith Jaffé.

While her husband, Will, is overseas on business, Diana Forsyth is left to unpack their possessions in their new seaside apartment. It’s a bittersweet task for Diana who has had to say goodbye to the beloved family home in which they raised their children, and nostalgia strikes as their belongings pass through her hands. When she finds a hand written note among her husbands clothes that says, ‘I forgive you’, Diana is stunned, the phrase dredging up a past she thought was settled between them.

Shifting between the past, and the present, the story represents the truism that marriage is a choice that is not made just once, but every day. The highs and lows of Diana and Will’s relationship are laid bare from the heady days of their first meeting, to the difficult moments that have at times divided them. The timing of their latest marital crisis couldn’t be worse given they expect to host family and friends to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary and Will’s 60th birthday in a week.

To be honest I came very close to putting The Tricky Art of Forgiveness aside more than once, as I felt there had been so little advancement in terms of story. I hadn’t really warmed to Diana either, and Will had yet to even make an appearance, but I pushed through and I was relieved to find the last third of the novel more satisfying.

On reflection I think Jaffe presents a thoughtful exploration of the changes in a long term relationship, examining the impact of common challenges such as autonomy, parenting, work/lifestyle balance, and ageing, as well as specific issues like infidelity, loss and individual sacrifice. There were some observations that struck me as insightful, and moments I found tender and poignant, I just wasn’t particularly invested until the couple’s secrets were revealed, curious as to how they would resolve the issues between them.

Though not a story that resonated strongly with me, I’ve no doubt The Tricky Art of Forgiveness will find its audience. And I must mention that the bonus Spotify playlist Jaffe links to that reflects her characters musical interest was an unexpected joy.

+++++++++

Available from HarperCollins Australia

Or help support* Book’d Out

*As an affiliate of Booktopia I may earn a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you.*