prdgreads

Today I am on the tour for Nourish by Laura Baggaley, 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: 331

Synopsis: Cal lives in a post-food world. People don’t eat. They have Nutritional Provision.

When Cal is enrolled in a fancy boarding school after the death of his father, he discovers a rare edible substance that forces him to question everything he’s been told about nourishment.

Determined to discover more, he joins forces with classmate Andi, heiress to the Nutritional Provision Corporation. But as their investigations lead to trouble and a friend’s life is in danger, will they dare risk everything to expose the truth?

My Thoughts: now if I’m being brutally honest, this book fascinated me and completely freaked me out at the same time!

The idea of having to plug yourself in every night to get everything your body needs made me feel a little squeamish, especially when the action of it was described in the book and strangely the idea of Cal and everyone else not eating made me feel hungry yet completely out off by the idea of food at the same time. Now I now that that was all psychological but it was very real at the same time.

The story itself just kind of showed that there is no perfect solution to the food problem in the world, we are on the whole a world of over consumption, which is scary but the alternate reality provided in this book was riddled with its own problems.

The whole thing elicited real feelings in me, I was shocked, angry, upset but then other times I found myself laughing at the situations Cal and Andi found themselves in.

This book will stay with me for a long time & has definitely made me think a little more about the food I put into my body.

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Today I am on the tour for Dead Mans Run by Murray Bailey (apparently 2 days late! I’m so sorry 😔) thank you to Murray himself for organising it and inviting me to take part and for providing me with a copy of the book!

Pages: 371

Synopsis: The war may have ended, but the cover-ups never did.

Israel 1950. SIB Captain Ash Carter is called into the British ’embassy’ to report on the death-in-service of a consular officer. Despite assurances that there is nothing suspicious, Carter begins a challenging investigation – one that the authorities disprove of. And the deeper he digs, the more complex it appears.

Meeting an Israeli private detective, investigating a linked crime, Carter forms an uneasy alliance. Together, they uncover something too shocking to be believed without hard proof. With the highest of political stakes, distrust at every turn, deceit, kidnapping and murder, Carter must find a balance between the law, justice and revenge. 

Dead Man’s Run is the fifth historical crime novel in the Ash Carter Near East series but can be read as a stand-alone

My Thoughts: Ash Carter has become a comfort character for me I get so excited whenever Murray messages me with another instalment!

Historical books aren’t normally for me, but Murray has a way of making them historically accurate whilst making the writing feel modern day which helps me to not get overwhelmed by everything and just enjoy it for what it is!

In this one Ash is brought in to investigate the death of James Morton, a very important political figure, the story being sold is suicide, but when looking at the scene something starts niggling at him that James was murdered, small clues that the average person wouldn’t notice.. can he put all these clues together and get the full picture?

Very quickly he realises that it will take more than just him so he uses his contacts which brings some familiar faces into the series! – I think I actually squealed when a certain person showed his face.

This book was slow paced compared to other Ash Carter books, but it fit well for the story, the tension was high and I was gripped all the way through.

I’m starting to think that maybe Ash can do no wrong, I’m already eagerly awaiting the next adventure he takes us on

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Today I am on tour for Murder at Honeysuckle Harbour by Julie Haworth, 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: 354

Synopsis: An idyllic Devon village. A murdered pug breeder. And a vet with a nose for trouble…

When Daisy Turner returns to the seaside village of Honeysuckle Harbour to take over her late father’s vet practice, she’s expecting muddy paws, cuddly cats, and the chance to grieve in peace. What she gets is a new vet trying to drive her out of business, a handsome new colleague… and a dead body.

Margot Kinkade was a successful local pug breeder, and when the police say her death was an accident, Daisy isn’t convinced. Margot was meticulous – and the pet passport Daisy spots at the scene raises questions no one else seems willing to ask.

With the village police refusing to listen and a whiteboard full of clues set up in her spare room, Daisy sets out to diagnose this mystery the only way she knows how: gathering symptoms until a pattern emerges.

Can Daisy unravel a web of secrets without putting herself – or her animals – in danger?

My Thoughts: cozy crime used to be one of my favourite genres and Murder at Honeysuckle Harbour has reminded me exactly why!

I think I started to struggle with how short they were, this one was longer which meant we got build up & got to know the characters before the incident happened, so I already liked Daisy as a character & had also warned to Margot, you can tell I don’t really read synopsis’s because I was shocked and a little sad to find out she was the victim!

Daisy turned out to be a jack of all trades, not only was she running her late father’s veterinary practice seeing to small animals, farm animals and horses too, she found time to be a good friend and a listening ear to anyone she then decides that she’s not happy with the local police’s answer to the death of Margot and decides to become detective too 😂

I adored every aspect of this story, the setting was beautiful, although some descriptions of parts of it had me shivering, really drove home that beauty can also be dangerous! The sense of community was everything, all of the side characters had their own story. It was so welcoming that after reading one book I kind of feel like I belong there and cannot wait to go back!

