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Today I am on the tour for The Breakdown by Robert W Kirby, 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: 296

Synopsis: A breakdown-A secret-A trip that will change everything.

Two years after suffering from a stress-induced breakdown, defence lawyer Beth Gunning is struggling to cope with life. When her husband, Rory, suggests they join Beth’s sister and partner on a wild camping trip in a remote part of Montana, she decides that the freedom and tranquillity of a place far away from London might be what she needs. A chance to repair, relax, and get her head together.

Rory’s brother, Elliott, invites himself and his two teenage kids along for the trip. So it’s set to be a wild adventure of a lifetime. Provided that Rory and Elliot can set aside their sibling rivalries, that is.

Apart from some quarrelling and physical struggles, the trip seems to be going well. The Bob Marshall Wilderness is a stunning place, and everybody is embracing the fabulous experience.

But after a GPS malfunction and one wrong turn that leads them off course, cracks quickly form within the group. As some clash and others struggle with their dire predicament, the situation goes from bad to worse.

But Beth’s dark past is about to come back to haunt her and rock the very foundations of her world. Because it appears that someone in their hiking group has an ulterior motive for joining this trip.

Something extremely sinister that could ruin everything.

And out here in the vast, untamed wilderness, Beth knows she can no longer run from her bleak past and must finally face her dire demons…

But at what cost?

My Thoughts: I’ve read a fair few of Robert’s books so I was fairly confident of what to expect, but this one exceeded all my expectations and left me shook!

I won’t go into the story because the synopsis tells you most of what you need to know, but this was dark!

A remote location, with people that you should be able to trust, but there’s secrets and a whole lot of them.

I’ve never had a interest in camping and this book cemented for me that this is definitely the right decision 🤣

People go missing, people get lost and there’s the constant fear/threat of bears, this was absolutely a one sitting read for me, I couldn’t put it down incase doing something else took me out of the story and I lost the edge of my seat, heart in my throat anxiety feeling 🫣

And let me tell you, the story doesn’t end when the camping trip does, this book has layers upon layers.. I need more!

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Today I am on the tour for Lie To Me by Theo Baxter, 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: 283

Synopsis: A terrified author. A hidden tormentor. A race against time.

Best-selling mystery author Elena Winthrop has survived a difficult and traumatic past. Which may explain why she has become a virtual recluse who depends on her best friend and assistant Lila for almost everything.

So when Lila dies suddenly, Elena is beyond devastated. But that’s just the start of her troubles.

Forced to engage with the world, Elena discovers that her husband has been cheating on her. Then sinister gifts start to turn up on her doorstep. She gets taunting messages about what she’s wearing and doing. Is someone watching her, tracking her every move?

Or, reeling from blow after blow, is she actually losing her mind?

Doubting her own sanity, Elena enlists a private investigator and discovers it isn’t only her mental health at stake – it’s her life. Someone out there hates her and is determined to make her suffer.

But who? And why? Can Elena find her anonymous tormentor before it’s too late?

Lie to Me – the chilling psychological thriller by the best-selling author of The Stepfather and The Scorned Wife.

My Thoughts: Theo really knows how to write a book that’s gripping and creepy yet in a very sneaky, realistic way, this one honestly had me on the edge of my seat.

We’re following Elena, she’s a very well known author but has become a bit of a home body, a recluse due to something that happened in her past, she relies very heavily on her personal assistant and best friend Lila.. so when she commits suicide seemingly out of the blue, Elena starts to spiral, she feels alone.. her husband is worse than useless, she doesn’t have any other family or friends so her editor convinces her to hire a new PA.

In comes Carlotta and things instantly feel like they’re improving and Elena feels like she can breath again, until she starts getting things through the post and threatening emails..

This book honestly went from strength to strength and I loved it! the mind of a thriller writer absolutely amazes me and terrifies me in equal measure and Theo is top tier for me!

I did work out the twist, now is it because I read to many thrillers or was they because Theo wanted us to know, I can’t tell! – but what I will say is that it didn’t take away from the story for me. It felt like I’d been let into a little secret.

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Today is my stop on the tour to celebrate Sue Moorcroft and her amazing achievement of writing 25 books!

I’m here to talk about Christmas Wishes!

Pages: 400

Synopsis: Hannah and Nico are meant to be together.

But fate is keeping them apart… 

As soon as Hannah bumps into her brother Rob’s best friend Nico in Stockholm, the two rekindle a fast friendship. But Hannah has a boyfriend – and Nico has two children to look after.

