Catherine Isaac

I have a terrible habit of choosing a book because of its front cover and then start reading it without having any idea what the story is actually about. This happened with "The World at My Feet". The cover was so pretty and I was instantly drawn to it and after borrowing it, started reading.

From the cover, I was expecting a lighthearted, sweet read but in reality, this novel was about a young woman struggling with acrophobia. Ellie was a keen gardener and social influencer but found it almost impossible to step outside her front gate. Her garden was her sanctuary and she didn't want to leave.

"The World at My Feet" was a compelling read. I was heartbroken for Ellie from the start and as I gradually learned about her past, this feeling only intensified. Her panic attacks, crippling anxiety and tendency to catastrophise events were realistically portrayed. Learning about the conditions in Romanian orphanages during the 1990s after the revolution was horrific. No child should have to live like that!

However, the novel had many lighthearted moments thanks to Gertie, Lucy, Oscar and Jamie. Overall, a fabulous read.… (plus d'informations)

Don't you love it when a book takes you completely by surprise? Usually when I see a cover design for a book with a butterfly and flowers on the front, it usually indicates the novel isn't going to be for me. I received an unsolicited copy of The World At My Feet by Catherine Isaac from the publisher back in January and it sat on my 'maybe' pile for a few months before I decided to give it a go. Boy was I wrong, I loved this!

Ellie is a social media influencer and avid gardener suffering from agoraphobia. Living in a granny flat behind her parent's home in the English countryside, she makes a living from her sponsored gardening posts on her highly successful Instagram account EnglishCountryGardenista.

I was interested to get to the root cause of Ellie's agoraphobia and when I did, I found I was fascinated by the topic and spent a few nights Googling post-revolution Romania. I remember the shocking footage that emerged in the 1990s showing the terrible living conditions within the orphanages in Romania and it was interesting to explore in this novel what might become of a child raised there.

Offsetting this dark beginning to Ellie's life, her gardening career was a sheer delight to read about and despite not having a green thumb, I really enjoyed following her around the garden and reading her Instagram posts in the book. Those hashtags were a great touch! And the dialogue between Ellie and young Oscar really warmed my heart.

Ellie's struggle to work through her agoraphobia reminded me a little of Amy in Everything Is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray; another case of 'don't judge a book by its cover just because it has flowers on it'. Lesson learned? Maybe not, but these books were definitely two exceptions to my 'rule' this year and both were impressive five star reads.

The World At My Feet by Catherine Isaac was a terrifically enjoyable contemporary novel with moments of character insight and inspiration and I was willing Ellie through as she lost her way and dusted herself off again.

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *… (plus d'informations)

I dove into You, Me Everything expecting a breezy, predictable romance novel about a single mom burying the past and looking ahead to the future. Instead, this novel unfolds unrealized truths and dark histories among its protagonist and her family, creating a layered and heartbreaking read that surprised me and surpassed my expectations of this story.

You can read my full review here: rel="nofollow" target="_top">https://discover.hubpages.com/literature/Book-Review-You-Me-Everything-by-Cather...… (plus d'informations)