Tag: June 2025

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Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG BLAST: Before Her Eyes by Jack Jordan

Re-issued June 5th, 2025 by Simon & Schuster UK
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

She can’t see the killer. But the killer can see her. An unputdownable thriller from the master of the moral dilemma and Sunday Times bestselling author.

‘A smart, claustrophobic thriller with a twist that left me reeling. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough’ Claire Douglas, bestselling author of The New Neighbours
‘A first-rate psychological thriller’ John Marrs, bestselling author of When You Disappeared 

Naomi Hannah has been blind since birth, living her life in darkness. Trapped in her claustrophobic hometown, she’s finally reached her breaking point.

But everything changes when she stumbles across the body of a young woman who has been brutally murdered. Not only that, but Naomi senses she isn’t alone at the scene… Someone is there with her. The killer is watching.

Naomi may not be able to see their face, but she is the only person who can identify them.

As the police begin their hunt and more victims are discovered, Naomi is forced to answer the question on which her fate hangs: why did the killer let her live?

And in a town this small, the murderer may still be close. Perhaps even before her very eyes…

buy here

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MY REVIEW:

She can’t see the killer.  But the killer can see her….

Blind since birth, Naomi Hannah is struggling with living in a small, claustrophobic town and has considered ending her life but everything changes when she stumbles across the body of a young woman who has been brutally murdered. And Naomi’s heightened senses tell her she’s not alone. There is someone else at the scene who is watching her. She hasn’t seen their face, but she is still a witness and the only person who can identify them. Why did they let her live? And, more importantly, who are they? After all, in a town this small they could be right before her eyes…

Darkly atmospheric, tense and addictive, Before Her Eyes was the book that started my love of Jack Jordan and his edge-of-your-seat thrillers. I read it back in the Autumn of 2018 and it has stayed with me. Jordan’s flair for sinister storytelling is showcased on every page and he had me in his thrall from the first page to the last. He knows how to keep his reader on their toes, and while I had suspicions about who the killer might be,  I was never sure and didn’t know who to trust or what would happen next. And when all was revealed I sat back in a state of amazement and awe at the shocking truth of the culprit’s identity.

The decision to make Naomi blind is something that affects every facet of this story and adds to the sense of ominous tension that lingers on every page. It felt like an inspired but tricky choice, undoubtedly presenting Jordan with extra challenges when he was writing the book. But Jordan rose to the challenge, expertly conveying the trials and tribulations it brings to Naomi’s life and I found it fascinating learning more about how she navigated the world. Her blindness also adds a sense of fear and anxiety into situations where it would be missing for a sighted person, such as the killer being able to recognise Naomi from the scene of the crime and then stalk her without her being able to prove it. It didn’t matter she could sense them watching her as there was no proof. And it was terrifying. Naomi’s loneliness and dread radiated from the pages and my heart broke for her as she slowly found herself unable to trust anyone and became increasingly isolated. The killer taunted this already vulnerable woman, relishing the fact they could stalk her and others would just think she was being paranoid. I was so angry and frustrated, totally glued to the pages as I waited for the killer to be unmasked and justice to be served. I couldn’t wait for Naomi to be safe and vindicated at last.

Sensational and suspenseful, Before Her Eyes is an unforgettable thriller and a must-read for thriller fans. Just make sure to clear your schedule before you start reading.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Tours for the invitation to take part in this blog blast, and to Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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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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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab

Published June 10th, 2025 by Tor
Fantasy Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Lesbian Literature, Contemporary Fantasy

Welcome to my bookish thoughts for this magnificent gothic chiller.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Heart-Stopping International Sensation!

Instant No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller
No. 1 New York Times Bestseller
The Radio 2 Book Club Pick

From V. E. Schwab, a genre-defying, unforgettable novel to sink your teeth into . . .

This is a story about hunger.

1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada. A young girl grows up wild and wily – her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.

This is a story about love.

1827. London. A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow – but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.

This is a story about rage.

2019. Boston. College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.

This is a story about life . . .
how it ends, and how it starts again.

Utterly unmissable, this is a twisting, gothic tale of immortality and hunger. From the bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

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MY REVIEW:

“Bury my bones in the midnight soil, plant them shallow and water them deep, and in my place will grow a feral rose, soft red petals hiding sharp white teeth.”

Achingly beautiful, deliciously gothic, haunting and consuming, this dark and twisted treasure is one of the most magnificent books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I knew quickly that this would be a five star read and one of my favourite books this year. I was obsessed, beguiled from the first pages by this story that feels both ancient and modern, and felt utterly bereft when it was all over.

