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Today is my stop on the blog tour organised by Tracy Fenton at COMPULSIVE READERS. Thank you to Orion Publishing for my copy.

Pages: 368

Synopsis: For sale: historic building in the picturesque town of Montenello, southern Italy. Asking price: 1 Euro

Cloudless skies, sun-soaked countryside, delicious food… In the drowsy heat of an Italian summer, four strangers arrive in a beautiful town nestled in the mountains of Basilicata, dreaming of a new adventure. An innovative scheme by the town’s Mayor has given them the chance to buy a crumbling historic building for a single Euro – on the condition that they renovate their home within three years, and help to bring new life to the close-knit local community.

Elise is desperate to get on the property ladder. Edward wants to escape a life he feels suffocated by. Mimi is determined to start afresh after her divorce. And there’s one new arrival whose true motives are yet to be revealed…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My thoughts: A dream of Italy was an absolutely delightful read and one that I read in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down.

Salvio Valentini is the mayor of a small village in southern Italy called Montenello, he’s the youngest mayor the village has had and really wants to inject some life back into the place he feels like the place has been stuck in the past and wants to change that.

Between the 2 of them Salvio and his elderly assistant Augusto come up when a plan to sell off the uninhabited derelict houses for only €1 each! – once the scheme hits social media they are inundated with applications and have to find 3 applicants that feel just right for what they’re trying to achieve.

Firstly we have Mimi who is an older woman who has recently got divorced, her application starts as a group thing and a bit of a joke but she soon realises that this is what she wants & after not being able to decide anything for herself in her marriage she jumps at the chance to have something that is just hers.

Then we have Edward and Gino, Edward feels a little bit stuck in his current surroundings and also feels like this relationship with Gino has gone a little “stale” – when he sees the advert and realises that the homes for sale are where Ginos parents were brought up (and fled from) he decides he can’t pass it up, but keeps it a secret from Gino until the last minute because he knows he won’t like it, can he get him to agree?

And lastly, we have Elise and Richard, who are unhappy in their poky little flat above an Indian restaurant, they soon come to realise that they are bored of saving every penny they own and never just enjoying life, buying a dream home in Italy for next to nothing seems the ideal solution, but whilst Elise is excited Richard just feels like it’s too good to be true.

Everyone’s story is different but essentially they all want the same thing and I adored reading about how everyone, including the ling standing residents of Montenello achieve their dreams, watching everything come together made my heart happy. ❤️

I was sent a copy of this book by Blue Falcon Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

My thoughts: When I first heard about this book, about the main character being in a wheelchair, I needed to read it to see how it was done.

Now I’m aware that this is a children’s book, but I was VERY impressed with the representation, the whole point of the story is to help Gertie realise that she can still dance like all her animal friends and being in a wheelchair doesn’t change that.

Relying on a wheelchair myself, I wish there had been a book like this when I was younger, it made me happy.

The illustrations were bright and colourful and did a good job with showing what the writing on the page was about.

Thank you to Salma Zaman for making a 28 year old wheelchair user smile with your story!

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour organised by Tracy Fenton at COMPULSIVE READERS. – thank you to Orbit Books for my copy.

Pages: 464

Synopsis: WHAT IF YOUR LIFE HAD AN ‘UNDO’ BUTTON?

Arlo Knott develops the mysterious ability to reverse his last action. It makes him able to experience anything, to charm any woman and impress any friend. His is a life free of mistakes, a life without regret.

But second chances aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. As wonderful as his new life is, a mistake in Arlo’s traumatic childhood still haunts him and the temptation to undo, undo and keep undoing could be too much to resist.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I am honestly struggling to put my thoughts into words right now, the first thing I thought when I finished this incredible book was “WOW” – this book is just short of 450 pages long and I read it in just a few hours because I couldn’t put it down, I NEEDED to know what was going to happen.

We meet Arlo as a 13 year old boy, he’s helping his mum do some DIY, gets distracted by an insect and tries to catch it in a bid to impress a friend, in the few seconds that he wasn’t holding onto the ladder something tragic happens, something he spends his whole life wishing he could take back.

