The 24 Hour Café by Libby Page

Hannah and Mona a singer and dancer, work at the 24 hour cafe in London where the cafe attracts a colourful variety of personalities everyday.

I really enjoyed the Lido however I do feel this book wasn't as good personally as I didn't like Hannah or Mona's characters sadly as much as The Lido's main characters where I could picture it clearly in my mind and I did find the start slow. However Hannah's story kept me wanting to read on as the plot develops more so than Mona's story did.

However if you love people watching when out and about this is the book for you as the café attracts a variety of people with different stories, very true to everyday life at any café and for relatability that way the fun of the storyline kept me intrigued to read on especially Dan the student and John the big issue seller's stories were interesting to me to see their hardship.

There was a variety of issues raised with characters from university, death, love, cheating, work and of course we read the history of how Hannah met Mona and how their friendship becomes strained with new opportunities ahead.

To me I enjoyed the book showing all walks of life people can be in and situations they can be forced to face and for that reason I did enjoy the book as it went on.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them and be part of the blog tour!

https://libbypage.co.uk/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3110863.Libby_Page

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Libby-Page/e/B004150H44

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-24-hour-cafe/libby-page/9781409175247

Paper Avalanche by Lisa Williamson

In this book we meet Ro Snow a girl who's grown up too soon having to look after Bonnie her mum who's a singer and a hoarder. Her dad has a new family who come first and Ro feels pushed out and alone, but used to it.

So when Noah moves next door she finds a friend despite him going away to boarding school and harbouring a secret about his own family after his dad's actions before their move...

Meanwhile at school Tanvi an old student who fought cancer rejoins and befriends Ro persistently pestering her until she wears her down to be more friendly.

As Ro falls ill thanks to her mum's hoarding, she then tries to join a national choir with her natural singing talent, she has to face facts that holding down her job and trying to look after her mum whilst live the normal teen life isn't happening after getting drunk at a Halloween party with the popular crowd everything comes out and her worst fear, social services appears after a fire...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it keeps you wondering how long it will be until things get out about the hoarding to her school and her friend as well as wondering if her parents would change their ways. It was a great read highlighting how damaging it can be to grow up too soon and not get to be a teen in a stable home as envied Tanvi for her stable home life she so desired. It was nice for her to have Noah throughout the story to keep in touch with and he gave her some happiness, ultimately the book is unforgettable.

Mouthy by Megan McKenna

In this book Megan talks openly about her life growing up from her singing dreams, beloved grandad and more in an honest and open look into her life.

I loved hearing her passion for music and performing from an early age and the truth about TV drama she was involved in. It was a witty and real life talk book and I loved it!

Song Of Summer by Laura Lee Andersen

Seven weeks of summer left for Carter away from his New York home start off in a diner as he teaches ASL to his latest student and friend, Barry but at the diner they meet Robin, a petite waitress who also takes a like to Carter once realising he's deaf and not gay.

However, Robin's life isn't great right now as she has just broke up with Trent, who's also in her church band and they still have to perform together where he still acts flirty with her despite them breaking up. So when Jeni encourages her to pursue Carter after he comes back to the diner alone, she does and a great mini romance occurs despite her love of music not being shared with a guy she cares so much about. Trent also causes some trouble for the pair but doesn't faze them at first.

This book was super unique in the fact that Carter's family is a mix of deaf and hearing with his siblings being adopted by their deaf father and hearing but teaching ASL mum. I really enjoyed this book and the elements of dealing with the love in your life unable to share your biggest passion and hobby which to me made me think so hard about how great this pair worked as a couple until it ran it's course. I would suggest you read this if your a fan of love stories of drama not just the deaf or hearing aspect.

Boy Seeking Band by Steve Brezenoff

Starting a new school, Terrence meets Eddie, an alternative styled girl who also secretly sings in the school basement after school. Her brother who is a well built sax player and her twin acts like he doesn't like Terence and he feels intimidated easily by him.

At his new school they have a jazz band in which anyone joins if they play an instrument and Terence plays bass guitar already which is why he went to his old school, a private music and art school first. Unfortunately, his mum died from illness leaving his dad depressed hardly leaving the house and his bed at all.

Yet as Terence forms his own band at his new school and they enter into a competition battle of the bands style, he has to face his old band from his last school.

We see Terence's struggle to get emotionally attached to people after losing his mum suddenly. The lessons in the book's storyline's show friendship and standing up for each other as well as how fitting in with others you judge wrongly at first isn't always a bad thing.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Hope by Rhian Ivory

Hope is a talented singer facing a tough time, rejected from her drama school of dreams that she and her dad imagined her going to.

Now her dad is gone and Hope feels sad and alone she can't face her GCSEs and rejects her friends despite her discovering her violent mood swings are more than just PMS after talking with a lady she works with at the hospital she help out singing at she discovers she had PMDD, something very much unknown.

She also has to recover her voice after messing up her audition and decide on her new future plans while she also navigate a the possibility of a chance at love with the guy whom saved her life as she was onboard a boat...

It was a touching novel and very much emotional as we see a young girl cope with death, new dreams, love possibly and PMDD which I had never heard of but seems very much like more information should be made known to girls about it.