Oh this was amazing. Very thought provoking and tragic. Every view point made you think deeply about their situation. Everything you want from a book! Linda green is a fantastic writer.

This story is very thought provoking and tackles some hard isssues. It is told from multiple perspectives. It is very emotional and is beautifully written. A great book

Two families are divided but will there children falling in love actually bring them together. A book about making your own choices in life and love.

"And whilst I wanted to tell them to lower their voices and mind their language, I was aware that doing so in a somewhat muted but still undeniably French accent was asking for trouble these days. And on my first Monday back a work after the summer break, I did not want to risk that. So, I sat there, pursing my lips, trying to pretend it wasn't happening like everyone else, and hating myself for being complicit in the process.

In a deceptively simple novel, Green presents a society split in two and the repercussions of the bystander effect on those without a voice. Set in Leeds, in the north of England just after the well-known referendum that led to the UK leaving the European Union, we meet two very different families battling with two sides of the same coin.

The reader is introduced to the vitriol released post results, the politicisation of globalisation and the hatred fanned online with very damning real world implications. The reader is also exposed to the international citizens who have continued to build up the UK in spite of these results and the growing negative sentiment they are exposed to. The book is political, and it's necessary in a world becoming increasingly polarised.

"Love is stronger than hate. You know that. I want them to know it too".

I loved the West Side Story / Romeo and Juliet references - what could be more apt when talking about an event that divided an entire society where for many, they were split past the point of return. Life is political, and this story emphasises how the actions of those who actively partake in hate, and those who standby without stepping in are both complicit in fuelling the problem. This story could honestly be true and it breaks my heart, but as I teared up reading the end, I loved the end message, that love can prevail when we are willing to try and move forward together.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

“ Little Stars" is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that will leave you with a renewed appreciation for the power of love and family. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming and thought-provoking read.

Rachid and Jodie meet and fall in love but have to keep their relationship a secret as neither family would approve. This is a modern day Romeo and Juliet told realistically in a contemporary fashion. The way they talk to one another is just how teenagers would do nowadays. I laughed and I cried - the whole spectrum of emotions.

I need to read more by this author

This book deals with some really tough topics and is difficult to read in parts, but wow what a beautifully written story. Truly a modern day Romeo and Juliet. Thought provoking With realistic and believable characters.
Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book

I was drawn to this book by the front cover and it didn't disappont. It is well written with a compelling storyline and well developed characters that I loved. I really enjoyed it. The storyline was engaging and really pulls you in, with the suspense level increasing as the story progresses.
The characters are realistic and believable, and you can certainly feel yourself sharing in their emotions throughout.

A absolutely beautiful , stunning and emotive read, you will need tissues handy for this one but it’s so worth it, it will open your mind and heart. There are some difficult but current topics within this book, racism being the main one and the story is told from multiple POV brilliantly interwoven , this is probably one of the most thought-provoking reads I've ever read, I thoroughly recommend it to everyone

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'In Little Stars' by Linda Green


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Linda Green and Quercus


Publication date 6th September 2022.


This is the first book I have read by this author.

I was originally drawn to this book by its interesting cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'A modern day Romeo and Juliet, set against a divided northern England, In Little Stars is a brave and poignant story about love and hope, loss and hate and how the smallest choices we make can change everything.' I am a fan of Romeo and Julietso am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Quercus. I have yet to read a book published by Quercus that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).


This novel consists of a 49 chapters and an epilogue set over 5 parts. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


This book is based in Leeds, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.I have actually holidayed in England many time so am intrigued to see if I recognise places based on anywhere I visited while there.

This book is written in first person perspective and the protagonists are Sylvie Mastour, Rachid Mastour, Jodie Cuthbert and Donna Cuthbert. The benefits of books written in first person perspective with multiple protagonists are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.


'In Little Stars' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Linda discusses/includes racial abuse and racially motivated violence.


WOW!!!! What can I say?!?! One thing I have got to say before getting into my review is clear your schedules and grab the tissues as you will need them!!!


This book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline.


