Madame Burova by Ruth Hogan

One of the main themes in this book is secrets, some good, some bad, some which should be kept and some which need to be brought out into the open. The book centres around two main timeframes 1973 and the present. In 1973 we are introduced to a range of characters, some of whom are in the same extended family, who are all tied together by the local Larkins holiday camp. The actions of these characters in 1973, have an impact on the present day. The characters in this book are well described and likeable - you want to be part of this group, meeting in the cafe and on the pier, sharing their day to day lives . The main protagonist Madam Burova stays with us throughout the book, her sense of pride in her Romany heritage and her underlying integrity ensures that some secrets are best kept, whilst she never tells a lie. The other main theme is that of discrimination, we have characters, who are dealing with racism and sexism, in a time when these traits were accepted in society. This book was a delightful read, it had a thread of mystery throughout it and when secrets are finally revealed, you feel a sense of peace and it brings the story to a natural end, and for some of our characters a new beginning.

Madame Burova is a ‘Tarot Reader, Palmist, Clairvoyant’ in the seaside town of Brighton, she has recently retired, but is having second thoughts and Billie lives in London, is at a crossroads in her life, having recently lost her father who she gave up her job to nurse and has just discovered that she was abandoned as a baby and adopted.

Billie and Madam Burova’s lives gradually entwine as Madam Burova is the one person who has some knowledge about Billie’s past, but this comes with its own challenges and secrets that will definitely ruffle ling calm waters.

The story is told in parallel time streams alternates between two parallel streams, the 1970s describing the events leading up to Billie’s birth and the present day, where Billie spends time with Madam Burova in Brighton trying to understand the mystery of her past and to perhaps make a new start.

This story itself is told in a gentle and engaging way, with snippets of the past coming forth from all directions, and there are a number of characters including MI5 Clive, who are handled with a subtle touch.

Fortune telling is accepted as the central theme around which the story revolves, and it’s easy to discern the characters morality in the tale.

The book is gentle, easy, good comfort reading, there are no huge dramas and as I’m not feeling very well at the moment, was the perfect read for me.

What a lovely book. I devoured this.
The story flits between the early seventies and the present day.
In 1970s Brighton, Imelda Burova is taking over the reins from her Mother on their Tarot/Clairvoyant/Fortune telling business as she has the gift. At the same time Jeanie has left school and is starting her first job, Treasure is having problems at school and Ruby has started a new job at Larkins, the local holiday camp.
In the present day, Billie has just said goodbye to her childhood home following the death of her father. She is sent something that rocks her foundations and causes her to question her entire life. In order to make sense of it, she heads to Brighton.
As the story progresses we are told both stories and meet lots of interesting people along the way. As expected, the stories come together to make sense of the past and the present.

5⭐
Beautiful book, great novel!
The story evolves around two main characters, Madame Burova and Billie, and a number of secondary, but not less engaging ones.
Imelda Burova is a tarot reader who in 1972 takes over from her mother Shunty Mae to run their sea front booth in Brighton and also starts to work at the local holiday park, getting to meet a lot of interesting people.
Billie is an almost 50 years old woman who, when her father dies, finds out to be a "foundling" .
The story is a dual time-line narration between early 70s and present days, full of wonderfully depicted characters (my personal favourite Clive) who you can't but fall in love with (or despise in certain cases).
Through the plot, with its twists and turns, we get to know the truth about Billie's past and who her real parents are. The main theme is love in all its variations, but other themes are also debated (racism and inappropriate sexual behavior towards women in workplaces).
I really enjoyed this beautiful book, so much that I didn't want it to end!

Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#madameburova #NetGalley

Another lovely book by Ruth Hogan!

I liked how the story moved between 1970s and present day Brighton. It was an intriguing story and I loved the fascinating cast of characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for a review.

