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Today I am on the tour for The Wrong Order of Things by Michelle Hills, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 310

Synopsis:

Thousands of children in the UK live with illnesses that will cause them to die in childhood. For these children and their families, life is exceptionally precious, and a special breed of medics help them live well and help them die well. Paediatric palliative care teams help them make the most of whatever time they have and provide a beacon of hope.

Cambridge-educated consultant Dr Michelle Hills is one of these brave doctors, willing to take on an emotionally rigorous job few would be able to do. She has devoted her career to working in the field. Her debut book gives a rare insight into this rarely talked about world.

The Wrong Order of Things is a collection of anonymised stories to touch the hearts of everyone. It is more than a lifeline to those who have experienced, or are currently experiencing, their own ordeal with a loved one and not just a vital insight to medics, carers and those dealing with other forms of loss or grief. This is about humanity and the magical power we all have to find strength, courage and little moments of happiness in the face of overwhelming adversity.

A child dying before their parents feels like the wrong order of things. This book explores the often-difficult path families must navigate – the delicate tightrope between having hope and accepting reality. Michelle shares the emotional decisions families face and how to find light in the darkest of times. She demystifies what palliative care is.

Through a series of anonymised composite real-life stories, the book covers the moments parents learn of a prognosis, sometimes at the point of an antenatal ultrasound scan, through to times when a child is taken off a ventilator, the moment a child takes their last breath, and beyond. Michelle describes tales of deeply challenging times as well as remarkable, tender, beautiful and at times funny moments. Perhaps most importantly she uncovers the lessons these children can teach each and every one of us about making the most of our uncertain lives and remembering and honouring those we have lost.

My Thoughts: oh my heart, this book!

It’s going to be a really hard one to review, because I just think anything I say isn’t going to do it justice.

It was beautiful, it was sad but there was also so much joy, it completely broke me but it also fixed something in me too.

The anecdotes in this book were all so different but had the same theme, children on palliative care and what I learnt was that majority of the time the children know what’s coming before the adults & actually a lot of the time they’re so ready for it.

I was honestly expecting to sob my way through this book, I had tissues at the ready, but I didn’t need them not because it wasn’t sad, but because it was written in a way that very cleverly showed the positives with the sadness.

Then there was a couple of Michelle’s own experiences with her cats thrown it that not only helped to lighten tone in a way but also helped to see that palliative care is transferable, it doesn’t just apply to us as humans.

A very important read and one that will stay with me for a long time.

Part of me is hoping that Michelle may have more up her sleeve and bring out another one.

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Hey 👋🏼

Today I’m here to help reveal the cover for The Other Daughter by Heidi Field, which is exciting but before I do let me tell you a bit about the book and the author.

Pages: 301

Synopsis: Two brothers. Two daughters. One deadly legacy.

Every family has secrets. Some are worth killing for.

Shiv has spent years trying to leave Peasedale behind. With Mason Tucker finally free from prison and her son, Pip, growing into a happy young boy, the future feels brighter than it has in a long time.

Then Hunter Piper appears.

For decades, the Piper name has been synonymous with tragedy, violence and loss. Now Hunter has come back to claim what he believes is his, bringing with him a daughter no one knew existed.

Jeanie.

As old wounds reopen and long-buried secrets begin to surface, Shiv finds herself drawn into a deadly conflict rooted in the darkest chapter of her family’s history.

When Pip vanishes, the race to find him leads back to the place where it all began—the shack in the woods.

But some truths should never be uncovered.

And some daughters inherit far more than their father’s name.

The gripping conclusion to the Peasedale Woods Killers series, The Other Daughter is a chilling psychological thriller about family loyalty, revenge, and the making of a monster.

About the Author: Heidi Field was raised in the beautiful countryside of the South of England alongside her parents and two sisters.

Before becoming a writer, Heidi worked as a freelance Sports Massage Therapist and later achieved a degree in Zoology at the age of thirty. She went on to raise two boys and became stepmother to three more children.

In her early forties, Heidi completed a Master’s degree in Creative Writing at the University of Winchester. She began the course hoping to become a children’s fantasy writer but left with a burning desire to write contemporary mysteries and psychological thrillers.

Heidi loves placing relatable people in extraordinary situations, challenging them, pushing them to their limits and watching them fight for their sanity.

She is the author of The Peasdale Woods Killers series, a gripping collection of British psychological thrillers exploring dark secrets, fractured relationships, moral ambiguity and the devastating consequences of one crime.

