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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Home For Christmas by Heidi Swain

Published October 10th, 2024 by Simon & Schuster UK
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Fiction, Festive Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this funny festive read. Thank you to SJV at Books and the City for the invitation to take part and for sending me a proof copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Bella is living her best life in Wynbridge, with her beloved Spaniel, Tink. She’s found a way to keep the house she inherited from her grandparents while expanding her dream business – Away With the Fairies – and she’s ecstatic that Christmas is on the horizon!
 
In fact, everything is perfect until family friend, Catherine Connelly asks Bella if she’d be willing to rent part of the house to freelance author, Jude who is researching the history of the Connelly Clan and Wynthorpe Hall ahead of turning his findings into a book. The plan had been for Jude to stay at the hall, but he can’t cope with the chaos and Bella reluctantly agrees to open her door to him.
 
Initially, the pair clash but then friendlier feelings begin to grow and Bella finds herself wondering if Jude could become more than just another guest before it’s time for him to leave. That is, until he announces he has no time for Christmas!
 
With her favourite time of the year suddenly in jeopardy, will Bella ever feel like she’s home for Christmas?

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MY REVIEW:

Bella lives with her Spaniel, Tink, in her late grandparents home in Wynbridge. Her business, Away with the Fairies, is slowly expanding and life couldn’t be better. But then a family friend asks if she’d be willing to rent out part of her home to Jude, a freelance author who is researching and writing a book about  the Connelly Clan and Wynthorpe Hall. She reluctantly agrees and the pair clash immediately. But Bella soon realises she’s falling for her annoying house guest. Could they be more? Or will Jude’s dislike of Bella’s favourite season put an end to things before they’ve even begun.

Charming, festive, funny and uplifting, this book is like a warm hot chocolate with all the trimmings on a cold winter day. It’s been a while since I’ve read a Heidi Swain book and this reminded me why I love them so much. Well-written, compelling, cosy and laugh-out-loud funny, her books just put you in a good mood. But this one feels extra special as it isn’t just infused with romance, it is also sprinkled with festive charm and fairy dust that expertly work their magic. I loved the small-town charm of the story and how welcoming it felt. I’ve been all about the darker reads lately and didn’t know if I was in the mood for anything lighthearted and festive. But I’m a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers romance and this was the read I didn’t know I needed. 

Bella is a great protagonist and I felt an immediate connection to her. Her whimsical character was a joy to read and her love of fairies brought back my own childhood love of the Flower Fairies series. I understood why she was so fearful of giving into her feelings for Jude, especially as he’s only visiting, but I was rooting for this pair from the start.  Jude was a great love interest. He’s spiky and grumpy enough to understand Bella’s dislike of him at the start, but soon changes and has us rooting for them to give into their feelings as they were so obviously meant to be together. 

So if you’re looking for a romance that will leave you warm and fuzzy while also getting you in the festive mood, this is for you. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Heidi Swain is a Sunday Times Bestselling Author who writes commercial fiction for Simon and Schuster.

She has three series set in fictitious Wynbridge, Nightingale Square and Wynmouth and writes two titles a year – a summer and a Christmas book.

She also writes short stories and non-fiction for magazines and is represented by Amanda Preston.

Heidi always wanted to be a published author and her big writing break came in 2014 when she submitted The Cherry Tree Café to Books and The City (the digital first imprint of Simon and Schuster). The book was published a year later and she hasn’t stopped writing since.

Her books are available in paperback, E-book and audio and have been published in Italy, France and Germany as well as the UK.

She lives in the east of England, is a member of the RNA and the Society of Authors and has a TBR pile which is always out of control.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These links are affiliate links

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Thanks for reaidng, Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Uncategorised

BLOGATHON: Do No Harm by Jack Jordan

Published May 26th, 2022 by Simon & Schuster UK
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Medical Thriller, Medical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Police Procedural

Today is the first instalment of the Jack Jordan Blogathon and I’m re-sharing my review for Do No Harm.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND WATERSTONES THRILLER OF THE MONTH

‘Chilling and perfectly paced, one to put on the very top of your TBR!’ Sarah Pearse
‘Thriller fans will be in heaven’ Louise Candlish

MY CHILD HAS BEEN TAKEN.
AND I’VE BEEN GIVEN A CHOICE . . .
KILL A PATIENT ON THE OPERATING TABLE
OR LOSE MY SON FOREVER.