Another wonderful Ruth Hogan novel I enjoyed from the beginning.Full of lovely characters a story that kept me turning the pages.Will be recommending.#netgalley #johnmurraypress

Ruth Hogan is very good at creating good, engaging characters, and with this, her latest book, she has succeeded in that once again.
There are two central characters in this story, obviously Madame, Imelda, Burova. A tarot reader, palmist, clairvoyant and keeper of secrets since 1972 when she took over from her Romany mother, Shunty Mae on Brighton’s sea front. The second is Billie who discovers in adulthood after the death of her much beloved parents that she is a ‘foundling’.
The story is a dual timeline, told between 1972 and the present day, as the plot twists and turns as we learn the truth about Billie’s parentage.
There are lots of characters introduced quite quickly but once you get to grips with who, what, why, the storytelling comes into its own and the threads all tie together nicely to reach a lovely, but not necessarily predictable conclusion.
There are a lot of themes; mainly about love in it’s different guises, there is racism in the 1970’s, and there are also some casual sexual inappropriate advances from a very hands-on manager at the holiday camp. Billie’s mystery is central to the storyline and brings all the themes together really well. Billie finds herself and her voice through this journey of self-discovery.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book once I’d established the cast of characters. I love the connections between the past and the present and how it all plays out, you think you have worked it out, only to be wrong footed and made to think again.
I would whole heartedly recommend this book, and the setting is just perfect. 5 stars from me.
Thank you to John Murray Press and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Loved this one! So easy to read and lots of twists and turns along the way. Definitely a quick read and one I recommend.

Set in the early 1970s and present day, this follows the lives and intrigues of some interesting characters. Imelda, the Madame Burova of the title, is a clairvoyant and Tarot reader and the story starts with her retiring fr9m her booth on Brighton front. She has a couple of things she needs to do to fulfil promises she made over the years.

This is a lovely story, easy to read and easy to fall in love with some of the characters. Imelda is a strong, moral and honest person who you long to meet, She links the stories of the rest of the cast beautifully and makes the reader really feel for them in this book, which brings back the feel of life in the 70s so well. It wasnt a perfect time but it was an exciting time to live through, despite all the negatives. I loved MI5 Clive, felt for Jeannie and Treasure and loved Billies end result. And who doesn’t love a Borzoi. I read this book so quickly, it just drew me in from the first page. Loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Another enjoyable read from Ruth Hogan mainly set in two eras, 1973 and the present day. Certainly a nostalgic visit back to the early 70s . A gentle read which slowly unfolds at a believable pace with many delightful characters, especially MI5 Clive. A few unexpected twists and turns but nothing too startling as everything slots into place as most people only know part of the story. Definitely a warmhearted book to escape with

Ruth Hogan has created a fabulous cast of characters for this story set mostly in 1970's and contemporary Brighton. Most of these characters are lovely sympathetic people who are not without their flaws. Many of them suffer prejudice due to their race, class, appearance or gender. There are also a few less likeable characters and some super intelligent dogs. This is a quick and pleasant read where the lives of the various characters intertwine as long hidden secrets are brought to light. The main settings are Madame Burova's fortune telling booth on Brighton Pier, a homely cafe next door and Larkins' Holiday Camp. The author captures the atmosphere of such a holiday camp wonderfully with its hard working staff and repulsive manager. Kindness and genersoty of spirit are always what wins out in this easy and enjoyable novel.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for a complimentary ARC of this title in return for an honest review.

Madame Burova by Ruth Hogan

Madame Burova is retiring from her booth on Brighton seafront where she has been a clairvoyant, tarot reader and keeper of secrets for almost 50 years. Billie has just found out that she was adopted as a baby almost 50 years ago and goes to Brighton to find out about her birth parents. The story takes place in the 1970s and present day as Billie uncovers who her parents were and the secrets Madame Burova has kept and why.

Wow, Ruth Hogan has done it again! I absolutely loved her previous books and this one is every bit as wonderful too! The characters are fabulous, the different plots and themes very cleverly done, the 1970s detail totally authentic, the dogs deserve a special mention.... and so many other things I could gush on about! AMAZING - very highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed 'Keeper of Lost Things' by this author, so was looking forward to reading this book. However, for me it just didn't quite work. Set part in the 1970s and part in the present, we follow Imelda Burova, who tells fortunes at the seaside, child of a Romany and gifted in the art. However, while I have an open mind about tarot and card readings and second sight, I found it quite unbelievable that she could give such accurate and very detailed readings to everyone she saw. Maybe the cards could show tendencies, likelihoods, etc but such detailed readings, down to names and places? No.

