Review for The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain

Synopsis
'I don't know how to tell you what I did.' The unfinished letter is the only clue Tara and Emerson have to the reason behind Noelle's suicide. Everything they knew about Noelle - her calling as a midwife, her passion for causes, her love for her family - described a woman who embraced life. But they didn't know everything. Because the unaddressed letter reveals a terrible secret...and a legacy of guilt that changes everything they thought they knew about the woman who delivered their children. A legacy that will irrevocably change their own lives - and the life of a desperate stranger - forever.

The Midwifes Confession is my first book by Diane Chamberlain, despite being tempted by her previous books I’d never actually picked one up. However upon reading the intriguing sounding synopsis and seeing the Jodi Picoult guarantee (Picoult being my favourite author) I knew I just had to give this book a shot.

I have to admit that it took me a little while to get into the story. It takes a few chapters for Chamberlain to set the story up and despite being intrigued to where she was taking us I was a little bored at the beginning. However I picked this up again the next day and as soon as I hit around the 150 page mark I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. Seriously, I read the rest of The Midwifes Confession right then and there in one sitting. And me struggling with the beginning was totally worth getting through for the rest of this amazing book.

As soon as we start delving in to Noelle’s mysterious past and find out how events link in with the other women in this story The Midwifes Confession quickly becomes a riveting mystery that can indeed stand proudly next to Jodi Picoult’s finest work. There’s definitely a lot of similarity between the authors with their epic family sagas. If you enjoy novels about families going through real life heart wrenching problems with plenty of twists and turns along the way this is the book for you. Diane Chamberlain definitely has a little something to offer everybody with motherhood and lifelong female friendships that will appeal to women, the teen angst and relationship drama that’s going on with their daughters Grace and Jenny which teens will identify with and there’s even a fast paced plot with a hearty dollop of mystery to satisfy male readers.

Whilst I loved all of these aspects about the book I think what I enjoyed most was the emotion that Diane Chamberlain writes with. The chapters are told alternately between each character and whilst reading from each woman’s point of view I could really connect with them and feel what they were going through. Diane Chamberlain explores human nature and why certain thoughts and feelings can lead people to do the most unspeakable things. Diane perfectly maps out each characters thought process making them feel very vivid and human.

This book kept me on my toes right up till the very end with a shocking twist that completely surprised me. Chamberlain weaves a lifetimes worth of lies, hurt and betrayal all surrounding one woman’s actions who has ultimately had an epic affect on every character mentioned in this story. Even though Noelle is dead and gone in this book she still remains a very potent character and I loved getting inside her head and uncovering her secrets.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Midwifes Confession and am already on the lookout for more of Diane’s novels. If you’re looking for a book that will make you think and keep you up late reading The Midwifes Confession is the book for you and Diane Chamberlain an author to watch.
My Rating 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis taken from Amazon

Thanks go to Mira for sending this book for review

1st Blogoversary Giveaway! A Choice from My Favourite Books

Hello readers!

Today marks the start of Jess Hearts Books! I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for a year, in some ways it feels like its forever been a part of my life in others I still feel like such a newbie with a lot to learn! I feel really proud of all that I’ve accomplished in a year and surprised that my little blog which I started on a bored whim has been going for a year and how much I’ve actually fallen in love with writing about books and the blogging community. Today I wanted to celebrate by giving a little something back to my readers who have followed me and make this all worthwhile, and what better way I thought than to giveaway a book of your choice from my favourite and most recommended books? Here’s a list of all the books up for grabs and all the important details to enter. I hope you enjoy this giveaway and there’s a little something for everyone. Happy birthday little blog! And here’s to another great year ahead!

WIN...

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Gorgeous historical fiction, my favourite book of last year!

Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal 

Beautiful coming of age story about a girl getting over her first love.

Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse 

One of the funniest, feel good books I've ever read. I defy anyone not to laugh out loud when reading this one!

Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway 

An old favourite of mine, perfect contemporary, music lovers will love this one!

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness 

Stunning novel about a young boy coming to terms with his mothers cancer. Powerful and moving you'll need tissues for this one!

Flawless by Lara Chapman 

Cute contemporary about body image and accepting who you are

Swim the Fly by Don Calame

Hilarious summer read about three mischievous boys, fans of John Green will love this!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner 

I'm a big fan of dystopian books and this ones one of my favourites. If you love The Hunger Games you'll love this.

Clarity by Kim Harrington

A kooky, original story with a kick ass heroine.

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon 

A different kind of Paranormal Romance, looking for something fresh and original? Look no further.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I think everyone and their mothers read this book but I had to throw it in because its so freaking fantastic!

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

A recent read of mine, very different and very romantic with hugely likable characters.

Rules
* Open Internationally (wherever The Book Depository ships please make sure they ship to your country before entering) there will be 1 UK winner and 1 international winner
* Followers of this blog only (Winners will be checked up on via google name)
* Contest ends Friday 8th July
* Two winners will be chosen by random.org
* The winners will be contacted via e-mail, and will be given 1 week to respond. Otherwise, a new winner will be drawn

All you have to do to enter is leave me a comment stating which book you would like to win, your country and your email address so I can contact you if you win. Good luck! :D

This Giveaway is now CLOSED and winners have been announced here. Please do not enter as it will not be counted.

