Six weeks off screen entertainment has indeed been good for my 'to read pile'. I recently received Her Mother's Secret from my reviewing wishlist. I picked up the book about 8pm one night and closed it at 11.20pm. (Which is a late night but not too bad for a a full novel).
The novel follows the life of Leonora from her chemist shop in 1918 England through to New York driven by her desire to produce make-up for women and to challenge the traditional views of the time towards women who wore makeup.
The narrative flows well and there are a good range of characters, some thwarted lovers, crushes and betrayals... all the elements that make up the frustration and joy that is 'chic lit'. There are also societal expectations, etiquette and ladies on the prowl for a rich bachelor. And some great dresses!
I enjoyed reading this, it's a nice read on the couch with a cup of tea and chocolate kind of book. There are some good female protagonists and it's always good to get a look into periods of history and how they impacted the people who lived in them.
The book is very strong on the knowing the 'one' as soon as you meet them and has some sex scenes, neither of which I'm much of a fan of. I'm happy to read these kind of novels for what they are and I assume (hopefully correctly) that people realise there's much more to life and amazing relationships that an electrical tingle the first time you lock eyes. Those wee gripes aside I did really enjoy my evening reading this one and I'd be happy to read further books by Natasha Lester.
Perfect for escaping into another time in history with fabulous clothes, love and plenty of women characters and some good looking bachelors thrown in for good measure.
Details - Her Mother's Secret, by Natasha Lester. Hachette NZ, 28th March 2017. RRP $34.99 also available as an ebook.
love you more than a fabulous lipstick xxx
