Review - The Barbecue at No. 9 by Jennie Godfey

  

 

Title: The Barbeque at No. 9

Author: Jennie Godfrey

Pages: 371

Publisher: Penguin

Release Date: 12th February 2026

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 Set over 12 hours in 1985 the residents of Delmont Close are preparing a neighbourhood barbecue to watch the biggest music event in Live Aid. A day that will end having touched the lives of millions and changed the lives of all in Delmont Close. 
 
Hosted by the Gordon family, Lydia whose idols are Princess Di and Delia Smith, is determined to put on a show that will impress all. As the neighbours flood in, all the secrets that have been kept locked tight come rushing out. 
 
Rita, a new resident from Australia, harbours a shocking event in her past, Steve a young Falklands veteran battles his own demons, and Hanna, the Gordon's young teenage daughter prepares to flee to hide a shocking truth. 
 
The Barbecue at No.9 explores the nature of family and friendship, who we were and how far we have come. Jennie Godfrey returns to her powerful theme of how we are more united in our humanity than divided by our differences. All written with Godfrey’s signature wit, warmth and bite and, if possible, The Barbecue at No.9 surpasses the power and emotional impact of The List of Suspicious Things. 

 

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My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK*  

 

  

The Gordon family are hosting a barbecue to celebrate Live Aid and have invited their neighbours at Delmont Close. 

There are several people in the Close hiding secrets, many of which will be uncovered as everyone comes together at the barbecue. 

 

Having enjoyed the author's previous book, I was intrigued to try this one. 

There were several protagonists in this novel, the main ones being Hanna (the daughter of the hosts), Steve (a veteran with PTSD), and Rita (who ran away from Australia and her life there). I liked all three and sympathised with them for different reasons. It was interesting to read as they all came together and how they interacted. 

The setting was interesting, and it did feel like things were slowly building up in the lead-up to the barbeque. 

The plot was enjoyable, but I wasn't gripped or itching to read more. There were some surprises, but I wasn't very invested in what was happening. 

 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. 

  

Review - Orange and the Bread Knife by Cheong Ye, Slin Jung (translator)

 

 

 Title: Orange and the Bread Knife

Author: Cheong Ye, Slin Jung (translator) 

Pages: 195

Publisher: Wildfire

Release Date: 11th June 2026

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 The thrilling high-concept Korean bestseller about conforming to society's standards, where one woman decides she has HAD ENOUGH 
 
Oh Young-a, a warm-hearted schoolteacher, lives to please - smiling through people's demands, moulding her hobbies and even her heart to match what others deem to be "right". But beneath her cheerful facade, the weight of constant self-restraint festers, dragging her into a haze of depression and numbness. Desperate for relief, she turns to the Seohyang Medical Research Centre's cutting-edge four-week emotion regulation treatment, promised to sculpt her into a better version of herself. 
 
What follows is chaos - but also liberation. The treatment unravels her carefully curated control, unleashing a torrent of suppressed desires, biting truths and long buried anger. Young-a curses, speaks her mind and revels in the guilt-ridden thrill of her bad behaviour. When she seeks answers, the Centre offers none, urging her to wait it out. But why return to a life of stifling conformity? 
 
As Young-a embraces her raw, unfiltered self, she begins to dismantle the weight of the exhausting expectations and ideals imposed upon her. 
 
Why would you ever go back when freedom feels this good? 

 

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My Review: 

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Headline* 

 

Oh Young-a is a young woman who moulds herself to please others, to be a good teacher, friend, girlfriend, even a good person. 

However, Young-a realises that all of this people-pleasing is making her miserable. 

Young-a signs up to a medical trial that gives her the ability to be free of other people's and societies expectations of how she should behave. 

How will Young-a's life change? 

Can she go back to her old self? Will she want to? 

 

The premise of this book intrigued me, so I requested a copy. 

I found Young-a to be likeable and relatable. I felt sorry for her with the way she moulded herself to act the way other people wanted her to, but I could understand why she did it - I think all people do to an extent, but young women especially feel the pressure. 

The setting of South Korea was interesting. 

The plot was mixed for me - while I did find the topics the author discussed interesting, they didn't quite hit the mark for me and I didn't feel that I was fully engaged or invested. However, I did find this to be a unique book that did make me think. 

 

Overall, this wasn't quite for me. 

 

Review - A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford

     

Title:  A Bad, Bad Place

Author: Frances Crawford

Pages: 337

Publisher: Transworld Digital

Release Date: 12th February 2026

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 What happened to the dog walker who found the body? 
 
Glasgow, 1979. 
 
Twelve-year-old Janey won’t take her dog, Sid Vicious, for a walk. Not anymore. It’s Sid’s fault she found the murdered woman. 
 
Janey claims she can’t remember what she saw at the abandoned railway, but the police think she’s hiding something. And they’re not the only ones interested. 
 