When Hannah loses her beloved shop in Stockholm, though, she is forced to move back to the little village of Middledip – only to find Nico has just moved in too. Under the same snowy sky, can the childhood friends make a romance work – or are there too many obstacles standing in their way?

About the Author:

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author. Her novels have been #1 on Kindle
UK and Top 100 on Kindle US, Canada and Italy.

She writes two books a year for publishing giant
HarperCollins and has won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Novel of the Year, Readers’ Best
Romantic Novel award, two HOLT Medallions and the Katie Fforde Bursary. She’s the president of the
Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Her novels, short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the
world.

The book can be bought here! 🥰

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👋🏼 I’m here today with a review for Always Alchemy by Elodie Hart, which brings us to the end of an incredible series!

Pages: 342

Synopsis: Always Alchemy is a full-length Happy Ever After for all of your favourite Alchemy characters, complete with all the spice and emotion, heartwarming moments and hilarity, that you’ve come to expect from the series.

🩷 Do you absolutely need to see Max, Dex and Darcy exchange vows?
🩷 Want a front-row seat to the sexy chaos that ensues when Cal decides to raise money for the rainforests?
🩷 Desperate for that spreader bar scene between Adam and Nat?
🩷 Have you long harboured a suspicion that Anton’s Terrible Twins will cause even more havoc as they get older?

You’re in the right place!

Always Alchemy takes place over course of a decade. Grab a drink, find a comfy seat, and enjoy this glimpse into the futures of the beloved Alchemy gang.

Always Alchemy is intended for readers who have already read the Alchemy series. If you’re new to the series, may I suggest you give Unfurl a whirl instead!

My Thoughts: I don’t really know where to start with this book!🥺🩷

This series has been absolutely incredible from the beginning, believe me Elodie really knows how to write smut that not only gives you everything you want and more in the spice department, but absolutely fulfils your need for a story to go along with it.

Every time I finished one of the books I had a new favourite relationship 🤣

Her writing draws you in so much that I genuinely felt like part of the family, none of the characters were perfect, they all had flaws and insecurities, just like your average person. But they all had money too, which provided a little bit of an escape from the every day feel.

Always Alchemy was everything I wanted and more, we got to see the happy ever afters, the babies, we even saw the step children grow up! (That last chapter was a tease, I need more!)

But in true Elodie style, the hard conversations were still had, the fun was still there and the spice although less was totally off the charts!

The whole book feels like the goodbye we don’t normally get and I loved it.

I laughed, I cried, I squealed, now I just need to convince myself that I don’t need to start the series from the beginning 🤣

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Today I am on the tour for Anywhen by Beth Duke, 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: Baezy is born in 2069, the centennial of the legendary Woodstock Music and Art Fair. Everything peace, love, and flower power is celebrated that year in a wave of nostalgia that takes over fashion, music, and the public’s imagination. She grows up listening to and loving the artists of that time, dreaming of witnessing everyone from Joan Baez to Santana in person. When presented with the opportunity to time-travel, Baezy immediately chooses Woodstock as her destination. She plans to enjoy a glorious weekend of vibrant sights and sounds; her bell bottoms and a peasant blouse are packed for the adventure and she’s excited to surprise her great-great-great-grandmother, Kelly Adams.

While Baezy’s certainly not a typical Woodstock attendee, Kelly isn’t either. She is at the very beginning of a stellar career researching artificial intelligence in the 1960s, and will later develop much of what will lead to the utopian society Baezy lives in. Kelly’s future family is immensely proud of her historic accomplishments.

The contrast between Baezy’s 2101 and 1969 is stunning from her first moment. Woodstock exceeds her wildest expectations, but holds far more than an introduction to her distant grandmother. Baezy quickly finds herself in life-altering situations she could never have anticipated.

My Thoughts: I was really unsure going into this book, because Historical fiction and Sci-fi are 2 genres that I don’t have the best reputation with, but I will happily admit I was pleasantly surprised, I really enjoyed this!

A completely new take on a time slip/time travel, I actually really struggled to put this one down.

I won’t lie it took me a while to get my head around the fact that Baezy and Sarah were the same person, just in different timelines.

The book was engaging, the 1969 chapters were so easy to read, you found yourself swept up in the surroundings and the music and all the fun of Woodstock, it felt almost surreal and magical.

The chapters of 2101 were a little more confusing there was so many rules and the use of AI just goes straight over my head, but once I understood a little more I really felt for Baezy!

I’m really glad I picked this one up, a prime example that it’s nice to push yourself out of your comfort zone every now and then.

