Sometimes I Lie.

Amber Reynolds is in a coma, she can hear everything around her but cannot communicate. Amber Reynolds doesn't know what has happened to her but she fears that it may be something that her husband has done that has caused her hospitalisation... 

Sometimes I Lie is a riveting psychological thriller told from the POV of comatose Amber, alternating with the story of what happened in the days leading up to her coma, along with entries from a child's diary. All three of the threads are packed with twists and turns that will have you reading far into the night as pieces of the puzzle fit together and the story is gradually revealed.

The background and build up to the story are skillfully written. I particularly liked the way that the coma parts of the tale were executed, we could see things from Amber's perspective as she lay there and share her terror and anxiety as well as her confusion. It's a very well paced and plotted book and while I didn't exactly like the characters they were all very well presented and believable. There's a lot of suspense and surprises here, the plot becomes a little complex as the story is revealed so you do need to pay attention but I didn't find it too hard to follow until the very final twist at the end that left me puzzled.

This is an exceptionally well written and riveting debut by Alice Feeney, very English in setting and tone, which is something that I always enjoy. I was enthralled by Sometimes I Lie and it leaves me eagerly anticipating her next book.

Recommended.

The Italian Party.

American newlyweds Scottie and Michael arrive in Sienna in 1956. They don't know each other very well and they are both harbouring secrets from each other - quite big secrets actually!  

Set in postwar Italy at the height of the cold war this light-hearted romp peopled by cliched expats and Italians is an easy breezy summertime read but one that left me cold and disappointed.

Its another book that has had - you've guessed it - excellent reviews and one that once again proved to be something of a disappointment to me.  I found the storyline to be way too far-fetched to be believable and even the timeline of the story made no sense. The shallow characters were all stereotypes who acted unrealistically with no consequences, I honestly cannot see people living as they did. 

The writing was okay, there were some good passages but so much of the story seemed irrelevant and the author appeared to be trying to fit in far too many elements (Horses! Fashion! Food! Politics! Espionage!) in order to set the scene of Tuscany in the 1950's.

I suppose this may be an okay book to take with you if you are holidaying in an Italian villa but ultimately, for me, it was a silly book that I was happy to finish.  

  

The Good Neighbours.

The Good Neighbours in question are a close-knit group of four families with young children. The families all socialise and celebrate holidays together in their upmarket Boston suburb. When one of them adopts a young Russian girl to complete their family the other families are excited to welcome her into their privileged world. 

Soon after her adoption, it emerges that the girl, Winnie, has various behavioural and social problems and soon her adoptive parents withdraw from the other families in the neighbourhood as they find their idea of a 'perfect family' unobtainable. The other families find themselves observing and questioning as to just how much they should become involved with Winnie and her adoptive parents. 

Is this what Good Neighbours would do or are they pushing the boundaries too far?

I was going to say that this was an enjoyable read but this is actually quite a dark book. Perhaps what I should say is that it is an interesting and engrossing read. It is very accomplished for a debut novel, I liked the writing and the characters and scenarios were all highly believable. It is packed with astute observations about suburban life and judgemental 'friends'. 

I wasn't a fan of the way this ended but overall it was a very good domestic drama that left me pondering many things about family and friendships.

Recommended.

The Missing Hours.

In a sleepy border town between England and Wales a woman goes missing and a body is discovered on the same morning. D.C. Leah Mackay is assigned to the case of the missing woman, Selena Cole. Leah's brother, D.I Finn Hale, leads the inquiry into the murder of Dominic Newell, a police solicitor. When Selena Cole turns up twenty hours after her disappearance Leah is determined to find out what happened to her. As Leah digs deeper it appears that the two seemingly disparate cases are linked. Can Leah and Finn find out how?

I've had a bit of a run of so-so books of late so when I stumble upon a good one I'm giddy with excitement! This intricately plotted book is told in short chapters by alternating characters, interspersed with short case histories of various kidnappings. (Don't be tempted to skip the case histories! While they may seem irrelevant they all serve as background to the story.) There's a lot of dialogue in The Missing Hours so its a fairly swift read but it tells a story that is intriguing and intelligent. There are twists and turns galore, the characters are all immensely believable and the writing is a dream.

