It’s an absolute pleasure to be kicking off the blog tour for Believe In Me by Susan Lewis today. My thanks go to the publishers for the opportunity to take part in the blog tour and share my review.
Leanne and her teenage daughter Abby have recently been forced to move from London back to Kesterley-on-Sea, to Ash Morley Farm where Leanne grew up. Leanne’s husband Jack, Abby’s father, killed himself over a year ago, and the pair are still reeling from the shock waves caused by the tragedy.
Also living at Ash Morley farm is Leanne’s mother Wilkie, who is a rock for everyone, and family friend Klaudia and her two children. Klaudia has to face the backlash of xenophobic feeling post the Brexit vote, and is on tenterhooks to hear whether she and her children will be sent home to Poland.
Hoping to move forward and mend the wounds her family has suffered, Leanne decides to foster a child. And when she’s told that Daniel’s father is in prison for murder, she hardly bats an eyelid. But as Daniel becomes integrated into the family, Leanne starts asking herself questions about his father’s conviction. Is he really guilty? With the help of friend and ex detective Andee Lawrence, Leanne sets out to right the wrongs of the past.
Believe in Me will be published January 25th and is available to pre-order now – Amazon UK
MY THOUGHTS
Leanne and her daughter Abby haven’t had an easy time, Leanne’s husband, Abby’s Dad Jack, committed suicide and struggling mother and daughter have moved to Ash Morley Farm where Leanne grew up. Leanne’s mum Wilkie stays at Ash Morley too and is a fantastic character. Also staying there is Klaudia and her two children, Klaudia having originally come from Poland is having to wait to see if she will be permitted to stay in the country while facing the backlash of xenophobic feeling post the Brexit vote.
Straight away I fell in love with the setting of Ash Morley Farm, a cosy family hub where everyone has their own space but never needs to feel alone. Obviously this would only work if everyone gets on and thankfully nearly everyone does.
Leanne and Abby have a tense relationship, Abby carries a lot of anger which is understandable considering her Dad has committed suicide, she’s been moved away from where she grew up and has had to leave behind all her friends. There’s also a bit of jealousy towards the relationship her Mum and older sibling Kate have. Although Kate has a different Dad and is living in America, Abby can’t help feeling jealous. Leanne is trying her best for Abby but Abby being a typical teenager isn’t making things easy at all.
I have to say the character that stood out for me was Wilkie, she’s everybody’s friend and the heart and soul at Ash Morley. She’s not afraid to stand up for what she believes in, even if it might get her into a wee bit of trouble from time to time. She’s very passionate about her causes and she just seemed to shine and jump straight off the pages.
Although Believe in Me does tackle some difficult issues it’s a very easy book to read. It’s written so beautifully that you just seem to slip inside the story and get washed away. It’s a story that really gets under your skin and isn’t easy to put down. It focuses on so many subjects like, family, loss, love, trust with added suspense and mystery. It really is an all-rounder that I think will appeal to many.
This is the first book I have read by Susan Lewis and one thing that really struck me about the book was that I felt like I could have been reading a real life story. It all just felt so realistic and easy to picture in my mind as I was reading, like a film going through my head.
After finishing the book I had to go and look up other books by the same author and was surprised to see Susan Lewis is the author of thirty-eight novels, why have I not come across them before? I honestly thoroughly enjoyed Believe in Me so much its a must that I catch up with some of the others.
Believe in Me is a fantastically compelling story that will sweep you up and drop you right in the middle of Ash Morley Farm. The Daily Mail say’s its spellbinding and I think I’d have to agree.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Lewis is the bestselling author of thirty-eight novels. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol. She lives in Gloucestershire.
For further information about Susan Lewis visit – www.susanlewis.com
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