V. E. Schwab is an author I’ve heard so many great things about but her books sat on my shelves unread for years. But after hearing how passionate she was about her writing at an event this summer, I knew I had to finally pick up one of her books. And where better to start that with a vampire story during spooky season. Lyrical, poetic and descriptive, Schwab’s writing is sheer perfection. You can feel the love and attention that has gone into every word on the page. I get the hype. She is a phenomenal talent and after just one book I think I’d read her shopping list. 

And while it’s undoubtedly beautiful, buried within it is something dark and filled with malevolence, heartache, longing, rage and fear. This is a story about hunger. A story about desire. A story about women. And a story about vampires. It’s a story about dark secrets, depravity, fractured people, complex love, trauma, obsession and violence against women all wrapped up in a hypnotic bow. The trio of women at the heart of this story are richly drawn, vivacious, charismatic and deeply flawed characters that I loved reading. I was enthralled as Schwab slowly but expertly wove their stories together, revealing how their destinies tragically interlaced. And while I loved reading them all, I particularly enjoyed Marie as there is just something about a really dark character that I find captivating and she had me in her thrall as she took me to the darkest depths of inhumanity.

Seductive, sapphic, ferocious and menacing, this is a must for your spooky season TBR. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

VICTORIA ‘V. E.’ SCHWAB is the No. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the international sensation The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the acclaimed Shades of Magic universe, the Villains series, the City of Ghosts trilogy, Gallant, and The Fragile Threads of Power. When not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG BLAST: Anything For Her by Jack Jordan

Published June 5th, 2025 by Simon & Schuster UK
Thriller, Suspense

Welcome to my review for this nail-biting debut . Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for the invitation to take part and to Simon and Schuster UK for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The unputdownable debut from bestselling author Jack Jordan.

Sometimes the past comes back to haunt you.

Louise Leighton’s life has fallen apart, all because of one fateful night. Her husband is an adulterer, her sister is his mistress, and soon, Louise will lose everything she owns. But she never imagined she would lose her daughter.

Eighteen-year-old Brooke Leighton is missing. It’s up to Louise and the Metropolitan Police to find her. Has Brooke run away? Or has she been taken against her will? And can Louise aid the investigation without mentioning the night where all of her troubles began?

If she mentions that night, she will incriminate her daughter for heinous crimes. But if she doesn’t, she may never find Brooke; and if she has been abducted, the person who took her may come for Louise, too.

Sometimes the past comes back to kill you.

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MY REVIEW:

Louise’s world shatters when her husband, Michael, tells her he’s been having an affair with her sister. It’s the last straw for Louise who is already facing losing her home and financial security after Michael lost it all. In need of an escape, Lousie goes to their country house in the Cotswolds. However, Louise can trace the beginning of the end of their marriage back to a night one year earlier. A night that she and her daughter, Brooke, have vowed never to reveal the truth of. But when strange things begin to happen at the country house and Brooke goes missing, Louise fears that someone else knows what they did…

As soon as I read Before Her Eyes in 2018 I became a fan of Jack Jordan and his nail-biting thrillers. And though I’ve read everything he’s published since, I had never actually gone back and read his debut or self-published books. So, when Compulsive Readers Tours sent out an email asking for people to take part in a blog blast of Jack’s books, including his early releases that are being re-released, I jumped at the chance to finally go back to the beginning of one of my favourite thriller authors. 

Ominous, tense and forbidding, Anything For Her is a nerve-shredding debut. Well written, tightly plotted and cleverly choreographed, it showcases that from the very beginning Jack was a thriller writer extraordinaire. The story is intricately interwoven, steeped in sinister foreboding and filled with the sense that nobody will come out of this unscathed. As he explores just how far a parent would go for their child, Jordan also examines dark secrets, fractured people, trauma and fear. The characters are compelling, relatable and deeply flawed and Jordan makes us feel every bit of their devastation, heartache, guilt and terror. Heart-stopping and gut-wrenching, it kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat right up until the shocking finale. 

A must-read for any thriller fan.

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:

Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Biblophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: Some of Us Are Liars by Fiona Cummins

Published June 19th, 2025 by Pan Macmillan
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Police Procedural, Domestic Fiction

Welcome to my review for this sensational thriller. Thanks to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

There’s your side. My side. And the truth.

Lisa Jewell meets Jodi Picoult in a story of betrayal and deception in the aftermath of family tragedy.

She must face justice. As her sister it kills me to say it. As his mother I demand it.

When Jen Miller entrusts her youngest child to the care of her beloved sisters, she has no idea of the devastating tragedy that is about to unfold.

