Tag: Review

Brigid P. Gallagher’s Golden Chapter

‘If you enjoyed “Eat, Pray, Love-You will love this travel memoir!’

It’s exciting to be presenting the first Golden Chapter of 2019.  I challenged the lovely Jena to find something uplifting and appropriate for the start of a new year and she didn’t disappoint. I know you will find this choice intriguing.  The book is a wonderful ‘life-journey’ that teaches ‘first learn to love thyself’. ‘If you enjoyed “Eat, Pray, Love-You will love this travel memoir!’

I chose Brigid P. Gallagher’s book, Watching the Daisies– Life Lessons on the Importance of Slow from the Golden Handbag and now I’m “Feelin’ Groovy”. The opening Prologue and first chapter had me humming…

Slow down, you move too fast
You have to make the morning last…
 
Hello lamppost, what’cha knowing
I’ve come to watch your flowers growin’

Brigid invites you to live life slow and ‘love thyself’

Singer/Songwriter Paul Simon and Author Brigid Gallagher have something in common- the importance of SLOW. I don’t know about Paul Simon, but as I read the beginning of Watching the Daisies, I learned that Brigid Gallagher wasn’t always slow.

The book begins in 2012, where we meet a vibrant and radiant Brigid, dancing at a Tom Jones concert. (The author helpfully points out that Sir Tom is a legendary singer and sex bomb.) If this is the secret to healthy living, I’m all in!

We learn that the author “senses rainbows around everything, for she has been blessed with the gift of clairvoyance or clear seeing.” The prologue ends with this insight, “No matter how difficult your journey has been, you will find blessings on every corner.” (Or Lampost according to Paul Simon!)

The next section of the book is titled “Busy as a Bee”. And the first chapter in this section is, “The Kippen Girls”. This book is a first-person memoir and Author Gallagher shares her origin story in this part of the book. She grew up in a cozy family in a small town in mid-twentieth century Scotland, although she and her family frequently visited their extended family in Ireland. Charming stories of daily life and holiday activities make for pleasant reading. The first chapter ends with a family sadness, and also personal questions for Brigid as she grows up and leaves home.

What comes next, I wondered. I glanced at some of the chapter headings:

Life Can Turn on a Sixpence
Egypt
Slowing Down
India
Rome

How exciting and inspiring! I choose this book from the Golden Handbag because I wanted to be encouraged and uplifted as I started this new year of 2019. My personal hashtag is #StayGolden and this book will help guide me!

At the end of the book are Ten Tips for Self-Healing. Here are a few:

Have faith in a Higher Power
Appreciate every day and its gifts
Learn to be gentle with yourself
Find a JOYFUL form of exercise

Jena C Henry

Start your new year with this positive and golden read. Let’s talk about this book. If you have read it- we’d love to hear your comments. If you haven’t read it, we can discuss these questions:

  1. Would you like to learn more about clairvoyance?
  2. Do you have tips for living well?
  3. Are you “Feelin’ Groovy”?

Jena C. Henry  January 2, 2019

Meet Brigid the author of Watching the Daisies.

More about Brigid:

Brigid P. Gallagher aspired to becoming a doctor but God had other plans! She spent thirteen years in the life assurance industry, including Actuarial and Life Underwriting departments, before following her heart and training as a Natural Medicines therapist. Brigid trained in colour and crystal healing, aromatherapy, reflexology, nutritional medicine, flower essences, electro-crystal healing, radionics and E.F.T or Emotional Freedom Technique. She practised and taught Natural Medicines for 20 years, teaching at Stirling University’s Open Studies and Summer Schools from 1993 to 1999, setting up the Scottish School of Holistic Healing plus a therapy centre and shop in Stirling, Scotland. In 1999, she relocated to Donegal, Ireland the home of her ancestors. Four years later, she succumbed to a mystery illness which was eventually diagnosed as fibromyalgia and possible rheumatoid arthritis. Stopping the world for 2 years, forced Brigid to reassess her life, and thus she began retraining in Organic Horticulture. She taught this subject in schools part time until early 2016. Her garden was featured in the Donegal Garden Trail in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Brigid continues her lifelong passion for gardening, singing and writing in her new life of SLOW.