The man lies on the table in front of me.
As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him.
As a mother, I know I must kill him.
You might think that I’m a monster.
But there really is only one choice.
I must get away with murder.
Or I will never see my son again.

I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES.
WOULD YOU TRUST ME WITH YOURS?

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MY REVIEW:

“Either I abide by my oath, and kill my son. 
Or I save Zack, and kill an innocent man.” 

Renowned cardiothoracic surgeon Anna Jones is being forced to make a horrendous choice: the life of her patient or the life of her son.  Eight-year-old Zack has been abducted and the kidnappers will only give him back if she kills a prestigious patient on the operating table and gets away with it.  As parents we always say we’d do anything for our children.  But does that include murder?

“We are all so blind, thinking that we know who we truly are. It is only pain like this that reveals what we are really capable of.” 

Do No Harm is a book that just screams ‘read me’. I mean, look at that cover!  And this nerve-shredding thriller was everything I hoped and more.  The premise is every parent’s worst nightmare, blurring the lines of morality as the author examines the question of just how far a parent would go to save their child.  It is an impossible dilemma, where whatever you choose you will lose, and the paralysing suspense and outright dread is omnipresent, making you feel everything Anna does.  It is unbearably tense at times, particularly in the operating room, as you are kept on a knife-edge, waiting to see what Anna will do and if Zack can be saved.  

I have long been a fan of Jack Jordan and will automatically read and buy anything he writes.  His magnificent storytelling, perfect plotting and sizzling suspense always blow me away, and he is a must-read author for any thriller lover.  But with Do No Harm Jordan has taken things to another level, crafting a dynamic thriller that is now one of my favourites of all time. It would make a fantastic movie or TV show so I hope someone snaps it up soon.  The hype is real and this is going to be huge.

“I never used to think of myself as an angry person, but these men have clawed a rabid animal out of me. I want to kill them, slowly, painstakingly, until they are begging for their mothers.” 

One of my favourite things about this book is that it’s so intricate and multilayered.  As well as the moral dilemma there is a strong theme of motherhood woven into this book.  Through each of the three narrators we explore different stages of motherhood and opposing arguments to the dilemma, making you confront the many shades of grey and exposing the motivations and biases of each of the characters.  Each of them are deeply flawed and I liked that Jordan wasn’t scared to make even Anna unlikeable at times, instead focusing on making the characters complex, nuanced and layered.  And while they are all richly drawn and compelling, Anna is the one that stood out strongest to me.  I loved the dichotomy of her character: a Doctor who has taken the Hippocratic Oath and vowed to do no harm but also a mother who will do anything to keep her child safe.  It is the kind of agonising choice that you would never want to be faced with but is so fascinating to read.  

Nail-bitingly intense, and bingeable, Do No Harm is an absolute must-read.  Just make sure that when you pick it up you’ve got nothing else to do as it will hold you captive from the first page until the last. 

READ IT NOW. 

Rating: 💉💉💉💉💉

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jack Jordan is the global number one bestselling author of Anything for Her (2015), My Girl (2016), A Woman Scorned (2018), Before Her Eyes (2018) and Night by Night (2019).

His latest thriller, Do No Harm, was an instant Times bestseller and shortlisted for the Most Recommended Book in the DeadGood Reader Awards. Coined the thriller of the summer for 2022, it was described as “relentlessly tense” by Sunday Times Bestseller Lesley Kara, and “Chilling and perfectly paced” by New York Times Bestseller Sarah Pearse.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*these links are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blogathon.

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG TOUR: Cougar Point (Detective Megan Carpenter Book 5) by Gregg Olsen

Published September 24th, 2024 by Bookouture
Mystery, Thriller, Police Procedural, Crime Fiction, Crime Series

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this dark, tense and addictive thriller. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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BOOK DESCRIPTION:

She wakes to find herself alone in complete darkness. Fearing for her life, in that moment her only thought is for her beloved daughters. What will they think when they find out she’s missing? Then it hits her. She’s kept a secret hidden from her family for years. Is she about to pay for it with her life?

