Review: The Resistance Girl by Mandy Robotham

 Caution - This review does contain spoilers.

Title: The Resistance Girl
Author: Mandy Robotham
Genre: Historical Fiction

Trigger warnings: War, Violence, Childbirth, Death Of A Parent

Rating: ★★★★

 As I mentioned in my Mid Year Reading Roundup, Mandy Robotham has firmly taken her place on my list of favourite authors so I'd been dying to read her latest historical fiction work since it's publication in March and I finally got round to it this month.

The Resistance Girl tells the story of Rumi Orlstad, a member of the local resistance in Nazi-occupied Norway who is mourning the death of her fiancé after he drowned whilst operating The Shetland Bus, a special operations run waterway connecting Nazi-occupied Norway and Shetland, Scotland. As part of her resistance work, Rumi finds herself working alongside the half-Norwegian British SOE agent Jens Parkes as he commits acts of sabotage, transmits messages to England and other agents within Norway and works to gain intelligence on Nazi activity within occupied Norway. 

As a midwife turned writer, it is understandable that pregnancy and birth play a central role within Many Robotham's novels and The Resistance Girl is no different. Alongside the plotline focusing on the work of the resistance, another strand of the story focuses on the eugenics policy of the Nazis through exploration of the Lebensborn homes in Norway. We meet Anya, a childhood friend of Rumi, who finds herself pregnant after she is sexually assaulted whilst on a date with a German soldier. As Anya is deemed "racially valuable" with her blonde hair and blue eyes, she is sent to a Lebensborn home to await the birth of her child. Rumours of the nature of the program they find themselves in are rife around the mother and baby home and Rumi and Jens find themselves trying to rescue some of the expectant mothers from the home before their babies can be stolen and trafficked back to Germany. I was not previously aware of the existence of Lebensborn homes within Nazi occupied Norway (and naively thought they only existed within Nazi Germany) so this was a really interesting read for me. However I found myself almost craving two independent novels, one exploring the resistance work and one focusing on the lives of the women within the Lebensborn homes as both are plotlines of equal importance who were almost competing for pages within the story.

True to her other novels, how well researched Mandy Robotham was when writing The Resistance Girl is clear throughout the novel through her gorgeous descriptions of the locality. This is something I felt really needed a mention as it was all done remotely due to the pandemic but you could honestly not tell (until you're told in the afterword) that the author had not set foot in the locations she is describing. It is honestly testament to what a wonderful writer Mandy Robotham is.

Whilst I'm singing the praises of her writing ability, I must also mention Mandy Robotham's incredible ability to write strong female characters. In this novel we are blessed with not only a strong female protagonist in Rumi but also with her wonderful mother figure Marjit who is a woman and a half and one of those fictional characters who I'd just love to have dinner with.

I've seen mixed reviews on the romantic nature of this novel with some readers arguing it felt forced and unnecessary. I did find it to be an aspect of the plot I enjoyed and if anything I found the slow pace the blossoming of the romance took to be in keeping with Rumi's character and the grief she was experiencing following the loss of her fiancé. You were able to see Rumi's character and strength progress over the course of the novel and we see her bench any potential feelings for Jens until she feels she is ready to love again.

I did find the first half of the novel lacked pace considerably and I had to really push myself through what felt like a lot of repetition, something which is a rarity with Mandy Robotham's writing. The fast-paced second half did make up for this, however, and I was glad I'd stuck with it.

One of the main criticisms I have of The Resistance Girl is the ending, which is far too clean for my liking. I tend to prefer historical fiction to end in a way which packs a punch and reminds you of the horrors of war, but the ending of The Resistance Girl missed the mark for me here. Despite the situations many of characters found themselves in - which in reality would have almost certainly resulted in death - it was very 'and they all lived happily ever after' and this was a disappointment as we've seen from other Mandy Robotham novels, such as The German Midwife, that she's not afraid to not give her characters a happy ending if it wasn't true to the historical reality.

I also found myself craving more depth to be given to the secondary characters within the story, for example the fisherman and brother-like figure to Rumi named Rubio. It felt like, although his presence is known throughout the novel (albeit on a 'if needs be' basis if anything) and we know of what importance he is to Rumi, we barely know anything about him until the end of the novel.

