prdgreads

Today I am on the tour for Looking for Lucie by Amanda Addison, thank you to Dave at Write Reads Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 272

Synopsis: Looking for Lucie is a contemporary YA novel that explores identity, self-discovery, and newfound friendship as an 18-year-old girl sets out to uncover her ethnic heritage and family history.

“Where are you really from?”

It’s a question every brown girl in a white-washed town is familiar with, and one that Lucie has never been able to answer. All she knows is that her mother is white, she’s never met her father, and she looks nothing like the rest of her family. She can’t even talk about it because everyone says it shouldn’t matter!

Well, it matters to Lucie and-with her new friend Nav, who knows exactly who he is-she’s determined to find some answers.

What do you do when your entire existence is a question with no answer?

You do a DNA test.

My Thoughts: this was a really heartwarming story of just wanting to feel like you belong and wanting to fill in what you feel are massive gaps in your history..

Lucie has grown up thinking her dad was a sperm donor, but as she’s grown up she’s starting to feel different from the rest of her family, so without her mum knowing she orders a DNA test to finally get to the truth.. little does she know that she’s actually closer to the truth than she thinks.

The story dealt with some really important topics in a really sensitive way, it delves into the world of arranged marriages and interracial relationships and navigating a world that at the time you don’t necessarily understand.

The writing flows really well which made this a really hard book to put down and I ended up finishing it in one sitting, I found myself totally immersed in the story and rooting for Lucie to get answers that she would be happy with.

If you’re looking for a nice contemporary story that will really make you think about your family history then this is the one for you, it’s full of characters that you just want to be friends with!

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Today I am on the tour for Honour Among Spies by Merle Nygate, 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: 397

Synopsis: At the heart of London’s spy operations, Mossad head of station Eli carries the scars of a past disaster while grappling with the turbulent political landscape back home. His resolve to uphold his duty and keep his job is tested like never before.

Desperate to tip the scales in the espionage game, Eli concocts a risky plan involving tampered drones destined for Russian hands. But to execute this plan, he has to exploit those closest to him. Eli’s moral compass clashes with the mission, leading him down a treacherous path of betrayal.

As the stakes escalate, Eli finds himself embroiled in a deadly web, racing to foil an apocalyptic agenda. With the clock ticking, alliances are tested, sacrifices are made, and Eli must confront the consequence of his actions head-on.

Eli and his team must navigate a shadowy underworld to prevent a terrorist plot from unleashing chaos on a global scale. Will they emerge victorious, or will the darkness consume them all?

My Thoughts: spy stories are really hit or miss for me, this one was definitely a hit, the main characters were really likeable even though they were doing a job that isn’t considered good.

This is the second book in the series which I didn’t know going into it, but this read really well as a stand alone, all that was missing really was the introduction to all the characters, but this book does a really good job of reintroducing them to the reader as things unfold!

We have 2 main storylines within which shows all of our characters pushed to their limits whilst also affecting the personal lives for a couple of them too, after all the only problem with a job like being a spy is that it will always lead to secrets being kept and lies being told, w lot of them don’t even know the real names of their ‘colleagues’

A thriller that will keep you guessing throughout and I can’t wait to carry on with the series!

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Today I am on the tour for Better Left Unsent by Lia Louis, 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: 365

Synopsis: Millie Chandler is known at work as the nice receptionist who got dumped by the company hotshot, and ever since then, she has vowed to keep everything to herself – her feelings, her hopes, and especially her fears. 

But Millie does have an outlet: her emails. From sarcastic replies to her rude boss, rants to friends about their terrible taste in men to a five-hundred-word love declaration to her ex, who three years on, is about to marry someone else. Millie’s reality lives in her drafts until the morning she discovers that they are somehow in her sent folder. The truth is out.

As every dark secret she’s worked so hard to keep password protected is released, Millie must fix the chaos her words have caused.

Will Millie find the strength to open both her heart, and her inbox?

My Thoughts: as far as romantic comedies go this is up there as one of my favourites, it had me laughing out loud very early on and didn’t let up on the humour throughout.

We’re following Millie as she goes through everyone’s worst nightmare, she’s been writing draft emails with all the inner thoughts and feelings the truths she wants to tell people.. and somehow they all get sent overnight, technology is brilliant until it doesn’t work right? 😂

Not long after, her colleague Jack finds her hiding in a room with a cardboard cut out of Gary Lineker, reassures her that things will be ok and what follows is a friendship/relationship that will make you jealous, full of banter, burgers and witty moments.

Millie has a couple of best friends in her life that are there for her through it all, they read all the emails with her, talked her through her options and were just there for moral support, one provided healthy snacks and the other provided alcohol 😅

This is a book that has stayed with me since finishing it & makes me smile every time I think of it, I think it’s fair to say I will be reading more from Lia Louis in the future, although this one will be a hard one to top!

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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 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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