To celebrate her sister’s wedding, global superstar Winter Kellaway throws the party of the decade at her luxurious beachside estate. The decorations are flawless. The champagne is on ice. The guests have arrived. But one misstep will have heartbreaking consequences that will rock this close-knit family to their core.

With her life in pieces, how can Jen ever begin to forgive?

Saul Anguish, a brilliant but tormented young detective, is called in to investigate and uncovers a long-buried and shocking family secret. As the trail takes a dramatic turn, they must now all face the truth that you can never truly leave the past behind . . .

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MY REVIEW:

Jen Miller’s beloved son, Teddy, dies while in the care of the very people she should have been able to trust most. And now she needs justice for his death. Even if her sister is the one who has to pay. 

Told in multiple timelines by multiple narrators, there’s a lot going on in this book; there are long-buried family secrets, trauma, deception and betrayal. The story starts as Jen is getting ready for the first day of her sister’s trial and then jumps back to the days leading up to the tragedy, when the Kellaway sisters are coming together to celebrate her wedding. And when the worst happens, Detective Saul Anguish is called in to investigate, discovering secrets and lies that will change everything for this family once they are revealed. 

Holy twists, Batman! Nerve-shreddingly tense and full of unexpected twists, Some of Us Are Liars totally pulled me in and had me hooked. Exquisitely written, deftly plotted and cleverly interwoven, Fiona Cummins has crafted a sensational thriller. Intricate and complex, it had me on a knife-edge and I stayed up until the early hours to finish it as I knew there’d be no sleep for me without answers. But I was not prepared for those answers! Every time I thought I knew where it was going I’d be hit by another twist that took things in a new direction. My heart was pounding so much it felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. And that final twist! Wow. It is going to take me some time to get over that one. 

Richly drawn, compelling and memorable, I loved the characters in this book. I enjoyed the realistic sibling dynamics between the Kellaway sisters and felt most connected to Jen. Winter was fascinating as her celebrity life is so far removed from what most of us know and I felt for Alyssa as she tried to adjust to new motherhood. I hadn’t realised before starting this book that it was the third in a series featuring Detective Saul Anguish and Dr Clover March, AKA Blue. Saul is a tormented soul who has many secrets and I enjoyed reading a more complex detective. Meanwhile, Blue is trying to come to terms with trauma, something I could relate to that made me really feel for her. But despite all I’d missed, I never felt confused reading this as a standalone as Ms. Cummins succinctly catches the reader up on what happened in the previous books. But I definitely want to read the first two books as I want to get to know them both better, particularly after that heart-stopping cliffhanger that has me impatiently waiting for book four.

Dark, suspenseful, affecting and surprising, this first-class thriller is a must for your TBR. 


Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Fiona Cummins is an award-winning former journalist and a graduate of the Faber Academy Writing a Novel course. Rattle, her debut novel, was the subject of a huge international auction and has been translated into several languages. It received widespread critical acclaim from authors and reviewers. She has since written bestsellers The Collector, The Neighbour, When I Was Ten and Into the Dark in which she introduces DC Saul Anguish, a brilliant young detective with a dark past. Fiona lives with her family in Essex.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOKS: A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan

Published June 19th, 2025 by Mantle
Suspense, Thriller, Domestic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story

Welcome to my review for this magnificent debut. Thank you to Mantle for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘Extraordinary . . . I absolutely loved this page-turning family mystery’ – Liane Moriarty, bestselling author of Here One Moment

‘Riveting . . . [It] held me captive from the first page to the last’ – Hannah Kent, bestselling author of Devotion

Discover this breathtaking debut novel of family secrets and searing atmosphere set over one long, hot summer on the New Zealand coast.

In the past, we had always spent our summer holidays in remote places. That had always been my mother’s preference. This year was different . . .

As the long summer holiday stretches ahead, ten-year-old Alix wants to spend every second on the beach and in the water. But, with her parents unusually distracted and her older sister now more interested in boys, she finds herself alone.

Then she meets Kahu at the beach and he tells her about The Mystery. Two years ago, a girl went missing and none of the adults could find her. So the new friends decide to investigate – because people don’t just disappear.

But, as Alex and Kahu search for clues, they stumble upon secrets they wish they’d left uncovered. Is Alix’s holiday house as safe as it seems? And is her sister putting her trust in the wrong people?

Brilliantly page-turning and tensely atmospheric, A Beautiful Family will leave a lump in your throat and a hole in your heart.

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MY REVIEW:

“We were not a proper family, I thought, hugging my knees. There was something wrong with us.”

