I found this book a bit difficult to follow because I wasn't sure, until the end, who Queenie was. The story follows Tilda's story and her childhood story as Tilly. The theme explores the complex relationship between mothers and daughter. Lots of descriptive writing but I preferred Ruth Hogan's other books which are worth a read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Yet another delight from the BRILLIANT Ruth Hogan. If you liked her first two books you'll love this one too.

A quirky read but quite engaging and compelling. Written from a child's perspective (Tilly) and her later adult self. (Tilda). Tilly has a somewhat unconventional upbringing and is able to see both alive and dead people equally and is unable to distinguish between them, and sometimes throughout the book, the reader is also left wondering too. Tilly, as is common with a lot of young children, mishears and misunderstands words which is quite delightful and adds a touch of humour to the whole story.

She had an extremely complex relationship with her mother and it is only after her mother's death she finds out, by reading diaries, the other side of her bizarre childhood. The characters are wonderfully depicted and Tilly's/Tilda's relationship with them. There is an undercurrent of Tilda's modern life and the character's within who keep her grounded.

I have enjoyed Ruth Hogan's previous books and they always make the reader wonder where the story is going. This latest offering is a perfect mix of fun with a touch darkness and all the jigsaw pieces fitting together perfectly at the end. I look forward to reading more from this author.

A quirky, warm and uplifting book with a charm of its own

Tilly is an chameleon child, funny and loving but needing her rituals to keep her safe from her unstable mother. She also sees dead people (and a dog). Queenie Malone's Hotel is where she spent a few brief, idyllic months, the best time of her life.

Grown up Tilda, grieving for her mother, is hidebound by her rituals and reclusive until she meets cafe owner Daniel and begins to fall for him. Through her mother's diaries, she also begins to see her childhood in a different light and understand both her troubled mother and herself.

An enchanting, whimsical book, full of humour and hope after bereavement. Tilly's childhood voice is vivid and really draws you in. Her adult voice changes from frightened and withdrawn to more amusing and confident as her life changes for the better. If you enjoyed Ruth's previous books, The Keeper of Lost Things and The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, you'll love this.

This book is told from two perspectives: one is the adult Tilda who is dealing with her mother’s death and the other is the seven year old Tilly. The main part of the story is Tilda struggling to understand why her mother sent her to boarding school and whether or not she had loved her, The answers are found in her mother’s diaries and the portrait of a woman struggling with mental illness, love and mistakes is written well. You feel very sorry for her. As with other stories by the author, finding out the truth brings Tilda some healing and the ability to start living a fuller life. I enjoyed this but not as much as the two previous books. Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy.

Delightful magical realism to sink into. Ruth Hogan is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors. She can weave a very special tale with elements of the supernatural but rounded, believable characters who matter. It is the salted caramel cheesecake of books, but beware of a tear at the end.

I read and loved Hogan's first book The Keeper Of Lost Things. It was an impressive and uplifting story. I was a bit disappointed by her second book, being on the depressive side.
I can say this book is in the middle. It has its difficulties in the story. But, also it had brightness to it. So, probably I'll say it's my second favourite.
I like Hogan's writing a lot. It attracts you to her characters. It's very compelling story. There's a complex mother-daughter relationship. I liked discovering and reading about them.
If you liked her previous books, for sure you'll like this too.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I tend to like books that are a bit different and this one ticks the boxes. It's quirky and strange and bizarre and compelling all at once, an easy yet thought provoking read centred around a complex mother and daughter relationship. If you liked Ruth Horgan's previous books I think you'll enjoy this one as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for ARC for review purposes.

For me, this was a book of two halves. I found the first half a bit like wading through thick mud, tough going, but by the second half, was eager to keep reading. The story is told by Tilly, or her older self: Tilda and I enjoyed the fact that she could see ghosts, but found it hard to work out who was alive or dead in the story. The first half seemed to jump around a bit and I was relieved to get further into the story, where the narrative settled down a bit.
There are larger than life characters in the story, some alive and some dead (I think) who consciously add to the tale Tilly is telling, but there is also a lot left out. We learn of her troubled mother, constantly battling with her mental health and the heart of the story is how Tilda learns that even though she didn’t think it at the time, her mother loved her and make decisions, even bad ones, based on that. We are told Tilly hated her mother because she sent her away from the only place Tilly knew true happiness, but don’t find out any more about that, or what happened to her whilst she was away. This is a pivotal point in the story and just seems to be skipped over.
This is my second Ruth Hogan and I don’t think I’ll rush to read the one I’ve missed, it will go towards the bottom of my ever growing pile of books to be read.
#Queeniemalone’sparadisehotel #netgalley

#QueenieMalone’sParadiseHotel

I have read all of Ruth Hogan’s books and this is my favourite one so far. Ruth is so skilled at creating characters you care about. I was thoroughly absorbed in Tilda/Tilly’s world and I read the book in 24 hours. It’s such a moving book, focusing on a complicated mother/daughter relationship. I recommend this to everyone!

