July Book Club

This month's reads were:

Girl in a Blue Dress
A Quiet Belief in Angels
Ask Alice
Vision in White

Girl in a Blue Dress
by Gaynor Arnold

SheerLuxe Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis: After being snubbed an invitation to the funeral of her husband of twenty years, Alfred Gibson, Dorothea discovers that his will favours his children and a clandestine mistress. The widow is comforted by her feisty daughter, Kitty, until a private audience with Queen Victoria, pushes her to examine her own life more closely.

SheerLuxe Book Club said:

‘The book was very well written and I felt transported to the Victorian days. It kept me guessing with regards to Alfred and his affairs, as the details are kept until the later part of book, so this was one I just had to finish. I passed the book on to my daughter-in-law who is reading it at present and also enjoying it.’
(Teresa, Bristol.)

‘We follow ‘Dodo’ as she begins the book as a bright young woman, her demise into depression and her climb out of the illness to recapture her life. After a slow start this book turns into a gripping novel that I didn’t want to finish. Although the public lauds her late-husband, it is Dodo’s story, of a woman scorned, that is the major thread throughout the book. A fantastic book that shows the true courage and determination of women.’
(Tricia, 33, Yorkshire, favourite shop Cath Kidston.)

‘A wonderful, original story centred around Towner Whitney, based around past memories as well as present happenings through her thoughts and eyes, with quirky characters to add interest.’
(Karen, 54, Moray, favourite book The Good Women of China.)

’The novel is full of fascinating Victorian elements shown through Dorothea's recollections of her life with Alfred, along with scenes from her life as they occur. I also picked up references to Charles Dickens' books, especially the end of the book; very "A Christmas Carol".’
(Sarah, 31, Wales, favourite author Kate Atkinson.)

A Quiet Belief in Angels
by R. J. Ellory

SheerLuxe Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: Joseph Vaughn’s life has been dogged by tragedy. Growing up in the 1950s, he was at the centre of a series of killings of young girls in his small rural community. Despite being only a teenager himself, Joseph becomes determined to protect his community from the killer, but in spite of their best efforts, no one was ever caught. The murders cease with the suicide of a neighbour, surrounded by the clippings of the girls, but it soon seems that the real murderer is still alive and killing again, and the answer to the mystery lies in Joseph’s own history.

SheerLuxe Book Club said:

‘I was disappointed with this book as had heard great things about it. While the initial story was captivating, it got bogged down in the language. At times the writing was beautiful, but most of the time the author seemed to push it too far - slowing the story down to a painfully slow pace. The story follows Joseph Vaughn from childhood to his mid-40s when he comes out of jail, and yet, the 15 years he spends behind bars is skipped over in a few pages.’
(Alex, 31, London, fave author William Boyd.)

‘I'm always pleased to be introduced to a new crime thriller writer and Ellory did not fail to please. A Quiet Belief in Angels offered more than your typical page-turner who-dunnit. The storytelling was descriptive and beautifully constructed and for that alone I'd recommend it.’
(Sarah, 27, London, enjoys shopping at Net-a-Porter.)

‘The language is descriptive and evocative, if at times self-indulgent. The story flows quickly in the first half, but loses pace in the second. And when the identity of the killer is revealed even this feels unsatisfactory as no real motive or explanation is provided. Nonetheless, this makes for a good and gripping read.’
(Victoria, 30, London, favourite novel The Poisonwood Bible.)

Ask Alice
by D. J. Taylor

SheerLuxe Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: In the brightly coloured world of late 1920s London high life, Alice Keach is queen among society hostesses. Behind her lie an unsatisfactory marriage to a wealthy landowner, and a career as a celebrated actress. But Alice has a secret, whose roots run five thousand miles away in her travels across the American prairies and the decision she made there. The rise and fall of Alice is charted from the Dakota badlands to the drawing rooms of Mayfair, and from the Norfolk back lanes to the casting couches of the Edwardian theatre; and a sensational murder trial.

SheerLuxe Book Club said:

‘A convoluted tale of different value systems and multiple betrayals across continents, that keeps you guessing to the end, which is not at all as expected. Just as you think you know what comes next, it changes direction. An enjoyable read that did not tax the brain, but gently unfolded right to the very last page.’
(Karen, 52, Ayshire, favourite online shop Not On The High Street.)

‘A tale of two lives, one seen through the eyes of a narrator, the other from the character's own viewpoint. The action takes place in the United States and in England and the book is written in a non emotional, journalistic manner. The story is gripping from the beginning to the end and although the reader soon realises how the the two main characters are linked, remains totally engrossed.'
(Malgosia, Surrey.)

’I felt no empathy for Alice, who seems to benefit from drifting through life, leaving whenever it suited her. The book’s other characters also inspire little emotion, and the story’s main strands take a long time to come together, making for frustrating reading.'
(Emma, 41, Buckinghamshire, fave novel Eat Pray Love.)

Vision in White
by Nora Roberts

SheerLuxe Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis: Childhood friends, Mackensie, Parker, Laurel and Emmeline have formed a successful wedding planning business together but, despite helping thousands of happy couples to organise the biggest day of their lives, all four women are unlucky in love. Photographer Mackensie Elliot is wary of commitment but lowers her guard when she meets Carter Maguire. Carter’s ex-girlfriend, however, is willing to go to any lengths to win him back. Mackensie soon realises that she has to lay her demons to rest in order to find the love that will last.

SheerLuxe Book Club said:

‘ The epitome of light reading – sweet, sugary, characters that lacked depth and not a huge amount happened. That said, it was definitely a page turner, was entertaining and whilst I knew what the ending would be from about the third chapter, a book I wanted to finish. I might even read the next in the series…’
(Georgie, London.)

‘The novel started unpromisingly, and seemed rather Mills and Boon for my liking, but after letting go of my preconceived notions of the book I actually began to enjoy it. It’s a great holiday read but sadly not one of the best, though surprisingly I do want to read the second book in the series - A Bed of Roses.’
(Sonia, 31, Essex, fave non-fiction Lucky Man.)

’Many books of this type tend to focus in on the female lead, whereas here the male character was developed not only when appearing with the female protagonist, but was also given a story of his own. The perfect escapist novel - I can't wait for the next installment!'
(Victoria, 28, London, fave novel Jane Eyre.)

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