Tag: Four stars

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Black Crescent by Jane Johnson

Published August 3rd, 2023 by Head of Zeus
Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller, Historical Romance

Today I’m delighted to be finishing off the blog tour for The Black Crescent. Thank you to Sophie at Sophie Ransom PR for the invitation to take part, and to Sophie Ransom PR and Head of Zeus for the gifted ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

Bringing 1950s Morocco vividly to life, Jane Johnson’s masterful new novel, The Black Crescent, is a gripping story of murder, magic and divided loyalties…

Hamou Badi is born in a mountain village with the magical signs of the zouhry on his hands. In Morocco, the zouhry is a figure of legend, a child of both humans and djinns, capable of finding all manner of treasure: lost objects, hidden water.

But instead, Hamou finds a body.

This unsolved murder instils in Hamou a deep desire for order and justice: he trains as an officer of the law, working for the French in Casablanca. But the city is trapped in the turmoil of the nationalist uprising, and soon he will be forced to choose between all he knows and all he loves…

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MY REVIEW:

“You know, Hamou, you stand with a foot in two worlds that are moving further apart by the day. Sooner or later you’ll have to come down on one side or the other or you’ll find yourself falling between them.”

When he is eleven-years-old, Hamou Badi discovers a corpse while on  his way home from collecting milk. The unsolved murder changes how Hamou sees the world and alters his life forever. Determined to help make a difference in his country, Hamou trains as a police officer, only to find himself caught up in the political unrest sweeping Morocco as its people fight the French for independence. As things spiral further out of control, Hamou is forced to choose a side in a war he doesn’t want to fight.

Murder, magic and political turmoil are at the heart of this compelling piece of historical fiction. Jane Johnson expertly combines history, religion, social issues, complex moral dilemmas, mystery, suspense, and folklore to create an intricately woven tale set during the French occupation of Morocco. I knew nothing about this piece of history, but Johnson’s meticulous attention to historical, cultural and religious detail, combined with her evocative writing, brought it to life so vividly that I could feel the blazing sun on my skin, smell the spices, and hear the bells ringing for prayer. 

“He had known, deep down, that this was what went on here, hidden in the bowels of the chic, modern building with the pots of jasmine at the entrance, amid the smart uniforms and the smothering layers of bureaucracy, all the rules and regulations and pretence at carrying on civilised governance, by the book, according to the training manual, in the correct fashion. It was all a facade, a smokescreen. A smart suit on a rotting corpse. 

And he – Hamou Badi – was paid to be part of this pretence. “

There are some dark, gritty, and quite brutal scenes that take place, particularly as dissident group the Black Crescent takes increasingly violent action to try and win back their country. There is a sense of unease and of tensions that are about to reach boiling point that lingers over every page. But Johnson balances that heaviness with humour, romance, Moroccan legends, and the gentle nature of Hamou himself. Hamou is a wonderful character that I absolutely loved reading. He is someone who is motivated by wanting to do good and change things for the better that finds himself in an impossible situation. Will he choose loyalty to his family and his country or his job as a police officer? The author really puts Hamou through it, giving him many difficult decisions to make that really test his moral compass and loyalty before she finally brings it all to a head in a shocking scene that I know will stay with me. What does he choose? You’ll have to read to find out. 

Gripping, clever, complex and beautiful, this is a story that will make you despair of humanity and then restore your hope. It will tug at your heart strings and then tie them back together. Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jane Johnson is from Cornwall and has worked in the book industry for 30 years as a bookseller, publisher and writer.

For many years she was responsible for publishing the works of JRR Tolkien, and later worked on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, spending many months in New Zealand with cast and crew (she wrote the official visual companions to the films). The authors she publishes include George RR Martin (creator of A Game of Thrones), Dean Koontz, Robin Hobb, Stuart MacBride, Mark Lawrence, Raymond E Feist and SK Tremayne.

While she was in Morocco in 2005 to research The Tenth Gift she met her soon-to-be husband Abdellatif, a Berber tribesman from a village in the Anti-Atlas Mountains. Returning home, she gave up her office job in London, sold her flat and shipped the contents to Morocco and they were married later that year. They now split their time between Cornwall and Morocco, and Jane still works remotely as a Fiction Publishing Director for HarperCollins.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Paperback Publication Day

PAPERBACK BLOG TOUR: London, with Love by Sarra Manning

Published August 3rd, 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Humorous Fiction

Today I’m delighted to be resharing my review of London, with Love for the paperback publication blog tour. Thank you to Alara at Hodder & Stoughton for the invitation to take part and the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘A VERY special book. GORGEOUS, real believable and BEAUTIFUL’ – Marian Keyes

London. Nine million people. Two hundred and seventy tube stations. Every day, thousands of chance encounters, first dates, goodbyes and happy ever afters.

And for twenty years it’s been where one man and one woman can never get their timing right.