This book is devastatingly heart-breaking and beautiful. It is an absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions filled with love, hate, romance, heartbreak, anger, racism, hate crime, family, love, loss, secrets, friendship and so much more. It is one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read and I was questioning myself and thinking throughout this heart-breaking storyline. The saddest thing about this book is that the storyline is realistic and in fact based on something that tragically did happen. The fact that there is so much hate crime and racial abuse happening daily is absolutely sickening. I used to volunteer with victim support and it was absolutely disgraceful how much hate crime was being reported. It is one of the things that disgust me about the UK and everything that happened during, before and after Brexit was horrendous. So many people used it as an excuse to abuse and threaten anyone that didn't have the same colour skin or religion or race as them and the saddest thing is that it was not even that surprising and as if that is what the government wanted to happen when everything Brexit started. The only time I have seen anything like this happen is when I was having a date night in Gloucester and seen a drunk verbal man telling a family I believed to be Muslim to go home and I told him they had more right to be there than people like him. The fact that this family has small children and yet this person still felt the need to verbally abuse them just makes me so annoyed and sickened. There is absolutely no excuse for racism of any kind for any reason. This book does make you consider what you or others would do in Donna's position? Personally, I know I would have done something as I could not stand by and let it happen. However, if I had had my children with me and seen something similar happen I would seriously not know as it would be putting my children in harms way but I would have told the guard and phoned the police. The storyline is stunning and a book that I genuinely should be in every educational environment and put on the curriculum as it definitely a modern day Romeo and Juliet but one with a more important message and with more merit. I thought the similarities with the names Jodie and Rachid (R & J) was a cute idea! Linda has done an absolutely amazing job of weaving these modern day issues into a modern day storyline and I think Brexit is a perfect situation/example to use. This book is one of those that will stay with me for a very long time, if not forever! The fact that Linda has done her research absolutely shines through so a huge congratulations Linda! One of my pet hates is when authors don't research their topics and then the book is littered with unnecessary mistakes which can spoil the story for me. Linda has done an absolutely fantastic job of creating this storyline where the characters in both families cross lives on several occasion unbeknownst to them. The multiple narrative brings the story to life along with the descriptions and ensures the reader can see everything that is going on and what the characters are thinking and feeling. The fact that it is told not just from Jodie and Rachid's perspectives but also their mother's was a very clever idea and it shows us that one person's actions can affect so many people and for so many different reasons. I will talk about the characters more shortly. When I was reading this book I could feel my heartbeat speeding up as I was getting a dark sense of foreboding the deeper into the book I got and I ended up with tears streaming down my face so make sure you get those tissues ready!! It is one of those books that I just simply could not put down and I walked around everywhere with my kindle and the book. Every chapter ended in a way that I had to know what was going to happen next and then it would move on to the next character and do the same so i blew through this in one sitting. The way Linda has written the character's narrative made me hear their accents through the book as she had written it with their accents (hopefully that makes sense)! Reading this book really does make you feel that you are standing with them and going through their pain, love, and suffering. While you are reading this you are going through a journey of love and loss, heartbreak, secrets, love, and anger and so, so much more. It really is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I was utterly glued to the pages and I could not bring myself to put it down. I was carrying my phone to read it in kindle every chance that I got. I was completely mind blown at the end. You need to clear your schedules and get the tissues at the ready because you will not be able to put this book down. There are some tough topics are explored with realism and sensitivity, that all culminated in a very gripping and powerful page turner. This is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time and although it could be a difficult read at times with emotions running high I would seriously recommend it to anyone and everyone!!

This may be the first book I have read by Linda but I cannot wait to get hold of more books by this extremely talented author. It is one of the most stunning and thought provoking book that I have ever read and one that will stay with me for years if not forever! This book teaches us all that we can be better people and help others. AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ!!

The characters were all very strong and realistic and Linda's writing ensured they jumped off the pages at me. My heart went out to each of the main protagonists for different reasons. The first protagonist that we meet is Sylvie. Sylvie is French and is married to Bilal who is Muslim along with their children Rachid and Amina. Bilal is very strict when it comes to his Muslim religion and what his children can and cannot do and who they should and should not see. Bilal believes that Rachid should only have a relationship with another Muslim so when Rachid falls in love with Jodie who is white and not a Muslim Rachid and Jodie keep it secret. Rachid and Amina think their father is a hypocrite as their mum is French and not a Muslim and that he has another secret that means Rachid does not think he should be able to criticise what he does. Sylvie can see her children's points of view and tries to get Bilal to change some of the things that he originally stopped them doing such as parties. My heart went out to Sylvie who feels she is stuck between a rock and a hard place. She feels that she cannot help her children as she is not of the same faith as them and has been told my Amina that she would not understand. Sylvie is a lovely woman who is so loving and forgiving and try's to please her husband and children. This family feels unwelcome in the place they have lived for many years and start considering leaving to go back to France. The next character we meet is Donna. Donna is married to Neil and their children are Jodie and Sam. Jodie and Sam are like chalk and cheese and have completely different morals. Sam follows in the footsteps of his farther Nail and Neil's father who are both racist and make derogatory comments towards anyone who is not like them throughout the book. Sam gets suspended from school along with his cousin Tyler who seems to go along with everything Sam does. Jodie is the complete opposite and absolutely hates how her father and brother speaks to and about others and goes to anti-Brexit marches where she gets abused for being a "traitor". Donna is constantly in the middle of both Jodie and Sam and Jodie and Neill who constantly argue and fight. My heart goes out to her as she disagrees with what her husband, father in law and son think and is stuck in the middle of them all. Donna and Sylvie have so much in common with the same family problems and both their children keeping secrets and hiding their romance. My heart also went out to Amina who was completely innocent in everything that happened and is stuck between keeping her brother's secrets and helping after everything that happens. I won't say anymore about the characters as I don't want to go into too much detail at the risk of spoiling it for other readers but Linda has done another amazing job at bringing each of the characters to life. Well done Linda!!!


