Your Beautiful Lies (2014)

Set in Yorkshire in 1984, this tells the story of Annie Howarth, who is married to local police chief William and from the outside, their life seems good. They own a beautiful home called Everwell and while William works hard, Annie takes care of their daughter Elizabeth and her demented mother-in-law Ethel. Annie is unhappily stuck in the basic routine of life, but that is all about to change. When the man she used to be head over heels in love with, Tom Greenway, returns to town, Annie's life is turned upside down. What happened in the past is still haunting both of them and Annie knows it'd be best to stay away from Tom. But before she knows it, she finds herself keeping secrets from everyone in her life and risking everything she has. 'A love story with a dark twist' is definitely a good way to describe this particular Louise Douglas novel. Before picking up this novel I was not familiar with this author's work, but I'm really glad I was given the chance to be introduced to it. It took me a bit of time to really get into the story, but as soon as I was I just wanted to keep on reading until I knew how everything would eventually work out. The writing was well-paced, a pleasure to read, and I was impressed by how she managed to build the tension, coupled with a real menacing feeling, throughout the entire book. The characters in the novel are well-drawn and realistic, but I didn't end up really warming to any of them. I became involved in the main character Annie's life and wanted her to find happiness, but the darkness of the story and the characters kept me at a certain distance somehow. It is a dark, tangible, captivating read which I am sure many women's fiction fans will enjoy. (JoH)

The Love Of My Life (2008)

Liv is a grieving widow who has just lost the love of her life, Luca, in a tragic car crash. She is bereft and cannot even begin to imagine a life without her husband by her side. We follow her on her journey of trying to come to terms with his death whilst battling against a mother-in-law who believes she has ruined their family. Liv and Luca's story is told through a series of flashbacks where we discover all about their teenage years and how they finally became husband and wife. Meanwhile we are also living Liv's pain in the modern day as she does all she can to fix her loneliness. Marc, Luca's twin brother, becomes a great support to Liv and soon they embark on an affair using each other as a way to stay close to Luca. This beautifully told story is one that will have you crying and laughing in equal measure. Louise Douglas has written a brilliant book full of raw emotion; she has the skill to really draw the reader into the lives of the characters and take them on a journey with her. (LL)

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