New Zealand, 1985. The summer sun sizzles as Alix and her family arrive at the beach for their annual holiday. But this year is different from the others, and not only because this year her mum wanted to go somewhere where there are a lot of people. This year ten-year-old Alix feels alone. Her older sister, Vanessa, is a teenager who  is more interested in boys than her little sister, and her parents are distracted. If it wasn’t for her new friend, Kahu, she’d have no-one to hang out with this summer. And it is Kahu who tells Alix about The Mystery. Two years ago a girl named Charlotte went missing and has never been found. They decide to investigate and begin to look for clues. But they will soon uncover secrets that they wish they’d never found…

Atmospheric, immersive and intriguing, A Beautiful Family is a riveting debut. Blending historical fiction, mystery, family saga and coming-of-age story, Jennifer Trevelyan has crafted a gorgeous slice of life novel that delivers a strong emotional punch. Trevelyan’s storytelling is exquisite, achingly human, and so evocative that you can feel the heat of the sun on your skin, feel the sand in between your toes and smell the suncream. A nostalgic tale, there is an air of simpler times that I remember from my own childhood in that era. But there is also an unbearable sense of dread that lingers over every page, Trevelyan holding her reader captive by rationing the reveals and drip-feeding information piece by piece. I was in her thrall, on the edge of my seat and terrified for Alix. 

For such an emotional story you need a great protagonist. And Alix was just that. Likeable and easy to root for, she’s a typical kid of the 80s who enjoys listening to music on her walkman, playing outside with friends, and is excited about her annual summer holiday. Trevelyan expertly puts the reader in Alix’ shoes, conveying that sense of naivety and innocence that was more common back then.

While Alix may not understand a lot of what is happening around her, the reader does. And that sense of tragedy and danger that comes from the things we understand only adds to the tension. And whenever Alix felt those emotions she didn’t quite understand I wished I could reach into the book and explain what was going on and help her. But I was helpless, only able to read on tenterhooks as I waited to see what would happen. 

A magnificent debut that will leave you wanting more, this is the perfect summer read. Add it to your TBR now.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer first worked as a wedding photographer and photographic printer before studying English Literature at Victoria University and travelling to London, where she worked in children’s publishing. After returning to her native New Zealand to raise a family and hone her DIY skills, Jennifer undertook an MA in Creative Writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters in 2022. Her debut novel, A Beautiful Family, is coming in 2025: 

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Getting Away by Kate Sawyer

Published July 3rd, 2025 by Zaffre
Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this absolute gem of a book. Thank you to Tracy for the invitation to take part, and to Zaffre for sending me a proof copy in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

“Gripping – and profound… Kate Sawyer has a great gift for capturing the tiny details that tell us everything about a person or dynamic.” — Marian Keyes

“From its brilliant, ambitious premise (a story told through family holidays) to its complex and wholly absorbing characters, Getting Away is a moving insight into the beautiful complexity of ordinary lives.” — Jennie Godfrey

Margaret Smith is at the beach.
It is a summer day unlike any other Margaret has ever known.
The Smith family have left the town where they live and work and go to school and come to a place where the sky is blue, the sand is white, and the sound of the sea surrounds them. An ordinary family discovering the joy of getting away for the first time.
Over the course of the coming decades, they will be transformed through their holiday experiences, each new destination a backdrop as the family grows and changes, love stories begin and end — and secrets are revealed.
Coming this summer, Getting Away is a dazzlingly ambitious new novel from the author of Waterstones’ Fiction Book of the Month, This Family, and the Costa shortlisted The Stranding.

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MY REVIEW:

Beautiful, moving, profound and original, Getting Away is a gorgeous multi-generational family saga that is perfect for summer. A story of family, love, secrets and trauma that follows multiple generations of one family, telling the story through the lens of their family holidays over 90 years. This book consumed me. Once I started reading it was impossible to put down and I devoured it in almost one sitting, stopping only because I had to eat. And when it finished I was bereft, unwilling to say goodbye to this family that I’d followed through so many decades.