Although it was not my favourite of Mandy Robotham's novels (that award continues to be held by her debut novel The German Midwife), she has written yet another fantastic historical fiction novel which introduces readers to an aspect of World War Two history which does not get enough attention. I hope this sparks a rise in fiction set in occupied countries outside of western Europe as there really isn't enough of them to share such a fascinating part of history. 

Are you a historical fiction fan? If you have any recommendations within the genre please share them in the comments below!

2022 Mid Year Reading Roundup (& Giveaway!)

As we find ourselves just over halfway through the year (give or take a month or so, forgive me for being a little late as I wanted to save this for my big blog relaunch) I thought I'd share a summary of my reading so far in 2022.

I was a bit hesitant about sharing my mid year roundup as I've haven't ticked off nearly as many books towards my goodreads target as I would have liked. But I gave myself a little shake and reminded myself that I am no less valid as a reader or book blogger if I've read less books than my target or than the people I follow on social media.

January-July Reading Statistics

Total Books Read: 11
Total Pages Read: 3808

I only read eleven books in the first half of the year which is very unusual for me but I've found myself in a reading slump it's been difficult to crawl out of. I find my reading is very dependent on my mental health and this is summed up by how well the dips in my reading pace parallels the episodes of poor mental health I've had this year. I can feel my goodreads challenge screaming at me to get a move on!

I would typically want to do some pie charts to summarise the format of the books I've read and the types of books they were (e.g. standalone, part of a series, re-reads) but this did not seem necessary for this roundup as all eleven books were paperback, standalone novels I was reading for the first time. Did I spend the time creating my own piecharts, rather than using the ones provided by storygraph, solely so they matched my blog colour palette? You betcha.

Now, let's roundup the genres I've been reading so far this year:

I wish I could sit here and offer a slightly more eclectic mix of titles in my mid year round up but, as per usual, the majority of my reading has been within the historical fiction genre. This is very typical of me as a reader as it's the one genre where my heart truly lies as it allows me to combine my passion for reading with my love of history.

All of the books I've read within this genre (including my venture into middle grade historical fiction through reading When The World Was Ours) have been set within the twentieth century, with all bar one set within the years leading up to and during the second world war. This is again typical of me as a reader as Second World War Europe is a real special interest of mine.

It is time to review the star ratings I've awarded my reads so far this year:

As you can see, I've read a lot of books so far this year that I've truly loved enough to give five stars. When compiling these statistics, I argued with myself over whether or not I'd been too lenient with my five star reviews as 50% seems a very high statistic but all five novels I ranked as five stars were historical fiction works which really spoke to me emotionally and were books I truly could not put down.

What Have I Been Reading?

1) The Berlin Girl by Mandy Robotham

My Rating: ★★★★★

Trigger Warnings: War and Antisemitism

The Berlin Girl was the book that started the Mandy Robotham reading spree I've been on during the first half of this year and it cemented her as one of my favourite historical fiction authors. The book tells the story of Georgie, a female British journalist posted to Berlin in 1938 to work alongside other foreign correspondents from the international press trying to uncover the truth of the Nazi regime. Georgie finds herself desperate to provide support to those finding themselves persecuted by the regime, such as her Jewish driver Rubin and his family, and Georgie and her colleague Max Spender put their own lives on the line as tensions escalate and Europe finds itself on the brink of war. 

I found The Berlin Girl to have an initially slow start with the pace building as the story progressed, but on reflection it became clear that this was actually a powerful literary technique used by the author to perfectly capture how life in Berlin changed as Europe progressed towards war. As with all of Mandy Robotham's characters, the characters in the story are phenomenally compelling. Our protagonist Georgie is a beautifully written and endearing character of real courage and strength and through her occupation of foreign correspondent we get a unique perspective on the build up to the second world war than we've seen in other works of historical fiction.

2) A Woman Of War by Mandy Robotham

My Rating: ★★★★★

Trigger Warnings: Antisemitism, Childbirth, Miscarriage

A Woman Of War (alternatively titled in some versions as 'The German Midwife') tells the story of Anke, a political prisoner and midwife in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp who is taken out of the camp and recruited as the midwife of Eva Braun, Adolf Hitler's mistress and later wife. 

Obviously the plot line of novel is based on speculation and historians generally maintain that Hitler never did have any children, but through this alternative timeline A Woman Of War gives us an interesting insight into life into Nazi-occupied Germany, Hitler's inner circle and the horrific realities of pregnancy and childbirth within the concentration camps.