A moving, gripping novel about the complicated relationship between mothers and daughters.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

Ruth Hogan hits the spot again !!!
I have read all of Ruth's books and they are like cosy jumpers and mugs of cocoa on a cold winter's afternoon - just a perfect read. I did find the reading slightly confusion at the start because on a Kindle Paperwhite there is no differentiation between when Tilly is the centre of attention and when it changes to her older self, but I soon got the hang of it. The patchwork of characters is like a Beryl Cook painting brought to life - everybody can recognise someone they know ! Ruth's attention to quintessential life is remarkable and as an escape from the current trials and tribulations we all face this book will make you smile. I was sad when it finished. Looking forward to the next one !

Prior to this book I had never heard of this author. This is a wonderful/beautiful book.
It takes you completely by surprise in some parts. You certainly go through many emotions.
Thank you to both NetGalley and john Murray Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

It’s difficult to know where to start with this review. If you’d asked me half way through the book what I thought I’d say I don’t like it, it’s not my kind of book. Had I bought the book and not chosen to request an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley, I quite possibly might have given up at 50% of the way through and if I’m totally honest it didn’t really completely capture my interest until I was about 75% of the way through. Having said that, the last part of the book was brilliant, I loved the last bit, bringing the whole story to a very poignant ending. I would have missed out on so much had I given up on it.

And that’s the key, taking to a book is a very personal thing, as has often been said before, it would be a boring world of we all liked and disliked the same things. I read other reviews and every reader seemed to love it. So why didn’t I like it? Most likely my lack of patience, wondering at what point the Paradise Hotel was ever going to make itself known and wondering when Tilly might end up at the Boarding school that prevented me from enjoying it sooner. However, good things come to those who wait and eventually all is revealed, but the build up and the background is equally important in the grand scheme of things.

The author’s writing is so good at creating atmosphere. I think this is why I didn’t really like the first half. I felt it was dark and depressing, a black cloud of disappointment, grief and a desire for life to be different hung over the story for a good part of it. The scene was set well too, I got the impression from many clues that Tilly’s childhood spanned over the late 60’s to early 70’s. I don’t recall any era’s being specifically mentioned but Bob Monkeyhouse (haha, that made me giggle) at the London Palladium and other things helped to set the time period.

Things lightened considerably once Tilly and her Mum took up residence in the Paradise Hotel. They were both so happy and settled there and it showed. I liked all the characters in this part of the story and Tilly was funny. Again the author does a brilliant job of capturing how a 7 year old thinks, how they get names wrong and see everything very much in black and white. They accept everything as it’s presented and haven’t developed any judgemental traits. Tilly often reminded me of my 5 year old grand-daughter.

As time moved on and I came to the last part I really started to enjoy the book. There was much more dialogue, more characters and everything was gradually revealed, almost like getting to the last pieces of a particularly difficult jigsaw and finally seeing where those elusive pieces fit in.

In the end I really enjoyed it and am so glad I stuck with it.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have read and enjoyed all this authors books and this one did not disappoint. I absolutely fell in love with Tilly

Having loved Ruth Hogan's debut novel The Keeper of Lost Things I jumped at the opportunity to read and review Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel. I hoped that it would have a modicum of the magic of her debut novel, so I was pleasantly surprised that it contains bucket-loads of magic.

The story follows a mother/daughter relationship between Grace and her daughter Tilly aged 6, and interspersed with that in this dual timeline story, Tilly's adult self, Tilda, dealing with her mother's things following the death of her mother, as she tries to understand why her childhood went so badly wrong.  Tilly/Tilda, throughout her life, is joined by a dog, Eli, which only she can see.

The book, which is set in Brighton, is particularly atmospheric, and you can almost feel the wind on your face, and smell the fish and chips wrapped in paper.  The descriptions of Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel are sheer perfection to the point that you can visualise the hotel, aspidistras and all, as well as Queenie herself!

The book is primarily about the complexities of mother/daughter relationships, but it is also about forgiveness, and understanding, and the comprehension that the impression we have of the past as a child may actually be distorted.  I loved the journey that Tilda takes as an adult, learning about her childhood and her mother, via her mother's diaries.  Nothing was quite what it seemed.

All in all, this book, like The Keeper of Lost Things, is one of my favourite reads of the year. 

Many thanks to Netgalley and John Murray Press for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I never read any other book by this author so this came as a wonderful surprise.
The book is well written, moving and heartwarming at same time.
You cannot help feeling for the characters and you want that the story never ends.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

"It was a mystery, like a clue in a Famous Five story, but Tilly had a horrible feeling that this one was not going to end up with smiles all round, a slap-up tea, and a biscuit for Timmy.

This is my first Ruth Hogan novel, and it won't be my last. She enticed me with her opening line alone:
"My mother killed my father when I was seven years old. Now, thirty-nine years later, she is dead too, and I am an orphan."

Her way with words is as magical as a fairy godmother, the pages are her spells, and the reader receives what magic has been cast when reading her words.

