From Amazon

How could you ever choose between your own life and the life of your child?

Newly-weds Holly and Tom have just moved into an old manor house in the picturesque English countryside. When Holly discovers a moondial in the overgrown garden and its strange crystal mechanism, little does she suspect that it will change her life forever. For the moondial has a curse.

Each full moon, Holly can see into the future – a future which holds Tom cradling their baby daughter, Libby, and mourning Holly’s death in childbirth…

Holly realises the moondial is offering her a desperate choice: give Tom the baby he has always wanted and sacrifice her own life; or save herself and erase the life of the daughter she has fallen in love with.

Review

Let me start by saying this is definitely not one all of you will like.  There's a review on Amazon that says "unless you are a vacuous blonde whose previous literary forays do not extend beyond Cosmo and who needs lots of short sentences to follow the story, this book is not for you". Maybe it was what I needed after a heavy week, but I really liked it. The story veers into the ridiculous - not many of us will have experience of moondials that give you a vision of the future, and I guess there's not many relationships as perfect as that of Tom and Holly - but I read it in two sittings and was totally engrossed. The emotions are a little overplayed, it's true, but I wasn't aware of the bad writing some of the bad reviews point out, just found it a beautiful story well-told, which left me with a genuine tear in the eye. See what you think.

 Ooh, dying to see who wrote that scathing comment about vacuous blondes - I wonder if it was a hyper-intelligent brunette??!!  I often wonder why some folk choose to read certain books when they are so obviously out of their comfort zones...

lovelytreez:

I often wonder why some folk choose to read certain books when they are so obviously out of their comfort zones...

Maybe they 'had to' review it for some magazine or competition. I've reviewed books for the RNA award which I've found truly awful, but felt obliged to finish so that I can give proper feedback (for example, commenting on whether the ending was too predictable etc) rather than base my comments on the first 50 pages.

But I do love the way the reviewer can write such scathing comments, whilst using such a cliche as 'vacuous blonde'. Stereotyping, or what?

I have this on my shelf, Looking forward to it :)

and yet another wishlist add, thanks xxx

 Thanks for the review Annie, sounds good.

kaydee23:

 Thanks for the review Annie, sounds good.

If anyone loves it Karen, it'll be you (the most vacuous blonde I know.... ok, I'm joking....!!.) On it's way tomorrow... 

Thanks for the review Annie, I've had this on my wishlist for ages so will keep it there!

annie130:

kaydee23:

 Thanks for the review Annie, sounds good.

If anyone loves it Karen, it'll be you (the most vacuous blonde I know.... ok, I'm joking....!!.) On it's way tomorrow... 

hey! ........actually I wouldn't disagree with that!

thank you lovely lady

Well this hyper-intelligent brunette enjoyed it!  As Annie says, the moondial concept is totally ridiculous and I also thought it was unnecessary - I kept thinking it would have been more credible if Holly had just dreamt about her daughter etc- and Amanda Brooke's writing isn't good enough (yet) to make me believe in it, but there was just something about the book that engaged me.  Having read so many dual timeframe novels with historical threads, I liked the idea of a character travelling into her own future and having to decide whether to change it or not.

I read Annie's review before I started the book so I wasn't expecting anything deep and meaningful, so was able to enjoy it as a light, diverting and engaging read.

Denise4891:

I read Annie's review before I started the book so I wasn't expecting anything deep and meaningful, so was able to enjoy it as a light, diverting and engaging read

Delighted to see you enjoyed it too Denise...! 

 Was lucky enough to find this one in a charity shop a couple of weeks ago.  Its waiting its turn patiently!

I like a book that is different, will keep an eye out for it, thanks for reviewing lovey

kaydee23:

 Was lucky enough to find this one in a charity shop a couple of weeks ago.  Its waiting its turn patiently!

After insulting you (!) did I forget to send you my copy? If so, abject apologies...! 

kaydee23:

 Was lucky enough to find this one in a charity shop a couple of weeks ago.  Its waiting its turn patiently!

After insulting you (!) did I forget to send you my copy? If so, abject apologies...!