Shortly after the accident Arlo discovers he can erase his previous action, to back in time to hopefully learn from his mistakes and try again, To begin with he can only go back a couple of seconds, the he book follows Arlo up until the age of 37 and throughout the book you see him perfecting his skill and soon learn to go back for a longer period each time.

This story was so action packed, and every stage of Arlo’s life was believable for the age he was supposed to be, using his ‘power’ to gain money and impress girls between the ages of 18-21 and then using it to further his various careers after that.

There was so much action in this book that it never got boring, we had a police shootout, A hostage situation and lots of other things in between.

Seeing the development of Arlos character throughout was beautiful, I really didn’t like him to begin with, I saw him as a spoilt child, but by the end I loved him so much.

This story shows us that even if you had the ability to turn back time, that maybe it’s not the best idea because after all every action has a consequence & near the end of the book you start to feel that Arlo is beginning to realise exactly that, but is he really?

The twist at the end of the book shocked me but made me love this even more – I really feel everyone needs to read this!

I know this has been a really long review, but before I leave, can we please talk about the beautiful cover? – it sums up the story perfectly, although you won’t realise why until you read the book, so go do that now!

🐧❤️

I received my copy from Central Avenue Publishing via Netgalley

Pages: 288

Synopsis: It’s an inconvenient time for Sinter Blackwell to realize he’s bisexual. He’s a 25-year-old American actor working in London, living far away from his disapproving parents in the Pacific Northwest, and enjoying a flirtation with his director Fiona. But he can’t deny that his favorite parts of each day are the messages from his gay best friend Andy in Seattle–whom Sinter once kissed when they were 15. Finally he decides to return to America to visit Andy and discover what’s between them, if anything. He isn’t seeking love, and definitely doesn’t want drama. But both love and drama seem determined to find him. Family complications soon force him into the most consequential decisions of his life, threatening all his most important relationships: with Andy, Fiona, his parents, and everyone else who’s counting on him. Choosing the right role to play has never been harder.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I really loved this story, I fell in love with Sinter right from the beginning he was such a likeable character and someone I was rooting for.

Seeing him slowly realise that not only might he be bi, but that he also has feelings for his gay best friend was for the most part nice to read about, but I did find myself feeling sorry for him when he started doubting wether Andy would feel the same, whereas to us as a reader it seemed obvious and felt like a given.

I also liked the fact that we had parents/families at the opposite end of the spectrum, firstly we have Andy’s who are very accepting of the fact that he is gay and it turn very loving towards Sinter when he comes out as Bi.

And then we have Sinters family who are VERY religious and are not very accepting of Sinters sexuality, which results in him hiding it for a long time.

I adored the parts with Andy and Sinter falling in love and discovering each other, however I couldn’t help but feel the storyline between Sinter and Fiona wasn’t really needed? – although what it created was beautiful.

If you’re looking for a lovely LGBTQ+ story then I can highly recommend this one.

❤️🐧

I RECEIVED MY COPY FROM HQ VIA NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

Pages: 384

Synopsis: No one is ever happy to see Grace Salmon.

As a funeral arranger, she’s responsible for steering strangers through the hardest day of their lives. It’s not a task many would want – but, for Grace, giving people the chance to say a proper goodbye to the ones they love is the most important job in the world.

From the flowers in the church to the drinks served at the wake,Grace knows it’s the personal touches that count – and it’s amazing what you can find out about someone from their grieving relatives … or their Facebook page. But when she accidentally finds out too much about someone who’s died, Grace is finally forced to step out of the shadows… and start living.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this story was beautiful, both heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time.

On the surface you think it’s just going to be about Grace and her role as a funeral organiser, and to begin with it is, but deep down it’s so much more.

There are lots of different character in this book and they all play a very different but equally important part. My favourite by far was Mrs Norris she reminded me so much of my friend, she died 9 years ago, but this book filled me with so many happy memories.

We soon learn that the happy go lucky attitude that Grace puts out is a mask to hide something devastating that happens in her past, and the real reason she dropped everything and became a funeral organiser.

I don’t want to say too much or mention to many characters names because I honestly wish I could experience this whole book again for the first time and I don’t want to take that joy away from anyone.

