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Today I am on the tour for The British Bloke Decoded by Geoff Norcott, 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: 288

Synopsis: If you see a man drinking a pint in an airport pub alone, that’s a bloke. 
If you see a man driving to the tip on a Saturday morning with a smile on his face, that’s a bloke. 
And if you see a man heading back from the tip and on the way to the pub, that’s a very happy bloke.

The British Bloke appears simple and straightforward. He loves football, cricket, beer and sheds. But beneath that simple exterior lies a mysterious and complex being…

In The British Bloke Decoded, writer, comedian and regular bloke, Geoff Norcott, peels back the layers of blokedom, revealing the truth behind the behaviour of Britain’s husbands, dads, brothers and friends. He dives into the value of banter, the roots of mansplaining, the near impossibility of getting blokes to send birthday cards, and whether there could be a medal system for vacuuming.

Based on 46 years of intensive field research and semi-scientific insights, this book is a celebration of. the simple British bloke in all his splendour.

My Thoughts: this book is absolutely spot on, I may not be a British bloke but I have brothers coming out of my ears and I was raised my dad.. let me tell you this book had me in fits of laughter multiple times!

At certain points within the book I could picture my brother/dad/boyfriend doing everything he described.

I did find myself switching to the audio book part way through & that really enhanced the experience for me.

I was so immersed in what Geoff was saying & it felt so real, almost like he was sat on the sofa having a cuppa with me.

This book really did hit me right in the feels, I lost my dad in 2022 and the memories this book brought up had me smiling & made me a shed a tear more than once.

It really is one of those books that you’re not sure you’ll enjoy, you doubt if it’s for you, but before you know it you’re 100 pages deep and finding it impossible to put down.

It probably helps that ‘bloke’ is my favourite word (don’t ask, I can’t tell you why, because I don’t know myself 😂)

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Today I have a review of Jack & I by Laury A. Egan. Thank you Laury for my copy of the book!

Pages: 266

Synopsis: A psychological suspense novel about two teenage boys. The twist? They’re both named Jack and both inhabit the same body. “Mostly I was relieved to put some distance between Jack and myself, although this wasn’t possible because I am Jack, too. And sort of not Jack. I am I, or rather, I am me.”

1994. Jack Kennett is 16 and suffers from undiagnosed Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder). Abandoned at age two, Jack has been in the New Jersey care system all his life: foster homes and once placed for adoption with the Kennetts, a family he adored, especially their daughter, Cara. As the divisive war between the two personalities escalates, Jack (the host) is in despair and feeling powerless as he experiences amnesiac events and must deal with his alter’s promiscuity, truancy, and illegal acts. How will the war between the personalities end?

My Thoughts: I’m not really sure how to review this one if I’m honest, I’ve sat on it for days.

It’s hard hitting dealing with a lot of tough subjects in a very real way whilst also being sympathetic to the people who suffer from DID.

The writing is shocking and yet had me totally enthralled!

2 people in one body, I thought it would be hard to keep track of who was who, but Laury was very clever.. one spoke in 1st person whilst the other spoke in 3rd person.

Parts of this book left me in utter shock, wanting to hide away from the book because it made me uncomfortable, but I knew how important it was & that amount of research put into this book was incredible.

I know my review isn’t doing it justice, but that’s because it’s such a powerful book that no matter what I say it just wouldn’t be enough & I am intrigued to see what Laury comes up with next.

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Today I am on the tour for The Guilty Girl by Ruth Harrow, 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: 294

Synopsis: Chloe is serving a life sentence. In her own home.

Ever since the horrific day her mother died, Chloe’s life has been anything but normal – more like a carefully constructed prison. Her father hasn’t let her go to school, have friends or leave the house alone.

As she grows up, Chloe begins to question the motives behind her dad’s obsessive control. What would happen if she broke one of his many rules? And what exactly is he hiding under the overgrown grass in the back garden?

When new neighbors arrive next door, they trigger a chain of events that causes Chloe to suspect her father’s motives are far darker than she knew.