Congratulations Linda in an absolutely gorgeous, heart-breaking beautiful book!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your previous and future books. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! Welcome to my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂


Overall an absolutely unputdownable, thought provoking, addictive and compelling devastatingly beautiful heart-breaking book!!!



Genres covered in this book include Women's Friendship Fiction, Women's Contemporary Fiction, Women's Writers & Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's Romance Fiction, Friendship Fiction, Modern Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Romance Fiction, amongst others.



I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Romeo and Juliet, Jodi Picoult, Nicolas Sparks, you, your friends, your family, your neighbours and absolutely everybody and anybody!!!!! What are you waiting for??? Grab your copy now!!!


464 pages.


This book is just £6.99 to purchase and £8.99 in paperback via Amazon at time of review which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


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Sorry this wasn’t for me it was very well written but too slow and so many characters I couldn’t finish it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for ARC

This book was wonderful. It dealt with some tough topics effecting modern life including racism and dealt with some difficult issues. It was a gut wrenching tear breaker that I found hard to read at some points but I absolutely loved it.

4.5
In Little Stars is a heartbreaking, gripping and though provoking book that will have you reaching for the tissues.

Linda Green has long been one of my favourite authors and I love the way she describes issues in her book. She’s very good at just exploring a situation without seeming overly forceful and letting the reader come to their own conclusions. Sadly racial hate and discrimination is all to common in the UK and it made me very sad to realise how frequently and casually it can happen.

The story is told from the point of view of Jodie, Rachid and their mother’s. I found I liked all four main characters and found it interesting to follow them throughout the story. I found it heartbreaking to see how the couple felt they had to hide their romance from their family and horrifying to see the racial hate Rachid experiences, especially from Jodie’s brother who is only 15. It made me realise how vulnerable teenagers are from picking up other people’s views. The two mum’s were particular favourites of mine and I admired how they tried to keep their families together whilst also having problems themselves.

I found this book incredibly gripping, quickly becoming absorbed into the story and growing fond of the characters. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to the couple, but with a growing sense of dread as the story went on and I began to realise the story might not have a happy ending. The ending was brilliant and I admired both Donna’s strength and her willingness to try and make a difference.

Huge thanks to Emily for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Quercus for my copy of this book.

I haven’t read any of Linda Green's previous books but the synopsis for this had me intrigued - it’s a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, set in Yorkshire against the backdrop of Brexit. And Green is to be applauded for taking some difficult, but very real issues, and blending them into a book that is a truly engaging and emotional read, heartbreaking and thought-provoking in equal measure.

Rachid and Jodie meet on the train on their way to college and begin a relationship, but they are both aware of their very different backgrounds - Rachid,despite being born in the UK, is from a family that is feeling increasingly unwelcome, the son of a French mother and French Moroccan Muslim father, whilst Jodie has a pro-Brexit father who makes no secret of his dislike of immigrants and a brother who is being drawn into far right groups. Rachid and Jodie know their relationship will be frowned upon so they decide to keep it secret.

Told from the perspectives not only of Rachid and Jodie, but of both their mothers, who have never met but travel on the same train every morning, it feels like we get a real insight into the complexities of the issue, just how wide the divide has become and how shocking the consequences can be. It is a book that will keep you turning the pages and af times break your heart - but it is also a book that will make you stop and think.

A very powerful story told in a sympathetic way in alternate chapters from the members of the two different families. A modern Romeo and Juliet with a very current and relevant theme about race and how it can divide opinions, families and eventually destroy love and incite hatred.

The telling of the young love was beautifully done and the involvement of the viewpoint and struggles of the mothers was brilliant too. The ending was heartbreaking, but also added a glimmer of hope for the future.

I feel like I just don’t have the right words to explain the impact of this book had on me. At times I was furious and heartbroken, moved and hopeful. It is heart wrenching with a message so important that I truly believe everyone needs to read it. I actually think it should be on the curriculum and will be giving it to my children to read as soon as they are old enough. I thought it was really clever that the author gave glimpses of each family life through multiple narratives, each highlighting the similarities and vast different between them. Each chapter is food for though and multiple times through the book I wondered what I would have done in that situations . It’s my first introduction to this author and from what I have read, I need to make up for lost time and read the rest of her books.

