I tend to like books that are a bit different and this one ticks the boxes. It's quirky and strange and bizarre and compelling all at once, an easy yet thought provoking read centred around a complex mother and daughter relationship. If you liked Ruth Horgan's previous books I think you'll enjoy this one as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for ARC for review purposes.

For me, this was a book of two halves. I found the first half a bit like wading through thick mud, tough going, but by the second half, was eager to keep reading. The story is told by Tilly, or her older self: Tilda and I enjoyed the fact that she could see ghosts, but found it hard to work out who was alive or dead in the story. The first half seemed to jump around a bit and I was relieved to get further into the story, where the narrative settled down a bit.
There are larger than life characters in the story, some alive and some dead (I think) who consciously add to the tale Tilly is telling, but there is also a lot left out. We learn of her troubled mother, constantly battling with her mental health and the heart of the story is how Tilda learns that even though she didn’t think it at the time, her mother loved her and make decisions, even bad ones, based on that. We are told Tilly hated her mother because she sent her away from the only place Tilly knew true happiness, but don’t find out any more about that, or what happened to her whilst she was away. This is a pivotal point in the story and just seems to be skipped over.
This is my second Ruth Hogan and I don’t think I’ll rush to read the one I’ve missed, it will go towards the bottom of my ever growing pile of books to be read.
#Queeniemalone’sparadisehotel #netgalley

#QueenieMalone’sParadiseHotel

I have read all of Ruth Hogan’s books and this is my favourite one so far. Ruth is so skilled at creating characters you care about. I was thoroughly absorbed in Tilda/Tilly’s world and I read the book in 24 hours. It’s such a moving book, focusing on a complicated mother/daughter relationship. I recommend this to everyone!

A moving, gripping novel about the complicated relationship between mothers and daughters.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

Ruth Hogan hits the spot again !!!
I have read all of Ruth's books and they are like cosy jumpers and mugs of cocoa on a cold winter's afternoon - just a perfect read. I did find the reading slightly confusion at the start because on a Kindle Paperwhite there is no differentiation between when Tilly is the centre of attention and when it changes to her older self, but I soon got the hang of it. The patchwork of characters is like a Beryl Cook painting brought to life - everybody can recognise someone they know ! Ruth's attention to quintessential life is remarkable and as an escape from the current trials and tribulations we all face this book will make you smile. I was sad when it finished. Looking forward to the next one !

Prior to this book I had never heard of this author. This is a wonderful/beautiful book.
It takes you completely by surprise in some parts. You certainly go through many emotions.
Thank you to both NetGalley and john Murray Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

It’s difficult to know where to start with this review. If you’d asked me half way through the book what I thought I’d say I don’t like it, it’s not my kind of book. Had I bought the book and not chosen to request an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley, I quite possibly might have given up at 50% of the way through and if I’m totally honest it didn’t really completely capture my interest until I was about 75% of the way through. Having said that, the last part of the book was brilliant, I loved the last bit, bringing the whole story to a very poignant ending. I would have missed out on so much had I given up on it.

And that’s the key, taking to a book is a very personal thing, as has often been said before, it would be a boring world of we all liked and disliked the same things. I read other reviews and every reader seemed to love it. So why didn’t I like it? Most likely my lack of patience, wondering at what point the Paradise Hotel was ever going to make itself known and wondering when Tilly might end up at the Boarding school that prevented me from enjoying it sooner. However, good things come to those who wait and eventually all is revealed, but the build up and the background is equally important in the grand scheme of things.

The author’s writing is so good at creating atmosphere. I think this is why I didn’t really like the first half. I felt it was dark and depressing, a black cloud of disappointment, grief and a desire for life to be different hung over the story for a good part of it. The scene was set well too, I got the impression from many clues that Tilly’s childhood spanned over the late 60’s to early 70’s. I don’t recall any era’s being specifically mentioned but Bob Monkeyhouse (haha, that made me giggle) at the London Palladium and other things helped to set the time period.

Things lightened considerably once Tilly and her Mum took up residence in the Paradise Hotel. They were both so happy and settled there and it showed. I liked all the characters in this part of the story and Tilly was funny. Again the author does a brilliant job of capturing how a 7 year old thinks, how they get names wrong and see everything very much in black and white. They accept everything as it’s presented and haven’t developed any judgemental traits. Tilly often reminded me of my 5 year old grand-daughter.

As time moved on and I came to the last part I really started to enjoy the book. There was much more dialogue, more characters and everything was gradually revealed, almost like getting to the last pieces of a particularly difficult jigsaw and finally seeing where those elusive pieces fit in.

In the end I really enjoyed it and am so glad I stuck with it.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have read and enjoyed all this authors books and this one did not disappoint. I absolutely fell in love with Tilly

Having loved Ruth Hogan's debut novel The Keeper of Lost Things I jumped at the opportunity to read and review Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel. I hoped that it would have a modicum of the magic of her debut novel, so I was pleasantly surprised that it contains bucket-loads of magic.

The story follows a mother/daughter relationship between Grace and her daughter Tilly aged 6, and interspersed with that in this dual timeline story, Tilly's adult self, Tilda, dealing with her mother's things following the death of her mother, as she tries to understand why her childhood went so badly wrong.  Tilly/Tilda, throughout her life, is joined by a dog, Eli, which only she can see.

The book, which is set in Brighton, is particularly atmospheric, and you can almost feel the wind on your face, and smell the fish and chips wrapped in paper.  The descriptions of Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel are sheer perfection to the point that you can visualise the hotel, aspidistras and all, as well as Queenie herself!