Now she faces the terrifying consequences of defying the man who controls her every waking moment. Will she risk everything to win her freedom or will her father’s dark secrets keep her captive forever?

My Thoughts: Eerie, chilling yet strangely compelling, this is a book that will have you in its grasp and not let you go until you’ve finished it.. I didn’t get up off the sofa until the very page.

Chloe has been living with her dad since she was a little girl when her mum died.. but right from the start you know that something isn’t right.. they go for walks once a month & Chloe isn’t allowed to talk to anyone incase she’s recognised. Then if she behaves herself and follows the rules she gets to watch an episode of Columbus on video with her dad in the evening.

All goes to plan until she hears noise in the back garden and the trees she has seen as friends for the majority of her life are being chopped down and there’s a young lad there, curiosity gets the better of her and despite knowing better and all the doors being locked she is determined to find a way out.

Full of suspense that keeps you turning the pages at a rapid speed, knowing what’s about to happen but hoping against hope that you can will a different outcome, you’re left wanting to cover your eyes but unable to do so as you watch the disasters unfold.

Incase you can’t tell I bloody loved it and suggest you all add it to your TBR.

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Today I am on the tour for You, Me, Her by Sue Watson 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: 390

Synopsis: Three people. One marriage. One murder.

YOU: My handsome husband Tom. You’ve given me everything – our beautiful son and our perfect new seaside home. I want to trust you, but I know you haven’t been honest about why you really wanted to move here. I haven’t been honest with you either…

ME: I make a secret promise as Tom kisses me and pours a glass of ice-cold wine to toast the first night in our dream house: I’m going to forget about his past. For the sake of our son, I’ll keep this family together, no matter what.

HER: Chloe is the only friend I’ve made since the move. I love our long lunches, even though she asks prying questions about my marriage. Tom hates me spending time with her, but I ignore his warning to stay away. I’ve seen the way he looks at her. It’s better to keep your enemies close…

You may think you know what’s going on in my marriage, but you’ll be wrong. Only three things are true: Someone is a liar. Someone is in danger. Someone is a killer. 

My Thoughts: firstly let me say this is my first time reading one of Sue’s books, I have a lot on my kindle but never actually picked one up. I started with a good one!

The writing almost lulls you into a false sense of security, the idyllic setting and the happy family reunion and the perfect new house… that is until the estate agents lets herself in.. from the off Rachel thinks it’s weird, but her husband Tom brushes it off with excuses.

Rachel isn’t stupid though, she already has doubts about moving to the coast because of her debilitating fear of water thanks to a past trauma but when her dad died and she inherited a large sum of money, Yom convinced her a fresh start was a good idea.

I didn’t like Chloe as a ‘villain’ she was annoying and over the top, almost like the irritating little sister that you can’t get rid of because you’ve promised your parents you’ll spend the day with her.. nothing quite adds up but nothing sets off massive alarm bells either, which I’m assuming was purposely done and very clever.

The way Sue added reasonable doubt on more than one character left us hanging in a way that made the writing addictive and impossible to put down.

An absolutely fantastic read that I will be shouting about from the rooftops.

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Today I am on the tour for The Night They Stole My Baby by Darren O’Sullivan, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pages: 310

Synopsis: My baby is due in two weeks. Hand on my bump, I swear to my little girl, I won’t be anything like my mother.

I’m walking home after the perfect baby shower, enjoying the cool summer evening breeze. I can’t wait to rest my aching feet.

I’m almost at my door when the world goes black.

I wake with a blinding pain in my head. Beeping of machines in background. I open my eyes to a white room.

Panic jolts through me. I reach down to my bump, to where my baby should be. But she’s not there.

Then my fingers find a rough line of stitches.

Someone has taken my baby.

Out of me.

My Thoughts: I have been absolutely spoilt by the thrillers I’ve read this year & this one is definitely one to beat.

You’re thrown in at the deep end with the action from the start and I’m not kidding when I say it honestly does not stop.

We’re following Emily who has been hiding a life changing secret for 12 years. And although she knows nothing will ever make up for what she’s hiding she’s hoping that the baby she’s carrying will give her a new focus and a little bit of a fresh start.. if only things were that easy!