Review for Passion by Lauren Kate

This is the third book in the Fallen series. Although this review will contain NO spoilers from Passion by talking about the plot there may be unintentional spoilers from the first two books in the series.

Synopsis
""Every single lifetime, I'll choose you. Just as you have chosen me. Forever."

Luce would die for Daniel. And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . .

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever."

Passion is the highly anticipated third book in the Fallen series and let me tell you it certainly lives up to its name! Passion for me is the most romantic book of the series so far. Luce spends the entire book travelling from announcer to announcer going back in time through her past lives. Ever since finding out about Luce and Daniels previous lives together I’ve wanted to go back and see what they were like then and Passion gives readers the chance to do that.

Luce’s past lives fascinated me and I loved going on this race against time with Luce to try and break her and Daniels curse. Seeing a love span out across thousands of years makes for some very romantic reading and Luce and Daniel relight the flame they had in Fallen that dwindled into a lot of arguments and insecurities in Torment. It was great to have Luce and Daniel’s epic love story back on track with Passion and if anything Luce learning for herself about their love in past lives and the curse that bounds them makes them stronger than ever.

However it has to be said that I did get a little bored at some points whilst reading this book. With Luce diving into the past nothing is really happening during the present tense not really pushing the story forward and without the present breaking it up and the appearance of characters like Arriane and Shelby we’ve come to know and love the story gets pretty intense and repetitive with Luce going back in time and each lifetime having the same outcome. Some of Luce’s past lives were super interesting and provided a lot of food for thought on Luce and Daniels relationship but others not so much. They were just there because they needed to be and didn’t really add much to the story making the whole do over thing a little slow going at times.

That being said Passion seems to be very much a bridge book taking us from the events in the first two books to the last book Rapture. Passion needs to happen to tie together Torment and Rapture so whilst it may not be the most compelling book of the series fans need to read it in order to get some answers and to be in the know for the potential awesome that Lauren has set up in final book Rapture. Passion is the book that ties up loose ends and shows us the exit to the end making it a very important book that’s not to be missed.

As always Lauren Kate’s writing is haunting and beautiful. In Passion fans of the series will get to find out the answers we’ve all been craving about the curse and Luce’s reincarnations. Luce and Daniel’s love is put to the ultimate test making for some very tender scenes between our star-crossed couple. Whilst Passion might not be my favourite book in the series there’s no denying that it’s an important one and I absolutely can’t wait to see how Lauren ends things in Rapture.
My Rating 3.5/5 stars

Synopsis taken from goodreads
Thanks go to Random House for sending me this book to review

Book Thoughts: Forgotten and Die for Me

Because I receive a lot of books for review I’ve found lately that I don’t always have time to review on my blog all of the books that I purchase myself like I used to. I like to try and mix reviews with meme’s and other posts to keep things fresh and because I need to review the books that I get sent to me I’ve been finding that my purchased books have been getting left behind.


I want to offer you guys a range of reviews from different publishers and I don’t want my blog to be one big promotion. I want to share with you guys my thoughts on the books that I buy too and so I’ve come up with book thoughts! Instead of a full on lengthy review, every so often when I’ve read 2 or 3 books I bought myself I want to group them together and write a brief book thought on each book just to let you guys know my opinion and if it’s worth a read just like I would in a review, just in less detail!


I hope you enjoy this new series and I would love some feedback on if this is helpful to you or if you’d rather I just stick with my usual reviews and review my bought books as and when I can. I haven’t included a synopsis for now just because I don’t want them to be too long however if you’d like to see one for each book in future book thoughts let me know in the comments :-)

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Forgotten reminded me a lot of a “The Time Travellers Wife” for teens. It’s about this girl called London who’s just like me or you but here’s the deal, London knows what’s going to happen in the future but she remembers nothing about her past- nada- not even what she had for dinner the night before. So when she falls in love with perfect, lovable, Luke she’s devastated that she doesn’t know him in her future. Meaning she won’t BE with him in the future. But she loves him today and she never wants to forget how much.

This book has a real contemporary feel to it than that of a paranormal book. London lives in our world and is a normal girl except for her unique ability. There’s nothing paranormal about this book at all and so I found it very original and different to any other YA books out there. I loved the characters; London’s a very likeable, funny, teenage voice. And I loved her sweet and tender relationship with Luke. I defy any girl NOT to fall in love with Luke as every day he gets London to fall in love with him all over again. This book was quirky, fun and a complete breath of fresh air to read.
4 stars.

Die For Me by Amy Plum

Books set in Paris seem to be a big trend in YA right now and I’ve got to say I am loving it! A paranormal romance set in the most romantic city in the world? Err yes please! Amy Plum creates a beautiful backdrop for this story. Whether it’s with Kate sitting in a French cafe reading a book or Kate and Vincent taking a romantic boat trip on the river Seine *swoons* Amy Plum uses Paris to her advantage to capture some really magical, romantic moments that girls are going to go crazy for.