When Victoria Marsh disappears from her family’s exclusive resort in Cougar Point, Washington, her family is devastated. A charity worker and pillar of the local community, how could she just vanish without a trace?

Though not officially her case, Detective Megan Carpenter races to the scene for a very personal reason. Victoria is Ronnie’s mother and Megan will do anything to help her when she has sacrificed so much.

Together they build up a picture of the days before the disappearance but the only clue is a note with the words, “You promised” scrawled on it. It soon emerges that Victoria’s marriage was far from perfect and she had spent years running from a deadbeat brother. Could someone in Victoria’s family want her dead?

But when the body of another woman is found, Megan starts to link the cases. Both women had huge ransoms placed on them. Both families received chilling threats in the mail. And with one victim already dead, time is running out to find Victoria alive.

Local law enforcement warns Megan off the case but she’s certain that the disappearance is more than just bad blood. But with a potential serial killer on the loose, how much is Megan willing to risk? Worse still, could they be closer to her than she had ever imagined?

A completely gripping mystery thriller that will have you hooked to the very last page, from a number one, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author. Perfect for fans of Robert Dugoni, Michael Connelly and James Patterson.

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MY REVIEW:

“If I’ve learned anything by being here, where secrets are abundant, it’s that secrets are deadly. Secrets can kill.” 

Dark, tense and twisty, Cougar Point is another gripping instalment in the Detective Megan Carpenter series. The stakes are higher than ever as Megan and her partner, Ronnie, investigate a very personal crime. Ronnie’is mother, Victoria, has disappeared from the family’s exclusive resort in Cougar Point, Washington, and they are unofficially on the case. But who could have taken her? As the pieces of the puzzle emerge, family secrets are revealed and it seems to lead to more questions than answers. And could there be a link to an old murder that happened in the area? The race is on to find out before it’s too late…

Gregg Olsen never disappoints and the fifth instalment in this series is every bit as fast-paced, grisly, and nail-bitingly tense as the previous books. Olsen holds his reader captive as he tells his story, moving seamlessly between current events, flashbacks to another crime, and narration from the victim. At first it wasn’t obvious how the flashbacks would merge with current events, but he slowly sprinkles breadcrumbs that lead you to the surprising answers. And while I enjoyed all three threads, it was the narration by Victoria as she’s being held by the kidnappers that captivated me most, her fear palpable and making my heart race. 

The characters are compelling and I enjoyed learning more about Ronnie’s family and background in this instalment. I love her and Megan as a team as they really compliment one another and I enjoyed seeing how they worked outside of their usual community and while juggling tricky family dynamics. And, speaking of families, a key theme of the book is dysfunctional families, which are explored not only in Megan’s murky past but also Ronnie’s estranged family. Olsen also explores how secrets can damage lives and relationships as the truths about the Marsh family are revealed. It heightened the tension in the story and kept me on my toes as I wondered what would be revealed next.

Suspenseful, addictive and hard-hitting, Cougar Point is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a darker thriller. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Gregg lives in rural Washington State (about a mile as the crow flies from Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard’s infamous Starvation Heights sanitarium). His thriller, THE LAST THING SHE EVER DID was an Amazon Charts bestseller. LYING NEXT TO ME was a reader favorite, charting at No. 1 in the Kindle store and the bestseller’s list at the Washington Post. Gregg’s true crime book, IF YOU TELL, found a home on Amazon Charts for more than 140 weeks. In fact, it was the bestselling Kindle ebook of 2020 (and the second-bestselling of 2021). He’s been a guest on Dateline NBC, NPR, Good Morning America, The Early Show, FOX News, CNN, Anderson Cooper, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, 20/20, Snapped, Deadly Women, William Shatner’s Aftermath, and A&E’s Biography. 

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024 Squadpod Squadpod Book Club Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: Circus of Mirrors by Julie Owen Moylan

Published September 12th, 2024 by Michael Joseph
Historical Fiction, Domestic Fiction

Welcome to my bookish thoughts on Circus of Mirrors, which was the SquadPod Book Club pick this month. Thank you to Michael Joseph for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

A Cabaret dancer falls in love as political tensions rise and the city becomes increasingly dangerous not only for herself, but also for her lover . . .


