What I read in June 2021

Ad Contains gifted ARC books via NetGalley

June was a good month for reading and in total I read 9 new books! Here are some of my favourites that you might want to check out this Summer!

The Serial Killer’s Wife

Thanks to NetGalley, Alice Hunter and Avon Books for the ARC of The Serial Killer’s Wife.

This book starts with a bang. When Her husband Tom is home late from work, Beth is a little worried – he always loves to read a bedtime story to their daughter Poppy. Then the police knock at her door and ask to wait for his return. When he finally walks through the door two hours later than usual, the police reveal that they want to question him for the disappearance and suspected murder of his ex girlfriend Katie.

How well does Beth really know her husband? Could he be a killer?

This was a book of two halves for me – the first is very slow burn, with lots of character building, tension build up and background development so you understand the history of Beth and Tom’s relationship and Tom’s relationship with his ex. The latter part of the books turns up a considerable notch or two, with some great twists, reveals and revelations galore. I did not see the ending coming.

The biggest issue with this book for me is the title. We know from the very outset before we’ve even read a word that Tom is a serial killer and as such, there are big parts of the plot that aren’t a shock or twist at all – we know they’re coming – in fact we’re almost waiting for it. I think because of this, I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I could have, as actually some of the ‘new information’ released as the first half progressive would have had far more impact if it hadn’t have been expected.

For me the end half of this book saved it for me. 3/5

The Playdate by Victoria Jenkins

Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Jenkins and Bookouture for my ARC of The Playdate.

Well this was an unexpected joy to read. I got stuck straight into this one without reading the blurb or reminding myself of the synopsis, and going in cold was a great shout!

The Playdate introduces us to new Mum Dani, who attends a playdate with her young daughter and meets Adele. Despite being from different backgrounds they start chatting and hit it off. Adele doesn’t seem like all the other mums there who are stuck up and pretentious and for once Dani doesn’t feel like she is being looked down on or judged.

It soon becomes clear however that both Dani and Adele have a back story – and through bread crumb back stories and teased facts we gradually learn how the two women are connected.

It builds up slowly, but progresses to be a really gripping thriller and even if you think you have it all figured it out there are still some real gasp out loud moments that will keep you reading on for dear life.

A fab thriller that I read from cover to cover in less than 24 hours.

Mrs England by Stacey Hall

hanks to NetGalley, Bonnier Books and Stacey Halls for the ARC of Mrs England. This was my first read by Stacey Halls and despite not being a regular reader of historic fiction, I had heard great things about Stacey’s writing and wanted to see if her books were for me. I really enjoyed Mrs England.

Set in Edwardian times, Ruby May has just graduated as a nurse from the prestigious Norland Institute. Having lived in London for some time, her Mistress decides to emigrate and despite asking Ruby to go with her, she declines – Ruby can’t go with her as her sister is sick and she regularly sends money home.

Ruby takes the next placement she can find, despite it being with not 1 but 4 children. A huge move from the city to the country, she starts working for Mr & Mrs England at Hardcastle House in Yorkshire. When she arrives however, things aren’t how she expects. All her dialogue seems to be with Mr England and Mrs England is evasive and locks herself away, rarely coming out of her bedroom or being involved with the children. Something doesn’t seem right but Ruby doesn’t pry – after all she knows about secrets as she has them too!

Mrs England is a slow burn, with atmospheric almost gothic style settings. The descriptions of Yorkshire are really vivid and I loved the fact that Ruby had grown up in Birmingham as some of the names mentioned were really familiar.

The characters are really relatable and believable and I found myself really sympathising with Ruby and some of her personal challenges. As the book progresses, we learn more about the Englands and their history, as well as Ruby’s own backstory. The fact some of this was based on a true story makes it even more captivating.

Whilst not my normal style of read, I really loved this book. I could see this being made into a TV interpretation too. I’ve also seen the limited edition copy of this in Waterstones and its worth buying for the sprayed edges and title pages alone!

4/5

The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker

The cover of this book is really, really striking and I will be honest it was that, coupled with a synopsis of this book that really caught my attention. When Chrissie was 8 years old, she killed a her 2 year old neighbour. 15 years on she has a child of her own and her past threatens to take her daughter away.

I thought this book would be a psychological thriller and was expecting a scenario where Chrissie’s hidden past catches up with her, perhaps where someone learns her secret and it threatens to tear her new life apart. That isn’t how this book panned out at all,

Instead, The First Day of Spring was a emotional, sensitive and heartbreaking look at the prospect of nature vs nurture, being given a second chance at life and the impact of abuse upon the abuser.

Told via duel timelines, we meet 8 year old Chrissie – her mother neglects her, she barely has anything to eat unless its a school milk roster day and her father is in and out of prison. She has never known love and craves attention. We then meet Julia (Chrissie with a new identity 15 years later), who is now raising her own 5 year old daughter Molly and desperately trying to give her the upbringing she never had, whilst all the while expecting her to be taken away by social services. After all, why should she deserve the love of a child when she took someone else’s child away?

Nancy builds up such strong emotions towards these characters, that you feel both angry about Chrissie’s behaviour yet heartbroken for her in equal measure. You feel bitter towards Chrissie’s Mum, whilst simultaneously distress for the angst and mental health troubles she is clearly facing. All the while the friendship between Chrissie and her best friend stays strong and there are some real laugh out loud moments despite its incredible delicate topic.

This book is emotional, at times triggering and a challenging read, yet you can’t help but get drawn in. I became fully invested in the story and found myself rooting for Julia to have the second chance – something which I would never expect to feel as a Mother myself.

This one will stay with me for a while!

4/5