Date of Reading: 22/08/2018
Author: A. L. Michael
Publisher: Canelo
Year: 2018
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 3.5/5
About the book:
Bel Hailstone has spent the past decade building her dream - Soho’s best burlesque club - from the ground up. But now The Martini Club is under threat and it will take everything in Bel’s power to resist encroaching developers and save her pride and joy.
Amidst the chaos, Bel’s past comes knocking with the unexpected arrivals of her still-not-quite-ex-husband, her estranged mother and Brodie Porter - the boy who got away all those years ago.
To keep her beloved club afloat – not to mention her sanity - Bel will have to accept help for the first time in a long time, put the past to rest and claim the happy ever after she once thought was lost for good.
My Review:
'Martinis & Memories' is the third book in the Martini Club series which can be read as a standalone. I was not familiar with the first two but that was not a pleasure spoiler. Sure, some of the characters from the previous books appear towards the end and by the looks of it, they seemed to have some interesting stories. Well, that is two more books I need to add to my TBR pile :)
The story revolves around Bel Hailstone, the owner of Martini Club who has reworked herself into a glittering personality. My first impression of her was nothing great. In fact, I had the very same opinion of the newspaper reviewer who slandered her and the club. She appeared shallow and artificial. But too soon, my feelings took a reverse gear once we are introduced into the not that pretty life of Bel. An insatiable and unfeeling mother, a broken heart and a good for nothing husband from whom she eventually ran away -- I was completely in awe of her gumption.
I loved her more because she took a step forward to forgive and to mend the ties with her mother. There were a bit too many coincidences in the story that was hard to accept, like all the unsolved problems of the past come knocking together. It is nothing short of a miracle. Nothing to be surprised though, if Paulo Coelho is to be believed because "when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it".
Meet the author:
A. L. Michael is a writer, currently living in Watford. She has a BA in English Literature with creative writing, and an MA in Creative Entrepreneurship, both from UEA. She also has an MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes, where she researched the use of therapeutic writing with those in recovery from eating disorders.
She writes books about women who are trying to figure out their place in the world, and who aren't afraid to make mistakes.
When she's not writing novels, she's working as a content writer, practising yoga, looking at puppy videos or drinking too much red wine.
Have a look at the other stops on the blog tour:
The story revolves around Bel Hailstone, the owner of Martini Club who has reworked herself into a glittering personality. My first impression of her was nothing great. In fact, I had the very same opinion of the newspaper reviewer who slandered her and the club. She appeared shallow and artificial. But too soon, my feelings took a reverse gear once we are introduced into the not that pretty life of Bel. An insatiable and unfeeling mother, a broken heart and a good for nothing husband from whom she eventually ran away -- I was completely in awe of her gumption.
I loved her more because she took a step forward to forgive and to mend the ties with her mother. There were a bit too many coincidences in the story that was hard to accept, like all the unsolved problems of the past come knocking together. It is nothing short of a miracle. Nothing to be surprised though, if Paulo Coelho is to be believed because "when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it".
Meet the author:
A. L. Michael is a writer, currently living in Watford. She has a BA in English Literature with creative writing, and an MA in Creative Entrepreneurship, both from UEA. She also has an MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes, where she researched the use of therapeutic writing with those in recovery from eating disorders.
She writes books about women who are trying to figure out their place in the world, and who aren't afraid to make mistakes.
When she's not writing novels, she's working as a content writer, practising yoga, looking at puppy videos or drinking too much red wine.
Have a look at the other stops on the blog tour:
