The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

It took me a little time to get into this book, but once I did I really enjoyed it. The whole premise behind the story, of Harold walking to save Queenie from terminal cancer, took me a while to get my head around. But by the end of the book, it just seemed like a normal thing to do! There were a lot of interesting stories and characters along the way. I felt very sorry for Harold's wife, Maureen, but enjoyed reading about her growing friendship with Rex. Harold's arrival in Berwick was somewhat of an anti-climax, but probably representative of Queenie's situation. This book is definitely a lot better than Joyce's second novel, 'Perfect'. I give this book 8/10.

Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements

This was just a lovely, easy read that was predictable but nice. The ice cream shop sounded perfect, as did Italy. It was a bit difficult to picture a sunny Brighton due to the time of year, but when I was reading about Italy I was totally transported and it made me desperate to go on holiday! The whole book also made me want to eat ice cream! The main characters, Anna and Imogen, were quite simple and didn't have much depth, so I didn't feel particularly connected to them, however. And the love interests were quite boring, and a little obvious. But it was an enjoyable book and I give it 8/10.

The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy

I'm still not sure whether I liked this book much or not. I didn't actively dislike it - but I felt it was a bit of a struggle to get through in parts and certainly not Maeve Binchy's best work. I felt like the first half of the book was a bit of a drag, and that too much of it followed Kit as a child and I would have preferred her to be a bit older for more of the book. The story line was really interesting, and I did feel sympathetic towards Helen/Lena although I did get annoyed by her ignoring Louis's faults. I loved the character of Sister Madeleine, but was really disappointed with the way her story ended. I must say, though, that about three quarters of the way through the book did start to get gripping and I finished the last part quite quickly. But overall, I give this book 6/10.

A Place of Secrets by Rachel Hore

I loved this book a lot! I was totally gripped throughout and thought the story line was fascinating. I really enjoyed finding out the story of Esther Wickham as Jude uncovered it all through her research. Jude was a great main character (except for her name, as I kept thinking she was a man!). Her job sounded fascinating, as was the house and folly she was working at. Norfolk sounded idyllic, as did Euan! He's my idea of a perfect hero in this kind of novel. The twists and turns revealed during the book kept my interest, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I give this book 10/10!

Best of Friends by Cathy Kelly

This was a nice read, but I didn't think it was one of Cathy Kelly's best novels. I felt connected to all of the main women in different ways. Lizzie was perhaps my favourite because she really overcame her challenges throughout the book. The topic of breast cancer and Sally's death were dealt with superbly and it was a great way of showing that good things can come out of horrible situations. The main disappointment I had with this book was that the three main women didn't seem genuine friends, more just acquaintances, and I believe that was what the book was meant to be about. They barely saw each other and didn't seem to know each other that well. However, the book was well written, and each individual's story was well told and fun to read. I give this book 8/10.

The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney

I still can't decide whether I enjoyed this book. It was ok, and some bits were interesting, but I just wasn't gripped. The main problem was that there were just too any characters it took a while for me to figure who was who and what was what. I was also disappointed by the ending - it was very abrupt and nothing came from it. It sounds mean, but I basically found it quite boring. Not a lot happened and not a lot was revealed. I did feel empathetic towards some of the characters, such as Laurent, Mrs. Ross and Francis. But I felt I was reading it just to finish rather than because I was enjoying it. I give this book 4/10.

An Auctioneer's Lot by Philip Serrell

I did enjoy this book but must say it was a bit slow going. It took a while to get into it, too. Each chapter tells a funny story of Serrell's auctioneering life which included some very interesting characters who made me chuckle. The main problem was that the narrative included a lot of unnecessary details and went on quite a bit! I would have preferred more succinct stories and a larger quantity. Even though it's not related to the story, I very much liked the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter! I give this book 6/10.