For the first time (I think ever), I am going to write a book review on a blog.
Cross Stitching is the third book from Welsh author Holly Pritchard (formerly Holly Stockport), and is a departure from the Melanie Winters universe (the subject of her first two novels).
Here, we meet some brand new characters. Isabelle is the heroine of this novel, having being blindsided by her parents’ divorce, she is undergoing therapy sessions that appear to be doing more harm than good, leaving her at her lowest. This is when she happens upon a mysterious world quite by accident and meets Erin, who the author describes as “a bubbly girl under a shy surface that has demons of her own”. Erin is wrestling with her own demons, and as Isabelle gets to know Erin and this world, she starts to learn some of the secrets of Erin’s past threatening to tear them apart.
So now that I’ve paraphrased the blurb, what do I think of this LGBT romance novel? Holly has a cosy writing style that has been honed over the course of her first two novels and I am delighted to see is present throughout this novel. It seems that the characters are never more than five minutes away from a steaming hot mug of tea, and the banality of real life made cozy by the author. That said, as you progress through the story, you will experience the strange world that Erin inhabits through Isabelle’s eyes as it reveals itself layer by layer, becoming more sinister as it does.
The structure of this book lends itself well to being easy to read, and once you start you will want to keep reading; something highlighted by the fact that I am currently up at 4:55AM writing this blog post after having read my copy.
All I can say is this: I have a great many thoughts on Cross Stitching, and could spend quite some time discussing the narrative and plot devices it uses. If I did that, I would be spoiling it all for you all, but what I can say is that I believe that if you’re looking for something new, exciting and thought-provoking to read, you should definitely pick up a copy.What I will say is that it proves that the Author has gone from strength to strength in her writing career and it shows in this book.
I’d like to thank Holly Pritchard for the pre-release copy of this book I recieved. I very much enjoyed reading it.