The story is told from 2 timelines, then and now. Both were equally harrowing yet totally gripping which is a weird combination, it makes you want to close your eyes and shut the book whilst being totally invested in the story that you have to know what’s going on!

The 2 storylines feel completely different although you know they’re both happening to the same person and it leaves you feeling sorry for Emily in such a strong way that at times I had to remind myself it was just a book.

This is the first time I’ve read one of Darren’s books and after the way it had me feeling I can promise you it won’t be the last.

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Today I am on the tour for Love & Being by JM Langan, 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: 99

Synopsis: Love & Being has been compiled over many years and reflects on the author’s experiences in this complicated and ever-changing world.

Whether it’s a phobia of velour or living with an abusive partner, this anthology tips between humour and horror as her curious mind tries to understand how one can just be.

Trigger warning: some poems in this collection cover sexual and physical abuse, depression, phobias, grief, bullying and miscarriage.

My Thoughts: I find poetry hard to review, because each one is so different and if I’m completely honest it’s not a genre I reach for ever.

But this collection was beautiful and completely heart wrenching, I didn’t understand every single one of the poems but the message behind each one came through in the emotions they had me feeling and the thoughts that they provoked.

Some of them really resonated with me, especially the ones about chronic illness as someone with MS I really appreciated the representation.

I cried at the ones that mentioned grief, something that is at the front of my mind at the moment with the second anniversary of losing my dad coming up.

I can tell you now that a poem has never made me cry so props to the author for her utter skills.

I absolutely would recommend this one, but please take note of the trigger warnings because it won’t be for everyone.

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Today I am on the tour for Janet Jackson Superhost by Becky Papworth, 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: 249

Synopsis: Lavender Cottage, Yorkshire’s finest B&B, is owner Janet Jackson’s pride and joy. Now, after a year of running it and coming out alive, she’s set her heart on becoming a Superhost. For that Janet will need a blooming great tsunami of 5-star reviews- despite the many obstacles that stand in her way.

Number one, of course is the guests themselves. their strange requests, habits and lasting damage to her garden, the cottage and her sanity are a non-stop challenge.

Add in the piles of laundry, sleepless nights and scary spreadsheets, sneaky neighbours, and sex with no strings…and her goal seems far away.

Yet despite an endless run of dramas, and thanks to her passion for hospitality and home baking, Janet may find she is just a lemon drizzle cake or two away from a 5- star life.

My Thoughts: this one was a lot of fun, full of laugh out loud moments that had me putting my head in my hands! Whilst shouting at other characters because they were just nasty and horrible.

Poor Janet means well, she lets in the waifs and strays even though it’s clear they they’re taking advantage of her she just sees the best in people, which means that unfortunately she gets hurt a lot along the way.. which made me want to wrap her up in a big cuddle.

She has one dream, to become Superhost which means her little B&B and lavender cottage has to get purely 5 star reviews for all their stays.. and you already know that that won’t happen! But Janet is such a likeable character that you can’t help but get completely wrapped up in her life.

I didn’t read the first book as I obviously didn’t do enough research, I didn’t realise it was a sequel, however this one read really well as a stand alone.

A complete page turner that I found impossible to put down because I just needed to know if she got her happy ever after, or at least her award!

Lavender cottage seemed like the perfect little getaway and I can’t help but with it was a real place I could escape to.

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Today I am on the tour for SIN:THETICA by Keith Anthony Baird, 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: 142

Synopsis: The Sino-Nippon war is over. It is 2113 and Japan is crushed under the might of Chinese-Allied Forces. A former Coalition Corps soldier, US Marine Balaam Hendrix is now a feared bounty hunter known as ‘The Reverend’. In the sprawl of NeuTokyo, on this lawless frontier, he must track down the rogue employee of a notorious crime lord. But, there’s a twist. His target has found protection inside a virtual reality construct and Hendrix must go cyber-side to corner his quarry. The glowing neon signs for SIN:THETICA are everywhere, and promise escape from a dystopian reality. But will it prove the means by which this hunter snares his prey, or will it be the trap he simply can’t survive?

