The Mermaid - Christina Henry

When I bought this book a couple of months ago, I hadn't realised that it was a book that had sat on my TBR list for a few years. That's when you know a book is going to be right for you!

As part of my effort to work my way through my physical TBR, I picked it up for the bank holiday and immediately got lost in the history of P T Barnum and his museum of curiosities.

Unlike the masses, I wasn't quite as hooked on The Greatest Showman when it came out; whilst I appreciate the film and everything it encompassed, it was a classic case of Hollywood putting a positive spin on an otherwise dark history.

The Mermaid tells the story of a mermaid who choses to join Barnums exhibition so she can fund her dreams to see the world.

Adding a fantasy element to the Fiji Mermaid hoax that Barnum was the ringleader of, the story approaches a number of subjects tactfully. Firstly, the Mermaid, Amelia, is not always allowed the freedom she signed up for and the religious zealots of the time use her existence as a platform.

"A bird in a cage still knows it's in a cage, even if the bars are made of gold,"

Set in 19th century America, this was never going to be a truly happy story but it is one that draws you in and leaves you feeling that the ending is a fair one.

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Christmas At The Island Hotel - Jenny Colgan

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times - for me, snuggling down with a Jenny Colgan book is like a hug from an old friend. And Christmas At The Island Hotel is no exception. Now, this is part of a series in the way that it follows a family of characters for their fourth installment, however as always, this works perfectly as a standalone book. Fintan, grieving the loss of his partner, has been left to open The Rock - the hotel on the island of Mure. Suddenly, this born and bred farmer needs to source a kitchen team to maintain the legacy of his late partner. And now he has a French chef that no one else wants, working in his kitchen. Konstantin, Norwegian party boy and all round spoilt brat, has been cast out by his Dad and has to learn how to be self sufficient. He finds himself on the remote island of Mure, halfway between Scotland and Norway, with no money, no friends and no idea how to chop an onion, As always, Jenny expertly weaves the lives of the characters togeth

This Time Next Year - Sophie Cousens

I wanted a wholesome New Years based read to finish 2022 with, and This Time Next Year delivered! I originally added this to my list back at the beginning of 2021 and I found it on Apple Books for just £3.99 so decided to go all in. Minnie and Quinn were both born on the 1st January 1990. Born in the same hospital, to strangers, they meet again on the morning of their 30th birthday after an eventful New Years Eve. This book reminded me a lot of One Day - the way the story is laid out - flashbacks to New Years Eves of years gone by, showed where each of the characters were at the varying points of their lives. With interwoven stories throughout the years, the two begin a friendship that neither of them quite have the time or inclination for. This was the perfect cosy read for the end of the year and I sped through it in one evening.

Barbarian Lover - Ruby Dixon

If someone told me 6 months ago that I'd be using Blue Alien smut as a palette cleanser between my books.. I probably would have laughed at them. But that's apparently the BookTok curse. Once again, I found myself diving into the world of Ruby Dixon's sci-fi romance series and this time we were following Kara's story. Once again, this is a FUN series. The format is similar in all of them, so it's not groundbreaking writing or literary fiction but it's good natured, easy to read and there's plenty of big blue alien d*ck.

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