Author: Patricegotting

Today I am on the tour for Infinite Stranger by Wendy Skorupski, 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: 418

Synopsis: On a snowy February morning in 1978, eighteen-year-old Leah Cavanagh meets Brother Matthew Haddon while on a retreat with her Catholic girls’ school. The four days she spends at Greystones Abbey in the wilds of North Yorkshire will have a profound impact not only on her own life, but also on that of her single mother Molly, who never recovered from the murder of her fiancé in 1956.

Leah and Matthew start writing to each other. Soon a tentative friendship develops, with a hint of more. The longing that Leah feels is shared vicariously by Molly, who sees something of her late fiancé in a photograph that Leah shows her of the handsome young monk. When Leah leaves home to study at music college, her feelings for Matthew deepen and she has difficulty committing to other relationships.

Over the coming years Leah keeps returning to Greystones Abbey, spurred by her infatuation for Matthew. The forbidden desire between them grows in intensity with each visit, until it seems impossible that the monk’s vows of chastity will remain unbroken. Soon Leah finds herself unable to break free – neither from her controlling mother, nor her enigmatic yet tortured monk – and realises that choices will have to be made.

My Thoughts: this was one of the most complex romance books I’ve ever read, because it spans such a long period of time, but also I guess because it wasn’t the only theme to the book, a big part of it was Leah’s relationship with her mum and how that has changed/developed over the years.

The book was so hard to put down because no matter what Leah did in her life, the people she met, the relationships she had throughout her life, she was always drawn back to brother Matthew at Greystones Abbey.. probably not helped by her mother who can’t seem to let Leah make her own decisions and reminds her of Brother Matthew and their “true love” at every moment possible, I remember thinking it was sweet and first and then it got pushy and made me feel incredibly uncomfortable.

The story had so many layers and made me feel so many emotions that it was hard to keep track, one second I’d be laughing and the next I’d be welling up, the writing had a haunted quality that left me captivated throughout & the fact that is based on true events makes it even more incredible.

This is my first dive into Wendy’s writing but I will definitely be reading her other book when I get chance.

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Today I am on the tour for Infinite Stranger by Wendy Skorupski, 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: 418

Synopsis: On a snowy February morning in 1978, eighteen-year-old Leah Cavanagh meets Brother Matthew Haddon while on a retreat with her Catholic girls’ school. The four days she spends at Greystones Abbey in the wilds of North Yorkshire will have a profound impact not only on her own life, but also on that of her single mother Molly, who never recovered from the murder of her fiancé in 1956.

Leah and Matthew start writing to each other. Soon a tentative friendship develops, with a hint of more. The longing that Leah feels is shared vicariously by Molly, who sees something of her late fiancé in a photograph that Leah shows her of the handsome young monk. When Leah leaves home to study at music college, her feelings for Matthew deepen and she has difficulty committing to other relationships.

Over the coming years Leah keeps returning to Greystones Abbey, spurred by her infatuation for Matthew. The forbidden desire between them grows in intensity with each visit, until it seems impossible that the monk’s vows of chastity will remain unbroken. Soon Leah finds herself unable to break free – neither from her controlling mother, nor her enigmatic yet tortured monk – and realises that choices will have to be made.

My Thoughts: this was one of the most complex romance books I’ve ever read, because it spans such a long period of time, but also I guess because it wasn’t the only theme to the book, a big part of it was Leah’s relationship with her mum and how that has changed/developed over the years.

The book was so hard to put down because no matter what Leah did in her life, the people she met, the relationships she had throughout her life, she was always drawn back to brother Matthew at Greystones Abbey.. probably not helped by her mother who can’t seem to let Leah make her own decisions and reminds her of Brother Matthew and their “true love” at every moment possible, I remember thinking it was sweet and first and then it got pushy and made me feel incredibly uncomfortable.

The story had so many layers and made me feel so many emotions that it was hard to keep track, one second I’d be laughing and the next I’d be welling up, the writing had a haunted quality that left me captivated throughout & the fact that is based on true events makes it even more incredible.

This is my first dive into Wendy’s writing but I will definitely be reading her other book when I get chance.

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Today I am on the tour for The Chef by Robin Mahle, 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: 320

Synopsis: Hiring him might be the most dangerous mistake I ever made . . .

I started as a server in a New York restaurant. That’s where I met my husband, Dante.

Now we’re opening our own restaurant in Los Angeles. It’s our dream come true.

But it feels like it’s turning into a nightmare. We’re nearly out of money. I had to fire our head chef after he ‘accidentally’ stabbed me. And now I’ve caught my husband flirting with a waitress. He used to flirt with me like that.