The Missing Hours was a fantastic book and I can't wait to read more by this author. 

The Joy of Mini Masks.

There was a time when I considered the inclusion of a mask as part of a GWP to be something of a disappointment. I would have much rather had a mini face cream or cleanser. These days however a mask sample is greeted with smiles, I've turned my attitude around and think they are great additions to goody bags and if I have the option to choose samples and there's a mask available I'm likely to add one in. To be honest there was a time when I only used a face mask very infrequently. I'm also not on the sheet mask bandwagon. I have some and use them from time to time just because I have them but I'm not fond of the feel of them and don't find them as effective as a proper 'slap on a thick layer and rinse it off' mask. 

These days I try to do a set of three masks once a week (something clarifying, something peel like, and one that gives a deep hydration hit), usually on a Sunday and fit in another deep cleansing mask midweek. All this, plus the fact that I may need to use a targeted mask (calming if I'm irritated, moisturising if I have any particularly dry patches, something with sulphur if there's an erupting zit bubbling under) means that I get through quite a few of them. 

Plenty of samples mean that I hardly ever have to buy a full sized mask and of course it means that I get to try out a whole range of masks at no cost so when I do decide to splash some cash I know I'm going to really like what I have bought. Masks usually come in quite big pots, as I only use them once or twice a week at the most they take some time to finish, minis and samples mean that I get to use fresh, unopened products. I also don't need to make any investments in targeted treatment masks that I will use even more infrequently as I usually can find something in my stash that will address whatever skincare crisis I am having. Finally, these minis are so good for travelling with, not only because are they easy to carry, but also because I find my skin usually needs a deep clean and something calming and hydrating after any type of travel, especially flying.   

Pictured above are some of my current crop of masking samples and minis. There are some of my very favourite ones there (basically any mask by Sisley or Omorovicza, and the REN Glyco Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask). There are also lots of new ones for me to try!

Less.

Writer Arther Less isn't having a good time of things lately. His book sales have declined, his publisher has turned down his newest novel and to top it all his younger boyfriend is getting married to someone else. When Arthur receives a wedding invitation to his (now) ex's wedding he is too distraught to attend but to refuse would be churlish. Arthur's solution to the problem of the wedding invitation is to embark on a whirlwind trip around the world which incorporate a series of work-related events and pleasurable side trips. His tour includes hosting literary soirees in Paris, attending a writers retreat in India, teaching at a German summer school and attending the birthday party of a friend of a friend in the Moroccan desert to name but a few. Only when the wedding and the accompanying celebrations are over does Arthur feel he can finally return home comfortably.

I picked Less up on a whim, I liked the cover and it had had promising reviews - hell, it had even won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction! I was looking for a lighthearted read and this book was branded as being hilariously funny by numerous reviewers. Well, I worked my way through this parody of an educated American abroad stony-faced, I didn't even crack a smile. This was another book that left me wondering what all the great reviews were about. It was a great idea for a novel and there were so many scenes that had potential but failed to deliver. Less himself was flat, an unfleshed out character that I could not get to grips with, and the book was filled with cliches and cliched characters. 

This was a tedious read, the only thing I liked about it was the surprisingly sweet ending. Less was mediocre at best and I'm left scratching my head as to why it has received so much acclaim.

Not recommended.

Empties June 2018.

I'm a little late with June's Empties. I was away from home a lot in the last three weeks and I've been busy catching up with everyday things when I have been at home. At times like this no matter how much I want to sit around and pay with empty pots and bottles it is something that gets forced to the bottom of the to-do list!

Anyway finally, here they are eleven full-sized and an amazing thirty-five samples.

Skincare.

I only used up four full-sized skincare items as I wasn't at home all that much in June.

I usually prefer a balm cleanser to an oil for removing makeup but I enjoyed a sample of Caudalie Makeup Removing Oil enough to purchase a full sized one when I saw it offer. This is a straightforward cleansing oil, sunflower oil is the main ingredient and it also contains enough almond oil to make it smell deliciously almond-y which is a scent that I love. It's possibly a little overpriced for what it is, but it did a good job of removing makeup and washed off easily. Also, the pump on the bottle worked well so it wasn't a messy oil to use and the bottle lasted for ages. Another Caudalie product that I finished was a large can of their Grape Water. It's a very basic facial spritz for rinsing, layering between products or simply refreshing hot and bothered skin but it is one of my favourite and most used facial sprays.