Jennifer and Nick meet as teenagers and over the next two decades, they fall in and out of love with each other. Sometimes they start kissing. Sometimes they’re just friends. Sometimes they stop speaking, but they always find their way back to each other.

But after all this time, are they destined to be together or have they finally reached the end of the line?

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MY REVIEW:

After meeting at college, Jen and Nick strike up a close friendship that sizzles with an undercurrent of love and lust.  Over the next twenty years the pair dip in and out of each other’s lives, fall in and out of love and try to make it work with other people.  But when two people are meant to be something will just keep pulling them back together.  Can they finally get the timing right or will they reach the end of everything they’ve shared?

London, with Love is a story of love, friendship, joy, heartbreak, triumph and tragedy. I loved the concept of following a couple that first fall for eachother in the all-important yet crazy teenage years but can never quite make it happen.  It’s the fantasy of ‘the one who got away’ or the person who you always wonder ‘what if’ about that great romance stories are made of yet the reality never quite lives up to.  I liked that Sarra Manning gave this book a dash of both fantasy and reality that she combines into one great story.  There were times I was rooting for Nick and Jen to just get together already, and other times I wanted them to wake up and realise it would never work.  But at every point I loved reading their story and rooting for Jen to find happiness.

But this love story isn’t just about romantic love.  There is the love of writing and books woven into both Jen and Nick’s characters that this bibliophile adored, and then there is the fact that this novel is undoubtedly a love letter to the city of London.  While it isn’t a place I’ve been many times or am that familiar with, I did find myself getting caught up in Jen’s love for her home city and how intricately it is woven into every facet of her life.  The author makes London feel like a character in its own right and I could picture every place so clearly thanks to her evocative descriptions.  Jen’s passion for London leaps from the pages and made even this staunch northerner feel a little bit of love for our capital. 

But the thing I enjoyed most about this book is the nostalgia.  I’m just under a decade younger than Jen and Nick, so while I was still in primary school when the book opened in 1986, I was of a similar age to them at many points in their story and enjoyed reliving the nineties and early noughties through them.  The author weaves many memorable historical moments into the story such as Y2K that pulled me in and helped me feel even more connected to the story.  I couldn’t help but reminisce about where I was, how I felt and what I was doing in life flashed before my eyes as I read.  

So if you enjoy readable romances filled with compelling characters, engaging plotlines, familiar tropes and heaps of nostalgia, then this is the book for you.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sarra Manning has been a voracious reader for over forty years and a prolific author and journalist for twenty five.

Her novels, which have been translated into fifteen different languages include Unsticky, You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, After The Last Dance, The Rise And Fall Of Becky Sharp and her latest, Rescue Me, which publishes in 2021. Sarra has also written over fifteen YA novels, and four light-hearted romantic comedies under a pseudonym.

She started her writing career on Melody Maker and Just Seventeen, has been editor of ElleGirl and What To Wear and has also contributed to The Guardian, ELLE, Grazia, Stylist, Fabulous, Stella, You Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar and is currently the Literary Editor of Red magazine.

Sarra has also been a Costa Book Awards judge and has been nominated for various writing awards herself.

She lives in London surrounded by piles and piles of books.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Lost Little Angels (Detective Eve Bennett Book 2) by Holly S. Roberts

Published July 14th, 2023 by Bookouture
Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Noir Fiction, Police Procedural, Romance Novel, Crime Series

I’m a few days late due to illness, but here is my review for this tense and twisty thriller. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and the eBook ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

She wakes suddenly, realizing with a panic that her darling baby daughter should have woken long before now. Racing to the pink-colored nursery, she lets out a deep cry as she opens the door. The crib is empty. Her little girl has vanished.

It’s after midnight when Detective Eve Bennet receives a distraught phone call from an unknown number. The voice at the other end begs her not to hang up—a baby has gone missing. But what the caller says next makes Eve’s heart race. “She isn’t the first. There are many, many more.”

Rushing to the missing girl’s home, Eve finds the house empty, and when she knocks on their neighbors’ doors, not a single person answers. Whoever reported the missing baby doesn’t want to be found…

Secrets are held tight in the small town of Hilldale and as an outsider, Eve knows that the only way to uncover the truth is to persuade someone to talk. She finally has a breakthrough when a young wife goes against her husband’s wishes and tells Eve it’s not just babies being taken—mothers are disappearing too.

The woman leaves Eve a hand drawn map leading her to an isolated trailer park. What she finds there shocks her to her core. But she hardly has time to think before she notices a lone figure watching her every move. She’s not alone.

Can Eve save herself in time to finally unmask the truth before more innocent children disappear forever?

Fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot and Lisa Regan won’t be able to put down this utterly gripping crime thriller from a USA Today bestselling author.