Heidi lives near her family home in the South of England with her partner, their Great Dane and whichever children haven’t yet flown the nest.

Now are you ready for the cover? Because get it comes!

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Today I am on the tour for Inventing Mr Darcy by Susanna Craig, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 275

Synopsis: A truth universally acknowledged: enemies attract!

Grad student Elle Bradshaw is on the cusp of completing her literature PhD. And while life beyond college is terrifying, spending her evening fixing a database malfunction with gorgeous yet grumpy tech geek Fisher Davis is worse. He infuriates her while making her heart race—it’s a distraction she doesn’t need!

When a fluke geomagnetic storm leaves them trapped together during a blackout, the fiery kiss that follows is unexpected—and explosive. But catastrophically, the storm also wiped Jane Austen from existence! Now, Elle’s the only person to remember Pride and Prejudice and, it seems, romance itself.

As Elle navigates a world so familiar, yet not her own, she realizes she might just need to put her pride to one side and ask Fisher for help. Could the guy who was once her enemy turn out to be her very own Mr. Darcy . . . ?

My Thoughts: Now have a confession I’ve never read pride and prejudice or any Jane Austen novel if I’m honest & I’m ready for people to tell me off but classics aren’t really my genre. 🫣

But this book gave me a look into how much they have shaped all of the books we have today, a world without Jane Austen as fictional as it was was actually quite scary!

In this one we’re following Elle she’s the person in charge of the database she helped to create that has every piece of Jane Austen’s work on it, not just her novels, she’s working on it late at night with the man who she’s just found out will take her place, they break the one rule, they take food and drink in there. One spilled glass of wine and a freak storm later and Elle is forced to seek the help of Fisher, a man she has history with, a man she doesn’t like but is the only chance of getting everything up and running again… which he does, but with a twist. Jane Austen and all other classic female authors seem to have disappeared from the world & what a difference it’s made.

Elle soon realises that she’s the only one who remembers the female greats & it’s down to her to bring them back to life, what she doesn’t expect is to fall into her own romance story at the same time.

Could the history between her and Fisher Davis be forgotten and rewritten too?

I loved this one so much, was so wrapped up in the story that when we got to the end I was left feeling like I wasn’t prepared to say goodbye, I wanted to be in the world of Elle and Fisher for a bit longer 🥺

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Today I am on the tour for A Ghosts Guide to Haunting a Witch (and other bad decisions) by Sharon Ibbotson, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 395

Synopsis: Augustine Pepperday has never fallen in love. Trust her heart to start with a ghost.

Augustine has spent her life being the ordinaryPepperday witch.

Her sisters read the stars and make magic look effortless. Augustine runs a sage-scented little shop selling overpriced candles and salmon-flavoured healing tea for emotionally overwrought cats.

Then Theo walks through her door.

He’s gorgeous. He smells of cinnamon. And he looks at Augustine like she isn’t ordinary at all. As though she’s exactly who he’s been looking for.

He makes her laugh. He makes her heart race.

There’s just one problem.

Theo is dead. And he needs Augustine’s help to find out why.

The cards might hold the answer. If Augustine can figure out how to read them.

Every clue brings her closer to the truth . . . and closer to Theo.

But falling in love with a ghost is impossible.

Then again, so is a Pepperday witch with no magic.

What if Augustine has been wrong about both?

My Thoughts: firstly, I know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover but I couldn’t help it this time, this cover is beautiful and it drew me right it, add that to the fact that I’ve read books by Sharon before and they’re always highly rated, this one was a no brainer for me!

I was hooked right from the beginning, Augustine is a witch, but unlike her sisters she doesn’t seem to have any powers and she calls herself a witch lite 😂 she makes jokes but you can tell this is something that really bothers her. And very early on we get the feeling that she is carrying so much more than we know, on the surface her life seems perfect, her little shop does well, she has regulars, she has friends and a roof over her head, but u couldn’t help but feel there was something missing, that she was destined for more.

Then in walks Theo, he’s quiet, he’s reserved, but he’s attractive & he’s funny too! but there’s something about him that makes Augustine feel uneasy.

I was honestly expecting a light hearted romcom like Sharon’s other books with a twist of fantasy, but my word was I wrong, this was anything but lighthearted, it was fun and flirty but there was so much depth in this book that I just wasn’t expecting, at one point I was actually crying and the pages became blurry. Every now and again you read a book that you wish you could forget and experience again for the first time & for me this was one of those books.

I cannot wait for the next instalment. You definitely need to add this one to your TBR.