Perfect for fans of Cabaret and The Whalebone Theatre

‘Julie Owen Moylan writes about mid-20th century women like no-one else’ Laura Price

‘Sexy, electrically stylish, and beautiful – a gorgeous story about sisterhood, and a glamorous, evocative passport to a period we all long to get lost in’ Daisy Buchanan

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BERLIN, 1926: After the death of their parents, sisters Leni and Annette only have each other.
Desperate, but dreaming of better days, Leni finds work at a notorious cabaret: the Babylon Circus.

From the dancer’s barely-there costumes, to the glimmering mirrors that cover the walls, the Babylon Circus is where reality and fantasy merge. For Leni, it’s an overwhelming new world, and she’s happiest hiding in the shadows.

Until she meets the cabaret’s resident pianist, Paul. And so begins a tentative love affair that will play out over the next forty years.

But, in a city whose divisions will define a century, can a love born within the feverish walls of the Babylon Circus ever survive?

And can the bond between Leni and Annette – tugged in opposite directions of their own – also endure?

In Berlin, two sisters dared to dream of a better life – but where in this dark and dazzling city will they find their true home?

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MY REVIEW:

Sexy, stylish, dazzling and evocative, Circus of Mirrors is Julie Owen Moylan’s best book yet. Set in Berlin, the story begins in 1926 when nineteen-year-old Leni and her younger sister, Annette, are living on the street following the death of their parents. Desperate for a way to put a roof over their head, Leni finds a job at the Babylon Circus, a strange and intense place where fantasy blends with reality. And it is there that Leni meets Paul, the resident pianist, and begins an all-consuming romance. But, the course of true love doesn’t run smooth for these lovebirds, and we follow Leni and Annette as they – and their city – experience some of their most tumultuous years in a story of survival, strength, self-discovery, love, dreams and regret. 

I’ve been a fan of Julie’s book ever since her brilliant debut and her books are always a big event on the SquadPod’s calendar. So I was very excited when we were offered the chance to read Circus of Mirrors. Expertly written, intricately woven and perfectly paced, this book is flawlessly crafted and her meticulous research is evident on every page. Babylon Circus and the city of Berlin feel like characters in their own right and are brought to life in vivid technicolour. A city of conflict that is inextricably linked to much of twentieth century history, Berlin is made alive once again on these pages, making me feel like I’d stepped back in time. But that history is a mere backdrop as the lives of the characters take centre stage, Julie breathing life into them so evocatively that it felt like they were in the room with me. I was in her thrall as she wove her magnificent tale around me and I lost myself in it completely. 

One of my favourite things about Julie’s books is how she writes women who are flawed, complex, conflicted and nuanced. These women are recognisable and reliable, reflecting parts of ourselves back at us as we read. She makes us understand them and their actions, even when they aren’t likeable, and Annette was a great example of this. Rebellious, selfish and aggrieved at the things she’s lost or doesn’t have, Annette is someone it would be a nightmare to know in real life, but we can understand her feelings and behaviour because of the things she’s gone through. And in an exploration of how people can experience the same thing with different outcomes, Leni is the polar opposite of her sister. While Annette rebels, Leni is dutiful and responsible, giving up her own freedom to raise her young sister when their parents died and continuing a life of servitude over pursuing her own desires. It is these differences that slowly build a wall of resentment and misunderstanding between them that neither one can breach, though at times they do try. It was heartbreaking to read but wonderfully written. 

And I can’t review this book without talking about the romance between Leni and Paul. Their love story has to be one of my favourites I’ve ever read, primarily because it was so refreshing to see the good guy get the girl. I loved seeing him as the romantic lead instead of the more typical problematic male. Yes, Leni and Paul had their ups and downs, but the obstacles in their relationship come from outside forces and I was rooting for them at every step.

Enthralling, moving and simply unforgettable, this is a must for all your TBRs. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie Owen Moylan is the author of three novels: That Green Eyed Girl, 73 Dove Street and Circus of Mirrors.

Her debut novel That Green Eyed Girl was a Waterstones’ Welsh Book of the Month and the official runner up for the prestigious Paul Torday Memorial Prize. It was also shortlisted for Best Debut at the Fingerprint Awards and featured at the Hay Festival as one of its TEN AT TEN.