But please pick this book up, especially if you’ve ever lost anyone close to you, It might just be the thing you need to make you smile.

Today is my stop on the #randomthingstour for The Last Stage by Louise Voss! Thank you to Orenda Books for my copy.

Pages: 300

Synopsis: At the peak of her career as lead singer of a legendary 1980s indie band, Meredith Vincent was driven off the international stage by a horrific incident. Now living a quiet existence in a cottage on the grounds of an old stately home, she has put her past behind her and come to terms with her new life.

When a body is found in the manicured gardens of her home, and a series of inexplicable and unsettling events begins to occur, it becomes clear that someone is watching, someone who knows who she is … Someone who wants vengeance.

And this is only the beginning…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: This is first Louise Voss book that I’ve read, and I enjoyed it for the most part although I’ll be honest it didn’t fully grip me until the half way point.

I liked Meredith as a main character, at first she seems like she’s going to be a quiet woman, but then she has sex with her best friends husband and is still able to act like her best friend afterwards, and if that wasn’t enough she also lies to the police!

We soon find out that Louises quiet life at the stately home she lives and works in firstly isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and secondly it’s helping her hide a deep dark past.

But then when people around her start dying in suspicious circumstances she wonders if her past has come back to haunt her.

My favourite parts of this book where the bits set in Merediths past, they gave us a real insight into the real Meredith and helped us to understand why she is so desperate to escape from her past and stay hidden.

Although I found the first part of this book quite slow, once I was hooked I couldn’t put it down.

Most of the twists were shocking yet believable which made me feel uneasy, but unfortunately the ending felt a little bit predictable and lacklustre for me.

If you’re a fan of thrillers then you should give this one a go.

Today is my stop on the #randomthingstour for The Hidden Wife by Amanda Reynolds. Thank you to Wildfire for my copy.

Pages: 400

Synopsis: Every marriage has its problems.

But would Julia Blake really have just walked out of hers, leaving no trace?

Max Blake knows more about his wife’s disappearance than he’s letting on.

That’s what the police think anyway. But with no body, the case is growing cold…

One young journalist thinks she can find out the truth.

But the more time she spends with Max at the couple’s remote estate, the higher the risk to her own safety. And whatever happened to Julia Blake may be her fate next…

My Rating 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My thoughts: At the start of this book we quickly find out that the wife of one of the main characters Max is missing, the book opens with him being questioned by the police trying to get to the bottom of what’s happened.

Then in the next chapter we’ve moved on 9 months. Julia is still missing, presumed dead and nobody is any the wiser on what happened that night. we meet Seren, a young journalist who is yet to get her first big story.

Her brother has been missing a few years, she writes an article on missing people which attracts the attention of Max who contacts her boss offering Seren an exclusive interview.

The book is constantly flitting between present day and the past, just after Julia went missing. Normally a story with dual timelines can leave me confused but this one was really easy to keep track of!

I loved watching Seren grow in confidence and come into her own throughout the story, her character progression felt very realistic, with a few “oops” moments thrown in to keep it that way.

We meet more characters along the way who are all very different but vital to the story in their own way. My favourite being Miriam, she was creepy and unpredictable on one had, but then very mothering in the other.

I appreciated the way all the little tangents and side stories all came together towards the end of the book and all the little things and loose ends started to make sense.

I was a little disappointed in the ending, purely because it felt a little rushed like it had only been decided as the author was writing it – hence the reason this was a 4 star and not the full 5.

That being said this was a really enjoyable read that kept me engaged all the way through.

❤️🐧

Pages: 115

Synopsis: The repercussions of an illicit affair unfold in this short story by bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Dear stranger…

A desperate young woman in Southern California sits down to write a letter to a man she’s never met—a choice that will forever change both their lives.

My heart goes out to you, David. Even though I do not know you…

The correspondence between Carrie Allsop and David Mayer reveals, piece by piece, the painful details of a devastating affair between their spouses. With each commiserating scratch of the pen, they confess their fears and bare their souls. They share the bewilderment over how things went so wrong and come to wonder where to go from here.

