Tuesday 14 February 2017

Book Review - The Corner Shop of Whispers by Debbie Viggiano

Amazon UK
Title:  The Corner Shop of Whispers
Author: Debbie Viggiano
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Author supplied review copy
Publisher: Gingersnap Books
Publication Date: 14th February 2017
Rating: 4.5 Stars


Romantic Florrie, scatty Daisy and snobby Alison are neighbours, living their married lives in the tiny English village of Lower Amblegate where everyone knows everybody. Together the three friends share laughter, tears, and things they wouldn’t want anybody else knowing. But unbeknownst to them, a scandal is brewing. 

As rumours circulate, the gossips go into overdrive, rocking marriages and revealing the women have much more in common than just neighbourly bonds…

The Corner Shop of Whispers is such an apt title, it took me a while to fully twig why the book was called that, but once I did, it made complete and utter sense.

Having never read a book by Debbie Viggiano before, I really had no idea what to expect from this book. 


What I read though was an entertaining story, where the main theme appeared to be infidelity - causing, coping with, seeing others taking part in, and generally discovered what a hot bed of scandal there is in the little village of Lower Amblegate. 

Friends and neighbours, Florrie, Daisy and Alison are all quite different but are all living in a cul-de-sac, and they tend to get together for coffee mornings. Florrie is married to Marcus and each morning they embarrass Alison with an over the top display of affection on their doorstep. Alison meanwhile is scared her husband Henry is cheating on her, whereas Daisy and Tom are a lot more laidback, to the extent that most mornings Daisy doesn't change from her pajamas! 

What I loved as although it started as quite a gentle sort of story, around mid way through the scandal and drama elements start to really ramp up, as you get to know everyone, leaving me gasping, as new revelations are revealed, although what is true and what is a rumour is another matter altogether. 

In fact there are some simply brilliant rumours floating around Lower Amblegate, some a lot more outrageous than the others. Daisy although she seems like the gentlest of the three ladies is definitely my favourite, and she has a big mouth at times which can get her into trouble, but otherwise just made me laugh. 

Whereas Alison seeks to become friends with the upper classes and seems to look down on her neighbours most of the time, despite them being her closest real friends. Florrie though was a lovely person, and there is at least one hugely dramatic scene involving her, which had me on the edge of my seat. 

I'm currently regretting not having read a book by the author before this, despite having bought a few in the past. I will definitely need to rectify that in the future, as I really like the way Debbie Viggiano told this story, her sense of humour and just how the characters came across. The Corner Shop of Whispers was for me a fabulous introduction to this lovely author's style and it certainly won't be my last! 

Thank you so much to Debbie Viggiano for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...