Author: Patricegotting

Today I am on the tour for The Secrets Between Us by Cyan Michaels, 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: 299

Synopsis: Amy is married to her dream man. She’s about to wake up.

Amy Taylor thought she knew her husband Craig. A quiet tech expert, devoted father, reliable partner in their suburban life.

But then she finds the photo that changes everything. The image shows a boy identical to their son – but taken at a school he doesn’t attend. Is it possible Craig has another child?

Craig is away on business for the weekend. So Amy has 72 hours to figure out who she’s living with. And it’s so much worse than anything she could ever have imagined.

Yes, he does have a second family. But as she digs further, she realizes that’s the least of her worries.

Because it’s what Craig does on Mondays that is truly terrifying. And the weekend is nearly over.

Will Amy even make it to Monday?

My Thoughts: I have been spoilt this year with the psychological thrillers I have read, I won’t lie the synopsis of this one made me doubt if I was going to enjoy it, it seemed like a story that had been done so many times before. Which is the reason I normally go in blind because I was wrong.

The book is twisty, it’s creepy & it leaves a permanent lump in your throat because you just have no idea which way the story is going to go..

1 man, 2 wives, 2 children & a load of missing women. The book had so many layers that just as you crack one secret there’s another one waiting round the corner & you just never know which way is up! – who’s the good guy, who’s the bad guy? you’ll think you have it all sussed & then the story literally flips on its head.

Really really enjoyed it & can’t wait to see what Cyan comes out with next!

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Today I am on the tour for Soft Rebound by Fiona Embers, thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 264

Synopsis: The first hookup after a long relationship is always meaningless. Right?

Still reeling from his divorce two years ago, Joe Larson sleepwalks through life until a chance encounter with Liz Jensen jolts him awake. Their sexual chemistry is undeniable, but Liz is fresh off a broken engagement and has no intention of letting anyone get close. Joe must overcome his fear of being hurt again if he is to convince Liz that love does not mean being powerless and that their rebound fling is actually their happily ever after.

My Thoughts: I should’ve known better having read the first book in this series but I truly wasn’t prepared for how much this book would have me in a chokehold until it was finished, so much so that I read it in one sitting. I literally refused to move until Liz & Joe had got their shit together.. at least that’s the ending I was hoping for.

I adored this book right from the off, Liz is minding her own business in a bar, she would have camouflaged herself with the walls if she could to avoid being seen by anyone, unfortunately for her the bar is busy & the staff wanted her to move to the bar so she wasn’t taking up a table.. & then Joe appears at her table.. they don’t know each other but he was asked to leave his table too.

Little do they know what that one chance encounter is going to lead to for them both!

I loved that Liz had her boundaries, although as a reader I wanted her to forget about them, as a woman I admired the strength she had to stand by them.

Joe had a hard time accepting those boundaries at times, but I dish loved the fact that although he pushed a little harder than he should have at times he never really overstepped and backed off when he could see that he was making Liz uncomfortable.

The chemistry between these 2 was absolute fire & that was portrayed perfectly in the spicy scenes.

I wanted everything & more for both these characters I just loved them.

Please just go pick it up, I adored this book.

Today I am on the tour for The One by T.A. Caldwell, 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: 343

Synopsis: Marcus knows Emily isn’t perfect. Yet.

Emily is young and naive. Fresh out of college, she dreams of true love while struggling to get a foothold in New York City. Marcus is wealthy, handsome, a charming British born billionaire who has everything – except the perfect wife.

When they meet, Marcus is immediately drawn to this vulnerable young woman. He sweeps Emily off her feet with romantic dinners and a picnic on his yacht. Head over heels, she agrees to a weekend getaway on his private Caribbean Island.

It’s perfect – golden beaches, crystal clear water, a staff to take care of every need. Emily thinks she’s landed in paradise. There’s just one problem – Marcus has no intention of ever letting her leave.

Isolated, alone, Emily gradually realizes that she has stumbled into her own private hell. Marcus has all the power and he is determined to transform her into his warped idea of the perfect woman.

And if Emily fails to meet his exacting standards… the consequences could be fatal.

My Thoughts: this book is dark, but dark in the way that you don’t see it coming at first & by the time you realise what’s happening, you don’t really want to read it but you’re so hooked that all you can do is keep turning the pages and watch it all unfold.. the whole time your jaw is hitting the floor your heart is beating so fast & all you want to do is hide under a blanket. 😂

Marcus is the perfect man, he’s kind, attentive, caring & he has the money to take care of you, Emily rightly so gets swept off her feet.. and to begin with I was proud of her, she started off standing her ground and telling Marcus when he was wrong but very slowly that started to change.

