prdgreads

Today I am on the tour for Too Busy For Love by Phoebe MacLeod, 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: 284

Synopsis: For Beatrice, working at one of London’s boutique hotels is a dream come true. She doesn’t need a social life. She just needs an ordered diary, crisply folded sheets and happy guests. But Beatrice’s routine comes to an abrupt halt when her hotel is raided by the police. Suddenly she finds herself released on bail, and trapped in London, with only the hotel chef Jock for company.

Having decided to make the most of their situation, Beatrice lets her hair down – figuratively and literally – for the first time in her life. And incredibly, despite the threat of possible prison around the corner, she finds she loves every moment spent exploring London in Jock’s company.

But all bubbles have to burst, so when the pair are released without charge, it’s time for Beatrice to get her life, and her career, back on track. She can’t let a little thing called feelings get in her way… So why can’t she forget Jock, even when her career dreams look set to become reality?

Beatrice may like to keep life fully booked, but can you ever really be too busy for love?

My Thoughts: Too Busy For Love is the epitome of a romcom, it had me laughing right from the off when our main characters get caught in the middle of a scandal when the high end hotel they work at gets raided by the police and is found to be a brothel! – that definitely threw a spanner in the works of Beatrice’s life of order and perfection, poor Jock is shocked but just starts rolling with the punches..

Now their lives and careers have completely fallen through and with the possibility of a criminal record hanging over their heads they now have to try and carve out a new path.

Beatrice throws herself into being part of a reality show and Jock finds himself a chef at the equivalent of a greasy spoon.

With the help of some larger than life side characters Beatrice and Jock realise they need and want more from life & they both have a dream they want to achieve..

I really loved the fact that the romance wasn’t the main focus of this story, it was more about finding yourself and realising your worth and what your capable of.

I think this is the first book of Phoebes that I have read but it definitely won’t be the last.

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Today I am on the tour for The Head Teacher by H.M. Lynn, 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: 388

Synopsis: A taut edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Freida McFadden and Claire Douglas.
The higher you climb, the greater the fall.

I would never have been hired if they knew what I’d done. My past.

St Ann’s is a strict environment, and after one year in the coveted position of head teacher, I know I can’t put a foot wrong.

Some don’t think I deserve this. Others are desperate for the job themselves.

And one of those people wants to bring me down.

Whoever this person is, they know things about me. Secrets I’ve barely told anybody.

And I’m scared what they might uncover if they delve a little deeper.

And what they might do to me – and my family – if I don’t get to them first…

My Thoughts: i really enjoyed this one, very different to the usual thrillers that I read, its told all in one timeline, in the present day, which left me with a really uneasy feeling because I just didn’t know where the story was going to go!

It’s been a while since a book made me feel like that, uneasy is the word I’m using but in this context it’s a positive thing.

I really felt for Liz all the way through because it just felt that no one was on her side, the daughter blamed her & ran away, the husband wouldn’t even listen to a thing she had to say and just kept telling her that she should know better.

There were so many side characters and different ways that the story good go that I truly couldn’t work it out, I second guessed myself all the way through and still got it wrong! 😂

This one was gripping, I couldn’t put it down, I bloody loved it and think you should all pick it up like yesterday!

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Today I am on the tour for Don’t Tell A Soul by Jessica Huntley, 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: 258

Synopsis: She thinks she’s safe. She couldn’t be more wrong.

Elle, desperate to escape her abusive home, runs away to a seemingly cute small town where she gets a job as a waitress. And meets Vera, who offers her an attic room in her large house.

For the first time in years, Elle feels something like contentment as she bonds with Vera who becomes almost like a mother to her. Blossoming, Elle slowly begins to piece her life back together, make new friends and stand on her own two feet.

But all is not as it seems.

Because this old house contains a dark secret. And much as she cares for Elle, Vera will do anything to protect it. That’s why she’s warned her young tenant that she must never, ever go down to the basement.

But Elle doesn’t obey this simple rule and when she sees what’s down there, she finally understands that her lovely new life is actually the gateway to a special kind of hell…

My Thoughts: when I tell you this book had me in a chokehold i am not kidding, my biggest bug bear with thrillers is when it says on the cover that it’s gripping and has a shocking twist.. I don’t know why it irritates me it just does, but this one was true to its word!

