Book of the Month for October

Welcome back to the JC book of the month feature. Last month I promised you a radical change of direction for October's book review and so here I am to tell you all about a novel called 'Hooked' by Briony Marshall (TWH Publishing 2024 ISBN978-1-9998669-9-0)

Briony Marshall is an author from Wolverhampton, here in the UK and Hooked is her third novel published by The Writing Hall (TWH Publishing). Briony describes her books as ' cosy, crafty, romance books' and having just finished reading 'Hooked' I can definitely vouch for the cosy, crafty feel, although romance isn't the focus of the book for the main character Eve. 

Eve is encouraged by her best friends and flatmates to enter an online competition to win a year's employment contract with an online crochet personality and the novel takes you through the highs and lows of Eve's journey. Along the way there are fallings out, unexpected twists and turns, new friends and a glimpse of the darker side of social media. 

I like the way Briony has used a younger person's experience of crochet in this novel, as there is no getting around the fact that despite a continued increase in interest in yarn crafts, there is still a sense of it being a 'granny' hobby. The novel highlights the fact that a career in crochet can sometimes taint the pure enjoyment that crafting for yourself can bring. It reinforces how important the support of friends can be and how priorities can change through lived experience. 

This is a fun read and it will be passed around team JC now I have finished it. I will look forward to Briony's next novel and will have to have a read of her previous books 'Unravelled' and 'From Rags to Richie'. 

You can find out more about Briony over on her website here and if you fancy reading 'Hooked' you can find it on the publisher's website here. 

I have already chosen next month's book and here's a small clue: it's all about socks!