The book is primarily about the complexities of mother/daughter relationships, but it is also about forgiveness, and understanding, and the comprehension that the impression we have of the past as a child may actually be distorted.  I loved the journey that Tilda takes as an adult, learning about her childhood and her mother, via her mother's diaries.  Nothing was quite what it seemed.

All in all, this book, like The Keeper of Lost Things, is one of my favourite reads of the year. 

Many thanks to Netgalley and John Murray Press for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I never read any other book by this author so this came as a wonderful surprise.
The book is well written, moving and heartwarming at same time.
You cannot help feeling for the characters and you want that the story never ends.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

This is outing number three for Ruth Hogan and I felt that it returned a little more to the glory of The Keeepr of Lost things. Whilst I enjoyed The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, I did feel that it was missing some of the magic. But here told through two perspectives, Tilly and Tilda the magic is restored.

The setting for much of this book is Brighton and Ruth Hogan does a brilliant job of imaginging being by the see and feeling the wind whipping through your hair. It's atmospheric and is the perfect setting for the strange and wonderful things that unfurl through the book.

I liked this booked because it was fundamentally about relationships, and about learning to look at situations with new eyes, and accepting that how we think we knew the past may only be from a single perspective and therefore flawed. There were parts that I chuckled out loud during this book, and the beauty in the depth of characters was wonderful.

That's not to say it was perfect, at times I felt it was stomping a bit, that I didn't really see where it was going, and that I wanted more. At times I was a bit lost as well, with who was who and were they really just a <spoiler> ghost </spoiler>.

I'd recommend anyone to read this though, it's about forgiveness and learning the grow and the sacrifices that we're willing to make for those we love.

What a beautiful story.

Tilda's mother has passed away, and Tilda is left to sort out her house and belongings. With the discovery of her mother's diary, Tilda is able to piece together her own story, the childhood of Tilly, and how her father was killed.

Tilly's childhood was lived out at Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel, inhabited by a wealth of loveable and eccentric characters. All the characters in this story are splendid, and I cared deeply for them - from Tilly's amusing misunderstandings and the things she sees, to the eccentric sometime 'Anita Iceberg', Eli the dog, Daniel the cafe owner, and Queenie.

Love runs through this story where nothing is quite as it seems. Heartwarming and easy to read, highly recommended.

Really enjoyed this book. Heart warming & compelling. Completely different to all the other books I’ve read recently which was very refreshing. Thanks for the preview.

This is a charming enough book,6 year old Tilly is sweet and funny.
Grown up Tilly takes the lead in the story,revealing why there was such a break in her relationship with her mother.
It's full of interesting characters... quirky.
But I felt something was missing...surely more should have been made of the fact Tilly could see ghosts? Everyone just accepted it.
I also found the sent-away-to-school thing odd.... there was no mention of what happened after school finished.
Minor niggles,in what Is,as I said,a charming book.

What a lovely lovely book! A total departure from what I normally read but I’m so glad I did! I am now going to seek out the author’s previous work!

I have loved Ruth Hogans previous two book and was really looking forward to this one. It did not disappoint. This story was a real touching one with lovely lovely charaters.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to opportunity to read and review this book.

Having really enjoyed 'The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes' I was keen to read Ruth Hogan's new book and it didn't disappoint.
Told from two perspective's, Tilly is a 6 year old girl who has lost her Daddy and misses him desperately. Tilda is her older, somewhat broken self, who has to go back to Brighton and clear her Mothers flat after her death. She finds a diary and starts to put together what really happened all those years ago.
I loved the setting of Queenie's hotel, although we don't come across it until about halfway though the book. Heart-warming and heartbreaking in equal measure.
*Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion^

Ruth Hogan is becoming one of my favorite authors loved The Keeper Of Lost Things and now love this wonderful book .Each Characters warm charming delightful .Will be recommending to all my friends #netgalley#johnmurraypress.

This novel is quite simply adorable with the most engaging and lovable characters. This is the story of Tilly/Tilda, a seven year old girl and her grown-up self. Tilly is enchanting; she is funny and bright, she is intrigued by and equally puzzled by adults and confused by certain words. She loves fish fingers, swear words and going to the Catholic church with Mrs O’Flaherty. She sees people who aren’t there and has a friend in Eli, a dog only she can see.

Her world suddenly changes when she is taken by her mother to live at Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel in Brighton. It is here that she becomes part of a family of endearing, eccentric characters: Queenie; Lily the cook; Cecily the maid; Reg the lodger and Queenie’s Mum who goes by a variety of film star names. Tilly’s joyous life suddenly comes to an end when her mother sends her away to boarding school for reasons she cannot understand.

We meet the grown-up Tilda shortly after her mother’s death. They have never been very close and it is only as Tilda begin to read her mother’s diaries that she begins to understand who she really was and why she had to send little Tilly away. The older Tilda also has a lovely supporting cast including: Joseph Geronimo Heathcliff O’Shea, a man of mystery; Daniel the owner of a nearby cafe and soon to become her love interest and Penelope, her late mother’s next door neighbour.

This is primarily a novel about love and relationships, particularly that between a mother and daughter. It is told with such wit, warmth and humour. It is both extraordinarily funny and incredibly poignant. Ruth Hogan is a born story teller and her characters leap off the page; I really wanted them to be my friends too. It will my mission to recommend this book to anyone who crosses my path.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher, Two Roads, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much.

Having read The Keeper of Lost Things by this author and found it to be a wonderful heartwarming story, it was with some trepidation that I started this book, thinking that nothing could come close to her first book. I had no need to worry this book was equally wonderful, the characters were brilliant and I laughed and cried in equal measure. I will be recommending it to everyone I know.