Book review : Shadows on the Tundra – Dalia Grinkeviciute

You can tell my internet has been down for the last couple of weeks from the number of book reviews popping up on my blog this week !

Shadows on the Tundra is another piece of powerful foreign literature, chosen by Pereine as a part of their Home In Exile series. The book relates the extraordinary tale of 14-year-old Dalia Grinkeviciute, who was bundled into a train in 1941 along with her family and deported from their native Lithuania to a barren labour camp in the frozen wastes of Siberia.

Amazingly, Dalia wrote her story as memoirs on scraps of paper that she buried in a glass jar in her garden, fearing that they might be discovered by the KGB. This was not the case though, and her reminders of times past were discovered four years after her death, in 1991.

Dalia seems to be incredibly strong, both physically and mentally, and survives in reasonable spirits the extremely tough 16-hour sessions of manual labour in her frigid home. There is very little food but Dalia and her family appear to largely avoid the scurvy and other illnesses that frequently cripple and ultimately kill off a large proportion of the population. Moving to a new job in a fish factory provides a new and seemingly endless opportunity for getting her hands on fish, and this undoubtedly allows her family to survive in relatively good health.

Unlike the well-known tales of life in concentration camps that included incredible cruelty and violence, the biggest dangers in the Lithuanian camps are the weather and the cold, and many of the inhabitants who survive lose limbs or toes to frostbite. The text is incredibly powerful and heartwarming – Dalia’s only desire is to survive and to hep her family survive - and it is very hard to get your head around the fact that this is a first-person recollection of actual events, rather than some made-up, imagined narrative.

After the war, at the age of 21, Dalia escaped the Gulag and returned to Lithuania, where she wrote her secret memoirs. Surprisingly, I found the writing to be life-affirming and positive, with a real sense of survival and fighting all the odds to exist and thrive in extremely harsh surroundings.

Star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £12 (currently £10.07 on amazon)

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Peirene Press Ltd (15 Jun. 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1908670444
• ISBN-13: 978-1908670441

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.

Book review : Absolute Proof – Peter James

Absolute Proof is the latest offering from best-selling author Peter James and it’s a total whopper, containing over 550 pages. I raced through it though (the fact that my internet was down all week probably helped, admittedly!), intrigued by the story and eager to find out what would happen in the end.

The book kicks off with newspaper journalist Ross Hunter receiving a visit from a total stranger, informing him that he has been chosen to receive and reveal proof of the existence of God. Ross is unconvinced, but, figuring that he might get a big story out of it for his newspaper, he goes along with it to see where it leads. When his mysterious contact is killed, and his own life is put in danger when following the first of three clues, his interest is piqued.

In between the chapters following Ross’s adventures on three different continents, trying to recover the three mysterious objects, there are numerous chapters following various religious groups. It all gets quite complicated trying to follow who is doing what or even who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. The basic story is simple however : Ross is putting his life in serious danger trying to get his hands on the clues.

To make things even more complicated, Ross’s love life is very hectic. While his wife is currently expecting their first child, things are far from simple. She feels very uneasy – unsurprisingly when their house is vandalized and Ross is repeatedly attacked – but the way she goes about trying to sort things out seems very underhand and improper. On the other hand, Ross’s constant flirting with a radio DJ seems completely out of order when he is in a relationship too. The way things end up seemed slightly too simple and unrealistic, but this is a work of literature after all !

The book offers several "coincidences" such as random attacks, which help move the plot along and give a possible explanation for various things. At the end of the novel, I couldn’t help but ask myself some pretty big questions. The appearance of a reversed rainbow across the whole world is given as a final act of proof, but various scientists have different logical explanations behind it. This is basically the whole basis of the story – are things religious or is there some other explanation out there?

It’s an ambitious and fascinating concept, translated into an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. What makes it even more intriguing is when you discover that the book is inspired by an unforgettable, real-life phone call received by the author nearly thirty years ago, from a similarly mysterious but credible source.

It’s a fast-paced, exciting read that will make you think, without providing all the answers. It could make a great Christmas present for any keen readers of either sex (and it's actually half price on amazon right now, which is a great deal).

Star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £20 (currently £10 on amazon)

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan; Main Market edition (4 Oct. 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0230772188
• ISBN-13: 978-0230772182
• Product Dimensions: 16.3 x 5.3 x 24.4 cm

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.