Kate Sawyer is a masterful storyteller. I fell in love with her writing the moment I read her debut, The Stranding, in 2021 and she just gets better with each book. Exquisitely written, complex and deeply human, this is a masterpiece. Filled with sun, sand and sea, this is the perfect summer read whether you’re reading on a beach or at home, transporting you to the various destinations over the years. Those settings are a huge part of the story and this is where Sawyer’s evocative storytelling shines, bringing them to life so vividly that it was like I was there. I found it interesting to see how their holidays changed over the decades and enjoyed watching them experience new things such as their first time abroad, eating new foods and their first plane rides. It made me think about how many aspects of modern life we take for granted and the privileges we enjoy when it comes to travelling. But this book is much more than a fluffy summer read. It is also honest, deep and raw. This is a family filled with secrets from the start and Sawyer explores the ripple effects the secrets have on the whole family. She also explores topics such as generational trauma, domestic abuse, sexual assault, infertility and sexuality, never shying away from the uncomfortable and painful aspects of these issues, but also writing them with compassion.

For a character-driven story to work, you need great characters that you can connect with. And Sawyer knows how to do that perfectly, filling this book’s pages with characters who are achingly human and relatable. Sawyer knows how to forge a connection between her reader and her characters, making you feel everything with them at each step. And there are many emotional moments as we follow these characters through so many years, watching most of the characters go from childhood to adolescence and then adulthood, walking with them as they experience the highs, lows, trials and tribulations of life in a changing world. I also found it interesting to see how their holidays changed over the decades and enjoyed watching them experience new things such as their first time abroad, eating new foods and their first plane rides. It made me think about how many aspects of modern life we take for granted and the privileges we enjoy when it comes to travelling. 

An absolute gem of a book, Getting Away is a must have addition to your summer TBR. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kate Sawyer worked as an actor and producer, and wrote several short films before turning her hand to fiction. She is the author of three novels: the forthcoming Getting Away, Waterstones Fiction Book of The Month, This Family, and her debut novel, The Stranding, which was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, won the East Anglian fiction prize, was adapted for BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime and is being developed for the screen by Fremantle and Afua Hirsch’s production company Born In Me.

When Kate isn’t writing, or talking to other authors about their writing practices for her podcast Novel Experience and as a chair for author events, she works as the Programme Curator for the annual Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival.  

After twenty years living in London, she recently returned to her native East Anglia, where she lives with her young daughter.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: Into the Fire by G. D. Wright

Published June 5th, 2025 by Avon Books
Crime Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Police Procedural, Legal Story

Welcome to my review for this heart-stopping thriller. Thank you to Avon Books for sending me a proof copy in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Don’t miss the gripping crime novel in which a heroic act ends up ripping a small town apart with devastating consequences…

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HE RUNS INTO THE FLAMES A HERO.

Steve thought he had left his troubled past behind. Living a quiet life with his wife and children, everything changes the night he rescues a baby from a burning house, becoming an unexpected national hero.

HE EMERGES FROM THE ASHES A SUSPECT.

But as the spotlight shines brighter, so does the scrutiny, and a shocking accusation is made – that Steve is the man responsible for an unsolved murder in Beachbrook years prior.

BUT WHICH ONE IS HE REALLY?

As his world unravels, public opinion is firmly divided. Steve pleads his innocence, but DS Sue Willmott is determined to get to the bottom of what really happened all those years ago.

After all, even heroes hide secrets of their own.

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MY REVIEW:

Into the Fire has taken bookstagram by storm. And after reading it I can tell you that it deserves every bit of the hype. A story of heroism, secrets, reckoning and redemption, it begins when Steve runs into the flames to save a baby from a burning house. He is hailed a hero. But Steve has secrets that soon come to light, turning him from saviour to suspect in an unsolved murder years earlier. As his life falls apart, Steve pleads his innocence. Meanwhile, DS Sue Wilmott is determined to get to the truth. What really happened all those years ago? And is Steve a hero or a villain? 

Dark, suspenseful, gut-wrenching and consuming, I was not prepared for this magnificent thriller. Unbearably tense and psychologically rich, G. D. Wright’s storytelling is exquisite, holding me in the palm of his hands from the first page until the last. It was my first time reading this author and now I totally get the hype around his books. A talent to watch on the thriller scene, he’s knocked it out of the park with this first-class thriller and I can’t wait to go back and read his debut.

Told from multiple points of view, the characters are richly drawn, relatable and deeply human, pulling me into their lives and quickly making me invested in them as their stories unfurled. They are haunted by the ghosts of their past and marked by the pain of their trauma, which Wright makes you feel vividly. Enmeshed in heartache, you get the sense that no-one is going to come out of this unscathed. It’s powerful, moving, and a much deeper story than your average thriller. And the final line of the epilogue  😭😭😭 Oh, my heart. 

Heart-stopping, twisty, forbidding and unpredictable, this is a must-read. So run to the nearest bookshop or click on the link on that website and buy this book now.

Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From Amazon:
My name is Gary (pen name G.D. Wright) and I live on the south east coast of England with my wife and two young children.