I found A Woman of War to be a truly captivating story I just could not put down. This was Mandy Robotham's debut work and that makes it perfect evidence for what an incredible historical fiction author she is. Mandy Robotham draws on her first hand experiences as a midwife when writing the scenes centred around pregnancy and childbirth and this allows them to be beautifully detailed.

Mandy Robotham writes suspense and tension in the most powerful way and supports this by utilising flashbacks in a more powerful way than I've ever experienced in other historical fiction writing.

3) Last Night At The Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

My Rating: ★★★★

Trigger Warnings: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Racism, Racial Slurs, Misogyny and Miscarriage

Set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the Red Scare (a period of widespread fear over the perceived threat posed by the potential rise of communism in the U.S), this book tells the story of Lily Hu, a 17 year old Chinese-American coming of age, discovering her sexuality and falling in love for the first time.

As a historical fiction lover, I found the exploration of the era fascinating and it was wonderful to read a book with both queer and women in STEM representation.

I loved the way the character of Lily was written and the way her growing relationship with Kath is explored. Malinda Lo's portrayal of youthful desire and first love is just beautiful. But my favourite parts of the story were ultimately the vivid descriptions of the Telegraph Club and it's patrons. The wonderful snapshots readers are given about these characters made me crave an opportunity to explore their individual stories on a deeper level, to understand their own individual journeys in an era rife with heteronormative ideology.

I also found myself wishing that the book had been longer. The story seemed to end quickly following the climax of the story and the epilogue provided only a very brief exploration of Lily's life following the significant events portrayed within the novel. As a reader I found myself with so many unanswered questions and for that reason I could only award the novel 4 stars.

4) Wait For Me by Caroline Leech

My Rating: ★★★★★

Trigger Warnings: War, Sexual Assault

How much did I enjoy this book? I started it at 11pm one evening, planning on reading a chapter or two before bed. Next thing I know it's 3am and I'm sobbing, having completely finished the book. Enough said!

Wait For Me is set in 1944/45 in a small coastal village in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the story of Lorna, a farmer's daughter with two brothers serving in Europe. Paul, a German prisoner of war badly injured and then taken prisoner during the D Day landings, starts work at Lorna's family farm and a truly beautiful romance blossoms between him and Lorna.

Themes at the heart of Wait For Me include forgiveness and not judging a character on their outward appearance or nationality. Every part of my being fell instantly in love with the character of Paul. I also adored the way the character of Lorna was written and the way her character grew and evolved throughout her wartime experiences. I'd pay so much money to be able to read a sequel following the characters after the war.

5) The Flower Girls by Alice Clark-Platts

My Rating: ★★★

Trigger Warnings: Child Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Prison

The Flower Girls is a thriller focused around two sisters Laurel and Rosie. At ages 10 and 6 they abduct and murder a toddler. Laurel is convicted of murder and sent to prison, whilst Rosie is given a new identity. Fast forward 19 years and Rosie is staying in a hotel when another child goes missing which leads to her true identity being discovered and the media frenzy starting again.

This is a clever and chilling concept which is told from multiple perspectives and in multiple timelines. I liked this technique as aspects of the crime and trial from 1997/98 were revealed slowly as the story progressed which made it more gripping. But I just feel it didn't match it's potential and I was left feeling (for like of a better word) very meh. I did find the story to be very predictable and it seemed to end very suddenly with little to no explanation. The characters lacked depth and some had no real impact on the plot at all. 

6) Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson

My Rating: ★★★★★

Trigger Warnings: Antisemitism, War, Violence, Childbirth

It is 1943, Nazi Germany is occupying most of Italy and the threat of arrest is increasing for Italian Jews. Antonia Mazin has one hope for survival: posing as the new bride of Christian farmer and ex student priest Nico Gerardi, a complete stranger. As they live under the pretence of Catholic newlyweds, their relationship begins to blossom. But the Nazi threat follows them to their remote farm as a local Nazi official holds a vendetta against Nico and is immediately suspicious of Nina, Antonia's new identity. 

Although I adore historical fiction set in World War Two, Our Darkest Night was new territory for me as it was my first novel set it Nazi Occupied Italy and my first introduction to the author Jennifer Robson. 