I finished two moisturisers in June. REN EverCalm Global Protection Day Cream is something that I bought this to use when it was bitterly cold outside, it soothed my skin and gave it a good boost of hydration. It is a little too oily for me to use under makeup in warm weather but it also works well as a night cream and so I used up what was left in this way. EverCalm is a great range of products and I will certainly buy this again next winter along with the matching Gentle Cleansing Milk.

I bought a huge pot of Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti Aging Cream on sale and it was a pretty good all-around cream but not something that I would repurchase unless I found it at a bargain price again. It reminded me a little of Zelens 3T in texture but it wasn't as good. It was comfortable to wear both day and night and I did like it but not enough to purchase at it's full (pretty high) price.

I used a lot of skincare samples up so I will try to be brief.

Eve Lom Cleanser is quite a heavy cleansing balm. It does a good job of dissolving makeup but it is a little difficult to remove totally and its strong medicinal smell may not be to everyone's taste. I adore Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip, it feels refreshing and calming, is particularly good on oilier skins and is great for an A.M. or second cleanse. I also liked La Roche Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser as an A.M. or second cleanse, this non-foaming gel was very basic but it did the job. 

I used three mini, mini bottles of La Mer  Cleansing Water. Cute packaging aside this didn't impress me much as it smelled quite chemical like and didn't work as well as Simple Micellar Water which is much, much cheaper.

I'm not much of one for physical exfoliation so it took me some time to use up African Botanicals Buccu Botanical Enzyme Polish which as well as scrubby particles contains fruit enzymes. I mixed a little of this into my morning cleanser about once a week and it was quite gentle to use in this way. I  prefer to exfoliate chemically and Malin+Goetz Brightening Enzyme Mask was gentle, effective, and quick to use as you only need to leave it on for five minutes. I liked this a lot. 

Perricone MD High Potency Face Firming Activator is an exfoliating serum intended for daily use. I started out okay with this but after a few days it made my skin quite sensitive so I stopped using it and am getting rid of what is left as I don't want to finish it. This smells terrible by the way - like strong ammonia which can't be good, right?

Natura Bisse C+C Vitamin Eye is a new release. This orange gel feels lovely and absorbs well to hydrate the under eye area, it's also very reasonably priced compared with other Natura Bisse eye creams. I was pleasantly surprised by Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift. It was a super hydrating gel cream that was easy to wear and non-irritating, I loved this one enough to put it on my shopping list!

Dr Barbara Sturm Face Cream Women was fine, a basic moisturiser suitable for day or night this layered well with serums and sat well under makeup. I was expecting a bit more of this as it is quite expensive so while there was nothing bad about it it was a bit disappointing. Another basic, but much cheaper, moisturiser was Andalou Naturals Hyaluronic DMAE Lift & Firm Cream, a gel cream with a prominent peach fragrance. I didn't much care for the scent and doubt that this is something I would buy, it was simply a bit too basic. Garnier Soothing 3 in 1 Moisturiser is a rose scented day or night cream that can also be used as a hydrating mask. I mistook this for a sleeping mask and used the whole 15ml sachet at once! It did absorb fairly quickly but I didn't notice any improvement at all in my skin, it wasn't even noticeably hydrated so this is a miss for me.

Final skincare sample was Shiseido Ultra Matte SPF50 Lotion. I've used this lightweight, yet powerful sunscreen before and its a good one for sunscreen haters as it feels and looks very natural on the skin as well as working well under makeup.

Haircare.

I didn't use any full sized hair care products this month as I have a heap of mini haircare products that I need to use!

I used two travel sized Shampoo and Conditioner duos. Both Pureology Fullfyl (Serious Color Care) and Verb Hydrating Shampoos and Conditioners were okay. They left my hair soft and manageable and I'd be happy to use them both again but I didn't like either of them enough to actually purchase them.

