#TheQueenofNewBeginnings #ThereseLoreskar


The Queen of New Beginnings: a laugh out loud comedy



Kajsa lives in a large house in Stockholm along with her three children and their dog. Since coming clean about lying on her popular blog she no longer has any work. Not only that but she has kicked her husband out because of his sex addiction. 

While her husband is in rehab trying to fix his little problem, Kajsa's mother in law is thrown out of her retirement home and comes to live with her daughter in law.

Then Kajsa receives an unexpected offer to move to a fashionable part of London. But having to look after her mother in law makes life complicated.  

Can Kajsa rid herself of her baggage and make a fresh start with her children in England? 

This laugh-out-loud comedy looks at the daily struggles we all face with our families and asks if starting again is ever really possible. 

I really enjoyed the first book in this series called The Queen of Blogging - particularly as a blogger but actually it will appeal to anyone who uses social media! I found it very amusing and you can read my full review here. I was delighted to find out Loreskar had written another novel and couldn't wait to get back and see what mischief Kajsa had got up to now! Thanks so much to Sarah Hardy and the publisher for an advance copy of this novel in return for an honest and unbiased review.

This is a very lightweight, easy read that reminds me of a kind of cross between Miranda and Bridget Jones - Kajsa is sarcastic, funny, chaotic and hapless! But this novel isn't silly or slapstick, it's just about the life of an overwrought mother who seems to get herself into larger and larger scrapes and continuously misjudging situations or somehow making them more painfully cringeworthy.

The novel opens with Kajsa on the phone while the dog eats her wallet and the children run wildly around her, interrupting her, wiping noses on her sleeve, using up all the kitchen roll and then eventually causing her to drop her phone on the floor so the battery rolls out. We've all been there. And to be honest, it's no wonder Kajsa only ever gets half the gist of what anyone is saying to her!

Loreskar's writing is very witty. It is well observed. I could hear the voices of each character - particularly the mother in law who despite her flaws, actually becomes one of the most likeable characters at the end. There is a lot of dialogue which is very well presented through email, text and disjointed conversations. The novel is a bit like a diary form, sections often headed up with the time and this also creates a great pace and a sense of urgency - or panic! It also keeps the tone informal and helps the reader form a relationship with Kajsa.

There are a lot of lists used by Kajsa which are hilarious but also mean the reader rips through the pages as the writing is stripped back so it is almost like a stage monologue at a times. Often her list starts off as a series of observations or explanations about a character's situation or a way of thinking through her current dilemma but then they often wander off into her random thoughts. I liked this way of showing the character and again, it mimics Kajsa's frenetic life.

1. And here I'm sitting.
2. On a Saturday evening.
3. Alone, apart from three sleeping children and a snoring dog snuggled up in my lap. 
4. Who was it that reordered the universe?
5. And made me single?

There is also an element of fantasy as Kajsa arrives in London and meets the very handsome Brad. The reader does have to stretch their imagination a little bit with some of the things that happen to Kajsa but then why not? This is a fun story, a story that is heartwarming and seeks happy endings. It is like watching a good movie on a Friday night and as the reader is rooting for Kajsa all the way along anyway, we're not going to begrudge her anything!

The characters all learn, grow and develop through the story and there are some serious elements to the plot but generally this is read that will make you smile, nod in agreement, snort in recognition of some of the events or relationships and leave you feeling like you have had a well deserved dose of good fun which is definitely something the doctor ordered!

A refreshing burst of fun and a quick, enjoyable, humorous read!

The Queen of New Beginnings is published by Bombshell Books on 10th August 2017.

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THERESE LORESKAR 


Therese Loreskär started her writing career in 2010 and self-published her first novel which quickly sold out. In 2014 she signed up to a publishing house and her novel "The Queen of Blogging” was released. People referred to the book as a modern “Bridget Jones” and couldn’t get enough of the main character, Kajsa. The next book “The Queen of Blogging 2” was released shortly after and also received lots of praise!

Therese has since published 4 bestselling children’s books, “The Queen of Blogging 1 & 2” have also been recorded and launched as audiobooks in addition to paperbacks in Sweden. Her biggest dream is to have “The Queen of Blogging series” made into films, and she secretly keeps a list in an old drawer of presumptive actors that would do the characters in her books justice.

Therese lives in the countryside along the west coast of Sweden. She has a rather big and busy household, with (one) husband, two children, one deaf cat, five hamsters and a grandmother. When she’s not busy making up stories and writing silly things, she enjoys the nature, people, history, redecorating the house without asking anyone for permission, and all other kinds of creativity.

For more recommendations and reviews follow me on Twitter @KatherineSunde3 or via my blog bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.co.uk or website bibliomaniacuk.co.uk 

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