Thank you for stopping by I'm taking part in a blog blitz for My Sweet Friend by H.A. Leuschel today. I previously reviewed this book so I'm delighted to be re-sharing it again. You can also take a look at an excerpt and there's a chance to enter a giveaway too!
First of all though let's take a look at the description for the book...
A stand-alone novella from the author of Manipulated Lives
A perfect friend ... or a perfect impostor?
Alexa is an energetic and charismatic professional and the new member of a
Parisian PR company where she quickly befriends her colleagues Rosie and Jack.
She brings a much-needed breath of fresh air into the office and ambitiously
throws herself into her new job and friendships.
But is Alexa all she claims to be?
As her life intertwines with Rosie and Jack's, they must all decide what
separates truth from fiction. Will the stories that unfold unite or divide
them? Can first impressions ever be trusted?
In this original novella, H.A. Leuschel evokes the powerful hold of appearances
and what a person is prepared to do to keep up the facade. If you like
thought-provoking and compelling reads with intriguing characters, My Sweet
Friend is for you.
Purchase Link -
MY
SWEET FRIEND by H.A. Leuschel
Hello
and thank you very much for inviting me to Rae
Reads!
We feel for others and quite rightly
so. It allows us to feel a connection, reach out and help. The very fact that
our empathic skills detect distress, note a change in mood in a loved one or a
friend, recognizes pain, is vital in making each other comfortable, feel
respected and worthy of attention.
In
my latest novella ‘My Sweet Friend’, empathy is a skill that allows two women
to connect and form a fun friendship. However, one of them has cleverly learnt
to exploit the empathy of her new companion to her advantage, quickly blurring
the boundaries between truth and deception
Excerpt
She ended up taking
me to her stylist, and a few boutiques to change my classical outfits into more
flamboyant and daring ones. She was being so kind and attentive that I wondered
whether I could have muddled up the incident.
‘You’re like my mum
was when I was a teenager, taking me to shops and make-up displays, thinking
she could pep up my looks,’ I said.
‘She didn’t do a very
good job, did she?’ She winked, her words leaving a sharp pain of hurt.
‘If you say so,’ I
said eventually, my eyes focused on a row of buttons running down a tight
fitting red dress. ‘You never mention your family. Visibly, they’ve done a
better job.’
‘Oh, my parents,’ she
answered dismissively, her tone of voice flat. ‘It’s complicated. We talk from
time to time but we don’t have much in common. It’s a shame really, considering
I’m their only child, but I don’t care now.’ It was all she ever said.
‘I couldn’t imagine…
that’s so sad, Alexa. My mum and I are very close.’
‘Please don’t,’ Alexa
said, her eyes lowered and lips twitching as if she were about to cry.
‘Oh, Alexa, I’m so
sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.’ She looked up at me with an empty stare and
nodded.
‘Fine. Just don’t
mention it again,’ she said coldly, slipping back into the changing room
without another word.
I'm delighted to be resharing my review for My Sweet Friend...
I know that novella's are not always a first choice for people to read however if they are written well I really enjoy being able to pick them up knowing that I will be able to finish the story in such a short space of time.
After reading Manipulated Lives by H.A. Leuschel I was definitely intrigued by My Sweet Friend. This story revolves around Alexa and tells the story of how she met Rosie along with showing their "friendship" and work life. It's obvious to the reader that there is something decidedly off in their friendship. With a range of manipulations creating havoc but will the truth come out?
It's a story that moves quickly but easily pulled me in as I wondered what Alexa and Rosie would do next. Both characters are portrayed well and I really enjoyed how the story played out with the lies slowly being revealed. It made everything more rounded by showing both perspectives as you are given the thoughts and feelings of Rosie and Alexa. It always amazes me how the manipulator will try to explain away their behaviour trying to make it seem perfectly normal.
My Sweet Friend is not only intriguing but is a story packed full of lies and manipulations.
With thanks to Helene Leuschel for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Helene Andrea Leuschel
grew up in Belgium where she gained a Licentiate in Journalism &
Communication, which led to a career in radio and television in Brussels,
London and Edinburgh. She now lives with her husband and two children in
Portugal and recently acquired a Master of Philosophy with the OU, deepening
her passion for the study of the mind. When she is not writing, Helene works as
a freelance journalist and teaches Yoga.
Social Media Links –
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Giveaway
Win a signed copy of Manipulated Lives by H.A. Leuschel
(Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions –
Worldwide entries welcome.
Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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