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MY REVIEW:

Just after midnight Detective Eve Bennett receives a call from an unknown number. It is a distraught woman claiming her baby is missing and that there are many others who have also vanished. Eve rushes to the caller’s home only to find it empty and the neighbours unwilling to answer the door. No one is willing to talk in Hilldale. The town is home to a polygamist sect and secrets run rife, as does their distrust of outsiders. Eve and her team have to convince someone to talk if they are to find the baby or her mother. And what she eventually uncovers is worse than anything she imagined…

The second book in the Detective Eve Bennett series takes us back inside the twisted world of a fundamentalist cult and the battles Eve and her team face trying to help their innocent victims. But don’t worry if you’ve not read the first book, because Holly S. Roberts catches you up succinctly, making it possible to read this one while still feeling like you understand all the nuances of the story and character relationships. It is well written and gripping, taking you through a wide range of emotions and keeping you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end as she expertly weaves heartbreak, anger, frustration, laughter, disgust and strength into the narrative.

Eve Bennett is a fantastic protagonist, and I stand by my comments from my review of book one where I referred to her as ‘a new star in crime fiction.’ Feisty and tenacious; she is passionate about giving a voice to the voiceless and helping people escape the cult. It is personal for her, as she escaped the cult as a teen and is still coming to terms with the long-term trauma of being raised there. It was great to see her slowly allowing love into her life in this book and watching her continue to grow as a person. Her team is also made up of fascinating characters and I love their dynamic. It makes you believe in them and root for them to solve the case despite the many obstacles in their way. There are also some brilliantly written villains in the book who will make you rage and your stomach turn, Roberts expertly walking that fine line by making you feel those feelings while also helping you understand the indoctrination they’ve been subjected to and also never using it to excuse their actions, making it clear they should still be held accountable. We also see some incredibly brave characters who risk their lives either by helping Eve or reaching out for  help themselves. It is a reminder of just how dangerous these extremist views can be and the risk to those caught up in them. 

Gritty, chilling, twisty and tense, this heart-pounding thriller is a must read for fans of the genre. Now I just have to wait impatiently for book three.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

TW: Religious indoctrination, abuse

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Holly Roberts began writing to alleviate stress in her day job, that of a homicide and sex crimes detective. Romance was her go to genre because she required a happy ending. She also touched on cozy mysteries and added six books to her forty book romance repertoire. Now that she’s retired and her mind at peace, she decided to delve into crime thrillers using her background and thirst for research to write the Eve Bennet series.

Holly has two movie/television options under her belt for her amazing life story. Part of the reason is Holly became a police officer at age 45 and led two high profile cases, one involving a serial killer. Now she enjoys the excitement of writing about crime while sitting at home with her two dogs, laptop, and a cup of hot tea close by.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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

*These links are purhcase links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2022 Paperback Publication Day

BLOG TOUR: The Moose Paradox by Antti Tuomainen (The Rabbit Factor Trilogy Book 2)

Published June 22nd, 2023 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Hardboiled, Police Procedurals, Humorous Fiction, Book Series

Happy Paperback Publication Day to The Moose Paradox, which is the second in one of my favourite-ever series. Thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for asking me to reshare my review today as part of the papaerback publication tour, and to Orenda Books for my ebook ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

Insurance mathematician Henri has his life under control, when a man from the past appears and a shady trio take over the adventure park’s equipment supply company. Things are messier than ever in the absurdly funny, heart-stoppingly tense second instalment in Antti Tuomainen’s bestselling series.

‘In these uncertain times, what better hero than an actuary?’ Chris Brookmyre

‘One of those rare writers who manages to deftly balance intrigue, noir and a deliciously ironic sense of humour … a delight’ Vaseem Khan

‘What a book! Antti has managed to put the fun into funerals and take it out of fun fairs in a gripping nail-biter … a thrilling and hilarious read’ Liz Nugent

**Soon to be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell**

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Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen has finally restored order both to his life and to YouMeFun, the adventure park he now owns, when a man from the past appears – and turns everything upside down again. More problems arise when the park’s equipment supplier is taken over by a shady trio, with confusing demands. Why won’t Toy of Finland Ltd sell the new Moose Chute to Henri when he needs it as the park’s main attraction?

Meanwhile, Henri’s relationship with artist Laura has reached breaking point, and, in order to survive this new chaotic world, he must push every calculation to its limits, before it’s too late…

Absurdly funny, heart-stoppingly poignant and full of nail-biting suspense, The Moose Paradox is the second instalment in the critically acclaimed, pitch-perfect Rabbit Factor Trilogy and things are messier than ever…

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MY REVIEW:

We are back at the YouMeFun Adventure Park for the second instalment in Antti Tuomainen’s Rabbit Factor series and Henri’s life is messier than ever.  Starting as it means to go on, we leap head-first into the action and don’t pause for breath as we are taken on a tense roller-coaster ride of crazy antics involving a serious insurance mathematician, unsavoury characters and theme park equipment.

