‘A WINTER MEMORY’ BY LULU TAYLOR

  

I’ve been a fan of Lulu Taylor ever since OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE came out in 2012. I’ve read a couple of other things by her, which I enjoyed just as much. But, color me clueless, I seemed to have forgotten to blog about them. Not very cool on my part, I must say. Well, things are about to change, for I intend on focusing more on this woman’s work, starting with her latest, A WINTER MEMORY which NetGalley and the Pan publishers graciously offered in exchanged for this unbiased review.

 

A WINTER MEMORY is all about the character of Sylla and her whereabouts. That’s more or less how the novel starts. Sylla has disappeared god-knows-where and it’s up to her sister-in-law Helen, who has recently moved with her husband into his family home, to discover what the heck happened to her. This eventually brings to the forefront secrets and lies that will eventually change the course of everyone’s lives. And in another time period there is the story of Tigs who, as much as she tries to hold back her feelings, still yearns for the man she believes that got away. As luck would have it, she eventually ends up being right back into his life. Will the circumstances be different this time around?

 

Well, let me say this, time passed by so quickly while reading this first-person narrative story, I almost didn’t want it to end. Lulu Taylor weaves a wonderful tale of love and loss and brings together different strong story lines that will stay in my mind for a very long time. Beside a couple of plot twists that I wasn’t expecting (which is always a good thing), the story highlights a couple of characters that are well-developed but not necessarily always likable (which is another good thing). The prose is tight, and the lavish setting, mostly in and around Scotland, is breathtaking. All in all, the perfect book to cozying up with during those long winter months.  

 

A WINTER MEMORY is now available wherever books or eBooks are sold.

 

Until next post—Martin 

 

 

‘OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE’ BY LULU TAYLOR

Many months ago, after a hectic year reviewing books for NetGalley, I decided that my blog should re-focus solely on ‘80s trash. It seemed the safest way to go since I found myself completely way over my head. However, something unexpected happened later on, something that made me rethink the whole situation: my fervent addiction to more current releases. Yes, despite my profound love for books of yesteryear my sudden attraction to anything newer had made a topsy-turvy out of the whole blog thing. But what is safe to say, however, is that what started as a total devotion to vintage trash has now evolved to anything goes. So to continue on in the same league, expect the unexpected in 2018, dear readers. What you’ll see may be older or it may be newer—but it’ll strike your fancy just as much as it’ll strike mine. At least I hope it will. This brings me to this week’s title, OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE from bestselling author Lulu Taylor. This one comes directly from my pile but it’s a more recent release (2012, Arrow), one that could easily have been from NetGalley.  

Let just say right away that OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE reads exactly like a ‘80s novel. It has glitz and glam written all over it. There are two central characters. One is from a posh family whose vast wealth is mostly invested in hotels and villas. She is daddy’s favorite among two other half-siblings who despise her; the other is from the lowest class imaginable. Party seems to be her middle name as she can’t help herself boozing-up and doing drugs in between striping performances in seedy joints. As you can imagine both women have nothing in common and will never cross path. Or so you think. In a space of 600 plus pages divided into four parts their lives will intertwine to the point of having to reinvent themselves just to survive. I don’t want to give anything away but let’s just say that their ways to fulfillment include lies, heartaches, double-dealings, cringe-worthy confrontations but most importantly late in the plot girl bonding. And that’s what makes this novel a cut above, the way the author manages to patiently flesh-out her two heroines before coming to their inevitable get together. In other words, all the right ingredients to make OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE a glittery treat.  

Lulu Taylor is no amateur. She’s been at the writing game for quite some time now. This particular title is her fourth novel—with secondary characters from her previous three—and you can feel the confidence in her delivery. Sure, the narrative could have been a tad richer and some of the plot twists are less impressive than others, but the overall effect is quite enjoyable, as are the prerequisite romantic affairs of her main protagonists. If you’re on the look-out for an easy but still impressive offering Miss Taylor definitely is the author for you. She may barely reinvent anything with this Cinderella take of making it with or without daddy’s money but the dedication with which she serves her dish makes OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE a very fine novel indeed.

You can still catch OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE wherever books are sold.  

Until next post—Martin