I loved that this book dealt with difficult topics in a really sensitive way, it’s been 4 years since I lost my dad and this book took me back to that day because the way it was dealt with was just so real!

One thing I didn’t expect from a cosy crime book is to be invested in the romance too, this book was honestly incredible. I laughed, I cried and felt every emotion in between too.

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Today I am on the tour for How To Find Romance In A Bookshop by Poppy Alexander, 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: 350

Synopsis: After a social media post gone wrong, a literary agent runs away to look after a seaside bookshop for the summer—and forms an unlikely friendship with a charming novelist struggling with his latest idea.

Petra doesn’t like books anymore—not since her career as a literary agent imploded after a social media typo went viral. Now she is stuck for six months, babysitting a little bookshop by the sea—surrounded by books that just remind her of her failure.

Ross McCloud’s award-winning debut novel blew the minds of the world’s literati, but that was five years ago. Now Ross and his keenly awaited second work have vanished. Something has gone wrong—horribly wrong—and Ross doesn’t want to talk about it.

Marooned in Capelthorne’s Bookshop miles from London, Petra can’t stop thinking about all the ways she has let people down. Then she discovers Ross lurking, incognito, in the second-hand books section. Misery loves company it seems, and a kinship tentatively forms.

In the meantime, the magic of the bookshop slowly begins to enchant Petra. Soon, her book recommendations assume legendary status; she is chairing the newly formed Beach Reads Book Club; leading a weekly writing group and hosting a series of popular talks and signings by local authors. She is even starting to read again.

Petra is also finding time to help her new best friend Jess—owner of a local telephone box library—to launch the inaugural Portneath Literary Festival. What better opportunity to put the Festival on the map—says Ross—than for Petra to unveil his second novel to the world there, before re-launching her career representing him at the Frankfurt book fair? What a comeback! But can Petra find the courage to help the man she loves?

Their love of books may be re-ignited, but is that enough to save them both from their own worst enemy—themselves?

My Thoughts: this was the perfect book for the cosy Sunday I had planned when reading it, sat on the sofa with a blanket, music playing quietly in the background and endless cups of tea, I actually managed to read the book in one day because I was so invested in the characters.

I really felt for both characters, Petra because we’ve all been there when something is posted on social media and it’s received in the wrong way and causes absolute uproar, I was sad that she along with others felt the only escape for her was to relocate for a few months.. but then I guess if she hadn’t she never would have met Ross!

Ross was more of a closed book to begin with, we knew he was also in Portneath running from something in his past, but any time it was mentioned he instantly went quiet and shut down the conversation.

The friendship they built was beautiful, watching them both slowly open up and let the other in had me smiling at my kindle like an idiot.

Then they both realise there is feelings there which adds another layer of complication, Ross now wants Petra’s professional help as a literary agent to help with the long awaited release of his second novel, but due to past mistakes refuses to mix business and pleasure.

The setting was beautiful, the constant book chatter felt like a hug & the characters gave a real sense of community! – really enjoyed this one and would highly recommend it. 🥰

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Today I am on the tour for Forever Relentless by Eve L. Mitchell, 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: 442

Synopsis:

🖤 Possessive morally grey MMC
🖤 Secret identity
🖤 Dual POV
🖤 Enemies-to-lovers

They call him the enforcer.

The one they unleash when mercy isn’t an option. I noticed him the second I set foot on campus.

But I didn’t come to Wrighton to admire the team. I came to expose them for what they did to my brother. New name. New past. I slipped inside their world unseen.

Except Noah Matthews saw through me.

He knows who I am. What I’m hunting.

He should have turned me in. That he hasn’t is so much worse.

Now he owns my secrets. And me. Every time he pins me against a wall and wraps a hand around my throat, I tell myself I’m afraid of him. But my body calls me a liar. I forget he’s the enemy and start wondering what would happen if he stopped holding back.

Some men are built to protect the line.

Noah was built to destroy anyone who crosses it.

I crossed it.

My Thoughts: this series honestly just gets better and better and with each instalment that couple become my favourite, but there’s just something about Noah and Briar, everything says they shouldn’t work but my god do they.

The constant push and pull from them both had me on the edge of my seat, and Noah when he’s being bossy almost made me want to do as I was told 😂

The long running story of the coaches being secretive and hiding things took a whole new turn in this one too, I was hooked, there were times where i wanted to scream at Noah sometimes through anger and other times because I was scared for him.

Briar is keeping secrets, we’ve always known that, but the deep dive into everything made me want to protect her from the fall out we all knew was coming, we just don’t know when.

The chemistry between these two was next level, I’m surprised the pages didn’t set in fire they were that hot.

I fell even more in love with this very unlikely bunch of friends & I will be devastated to see them go when the series is finished next time.

This series honestly reads like a tv show and part of me is disappointed that it isn’t one 😂

If you love a sports romance with a devilishly dark twist with characters that you’ll fall in love with and become insanely attached to then this is the one for you.

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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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