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Today I am on the tour for A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft, 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: 380

Synopsis: Under the winter stars, anything is possible…

Ezzie Wynter can’t wait for Christmas on the beautiful Isle of Skye. Her island home sparkles at this time of year thanks to the snow-capped mountains and frosty winter walks, topped off with family gatherings with those she loves the most.

But her peaceful Christmas idyll is upended when she hears that the Larsson family – the owners of Rothach Hall – are flying in from Sweden for the festivities. As Manager of their grand Scottish manor house, Ezzie suddenly has decorations to hang, food to source and itineraries to organise.

Life only becomes more difficult when Mats Larsson turns up. The owners’ handsome, self-assured son is used to doing things his own way – and he is only another headache to add to her overflowing list.

Yet when unexpected visitors arrive looking for Ezzie, nothing else matters as she is left questioning everything she ever knew about herself. But amidst the Christmas chaos, she might also discover that, when all is lost, it’s sometimes those we least expect who come to our aid…

A beautiful, escapist festive tale to curl up with by the fire this Christmas. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Karen Swan.

My Thoughts: no it’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Sue’s writing.. and this one was no different.

It creates a massive escape from your own reality in a beautiful setting.

This is the second book in the Skye Sisters Trilogy and this time we follow Ezzie, the middle sister and I was so excited to get to know her better.

I really enjoyed that the main bulk of the story is about Ezzie being the manager of Rothach Hall and what she aims to achieve in her life and her career, the romance was almost backseat until it sneaks up on you & before you know it, you don’t know how her and Mats will make it work when he has to be in Switzerland for his children and she wants to stay where she is.. you find yourself wanting it to happen but almost resigned in the understanding that it’s just not possible..

I couldn’t put this book down, it’s heartwarming, but a little sad in places. All of the sisters are adopted, they’ve known this forever, but this one dealt with Ezzie finding out more about her birth family which at times was a hard read, but it’s an important part of the story!

By the end of the book you’d have found it difficult to wipe the smile off my face & I cannot wait to read book 3!

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Today I am on the tour for In Gods Hands by Ritu Bhathal, 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: 423

Synopsis: They kept hearing, “When will we celebrate your good news?” 

The perfect partner, the perfect job, mostly perfect in-laws.

Bali and Kiran had it all.
Except for that baby.

After a few years of marriage, the natural step of starting a family beckoned, but nothing was simple or natural.

Constant whispers, superstitions, and rumours cause havoc in what was a solid relationship, and Kiran struggles to face the possibility that her dream may not come true.

Pregnancies and babies all around her. Why not hers? 
All she can say is, “It’s in God’s Hands.”

My Thoughts: this book 🥺🩷

This is book 3 in a companion series but unfortunately I didn’t have time to read the first two, this did however read really well as a stand alone! – well enough to give me all the feels! – it broke my heart, it made me cry.. it made me want to jump in the pages & give Kiran a cuddle or at least join the online forum and be a pillar of support for her!

The writing is so immersive that I genuinely felt like part of the family, there’s a lot of hard hitting topics dealt with in this book, done in a very sensitive way.

It shows the depths of the gossip mill within the culture that Kiran and Bali have grown up in and really shows the reasons why they hid their struggles from anyone including their closest family and friends.

At times I could feel the shame through the pages and it genuinely made me feel uncomfortable and uneasy that they could feel shame for something that was completely out of their control!

I definitely wasn’t ready for this book, but it’s one of my favourites of the year.

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Today I am on the tour for Don’t You Want Me Baby? by Rachel Dove, 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: 242

Synopsis: Amber Fitzpatrick is about to hit thirty and has achieved none of the things she hoped to have done by now. Her dreams of owning her own business seem out of reach. Her boyfriend has just dumped her and now her biological clock is clanging in her head.

But maybe Amber doesn’t need a man for the next stage of her life? Maybe as an independent woman she can have a baby all by herself?

There’s only one problem. Handsome but excruciatingly annoying best friend Tyler Williams. Tyler thinks Amber’s motherhood plans are plain crazy! She just needs to wait for Mr. Right to come along…and maybe he’s closer than she thinks?

But with Amber hellbent on doing it alone, Tyler sets out to prove to her that being her best friend could also come with excellent benefits…if only she’s brave enough to take the chance.

My Thoughts: this book was utter perfection! – as much as I’d love to leave my review there because nothing I say will do it justice, I can’t so I’ll give it my best shot.

We’re following Amber, she’s almost 30 & she’s starting to realise that her life isn’t going as planned, she’s just been dumped, so she starts spiralling.. she wants to run the pub that belonged to her gran, but doesn’t yet have the funds to make it happen yet, she wants a baby but now doesn’t have the boyfriend.. but there are ways around that!