You think it’s bad to start with.. Elle lives in an abusive home, she sees an opportunity to escape and takes it, things can only go up from there, right?

This book lulls you into a false sense of security, you think things are improving for Elle, although if we’re honest you’re only 1/3 of the way into the book so you know there’s more to the story… but I never expected it to do me dirty the way it did, it hits you with an uno reverse not once but twice!

I am aware I’m being vague but that’s purposely done, just go and read the book! 😂

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Today I am on the tour for Before You Say I Do by Sharon Ibbotson, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 420

Synopsis:What if you were planning the wedding of the year . . . for the man you were meant to marry?

Wedding planner Ari Lightowler doesn’t believe in happily-ever-after.

Her job is to create the perfect magical wedding for demanding brides. And certainly not focus on her own heartache.

When Ari is invited to plan the upcoming ‘society wedding of the year’ in New York she arrives at the sprawling estate to meet the happy couple.

The only problem? The groom is Tom Somerset, her long-lost love . . . And father of her child.

Eight years ago Ari met Tom at Reykjavik airport. After a whirlwind romance, Tom was called home to New York. He promised to return for Ari.

He never came back.

And she never got to tell him she was expecting his child.

Now Ari must deal with the whims of a society bridezilla who cares more about her wedding than her groom. And the unresolved tensions with Tom.

Because Tom did go back for Ari.

The only question now is who will say I do?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one, it starts in an airport, Ari and Tom meet after all the flights have been grounded.. what starts as just getting each other through and supporting turns into a one night stand & then escalates into a whirlwind romance around Europe that is cut short when Tom has to go visit is dying father, with a promise to come back…

Cut to 8 years later, Ari is a wedding organiser with a little girl and Tom is getting married to someone else..

The dual POV’s really made this story what it was, he meant we got a full, well rounded look at the story, it was strange to begin with because it was told from the 3rd person, which doesn’t normally happen in a romance book, but it’s something I really enjoyed as it made me feel like I was on the outside looking in, meaning it was really easy to picture, it read like a film, I film that I would actually quite like to see 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

The story was heartbreaking yet heartwarming, it made me feel all the warm and fuzzies whilst leaving me with my heart in my mouth because I genuinely didn’t know which way I wanted the story to go.

I loved Marnie as a side character, she seemed to just take everything in whilst staying quiet until the time was right and then she wasn’t afraid to say what was on her mind.

It’s a little longer than the romcoms I’ve been reading recently and did feel a little slow at times, but overall a really enjoyable read!

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Today I am on the tour for The Four Horsemen by Rupert Stanbury, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 337

Synopsis: The Four Horsemen is the second book in the Gods Galore series about the Olympian Gods in the 21st Century AD.

The gods are still trying to control what we humans are up to. Unfortunately, they’re not being particularly successful. The world is experiencing both plague and famine which Zeus and the Gods’ Council never approved. What’s going on?

Athene’s determined to find out, but before she can get going the God of War initiates an attack on Poseidon’s realm. It’s now all out conflict and the gods are taking sides – one side, in particular.

Wherever there’s a fight, Hebe’s involved. She soon signs up to an army regiment which is full of soldiers even smaller than she is. But war these days involves brains and not just brawn and there’s plenty of both ready to be deployed in this fight!

My Thoughts: now I’ll be honest and say this kind of book isn’t normally one I reach for, it’s a form of historical fiction & Greek mythology.. but I bloody loved this one.

I really enjoy Rupert’s style of writing, it’s hilarious, very tongue in cheek, you almost think it’s a children’s book, but there’s definite adult themes.

I loved being back in the world of the gods, Cerberus is definitely still one of my favourites!

The mix between the world of the gods and the real world is perfect and meeting the Lilliputians properly this time opened the story up in a totally new way.

The world building and descriptions were so on point that it was so easy to picture it all in my head!

I don’t know if this series will continue but if it does I can’t wait to dive in.