I was immediately drawn in to the story, which was heart wrenching and heart warming in equal measure. I fell in love with author's writing style and the beautiful characters created within the story. Did I fall instantly in love with Nico? Of course.

Our Darkest Night is a must read for historical fiction fans, especially if you love a bit of romance.

7) How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

My Rating: ★★★★

Trigger Warnings: Murder, Violence, Blood, Drugs, Alcohol Abuse, Suicide References.

I started May with 'How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie', a book which has been on my to-read list since its publication and one which I was kindly given as a birthday present from my family (talk about irony). I have published a full review of How To Kill Your Family, which you can find here.

8) The Pieces of Ourselves by Maggie Harcourt

My Rating: ★★★

Trigger Warnings: Mental Health

This was a charity shop purchase I was delighted to get my hands on as the novel has been on my to-read list since it's publication in 2020. 'The Pieces of Ourselves' was my introduction to Maggie Harcourt and I was drawn to it because of it's mental health representation. 

'The Pieces of Ourselves' is the story of Flora, a seventeen year old with bipolar 2. She left school after an "incident" and now works in a local hotel, keeping her head down and living with her brother and his partner. As she once had an interest in history, her boss asks her to help an important guest, Hal, in a research project into the life of a missing World War One soldier. Despite initial reservations, Flora finds herself immersed in the project and slowly she starts to lower her guard and allow herself to start to fall for Hal. 

9) When The World Was Ours by Liz Kessler

My Rating: ★★★★★

Trigger Warnings: Antisemitism, War, Violence

In the middle of May, I joined in with Becca's Bookopoly, a 48 hour readathon, and started the readathon with the book 'When The World Was Ours' by Liz Kessler as it matched the readathon prompt 'a book under 300 pages'. This book has been on my to-read list since it's publication in mid 2021 so I welcomed an opportunity to read it. As both a World War Two buff and a primary school teacher, this middle-grade fiction novel about three children living in Nazi-occupied Europe was right up my street. I've read more World War Two focused historical fiction books than I could count but this is definitely up there in one of the best, hence the 5* score.

When The World Was Ours tells the story of three young friends - Elsa, Max and Leo - living in Vienna, who are ripped apart from each other when Europe finds itself on the eve of war. Elsa and Leo are both Jewish, forced to flee the rising anti-Semitism in Austria and Max's father is a prominent member of the SS who encourages Max to join the German youth movement. The story is told through alternating chapters focused on each child and their story, exploring the separate paths through the war they take and how they remain connected through a photograph of the three of them. When The World Was Ours explores the Kindertransport, sponsorship, life in the ghetto and concentration camps, making it a fantastic thought-provoking introduction to the Holocaust and Second World War for children, however I would suggest it is read with a parent or teacher due to the nature of these themes. It has a truly heart-breaking and gut-punching ending that left me sobbing and I found that even though it is a middle-grade novel suitable for older children/teenagers, it'll have a lasting effect on adult readers alike.

10) The Resistance Girl by Mandy Robotham

My Rating: ★★★★

Trigger Warnings: War, Violence, Childbirth

Mandy Robotham has firmly taken her place on my list of favourite authors so I'd been dying to read her latest historical fiction work since it's publication in March and I finally got round to it this month. Despite being a big fan of fiction set during World War Two, I had never read a story set in occupied Norway before so this was a truly fascinating read for me.

'The Resistance Girl' tells the story of Rumi Orlstad, a member of the local resistance in Nazi-occupied Norway who is mourning the death of her fiancé after he drowned whilst operating The Shetland Bus, a special operations run waterway connecting Nazi-occupied Norway and Shetland, Scotland. As part of her resistance work, Rumi finds herself working alongside the half-Norwegian British SOE agent Jens Parkes as he commits acts of sabotage, transmits messages to England and other agents within Norway and works to gain intelligence on Nazi activity within occupied Norway. Jens and Rumi also play an active role in supporting expectant mothers held in Lebensborn homes (where they will give birth to 'Aryan' children fathered by German soldiers which will then be stolen from them and sent back to Germany) to escape their fate and travel out of the country.