Ticket To Ride - Days of Wonder game review

We're finally back, after two weeks completely offline and a very dodgy internet connection even before that - did you miss us ?! - but luckily, I had several new board games to discover with the kids, including this one (Days of Wonder) from the Ticket To Ride series, which helped keep us smiling ! According to a label on the box, over 5 million Ticket To Ride games have already been sold, but I'll be honest - we'd never even heard of it before !

 It took us a while to read all the instructions but the concept is actually relatively simple - it's a cross-country train adventure game, in which you have to claim railway lines to connect various cities across the USA. (There are other geographical locations available too, including Europe, the UK, Heart of Africa and so on.)

When you start unpacking the contents of the box, it looks quite daunting but it's not as complex as we first thought and you soon get the hang of things once you've started playing. There are lots of different cards - 110 Train Cards, made up of Box, Passenger, Tanker, Reefer, Freight, Hopper, Coal and Caboose Cars, as well as 14 Locomotives. 

There are also 30 Destination Ticket cards, as well a few bonus cards, such as a Summary Card, a Longest Continuous Path Bonus card and a couple of promotional cards.

The board is made up of a series of interconnecting railway lines, that connect together some of the biggest cities in the USA : Dallas, El Paso, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and so on. The map represents North America at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The idea of the game is that, in honour of Phileas Fogg's epic journey around the world in 80 days, you must travel by rail to the largest number of American cities in seven days (and win $1 million, if that wasn't enough !) 

Each player takes a turn and decides whether to collect different types of train cards, buy Destination Tickets or claim routes with pre-owned train cards. You collect points as you go, for creating long tracks and claiming routes or for fulfilling Destination Tickets.

We love the way that the game relies on well-known and well-loved aspects of other famous "collecting games", like Happy Families or Rummy, while adding the excitement of dashing around all over the map (with the kids revising their geography without even realising it !). It looks complicated but is actually quick to pick up and, within a few games, our youngest player, nine-year-old Pierre, was happy to play along by himself and take on his big sisters !

Each game lasts about 40 minutes or so (closer to an hour the first few times) and I was surprised to see that there was absolutely no arguing ! That may be a sign that the Madhouse kids are growing up though rather than just down to the game itself. If your kids are getting older and you want to reinvest in some games for the toy cupboard, this is bound to be a great hit.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £38.99 (currently £29.97 on amazon with free delivery)

Disclosure : We received the product from the Asmodee UK Blogger Board Game Club in order to share our honest review. Keep your eyes open - there will be more reviews coming up over the next few days !

Book review : The Inportance of Being Maddison – Helen E. Highton

Hiding behind the sober grey cover of the book is a totally irreverent read that is guaranteed to raise a few belly laughs and squeals of shock ! Seven-year-old Maddison is the narrator and heroine of this hilarious book, which bears witness to an entire year in the McClaren household. Along with her frequently embarrassed and over-run mum Liz and straight-talking, no-nonsense dad Joe, Maddie shares her home with big sister Rachel, aged 21 and soon-to-be married, and brother Robbie, aged 19, who loves squabbling with his sister and posting embarrassing photos of her online … and he has an awful lot to choose from !

Maddie isn’t exactly naughty, as she rarely goes out of her way to do something willfully wrong, but she is always getting into trouble, because she is a total live wire and seems incapable of sitting down for more than a few seconds without going off the rails. Her parents go out of their way to keep her under control, but they’re basically fighting a losing battle – from frequent accidents with flying shoes and fights with her brother to the numerous times when she repeats excruciatingly embarrassing things that she has overheard her parents saying, the book is a delightful sequence of events that any parent could imagine themselves enduring (and quite probably have, on a lesser scale). Her frequent misquotes (such as that in the title) and her childish inability to see the dark humour in what is going on are hilarious and perfectly believable.

Like most parents, I would think, the character I can most relate to is Maddie’s mum Liz, who is constantly trying to predict and prevent Maddie’s outbursts and awkward questions. However, the person I would most like to be is Joe, the dad, who has a quick Scouser’s temper and will only take so much before kicking off and defending his family.

