Great writing but very unlikeabke characters. Story was t overly gripping but it was intriguing enough to keep me reading and provide some twist and turns along the way

A wonderfully rich and evocative tale - reinventing yourself to shed the ghosts of your past, but can they ever really be laid to rest? Some wonderful characters and poignant moments in this story of a ghost-writer asked to write the story of one of his childhood friends and his first love.

I started this, not really feeling it. I read a few reviews and didn't think this was really for me. The 'twist' was a bit obvious early on. However, I did enjoy reading it unfold, and especially liked the ending. It all tied up nicely.

I loved this twisty tale about identity and ambition.
The Double Life of Daisy Hemmings by Joanna Nadin begins in a small Cornish seaside town. Jason longs for more than working in his manipulative fathers pub, and wants to escape his life. When a group of wealthy young people arrive in the town, including the twins Daisy and Bea, he is drawn into their circle.

He spends more and more time with them, until the night that both Jason and Bea drown in an accident.

30 years later, writer James Tate is asked by Daisy Hemmings to ghost write her autobiography. James is a master of reinvention: he knew Daisy 30 years ago when she, her twin and their friends spent a summer together in a small Cornish village.

It’s made clear from the start that James is in fact Jason (so I’m giving nothing away), but the really interesting thing is how exactly he did it, how he managed to convince everyone that he’s someone completely different.

The characters in this are all really interesting and so well written: the twins and how completely different they are from one another; how their wealthy friends contrast starkly against Jason and his life. Whether they’re likeable or not, I really wanted to find out more about them.

I enjoyed the alternating timelines - how happenings in 1988 impacted on the present - I particularly liked how we’re introduced to the Jason/ James character right at the beginning. Their lives couldn’t be more different.

I’ve relished both of Joanna Nadin’s previous adult books (The Queen of Bloody Everything and The Talk of Pram Town), and after reading Daisy Hemmings, I’m looking forward to whatever comes next.

This is the first novel I've read by the author and I was drawn to it by the cover, the synopsis and good reviews of her previous novels.
It's a dual timeline novel set in Cornwall in 1988 and London in 2018. In Cornwall in 1988, 17 year old Jason gets involved with a privileged group of friends and finds himself drawn to Daisy Hemmings. 30 years later James Tait is a ghost writer who is asked to write the autobiography of famous actress Daisy Hemmings.
The author cleverly brings together past and present and I loved the dual timeline of this novel. The Cornwall set part is particularly strong and I enjoyed the portrayal of life as a teenager in the late 1980s. The characterisation is good, but I found most of the characters intensely unlikeable and this did impact on my enjoyment of the novel. I also found it hard to connect with the writing style and found it to be quite overwritten and this meant it was a challenge for me to immerse myself into the narrative.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

A great read, perfect summer book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

A superb coming-of-age tale, set in an evocative no-man’s land between then and now, ambition for more or settling for the life you’re born into, where beautiful people meet the reality of a life of poverty and neglect. The light-touch writing belies much darker truths, this is a compelling page-turner that has much to say on identity, class and the attraction of reinvention, making it a great summer read.
Thanks to the publishers for an advance proof copy

Seventeen-year-old Jason longs for more in life. He spends his days fearing his father's fists and pouring pints for the equally as unlikable locals who frequent the dingy bar they own. Fate brings him a glimpse of freedom in the form of wealthy twins, Daisy and Bea, along with their silver-spooned circle of friends who holiday nearby. He gains access to their privileged lifestyle and is determined to break free from past constraints and become one of them.

Jason became James and this sought-after life is achieved, but at what cost? And what skeletons are determined to claw their way to freedom, no matter the years that pass or the dirt heaped atop of them.

I enjoyed the pacing of this story immensely, which alternated in perspective and shifted in timeline. Modern-day and adult James is introduced at the same time as his shy and awkward teenage self. It remained interesting to note the differences in the two individuals, so determinedly had James removed all traces of his impoverished upbringing and the introverted individual he had once been.

Just as intriguing were the wealthy circle he becomes enamoured with. Each member felt real and raw and, whether likable or unlikable, I was always eager for more page-time with them. None more so than twins, Daisy and Bea, who were as unlike each other as Jason's present and past selves.

I did guess the two major reveals far ahead of time but this still remained solidly enjoyable and intriguingly well-penned, regardless. I would be eager to read more from this author, in the future.

I did like this book overall but it just seemed to be lacking a little something for me. The characters were fine but the idea of the back and forth between the time periods were underdeveloped a little bit too my taste. The writing was good and it was generally clear enough to get the story across but it was a little samey samey in places.

Description 🔖

It’s 1988 in Cornwall when twins Daisy and Bea Hemmings take a group of friends away to their house for a holiday. They’re a glamorous bunch and their arrival is very much noticed by local teen Jason. It’s them that make him realise that he wants more from life than his Dad’s pub. Daisy specifically entrances him as she does most people around her. However the Daisy obsession mixed with teenage indulgences are a recipe for disaster and by the end of the summer, one of the group will be dead.

Fast forward to 2018 and Daisy Hemmings has had a successful career as an actress and decides it’s time to write her autobiography. She hires James Tate to ghost write it for her. He’s experienced and very good at his job. Mostly because he has a lot of practise of stepping into someones shoes and pretending to be them. He’s spend most of his life pretending to be someone else. But what will happen when his real self and his pretend self collide?

General Thoughts 🤔

This was one of those books that tends to baffle me. Not a lot really happened, but I was still interested and still wanted to read. I’m not sure if the twists were supposed to be surprises, or if I was supposed to have predicted them (which I did) but I strangely wasn’t mad at it either way. I knew what was coming, but I still wanted to watch it all unfold and play out in front of me.