73 Dove Street was recently named as one of Waterstones’ Books of 2023 and a Daily Mail Historical Fiction Book of the Year.

As a filmmaker Julie won the Celtic Media Award for her graduation film “BabyCakes” before going on to win Best Short Film at the Swansea Film Festival.

Her writing and short stories have appeared in a variety of publications including Sunday Express, The Independent, New Welsh Review and Good Housekeeping.

She has a Masters in Filmmaking and an additional qualification in Creative Writing & English Literature. Julie is an alumna of the Faber Academy.

Circus of Mirrors will be published in Sept 2024

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

Categories
Monthly Wrap Up

August Wrap Up

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So the summer is at an end. August has been a great month for me. I read lots of great books, completed my Goodreads Reading Challenge, and celebrated on year on Bookstagram.  I was thrilled to take part in a number of blog tours and am excited for the many I have coming up the rest of this year.

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So here is what I’ve read in August:

  • The Girl at The Window by Rowan Coleman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Take It Back by Kia Abdullah ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Where I Found You by Emma Robinson ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (now titled My Silent Child)
  • Mother Knows Best by Kira Peikoff ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
  • The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Roam by Erik Therme ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • The Sixth Wicked Child by JD Barker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Dear Child by Romy Haussmann (sampler)
  • The Familiars by Stacey Halls ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Degrees of Guilt by HS Chandler ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Home Truths by Susan Lewis ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Nobody’s Wife by Laura Pearson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • A Shadow on the Lens by Sam Hurcom ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In total I read 13 books and one sampler this month. As you can see they were all highly rated. It seems that each month the quality of what I read gets stronger and as such I’ve decided that instead of attempting the impossible task of choosing a favourite, I will instead highlight the ones that stood out and were my highest rated. My standout titles were The Girl at the Window, Take It Back, The Family Upstairs, The Familiars, The Sixth Wicked Child and Elevator Pitch.

The reviews for The Familiars, Elevator Pitch, Degrees of Guilt and A Shadow on the Lens will be available on the blog in the coming weeks as part of the blog tours and the reviews for most of the others are in past posts (I’m behind on some reviews so haven’t yet written my review for The Family Upstairs).

What did you read this month? Have you read any of these books or are they on your tbr? Let me know in the comments below.

*Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the ARCs I read this month.

Categories
book reviews Fryday Favourites

Book review – ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’ by Gail Honeyman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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This month’s #frydayfavourite – where we post a 5 star read from before bookstagram – is one of the last books I read before I joined. I did write a full review as at that time I’d started reviewing on Amazon and Goodreads but I realised I’ve never posted it on here. 

Also, I know I’m nearly two weeks late getting this post up on the blog. I will make sure the #frydayfavourite is posted here on the same day as on Instagram in September.

SYNOPSIS:

Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life.

She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend.

Eleanor Oliphant is happy.

Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled existence. Except, sometimes, everything……

REVIEW:

Eleanor lives a secluded and strictly scheduled life. She seems to have no friends but says she’s “fine”. Social rules and graces are very important to Eleanor and she laments at the decline of manners and people skills in today’s society. She is also immensely naive about life and wonders why she’s seen as weird when, to her, everyone else is strange. She is the regular butt of the office jokes, talks to no one besides the shopkeeper every weekend, has had no visitors to her house in a year and is tremendously lonely. Eleanor also has secrets about her past that she seems unwilling to face herself and the reader is given just small glimpses of what is haunting her nightmares.

The author paints a vivid picture of Eleanor’s colourful and quirky personality from the start. I found myself creasing with laughter and cringing with second hand embarrassment at her antics and misunderstanding of what to us are normal aspects of life. I was rooting for her even when she was wrong, getting angry at the way “Mummy” talks to her with such venom and hoping she will find the love and happiness she deserves.. Eleanor isn’t your typical heroine, and that’s why you’ll fall in love with her; she’s socially awkward, doesn’t get cultural references and, is unashamedly herself despite it leading to others calling her weird. I found her both frustrating and oddly endearing. The writing was so emotive that Eleanor became real to me. I was living in her and my heart broke with hers.

A phenomenal and powerful story about loneliness, how we are able to survive the worst of times and how a little kindness and love can transform a person’s life.