The story is fast paced which matches the speed of the relationship between them, who would have thought the picture perfect paradise would actually end up being a living nightmare.

I think I spent the majority of this reading experience feeling weirdly uncomfortable, but I loved it!

Highly recommend to fans of a psychological thriller!

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Today I am on the tour for Appy Ever After by Chrissie Harrison, thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 354

Synopsis: Beth is fed up with dating.

Sam doesn’t date.

So why are they creating a dating app together…?

After a failed marriage and months of strikeout dates, Beth is starting to think she’s not cut out for a forever love. Then she meets Sam.

Sam has an uncanny knack for matchmaking his friends into long-term relationships. Now they’ve challenged him to turn his skill into code – a dating app with a difference. It all seems ridiculous… until he’s introduced to Beth.

Beth’s job in venture capital, and her dating experience, are ideal. Plus, she desperately needs a fruitful client project, or her job is on the line. Sam clearly has the matchmaking skill and the coding knowledge to make this app a success. Not only that, maybe he’ll find her a Mr Right?

When they start double dating for project research, Beth falls hard. There’s just one problem: Sam, an incurable romantic, has his heart set on a Paris meet-cute destiny, and won’t consider anyone else.

However, when they decide to fake date as part of the app’s marketing plan, it’s clear to everyone that they belong together.

But if Sam can’t see that Beth is his perfect partner, he’s failed the ultimate matchmaking test, and the app is doomed.

Can she change his mind, save the project, and secure them both an Appy Ever After?

My Thoughts: this is the first book by Chrissie Harrison that I’ve picked up but I adored this one so much that I can promise you it won’t be the last!

This romance book is quite long compared to the others I’ve read recently but I was that swept up by the story and the lives of Sam and Beth that I just devoured it.

Sam had it in his head that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his parents and his sister & fall in love in France, but spent his life pairing people up, it seems that his skill in finding people their perfect match is second to none so with him being a software engineer he can create the perfect dating app.. he just has no money!

This is where Beth comes into the story, her job is to find investments for her boss, they meet by chance but it’s like the stars aligned for them!

This was honestly so much fun, it was hilarious and the banter between them was on point!

I honestly wasn’t ready for the book to finish, I need more of Sam and Beth, some couples you just get attached to!

Perfect for romance fans who prefer the closed door type, plenty of flirting & swoon worthy moments but no spice! As a self confessed spice lover I can tell you that the fact there isn’t any doesn’t take away from the story at all. I was honestly hooked all the way through!

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Today I am on the tour for Overdue by Stephanie Perkins, thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Blogtours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 450

Synopsis: Ingrid Dahl is a cheerful, twenty-nine-year-old librarian living in the cosy mountain town of Ridgetop. She and her boyfriend since college, Cory, have never discussed marriage; they’re perfectly happy with the way things are. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman she’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory suddenly feel pressured to start thinking about the inevitable: marriage and kids.

The thing is, neither of them has ever been with anyone else. Shouldn’t they sow their oats before settling down?

They make the unorthodox decision to separate for a month to date other people, assuming that at the end of it, they’ll reunite and start planning their nuptials. And Ingrid has the perfect man in mind for this relationship sabbatical–Macon Nowakowski, her cantankerous and completely adorable coworker for whom she’s had a crush for years. 

But of course the best laid plans often go awry, and when Ingrid and Cory meet at the end of the month to resume next steps in their relationship, it’s clear neither of them is ready to get back together…

About the Author:

Stephanie Perkins is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author and anthology editor of multiple books, including Overdue, Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, Isla and the Happily Ever After, and My True Love Gave to Me, as well as There’s Someone Inside Your House, which was adapted into a major motion picture for Netflix. She has always worked with books―first as a bookseller, then as a librarian, and now as a novelist. She lives in the mountains of North Carolina with her husband. Every room of their house is painted a different color of the rainbow.

If you like the sound of this it can be bought here!

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Today I am on the tour for Before You Say I Love You by Sarah Gate, 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: 344

Synopsis: Grief taught her how to survive.

Love could teach her how to live again.

Maddie Whittle’s life has been shaped by loss. In an attempt to move past her grief, she’s dedicating herself to transforming her family’s estate into a wellness retreat.

The work is hard, and Maddie has no time for distractions.

Until a runaway piglet from the local farm leads her straight into the path of James Byron — an infuriating blast from her past.

Maddie needs help. James needs a job. What neither of them want is the slow-burning tension that could turn their bickering partnership into something far more dangerous: hope.

As winter sets in and renovations bring them closer, Maddie must confront the one thing she’s avoided for years. The possibility of a future defined not by loss, but by love.