We meet Billie, who's life has fallen apart with a failed marriage and the loss of her beloved parents. However, her father leaves her a letter, explaining she was adopted. Then Imelda, rather strangely, gets in touch and Billie begins the quest to find her birth parents. But Imelda will not reveal what she knows, as she keeps the secrets imparted during tarot readings.

The action moves around between the holiday camp world of the 1970s, with some lovely vignettes and some sad scenes concerning racial and gender abuse, to the present day. However, I found it hard to keep the plethora of characters straight in my head, and found the leaps between chapters a bit dizzying in parts. We are kept guessing almost to the end about the identity of Billie's parents, although there are a few clues.

Overall a fun read, but not the heart-twanger I expected having read her other novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, John Murray Press and Two Roads for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was kindly gifted an ebook copy of Madame Burova by Ruth Hogan from @Netgalley and Two Roads. I love Ruth Hogan Books so couldn’t wait to get started on this one.
I wasn’t disappointed, I loved everything about this book, the characters were enchanting and the storyline kept your interest from beginning to end.
Set in Brighton in two time zones 1973 and the present, Madame Burova is a clairvoyant on the seafront and also in the local Holiday Park, where you meet an array of characters. Having spent many a childhood holiday in a holiday park, I found myself relating to the story and it made me laugh on so many occasions.
The other main character is Billie and her side of the story is set in the here and now, after her marriage is over and losing her job she discovers something that makes her go in search of her real identity.
Ruth Hogan draws you in with her clever story telling and this is a wonderful book that touches on all emotions
Definitely one to put on your TBR

#MadameBurova #NetGalley

This is a gentle tale of Billie's search for her real parents. The past is revealed gradually in flashback chapters, but there are no really startling revelations. It is well-written and well- plotted, but the characters are not particularly memorable or engaging. The cover is attractive.

This is a very entertaining feel-good book, with a very sweet story. However, it is just too similar to a lot of other books (including other books by Ruth Hogan) and it just felt a bit cliched and predictable. It would make a good and easy holiday read.

Ruth Hogan always creates a wonderful cast of characters in her books- full of whimsy, charm and all round loveliness. She has a gift for quirky storylines which delve into the magical and this book was no exception.

Madame Burova is a fortune teller based on Brighton pier in the 1970s who also works at a nearby holiday park. Having the gift of reading tarot cards and her crystal ball with scary accuracy, her position also means she acts as a confidante or confessional for many of her clientele.

Years later, following the death of her parents, Billie discovers that she was a foundling who was adopted and very much loved. Her path crosses with Madame Burova as she searches for the truth about her birth parents.

This was such a good read, with fabulous descriptions which brought the tale to life. Definitely another triumph! I would wholeheartedly recommend a read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely loved this, it has the same warmth and hope of Keeper, and I was sad to finish it. Wonderful characters intertwined with some intrigue and reminiscences of 1970s Brighton, I guessed one part but not the other.
Perfect comfort read, just make yourself comfortable and get ready to escape.

If it's possible to pass on my condolences to the author please do 🙏

I really enjoyed reading this book. I grew to love the characters from Imelda to Henry and of course Billie.

This saga spans nearly 50 years and the detail and research takes me right vack to that time.

Some may say this is an easy cosy read and in some ways it is but it is so well written and I enjoyed sitting in a comfy chair with a coffee and immerse myself in a different world and time. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I loved this book - probably my favourite of 2021 so far. Heartwarming, beautifully written.

Written between two time periods - 1970s and now - it tells the story of two women - Imelda (tarot reader, palmist and clairvoyant) keeper of secrets and Billie. Their lives become entwined when Imelda keeps a promise to deliver two envelopes.

Both women are great characters - I felt for both as they struggled to understand their pasts and find a fresh way forward.

I loved the quirky characters and the dogs!

One I will be recommending.