Characters 👫👭👬

Though I may not have been able to relate to the characters in this book, they definitely felt real. I didn’t think that any of them were particularly likeable and all of them were flawed, but they were genuine.

I found Bea to be the most interesting character of them all as well as the most troubled. I couldn’t work out whether she remained within the circle of friends because she wanted to or because she had no other option. James was the character that annoyed me the most. What started off as him finding himself in a coincidental situation, ended up with him turning a bit creepy, obsessive and delusional.

Writing Style ✍️

My favourite thing about this book was the feeling and atmosphere that the writing created; specifically during the 1988 chapters. It felt so real to me and though I was just a small baby then, I could perfectly imagine the setting and characters and outfits and everything. This doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the 2018 chapters. I liked the way that the author created this entitled group of teenagers who remained an entitled bunch of teenagers (in adult disguise) twenty years later.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

I whizzed through this book pretty quickly and I think it was mostly because the characters were engaging although sometimes annoying. I really enjoyed the UK in the 80s vibe to the story which I think gave it a nice little edge. A relatively easy going read that I’d recommend for some chilled reading.

I have enjoyed Joanna Nadin's previous novels, The Queen of Bloody Everything and The Talk of Pram Town. . In The Double Life of Daisy Hemmings, the eponymous character is not the only one leading a double life, and we are given an insight into the world of ghostwriting. Much of the events take place in Cornwall, as the characters revisit a house they stayed in as young adults. No spoilers, but this is a well paced novel and a gripping read.

This was a brilliant, and highly atmospheric novel, conjuring up Cornwall summers and adolescent friendships with perfect ease. Great characters and some really fab twists and turns which I loved and the writing is just gorgeous.

An interesting read - duel timeliness run in this novel which I'm always a fan of. The writing is atmospheric however I didn't really connect with the characters. It's a good enough read but I'm not sure I'd revisit.

Daisy Hemmings is the titular character who strolls into 17 year old Jason's parochial life. 30 years later, with his life reinvented as James he is brought back into Daisy's life to ghost write her life story.

As Daisy reminisces about her past, James remembers how she, along with her twin sister and friends offer him a glimpse of a different life; one where money isn't a worry, sex and drugs are common place and the world is your oyster. As the past and present race towards each other, James realises he is not the only one with a secret, and everything he thought he knew is far from what really happened.

This is a story about reinvention, youthful dreams, adult desires, secrets and lies. The plot is deft and well considered. Unlike Joanna Nadin's previous books I did not feel the same connection with the characters, and the twin trope underwhelmed me.

I would like to thank the publishers and Net Galley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

The premise of The Double Life of Daisy Hemmings was quite interesting, and I looked forward to picking the book up. The concept of it follows along the lines of many books that I've had a good time with, and my expectations were a bit high going in.

Joanna Nadin definitely has great writing. I loved the entire atmosphere of the novel and the way she wrote her characters. None of them were likeable but I still felt a vague curiosity to see where everything was going to go. I also had some suspicions of my own and I was excited to see if I was right or not.

But, I have some problems, or well, just one problem. Maybe it's a just a me thing and I'm reading at the wrong time, but there were just so many instances where I picked this up and put it down to read other books. While I liked the atmosphere, there was just a general sense of boredom. While I was curious to see how everything was going to go down, it wasn't compelling enough for me to get excited to read up to the last few pages.

I do think the ending was good. I guessed right about what was going to happen, but there was one twist that I didn't see. Hopefully other people will get to enjoy this book more than I did.

In 'The Double Life of Daisy Hemmings' by Joanna Nadin, James, a ghost writer with a significant back catalogue, is called in to write the autobiography of a famous actress - Daisy. He should refuse, but somehow he can't. Thirty years previously, when he was 17, he was taken into Daisy and her twin sister Bea's orbit along with boyfriend (now husband) Hal, Julian and Muriel. Daisy and Bea were the heirs of Rashleigh, a manor house in Fowey Cornwall, and the five of them were visiting for the summer. Spool forward to 2018 (the novels present) and they all return to Fowey to celebrate Daisy's 50th birthday, except none of them know that James was the 'pauper' they allowed into their lives. He died in the late 1980's along with Daisy's twin sister.

I am a huge fan of Joanna Nadin. I have read her children's books with my daughter and loved 'The Queen of Bloody Everything,' and 'The Talk of Pram Town,' 'The Double Life of Daisy Hemmings' is also a fantastic book, with twists and turns that pull the reader in and a rich narrative. In all honesty though, I have to admit that I didn't enjoy it quite as much as her other two adult novels. Possibly it was due to expectation, but I also predicted the ending from very early on and I found this novel somehow distanced the reader from the action, whilst her previous novels had you right in the middle of everything. Nonetheless this remains an excellent book and in comparison to other novelists, rather than to Nadin, it still has a great deal to recommend it.

The Double Life of Daisy Hemmings is a fascinating, engrossing read with dual timelines. One timeline is set in 1988 when Jason is mesmerized by a circle of friends set in a glamorous world. The other timeline is 2018 when famous actress Daisy hires a ghostwriter to write her autobiography. Just what is the ghostwriters connection to Daisy? The story is mysterious and compelling. Highly recommended!!

An interesting and engaging novel though very different to Joanna' Nadin's first two books which, on balance, I enjoyed more. But an ideal summer/holiday read (and a great cover)

I was really excited to read this one, the blurb promised great things... unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. The story was ok, no wow factor for me. Same goes for the characters. I didn't particularly like any of them. The mixing up of twins is a story as old as times.. so nothing new there.
I enjoyed the read, but I wouldn't read it again.

The style is a little overwrought but, despite that, I was interested in the plot and wanted to find out what happened. Writing could have been better but parts of the story were really interesting!