Fear and rumour rip through the tight-knit community of Possilpark. Janey and her nana, Maggie, are dragged into the hunt for a murderer. And Maggie’s struggle to keep her beloved granddaughter safe becomes ever more desperate.  
 
Because Janey’s memories can’t stay hidden forever.  
 
And neither can the killer… 

 

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My Review: 

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK* 

 

 

Twelve-year-old Janey is changed forever when she finds the body of a murdered young woman while out walking her dog. 

Janey tells everyone she can't remember what happened when she found the body, but the police keep asking questions. 

Maggie, Janey's grandmother, tries to help Janey, who hasn't been the same since finding the body. 

What happened that day? 

What is Janey hiding? 

 

The premise of this book intrigued me, especially as it is set in Glasgow in 1979. 

Janey was a likeable and relatable protagonist. I really felt for her as finding the body would be horrible for anyone, but especially for someone so young. 

The novel is told from both Janey and Maggie's perspectives which was interesting. I really liked their relationship and how close they were. 

The setting of 1979 Glasgow and the community of Possilpark was interesting. I liked that the setting was reflected in the way the characters spoke, though this did take a little while to get used to. 

While the pacing was a bit off for me at times, I did enjoy the plot and the question of what happens to the dog-walkers that find bodies. 

 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. 

 

 

Review - How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days (A Lady’s Guide, #3) by Sophie Irwin

 

 

 

 

 

Title: How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days (A Lady’s Guide, #3)

 

Author: Sophie Irwin

 

Pages: 404

 

Publisher: HarperCollins

 

Release Date: 31st July 2025

 

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 

 Rich, handsome, and titled Lord Ashford, has every lady in England longing for his hand in marriage.

Everyone, that is, except Miss Lydia Hanworth – the only young woman Ashford wishes to marry.

Pressured into accepting Ashford’s proposal, Lydia has just ten days to free herself from her obligations before the engagement is publicly announced… what can go wrong?

 

 

  

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My Review:  

  

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins*

Miss Lydia Hanworth wants to marry for love, but when the highly eligible Lord Ashford proposes, Lydia finds herself in a predicament. Lydia barely knows Ashford, and certainly doesn't love him, but she has no choice but to accept him.

Lydia now has ten days before the engagement announcement is made to try to convince Ashford to call it off.

Will Lydia succeed?

As a fan of the author's previous books, I was intrigued to read this one.

Lydia was a likeable and relatable protagonist. I liked her determination and wit. The barbed exchanges with Ashford were amusing, as were the lengths Lydia went to attempting to force Ashford to call the engagement off.

I liked Lydia's brother, Pip, and Ashford's cousin, Phoebe.

The plot was enjoyable and held my attention throughout. I found myself smiling several times. I liked the slight mystery element, and the the themes were interesting.

The writing was easy to follow, and I would definitely read another book by the author.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

 

 

Review - The Whisper of Stars by Cristin Williams

 

  

 

 Title: The Whisper of Stars

Author: Cristin Williams

Pages: 448

Publisher: Gollancz

Release Date: 6th November 2025

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 A frozen island.

A monastery turned political prison.

A cipher inked in blood.

When anarchist poet Katya Efremova is transferred to the prison colony on Solovetsky Island, she finds an enigma among her returned possessions - a blood-stained book containing a cipher left by her murdered mother, written on the day she died.

Following her mother's clues, Katya begins to unravel a centuries-old mystery woven into the history of Solovetsky Island. Finding the island's legendary power might be the key to overthrowing the Bolshevik regime, but Katya wasn't sent to Solovetsky by chance. The head of the government's spy network is watching, and there will be no hope of a free Russia if he takes hold of the magic hidden beneath the White Sea snow.

 

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My Review: 

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group*

Katya is a prisoner and enemy of the state because of her political stance. However, Katya also has a powerful magic that her enemies want to use for themselves.

When Katya is transferred to a prison on an isolated island, she finds a book amongst her returned belongings that contains an encrypted message from Katya's dead mother.

Trapped on the island, Katya will have to form an alliance with the enemy to survive long enough to uncover her mother's last message.

The premise of this book intrigued me, especially the mix of an historical Russia setting with magic thrown in.

There are three protagonists - Katya, Dima, and Natasha. I liked both Katya and Dima, and empathised with them. Natasha was not meant to be a likeable protagonist, but I did enjoy learning more about her and her motives.

The setting of 1920s Russia was interesting, as was the magic and lore in the story.

The plot was mixed for me - I enjoyed it to begin with, but after a while I found it harder to stay interested in the storyline, and was not at all invested. The pacing was a bit off for me, and I felt that some parts could have benefited from a little more fleshing out.

I'm a bit disappointed I didn't enjoy this more, but this was a case where the execution didn't quite work for me.