My Thoughts: this is book 2 in a series & yes it can be read as a standalone and appreciated for the beautiful book it is but I would highly recommend reading Before You Say Goodbye first to really be able to experience the character growth.

The first book broke me into 6 million pieces, and this book very slowly put me back together, it’s everything I didn’t know I needed and more.

The Whittles are just the most wholesome family, they all have their issues, they’re all flawed but when it matters they pull together.

In this one we’re following Maddie, she carries a lot on her shoulders after the events of book 1, there’s a lot of guilt, a lot of pressure & I just wanted her to see the positive side of life again, I wanted her to realise that she deserves happiness, that she is allowed to see the good & that that’s what Bowie would want for her.

In walks James, chasing a piglet who has escaped from the farm he’s just started working at, I can’t say they hit it off instantly, but as the reader we could see the attraction, it was there bubbling under the surface & I couldn’t wait for them both to realise it.

Sarah just has a way with words, the writing flows so easily & you’re swept up in the story & hooked completely before you’re even aware of it.

It’s beautiful & almost poetic, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

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Today I am on the tour for Suddenly Mine by Katie Evergreen, 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: 228

Synopsis: ❄️ Christmas romance
❄️ Workplace romance
❄️ Opposites attract
❄️ Billionaire romance
❄️ Second-chance romance

This Christmas, love might be the holiday miracle she’s been waiting for . . .

Merry Sinclair once believed in the magic of Christmas — until heartbreak ruined her holiday spirit.

Now, working in Carroll’s, New York’s famous Department Store, only reminds Merry of what she’s lost. That is, until she meets Christian, a new employee with deep chestnut eyes and a smile that seems to warm even the coldest winter days.

Christian Carroll, estranged heir to a powerful family empire, hasn’t stepped foot in Carroll’s in years. But when his father reveals that the company is on the verge of collapse due to sabotage, Christian reluctantly returns — working undercover as a janitor to uncover the truth.

The last thing he needs is a distraction in the form of the warm-hearted and endearingly quirky store greeter, Merry.

But as Christmas magic fills the air, Merry and Christian grow closer. From skating beneath the Rockefeller tree to dancing at the glittering Carroll’s Christmas Ball, every moment feels like a fairytale.

But when Christian’s true identity is revealed, Merry is left torn — can she trust him with her heart? Or will past heartache keep them from finding their own place under the mistletoe?

It made me all gooey inside, gave me the warm and fuzzies and made me swoon multiple times.

My Thoughts: this is book 3 in the Apex Billionaires series and by far my favourite, I loved the characters, the setting, the Christmas magic, it was just everything you could want from a Christmas romance and more.

Where do I find myself a Christian Carroll?!

As much as I didn’t like the secrets and the lies in Christian’s part I understood them, I know that doesn’t make it right but in a way it added an extra layer to the story.. like how could he give Merry what he thought she deserved without giving the game away and spending too much money?

New York & Christmas is like the perfect combination and I was slightly jealous of how romantic their dates were 😂 everything was just perfect & I kind of wanted the book to be longer so we could have more of them, of Christian falling first and falling hard, of Merry slowly realising that she was good enough and that she deserved it all & more of them together 😩

I have adored this series and tbh I’m a little sad it’s over.

Highly recommend, it’s fantastic!

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Today I am on the tour for Christmas In Port Berry by K.T. Dady, 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: 265

Synopsis: ❤️ Christmas romance
❤️ Small town
❤️ Second-chance romance
❤️ Friends-to-lovers
❤️ Found family

Welcome to Port Berry, where love and Christmas miracles are just around the corner.

Alice Dipple is determined to make her first Christmas running Port Berry’s Seaview B&B a success.

But when her childhood best friend, Jamie Stark, returns after years away, the Christmas season suddenly feels a little brighter — and a lot more complicated.

Jamie was once the love of Alice’s life, until a dreadful mistake tore them apart. He’s returned to Port Berry for a fresh start, and hoping to win back the woman he’s never stopped loving.

Alice is focused on her business. But as she and Jamie are drawn back together by the cosy charm of the B&B, the warmth of the community, and their shared history, she begins to wonder if there’s a second chance for them after all.

But just when it seems like Christmas could bring them their new beginning, Jamie’s troubled past resurfaces, threatening everything they have built.

Will the magic of the season be enough to bring them together — and this time forever?

My Thoughts: this book will have a special place in my heart forever I think, it’s about Christmas & about someone getting a second chance after being in prison, made my heart happy & gave me all the warm and fuzzies.