Told entirely through the letters of two comforting strangers and those of two illicit lovers, Evidence of the Affair explores the complex nature of the heart. And ultimately, for one woman, how liberating it can be when it’s broken.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: if I’m being entirely honest, I’m not really sure how much I can say about a 115 page book, and I didn’t have Hugh expectations, I just noticed it whilst scrolling through prime reading on my kindle and wanted to give it a go.

Right from the very start I loved this book, it’s told entirely through letters, Between David and Carrie, Carrie starts writing to David when she finds proof (again in the form of letters) that her husband had been having an affair with David’s wife.

For such a short book this story really packs a punch and had me feeling for all of the characters for different reasons, there’s not really a lot more I can say without giving away the whole story, but please pick this up if you ever get the chance.

This was my first dive into Taylor’s work, but I will be picking up more from her in the future.

Today is my stop on the #randomthings blog tour! Thank you to Headline for my copy.

Pages: 336

Synopsis: You could say it started with vanity. We believed we were special. But the truth is we were simply vulnerable.

Months after landing their dream job, five brilliant young minds are sent on a remote retreat.

But when one of them disappears, they’re forced to question why they were brought there in the first place.

And for the first time in their lives, they realise too much knowledge can be deadly . . .

One of them is lying.

One of them is guilty.

No one is safe.

My rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Review: This book started off a little slow and confusing. it’s told from multiple difference perspectives with not much differentiating them. I honestly think that for the first 30% of the book that if you didn’t make a point of looking at the beginning of each chapter you wouldn’t know who each chapter was about.

It took a while to get into the main part of the story, but once we arrive on the retreat, the action and the twists and turns just keep coming – I honestly think I found myself loving and hating each individual character at different points in the book.

I’d get to a point where I was confident I’d worked out what was going on and where the story was headed & then another spanner would be thrown into the mix.

I can honestly say, not once did I see a twist coming before it arrived and the book really kept me on my toes.

I was a little confused because the book felt like a completely different book once we hit part 2, the pacing changed and it seemed like the writing style did to, so although part one left me feeling like I’d missed the point, the rest of the book more than made up for it, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of mystery/psychological thrillers and will definitely be picking up more from Colette in the future

Today is my stop on the #randomthings tour for Stilettos and Stardust by D.L Pitchford.

Pages: 252

Synopsis: A modern day Cinderella with a twist…

When high school seniors Noah Barton and Eden Prince’s academic rivalry ruins a thermodynamics demo, their physics teacher decides to help them get along. By forcing them to be lab partners.

As graduation approaches, Noah and Eden are too busy figuring out college to deal with each other. Noah’s football-loving dad sabotages his chance to win a big scholarship. Eden’s traditional mother cares more about finding her a serious boyfriend than encouraging her dreams.

Winning big at the regional science fair is their last hope.

Will Noah follow in his astronaut mother’s footsteps? Can Eden show her parents the environment is more important than any relationship? Will Noah and Eden finally learn to work together?

Follow Noah and Eden’s budding romance in this emotionally charged, gender-swapped retelling of Cinderella.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My thoughts: this story is told from 2 perspectives Noah’s and Eden’s. The chapters alternate characters and they both have a unique style so even if you don’t look at the chapter heading it was easy to tell who’s chapter you were in at any time.

We start off meeting Noah who is still trying to get over the death of his mum, he visits her grave every day after school and tells her about everything that’s going on in his life and the lives of his brothers and his father, I could tell by the way he spoke about them that he feels like they don’t care, they’re just getting on with their lives whilst for Noah losing his mum is still very raw.

Then we meet Eden who wants to focus on her education but is being told by her mother she’s 18 now so it’s time to find a husband and she has the perfect one in mind.

We soon find out that Noah and Eden attend the same school, they’re in the same psychics class, but they hate each other, they both think they’re the best and everything’s a competition. – something happens in the classroom and the teacher decides to put them together as lab partners.

This brings them together and once they actually get to know each other they find out that they have more in common than they first thought.

The character development in this story was amazing. Every single one of the characters learnt something about themselves, but it was done in a realistic believable way which can sometimes be hard to do.

This book had me feeling so many emotions which was surprising considering it’s relatively short!

A thoroughly enjoyable read that I will be recommending to all fans of YA Romance