Then Chef Marco shows up. The answer to our prayers. He’s cooked in top restaurants all over Europe. He also has the most stunning green eyes. We hire him on the spot.

Now the nightmare really begins . . .

My Thoughts: this one was something a little bit different for me, normally the thrillers I read are based around a home or very police/detective focussed, I think this might be one of the first restaurant based thrillers I’ve read, so that added something new and exciting for me.

The story itself started off slow, we’re just getting to know Kira and Dante and their restaurant team, from a first look it seems things are going well, but it doesn’t take long for us to see through the cracks and work out that secrets are being kept and lies are being told..

It’s a book told from multiple perspectives which I always love as it shows you a well rounded view of the story & the surroundings and also helps you to work on it how the characters are feeling towards each other.

When Marco comes on the scene it seems like all their problems are solved, but what they don’t realise is that bigger ones may just be around the corner, he’s always there, hearing and seeing things which is definitely not a coincidence, he made me as the reader feel incredibly uncomfortable which is always a bit of a bonus with this kind of book, it means the writing is great!

This one will keep you in your toes throughout, and will possibly make you never want to go out to eat ever again 😂

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Today I am on the tour for The Godchild by Miranda Rijks, 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: 260

Synopsis: Everything was fine until Alicia arrived. 

After her own mother mysteriously disappears, seventeen-year-old Alicia turns up on her godmother’s doorstep and asks if she can stay. Carina can’t say no to the godchild she hasn’t seen in over a decade.

And in a way, Alicia is the daughter she always wanted – she’s so smart and driven, definitely scholarship material. Carina is only too happy to help this brilliant young woman achieve her full potential.

But husband Don and children Tegan and Arthur aren’t so sure. There’s something about Alicia… Is she just too good to be true?

Then, out of the blue, sixteen-year-old Tegan is accused of a horrible crime and life for this ordinary family spirals down into chaos.

Does Alicia have anything to do with the terrible secrets that are only now being exposed? Has she set out to destroy this family? Before she can answer these questions, Carina will have to face her own troubled past, stepping out of the light and into a very, very dark place…

My Thoughts: now if you’ve been here a while you’ll know that I am a huge fan of Miranda’s writing, she just knows how to write a bloody good psychological thriller, she draws you in slowly and then sinks her claws so far in that the only way to escape is to finish the book 😂

This one was no different, so many twists, so many lies, how the characters managed to keep track of them all I’ll never know.

Alicia knocks on Carinas door claiming to be the daughter of Gina, who was her best friend in the distant past, she tells her that Gina has disappeared and she had nowhere else to go, Carina at a loss of what to do & knowing that Alicia is her goddaughter she welcomes her in, much to the disappointment of her husband and her own daughter.

Alicia ends up being a massive help around the house, especially with baby Ethan & to the stay at home dad Don, but we all know that if things seem too good to be true… they normally are.

Miranda has a really clever way of threading the truth with lies which make it difficult to work out which is which and has you constantly doubting yourself and the characters.

I didn’t know which way this one was going to go & it’s fair to say the twist at the end completely threw me!

Another fantastic read and I already can’t wait for her next one.

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Today I am on the tour for Hungry Ghosts by C.J. Barker, 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: 360

Synopsis: The lives of Vic Woods and Ruth Wolfe, working-class teenagers from Liverpool and London, are profoundly disrupted by the arrival of World War II. Ruth’s journey leads her to aerial photographic interpretation, though her aspirations for advancement are denied, while Vic’s wartime experiences with bomber command haunt him long after the war is over. Their post-war marriage and tumultuous relationship with their son, James, make for a gripping narrative of trauma, conflict and, ultimately, love.

Set against the backdrop of World War II and the social upheaval of the late 1960s, Hungry Ghosts transports readers into the drama of two pivotal eras in history, exploring the intergenerational impact of war, particularly on the intricate relationships between fathers and sons.

Hungry Ghosts is not just a war story; it’s a timeless exploration of family bonds and the indelible scars left by war.

My Thoughts: the synopsis does a pretty good job of summing the book up as a whole so I’ll try not to waffle on too much about that and focus on my thoughts and feelings..

Now I know I sound like a broken record but as a rule historical fiction isn’t a genre that I reach for, not that you’d know that this year but every now and again one just grabs my attention.

The idea of Vic and Ruth finding love in the most unlikeliest of times made my romantic heart happy and their story was everything I wanted at first.. but things soon turn sour Vic can’t get passed the things he’s experienced in the war and turns abusive & Ruth just can’t forgive him for the fact that she had to give up not only her work, but all her hopes and dreams to raise their son, the son Vic was over the moon to have but very quickly lost interest leaving Ruth feeling like a single mum at times.