We’re following Alice who is trying to get the Seaview B&B through its Christmas with her in charge, it’s a big ask as it’s so well known and such an iconic part of the town, she wants to get it all perfect whilst also adding her own twist! – whilst doing all this she is also raising her 15 year old nephew.

Then one day she gets a surprise visitor, she just hears him call her angel and she knows exactly who it is.. but she wasn’t expecting him for another year!

Jamie is nervous returning to Port Berry, knowing that most of the residents won’t be happy, after all he left there under a cloud, causing lots of issues and getting into trouble, he’s done his time and he’s now free but everyone knows a reputation like that can be almost impossible to shake.

He no longer has his gran to fall back on & doesn’t want to impact Alice’s life too much, but for now he doesn’t have a choice, he literally has nowhere else to go!

Seeing the two of them getting to know each other again after so long was something quite magical, he was really quite swoon worthy and she wasn’t afraid to tell him how it is.

It was an absolute delight to be back in Port Berry & I think might just be my favourite instalment yet.

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Today I am on the tour for The Therapy Room by OMJ Ryan, 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: 291

Synopsis: She shared her darkest secrets. Now someone is using them to destroy her.

New mother Shelly should be enjoying the happiest time of her life. She’s just given birth to a beautiful baby boy, Alfie.

But Alfie’s arrival has triggered something deep inside Shelly and now she finds herself at the mercy of crippling OCD and violent intrusive thoughts that terrify her. Desperate for help, she joins a therapy group led by renowned psychologist Dr Andrea Galanis.

It doesn’t work. Instead of helping, somehow therapy seems to be bringing her very worst fears to life.

What Shelly doesn’t realise is that someone from her dark past has infiltrated the group. And now she is sharing her most private secrets with a person who is determined to rip her life apart, one painful piece at a time.

With everything and everyone she cares about under threat, Shelly has a simple choice – confront the horrifying truth she’s kept hidden for almost twenty years, or face every mother’s worse nightmare – losing the child she loves.

My Thoughts: this book shows how one small moment can change the trajectory of your life forever, Olivia realises that when she loses her brother Daniel, leading her mum to end her life, her dad to become an alcoholic and Olivia to end up on her own when her gran ends up in a care home.

Then experiences it again when after 12 years she sees Shelly, the lady she believes killed her brother Daniel, she finds herself in a spiral of revenge no matter the cost & once she starts there’s just no stopping her.

Shelly finds herself in the grips of OCD and awful thoughts that she just can’t explain, she loves her son but constantly imagines hurting him, she’s doing all the right things she’s attending therapy, she’s being open and honest, she’s getting the help she needs, little does she know that this therapy could be the worst thing she could do…

The story was eerily realistic & cements my decision to never be able to attend group therapy 😂

Just when you think it can’t get worse it absolutely does.

A fast paced thriller that I found impossible to put down & read in one sitting within 3 hours – I inhaled it!

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Pages: 289

Synopsis: Every room has a secret. Every secret has a price.

Rachel thought marrying Lucas Price would be the beginning of her happily ever after. Instead, moving into Crestwood, his sprawling seaside estate, feels more like stepping into a nightmare.

The shadow of his first wife, Eliza—who died in a tragic fall from the cliffs—haunts every corner of their new home. When ghostly apparitions begin appearing and mysterious messages warn Rachel to leave, she questions her own sanity.

Lucas dismisses her fears and refuses to discuss what happened to Eliza, leaving Rachel isolated and paranoid. Desperate to get to the truth, she starts to investigate Eliza’s death.

In a house where nothing is as it seems and everyone has something to hide, Rachel must confront not only the ghosts of the past but the buried trauma of her own dark memories.

And when she finally gets closer to Crestwood’s horrifying secret, she realizes she’s in danger of losing everything she cares about. Including her life.

My Thoughts: it’s been a while since I read a book by Theo & I forgot just how gripping they are and how quickly you get swept up by the plot.. but the almost like the book becomes your whole personality until you finish it!

In this one we’re following Rachel and Lucas, they’re newly weds and have just moved into Crestwood which is the house that Lucas built with his ex wife Eliza and instantly Rachel gets the feeling there’s more to the whole thing than she’s been told, but Lucas completely shuts down whenever Rachel brings it up and when she tries to talk to the housekeeper Mrs Potts she just gets told “Mr Price doesn’t like us to talk about it”

She tries to let it go, but the house feels haunted, it makes noises on a night, there’s locked rooms in the house and a wardrobe full of dresses that she knows aren’t hers.

This story did not go the way I expected, not fully, when I tell you I was hooked I promise I’m not being dramatic, this book gave me actual chills and I absolutely loved it!

I might even go as far as to say this is my favourite book by Theo so far.

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