He’s done it again.  Hilarious, bizarre, clever and original, Antti Tuomainen has created another riveting page-turner that I couldn’t put down. I devoured it quickly, Tuomainen’s singular style captivating me completely.  Brilliantly written, tense and pacy, he didn’t miss a beat as he succinctly catches the reader up on events from book one while the madness is still going on around the characters.  It is far-fetched and absurd, yet you totally believe it and he had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.  

Henri is one of the most eccentric yet endearing characters I’ve ever read and I challenge anyone not to fall in love with him.  He’s straight-laced, rational, makes sense of the world through numbers and mathematics and finds social etiquette and the actions of others confusing and strange.  You will laugh, you will cringe, and your heart will go out to him.  But what I enjoyed most about this book is that he really came into his own.  It was great to watch him fall in love, read between the lines, understand how to interact with others and show that he is much more astute and capable than he’s given credit for.  I think Steve Carrell is the perfect actor for this character and I can’t wait to see him play Henri when the adaptation comes to our screens soon.

Quirky, original, funny and entertaining, The Moose Paradox is a book you simply have to read. It is one of those books where it’s best to know little about the book before reading, but it is important to read the first book, The Rabbit Factor, before this one in order to make sense of what’s happening.  And because it’s absolutely brilliant. 

So go and read The Rabbit Factor and The Moose Paradox now!  Meanwhile, I will be eagerly awaiting book three, which is out in November.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. The critically acclaimed My Brother’s Keeper was published two years later. In 2011, Tuomainen’s third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for ‘Best Finnish Crime Novel of 2011’ and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. The Finnish press labelled The Healer – the story of a writer desperately searching for his missing wife in a post-apocalyptic Helsinki – ‘unputdownable’. Two years later, in 2013, they crowned Tuomainen ‘The King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published. With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards. Palm Beach Finland (2018) was an immense success, with The Times calling Tuomainen ‘the funniest writer in Europe’, and Little Siberia (2019) was shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Readers Awards, the Last Laugh Award and the CWA International Dagger, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. The Rabbit Factor is the first book in Antti’s first-ever series.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Berts Books | Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*These links are affiliate links

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Published March 5th, 2019 by Penguin UK
Historical Fiction, Music Biographies, Biographical Fiction, Sagas

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SYNOPSIS:
From the author of CARRIE SOTO IS BACK, THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO and the bestselling MALIBU RISING

‘I LOVE it . . . I can’t remember the last time I read a book that was so fun’ DOLLY ALDERTON

Everybody knows Daisy Jones and the Six.

Their sound defined an era. Their albums were on every turntable. They sold out arenas from coast to coast.

Then, on 12 July 1979, Daisy Jones walked barefoot onto the stage at Chicago Stadium. And it all came crashing down.

Everyone was there.

Everyone remembers it differently.

Nobody knew why they split. Until now . . .

‘The verdict: Daisy Jones steals the limelight‘ STYLIST

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MY REVIEW:

“I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else’s muse. I am not a muse. I am the somebody.” 

Daisy Jones and the Six has been on my TBR ever since it was released in March 2019. I have delayed reading it because I was worried it won’t live up to the massive hype surrounding it. But when the series was released in March, I knew it was time to finally bite the bullet and decided to listen to the audiobook after reading many reviews recommending it.

I was already a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing after reading the fantastic ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’, and this book cemented my love of her work. I’ll admit, this was my second time trying to listen to this audiobook. I couldn’t get into it the first time, but I was still determined to discover what it was about this book that has garnered so many fans and so much praise. This time around, I was hooked from the start. Jenkins Reid’s masterful storytelling combined with the superb perfomances of the narrators to bring to life Daisy and her world. I was transported back to the seventies  and the heady world of this infamous band, following their journey from conception to realising their dream and then finally having it all fall apart. I lived these moments with the characters, feeling their joy, pain, heartache and triumph as they chased their dreams. It was all so well written and performed that I could almost feel the California sun beating down on me, smell the cigarette and taste the whiskey. I had to keep reminding myself that this was not a podcast about a real band, but a fictional story from the pen of a very talented author. 

“Some people, you bathe them in those lights and they disappear. But, some people, they glow.”

A story about the ugly celebrity, fame, wealth and success, Daisy Jones and the Six is narrated by an eclectic cast of characters. It is told in a series of interviews with the band and those closest to them, giving the whole thing a very authentic documentary feel. Once again Jenkins Reid showcases her talent for writing  glamorous, alluring and compelling characters who are also complex, flawed and real. She knows how to make you care about, root for them, and feel invested in every facet of their lives. Each of them are brought to life so vividly that you feel like you’re sitting in the room with them. I was completely sucked into their hedonistic world and couldn’t get enough. 
But while every character in this story has a charisma that draws you to them, it is undoubtedly Daisy Jones who shines brightest amongst this group of stars. She lights up the stage, and every room she is in. But this beautiful woman is also broken. She is damaged by indifferent parents, falls in love with the wrong men and relies upon descending into a haze of drink and drugs to get through her day. It’s a familiar but tragic story that makes Daisy feel heart-wrenchingly real. 

