This book was just ok. I didn’t find it clear or concise. The plot was vague. Felt like I was reading drip, drip, dripping slow details. The mother had a foggy memory but the entire premise felt foggy and vague. Somewhat interesting. Some folks will really enjoy this book. Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them. Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This book was pretty good. Basically Nan fled her town, and goes back years later for her sons wedding., and now her past is back to haunt her.
Admittedly, I found it a little slow for the first half of the book. Parts even got a bit boring when it was just droning on about art and what not. Near the end it did pick up and had a twists and turns that made it exciting. Overall it was okay.

Wow, this was an excellent read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing until the end. A really interesting story and one I won't forget reading

Loved this book! Engrossing and colourful read! Lots of twists and turns! Very cleverly written! Nan, the main character is complex but likeable! You accompany her on her journey! She is very human and makes mistakes that she lays for dearly! Loved the finale!

The story starts with Nan coming to London for her estranged son’s wedding and facing the ghosts of her past.The initial chapters were slow and took some time for the plot to pick up its pace. The twists were somewhat predictable and the characters could not be sympathised with. Agreed we all have our good and dark sides, but these characters didn’t have any positives. Inspite of it I found myself turning the pages. The narrative was neat and there were no confusing parts. I could not understand the deep resentment Hugo nurtures against Nan. The reasoning fell a bit flat. Overall an easy read. 3.5 stars

Broken Flower....Kate McQuaile.....

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy! This will be published on 4-16-20.

I’ve got to say that the first couple of chapters I didn’t know if I was going to like it....but this author writes so beautifully and I just absolutely love her writing style! And I found myself I couldn’t put this book down and read it in 2 days. I am not a big fan of flashbacks but the author did it well and I found myself looking forward to them .

The twist was a juicy one and made me 😳😮have that look on my face! Well done!!! This was my first book from this author and now I am a fan!!!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

It was pretty entertaining tho there were alot of WTF moments throughout. I did spot many of the twists early on which isn't my preference, but overall it was a decent book.

Nan is heading to her son's wedding to where her past lives. She fled and her son knows nothing of this, but it seems her secret life may not be so secret much longer. She feel as if someone is watching and waiting and she just maybe right.

This was a most wonderful read!

Nan was on her way from Yorkshire to London for her estranged son's wedding. She hadn't yet met Ben's fiancé, Marie-Laure, or her family. She (Nan) held the secret that she had been in London for a while, in the 1970's, when she attended Art School. In London, she had begun living in a female-only hostel - run by the church. She also met her best friend, Ilaria, at.the hostel. Nan became involved with Eddie - a barman, but it was Hugo she falls in "love" with. She then and left the hostel took an apartment as a border. Hugo was the landlord...

Meanwhile, Nan's boyfriend, Chris, also from Yorkshire, continues on with their relationship by weekly phone calls... He has no idea how she is feeling - or anything about Hugo...

We flash back to "now" and find that Nan had married Chris - he had died in a car accident 2 years ago.The day after Chris' funeral, Ben went to London and Nan has not heard from since..

An interesting story that has many suspenseful twists. Character development is prime as well as scenic narrative. DON'T MISS THIS ONE!

Many Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for a great book..

3.5/5 Stars.
This book was a good read the only thing i didnt enjoy much about it was it had alot of filler chapters and the art talk about paintings honestly was put into the book and it was boring when they talked about it a few times in the filler chapters. The book picked up super slow but however towards the end around 70% it started to get really really good and had alot of dark twists and turns and honestly i was shocked a few times. It had Then and Now chapters and the then chapters were super good and my favorites. Thank you netgalley for sending me this book i look foward to reading this author in the future.

Very decent book I enjoyed reading it through out the whole book, but was let down by the ending. If the ending had been harder to guess or just something more out there this could be a 4 or 5 star book.

This book just plodded along for me. Nothing gripped me. Nothing made me want to carry on.
I enjoyed it but it was a bit predictable.
I didn't love it and i didn't hate it.

Thanks for the e copy of this book. Good mystery for fans of the Silent Patient and the like. Good twists at the end.

An interesting story of family dramas and old wounds being re opened. I loved the sophisticated setting of the story. Well written and intriguing,

Such an interesting and clever premise!! Compelling and chilling but also a macabre kind of fun read (if that makes any sense...) Enjoyed each character and loved the ending. Would definitely recommend to fellow mystery fans!

"A Mother's love will never die"

Thank you so much Quercus Books to provide me with ARC from this novel.
This novel is melting my heart and I loved it so much that I don't want to finish it.
I loved flashback and suspense scenes.

Nan hasn't seen London since art school. She hasn't seen her son either since her husband passed away. After receiving a wedding invation for her sons wedding she goes. Once she meeting the family of her son's fiance, it's awkward for her cause unspoken tensions. I enjoyed the book it's well written has some nice designed characters and a great writing style.

Nan, a widow, is heading to London for her son's wedding. While that should be good news she has been estranged from her son for a couple of years now. Equally very few people know (her son included) that she lived in London herself in the late 1970s. That was not a happy time for her and she has kept the events secret for many years. This is one of those "Now and Then" stories. It switches between the late 1970s and the present day.

Slightly strangely (to me) the "Now" part of the narrative is in the first person from Nan's perspective in the main. The "Then" part in London in the seventies is written in the third person. One or two things are apparently clear from the start. It seems that Nan may have murdered someone during her time in London. She then returned to her northern home and her husband of many years has recently died. As the book progresses there are a number of reveal moments when we find out more about past and present events.

I'd prefer not to say more about this interesting story - the reader would be better making that journey for themselves. What I will say is that there is a spooky edge to this tale. Even when it's not spooky you just know things are going to happen that may have profound effects. I found the storytelling good and the characters were certainly up to the jobs they were given. Some are maybe less than pleasant and some may have made mistakes but it makes for a very readable book.

I did find that I worked out some of the twists in advance (maybe not all!) however I'm not complaining. There is well worked tension in this book. I for one would certainly read something else by Kate McQuaile. For those who like a dark tense tale this one should satisfy most.

Broken Flowers by Kate McQuaile is a dark, twisty tale that had me hooked from the very start. I was turning pages long into the night, desperate to untangle it all.

Nan has been invited to London to meet her son's fiance for the very first time. She is surprised by the invitation as her relationship with Ben has been strained for some time, although she is evasive as to the reason for this. Upon arriving in London, Nan is shocked to learn that she is to meet her son at Paradise Place, a home situated in a toney Notting Hill neighbourhood, and the very house in which Nan herself rented a room in the late 1970s. All at once, the past from which Nan has been so desperate to escape is once again forcing her into an acknowledgement of an unsettled history that simply refuses to be silenced. This is compulsive reading by any definition, and I loved every moment of it. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for this ARC.

Next time you see a grey haired, middle aged widow don’t always expect her to invisible and of no consequence. Nan is invited to the London wedding of her estranged son and her past, which she has tried to conceal, comes roaring back in this ‘I can’t believe it happened’ domestic thriller. All the evil in the world in one little corner of the world. Read every word with a sense of dread - what will happen next? Certainly not what I thought. Excellent!

Oooooh I loved Broken Flowers! It’s full of lies, tension and dark secrets.

Admittedly I had to suspend belief but the story is worth it! There was moments where I was just staring at the pages with my mouth hanging open. So many twists and shocks in here!

Would have preferred the ending to go the other way but this is a strong 4/5 book.