Each chapter looks at a different event throughout the year, from celebrations and holidays to busy weekends or eventful schooldays. They are all situations that any parent can imagine being in, which makes it all so much more fun.

It’s a funny and heart-warming book that will make you appreciate that your kids aren’t really that naughty and shudder when you think that they could have ended up just like Maddison !

Star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £8.99

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Troubador Publishing (28 Aug. 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1789010071
• ISBN-13: 978-1789010077
• Product Dimensions: 19.7 x 4.4 x 13 cm

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.

What's Cooking at The Madhouse? menu plan 2018 week #48

Woohoo I'm back ! Well, I hadn't actually gone anywhere but I've been totally offline with no internet (and no phone) for the past two weeks, which was sending the kids totally screwy and keeping me away from the blog. Things finally got fixed today and it was a problem their end - pfffff ! So, what are we eating this week? Well, the fridge is full and I have a rough idea of what will be cooked but I couldn't get online to see the last menu plan that I posted so I'll be looking at that too !

Monday 

dinner -  I picked up some veal in the local supermarket as it was on offer, so that sounds perfect for making a classic French dish, blanquette de veau or veal blanquette. Along with veal, there are carrots, leeks and onions in there and I'll throw in a few potatoes too, in a rich and creamy sauce. Perfect !

Tuesday 

dinner - spaghetti bolognese

Wednesday 

lunch - chicken nuggets with rice and veggies

dinner - there's some battered fish fillets in the freezer, along with chips and beans - should have happy faces all round !

Thursday 

dinner - pork chops with ... well, whatever's cluttering up the fridge ! Maybe pasta, rice ... and if there's nothing, some Ebly and a sachet of frozen veggies. Some sort of a sauce - probably made with crème fraîche or I might go tomatoey, for a change :)

Friday  

 dinner - chicken fajitas or enchiladas, with rice, tomatoes, salsa and guacamole

Saturday

lunch - kids' choice of restaurant/fast food - probably the old favourite, McDonald's !

dinner - leftovers/snack food (quiche, salads, bread, dips, crisps, fruit, yogurts, etc)

Sunday

lunch -  roast chicken probably, with all the trimmings

dinner - sandwiches and leftovers

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Book review : Darkest Before The Dawn - Mike Martin

Just in time for Christmas, Sgt. Windflower is back, in the latest novel from Mike Martin, Darkest Before The Dawn. This is the seventh book in the series, but can be enjoyed just as much as a standalone novel too. 

For those following the whole series, Sheila and Winston are settling into life as new parents remarkably well, with their gorgeous little girl Amelia Louise, who seems to spend the whole time sleeping or cooing happily. (If only all babies did this !) This is very convenient as the pair are currently setting up their new venture, a B&B with a restaurant that Winston is happy to cook for, alongside his job as a local cop.

Sheila is still mayor and, along with Winston, is looking at the number of people, men in particular, who attempt to commit suicide in the area and what can be done about it. Winston, meanwhile, is busy in his day job, looking into a series of burglaries and deaths in the local region. There are a number of suspicious-looking deaths, and mentions of the Dark Web, and a strange crypto-currency, but, in keeping with Winston's attitude, it's all pretty laid-back and things almost sort themselves out ! 

This being a Sgt. Windflower mystery, home life is just as important as the cases he's working on, so there are also a number of personal events, including dream sequences, Cree Indian smudging rituals and a visit from his uncle, not to mention many trips to the local cafe for a slice of cake!

It's quite rare to find a detective series that gives work and home life equal importance, but Sgt Windflower really does seem to have the best of both worlds at his home in Grand Bank, Newfoundland.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £11.39

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: Ottawa Press and Publishing (27 Sept. 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 198843713X
• ISBN-13: 978-1988437132
• Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 1.7 x 22.9 cm

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.