Glamorous, magnetic and totally riveting, I loved every moment of this wild and crazy ride. So much so that I binged the TV series straight after listening as I was not ready to say goodbye to these characters just yet. 

This is a book that lives up to the hype. If you haven’t read it then what on earth are you waiting for?! 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of eight novels, including Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their daughter.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones*| Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

*These purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu

Published May 4th, 2023 by Allen & Unwin
Literary Fiction, Humorous Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the beautiful and moving, The Funeral Cryer. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and Allen & Unwin for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

***’A refreshing perspective on mourning, as well as a moving tale of a social outcast’ – i-D Magazine***

An Yu’s Braised Pork meets Flaubert’s Madame Bovary in this unforgettable, tragi-comic tale of one woman’s mid-life re-awakening in contemporary rural China.

The Funeral Cryer long ago accepted the mundane realities of her life: avoided by fellow villagers because of the stigma attached to her job as a professional mourner and under-appreciated by The Husband, whose fecklessness has pushed the couple close to the brink of break-up. But just when things couldn’t be bleaker, The Funeral Cryer takes a leap of faith – and in so doing things start to take a surprising turn for the better . . .

Dark, moving and wry, The Funeral Cryer is both an illuminating depiction of a ‘left behind’ society – and proof that it’s never too late to change your life.

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MY REVIEW:

“I almost live in isolation, with very little movement. Sometimes I was even suspicious of myself. Was I really carrying something contagious or lethal in my body? Maybe I was. I did breathe in a deadly atmosphere regularly at funerals.”

The Funeral Cryer isn’t an easy book to review. A truly unique story, this touching exploration of identity, mourning and social isolation follows the mid-life awakening of one woman in contemporary rural China.

Living in a loveless, unhappy marriage, the funeral cryer is resigned to her mundane life in the small village where she was born and raised. A good husband is one who doesn’t hit you, which hers doesn’t, but he also never speaks a kind word and they are just two people who sleep in the same bed each night rather than partners or friends. It is a lonely and bleak existence, something that is magnified by the superstition surrounding her profession that makes her an outcast. We never learn the funeral cryer’s name. In fact, she isn’t even sure the others in her village even remember it as they now only refer to her as that woman who cries at funerals. This namelessness adds to the sense of a lack of identity and belonging surrounding her, and makes her feel all the more distant and disconnected from both the reader and the world. It is a life filled with sadness, guilt and isolation, emotions that permeate the pages along with an atmosphere of melancholy, monotony and acceptance as she  evaluates and looks back on her life, wondering how things might be now had she taken different paths and contemplating an array of questions she has no one to answer. 

From the start this story avoids feeling overshadowed by any of its sombre or negative emotions thanks to Wenyan Lu’s exquisite and at times almost poetic prose. It is also helped by the narration continuously and seamlessly moving between a tale of heartrending tragedy and dark comedy as the funeral cryer finally makes choices for her own happiness and begins her reawakening. I was rooting for her to seize something for herself and rejoiced as she discovered parts of life, and herself, that had lain dormant for so long.

Profoundly moving, wistful and thought-provoking, The Funeral Cryer is a curiously beautiful story that will linger long after reading.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✫

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Originally from Shanghai, China, Wenyan Lu is the winner of the SI Leeds Literary Prize 2020. She holds a Master of Studies in Creative Writing as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Creative Writing from the University of Cambridge. Her unpublished historical novel The Martyr’s Hymn was also longlisted for SI Leeds Literary Prize 2018 and Bridport First Novel Prize 2019.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Watertones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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

*All purchase links are affiliate links

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Readalong Tandem Readalong

READALONG REVIEW: The Favour by Nicci French

Published March 30th, 2023 by Simon & Schuster UK
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction

Welcome to my review of the brilliantly unpredicatable and twisty The Favour. Thank you to the Tandem Collective UK for the opportunity to take part in this readalong, and to The Likely Suspects and Simon and Schuster UK for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:
BRINGING DANGER CLOSE TO HOME . . . DON’T MISS THE HEART-RACING NEW THRILLER FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR NICCI FRENCH.

‘Excels at depicting an ordinary life swept away by horror’ Observer
‘Fantastic – a breathless drumbeat of dread and suspense’ Lee Child
‘Heart-thumping, head-scratching, nail-biting stuff: The Favour is classic Nicci French. I read it in one breathless sitting’ Erin Kelly
 
A good deed
Can turn deadly…
 
When Jude’s first love Liam turns up in her life after ten years of no contact, asking her for a favour, she just can’t say no. He will always be someone special to her.
But does she really know what she is getting herself into?