I love how organised she was, lists for everything and bookmarks on her browsers, she was a girl after my own heart ❤️

Then there’s Tyler, he’s grumpy but protective & it comes across instantly to the reader that he is absolutely besotted with Amber, but he’s kept his feelings to himself, after all he’s just the best friend and he doesn’t want to risk losing that..

The slow burn in this book was everything, now I normally hate slow burn, I just want them to realise the inevitable and then we can enjoy the rest of the book with them in their happy little bubble… this book changed that for me, I was here for it.

The will they won’t they, the tension, the angst it all almost had me holding my breath & when they finally get together believe me it’s worth it 🥵🌶️

I need more Amber and Tyler, I wasn’t ready to leave them behind.

I personally didn’t think the cover fitted the book, but only because I assume it’s Tyler on the cover and he didn’t fit how I pictured him in my head 😂 (don’t get me wrong the cover is eye catching!)

You absolutely need to add this one to your TBR, you will not be disappointed.

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Today I am on the tour for What The Nanny Saw by Kaira Rouda, thank you to Sarah at Bookouture for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 311

Synopsis: I keep all her secrets. She thinks she can trust me… 

Cecilia has it all. The house on the beach. The cute figure. The beautiful baby. But she’s a long way from perfect.

She’s let me into her gorgeous house as her nanny because now she’s on her own, she needs a little help with her baby daughter Peyton. She barely notices me. But I see everything.

While Peyton naps, I rifle through her drawers and discover the dark secrets in her past, the threatening letter from her ex-husband.

It’s a shame that Cecilia doesn’t have my powers of observation. If she took some time, she might just recognise me. I’ve been following her for a while, after all.

If she knew who I was then I don’t think I’d be so invisible. And she wouldn’t be so surprised one morning when little Peyton’s cot is found empty…

My Thoughts: i went into this not knowing it was a sequel. 🫣 so I obviously didn’t get the back story of Mr Strom, hut that didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the story!

We’re following Cecelia, after everything she went through with Paul, she’s now settled with Evan and their daughter Peyton, she soon realises though that Evan isn’t interested in her or Peyton, she’s left to do everything and feels like a single mum, so she asks him to leave..

She very quickly decides she needs a nanny to help & and by magic she meets Lizzie at a coffee shop, who wants a new job, but what is it they say if something seems to good to be true it normally is!

Lots of small things add up to the bigger picture with this book, you have to be patient, it drip feeds you things slowly which helps build the suspense and leaves you feeling totally unable to put the book down!

I thoroughly enjoyed it & I’ll be looking forward to more Kaira in the future!

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Today I am Joining the Blog Blitz for The Little Christmas Library by David M Barnett, thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 280

Synopsis: Molly McGinley has had enough of London and, feeling like a failure, heads home to the unremarkable Northern town of Merry-le-Moors, to move back in with dad Jack for Christmas.

Jack, still mourning the loss of his wife and Molly’s mum ten years ago, nevertheless maintains a positive outlook on life, and to lift Molly from her slump insists she goes out with him on his daily rounds driving the town’s mobile library.

When an elderly man, Cliff, starts coming into the library for warmth and companionship, Jack and Molly provide tea and sympathy… and begin to attract the lost, lonely and jaded people of Merry-le-Moors, who gather each day at the mobile library to talk about books, life and love. Each of them is searching for something in life, and Jack and Molly know just how to find it in the library.

As friendships – and more – begin to form, Christmas approaches… and so does a dark cloud on the horizon. The library is under threat, and so too the fragile friendships that have been formed.

But this is Christmas, after all, and magic – like love – can be found in the most unlikely places.

My Thoughts: you’re definitely going to get more than you think from this book, is it Christmassy? absolutely. Does it have a romance? Yes.. some of which you won’t see coming! but it’s also so much more than that!

It’s about a community coming together, and the determination of one man and his daughter to just make sure no one feels alone when life does everything to prove the opposite.

And it’s all centred around books, which for me is just the best message, books became my escape from life and my happy place, so it was lovely to read a book about how the magic of books did the same for the characters in here.

It’s not all warm and fuzzy, the book details with some really hard subjects which some may feel don’t have a place in a book like this, but for me personally I thought they were an important element of the story & helped you understand some of the characters on a deeper level.

Every now and again you read a book that when you finish you instantly wish you could experience it again for the first time & this is one of those books for me.

It gets you ready for Christmas whilst also helping you remember what’a actually important at this time of year.

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