What's Cooking at The Madhouse? menu plan 2018 week #46

After a busy week at work last week, with the kids left to fend for themselves, this week I'm back in control of the menu. I'll be clearing out some things that are in the freezer, as well as having a look through my bookmarked recipes for inspiration

Monday 

lunch -  it's a bonus day off school today, so I'll use up the leftover roast chicken, roast potatoes & veggies from yesterday

dinner -  prawn chow mein

Tuesday 

dinner - Mongolian beef with rice

Wednesday 

lunch - Mexican tortillas with guacamole, rice & salsa

dinner - potato waffles with chicken parcels & veggies

Thursday 

dinner - Kotopia, a Greek-style filo-topped chicken pie, with potatoes or rice & veg

Friday  

 dinner -  I'm guessing there will be a fridge full of leftovers by now - if not, spaghetti bolognese

Saturday

lunch - kids' choice of restaurant/fast food - probably the old favourite, McDonald's !

dinner - leftovers/snack food (quiche, salads, bread, dips, crisps, fruit, yogurts, etc)

Sunday

lunch -  roast chicken probably, with all the trimmings

dinner - sandwiches and leftovers

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Fab freebies of the week 10/11

Wow, where is the time going ?! It's only 45 days to Christmas - eeeek ! Definitely time to grab those freebies as stocking fillers ! Here's this week's round-up. Enjoy ! :)

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Would you like to try a 4711 perfume sample? In exchange all we ask for is a Facebook view with your honest feedback! All Facebook reviewers will then go into a prize draw to win the entire range

We hope you don’t mind us asking, but as we are such a small company (just 7 of us) we’d be super grateful if you wouldn’t mind logging onto your favourite supermarkets’ website and reviewing Kabuto Noodles as we’ve been told we could do with some more… and as a thanks we’ll send you some vouchers for FREE Kabuto Noodles to spend in-store!

Insiders, we’re looking for 2,000 of you to take part in this Cetaphil campaign to enhance your skincare routine and let everyone know just how it’s changed the way you take care of your skin. Are you interested? Subscribe before 21st November.

Win 100s of Date Night Prizes with Pizza Ristorante

Claim your FREE ISSUE of Woman & Home Magazine

Welcome to the SCICON® AMBASSADOR PROGRAM 2019.

Please fill in this detailed form which will help us to select the next Official SCICON® Ambassadors for the coming year.

Answer 5 easy questions correctly to get your FREE 50ml sachet of Nikwax Polar Proof

Want a chance to try Kiehl's Glow Formula Skin Hydrator that everybody is raving about? Sign up to receive your complementary sample

Just click the 'Press' button for your chance to win some amazing prizes, including a year's supply of gin, bottles of gin, tickets to our secret party in London in November, or a pair of Brockmans gin glasses. Good luck!

Calling all Debenhams Beauty Club Members - make your way to the nearest store to collect a FREE sample of Dior perfume on 9th November!

LA MONTAÑA candles and diffusers bring you the glorious scents of Spain, inspired by the British founders’ new life in a Spanish mountain village. All the fragrances evoke warm memories and dreams of Mediterranean holidays while beautifully scenting your home.Don't just take our word for it though, try it for yourself with our FREE Scent card. That's right, just sign up before November 19th and we will post our Welcome Scent Sampler to you FOR FREE!

Try a bottle of JUST MILK on us - Print at home coupon redeemable at Sainsbury’s

You can see previous weeks' freebie roundups by clicking here but be warned, many of the offers are only valid for a short time. Let me know if any have expired and I'll remove them from the roundup.

You may also like to enter my current giveaways :

Giveaway #701 : Win Roblox Master Gamer's Guide - closing date 11/11

Giveaway #702 : Win Drumond Park Word Bandit - closing date 14/11

Giveaway #703 : Win a Jazwares First Act Ukulele - closing date 15/11

Giveaway #704 : Win Drumond Park's Rapidough - closing date 17/11

Madhouse recipe : Peanut butter cookies

I decided to have a clearout in the kitchen cupboards and came across a fairly full jar of peanut butter that needed using up. Sounds like the perfect excuse for making peanut butter cookies to me ! The kids wolfed these down - well OK, I might have helped them too !

Peanut Butter Cookies

ingredients :

300g flour

1tsp baking soda

1tsp salt

200g peanut butter

100g butter, room temperature

150g brown sugar

75g white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp milk

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.

It's entirely up to you whether you use smooth or crunchy peanut butter - I opted for crunchy.

Beat together the peanut butter and butter.

Mix in the sugars.

Add the egg, vanilla and milk and beat together.

Add the flour mixture, half at a time, and mix until just combined.

Roll out half of the dough into small balls of pastry and place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.