After she does the favour, Jude is contacted by the police. Liam has been found dead, and suddenly she is caught up in a murder investigation.
 
She realises this one decision could cost her everything – even her life…

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MY REVIEW:

“Suddenly, horribly, the confusion cleared and everything became sharply clear. Things slid into place, like a collection of blades, chains, cogs. Click click click, all the nasty parts locking together.” 

From the very first page The Favour had me in its thrall. Opening with narrator Jude telling the story of the car crash that changed her life when she was seventeen, it immediately holds your attention. It then jumps forward over a decade where we find Jude is now working as a doctor in a hospital and planning her wedding to her fiance, Nat. Then, one day her first love, Liam, turns up at her work out of the blue saying he wants her to do him a favour, though he’s vague about what this favour is. Caught up in her past memories and feelings of guilt and longing, Jude can’t say no. After agreeing to the favour Jude’s world is turned upside down and she finds herself caught up in a murder investigation. Can she prove her innocence?

Mysterious, tense, and forbidding, The Favour is an addictive thriller from veteran husband and wife writing team Nicci French. I’ve been a fan of their books for decades, though it’s been a few years since I last read one of them. I found that reading this was like coming back to old friends. The writing is sharp and suspenseful, the authors holding me in the palm of their hands as they wove their web of words around me. I was reading the book as part of a readalong with other bloggers organised by the Tandem Collective but found myself racing ahead as I was overtaken by a desperate need for answers. I couldn’t put the book down and loved the surprising twists and uncertainty that lingers throughout the book. I sped through it in just two sittings instead of the six days I was supposed to read it.

The book is filled with imperfect, unreliable and unlikeable characters who are compelling to read. You are never sure what to make of them which adds to the atmosphere of uneasy suspense. Narrator Jules is gullible, naive, and damaged by past trauma. She lurched from one stupid decision to another and I wanted to shake her most of the time. But over time I began to really feel for her. She truly didn’t know what she was getting into, and while I think she should have been smarter, you don’t expect someone to reappear in your life after a decade and get you mixed up in a murder investigation. As we unravelled the secrets of her past and the reasons for her decisions I found myself having greater empathy for her actions. The colourful background characters were also fun and frustrating to read and the story got curiouser and curiouser as time went on, keeping me on the edge of my seat as I read. 

The Favour is a brilliantly unpredictable and intriguing thriller that you don’t want to miss!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHORS:

Nicci French is the pseudonym for the writing partnership of journalists Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. The couple are married and live in Suffolk. The couple have written over twenty bestselling psychological thrillers together, including the Frieda Klein series.

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book reviews Squadpod Squadpod Recommends Squadpod Spotlight

SQUADPOD SPOTLIGHT: After Paris by Nicole Kennedy

Published April 6th, 2023 by Aria
Romance Novel, Romantic Comedy, Domestic Fiction

Welcome to my review of After Paris, the funny and uplifting story that is one of our Squadpod Spotlight books for April. And this isn’t your average romcom.

Thank you to Aria books for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:
‘A perfect holiday read, compulsively readable but also intriguing, thought-provoking and so good on female friendship’ Laura Marshall, author of Friend Request.

Three best friends. A weekend away. And a whole lot of baggage.

Alice, Nina and Jules have been best friends for twenty years. They met in Paris and return there once a year, to relive their youth, leave the troubles of home behind, and indulge in each other’s friendship and warmth. But this year, aged thirty-nine, the cracks in their relationships are starting to show…

After their weekend together in Paris, the three women never speak again. Each claims the other two ghosted them. But is there more to the story?

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MY REVIEW:

“Twelve hours in Paris. That’s all it took to cement their futures. They would often wonder in the years ahead: what if Jules had never come across Nina in that bathroom? What if Alice and Teddy hadn’t been there at all? Where, and who, would they be now?” 

Delightful, funny and compelling, After Paris is a female-centric story that explores the ups and downs of friendship. I’d had this one on my wishlist since before the hardback release last year so I was very excited when the publisher offered the Squadpod the chance to read it to celebrate the paperback publication. 

The story follows Alice, Nina and Jules, three women who have been friends for twenty years. It opens with the story of the women’s chance meeting in the Hotel de Crillon in Paris in 1999 and then jumps forward to twenty years later when they are on their way to Paris for their annual meet-up. Each woman is excited to leave behind the stresses and strains of daily life, relive their youth and catch up with one another. But they are also all hiding a secret. Something they are desperate to share but scared to tell the others. The cracks in their friendships are beginning to show, and after this weekend the women won’t speak again, each of them claiming the other two ghosted her. But what really happened that weekend? Is their friendship really irrevocably damaged or can they find a way to salvage the friendships that they’ve cherished for so long?