 

Please see all Jena’s Golden Chapters and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

Maybe Baby by Carol Thomas

Maybe Baby is ‘as frothy and delicious as a cappuccino’ Reviewer

It’s been a while since the last Golden Chapter feature, so we wanted something fun. Jena is presenting a delicious contemporary romance novel by Carol Thomas.  This is a light-hearted holiday read. A reviewer deemed Maybe Baby to be ‘as frothy and delicious as a cappuccino’. Unable to resist a delicious read, Jena took a sip the first chapter.

Full of love, true friendship and humour.

What an adorable book cover for Maybe Baby. I like the cute and confident young woman posing in the pretty countryside. And, did you spot the cat?

The strapline for this book is: Full of love, true friendship and humour.

Well, let’s take a look at this second book in the Lisa Blake series. Here’s the start of the book blurb.

Best friends Lisa and Felicity think – maybe, just maybe – they finally have everything sorted out in their lives.

Lisa is in a happy relationship with her old flame, and busy mum Felicity has managed to reignite the passion with her husband, Pete, after a romantic getaway.

But when Lisa walks in on…?

And Felicity is left reeling…”

Now for my review. I cut off the blurb before it got to the “but when” part, as I only read the first chapter, and the “but when” begins a few chapters later. Let’s look at Chapter One.

Are you ready to run with Carol’s characters and see if anyone collides with love?

We meet Lisa and Felicity, out for an early morning run along the promenade. As many of us know, it’s one thing to get psyched and plan to exercise more, it’s another thing to do it on a chilly morning. But having a friend helps. Felicity has called this “getting fit over thirty” and Lisa is game, even though she ends up with a blister.

“It’s good isn’t?” encourages Felicity. “The state we’re in now, that’s not good, but the fact that we’re out of the house, taking on a challenge and trying something new.”

Lisa agrees, although she’d rather stop for a fry-up. As they head to their car after the run, Lisa lets it slip that she might be a teeny bit concerned about the new women who is renting the vacant flat in her boyfriend Nathan’s property..

And so, the “But when” begins…

Chapter One is only about nine pages on my iPad, but the author has given us a fun and meaningful entrée in to the story. I liked Lisa and Felicity right from the start. They are presented in the third-person. Although this is the second book in the series, the bits of backstory are easily woven in.

We are treated to plenty of “show”, and little “tell”. I was right there, panting and stumbling on the promenade with Lisa and Felicity as they ran. I also wanted the fry-up, even though Felicity wanted a healthier choice. And I began to get those butterflies in my stomach, too, when Lisa worried about the text from Nathan.

I especially liked the part where Lisa thought about why she had gone on the early morning run with Felicity. Lisa decided that she wanted to step up and be a good friend to Felicity once again.

What a pleasant start to a contemporary romance- two good friends, trying to be their best, and then comes the boyfriend news and as the first chapter concludes it seems we are getting to the “but when”…

What will it be I wondered- “but when Lisa finds Nathan with…?” Or “but when Lisa realizes that it’s going to be harder than she thought to help Felicity?…”

I’m ready to run with Lisa and Felicity and find out more. (and at some point, will there be a “maybe baby”?)

Readers, if you have read this book, please let us know what you thought or share your review in the comments section. If you haven’t read the book yet, let’s chat about the first chapter of Maybe Baby in the comments. Here’s what I’d like to start with.

  1. Do you like Contemporary romances?
  2. Do you like to read a book series?
  3. What about the title? “Maybe Baby” -are we talking about a real baby?

Many thanks to author Carol Thomas for sending me the first chapter. And as always, applause and best wishes to Jessie Cahalin for featuring these Golden Chapter Reviews as part of her Handbag Gallery and for her continued support and friendship of book lovers!

More about Carol Thomas

Meet Carol Thomas. Her contemporary romance novels, have relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads.

Carol writes for both adults and children: Her contemporary romance novels, have relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads; while her children’s books have irresistibly cute, generally furry characters young children can relate to.

Carol Thomas lives on the south coast of England with her husband, four children and lively young Labrador. She was a kindergarten supervisor and elementary school teacher for over fifteen years, prior to dedicating more of her time to writing. Carol is a regular volunteer at her local Cancer Research UK shop. She has a passion for reading, writing and people watching and can often be found loitering in local cafes working on her next book.

Jena C Henry, April, 2019

Take a break and read more about Jena’s reading recommendation

It is always a pleasure to present Jena’s fabulous Golden Chapters.  When you are packing for your holiday, don’t forget to grab Maybe Baby and enjoy a fun read.

Please see all the Golden Chapters and also my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.

A copy of my novel is available here.