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Today I am on the tour for Cerberus Archegetes by Rupert Stanbury, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 344

Synopsis: Cerberus Archegetes is the fourth book in the Gods Galore series about the Olympian Gods in the 21st Century AD.

Before the Olympian Gods, the Universe was ruled by the Titans. Locked away for thousands of years in Tartarus, these former rulers manage to escape and are determined to reign once more.

Soon in control of the Underworld, the Titans are unaware of a sinister force in their midst ready to take advantage of the chaos they have brought about.

With the Olympians unable to break through the Titans’ formidable defences, Cerberus, the three-headed dog, believes he knows how to re-establish the old order. Accompanied by three companions, he sets out on a quest into the outer reaches of the Underworld. The very future of the Universe will depend on whether they succeed or not!

My Thoughts: I am a massive fan of Rupert’s writing, I love the way he is able to educate us on the gods whilst adding a modern twist, a little bit of humour and just make the journey so entertaining!

I have been eagerly awaiting/hoping for a story from Cerberus’s perspective from the beginning & we now we finally have it, he’s always been more than a side character to me but to finally have him take the lead and be front and centre was just everything I hoped it would be!

With the titans now free again and the rest of the gods not sure how to cope Cerberus takes it upon himself with the help of a couple of others to see if he can make it all right again, I didn’t think he’d do well at undercover work but he impressed me 😂

As always with these books they’re fast paced and a lot of fun, this is would 100% work as a stand alone but there are lots of little nods to the previous books so I recommend starting from the beginning I promise you won’t be disappointed.

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Today I am on the tour for Finding Jack by Ella Blackthorn. Thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising for and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 216

Synopsis: Caroline and Jack appear to be the perfect couple, content with quiet evenings at home and weekend walks in the countryside, enjoying their uneventful life. Every Thursday night, Jack normally returns home from his London job like clockwork – until one night, he doesn’t. His disappearance marks the start of Caroline’s discovery that Jack may not be who he seems. So, alongside her best friend Jude, they follow the clues he left behind, hoping they will lead to him.
Their quest takes them to the Lake District, where they find themselves at the centre of a mystery greater than they had imagined. In trying to find Jack, they may have stepped into a danger from which they cannot escape.

My Thoughts: I don’t know what Ella put in her writing but this one had me hooked right from the beginning, I was so wrapped up in the mystery that I was torn between being angry at Jack for disappearing and being scared for him because you didn’t know which way it was going to go.

Caroline was a bit of a funny character and still now days agree I’ve finished the book I’m not sure how to take her, one minute she was angry, then she was worried, then she wanted nothing to do with him or the situation then she was sobbing, I just couldn’t get to grips with her and I think that made me feel uneasy as a reader, which I suppose is what you want with a crime thriller book.. maybe that was purposely done by the author 😂

The story has you constantly second guessing yourself, tying yourself in knots and back tracking thinking you’ve missed a clue somewhere.

When I tell you I gasped when one of the reveals came, I think I was actually close to tears because I didn’t expect it.

There was a lot packed into this book & I enjoyed every second of it, will definitely be looking out for more from Ella in the future.

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Today I am on the tour for The Roommate Subtext by Elia Winters, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 314

Synopsis: The Roommate Subtext is a seriously spicy roommates-to-lovers romance with a unique, kinky twist!

Scarlet Pimpernel: Are you propositioning me?
Curious Rose: What if I am?

Freelance journalist Maggie St. Claire likes her hot, nerdy roommate Blake and his absurd collection of houseplants. But when she’s hired to write an exposé about an enigmatic online kinkster known as The Scarlet Pimpernel, she can’t exactly sit next to wholesome Blake while researching her current topic!

Botanist Blake Peabody isn’t the type of guy people expect to be kinky. His double life writing erotica online allows him to satisfy his Dom impulses while protecting his public image. Until the mysterious ‘Rose’ texts him to explore some new desires. As their chats grow more intimate, his feelings develop for the Sub, even as he grows closer to Maggie.

By day, they navigate their evolving friendship; by night, their alter-egos come out to play. Will the surprise of who they truly are be a welcome one—or more shocking than their darkest fantasy?

My Thoughts: this one had me giggling like a school girl one minute and fanning my face with whatever I could find the next!

It took a while for my brain to realise that Blake and Scarlet Pimpernel were the same person 😂

Everyone knows that I love a story told in different points of view so I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that we got both points of view, it meant that we weren’t left wondering what one person was thinking more than the other.