Although it was not my favourite of Mandy Robotham's novels (that award continues to be held by her debut novel The German Midwife), she has written yet another fantastic historical fiction novel which introduces readers to an aspect of World War Two history which does not get enough attention. I hope this sparks a rise in fiction set in occupied countries outside of western Europe as there really isn't enough of them to share such a fascinating part of history. Despite really enjoying reading this, I found myself only being able to give the novel four stars due to lack of pace in the first half of the story and the fact that the ending was too clean for my liking. I tend to prefer historical fiction to end in a way which packs a punch and reminds you of the horrors of war, but the ending of The Resistance Girl missed the mark for me here.

I am going to publish a full review of The Resistance Girl next week so please check back to read my thoughts on this wonderful work of historical fiction.

Now it's time for our giveaway! To celebrate the relaunch of Yours, Chloe I am running a giveaway for one reader to win a copy of one of my 2022 reads.

Ends: 12am 4th October 2022

Open to anyone residing in a country Book Depository ships to. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What have you been reading so far in 2022? Do you have any recommendations?

Review: How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

 Caution - This review does contain spoilers.

Title: How To Kill Your Family
Author: Bella Mackie
Genre: Crime Thriller

Trigger warnings: death of a parent, descriptions of murder and death, descriptions of sex acts, references to suicide, references to drug use.

Rating: ★★★★

The Plot

Our protagonist Grace Bernard is a young woman living in London who discovers that her absent billionaire father had abandoned her and her mother both emotionally and financially, leaving her mother to bring Grace up as a single parent with a very low income. He had even rejected her dying mother's pleas for him to support Grace, who at that point was a pre-teen, after her death. As a result, Grace hatches a revenge scheme again her father and his immediate family. Grace one by one kills these family members but, before she can complete the final of her schemes and murder her father, she finds herself in prison, and for a murder she did not even commit. Whilst in prison, to kill time and avoid having to speak to her cellmate, she writes her story and this retelling forms the narrative for the novel. 

My thoughts

 As a fiction debut for author Bella Mackie (the Sunday Times bestselling author of Jog On: How Running Saved My Life), I found How To Kill Your Family to be a real page turner and one which I was able to consume over just a couple of days. Also, is it acceptable to give a book bonus points in a rating for having a title which quite frankly terrifies everyone who sees you reading it? 

You don't often expect to find humour within a novel about murder yet Bella Mackie has successfully woven comedy throughout the book. The majority of the killings take place in ridiculous ways which are almost satirical and therefore not triggering to the reader, which was one of her aims as an author. As a result of this, How To Kill Your Family is not a book full of blood, guts and gore, despite being about murder. Bella Mackie was interviewed on the Book Off! podcast shortly after the release of the novel and it was a fascinating listen. She talks about her inspiration for how she pitched the violence within the story and explained it was in response to the general misogyny of the coverage of crime. So instead of a story which focuses on the gory violence committed by a male against a nameless faceless female victim, she wanted to write a story where the violence was almost a background feature and the reader's focus was on the story and the motive.

How To Kill Your Family does lack character development in any character other than the anti-hero protagonist Grace but I found this to contribute effectively to the unusual situation where we as readers are rooting for the serial killer protagonist and feeling very little sympathy for her victims. I delighted in how clever and well thought out each of her plots actually were and we, as readers, get to inhabit Grace's mind and follow along as she plans and executes (if you pardon the pun) these murders, anticipating the details of each murder as we go along.  And dare I say it but we actually get some satisfaction when they happen, or at least I was satisfied when they took place and you can take from that what you will about my personality! 

In terms of pace, I found the narrative to be largely medium-paced although Mackie has skilfully woven in some narration of a slower pace and some faster-paced scenes. Personally I found this to be very effective as I think when you are writing something which is ultimately the written version of a character's inner monologue, you need to account for the ways in which human thoughts can vary in terms of both depth and pace dependent on a multitude of factors. There is also very little dialogue to contribute to the pace.

