Book thoughts: When I ran away by Ilona Bannister.

    

     Harry enters Gigi's life just as it's about to shatter, like the twin towers that have just been hit and are soon to fall. Fleeing from the devastation, only brief acquaintances, Gigi takes Harry to her home, to her brash mother and kind father, and comforts them all as they discover that Gigi's brother was in those towers and didn't make it out alive. 

    11 years later, a chance encounter brings Gigi and Harry together again and sparks instantly fly, but life is complicated. Gigi is raising someone else's child, and living in a run down apartment, struggling to make ends meet, while Harry is a wealthy business man with a pretty girlfriend, who makes Gigi look a right mess, but to Harry none of that matters. 

    Soon Gigi's whole life has changed, her and Johnny are moving to England, to live with Harry, who she married in a hurry and suddenly they have money, a beautiful home and another baby on the way, but is it enough? 

    This is a beautiful, raw, heart breaking, emotional rollercoaster of a book. That deals with the difficult subject of postnatal depressing in a way that is astounding. I heart bled for Gigi, as she flees her family and desperately tries to wrestle with her emotions. 

    How she deals with the people around her and their responses and expectancies of her as a mother, their judgements and attempts to prove their own worth as mothers. It shows how often, instead of lifting each other up as women should, we often shoot each other down in order to justify our own choices and actions. 

    This book is deep, raw and for anyone who has suffered any kind of depression, PTSD or Anxiety, it is incredibly enlightening. Because it shows that you are not alone, that others feel this way too, and that life is tough. 

    Ilona has an amazing talent with words and it is as if she has cracked open the thought patterns of those struggling in this life and emptied them out onto the page in a beautiful way, that will make you cry, cringe, laugh and long for her characters and connect you to the story in away that other books cannot. 

    I cannot recommend this book enough, especially for any of you out there who have struggled, whether mothers or not. And I also recommend it for everyone else too. So they can be enlightened as to the struggles others face with their mental health. Something everyone needs to learn more about, so that the world can become a more compassionate place. 

    As always a bit thank you to NetGalley, Ilona Bannister and her publishers for allowing me to read this one for free in exchange for an honest review. 

    If you are interested in reading the blurb or pre-order a copy for yourself you can do so buy clicking here. The release date for this one is the 4th of March 2021 and it is definitely worth the wait. It's available as a paperback, hard back, ebook and audio book, so what ever your preference they have it. 

love and hugs all 

Joss xx 

Book review: Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde

    When Abby see's a man, heaving a squirming sack into a river, she doesn't even hesitate and jumps straight in after it. Inside are seven perfect pups, and they are about to change her whole life. 

    Elliot, having just lost his wife, decides to head to his cabin, where he hopes to hide from his grief, instead he finds that his cabin has been broken into, and the robbers seem to have left behind seven little pups. 

    Mary, is tired of her life, and of having to sneak around and lie, just to meet her friend. When her daughter Guides her to Elliot, she realises something needs to change, but just when she is getting ready to make that change, Stan, her emotionally and verbally abusive husbands steps in and messes everything up. 

    

    This heartwarming tale, deals with love, loss, abusive relationships and happiness in a well written and thoughtful way. I grew attached to Abby, Elliot and Mary very quickly as well as all the puppies, of course and found the dialogue to be well written and believable 

    

    It's a book that gets you thinking too and has you longing to read more. 

    

    Elliot was my favourite character, he was so thoughtful and well rounded. And I could see why both Abby and Mary found him easy to talk to. I really enjoyed it when he sat talking with Abby, or Mary, he just had such a wonderful way of looking at things and explaining them. 

    This is one of those books that makes you think about life, about people and personalities as well as the choices we make, and I really developed a strong attachment to the main characters and wanted things to work out for them. 

    The only thing I disliked about the book, was that it ended. I would have loved to have been able to follow the characters throughout the rest of their lives and their families lives and well you get the picture. 

    This book was a pleasure to read and I am so grateful to NetGalley, Catherine Ryan Hyde and her publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review. 

    If you'd like to know more about the book you can read the blub and pre-order your copy by clicking here. It's available for pre-order in the following formats: Kindle, paperback, hardback, and audio. And will release on the 4th of May 2021. 

    I've already pre-ordered my paperback! Hay, if I love a book I need a copy for my physical shelfs as well as my kindle shelf.