Right from the off we get the feeling that Maggie and Blake have got a pretty solid friendship, Blake seems pretty innocent with his love of plants little didn’t he was hiding a kinky spicy side & let me tell you he knows what he’s doing in that department, never pushy & never too much, he starts off subtle and it ramps up from there.

Maggie finds Scarlet Pimpernel with the premise of writing an exposé on him for someone who is holding her financial future in their hands, what she doesn’t expect is to get so swept up in everything he’s offering that she finds herself falling for him and trying to find a way out of the mess she’s found herself in!

Thoroughly enjoyed this, I almost felt like I was intruding because I knew the secret! I kept waiting for one of them to figure it out, especially when they kept bumping into each other at random times in the night.

I was left wanting more by the end, not from the book, but I just wanted more time with Blake and Maggie.

This is definitely one you want to add to your TBR.

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Today I am on the tour for The Secrets of Sweet Blessings Bakery by Michele Dunaway thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 314

Synopsis:

🍁 Small-town
🍁 Emotional
🍁 Dual POV
🍁 Second chance
🍁 Bakery vibes
🍁 First love
🍁 Matchmaking

Welcome to Sugar Gap, Tennessee. Population: complicated.

Brick storefronts, a white gazebo on the square and the scent of cinnamon drifting from Sweet Blessings Bakery.

Mariah Dyersburg used to live above that bakery. Twelve years ago she ran from it, leaving her family and first love behind.

Now she’s an award-winning chef in Seattle. A new name. A designer wardrobe. A reputation for reducing her staff to tears. The freckled bakery girl is long gone, and Mariah likes it that way.

Then her grandmother’s lawyer calls.

The terms of the will are simple. Mariah and her two estranged sisters must return to Sugar Gap and complete fifteen seasonal tasks set by their grandmother. A scavenger hunt that sends them chasing memories all over the town they grew up in.

There’s just one problem. The handsome county sheriff roped into helping is Sam Jenkins. The boy whose heart she broke when she left all those years ago.

Fifteen tasks. Two sisters who haven’t forgiven her. One stubborn sheriff who never stopped loving her. And her grandmother’s chocolate bourbon pie . . . Suddenly Mariah finds Sugar Gap may be a lot harder to leave.

Grab a spiced latte, order the pie and stay a while. Sugar Gap has been waiting for you.

My Thoughts: I honestly flew through this one, I am a sucker for a small town romance & this one ticked all my boxes and more!

I did find that the romance wasn’t front and centre all the time which is something I actually appreciated, I was so swept up in the whole aspect of the tasks, the inheritance and the sisters finding common ground again that when Sam and Mariah started getting closer I found myself internally squealing and kicking my feet.

The little insights into the girls past that we got helped to make the book hit emotionally, you felt the resentment that Sarah Grace had for Mariah although she didn’t want to show it.

This was so much more than a romance, there is a lot of sensitive topics dealt with, it gives the book a lot of heart and a lot of depth.

Thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Sugar Gap and can’t wait to return in the future.

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Today I am on the tour for the Greek Retreat Dreams Trilogy by Stephanie Wood, although if you’re eagle eyed you’ll notice I’m not actually on the poster. I’m just here to help and support 😂

A Greek Escape

Pages: 119

Synopsis: Fotini enjoys her job working as a maid at The Greek Retreat, where she has the chance to meet many of the interesting guests who visit on a monthly basis for their refreshing holiday. She takes pride in completing her duties to a high standard and is always ready to lend a hand when the need arises.

Her good nature means that she has very little time to socialise, finding that her willingness to help has forced her into a routine where she is always rushing from one job to another and, as she approaches her thirtieth birthday, she wonders if she will ever have the opportunity to meet her ideal partner and create a happy future.

Panayiotis has just joined the team and he seems happy to flirt with her suggestively, but she believes that he treats everyone the same way, even though he is actually already spoken for. She knows they can only be friends, but why does her heart race every time he looks at her?

A Greek Proposal

Pages: 120

Synopsis: Korina sees an opportunity to create a successful new business with the holidaymakers who visit Kynos, but she needs her brother’s help to get things started by recommending her services to the guests who stay at The Retreat, as he provides a regular taxi service to the property.

Octavius is her brother’s friend and he has the opportunity to assist her with some of her ideas, but she becomes distracted whenever he is around and she has to fight the way she is beginning to feel about him because they’ve always been just friends.

She expected to chase her dream independently, but Octavius has proved to be an asset so she is tempted to include him more formally, although she wonders if that might lead her to chase a completely different dream…

A Greek Rescue

Pages: 120

Synopsis: Sophia is the owner of The Greek Retreat, but she also owns a Beach House which she similarly rents to holidaymakers who visit Kynos.