The descriptions in this book were so vivid that it was easy to picture the things being talked about as if you were actually part of the story and the attention to detail was impressive.

I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to fans of historical fiction and also those just starting to dip their toes into the genre.

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Today I am on the tour for Fake It ‘Til You Make It by Laura Carter, thank you to Rachel at Rachels 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: Can a fake date fix everything?

On a day Abbey thought would be the best of her life – her boyfriend is surely going to propose tonight, right? – it all falls apart: he tells her he’s met someone else. And then to make things worse, she loses her job.

In an act of reimagination, she splurges her wedding savings on renting an apartment in a building she’s always dreamed of living in and kits out her wardrobe to match.

But when her family invites her ex – a close family friend – plus a date(!!) to her parents’ vow renewal, Abbey realizes her façade won’t be enough. There’s nothing for it but to fake one more thing – a romance. And she knows exactly who to ask… her hot new neighbor…

My Thoughts: This is one of my favourite rom-coms I’ve read recently, it had a lot going for it, fake dating, he falls first.. the problem is he’s pretending to be his brother & he’s a famous baseball player, where as poor Ted is a self confessed computer geek.

I’ll be honest, it’s not often a clean closed door romance captivates me and holds my attention throughout but this one really did & it had me feeling allll the feels, because Abbey and Ted were just so bloody cute. Their interactions had me smiling to myself and swooning but their inner monologues had me laughing at my kindle.

They weren’t perfect characters, they were both just the right amount of flawed & the right amount of jealous throughout, the 3rd act breakup killed me ad it always does, it’s my least favourite part of a romance book 😩 but we get our happy ever after in the end.

I will say that the ending did feel a little rushed, but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book for me and I will definitely be looking out for more from Laura in the future.

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Today I am on the tour for Widows on the Wine Path by Julia Jarman, 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: 356

Synopsis: Viv, Janet and Zelda know all about facing the wobbly first year of becoming a widow as their friendship was forged when they ran away from the same dreary support group. Forming instead the much more lively widows’ wine club – The Muscateers – they welcome new member Libby with open arms.

Libby feels lost without Jim, her husband of more than thirty years, but the warmth, friendship and fun the women wrap her up in inspires her to begin to look to the future. When a solo trip to the theatre brings a blast from the past back into her life, things are looking up.

But as cravat-wearing, smooth-talking Monty Charles sweeps Libby off her feet, the women of the Muscateers smell a rat. They know only too well that the first year of widowhood is prime for making mistakes, and they’re determined to protect their friend. And as Monty soon finds out to his cost, never underestimate a Widow on the Wine Path…

Julia Jarman is back with her latest big-hearted tale of love and laughter, friendship and finding your feet. Perfect for all fans of Judy Leigh, Maddie Please and Cathy Kelly.

My Thoughts: my thoughts on this one are really hard to articulate as it brought back a lot of feelings of grieving for my dad and my grandad which made this quite a hard read for me despite the lightheartedness of the book.

I also didn’t realise that this is book 2 in a series, but it read perfectly fine as a stand-alone you just miss out of some of the introductions to the main characters..

Libby is coming up to the first anniversary of her husbands death and is just starting to go out again, although she’s not really ready to do it on her own yet, when her friend can’t attend the theatre with her as planned she decides to just bite the bullet and do it.. what’s the worst that can happen?

It’s there that she meets Monty, smooth talker, comes across as a total gentleman and is actually someone from her past too, she feels like she’s hit the jackpot.. but has she?

This book made me laugh out loud and it also made me cry, as I said earlier overall the book is lighthearted but it does have a undertone that isn’t so pleasant, controlling behaviour, lies and deceit, it really makes you realise that if something seems too good to be true it probably is.

But it also highlights the importance of friendship and then fact that if you have a good group of friends you really can get through anything.

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Today I am on the tour for A Prayer for Junie by Fran Clark, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 274

Synopsis: Newly married Junie has found love but she has no idea who her husband really is. When her life is in danger, there is only one way this relationship can end.

Philomena has known Junie’s abusive husband, Gregory, since they were children and has grown to fear him. Set apart from the rest of the village community on a secluded plain, the women develop a strong bond. While Philomena plots to run away with her, Junie hopes the child she is carrying will change her husband’s violent behaviour.

When Philomena’s friendship is put to the test, she soon discovers how far she will go to protect her friend. Now a death on the plain and Junie’s disappearance has the whole village talking.