Oh this book! Gripped from the start and finished within two days, what more can you ask for?!

This modern day take on Romeo and Juliet puts us in post Brexit Yorkshire and follows two very different families- Sylvie’s multi racial family, her husband Bilal being a consultant eye surgeon, and Sylvie herself being a midwifery trainer. Despite having lived in the UK for 20 years they find themselves having to sit exams for UK residency, while their children navigate increasing levels of racism around them.

Donna on the other hand comes from a traditional working class family and her husband Neil holds some very dubious beliefs, which start to impact on his son’s behaviours.

When Sylvie’s done Rachid meets Donna’s daughter Jodie, their attraction is instant but each knows their relationship must be concealed.

Political tensions continue to run high, with prejudices and public unrest. The story follows Rachid and Jodie as they navigate the issues whilst trying to protect their love.

Utterly heartbreaking, thought provoking and at times breathtaking. I loved this novel and it will stay with me for a long time. Thank you to Linda Green, Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I’d describe this book as realistic fiction. The author has done an amazing job of creating imaginary characters and situations that depict the world and society. The characters focus on themes of growing, self-discovery and confronting personal and social problems. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Sylvie and Donna are both mums, unknowingly commuting on the same train each day. But that is where the similarities end; Sylvie and Donna’s families come from totally different backgrounds and are on opposite sides of the Brexit fence.
What neither of the families know is that their eldest children Rachid and Jodie have met at university and fallen head over heels in love. The teenagers keep their relationship a secret knowing that both families will disapprove. As Sylvie’s family start to feel less and less welcome in England they decide to relocate to Paris, sending the young couple in to free fall. As the Brexit tension in the country escalates, so does that in each of the family households. The teenagers decide to take things into their own hands with consequences that shatter both families.
This is more than a book, it’s a lesson about morals and doing the right thing. A bittersweet yet shocking story, showing how well and how poorly people can behave and treat each other.

I had heard so much good stuff about this book that I positively squealed when I got offered a copy. But having finished it, I’m most definitely on the fence.

There’s a definite Romeo and Juliet vibe about this, which gave me hope as it’s my favourite Shakespeare play, but I’m afraid that hope was misplaced for me.

I generally dislike fiction books that use too much reality in them. I’m living it, I don’t want to read about it too, I want fiction to be an escape and so the Brexit backdrop was a bit distracting.

One of my main concerns is how much of this is fictional and how much is the author’s belief? Has she been impartial in creating a fictional tale or is she bias towards leave/remain? It often feels like she’s written it to provoke.

I’m not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t this. I guess I thought it would be this heartfelt and beautiful story, but instead it’s heavy and sad and shocking. Yes there’s love and friendship and joy and hope in it, but I found the overall tone very morose. It’s a very heavy book and I wonder if, at times, it’s maybe too heavy.

I know he’s young but I found the character of Rachid to be a bit creepy. I did grow to like him, but at times he felt a bit stalker-ish and it was painted as romantic. I didn’t like Sam - I won’t go into detail for fear of spoilers, but he’s not a nice character at all. And then you have Jodie, who for me was a bit of a wet weekend. She puts up this front but behind it she’s a bit of a weak character. And then you have 15 year old Amina who was probably my favourite of the children. She had her flaws but I felt she was just trying to live her life but everything was conspiring against her and she wasn’t able to live her own life. The rest of the characters are on the periphery. I didn’t like either father (Neil and Bilal) for different reasons, but did feel some empathy towards the mothers (Sylvie and Donna).

I am afraid that for the most of it, I was just thinking about the next book I was going to read rather than losing myself in it. I’d seen so many positive reviews and whilst it wasn’t a bad book or badly written (it definitely improved as it went along), it just felt flat and moany and critical, which made it unenjoyable for me.

One thing I did really like was how everything was linked. Both families flow in and out of each other’s lives which I thought was very cleverly done.

I’m unsure it will stand the test of time. I don’t mean that in terms of her writing ability, there’s nothing wrong with that - bar a few typos which I’m sure will be ironed out in the final copy - but the plot. Whilst Brexit will become a point in history that we are taught about, I’m not sure it’ll have this division or this fever of opinion as it does not when it’s still timely.

It is a sad world we live in when something as horrific as is in this book is actually a reality. That racism and racial violence can’t just be confined to the bookshelves. And whilst I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I thought, I could appreciate the passion that Linda has for the topic and the importance of her writing.