What I've been reading in June

 I was looking forward to starting a new book after last month's disappointment and the book club choice for June sounded more my 'cup of tea'.

The book is The Love of my Life by Rosie Walsh.

Leo writes obituaries for a newspaper and is married to Emma who is a marine biologist.  Newspapers often keep a stock of obituaries of well known people so that in case of a sudden death, the majority of research has been done and they can go to print almost immediately.  Emma is well respected in her area of expertise and has been a popular presenter on various media outlets, so when she is diagnosed with a serious illness, Leo begins to compile the obituary that he hopes he will not have to publish.  It is almost a coping mechanism to deal with making sure that her life is well documented.

However, as Leo delves into Emma's past he is shocked to discover that she is not the person he thought she was.  The past that she has shared with him seems to be built on a complete pack of lies.

While Leo is desperately trying to make sense of what he is learning, Emma realises that the stitches of the story she has told him are gradually unravelling.  She loves Leo and their daughter Ruby with a passion, and knows that she has to find a way to prove to him that she is the person that he fell in love with while begging his forgiveness for the fact that she has lied to him from the moment they met.  How can she save their relationship and regain his trust if she tells him the truth about her life before they met?

The chapters of the book alternate between the point of view of Leo and Emma and it is interesting to see how the curiosity of Leo is peaking at the same time that Emma realises that her lies may be becoming unpicked.  This was a 'just one more chapter before I turn off the light' book!

I enjoyed this book - it deals with some very emotional subjects and at the end you realise exactly she took such drastic action when she found herself in an impossible situation.  The pain and fear of being discovered that she had suffered every day since they met was immense.  

I didn't recommend that you should read the books I read in May, but thankfully the first of the June books kept me engrossed.

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I originally saw my next book on Gail's blog.  The Impulse Purchase by Veronica Henry.  

We first meet Cherry, Maggie and Rose - mother, daughter and granddaughter - at the retirement party for Cherry's husband.  Approaching her 70s, Cherry is pondering how  life is going to change when he finishes work and they have so much free time ahead of themselves to do what they want. After accidentally walking into a room and thinking she sees her husband in a 'too close for comfort' situation with an ex-student of his, she begins to wonder if the retirement they had planned may not pan out as she thought.

The following day she goes back to the village where she grew up; the family house has been sold following the death of her mother and she wants to return for one last look before she hands back the keys. While in the village she notices that the local pub is up for sale and ... I think you can guess what the 'Impulse Purchase' in the title of the book refers to!  

This was a lovely, easy read.  I could visualise the pub and the lovely community spirit of the village - it would be a great place to live!  We learn about the challenges that each of the women in the family are living with although I had a feeling all the way through that this would be a 'happy ever after' kind of book.  Veronica Henry has a very easy to read style and if you are looking for a light, feel good book, then this one fits the bill.

So that was June's reading list.  I have a couple of 'proper' paperback books on my shelf for the next month, it will be nice to have a book in my hands rather than my kindle for a change.