Between the two properties, she becomes a little out of her depth with all the maintenance and housekeeping involved, but she needs something to keep her mind off the loneliness and desolation she feels as an ageing single woman.

Nestoras is a local estate agent and seems to be interested in her property portfolio, but it isn’t clear if he is trying to sell her another rental opportunity, act as a go-between to provide information for expansion, or create a completely different kind of relationship altogether…

About The Author:

Stephanie Wood writes contemporary fiction in the form of novels, novellas and short stories and her books explore a wide range of life’s challenges, dreams and responsibilities. The stories are all character based, so she has fun expressing each unique personality and the reasons behind their actions in a setting which always has a strong sense of community.

She published the AEGEAN SUN series of books as a fly-on-the-wall vision of life in a Greek resort during the summer season, using her extensive experience as a holiday rep to bring some unusual incidents to life on the page. The series began as an exploration of the various ways in which tourists make the most of their holidays and how they interact with the locals while they are visiting. The later books in the series have taken a closer look at the locals themselves to show how their lives and relationships are sometimes changed by the regular influx of seasonal visitors.

The CHRISTMAS ON THE CLOSE series is set in a British suburban cul-de-sac over the festive period and visits each house individually to discover how the neighbours who live there celebrate the season in their own special way.

The GREEK RETREAT trilogy is a new release of women’s fiction with romantic themes, which creates a relaxing escape full of sunshine and surprises, with GREEK RETREAT DREAMS as a fun-filled sequel.

Stephanie lives in Lancashire where, apart from reading and writing, she loves gardening and cycling and is a huge fan of the soaps Emmerdale and Neighbours.

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Today I am on the tour for Vow Of Fire by Gemma Ford, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 405

Synopsis: A ruthless mafia boss. A woman marked for death. A love that could destroy them both.

Dante

The order is simple. Find Evelyn Cruz. Eliminate her.
I’ve carried out impossible missions before. Killing has never kept me awake at night.
Until now.
She doesn’t beg. She doesn’t break. She looks me in the eye like she’s daring me to pull the trigger.
One look is all it takes to destroy every rule I’ve ever lived by.
Now the woman I was sent to execute is the only one I want to protect, even if it means turning my back on my family.
Because if anyone wants Evelyn, they’ll have to come through me first.

Evelyn

Dante Marcelli is everything I should fear. Cold. Controlled. Merciless.
The kind of man mothers warn their daughters about.
I should hate him. For what he’s done. For everything he represents.
Instead, I see the cracks beneath the monster. The man fighting a war inside himself.
Every touch pulls me deeper into his darkness. Every kiss makes leaving impossible.
Because falling for a mafia king is far more dangerous than being hunted by one.

Vow of Fire is the explosive first novel in the Blood & Vows series. A dark mafia romance featuring a morally gray hero, a fearless heroine, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, forbidden love, found family, obsessive devotion, sizzling chemistry, shocking twists, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Perfect for readers who love:

• Mafia Romance
• Morally Gray Hero
• Enemies to Lovers
• Touch Her and Die
• Forced Proximity
• Possessive Hero

My Thoughts: what a book to start on after a break from reviewing!! – I’m not sure I’ll be able to put my thoughts into words in a way that will do this book justice but I will give it a go.

This book really was the perfect dark romance, in real life someone like Dante would scare the life out of me, but in this book I just adored him.

I should’ve hated him, his anger his brashness, his ability to find his way into Evelyn’s home, absolutely terrifying. But my word there was just something about him.

You just knew that he always got what he wanted & let’s just say he had Evelyn in his sight.

Evelyn was a force to be reckoned with, she has dealt with a lot of shit in her life, but she was determined and not afraid to speak her mind, I loved her right from the off, the way she stood up to Dante even when he had a gun to her head had me internally high fiving her, whilst also shaking my head at her when she melted like an ice pop for him too 🤣

Put the 2 together and you had the ultimate power couple who shouldn’t work, but they really did!

This book just had something about it, it was just impossible to put down. At one point it gave me so much anxiety that I had to put it down because my heart was beating so fast & I honestly just needed to remind myself how to breathe and pull myself together.

405 pages wasn’t enough, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Dante or Evelyn, but I can’t wait for the next book to meet another member of the Marcelli family.

This is the first book I’ve read by Gemma but she has already cemented herself as an autobuy author for me!

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