Overall, this was a mixed read.

 

Review - The Notorious Virtues (The Notorious Virtues, #1) by Alwyn Hamilton

 

  

 Title: The Notorious Virtues (The Notorious Virtues, #1)

Author: Alwyn Hamilton

Pages: 512

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Release Date: 1st April 2025

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

Bestselling Rebel of the Sands author Alwyn Hamilton is back with a glittering thriller about a glamorous media darling, a surprise heiress, and the magical competition of a lifetime.

At sixteen, Honora “Nora” Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad. Her family controls all the money–and all the magic–in the entire country. But despite being the center of attention, Nora has always felt like an outsider. When her mother is found dead in an alley, the family throne and fortune are suddenly up for grabs, and Nora will be pitted against her cousins in the Veritaz, the ultimate magical competition for power that determines the one family heir.

But there’s a surprise contestant this time: Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora’s aunt. When Lotte’s absent mother retrieves her from the rural convent she’d abandoned her to, Lotte goes from being an orphan to surrounded by family. Unfortunately, most of them want her dead.

And soon, Nora discovers that her mother’s death wasn’t random–it was murder. And the only person she can trust to uncover the truth of what happened is a rakish young reporter who despises everything Nora and her family stand for.

With everyone against her, Lotte’s last hope is hunting for the identity of her father. But the dangerous competition–and her feelings for Theo, one of the Holtzfalls’ sworn protectors–turns her world upside down.

Incredible tests, impossible choices and deadly odds await both girls. But there can only be one winner.

 

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My Review: 

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Faber & Faber and NetGalley*

Honora "Nora" Holtzfall is next in line to the Holtzfall fortune after her mother, the heir. The Holtzfalls practically own Walstad, have the most magic, and the most money.

Everything changes when Nora's mother dies and Nora suddenly has to fight to win a series of trials to prove she's the rightful heir, just like Nora's mother did.

The Veritaz trials unearth buried secrets, such as Lottie, the daughter or Nora's aunt, Grace, who has lived her life hidden away in a convent, not knowing who she was.

As the unhappy residents of Walstad begin to rise up, Nora and Lottie won't just be fighting their family members.

Will they survive the trials?

Who will be named heir?

As a fan of the author's books, I was intrigued to see what this next series would be like.

I really liked both Nora and Lottie as protagonists. They were relatable, and I felt sorry for them both. There were also chapters told from the perspectives of Theo, a knight sworn to protect the Holtzfalls, and August, a journalist. I liked the combination of the different perspectives, but Nora and Lottie were my favourites.

The premise of the book was interesting, and I liked the twists on fairy tales, and the lore created by the author.

The plot was enjoyable and held my attention throughout. Things happened that I didn't expect, and I am left wanting to find out what happens next.

I enjoyed the writing style and found this easy to read.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read I would recommend.

  

 

Review - The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson

 

  

 Title: The Secret Countess

Author: Eva Ibbotson

Pages: 278

Publisher: Picador

Release Date: 1st May 2025

 

Blurb:

Award-winner Eva Ibbotson's The Secret Countess, author of The Morning Gift, is a classic historical romance that stretches across countries, families and class divides.

After revolution tears her country apart, young Russian countess Anna Grazinsky is forced to flee Saint Petersburg for rural England, where her now penniless family has no choice but to rely on the kindness of their only friend, Anna's old governess. Determined to help her family in any way possible, Anna arms herself with an out-of-date book on housekeeping and takes work as a servant at a crumbling mansion in the English countryside.

1919 sees Rupert, the handsome young Earl of Westerholme, return from war and become instantly mesmerized by Anna. As powerful attraction clashes with tradition, Anna finds concealing her true identity increasingly impossible.

 

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My Review: 

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan*

Anna, a young Russian countess, is forced to flee her country with her family when the people revolt.

With no money, Anna becomes a housemaid at an Earl's estate which has seen better days.

The Earl, Rupert, returns home with his new wealthy bride-to-be, Muriel, who nursed him back to health after Rupert was injured in the war.

As Anna settles into her role as a maid, the other servants, and even the Earl and his family, are sure there is something more to the strange Anna, but she soon wins them all over.

Will Anna's secret be revealed?

Is she only person hiding who they really are?

I had heard of the author's work for a long time, but never had a chance to read one of their books before now.

I found Anna to be a likeable protagonist, especially with how determined she was, and kind to other people. However, it was a little unrealistic how perfect she was.

There were quite a lot of characters, and I did struggle to keep them all straight in my head.

The plot was okay. I thought that some things could have been expanded on, and that not much really happened overall.

I was not a fan of the romance, which felt forced and was too sudden for me. I didn't feel enough time was spent on building the connection between the characters.

The writing style was not one of my favourites. I struggled to stay immersed in the story and to care about what was happening.

I'm disappointed I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall, this was an okay read.