In terms of plot, there's really not much of one. Instead the author explores the relationship between Tilly and her mother, with a strong theme of mental health alongside. The reader is taken on the journey of Tilly's childhood, Tilda's adulthood and the reasons why her upbringing went so awry. It wasn't exciting, but it was emotional. In fact, one scene in this book was described as "emotional armageddon" and I think that's a perfect description for the entire novel.

I found each character complex and moving, with a huge dollop of sparkling individuality. Although, I did find it a little difficult to find my footing when I first began reading this book, it was unclear to me if the character was relevant and how they connected to the story, because each character was so original and beautifully described that it seemed such a red flag for the author to put in so much effort into the creation of each of these fictional beings, and not have them in a bigger, main role within the story. Admittedly, I was having to dip in and out of the novel at first because of real life responsibilities, which, by the way, I wouldn't recommend - setting down this novel or indulging in obligatory duties.
"He nods and smiles and chats to his customers as he glides easily through the intricate patterns woven by social interactions, balancing plates and cups and saucers like a circus juggling act on ice skates. I'm more like the clown with too-big shoes, who gets squirted in the fact with water from the fake flower."

As each perception alternated, so did the prose. The author decided to write Tilda's point of view in first person, whereas have Tilly in mostly third, but sometimes first. This gave me readers whiplash. And made me uneasy. Which is why this wasn't a five star for me. Although the writing was poignant, resoundful, and utterly soulful, I couldn't seem to settle in.

However; thankfully I did find that it started to come together at the halfway mark. I realised that the first half is clearly just to engage with the reader whilst the second half guides the readers into gingerly exploring a fraught relationship between mother and daughter. So after rubbing my whiplashed neck, I began to see a storyline emerging. The storyline I saw emerging wasn't the 'big picture', though; with the allusions to Daniel, I thought the writing would take a more romantic approach, similar to Truths and Triumps of Grace Atherton , instead it leaned more towards Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine , but it also stood out on it's own merit with an impressive sheer originality. Even though the story didn't take the romance route, there's enough adorable intimacy within the writing to make me want to melt into the novel myself.
"He grabs me by both arms and kisses me passionately on the lips. It's not exactly Love Actually, but it's a start. Of course, if this was a film, there would have been a spontaneous round of applause from the customers in the cafe at this point, but in real life, there's a rather embarrassed and very English hush, followed by one of the old ladies remarking, 'That's all very well, but when's he going to take our order?'"
In fact, the talent Ruth Hogan has for writing makes me want to bawl my eyes out, it's so instantly compelling and has such a whimsical quality to it, as well as a depth that could challenge an onion with the amount of layers it holds.

I also have to applaud the delicate recurring theme of mental illness that held a sturdy place in the story. I found it extremely moving and I think that the author approached a difficult subject in a respectful way. Letting the mental health issues grow important whilst describing such inner anguish in a plaintive and graceful way.
"They have put me in the asylum. Stevie and that bloody doctor. I'm not myself, apparently. Well, I pity the poor sod that I am. I'm so tired. I'm too tired to be anyone, let alone myself."
I found this book to be an incredible emotional roller coaster, I'm not sure I knew what was going on at every height and drop, but I enjoyed the ride.

Thank you to the publisher Two Roads and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is outing number three for Ruth Hogan and I felt that it returned a little more to the glory of The Keeepr of Lost things. Whilst I enjoyed The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, I did feel that it was missing some of the magic. But here told through two perspectives, Tilly and Tilda the magic is restored.

The setting for much of this book is Brighton and Ruth Hogan does a brilliant job of imaginging being by the see and feeling the wind whipping through your hair. It's atmospheric and is the perfect setting for the strange and wonderful things that unfurl through the book.

I liked this booked because it was fundamentally about relationships, and about learning to look at situations with new eyes, and accepting that how we think we knew the past may only be from a single perspective and therefore flawed. There were parts that I chuckled out loud during this book, and the beauty in the depth of characters was wonderful.

That's not to say it was perfect, at times I felt it was stomping a bit, that I didn't really see where it was going, and that I wanted more. At times I was a bit lost as well, with who was who and were they really just a <spoiler> ghost </spoiler>.

I'd recommend anyone to read this though, it's about forgiveness and learning the grow and the sacrifices that we're willing to make for those we love.

What a beautiful story.

Tilda's mother has passed away, and Tilda is left to sort out her house and belongings. With the discovery of her mother's diary, Tilda is able to piece together her own story, the childhood of Tilly, and how her father was killed.

Tilly's childhood was lived out at Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel, inhabited by a wealth of loveable and eccentric characters. All the characters in this story are splendid, and I cared deeply for them - from Tilly's amusing misunderstandings and the things she sees, to the eccentric sometime 'Anita Iceberg', Eli the dog, Daniel the cafe owner, and Queenie.

Love runs through this story where nothing is quite as it seems. Heartwarming and easy to read, highly recommended.