Minnie's Fiction Addiction

👀 First impressions:
Kristin Harmel has carved out a space for herself as a writer of emotional, historically grounded novels, often set during or after World War II. The Road Home continues in that tradition, weaving together themes of family, loss, resilience, and love. From the very first chapter, I was pulled into the emotional gravity of the story. Harmel’s writing is accessible yet evocative, creating characters that feel instantly real and situations that feel both intimate and historically rich. The title itself hints at a journey not just of place, but of heart, and that’s exactly what unfolds.

✅ What I Liked:
Harmel is a master of writing characters you immediately care for, and in The Road Home that emotional connection is at the forefront. The relationships between characters are beautifully rendered, whether it’s the bonds of family or the fragile hope of new love. What stood out most was the exploration of resilience in the face of unimaginable hardship, Harmel writes about survival not just in terms of physical endurance, but also emotional strength and the will to keep going when everything seems lost.

I also appreciated the historical detail, which grounds the story without ever overwhelming it. You can tell Harmel has done her research, but she uses it to enrich the characters’ journeys rather than drown the reader in facts. The pacing is strong, moving between heartbreak and hope in a way that keeps you invested.

❎ What I didn’t Like:
There were moments where the narrative leaned a little heavily into sentimentality. While I enjoy Harmel’s emotional style, a few passages felt slightly over-explained, as if the novel didn’t fully trust the reader to feel the weight of the moment without extra nudging. Some plot turns were also predictable, especially if you’ve read a lot of historical fiction in this vein, which softened the impact of certain reveals.

📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
If you enjoy historical fiction that balances heartache with hope, The Road Home will be right up your street. Fans of authors like Pam Jenoff, Martha Hall Kelly, or Kristin Hannah will feel at home here. It’s a story that reminds us of the strength of love and memory even in the darkest of times, and Harmel’s writing makes it deeply accessible for anyone who loves character-driven storytelling.

💭 Final Thoughts:
The Road Home is a touching and heartfelt novel that reminds us of the importance of resilience, hope, and the bonds that carry us through. While it sometimes edges toward predictability, the strength of Harmel’s characters and the beauty of her prose more than make up for it. This is the kind of book that lingers, not just for its historical setting, but for the emotional truths it carries.

🛍️ Where to buy
To buy your own copy click HERE

Final Rating ★★★★ – Poignant, heartfelt, and beautifully told

👀 First impressions:
Beth O’Leary has carved out a niche for herself as one of the queens of the modern romcom, and whenever she has a new release, I’m curious to see how she’ll twist familiar tropes into something fresh. Swept Away promised both romance and chaos, which is very much in O’Leary’s wheelhouse. Going in, I was expecting witty banter, heartfelt moments, and her trademark blend of light comedy with more serious undertones.

✅ What I Liked:
There’s no denying O’Leary’s knack for creating endearing main characters. The leads here are flawed but likable, and their chemistry works well, especially in the sharper, funny exchanges. I also enjoyed the themes running beneath the romance: self-discovery, learning to be vulnerable, and how love often arrives when life feels its most chaotic. The setting itself adds charm, and O’Leary’s writing is warm and easy to slip into.

❎ What I didn’t Like:
The novel felt uneven. Some of the plot relied heavily on contrived misunderstandings and coincidences, which at times pulled me out of the story. The pacing also stumbled, moments that should have been emotionally powerful were rushed, while some comedic detours dragged on longer than needed. A few side characters bordered on caricature, which lessened the impact of their roles in the story.

📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
If you enjoy O’Leary’s style, romance mixed with chaos, humor, and a touch of emotional depth, you’ll still find plenty to enjoy here. It’s a breezy, escapist read, perfect for fans of modern romcoms who don’t mind suspending disbelief to enjoy the ride.

💭 Final Thoughts:
Swept Away is a fun, lighthearted romance with flashes of O’Leary’s trademark charm, but it didn’t reach the heights of her strongest novels for me. It has moments of wit and warmth, but also stretches of predictability and uneven storytelling. A pleasant read, but not one that will linger with me for long.

🛍️ Where to buy
To buy your own copy click HERE

Final Rating ★★★ – Charming but inconsistent

👀 First impressions:
From the opening pages, The Unconsoled plunges you into a disorienting, dreamlike world where nothing quite makes sense. The protagonist, Ryder, a renowned pianist, arrives in an unnamed European city for a performance, but the narrative quickly dissolves into surreal encounters, impossible geography, and time that bends in inexplicable ways. It feels like being trapped in someone else’s anxiety dream, deliberately unsettling and profoundly strange.

✅ What I Liked:
Ishiguro’s ambition here is undeniable. The dream logic creates an atmosphere of persistent unease that’s genuinely haunting. The way he captures the feeling of being perpetually behind, overwhelmed by others’ expectations, and unable to fulfill basic obligations resonates on a psychological level. There are moments of dark humor in the absurdity, and the novel’s exploration of artistic responsibility, memory, and emotional disconnection is thought-provoking. For readers willing to surrender to its strange rhythms, it offers a uniquely immersive, almost hypnotic experience. The writing itself remains characteristically elegant, even as the narrative spirals into chaos.

❎ What I didn’t Like:
This is one of the most challenging books I’ve read. At over 500 pages, the repetitive, circular conversations and lack of forward momentum test your patience relentlessly. Ryder is a frustratingly passive, self-absorbed protagonist who stumbles through endless interruptions without agency or self-awareness. The dreamlike structure means there’s no conventional plot resolution or satisfying payoff—it simply ends without closure. The Kafkaesque absurdity that some find brilliant, others will find maddening. I found myself irritated by the constant derailments and the emotional distance from every character. This is experimental fiction at its most uncompromising, which means it often prioritizes atmosphere and psychological texture over readability.

📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
You should read The Unconsoled if you’re drawn to experimental, avant-garde literature and enjoy authors like Kafka or Beckett. If you appreciate novels that capture psychological states rather than tell conventional stories, this might be for you. It’s a bold departure from Ishiguro’s other work and shows his range as a writer. However, I’d strongly advise against this as your first Ishiguro novel—try The Remains of the Day or Never Let Me Go first. This is for readers who want to be challenged, who don’t mind frustration as part of the reading experience, and who value ambitious artistic experiments even when they’re not entirely successful.

💭 Final Thoughts:
The Unconsoled is genuinely divisive, even devoted Ishiguro fans are split between considering it his masterpiece or his weakest work. I land somewhere in the middle: I respect what Ishiguro was attempting and found passages genuinely affecting, but the experience was often more exhausting than rewarding. It’s a book I’m glad I read, but I can’t say I enjoyed reading it. If you’re curious about literary experimentation and have the patience for a long, strange journey that may not lead anywhere satisfying, give it a try. Just know what you’re getting into, this is less a novel and more an extended meditation on anxiety, failure, and the impossibility of meeting expectations, rendered as a waking nightmare.

🛍️ Where to buy
To buy your own copy click HERE

Final Rating ★★★ – Ambitiously frustrating, a nightmare rendered with elegant prose

👀 First impressions:
Beneath a Scarlet Sky is based on the extraordinary true story of Pino Lella, a young Italian who becomes involved in the resistance during World War II. I was drawn to this book because it promised to explore a part of history we don’t often see in fiction, the Italian perspective of the war. First published in 2017, it became a bestseller thanks to word of mouth, book clubs, and its blend of history and human drama. From the opening pages, it’s clear that this is not only a story of survival but also of courage, sacrifice, and the quiet heroism of ordinary people.

✅ What I Liked:
The strongest part of the novel is its subject matter. Pino’s journey, from helping Jews escape across the Alps, to becoming the driver for a Nazi general, reads like something from a film, yet it’s rooted in fact. I appreciated how Sullivan highlighted the bravery of a teenager forced to make impossible choices in the face of unimaginable danger. The descriptions of Italy’s landscapes—the mountains, the ruined cities, the everyday lives disrupted by war—were vivid and cinematic. It’s also a deeply emotional read; Pino’s love story with Anna added a tender thread of humanity amidst the brutality of war.

❎ What I didn’t Like:
At times, the writing itself felt uneven. The story is so remarkable that it sometimes outshines the prose, which can veer into clunky or straightforward rather than lyrical. Some of the dialogue didn’t always feel natural, and occasionally I wanted more depth to the characters beyond their actions. Still, the sheer power of Pino’s story carried me through.

📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
If you enjoy historical fiction that sheds light on lesser-known aspects of World War II, this is a must-read. It’s the kind of story that makes you pause and wonder why we haven’t heard more about heroes like Pino. Fans of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah or All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr will find much to admire here.

💭 Final Thoughts:
Beneath a Scarlet Sky is one of those novels where the true story is so compelling, it almost doesn’t matter if the writing style isn’t perfect. It reminded me that even in the darkest times, acts of bravery and love can shine through. I came away moved, informed, and with a greater appreciation of a forgotten corner of history.

🛍️ Where to buy
To buy your own copy click HERE of HERE

Final Rating ★★★★ –

👀 First impressions:
Thrown by Sara Cox is her debut novel, a charming slice of life set around a pottery class in a small northern town. I’ve been listening to Sara on the radio for years, her warmth and humour have always made her one of my favourites, and I was curious to see how that translated onto the page. She also presents a book show on the BBC, so it felt natural that she’d eventually bring her love of stories into her own writing. From the very first chapter, it almost felt like I could hear her voice in my head narrating the story, with the same wit and friendliness she brings to the airwaves. The novel follows four very different women, Becky, Sheila, Jameela, and Connie, who come together through a local pottery class. What begins as a tentative gathering of strangers quickly becomes a tale of friendship, secrets, and second chances.

✅ What I Liked:
.I loved how Cox captured the quiet bravery of ordinary lives. Each woman has her own struggles. grief, loneliness, family pressures, and yet the pottery class becomes a safe place where they can find connection. The banter felt authentic, full of Northern wit, and the descriptions of the pottery process were surprisingly soothing to read. There’s a real sense of community that shines through, and I found myself rooting for every character in their own way.

❎ What I didn’t Like:
While I enjoyed each woman’s story, some threads felt stronger than others. A couple of characters had beautifully drawn arcs that really pulled me in, while others felt a little underexplored by comparison. It’s the kind of novel that shines in its group moments, but occasionally I wished for more time with the quieter voices in the mix.

📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
If you like cosy, character-driven fiction in the vein of Joanna Cannon or Beth O’Leary, this book will be right up your street. It’s not just about pottery, it’s about friendship, healing, and finding joy in unexpected places. This would be a great comfort read, especially if you want something heartwarming without being too saccharine.

💭 Final Thoughts:
Thrown is a lovely debut that feels grounded in real life but still manages to offer a bit of escapism. Cox has a talent for writing characters you’d happily sit and have a cup of tea with. As someone who has listened to her on the radio for years, it was a real treat to feel her voice and humour come through on the page, it made the book feel that much more personal.

🛍️ Where to buy
To buy your own copy click HERE

Final Rating ★★★★ – A warm, witty, and comforting debut that celebrates friendship and community.