Can Philomena live with what she has done and will she ever let go of Junie’s memory?

Buy this powerful novel of lies, love and compassion today and unravel the mystery.

My Thoughts: this book was heartbreaking, but my word was it powerful and really left a mark.

It had everything, love, friendship, loss, religion, secrets & some bloody strong characters, some that will stay with you a long time and others that you will want to kill 😂

It really shines a light on domestic violence & what the victim goes through, but also the mindset of the perpetrator & the complete helplessness of the friends of the victim as they feel powerless to stop it.

Although this book is dark on the whole there is lightheartedness cleverly interwoven within.

It’s a book that will have you regularly thinking “why am I reading this?” Whilst also finding it impossible to put down.

And can we just talk about how beautiful the cover is too? 😍

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Today I am on the tour for The New Son by Iain Maitland, 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: Nina always wanted a child of her own. Now she has one.

Nina feels trapped. Her partner Gary is controlling, his daughter hates her, and she’s recently suffered a miscarriage. Just as her life seems hopeless, Alex, the son she gave up for adoption nearly 20 years ago, shows up at her door. Somehow, he has tracked her down.

Their reunion is everything Nina has hoped for. Now she has a child of her own, someone in the family who really cares about her.

But honeymoons are brief and this one is no exception.

Far from welcoming him, Gary is hostile to Alex and as their arguments become increasingly vicious, it soon becomes clear that Nina must choose between them.

But how will the abusive Gary react if she rejects him? And can she trust Alex? Is he really the loving son he seems to be – or does he have a sinister agenda of his own?

My Thoughts: this was a very well written psychological thriller, poor Nina doesn’t have the best life, her husband is controlling, her relationship with her step daughter is rocky at best and she’s just had a miscarriage.. which unfortunately has made the past rear it’s ugly head, she wishes things could have been different & then the past knocks on her door, could this be the chance she’s been waiting for?

We soon learn that if something seems too good to be true it normally is… & it’s a lesson that Nina will have to learn the hard way.

There are so many twists and turns in this book that you never know wether you’re coming or going, the writing is addictive yet utterly chilling, it’s one of those books that you can see the bad stuff coming before it happens but yet you’re powerless to stop it, my heart was in my mouth the last half of the book!

Will definitely be looking out for more from this author in the future.

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Today I am on the tour for Trail Of The Heart by Kathleen Pendoley, 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: 207

Synopsis: When both your best friend and new love interest share a secret, can you keep them close to your heart?

Marriage can be challenging, divorce harder still, which is how Jordan Roberts finds herself in the middle of a two thousand-mile backpacking journey. Resilient has become her middle name, and it’s about time she figured out what she wants without anyone else’s input.

Jordan is desperate for a few days’ rest, but her friends bail on her last minute due to a plumbing mishap. Not hanging her out to dry completely, they find a host willing to take her in.

Adam Beck is used to running things. Together, he and his lifelong friend, Jonathan Wilson, started their own robotics company. Leading the way in state-of-the-art surgical care, Advanced Automation is committed to saving lives.

Obligated to do his friend a favor, Adam gladly opens his doors to a woman who appears half vagrant, half forest sprite. Different in every way, Jordan soon has Adam considering a life outside of the boardroom.

Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. Accidents happen, and people get hurt. Ex-husbands refuse to stay away, and there are often strange goings-on in the forest.

Jordan attempts to meet each situation head-on, but when it’s her best trail friend who is the one hurt the most, will her newly found romance be strong enough to withstand the pressure?

My Thoughts: the synopsis almost reads like a book review so now I have to be careful about what I say so I don’t repeat what you already know 😂

I went into this book pretty much blind, I knew it was a romance but that’s all I knew, I really bloody enjoyed this one, Jordan was a really down to earth character & a total thrill seeker, it’s not often that the female main character is the one taking all the risks and doing everything she can to get her adrenaline going but I was definitely here for it!

Adam puts himself out there as a favour to a friend to put Jordan up on what she calls her zero days, giving her chance to rest and recover before getting back on the trails.. he had no idea what to expect but immediately feels uncomfortable with the whole thing. Until he gets her to the house and then he can’t help but feel like she belongs there, almost like she’s always belonged there..

Watching the two of them navigate the newly blossoming relationship whilst also trying to hold onto everything else in their life was heartwarming, amusing and at times utterly frustrating!

As with all romances this wasn’t always an easy journey, they both have secrets and there’s even a few lies thrown in there too..

This one was a one sitting read for me, I was so invested I couldn’t put it down, I will definitely be looking out for more from this author in the future.

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