Press down with a fork and bake for 7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Leave to cool in the pan before moving them to a plate. Enjoy !

Adding to this month's #KitchenClearout linky as it cleared out a jar of peanut butter.

Book review : The Bodies Left Behind - Jeffery Deaver

When they set off for a carefree weekend in their remote Wisconsin lakehouse, chilling out after the stress of a week at work, the couple of city slickers have no idea that they are heading towards their doom. This double murder is the element that will bring unsuspecting off-duty cop Brynn McKenzie into not just her own worst nightmare, but also a race for survival over hostile terrain.

Teaming up with a female escapee, Brynn sets out into the deserted national park surrounding the crime scene, trying to make her way to safety on the highway or in a ranger's office. As well as the natural dangers of the park, coming from the cold and the landscape, the women have to outrun and outfox the killers who are ruthlessly on their tracks.

It's a tense, action-packed drama, with Brynn opening up to her new protegee as their adventure continues, revealing details about her unsatisfactory relationship with her son and new husband. Brynn seems to be just like a kitty with nine lives, dodging bullets and other dangers with barely a scratch to show for them, which may not be hugely realistic but is nevertheless exciting and spine-tingling to read. 

It's an interesting and ruthless read, which will have you relentlessly chewing your fingernails as you progress !

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £7.99

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks (29 Oct. 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340994037
• ISBN-13: 978-0340994030
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 3.2 x 19.8 cm

#KitchenClearout October roundup and November linky

Wow, we're already a week into November and I haven't had a chance to post last month's roundup - oops ! So what did everyone share last month? Well, I was off visiting the Madhouse grandparents so I'll have to catch up next month 

Galina from Chez Maximka started off us with this delicious dessert : Ice Cream Sandwiches. Yum ! This used up a bag of almonds and the end of the clotted cream ice cream. Sounds and looks delicious.

Galina was back with a savoury option that would be a great hit with any kids : Leftover Rice Cutlets. This is a fabulous dish for leftovers, which can use up whatever you have - potato, parsnip, sweet potato, carrot. This looks like a fabulous idea for using up leftovers so I will be playing with this one, and not just for the kids!

Fruity Oat Crumble was the ultimate #KitchenClearout dish, using up all sorts of things from the kitchen - some over-ripe plums, the end of a punnet of raspberries, a pot of jam, some Ready Brek ... and best of all, it tasted delicious !

Jane from Onions and Paper joined in with another fabulous kid-friendly dish : Dirty Hot Dog Fry, which looks like something the Madhouse kids would love. This was a great way of clearing out the fridge, using up some hot dog sausages, bacon, potato, onions and mushrooms.

Pineapple & Coconut Dream Cake was a twist on a Danish recipe that was perfect for clearing out some odds and ends from the baking cupboard : some sliced coconut and brown sugar, as well as a tin of pineapple.

Feeling inspired and fancy joining in? Have a rummage through your kitchen cupboards, spice rack, freezer or fridge and see if there's anything that needs using up, then come and share your creations with us. Or if it's way past its sell-by date, throw it in the bin and come and tell us what you found ! It would be great if you could add my badge and a link to this post for anyone else who wants to get involved.

Join in with this month's link-up below ! :)

Wild and Game pâté review

Every Sunday night, it's become a bit of a tradition that everyone here at The Madhouse tucks in to whatever is in the fridge. There may be leftovers to use up, or something special that was added to the shopping basket by someone the day before, but usually, we clear out all the odds and ends of salads, spreads and breads before starting a new week. We recently received some samples from Wild and Game, the not-for-profit business that aims to turn the UK into a nation of game lovers, which made a great addition to our platter.

Wild and Game was founded by Steven Frampton and Michael Cannon at the end of 2017. Its products are available from the company’s website via retail or wholesale, with the company aiming to supply pubs, restaurants, small shops and the general public. “Our products are supplied frozen and so are available all year round, not just in the game season,” says Steven. “We would love to see game such as pheasant eventually becoming a common sight in UK supermarkets.”

The first product that we tried was Pheasant, Pistachio and Port Pâté, which we smeared simply on bread. It has a rich, gamey flavour that the kids weren't sure about, but I enjoyed it. Looking at the ingredients list, it contains 20% Pheasant Meat and 19% Chicken Liver, with other ingredients including marjoram, thyme, parsley and onion powder.