I used two travel sized hair masks by Miriam Quevedo.  Both Platinum and Diamonds Luxurious Mask and Glacial White Caviar Hydra Pure worked well as either intensive treatment masks or regular conditioners. Again I'm happy to use these but they aren't something that I foresee myself purchasing as I have a lot of hair masks in stock as they always seem to come in GWP's. The packaging of these was a little annoying as they both have a fair amount of product left inside that I can't get out without hacking the tubes open with scissors.

I used a mini Davines Oi All in One Milk which is a leave-in spray conditioner. I do like this but it has a tendancy to separate into a cream and a watery part which I find annoying, so again not something I would buy, although I'm happy to use samples of it. I repurposed a sachet of Fekkai Ironless Straightening Balm as a leave-in conditioning cream. I applied it to damp hair and it worked well, taming my hair without making it greasy or heavy.

I've used Oribe Apres Beach Wave Spray many times before and have even 

purchased it before. This time around I didn't enjoy this as much as in the past. It did give my hair beachy piece-iness but it made it look a tad oily. This definitely  worked better for me when my hair was longer so in the future I will stick to their Dry Texturising Spray. 

Bodycare.

I used up two body washes both by Nivea. Although I usually prefer a frothy gel body wash I do enjoy using their Moisturising Body Wash which feels mild and gentle on my skin. This one with Jojoba and Coconut had a soft beachy scent which was nice to use in the hot weather. Very different is their Foaming Silk Mousse Body Wash which reminds me of Rituals Foaming Body Wash but is more purse friendly. It doesn't produce quite such a rich lather but is fun to use and doesn't leave my skin feeling dry and tight. This was scented with White Peach & Orchid Blossom although honestly it smells simply Nivea-like to me and I find it difficult to detect much difference between the scents of the washes in this range. 

A mini Cleansing Hand and Body Gel by Diptyque in the scent Eau de Sens was a very luxurious shower gel which had a classic Neroli spiked Cologne type fragrance. It was very refreshing to use and perfumed the whole of my bathroom but it is expensive - great for a gift, however.

I used up two body lotions. I found yet another Space NK Life Jump Start Body Lotion in a travel bag. This is fairly old but it was unopened so I went ahead, used it and it was perfectly fine. I've had many of these in the past, it's a lovely formula, thick yet easily absorbed, with a zingy citrus and mint fragrance. I'm 99% sure this is the last tube of these lotions that I have - but I've said that before...

I also used up a huge bottle of Vitabath Moisturising Lotion in the Original Spring Green fragrance. I bought this because its fresh pine scent reminds me very much of Fenjel which is one of my all-time favourite bath products. I loved how this smelled and I also liked the formula. It contains Aloe and feels gel-like and lightweight but it isn't sticky as some Aloe lotions can be. This was lovely and fresh, perfect for hot weather, especially nice to use after a day of being outside (although it is not an after sun cream as such).

I used yet another handbag sized tube of Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Cream. It's rare that there's not a month with one of these on my empties pile it seems - the formula is perfect and the size and packaging of these are ideal for popping in your handbag. This one had a soft powdery Iris scent that I liked. I also used a mini ByTerry Baume de Rose Hand Cream, this had a lovely texture and a soft rose fragrance but I felt that this was more of a fragranced self-care product rather than something that you would use if your hands were a bit battered!

Makeup and Perfume.

Once again there's an empty Chantecaille Just Skin in the shade Nude in my empties. I use roughly two of these a year as I wear it every day. It is simply the best tinted moisturiser I have ever used! The coverage is ample yet it looks very natural and glowy. It also has SPF 15 and I feel that it just generally helps with my skin's overall condition as well as its appearance.

It's rare that I finish a lipstick but when I do it's likely to be one by Lipstick Queen. This is one of their Sinner range in the shade Pinky Nude. It is a true MLBB shade for me and while it is quite pigmented, the formula of this is not drying even though it wears a little matte. It's great either by itself or under a gloss and it stays in place well. 

 Rodial Glamolash Mascara XXL had a deep black pigment and left my lashes looking naturally defined and volumised, it also stayed in place all day yet removed easily without any tugging. I liked this a lot, it reminded me of Chantecaille mascara, and just like the samples of those that I have had, the lid split after a while so that it dried up quickly. Urban Decay Troublemaker did everything a mascara should - thicker, longer, darker, more! But I found this tiny sample difficult to manipulate and this, coupled with one of those hard spiky plastic brushes that hurt like hell if you accidentally poke them in your eye meant that I only used this a couple of times.