I adored this book. Funny, uplifting and thought-provoking, this isn’t your average romcom. It was my first time reading a book by Nicole Kennedy and I was struck by her beautiful writing, evocative imagery and complex and layered storytelling, weaving serious topics into this lighthearted read. Topics such as grief, love, motherhood, infertility, abortion, addiction and neuro-diversity are sensitively explored alongside an authentic and relatable portrayal of female friendship and its imperfections. You will recognise yourself and your own friendships somewhere in these women and their stories. Friendships change over the years, as we do, and Kenendy expertly portrays this ebb and flow as she moves between the past and present, exploring the women’s personal lives, their friendship and previous jaunts to Paris. 

The story is told from each woman’s point of view, allowing us to get to know each woman and understand things from their perspective, something that is especially helpful when trying to figure out the truth of what happened during that last visit to Paris. Each woman is flawed but fascinating, someone the reader can really get behind and root for. I really enjoyed the different topics the author explored in the story and the realistic way that their lives and friendship is portrayed, particularly as some of their situations mean they have more privilege than some of us. It is a great example of how we are all human and no amount of money can prevent us from experiencing the hardships of life. I also really enjoyed their friendship and was rooting for them to find a way to repair it, especially as they’d been friends for so long. 

A wonderfully escapist page-turner that will make you feel all the feelings, I highly recommend After Paris.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Nicole Kennedy grew up in Essex and studied Law at Bristol University. She has always loved to write but her efforts were waylaid by work as a corporate lawyer in London, Paris and Dubai. During Nicole’s second maternity leave she began writing poems on motherhood and family life. She completed her first novel during her third maternity leave (by then it was easier than leaving the house) and her second during the pandemic (by then she wasn’t allowed to leave the house).

Nicole lives in Kent with her husband and three sons. 

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Book Features book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2022

Review: Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

Published: April 14th, 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Historical Fiction, Political Fiction, Spiritual and Historical Fiction
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook

Welcome to my review of this powerful and moving debut.

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SYNOPSIS:

WINNER OF THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARDS NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2022
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2022
AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVELIST OF 2022
A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME
A 2022 BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR: THE TIMES * SUNDAY TIMES * GUARDIAN * TELEGRAPH * NEW STATESMAN * DAILY MAIL * IRISH TIMES * IRISH INDEPENDENT * BELFAST TELEGRAPH

‘Like Sally Rooney mixed with a political thriller’ RUSSELL KANE
‘Intense, unflinchingly honest, it broke my heart a million times’ MARIAN KEYES
‘Absolutely loved it’ MAX PORTER
‘A beautiful, devastating novel’ NICK HORNBY

One by one, she undid each event, each decision, each choice.
If Davy had remembered to put on a coat.
If Seamie McGeown had not found himself alone on a dark street.
If Michael Agnew had not walked through the door of the pub on a quiet night in February in his white shirt.

There is nothing special about the day Cushla meets Michael, a married man from Belfast, in the pub owned by her family. But here, love is never far from violence, and this encounter will change both of their lives forever.

As people get up each morning and go to work, school, church or the pub, the daily news rolls in of another car bomb exploded, another man beaten, killed or left for dead. In the class Cushla teaches, the vocabulary of seven-year-old children now includes phrases like ‘petrol bomb’ and ‘rubber bullets’. And as she is forced to tread lines she never thought she would cross, tensions in the town are escalating, threatening to destroy all she is working to hold together.

Tender and shocking, Trespasses is an unforgettable debut of people trying to live ordinary lives in extraordinary times.

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MY REVIEW:

“I love Ireland. I just don’t think it’s worth killing anyone over it.”

A young catholic school-teacher and an older Protestant barrister from very different backgrounds shouldn’t fall in love. Especially not in Belfast at the height of the troubles. But that is exactly what happens after Michael walks into Cushla’s family pub in this story of mismatched and forbidden love. It is a love that must be kept secret; filled with clandestine dates and snatched moments. Can it last or will they be caught in the crossfire of the war that wages around them?

Belfast is a place that’s always felt like a part of my life. My Dad was stationed there in the Army during the troubles. I’ve grown up with his tales of what it was like there in the seventies and a love of all-things Irish remains in him to this day. Ireland became an even bigger part of my life in 2021 when my partner began working there for two weeks out of every month. Last May I accompanied him for two weeks while he worked in Belfast, and it was there that we got engaged. So, as you can imagine, it has a special place in my heart and I knew I had to read this book as soon as I first heard about it. 