My original star rating of How To Kill Your Family was 3* as I found the ending, with a new character introduced in the final chapters who altered the course of the ending, to be very disappointing. But upon further research into the novel and the author's inspiration behind the plot, I've given it an additional star as the explanation this gave showed how effective a literary choice this was; I just required a little help to realise it. Reading her explanation triggered a lightbulb moment in my head when suddenly it all made sense and therefore my attitude to the ending changed! In an interview with Marie Claire magazine Bella Mackie said "This book is all about men having power over women and the system being rigged to make men win." and this provides really sums up how the introduction of Harry, a male character, was used to alter the destiny of the protagonist. Grace's primary aim in the killing of her father's immediate family was to cut off any other potential lines of inheritance for her father's million pound fortune, therefore leaving all of the money to herself. But suddenly Harry comes into the mix and gets to take that win away from Grace. I think it is also very effective that there is no dialogue or interaction between Grace and Harry in those final chapters, the ending is told through Harry's voice, reiterating the idea that in society men get to win and women don't get a say in it. It is an infuriating ending for the reader but this really emphasises the message about the female role in society Bella Mackie was trying to convey. I do, however, wish that there could have been more clarity on the reason for the ending without me as a reader having to research myself. This could have been effectively done in the form of an afterword. Based on other reviews of this novel I've read, this clarity was definitely needed for most readers as it really takes a lot of thought before you have that lightbulb moment of understanding.

I also found the subplot of the crime she didn't commit (yet found herself in prison for) very predictable from an early stage. It is difficult because I loved the concept and irony of her being imprisoned for the one murder she didn't commit yet this part of the plot fell very flat for me. I potentially would have liked this subplot to cause more tension, through a possibility of it linking Grace to her actual crimes for example. I also found this 'crime' to be very frustrating as she is ultimately convicted of something when the entirety of the case for prosecution was based on eyewitness testimonies of people who weren't even on the balcony. I understand that these flaws in the case were part of the reason she was able to launch the successful appeal needed to get her out of prison and able to carry on her murder missions but it just missed the mark for me.

Overall, How To Kill Your Family is a fantastic read for anyone with a dark sense of humour and anyone who wants a crime thriller focused on the motive and carefully planning of the killings, instead of drawn-out descriptions of violence and gore. It is a fantastic debut fiction novel from Bella Mackie and has made me very excited to read her future works.

Have you read How To Kill Your Family? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The Relaunch of Yours, Chloe

Hello old friend.

It feels quite odd to be sitting down and writing this, as all has been rather quiet on the blog front for nearly two years. I took a blogging break when I went through a period of poor mental health in Autumn 2020 and boy did the break end up being longer than anticipated! A few days turned into a week, then a month and before I knew it I had left my little blog on the metaphorical doorstep for two years.

As it turns out, this little breather has done me the world of good; a chance to recharge my blogging batteries was just what I needed. It's given me a chance to revaluate what I want this blog to be. I started writing my blog back in 2012 when I was fourteen. And somehow we now find ourselves a decade later and I'm in my mid-twenties. Understandably a lot has changed. I've left school, graduated university, started to build a career, moved to a different part of the UK and set up home with my partner. I've evolved and grown as a person, I'm more sure of my identity and what kind of life I want to lead than little fourteen year old me was when she started writing about beauty and fashion ten years ago. 

As a result of all of this, it naturally felt about time that Yours, Chloe was given a new lease of life. I've had a little tweak of the design, started utilising some new social media platforms and thought carefully about the kinds of things I want to be writing about in this little online world of mine. 

Two of my biggest passions are books and talking about mental health and wellbeing, so these are going to form the general basis for content here on Yours, Chloe. My current strategy for posts will be:

Wednesday: Wellness Wednesday. 

You can expect posts about mental health and wellbeing, including self-care, mindfulness and personal growth.

Sunday: Bookish Sunday.

This is my day to post about all things literature. You can expect book reviews, roundups of what I've been reading, book suggestions and hopefully a few blog tours and other bookish content thrown in for good measures. 

On a side note: I really wish I could think of a snazzy alliterative title for Sunday's posts also so if you have any suggestions please send them my way, I would be eternally grateful!

To celebrate the relaunch of Yours, Chloe, I have already posted two blog posts:

-  A review of How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie. Click here to read my review. 

- My 2022 Mid-year Reading Roundup: sharing my reading statistics and mini reviews of all of the books I've read so far this year. Click here to read this post.

Giveaway

My mid-year reading roundup post also contains a giveaway, in celebration of my blog relaunch! You can win a copy of a book of your choice, from the list of books I've read so far in 2022. 

The giveaway is open to everyone living in a country Book Depository ships to and is open now! It ends on 4th October 2022 at midnight (GMT).

Click here to enter the giveaway.

So without further ado, let's get on with the show. Welcome back to Yours, Chloe if you're an old faithful friend, or welcome if you're joining me for the first time. It's an honour to have you and I do hope you enjoy my little slice of the internet.