I joined Kent Police at the age of 18, working on the front line in a variety of uniformed roles until the age of 29 when, completely out of the blue, I suffered two cardiac ‘events’, and was subsequently diagnosed with a hereditary and incurable disease of the heart (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy if you’re being fussy!). As a result, I had an internal defibrillator implanted in me, and I had to retire from the police aged 30.

One door closed, but another opened, and my wife and I bought a coffee shop in Ramsgate Harbour. We spent eight of the happiest years of our lives there but, when the kiddies came along, it just wasn’t sustainable. Family comes first, every single time (a theme in my books…), and the simple fact was that we knew our summers should be spent with the kids, not working seven days a week. In 2022, we sold our ‘third baby’ (the coffee shop, not an actual baby – although… what a plot line for the future… making a mental note…), and I took to writing full time.

Fast forward to now. I’ve signed a two book deal with Avon UK (part of the Harper Collins family), and my debut was released in August 2024. It’s called AFTER THE STORM, and it’s a police procedural with a twisty, emotional hook. My second novel, INTO THE FIRE, is coming in the summer of 2025.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Island Calling (Tuga Trilogy, 2) by Francesca Segal

Published June 19th, 2025 by Chatto and Windus
Literary Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Humorous Fiction, Medical Romance

Welcome to my review for this glorious escapist summer read. Thank you Insta Book Tours for my invitation to take part in the readalong, and to Chatto & Windus for sending me a copy of the book on exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

On remote Tuga de Oro, vet Charlotte Walker’s caseload of donkeys, cows, and ailing lizards has only increased. She still can’t believe the humiliating truth about her father. Probably, she ought to feel worse than she does. But the islanders have taken Charlotte to their hearts and somehow, between days on the farms and nights with a new love interest, she’s content to remain in blissful retreat from her real life in London. Just for now.

But real life hits the island with the force of a tropical storm: Charlotte’s mother arrives. Lucinda Compton-Neville knows an identity crisis when she sees one, and has come to haul her daughter back on course: back to England, back to her career, back home where she belongs.

Funny, moving, and hope-filled, Island Calling is a joyous novel about mothers and daughters; about holding on and letting go.

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MY REVIEW:

We’re back on Tuga for the second installment in the Tuga Trilogy, and this book was even more fun than the first. 

Accepted and loved by the islanders, Charlotte has now outstayed her one-year contract and is enjoying life on the island, including her new relationship. It’s a world away from the reality of her life in London. But real life has a way of finding you, and it finds Charlotte in the form of her mother, Lucinda, who arrives on the island out of the blue. Sure that her daughter is having an identity crisis, Lucinda will stop at nothing to get Charlotte back to London where she belongs. 

Delightful, funny and uplifting, this was the perfect read to escape with this summer. I loved being back on Tuga amongst this eclectic cast of colourful characters. All the familiar faces were here, but Francesca Segal also introduced us to some of the other islanders this time around. She also dove deeper into their relationships, such as the complex emotions and difficulties between Marianne and her daughter Annie. Segal also explored more of the challenges that can arise from living on a secluded island, particularly the medical limitations, which were addressed through various storylines. And, with Charlotte’s veterinary profession, there were obviously lots of animal moments in this book that I loved, especially the scenes where she and Katie worked together to try and save them. 

After the shock of discovering her father’s identity and having her dreams of him shattered in book one, Charlotte is on a journey of self-discovery this time around. As if this wasn’t enough to be going through, her mother, Lucinda, also arrives on the island. We know they have a difficult relationship, and it was quickly obvious why. Selfish, entitled and snobbish, I couldn’t stand Lucinda, who hits the island with all the subtlety of a hurricane. Disruption and chaos follow her every move and she doesn’t care who or what she disturbs in her quest to get herself and Charlotte back to London during island close. But, Segal takes these characters on quite the journey, and Lucinda did grow on me. And that ending! I’m going to need book three ASAP.