Powerful, moving, and heartbreaking, this is a story that will stay with me. I listened to Trespasses on audiobook, and the narrator was fantastic, not only transporting me back in time but bringing the story and characters to life so vividly that I could smell the cigarette smoke, taste the Guiness and see the soldiers on the streets. Debut author Louise Kennedy has skillfully written a story bursting with emotion on every page. It gets to the heart of how it felt to be an ordinary person living in a war zone and is a jarring reminder of the reality and dangers of their everyday lives. You can feel their fear of the soldiers and bombs, and of having to be so careful about who you are seen with and what you say. The side you were born into controlled every facet of their lives, and there was no escape. And having so recently been to the city and walked its streets, drank in The Crown pub, and even stayed at the Europa Hotel, which Cushla tells us was then known as the “hardboard hotel” because it was the most bombed hotel in Europe, I felt a real connection to this story, the city, and the characters.

The relationship between Michael and Cushla is used by the author not only as a love story but as a clever tool to help highlight the realities of everyday life for people in the troubles, as well as to help humanise the people on both sides of the conflict rather than focusing solely on Cushla’s Catholic perspective. But theirs isn’t the only complex relationship featured in this book. It is filled with many complicated relationships and characters that are richly drawn, compelling, and relatable. But my favourite character was young Davey, a little boy from one of Cushla’s classes from a deprived background. He went straight to my heart, and I loved the relationship between him and Cushla.

Gritty, unflinching, hopeful and transportive, Trespasses is an outstanding debut from an author that’s one to watch. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Louise Kennedy grew up in Holywood, Co. Down. Her short story collection, The End of the World is a Cut de Sac (Bloomsbury/ Riverhead US 2021) won the John McGahern Prize. Her debut novel, Trespasses (Bloomsbury/ Riverhead US 2022) won Eason’s Novel of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards, and was shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize and Barnes and Noble Discover Prize. Before she started writing, she spent nearly thirty years working as a chef. She lives in Sligo.

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

REVIEW: Their Silent Graves by Carla Kovach (Detective Gina Harte Book 7)

Published: September 17th, 2020
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Noir Ficiton, Crime Ficiton, Police Procedural, Crime Series
Format: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the gifted ARC of this book.

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SYNOPSIS:

Dressed in garish Halloween costumes, two teenage girls run through a patch of dense woodland towards the outskirts of town. But before they can reach the safety of the streets beyond, they make a shocking discovery.

Following a piece of old rope, the girls find a large mound of freshly laid earth, undisturbed in the darkness of the trees. Clawing at the ground beneath them, they make contact with something solid. When they realise what they’ve discovered, the silence is broken by their piercing screams as they stare down at the shallow grave.

Without looking back, they run as fast as they can, failing to spot the person nearby watching their every move…

And when another grave is found just days later, it’s clear a serial killer is praying on the small town. But who is the killer watching now? And when will another grave be filled?

If you like Angela Marsons, Cara Hunter and Clare Mackintosh, you’ll love this heart-racing thriller from bestselling author, Carla Kovach. With gripping suspense and a twist you won’t see coming, Their Silent Graves will have you hooked from page one.

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MY REVIEW:

Some lies won’t stay buried forever…

Two teenage girls on their way to a Halloween party are unprepared for the discovery they are about to make. While walking through the woods the girls come across a piece of old rope they follow to a large mound of freshly laid earth. Clawing at the ground, they uncover a shallow grave and run screaming for help. But they failed to notice the person lurking in the shadows who was watching their every move…

Detective Gina Harte and her team arrive to investigate and discover the body of a man sealed in a coffin. A few days later, another grave is found, and it is clear they are hunting a twisted serial killer. 

Racing to find the perpetrator before another grave is filled, Gina receives chilling messages from someone claiming to be the person they are looking for. Messages that threaten to reveal the secret she has kept hidden for decades. 

The Detective Gina Harte series is one of my favourite crime series, yet somehow I’d missed book seven. So when I was looking for a mood read thriller I could sink my teeth into, it seemed like the ideal time to finally put that right. And I’m glad I did. This book had everything I’ve come to expect from Carla Kovach: great writing, grim murder scenes, richly drawn characters, chilling villains, and morally complex dilemmas. It showcases her talent for crafting dark, disturbing, and twisty thrillers that are hard to predict or put down.

One of the aspects I particularly enjoyed in this instalment was wondering if Gina’s secrets would be revealed. I loved the heightened tension it created as I questioned not only this, but just how she might be connected to the killer. And speaking of the killer, this one was really hard to figure out! I am usually good at figuring out twists and who a perpetrator is, but this time I really had no set suspect in my mind until right before the big reveal. And even then I was wrong! Their identity was a genuine surprise that made my jaw drop. Well played, Ms. Kovach. 

Chilling, ominous and addictive, Their Silent Graves is a pacy page-turner all thriller lovers won’t want to miss.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carla started writing more seriously ten years ago after having flirted with musical theatre and occasional writing in her youth.

Since then she has written & produced several stage plays, has four self-published books, has acted in several independent films and is currently in the final stages of production of her feature horror film, Penny for the Guy.

She now writes full time as well as co-owning a film, photography & video production company located in the heart of Redditch town centre

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