The second product that we tried was Grouse, Brandy and Herb Pâté, which has an earthy, robust flavour. This one contains 26% Grouse Breast and 25% Chicken Liver, along with margarine, onion powder and a selection of herbs (parsley, marjoram, thyme, black pepper and game seasoning), as well as frozen garlic puree.

Wild and Game explain that their mission is to make game popular on British dinner tables all year round and, as it’s low-fat and readily available, it deserves to be used more widely. At Wild and Game, they have a focus on traditional dishes that people already love, so pâté seemed a perfect addition to their range.

Both products are available now via wholesale or retail from the company’s website. If you want something a bit different for Christmas, they're perfect.

Wild and Game’s product range is growing steadily. It currently includes sausage rolls, pasties, pies and sausages, with the new pâtés the latest products to be added to the list.

The Wild and Game website is at www.wildandgame.co.uk

Disclosure : We received samples, in order to write an honest review.

What's Cooking at The Madhouse? menu plan 2018 week #45

We're back ! Did you miss us ?! We decided to take advantage of the half-term holidays to visit the Madhouse grandparents in Hastings, so there hasn't been a menu plan for the last two weeks. This week, we're back on track, but I have parent-teacher evenings on Tuesday and Thursday so the kids will be dealing with things until I get home - eeek ! Hopefully, there will be some leftovers, otherwise they'll have to go to the kebab shop or delve in the freezer !

Monday 

dinner - possibly leftover roast gammon from yesterday, with pasta - if it all got munched, battered cod fillets with rice and veg.

Tuesday 

dinner - I'll be at parent-teacher evenings until late.The plan for the kids is, there is a pack of chicken and veg pies in the freezer that only need half an hour in the oven, with some instant mash and baked beans. Easy enough, right ?! Hmmmm !

Wednesday 

lunch - meatball subs with fries & beans, if they weren't eaten yesterday, or salsa

dinner - creamy chicken vol au vents with pasta & veg

Thursday 

dinner - Sophie's late in too tonight, so I think a trip to the kebab shop may be on the cards ! If not, there's some tomato soup and probably leftovers to use up in the fridge.

Friday  

 dinner - it's been a long week so I need an easy dinner that can pretty much cook itself - spag bol or chilli con carne & rice should fit the bill so I'll let the kids choose :)

Saturday

lunch - kids' choice of restaurant/fast food - probably the old favourite, McDonald's !

dinner - leftovers/snack food (quiche, salads, bread, dips, crisps, fruit, yogurts, etc)

Sunday

lunch -  roast chicken probably, with all the trimmings

dinner - sandwiches and leftovers

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Book review : She Chose Me - Tracey Emerson

I've just spent a few days reading Tracey Emerson's début novel, She Chose Me, and I can't decide whether I'm disappointed to have finished it or relieved to know that I might actually get my bedtime back to normal now !

The novel relates the story of Grace, a middle-aged woman who has come back to London after twenty years abroad, so that she can look after her dying mother's affairs. Working in a language school, she has put her mum in a nursing home and is in the process of clearing out her house. Times are tough and she could do with a friend to help her through her dark times.

In alternate chapters, we also get to know Cassie, who was adopted when she was younger and is out to find out more about her real mother. She has recently lost her adopted mother and, we learn, is followed by a psychiatrist. Determined that Grace is her mother, she ends up getting a job in the nursing home and takes on a new identity, as a down-graded, less well-off and less intelligent version of herself.

The two women strike up a friendship, but when Grace starts receiving Mother's Day cards and gifts in the post, things get complicated. You'll have to read the book to find out how it all works out !

It's a tense read, that is very believable, especially as many of the chapters look over the same events, seen through different eyes. I felt sorry for both of the women and did hope that they would manage to build bridges and (re)construct a relationship, despite getting off to a dodgy start.

It's an easy-read that sucks you in and won't let you back out, as you race towards the final reveal.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £8.99 (Paperback) £4.99 (Ebook)

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Legend Press (15 Oct. 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9781787198739
• ISBN-13: 978-1787198739
• ASIN: 1787198731
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 19.8 cm

Check out the She Chose Me blog tour ...

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book, in order to share my honest opinion.