As I neared the end of this book I couldn’t foresee what the ending would be. I was sad to say goodbye to Eleanor and am (not so secretly) hoping for a follow up. Whether or not that happens I am sure I’ll return to her again between the pages of this book.  

Categories
book reviews

Review: ‘The Retreat’ by Sherri Smith ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Happy Publication Day Sherri Smith and her gripping thriller The Retreat. Thank you to Titan books for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.7

SYNOPSIS:

Sherri Smith illuminates the dark side of the self-care and wellness industry in a thrilling ride of revenge perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers. The Retreat is a twisting, bone-chilling suspense that asks: how well do you really know your friends?

Four women.

Four secrets.

A weekend that will change them forever..if they survive.

Katie Manning was a beloved child star until her mid-teens when her manager attacked and permanently scarred her face, effectively ending her career and sending her on a path of all-too-familiar-post-Hollywood  self-destruction.

Now twenty-seven, Katie wants a better answer to those clickbait “Where Are They Now?” articles that float around online. An answer she hopes to find when her brother’s too-good-to-be-true fiancee invites her to a wellness retreat upstate. Together with Katie’s two best friends – one struggling with crippling debt and family obligations, one running away from a failed job and relationship – Katie will try to find the inner peace promised at the tranquil retreat. But finding oneself just might drudge up more memories than Katie is prepared to deal with.

Each woman has come to the retreat for very different reasons. Each has her secrets to hide. And at the end of this weekend, only one will be left standing. 

“This place made a killer out of me.”

The Retreat is a dark and twisted tale of secrets, lies, hate, revenge and murder. It starts with a chilling prologue that had me immediately hooked. 

Former child star Katie Manning has been wandering aimlessly through life ever since her T.V show ended over a decade ago. Her recent planned comeback has been scrapped afTer she drunkenly wrote a homophobic tweet, leaving her with no idea what to do next. Her brother Nate encourages her to go on a wellness retreat with  his fiancee Ellie to see if she can find focus in life and heal her demons. It’s the last thing she wants to do, particularly with someone she can’t stand, but she agrees for her brother and secretly invites her two best friends, Ariel and Carmen, along with them. We soon discover that each of them have things they’re hiding from the others and things that they’re running from. 

When they arrive at the retreat they’re greeted by the owners, Naomi and Dr. Dave. The couple look like strange cult members, insist everyone give up their phones and declare that everyone can become a new person in one weekend if they follow their instructions. Ellie seems excited, while the other girls are skeptical and disappointed; this isn’t the spa like sanctuary they thought they signed up for. As the weekend progresses it’s clear that none of them will leave the retreat the same person. If they leave at all…

I really enjoyed this novel. It was atmospheric and the opening chapter gave the book as sense of foreboding that made me excited for what was coming. 

The four girls each narrate the story offering a great insight into their experience and different perspectives on the retreat. I liked that each of them were multilayered and had depth. Katie and Ellie were the hardest to like but were fun to read. Katie was the perfect spoiled, out of touch Hollywood brat but I did feel for her being made to be the family breadwinner at such a young age and how she didn’t have parents who cared past the money she made. Her only parental figure was her manager who betrayed her and disfigured her in an attack that essentially ended her career at just 15. She’s a lost soul and I really wanted her to find meaning in life beyond money and her former career and feel able to just be herself instead of the former child star. My heart broke for her as she started to remember things she’d long repressed and I understood why she was so messed up. It was a great reminder of that money and fame are far from a guarantee of a good and happy life. With Ellie I had a radar go off about what her real motivations were in her relationship with Nate from early on. She seemed to be harbouring the biggest secrets and have secret motivations for everything she did. She was also very controlling but battled to contain it in order to keep up her perfect facade. 

The girl I probably liked most was Carmen. She was intelligent, level headed and caring, though I felt for what she was going through in having to be the provider and carer for her father and siblings. It’s clear she had a bright career ahead of her until life got in the way and the parallels with Katie as the family breadwinner, albeit in a completely different capacity and wage bracket, were interesting. Especially in how it affected their relationship. Lastly there was Ariel. I had a lot of sympathy for her lack of confidence and need to be loved, even if the choices she makes are questionable and she came off desperate a lot of the time. She seemed like a lovely girl underneath it all if only she could finally feel loved and accepted for who she is. 