I also used a sample of Lancome Le Base Pro Perfecting Primer. This clear gel had a silicone-like feel that I disliked but it did prolong the life of my makeup. It has great slip so you only need to use the tiniest amount, this 7ml tube lasted me for ages.

I used up five perfume vials. Two of them were Mon Guerlain EDP which reminds me a lot of Thierry Mugler Angel - strong and long-lasting, a little cloying, with a synthetic citrus like overtone and lavender and vanilla notes. I'm on the fence about Tom Ford Orchid Soleil. It is very well composed, a heady creamy white floral with a summery tropical beach feel and is warm and sexy but perhaps a bit too much so - it's very strong and a little too much 'in your face'. Byredo Rose Noir is a dirty, musky, woody, rose, with a sharp green spike to it. It isn't the type of rose that I would choose to wear but I do like it as a candle. Clean Reserve Warm Cotton is straight up aquatic fabric softener, not my type of thing at all. I only used this because I took it on a trip thinking it was Sel Santal and I had nothing else with me! 

Once again I'm pleased with how many things I managed to empty - it's always so satisfying to finish things up and it means that I get to open up something new!

All the Missing Girls.

Nicolette returns to her hometown ten years after the mysterious disappearance of her best friend Corinne. Within days of Nicolette's return Annaliese, another young woman, also mysteriously disappears. Are the disappearances connected? Is Nicolette involved in them? Or is everything coincidental?

All the Missing Girls is a tale of suspense. As the story is revealed we learn not only what happened to Annaliese but also what happened to Corinne ten years ago. After the initial 'setting of the scene' type introduction, the story is told in a reverse time sequence. It's an interesting plot device but I did find it a little confusing to follow the story backwards and it was only at the end of the book that I appreciated the telling of the story in this way. 

Aside from slowly revealing the story in reverse I have to say that I found very little that was surprising or original in the plot/story. I wasn't enamoured with the characters and although I could appreciate the monotony and smallness of small-town life I felt it was a point that was reiterated more than it needed to be. I didn't totally dislike this book but it failed to grip me and I thought the story lacked pace. It took me a long time to get through this book and I found a lot of it was filled with rather unnecessary wordy descriptions. 

Perhaps with a severe editing I would have liked it more, but overall this was a plodding read for me that sadly leaves me disinclined to pick up anything else by the author.

Boys Keep Swinging.

Boys Keep Swinging is the autobiography/memoir of Jake Shears who is the lead singer of The Scissor Sisters.

The first part of the story details his childhood in Arizona. The second part recounts his life as an adolescent in Seattle where he comes out as a gay man. In the remainder of the book, he talks about his life after college in NYC where he forms the Scissor Sisters and the success the band achieves.

I love biographies of rock stars, in fact, they are one of my favourite genres of books. And while I'm not a die-hard Scissor Sister fan I like them enough to have two of their albums and I once saw them live.  I was looking forward to reading this but I am left with conflicting feelings. I can't say that I disliked this book but the first two parts of it were slow going and took me some time to get through. Once the story moved to New York I enjoyed the book immensely as I love reading about places I know and I was familiar with the bars, clubs and restaurants mentioned.

I can't quite put my finger on it but there was something missing from this book for me. While Jake Shears was very candid about his sexual activities and drug taking I felt that he was holding back in other areas. He talked a little about his creative process, life in the band and on the road, but a lot of the time I felt that he merely scratched the surface without telling the reader the whole tale. There's a fair amount of name-dropping in the book but little in the way of specifics to explain why. 

Bafflingly the book ends in 2006 which I find odd for something that has been published this year. What's happened to Jake in the meantime? Are The Scissor Sisters still together? I honestly don't know the answers to these questions without googling them...I'm sorry to say that I finished this book thinking less of Jake than when I picked it up. I appreciate his candidness but I don't think he did himself any favours and he comes across as being very self-centred. 

If you're a fan of The Scissor Sisters you may want to pick this up, if you're not then I'd probably recommend you skip it.