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Today I am on the tour for Careful What You Witch For by Emma Jackson, 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: 406

Synopsis: Two witches.
One life-changing spell.
Be careful what you witch for. . .

Becca Ashworth’s family is in trouble and with their magical legacy under threat, it puts their small village of Biddicote at risk too. So going against the witching tenets to summon an ancestor for help seems like a small price to pay to fix the problem…at first.

Connor Lynch is the Witches Council’s secret weapon and he’s just been deployed to find out exactly what the Ashworths are up to. But how he ends up posing as Becca’s fake husband at a magical inn in Cornwall as they hunt down a magical artefact is just as perplexing as the cheerful witch herself.

When their attraction for each other grows, Becca and Connor question everything they have been taught – and soon the missing artefact isn’t the only thing they are searching for. As love collides with duty, it’s clear that sometimes you need to be careful what you witch for…

My Thoughts: this one was a mix of a lot of the things I love.. witches, grumpy sunshine love story with a will they/wont they element and a cosy mystery too all thrown in together and it was an absolute joy to read.. although that description feels a bit tame since i read the book in about 6 hours i think it’s fair to say I devoured it.. the writing was almost spellbinding 🫣😂

Becca along with her cousin Harry and his girlfriend Kay are trying to find a cure for an illness that both Harry and his dad have, they know the key lies in an old ashworth artefact and come up with the genius idea to summon a ghost.. what could possibly go wrong??

Connor has been sent by the witches council to investigate Beccas family to find out what they’re up to and what secrets they’re hiding.. the last thing he’s expecting is to fall in love.

Becca and Connor are complete opposites but I thoroughly enjoyed ‘watching’ them fall in love.

It made me laugh so much & I finished the book with a huge smile on my face.. I will be looking out for more books from Emma in the future.

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Today I am on the tour for The Foundations Of Love by Joanna Cates, 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: 270

Synopsis: It is never too late to rewrite our life’s script.

Life’s bitter-sweet journey unfolds in this third and final instalment of the “Love is Crystal Clear” trilogy.

As Isabel approaches the milestone of fifty, the shadow which has loomed over her life dissipates. Determined to begin a new chapter, she embarks on a quest for love, even as the demands of running the family business consume more of her time. The finalization of her divorce adds a poignant punctuation to the end of an era, and a chance conversation ignites a fresh and rewarding perspective.

Meanwhile, Josh grapples with the aftermath of his ex-wife Ruby’s revelations and reaches a crossroads. Encouraged by his friend Darius, he takes on a bid for Isabel’s new conservatory. Paths collide and sparks fly between Josh and Isabel, and they feel an instant attraction, yet assumptions steer them in different directions as they continue their search for love beyond the obvious.

Join Isabel and Josh on a journey that blends past hurts and betrayals with a search for lasting happiness and freedom.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one and thought it was a perfect end to the trilogy.

This time around we’re following Isabel and Josh, neither have had the best luck with love and with a little bit of encouragement from mutual friends decide to sign up for a dating site, attend speed dating and all sorts.. it was a lot of fun, but had plenty of ‘real life’ situations to keep the story line feeling believable and realistic!

Isabel is recently divorced and has decided it’s time to reclaim her life now that her children are grown up, as a main character she was lovely.. open to change and new things but also a little insecure at times.

Josh was a delight! I just wanted to give him a big old squeeze, he was kind and considerate, always there to lend a hand and absolutely did not kiss and tell!

It was fun and flirty, had me smiling constantly throughout, it really was the perfect slow burn romance with a little bit of spice thrown in too.

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Today I am on the tour for Flowers From The Black Sea by A.B. Decker, 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: 352

Synopsis: Tasked by Ben, an old friend, to locate a man in Turkey, private investigator Matt Quillan soon finds himself out of his depth when he has a flash drive thrust on him by a stranger who is arrested by armed officers shortly afterwards.

When Ben reveals that his mission is to avenge the murder of his sister, the conjunction of this assignment along with the flash drive burning a hole in Matt’s pocket puts them both – along with holidaymaker Amber – in mortal danger.

As the case lands Matt in the crosshairs of a local mobster, it is not only Ben’s search for vengeance which is left hanging in the balance.