How I Source A Gorgeous Secondhand Wardrobe On eBay

There's a big push on 'slow fashion' at the moment and it's one of the only fashion things I can actually say I got to the party first with. If you're not clued up, slow fashion goes against the fast fashion industry and it's cheap, mass produced items, commonly designed to imitate the designs we're seeing on the runway. Slow fashion focuses on shopping consciously with a focus on the sustainability of our wardrobes. One aspect of slow fashion encourages the recycling, up-cycling and re-purposing of pre-loved clothes and this is what I want to focus on today.

I'm a bit of an eBay fanatic; I can't get enough of it. I use it to create a wardrobe full of second-hand clothes which suit my style and personality. And I often get compliments about the piece's I'm wearing which turn into surprise when I say 'oh thank you, I got it on eBay'. For some reason I think my generation on the whole tend to turn their nose up at secondhand clothing but I'm so passionate about it.

My wardrobe is largely sourced secondhand and this is for a number of reasons. Firstly, it's a heck of a lot cheaper! I very rarely spend more than £5 on an item on eBay; if truth be told, I manage to nab most of the items I buy for around the £1 mark. When you think about how much these items would cost new in the shops, I'm saving yourself tonnes of cash. Secondly, it helps to make my wardrobe stand out a little bit more. When you shop secondhand, you can source gorgeous pieces that are no longer on the market and through that your outfits can become more unique. Forget the latest Spring 2020 Topshop pieces that everyone and their mum is wearing; shop secondhand from seasons gone by and you're so much less likely to walk down the street past 3 girls also rocking the same skirt as you. And thirdly, it's a more sustainable and eco-friendly way to shop.

I recently nabbed this beautiful Next jumper for less than a fiver, which I am rather chuffed with. It was new with the tags so I saved a pretty penny on it. Today I styled it with my New Look burgundy mini skirt and black Accessorize ankle boots.

Today I thought I'd share five of my best tips for sourcing a truly gorgeous wardrobe on eBay, full of pre-loved clothing which still has a whole lot of life left in it.

1. Think outside the box with your searches.

Don't just search 'Size 10 top' or 'Size 14 dress' and keep it at that, eBay is a big place and there are tonnes of gems to be found if you know what to search for. Search brand names you love, specific styles (like 'peter pan collar' or 'tea dress') or occasion names (such as 'casual', 'work' or 'races'). The search 'blogger' also pulls up some fantastic pieces as worn by style bloggers.

2. Don't limit your searches by size.

When you search eBay you're searching through a mountain of different brands, all of which have different sizing so it's best to not limit your searches by only looking at one size. Select a range of sizes surrounding your dress size, for example I'll include size 6-12 and S-M in my searches to make sure I'm not limiting my potential findings.

3. Save your favourite searches.
With eBay it is really simple to save your favourite searches or sellers and have the links to new listings emailed to you each day. I have picked a handful of my favourite fashion brands and have alerts set up so that all of the new listings related to that brand come up in a notification on my phone. It means that you never miss a gorgeous new item and often get a head start when it comes to watching and starting to bid on the piece. To do this on the eBay app, just type in the search you want and then hit the little heart button on the top left hand corner, where it says 'Save'. You can also do this for your favourite sellers so you never miss an item.

4. Try misspelling your searches.
We all know that eBay is a big place so it's unsurprising that some fantastic items can get lost in it's depths. When sellers are uploading lots of items one after the other it's easy for a misspelling to slip through unseen. By simply altering the spelling of your much loved brands you can discover listings nobody else has spotted and nab yourself a true bargain. For example, I managed to secure a beautiful Joanie top for just 99p simply by adding another n when I typed it into the search bar.

5. Don't bid unless it's special.

I've saved my most important tip for last because it's an important one. When you scroll through the app and find so many gorgeous fashion bargains peeping back at you, it's easy to go a bit click crazy and bid left, right and centre. But it's important to step back and really consider before you bid. Do I really love this piece? What will I wear it with? When will I wear it? Is the cost worth it? I like to go through listings and watch them to give me time to contemplate the purchase before I commit and only about 10% of my watched items actually end up in my wardrobe.

Do you tend to shop on eBay? Do you have any tips?
I'd love to hear about your best eBay bargain too!