Our main character Kate is a big reader and I definitely connected to her as our heroine. I love Amy Plum’s brand new paranormal creature the Revenants and loved learning their “rules.” Amy creates a whole too believable world and a fantastic cast of vibrant, colourful characters to fill it up with. I loved this escapist, paranormal love story and can’t wait for book 2.
4 stars.

Random Ramblings 3: My Top 10 Bookish Peeves and Loves

Hi guys I haven’t posted in over a week because my pups been ill. He’s had to have an operation and since then I’ve been keeping a very close eye on him! He’s on the mend now but just as he’s started to get better I’ve been struck down with a cold! I really wanted to do a post today but my brains not quite functioning well enough to write a review so I’ve decided to do a fun random rambling on 10 of my book related peeves and loves, I hope you enjoy them!

Peeves
1.) Brand new damaged/dirty books. I don’t know how many of you have experienced this but I HATE it when I go into a bookshop to buy a book and there’s one copy left and it’s really dirty. Sometimes there can be a big crack down the spine where somebody’s opened it or the bottom of the pages can be dirty thanks to dusty shelves. When I’m paying for a brand new copy I like it to look just that- brand new! When there’s a gross looking book left over and I REALLY want the book I can get pretty mad.

2.) People talking to me when I read. I hate when people try to strike up a conversation when I’m trying to read my book. Okay so some people read as a pass time because there’s nothing better to do but I’m NOT the kind of person who’ll put their book down when “something better comes up” or someone comes along to talk to.

3.) People who tell other people what or how they should be reading. I’m a big believer in letting people read what they want to read without shame and I really hate it when people try to push books on to other people telling them that’s what they SHOULD be reading. I also hate it when people get onto others about having e-readers or dog earring pages. I personally like to keep my books as neat as possible but if I see somebody dog ear their own books it doesn’t make me cringe like it does some people. I don’t care HOW people read I just care that they read.

4.) Gross second hand books. See above. I’m talking suspicious stains, bound together by tape books. No matter how cheap the deal I just cannot do it *shrugs* personal preference.

5.) Book sellers who know nothing about the books their selling. You know the kind. Ask them for a recommendation and they point you straight towards the charts and bestsellers no matter what books you say you like.

6.) People who smoke whilst borrowing your books. I have nothing against smokers but smoking whilst reading a borrowed book is horrible. Ruins the lovely bookish smell AND makes the pages yellow.

7.) Book snobs. You know the kind of people who make it their mission to read every classic ever written and indulge in obscure literature. I don’t mind if that’s what people enjoy reading in fact I’m all for it but I hate when people turn their noses up at those who don’t read or enjoy the fancy pants stuff.

8.) Mothers/fathers who let their children run riot in bookshops and libraries throwing books everywhere and STANDING on them! I’m all for kids enjoying themselves looking for a new book and deeply encourage it but some kids really push the boundaries on having fun and making the place look like an earthquake hit.

9.) Covers that change! There’s nothing that I hate more than when your half way through a series and the publishers decide to give the covers a makeover.

10.) Series that go on forever. I’m talking 8 books or over, I mean really do we need that many? I’m looking at you Gossip Girl, Morganville Vampires, House of Night and Pretty Little Liars!


Loves
1.) Bookmarks! I’m a huge lover and collector of bookmarks. You’ll never see me cram a bit of paper in to mark my book I even select the bookmark I’m going to use based on the book. I really like it when they match. For instance right now I’m reading Die For Me by Amy Plum and I’m using an I love Paris bookmark.

2.) New book smell. I love the smell of books with a passion.

3.) Relaxing with a book. Reading is definitely my favourite way to unwind. There’s nothing I enjoy more than getting a drink be that glass of wine/ hot chocolate/ diet coke and running a bubble bath/snuggling up in bed/ laying out on the grass and getting lost in someone else’s story.

4.) The anticipation of a new release you’ve been pining for. Whether you receive the book early for review or go to the bookstore and buy it on its release date nothing beats that feeling of holding a book you desperately want and have waited ages for in your hands for the first time.

5.) Talking about books. Especially now that I’m part of the blogosphere there’s nothing I love more than a good book discussion with blogger pals on twitter!

6.) Spreading the book love. I love doing giveaways or swapping or lending my books especially when I have read and loved the book I can’t wait to share the experience with somebody else.

7.) My Kindle. I never thought I would be but I’m a big fan of my kindle, I find it easier to read on there and always enjoy downloading the cheap/free books off Amazon!

8.) This brings me on to my next love cheap books. Whether there from a charity shop, second hand shop, Amazon or special offer in a book shop nothing beats those book bargains!

9.) The feeling after you’ve just closed a really great book where you feel content and happy and the story’s still going through your mind.

10.) Lastly it has to be books themselves. Although I love my kindle nothing for me beats the smells and feel of a book. I love the pretty covers and having them on my bookshelf so I can look and see how many books I’ve read. Books themselves are so special and I treasure every single one of mine :)

So those are just a few of some of my top bookish peeves and loves. Do any of them make your top 10’s? Are there any you think I’ve missed out? I’d love to hear them! Feel free to drop me a comment with some of your own loves and peeves :-)