My Thoughts: now I know the biggest rule in reading is to never judge a book by its cover.. however, the cover to this one drew me in and was what made me read the synopsis. I knew pretty quickly that this was going to be right up my street!

It’s like it was written for me, a private investigator who only gets half a story (if that) sets off to Turkey because an old friend asks him too? – you just know that shit is going to hit the fan 😂 and it does in a big way!

The story takes a while to get into the nitty gritty, hard hitting action, but I personally think that worked well for the book, it gave you chance to really get to know the main characters and ensure that you were just as emotionally involved in getting justice for Susie!

I don’t want to give too much away, but trust absolutely no one.. because the chances are you’ll bet on the wrong horse.. I know I did.

I loved Matt as a front man & I have everything crossed that this might become a series. 🤞🏼🤞🏼

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Today I am on the tour for Every Breath You Take 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: 266

Synopsis:

Has her husband really left her? Or is someone playing a deadly game?

When Eva’s husband Samuel doesn’t come home from a boys’ night out, she thinks he’s sleeping off his hangover at a friend’s house. So she waits. And waits…

Eventually, he sends her a text – he’s met someone else and needs a few days to get his head together. Eva is devastated. How could he do this? How could he do it to their children? She’d thought her marriage was rock solid.

She tries to go on with her life as best she can. But then things take a truly bizarre turn…

She receives a terrifying photo of Samuel with a knife to his neck, and a demand: do everything on my bucket list or he will die.

As Eva completes the increasingly crazy demands on the kidnapper’s bucket list, every aspect of her life begins to unravel: her children are struggling, she’s not paying attention at work, and her friends and family fear for her mental health. All the while, the threats are mounting. Samuel will die. Unless…

Can Eva save her husband and children or will she lose everything that’s dear to her?

My Thoughts: I didn’t know wether to love or hate this book, it was twisty and brilliant but my god was Eva annoying 😂

Samuel, Eva’s husband doesn’t come home after a boys night out, it’s so out of character for him that after initially thinking he’s sleeping off his hangover somewhere Eva quickly starts to panic, she phones the police who tell her he’s a grown man and he hasn’t been missing long enough to worry.

Then she gets a text to say he’s left the family… he’s moved on and he’s really sorry, a truth she accepts until she gets a photo of him with a knife to his throat..

The story that follows is an adrenaline fuelled page turner that had me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages so fast.

It’s got all my favourite things, it’s dual POV, one of them is secret just known as the lover, no hints as to who it is, but it’s creepy, gave me real stalker vibes and at times actually gave me goosebumps.. & then a twist that I never would have guessed in million years!

Miranda is definitely one of my psychological thriller authors, she definitely knows how to get into the readers head!

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Today I am on the tour for For The Love of Lily by Olivia Lockhart, 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: 348

Synopsis: Lily Forshaw loves her life, her job, and her best friends. Romance? Not on her radar. So, when a blind date with Zack leaves her unexpectedly smitten, she’s completely caught off guard.

But Zack isn’t the only one vying for her affection. As her heart becomes entangled between two very different men, Lily tumbles into an emotional whirlwind.

Lily hasn’t found ‘The One’, she’s found ‘The Two’.

With a troubled past haunting her, friendships hanging in the balance, and two passions pulling her in opposite directions, which future will Lily choose?

Can she truly have it all, or will she be forced to make an impossible decision?

Get ready to fall in love…

My Thoughts: I absolutely adored this one!

Lily has had loads of bad luck with love and relationships, one of them leaving her unable to trust men, but since then her best friend Luke had been a huge pillar of strength for her.. he’s gone travelling and their other best friend Cassie has encouraged Lily to go on a blind date with Zach.

They hit it off almost instantly, but agreed to take it slow.. but believe me when the steam and spice start it doesn’t let up. 🥵

Luke comes back from his trip, find out that Lily has started a new relationship and has a confession of his own which leaves Lily not knowing which way is up & questioning her past.

An utterly frustrating book (in the best way) that will have you laughing, crying, shaking your head and wanting to throw the book across the room because Lily just always seemed to make the wrong decisions 😂

I cannot wait to see where the story goes in book 2!

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