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Francesca Segal is an award-winning writer and journalist. She is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, The Innocents (2012) and The Awkward Age (2017), and a memoir of NICU motherhood, Mother Ship (2019). Her writing has won the 2012 Costa First Novel Award, a Betty Trask Award, and been longlisted for the Women’s Prize.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | 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
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Kill Them With Kindness by Will Carver

Published June 19th, 2025 by Orenda Books
Crime Fiction, Psychological Ficiton, Medical Fiction, Political Thriller, Alternative History, Dystopian Fiction, Metaphisical Ficiton

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this thought-provoking and unforgettable thriller. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Orenda for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

A Japanese scientist thwarts an international plot to release a deadly virus by mutating it to make people kinder, but something goes horribly wrong … A darkly funny, mind-blowing speculative thriller from the ‘most original writer in Britain’ (Daily Express)…

‘Utterly believable, dark and disturbing … one of my books of the year’ Trevor Wood
 
‘Brilliantly original … an alternative reality of the pandemic that’s both terrifyingly plausible, relevant and timely’ Sam Holland
 
‘His best yet. Carver just gets better and better’ S.J. Watson
 
 ‘Arguably the most original writer in Britain’ Daily Express
 
_________
 
Compassion may be humanity’s deadliest weapon…
 
The threat of nuclear war is no longer scary. This is much worse. It’s invisible. It works quickly.
 
And it’s coming.
 
The scourge has already infected and killed half the population in China and it is heading towards the UK. There is no time to escape. The British government sees no way out other than to distribute ‘Dignity Pills’ to its citizens: One last night with family or loved ones before going to sleep forever … together. Because the contagion will kill you and the horrifying news footage shows that it will be better to go quietly.
 
Dr Haruto Ikeda, a Japanese scientist working at a Chinese research facility, wants to save the world. He has discovered a way to mutate a virus. Instead of making people sick, instead of causing death, it’s going to make them… nice. Instead of attacking the lungs, it will work into the brain and increase the host’s ability to feel and show compassion. It will make people kind.
 
Ikeda’s quest is thoughtful and noble, and it just might work. Maybe humanity can be saved. Maybe it doesn’t have to be the end.
 
But kindness may also be the biggest killer of all…

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MY REVIEW:

Starting a new Will Carver book is always an event. You know that whatever you read will consume you and change you in some way from this point forward. A master of his craft, Carver has a style all his own that breaks the mould of what you expect in any genre. And once you’ve read one of his books you’ll be a fan for life and part of the #CarverCult. 

His latest offering, Kill Them With Kindness, starts as boldly as you’d expect from Carver, with the impending euthanasia of the whole country as they await a deadly gas that would wipe us out painfully. The story then jumps back to a year earlier, where we meet Dr Haruto Ikeda, a Japanese scientist who accidentally discovers a document containing a timeline for releasing the deadly virus he’s currently studying. It will be a global catastrophe. So, he takes it upon himself to stop it happening and mutates the virus to infect people with kindness instead of killing them. But is compassion the answer to the world’s problems? Or is it about to be the biggest killer of them all…

Thought-provoking, witty, quirky, original and captivating, Carver has crafted another unforgettable thriller filled with scathing social commentary and shrewd observations. I was hooked from the first lines, completely immersed in every word of this all-too-real story. It is clear to see where Carver has been inspired by real people and events, giving it a timely and realistic feel that makes what you’re reading all the more terrifying. Like it could actually happen. I felt like I’d stepped into an alternative history and not a story born of a man’s impressive imagination. Carver’s books are best discovered for yourself, so I don’t want to say any more about the plot, only that this is a book that everyone should read. 

Powerful, sharp, daring and uncompromising, this is another unmissable thriller from the incomparable Mr. Carver. Read it now! 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Will Carver is the international bestselling author of the JanuaryDavid series and the critically acclaimed, mind-blowingly original Detective Pace series that includes Good Samaritans (2018), Nothing Important Happened Today (2019) and Hinton Hollow Death Trip (2020), all of which were ebook bestsellers and selected as books of the year in the mainstream international press. Nothing Important Happened Today was longlisted for both the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2020 and the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. Hinton Hollow Death Trip was longlisted for the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize, and was followed by four standalone literary thrillers, The Beresford, Psychopaths Anonymous, The Daves Next Door and Suicide Thursday. Will spent his early years in Germany, but returned to the UK at age eleven, when his sporting career took off. He currently runs his own fitness and nutrition company, and lives in reading with his children.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Bookshop.org* | 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
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Book Boyfriend by Lucy Vine

Published June 19th, 2025 by Simon & Schuster UK
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for one of my favourite books this year. This was a bibliophile’s dream and joy from start to finish. Thank you to SJV and Team Books and the City for the invitation to take part and for my proof copy of the book.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘Book Boyfriend is Lucy Vine at the absolute top of her game’ MIKE GAYLE

‘A proper love letter to love stories and the people who read them’ DAISY BUCHANAN 

‘From belly laughs to heartfelt emotion, this book is absolute peak romcom’ LINDSEY KELK

Jemma has lived a thousand lives through books. The only life she isn’t living is her own.
That is, until the day she finds a note from a stranger in her favourite library book. When she replies, the pair begin a longhand conversation about their love of novels that sees Jemma finally coming out of her shell. Is she ready to fall in love for the first time – with someone she’s never met?
 