My Thoughts: I will be honest with this one from the start, I’m not really a fan of cyberpunk or sci-fi, but something about the premise of this one intrigued me and the cover sealed the deal for me!

I won’t pretend that I knew exactly what was going on straight away, so it threw me off to begin with, but I ended up really enjoying it!

A bounty Hunter sent into an alternate reality to get his target is definitely not something I’ve read about before, it was fast paced, full of violence and very twisty.

As a main character Hendrix seemed to be full of angst but really lost and still trying to find his place in this ‘new life’ of his and part of me would have loved that to be explored a little more.

The story was really short which definitely added to the “fast paced’ feel, it wrapped up pretty well whilst also leaving some unanswered questions too, which left me wondering if this is going to be part of a series?

One that is definitely worth a read.

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Today I am on the tour for The Long Way Home 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 publisher and the author for my copy.

Pages: 236

Synopsis: An unexpected meeting sets Rose on a path to love and future happiness. When family secrets and even the forces of nature stack against her, the way to a happy-ever-after slips away.

On the West Indian island of Dominica in 1889, Rose was abandoned by her father Antoine on the day she was born, after her mother Nanette died in childbirth. Rose’s mixed heritage makes her an outcast to both of her parents’ families and she grows up with an adoptive family without a true sense of her identity.

When Rose turns sixteen, she meets the poor but charismatic sailor Raphael and a romantic connection blooms, only to be put on hold because of a tremendous hurricane.

Employed by wealthy widow, Elise La Fleur, Rose develops a close friendship with her. But when Elise accuses Rose of stealing her beloved locket, Rose’s world is thrown into disarray.

Can the locket be the key that unlocks her past and the secrets of her birth?

My Thoughts: this is the second book by Fran that I’ve read recently, the last one was a 5 star for me so I was a bit dubious going into this one incase it didn’t live up to my high expectations.. this one was completely different but oh my heart I think I loved it even more.

It was full of characters that you couldn’t help but care about with strong and powerful stories that you end up getting lost in because the writing is just so captivating.

It was heartbreaking in places, but had aspects that had me smiling and cheering the characters on.

It’s old in 2 timelines that on the surface seem entirely unrelated but yet they come together very seamlessly in the end.

It’s quite a short book so I don’t want to give too much away, but what I will say is that I think Fran Clark may have made me a fan of historical fiction!

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Today I am on the tour for Shoot Your Shot 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: 215

Synopsis: Roxie Nowak is a former basketball player, with a great job in tech and her own swanky place. She doesn’t date, because what’s the point? Men always want someone petite, pillowy, and pastel—everything that Roxie isn’t—so she sticks to casual hookups, and life is good.

As a hot lawyer and a romantic to boot, Chris Dunn should have no trouble finding love. But a gaping hole at his center, left by childhood hurts, prevents him from having the type of relationship he seeks. He knew Roxie years ago, when her basketball career ended, and she inspired him to take the reins to his career.

When Chris moves back to town and into Roxie’s building, their friendship and mutual attraction deepen. They finally give in with blinding intensity, unaware just how combustible the mix of her avoidance and his insecurity can be—until one vindictive ex-lover lights a match.

My Thoughts: wellll I knew this was going to be steamy but oh my word.. this was something else.

We’re following Roxie, she was a college basketball player until she got injured and all her dreams were shattered..

I loved that both main characters in this book were flawed, they both had trouble accepting love for their own reasons… Roxie has friends with benefits and just doesn’t get attached & Chris just keeps himself to himself, so you’d think the 2 of them getting together would be a complete disaster but let me tell you now it really wasn’t!

There were several times in the book that made me swoon, I thought that they would finally communicate their feelings towards each other that we could clearly see building, then something would happen and it would all come crashing down again. At times I wanted to bang my head against the wall, but in a way it left me more invested in the story!

A lot of sensitive issues were dealt with in this book but were done so well that it had me feeling all sorts of emotions.

This is the first time I’ve read a book by Fiona Embers but it definitely won’t be the last.

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