Eva Jordan

From the opening pages of this wonderful book I knew I was about to read something special, so I gleefully hopped aboard the emotional rollercoaster that is 183 Times a Year. The story is told mainly from the perspectives of Lizzie (mum) and Cassie (daughter) and Eva Jordan effortlessly changed writing style to step into these very different shoes. We are privy to so many of their innermost thoughts, or outermost in Lizzie's case as she often talks out loud, that I felt like I was seeing the world through their eyes.

At times, I laughed so much that I cried, but as with all ups and down of family life my tears of laughter turned into tears of despair as events unfolded. I completely bought into the characters and felt like I knew them inside out and I was just settling in to the family life and putting my slippered feet under Lizzie's table, when tragedy struck. Reading the thoughts of other family members had me reaching for my tissues; in particular, Maisy (aka Mania) - I have never known one simple line bring me to tears. Eva Jordan is an absolute genius - she knows how people tick, both young and old.

This book really had me considering my own actions and reactions. How we often hit out at those closest to us and how our actions don't always reconcile with our feelings. It's only in the face of tragedy that our real feelings reveal themselves, but for many people this can be too late.

To be able to write from such different perspectives is an amazing feat and I urge you to head over to Amazon to read 183 Times a Year for yourself, then tell your Mam/Mum/Mom/Mother that you love and appreciate her. Thank you Eva, this wonderful debut novel is such a candid account of family life that we can all relate to. Be prepared to laugh and to cry, this book is so full of surprises that it's worth reading all over again. An absolutely astonishing, thought provoking, hilarious and life affirming debut novel.

So what does 183 Times a Year mean? You'll just have to read the book to find out!

I received this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.… (mehr)

I could not contain my excitement when I heard that my favourite fictional family were back: Lizzie Lemalf and her crazy blended family stole my heart in 183 Times A Year and I couldn't wait to read more about them. It's so brilliant that you could definitely read All The Colours In Between as a standalone novel but it is made all the more poignant and emotional for having read 183 Times A Year and seen the characters develop before your eyes.

Never mind All The Colours In Between, I laughed, cried and experienced all the emotions in between. I admit that I have cried at a few books in my time, but never have I been sobbing so much that I had to put the book down to wipe the tears that had rolled down my face and blurred my vision. Looking back, I think I got to know Lizzie's family in 183 Times A Year but in All The Colours In Between I realised that I had fallen in love with them. I felt very protective of them, especially Cassie; when they were happy, I was smiling and when they were sad, I was crying.

Eva Jordan has written characters that we can all relate to: perhaps you see yourself in Lizzie, about to turn 50 and hoping that she can finally take a breather now her daughters have left home, or you might recognise some of Cassie's qualities as your own, keeping a terrible secret and suffering in silence. As the story unfolded, my heart was breaking for Cassie: I've always thought that a problem shared really is a problem halved but this is Lizzie's family I'm talking about so a problem shared is more likely to end up as a problem quadrupled!

What amazes me with Eva Jordan's writing is her ability to portray the unique voices of all of her characters, from teenage boy-man Connor to mysterious lynchpin of the family, Grandad Salocin. Their voices shine through so vividly and uniquely that it feels as if the book has been written by the characters themselves. I don't need a subscription to Audible for Eva's books, they speak to me through her beautiful emotive words.

Filled with emotion: you'll laugh and you'll cry but you'll never forget All The Colours In Between. The characters are so enchanting that I think of them as my own family and I'm sure many readers feel the same: they're my family and they're your family. I'll be singing Sister Sledge in a minute... Now you're singing 'We Are Family', aren't you? Sorry...

With such a memorable message: it's not a life, it's an adventure this is one book that I didn't want to end but my frown was turned upside down when I saw the final magical words: 'To Be Continued...' YAY!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.… (mehr)

Eva Jordan’s books are so full of warmth and colour that you feel as if you’re catching up with an old friend who envelops you in a big hug on arrival. I have absolutely adored, and frequently recommend, Eva’s books so I was delighted to be offered an early review copy of Time Will Tell that picks right up after the jaw dropping cliff-hanger ending of All The Colours In Between.

Our favourite blended family is back! Time Will Tell is like two books in one as Lizzie’s story continues but we also get to read about her father, Salocin’s story and his extremely colourful past. The story effortlessly switches between eras and I was as eager to learn of Salocin’s past as I was to find out what happened following the bombshell in the previous book.

I felt as if Eva Jordan’s very heart and soul is woven within the pages of this book as she tackles some emotional and difficult storylines with delicacy and poise. As they overcame the hurdles of life, my heart went out to the Lamalf family and I laughed and cried along with them. Nobody has ever extracted the essence of family as well as Eva Jordan and written the ups and downs of family life for us all to enjoy. This book is an emotional triumph that went from my heart breaking with anguish one minute to smiling through my tears as the enviable strength of all of these characters overcame their own personal adversity.

I really can’t rate them highly enough; you MUST pick up Eva Jordan’s books and invite the Lemalf family into your heart. Eva Jordan’s sublime and honest writing has affected me so much that the Lemalf family have a permanent place in my heart and I love that I will just be able to turn the pages of a book when I inevitably find that I miss them.

Warm, witty, poignant and heartfelt Time Will Tell is the perfect finale to the Lemalf family story.… (mehr)

183 times a year is reportedly the number of times it is normal for a girl to argue with her mother. Unfortunately for Lizzie it seems more like 183 times a day! Not only does she have her own angst ridden teenage daughter Cassie to contend with, but also her Goth like teenage stepdaughter Maisy (or Mania as she insists on being called). Her son Connor, who has yet to discover his hormones, happily co-exists with all the mayhem and is almost oblivious. Connor and Cassie are Lizzie's children by her first marriage, and therein lies much of the source of the arguments and disruption as her ex husband is really only interested in his new family, so Cassie vents her spleen at home.

I really enjoyed this book. It really grasped the nature of mother/daughter relationships very well, in a way that was funny but also at times, touching and poignant. As I don't have children I've never suffered the 'joys' of teenagers, however, although it may have been quite a while ago, I still remember what it was like to be one. If I'm honest I suspect I was probably quite a little Cassie myself, so for that - sorry Mum! The joy of this book is that there were many reference points that struck a personal chord. Lizzie's reminiscences of her own younger/teenage years could well have been my own as I too was always going to be Mrs David Cassidy - he just needed to meet me! The angst of the teenage years, of fitting in and being accepted, are all feelings we will recognize. The importance of the correct clothes, the choice of music, watching the right programmes, reading the correct books. Whether you were a 'Lizzie' or have a 'Cassie' this book will resonate.

The book isn't solely about teenage relationships, it deals with many other contemporary issues such as the changing nature of the family unit, work practices, friendships, illness and infidelity to name a few. While the general tone is upbeat, it doesn't shy away from dealing with more serious topics, and drifts into darker territory towards the end. That said it still maintains a lightness that makes you think about the important things in life, rather than concentrating on the things that are send to try us.

I'd like to thank Eva for providing me with a copy to read, and I'm happy to say I had no difficulty in writing positive review. I'd happily recommend this book, to anyone who enjoys a realistic and yet entertaining look at modern family life.… (mehr)