At varying times I suspected three of the four might be the mysterious person in the prologue before settling on who I thought was the one. In the end the identity of the survivor involved many twists and was far more complex than I imagined and I was on tenterhooks as we reached the story’s shocking, macabre and gruesome climax and finally learned the answers to our questions and the identity of the final girl.

Out today. 

Categories
book reviews

One year of Bookstagram

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Today is my first “bookstaversary”.

It was Book Lovers Day and I decided this was the perfect day to take the leap I’d been considering for about a month and start a page dedicated to book reviewing. When I did I had no idea that I was joining such a kind, loving and supportive community. I didn’t know that I would find people I now consider genuine friends. I didn’t know that I would find a home.

I had been unable to work due to multiple chronic health conditions for seven years at this point and had spent that time languishing and without any real sense of purpose, particularly as my children got older and I became sicker and less able to do things around the house. I was a prolific reader since childhood but I’d not been reading much over the last few years because pain and brain fog made it so difficult. But in December 2017 I gave in and asked for a kindle for Christmas, hoping it would mean I’d be able to read more without the pain of holding a book. Despite how hard it is to read because of varying levels of brain fog, I found that I was now reading every day and consuming more books than ever. I started to share my thoughts on my personal Instagram and people told me I should write reviews. So I did. I followed a few book bloggers after finding one of them when I was looking for a pretty picture to share and crediting one of them in a post and it started me thinking that maybe I should start a page too.  This led to me starting a blog on September 9th as my reviews often didn’t fit into the 2,200 characters allowed on Instagram. As well as creating these accounts I joined NetGalley and an obsession began. I still can’t believe how lucky I am to be able to read an review books before they’re released.

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My first post on my bookstagram account

When I joined bookstagram my only wish was to share my love of books. I didn’t expect to get many followers, after all who’d be interested in what little old me had to say about books? A year later I’m in awe at how it has grown and that so many people are interested in my reviews and recommendations or that I’d be taking part in blog tours.

I couldn’t let today pass without an acknowledgement or without something special so I asked my boyfriend to design me a new logo. He’s a fantastic artist and I was very happy with what he came up with  on his phone.

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What do you think of the new logo?

Book reviewing has given me back a purpose in my life and brings me so much joy. This last year I’ve been happier because of it and because of the wonderful people I’ve met. Thank you to every one of you for following and for your friendship. I’m excited to see where this blog and my bookstagram are in another year.

 

Categories
book reviews

Review: ‘My Sister, The Serial Killer’ by Oyinkan Braithwaite ⭐⭐⭐.5

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SYNOPSIS:

My Sister, The Serial Killer is a backly comic novel about how blood is thicker – and more difficult to get out of the carpet – than water…

When Korede’s dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister Ayoola, she knows what’s expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach.  This’ll be the third boyfriend Ayoola’s dispatched in, quote, self-defence and the third mess that her lethal sibling has left Korede to clear away. She should probably go to the police for the good of the menfolk of Nigeria, but she loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede’s long been in love with him, and isn’t prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other…

MY REVIEW:

“Ayoola summons me with these words – Korede, I killed him. I had hoped I would never hear those words again.”

The first line of this book sent shivers down my spine. I’d been excited to read this much-hyped book for a while and was pleased when it was chosen as July’s book for my book club. But sadly this was a book that didn’t live up to it’s promise or the hype.

It started well and had a lot of good points. Initially there was a lot of tension: would the sisters get caught at the crime scene and while disposing of the body? Will the social media search for the victim lead to their exposure? I like the short chapters and though I never quite got to grips with the Nigerian-English, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book. 

Korede and Ayoola had what is understandably a tense relationship, though to those who don’t know Ayoola’s deadly secret it seems Korede is unnecessarily harsh towards her and even gets accused of victim shaming when others believe Ayoola’s lies. I liked her character for the most part and understood her desire to protect her little sister as it must be a complex range of feelings to have someone you love do such terrible things and ask for your help. Korede seemed like a decent person put in an impossible situation. She’s forever scared of being found out while Ayoola seems unbothered by her crimes and doesn’t understand why her sister is edgy and anxious. She sees herself as the victim, claiming each man died in an act of self-defense, though this seems a sketchy claim from the evidence. There were also things in their past that were teased that I was excited to learn more about and if that could be where Ayoola’s “tendencies” began.

