Book Mail Round-Up 💌
- The_Secret_Bookreview
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
This week's round-up of beautiful book mail!
I'm excited to begin sharing a roundup of the book mail I've received recently. I can't wait to delve into these books and share my thoughts through reviews!
The books in this week's round-up are:
Workhorse By Caroline Palmer:
Set in 2001, Work Horse takes us straight into the cut-throat world of New York’s fashion scene, where ambition, privilege and envy collide.
We follow Clodagh “Clo” Harmon, an editorial assistant desperate to climb the ladder at a glossy magazine, even though she doesn’t have the background, money or connections of her colleagues.
Clo is a ‘work horse’ among ‘show horses’, willing to take risks and blur the lines between right and wrong to prove she belongs. When she meets reporter Harry Wood, things take an even darker turn as both characters start playing dangerous games to get ahead.
This book is sharp, funny and unsettling in all the best ways. It captures the glamour and toxicity of early-2000s media culture perfectly and really makes you question how far you’d go to be seen and valued.
Thank you to Hope and the team at 4th Estate for sending me a finished copy of the book! The book will be released on the 15th January and is available to pre-order now.
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The Many Ghosts of Donahue Byrnes by Laura McLoughlin:
Set in the eerie Ballinadrum Hotel, this story follows Mia Anne Moran, a young waitress who suddenly finds herself dealing with more than difficult guests, she’s managing the ghosts who never checked out.
After the death of the hotel’s long-time owner, Donahue Byrnes, the strange stories surrounding the place turn out to be true.
Mia soon takes on the unusual role of “concierge to the dead”, hoping to uncover the reasons these spirits are still lingering. As she works to solve the mystery of the hotel’s ghostly residents, she finds her own life beginning to change in unexpected ways.
This book is warm, witty and haunting all at once. It captures that perfect mix of humour and heart, with a touch of melancholy and Irish charm. A comforting ghost story with real emotional depth. Ideal for a cosy winter evening!
Thank you to the team at Zaffre Books for sending me a copy of the book! The book is out now and available to purchase!
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The Mires by Tina Makereti:
Water is life, and water can be death.
This haunting and powerful story brings together three women whose lives intertwine in a small coastal town in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Keri is a single mother juggling life with her two children, including sensitive and perceptive Wairere, who feels things others can’t. Next door lives Janet, full of opinions and certainty, and newcomer Sera, whose family has fled environmental collapse in Europe.
As tension quietly builds in their community, Janet’s son Conor returns home transformed, his presence unsettling and dangerous in ways no one wants to see, except perhaps Wairere. Beneath their street, the swamp stirs, ancient and alive, waiting.
The Mires is fierce and deeply moving. It explores motherhood, identity and the uneasy balance between destruction and connection. Tina Makereti writes with poetic precision and a sharp emotional truth that lingers long after reading.
A beautifully written book that captures both the tenderness of human connection and the raw, unpredictable power of nature.
Thank you to the team at Footnote Press for sending me a copy of the book! The book is out now and available to purchase!
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