Clara has always run away from her problems, but this might finally be one she can’t escape.
Everyone wants to know what happened to Clara in America – but Clara isn’t talking. Instead she’s focusing all her energy obsessing over a hot new actor, starring in the TV adaptation of her twin Jemma’s favourite book. Soon, Clara is reading every interview, trawling his social media, and following him to showbiz parties in the hopes he’ll notice she’s The One.
 
As the sisters fall hard for two men they’ve never met, it’s time to ask the question: Can either relationship survive the real world?

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MY REVIEW:

A romcom about a book nerd who has a meet-cute through anonymous letters inside a library book? Could there be a more perfect book for a bibliophile to read? I don’t think so, and I didn’t hesitate to sign up to be part of this blog tour.

Funny, delightful and uplifting, reading this was like a warm hug. A love letter to books, Lucy Vine’s love of literature is evident on every page and made me feel so seen as a bibliophile. Exquisitely written and cleverly plotted, I was in love from the first page and immediately knew that this would be a book I devoured. And I was right, reading it in practically one sitting and staying up until the early hours to finish it as I HAD to know if Jemma got her happy-ever-after with her mystery man.

The story is narrated by Jemma and Clara, twin sisters who couldn’t be more different. Jemma is a book lover who prefers to fade into the background and is happiest at home re-reading her favourite book. Meanwhile, Clara is outgoing, the life of the party who is happiest when all eyes are on her. The sisters have long had a strained relationship and it is strained even further when Clara announces she’s moving back to the UK from the States, as with nowhere else to go she moves into Jemma’s houseshare and the sisters have to adjust to living together again.

At the centre of this book is another book, Too Good to Be True, Jemma’s favourite book which is like a character in its own right. Jemma loves the book so much that she owns multiple copies that are only to admire on her shelves, and she takes a copy out from the library to regularly re-read. It’s obvious from the start how important this story is to Jemma, and you can feel how much she cherishes it and the joy it brings her. A few months ago, Jemma discovered a note inside the book from the only other person who takes out the book and they have been exchanging anonymous notes ever since, sharing their love of books. Talk about the perfect meet-cute for a book lover! But when Jemma learns that not only has the book been adapted, but its title has been changed, she is horrified. She can’t watch, especially as the lead actor is nothing like she imagined. Clara disagrees and not only loves the show – declaring that TV is better than books! – and developing an unhealthy crush on the actor; declaring he’s the one for her and tracking him down to engineer him falling in love with her.

There’s a cast of compelling background characters that I loved reading, especially Harry and Salma, Jemma’s housemates. And Milo was the perfect leading man, even if Jemma disagreed. He was fun to read and I loved the very different reactions Jemma and Clara had to him and his celebrity status. Then there’s the mystery narrator, a brilliant character who opens each of the book’s three parts. He talks directly to the reader which pulled me in and immediately made me feel part of the story.

But who was Jemma’s ‘book boyfriend’? There’s a number of potential candidates and Vine does a great job of keeping the reader guessing about his identity. I’ll admit, I did guess who he was early on, but I was also never completely sure of my suspicions thanks to the twists and red herrings. I loved the bumpy ride she took me on to finally get the answer and how even when his identity was revealed the wait wasn’t over, Vine keeping me on the edge of my seat as I waited to see if he and Jemma would actually get together. My poor heart!

An absolute joy from start to finish, this is a must-read for all book lovers.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lucy is the best-selling author of novels, Hot Mess, What Fresh Hell, Are We Nearly There Yet?, Bad Choices, Seven Exes, and Date With Destiny. Book seven is called BOOK BOYFRIEND and is out 19 June 2025. Lucy’s currently working on book eight, out summer ‘26.

Her books have been bought in 17 territories – including the US, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Serbia, Japan, the Netherlands, Czech, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Finland, Slovakia and Sweden. Hot Mess was optioned for a TV series in America, while Hot Mess and Are We Nearly There Yet? have both been longlisted for the very brilliant Comedy Women In Print book award.

In a previous life, Lucy was a journalist, working for magazines and newspapers including GRAZIA, Stylist, heat, Fabulous, New, Now, marie claire, Glamour, COSMOPOLITAN, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Sun and The Mirror.

Lucy is also an events host (available for hire!), and previously ran a regular event and podcast series with Waterstones, called the Hot Mess Clubhouse, featuring conversations with funny women.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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