Book Review: The Haunting of Hattie Hastings by Audrey Davis

Happy Monday all. I am pleased to be welcoming to Novel Kicks today, Audrey Davis and the Blog Blitz for The Haunting of Hattie Hastings…Part Three which has been released today.

Nothing lasts forever … Gary’s time on earth seems to be coming to an end. His visits are less frequent and his visibility is fading fast. But he still has a mission to accomplish, which involves Hattie and her ability to pass on a heart-rending message.

Best friend Cat’s ex-husband is determined to prove that he deserves another chance, but do leopards really change their spots?

Times are tough for Hattie’s mother Rachel, but where there’s life, there’s hope …
Meanwhile, is there someone already in Hattie’s life who can help her move on when it’s finally time to say goodbye?

The Haunting of Hattie Hastings: Part Three is the final book in the Haunting of Hattie Hastings series.

Hattie has recently become a widow after her husband, Gary was knocked over and killed by a drunk driver/hit and run.

Adjusting to life without him is something that Hattie is not finding easy. She does know that she wouldn’t have survived the first month had it not been for her son, Johnny, her mother Rachel, her brother Jack and his partner Ben and her best friend, Cat.

When Gary appears in front of her, Hattie can barely believe it. Gary doesn’t know why he’s still there but it’s not long before Hattie doesn’t want to let him go.

As this is the third book in the series, you need to have read the first two books to have a good sense of what is going on in this one. It doesn’t stand alone.

Told from the point of view from Hattie, Cat and Gary, (and Rachel for a couple of chapters,) it is like a modern day Truly Madly Deeply. Having it told from all these perspectives does give you an insight of how each of them is dealing with events differently. Gary appearing at inconvenient times leads to hilarity and awkwardness for the rest of the characters. Some parts of this book did have me chuckling a lot.

Hattie and Cat are both immediately likeable (although I did want to give Cat a hug plus a kick up the bum.) Both have been through a lot and these experiences meant I had a lot of empathy and connection with them. I wanted things to work out for them.

Gary is also a lovely character. I liked him a lot.

The rest of the supporting characters are also fantastic; Jack and Ben being personal favourites.

The style of the novel has a lot of warmth and humour. The characters and plot feel well-developed and not rushed.

The ending was great although I knew from the beginning that it was going to break my heart. Being split over the three books, it makes it very easy to fall into the story.

You do have to suspend realism but the author has cleverly mixed romance and paranormal. She has also tackled the subject of bereavement with grace and empathy.

The Haunting of Hattie Hastings is a great trio of books. I loved Hattie, Cat and Gary’s story and I think you will too.

About Audrey:

Audrey Davis survived secondary school on the West coast of Scotland. Rubbish at science but not too bad at English, she originally wanted to be an actress but was persuaded that journalism was a safer option. Probably wise. She studied at Napier College in Edinburgh, the only place in Scotland at that time to offer a journalism course.

Her first foray into the hard-nosed newspaper world was as a junior reporter in Dumfriesshire. Duties included interviewing farmers about the prize-winning heifers to reporting on family tragedies. She persuaded her editor to let her launch an entertainment column which meant meeting the odd celebrity – or just the downright odd. From there, she moved to the loftier rank of senior reporter back in her home patch. Slightly more money, fewer farm animals but a higher crime rate. As Taggart would say: ‘There’s been a murrrrder!’

After a stint in London on a video magazine – yes, she is that old – Audrey moved to Singapore with her fiancé. She tried valiantly to embrace the stinking heat, humidity and lack of jobs, although she did work briefly on a magazine which was banned by the government for ‘artistic’ use of naked men’s bottoms.

Next on her adventures was a land Down Under where her main focus was raising Cost Centre One (aka firstborn) and coming to terms with the imminent arrival of Number Two. Still, she loved the Aussie way of life – BBQs, beaches and bring your own booze to restaurants – so it came as a blow when OH announced a move back to the UK. Not a job between them, the climate a possible deal breaker and an Exorcist-style vomiting infant on the flight home didn’t bode well …

Always a survivor, Audrey sought out similar-minded friends (i.e. slightly bonkers), got the children into a good school and thought about taking up writing again. Sadly, thinking about it was as far as she got, unless you count shopping lists. Then, hubby drops another bombshell. Switzerland. As in – it’s packing time again. Off to the land of cheese, chocolate, scarily efficient trains and a couple of teeny, tiny issues. Like driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road and speaking a foreign language (French). The former was conquered fairly quickly (we’ll skip over the wall demolition in week two), the latter remains an ongoing battle of the hopeful against the hopeless. At least she provides amusement for the local workforce. It wasn’t until 2016 that Audrey rediscovered her writing mojo with an online Writing Fiction course. From there, her first novel – A Clean Sweep – was born, although it took a bit longer than nine months from conception. A short, darker prequel – A Clean Break – followed, and in November 2017 she published the first in a novella trilogy, The Haunting of Hattie Hastings Part One. Part Two is published on 21 March 2018, with the conclusion following in July. After which she might have a wee lie down …

Say hi on Facebook –  https://www.facebook.com/audreydavisbooks and Twitter- https://twitter.com/audbyname

Click to view the Haunting of Hattie Hastings books on Amazon UK:

Purchase from Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Haunting-Hattie-Hastings-Part-Three-ebook/dp/B07DT2P5Q3

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.