Unfortunately, for me things soon went wrong as the atmosphere evaporated in a novel that was too lighthearted for its subject matter. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like black humour – Sweetpea is one of my favourite books and Rhiannon a character I love – but I just didn’t think it was done well in this book. Instead of funny it came across flat. 

Once the tension had gone the story plodded on mundanely before ending abruptly in a way that made me really mad. I can’t say too much about why because I do think everyone should make up their own minds about any book and I don’t want to spoil things for anyone yet to read it. I felt as if the author had written a longer book and explored some of the plot points in greater detail then this would have been a great book. Instead it felt too short, unsatisfying, lacking in depth and like everything was tied up in a bow far too neatly. So, I’m joining #blacksheepofbookstagram in being one of the few people to say this one didn’t live up to the hype and wasn’t for me.

Out now.

Categories
book reviews

Review: ‘What Happens Now?’ by Sophia Money-Coutts ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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SYNOPSIS:

‘No question about it, there are two purple lines. I’m pregnant’

After eight years together, Lil Bailey thought that she’d already found ‘the one’ – that is, until he dumped her for a blonde twenty-something colleague. So she does what any self-respecting singleton would do: swipes right, puts on her best bra, and finds herself on a first date with a handsome mountaineer called Max. What’s the worst that could happen?

Well it’s pretty bad actually. First Max ghosts her and then, after weeing on a stick (but mostly her hands), a few weeks later Lil discovers she’s pregnant. She’s single, thirty-one and living in a thimble-sized flat in London, it’s hardly the happily-ever-after she was looking for.

Lil’s ready to do the baby thing on her own – it can’t be that hard right? But she should probably tell Max, if she can track him down. Surely he’s’ not that Max, the highly eligible, headline-grabbing son of Lord and Lady Rushbrooke, currently trekking up a mountain in South Asia? Oh, maybe he wasn’t ignoring Lil after all…

REVIEW:

Side-splittingly funny, hypnotic, steamy, honest and outrageous, this book was one that I didn’t expect to fall in love with, but I was engrossed and devoured it in practically one sitting. You couldn’t tear me away and I never wanted it to end. 

When Lil braved the world of online dating and reluctantly headed off on her first date since splitting with her boyfriend of eight years, she gets much more than she bargained for. She is surprised to hit it off with Max, her charming and deliciously handsome date, and enjoys a steamy sleepless night with him, but when he ignores her afterwards she decides to forget him. Only that won’t be so easy. A few weeks later two little lines confirm she’s pregnant with his baby and she has no idea what to do next. It’s not the right time or way to have a baby but what if this is her only chance? But could she actually keep a baby alive? And how will she tell her feminist mother and strait-laced boss that she’s accidentally knocked up with the baby of a man she doesn’t know? And what if Max wants to be involved? This mesmerising book follows Lil as she tries to navigate her complicated situation and finds out what happens now…

Sophia Money-Couts now has herself a new fan. I fell in love with her writing style and immediately bought her first book after finishing this one. Riveting, saucy and hilarious, I was laughing out loud by the end of the first page and I it made me laugh more than any other book I’ve read. The characters are fantastic – I loved Lil, was seduced a little bit by Max, and Jess is the bestie every girl hopes to have. The author perfectly describes some of the perils of online dating and how daunting it is to be back out there after many years in a relationship. She managed to convey all the anxieties and concerns Lil had in a realistic way while also making me laugh. The sex scenes were hot and hilarious. Lil’s inner monologue in those scenes had me crying with laughter. I think all of us can relate to some of the cringy things in those scenes though I  can honestly say I’d never before thought of others – I’ll just say dolphin on the duvet!

The romance genre is one I’ve never been a huge fan of but I’ve been expanding my reading with increasingly this last year. After a run of great books in this genre this one still stands out and has now left me declaring that I am in love with this genre. What better way is there to spend a glorious summer day that with an uplifting and uproarious book? Perfect for sitting in the sun with a drink in your hand, I can’t recommend this book highly enough. So if you like to laugh and don’t mind some steamy sex, this book for you. 

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and Sophia Money-Coutts for the chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: August 22nd