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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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Today I am on the tour for A Prayer for Junie 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 author for my copy.

Pages: 274

Synopsis: Newly married Junie has found love but she has no idea who her husband really is. When her life is in danger, there is only one way this relationship can end.

Philomena has known Junie’s abusive husband, Gregory, since they were children and has grown to fear him. Set apart from the rest of the village community on a secluded plain, the women develop a strong bond. While Philomena plots to run away with her, Junie hopes the child she is carrying will change her husband’s violent behaviour.

When Philomena’s friendship is put to the test, she soon discovers how far she will go to protect her friend. Now a death on the plain and Junie’s disappearance has the whole village talking.

Can Philomena live with what she has done and will she ever let go of Junie’s memory?

Buy this powerful novel of lies, love and compassion today and unravel the mystery.

My Thoughts: this book was heartbreaking, but my word was it powerful and really left a mark.

It had everything, love, friendship, loss, religion, secrets & some bloody strong characters, some that will stay with you a long time and others that you will want to kill 😂

It really shines a light on domestic violence & what the victim goes through, but also the mindset of the perpetrator & the complete helplessness of the friends of the victim as they feel powerless to stop it.

Although this book is dark on the whole there is lightheartedness cleverly interwoven within.

It’s a book that will have you regularly thinking “why am I reading this?” Whilst also finding it impossible to put down.

And can we just talk about how beautiful the cover is too? 😍

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Today I am on the tour for The New Son by Iain Maitland, 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: 265

Synopsis: Nina always wanted a child of her own. Now she has one.

Nina feels trapped. Her partner Gary is controlling, his daughter hates her, and she’s recently suffered a miscarriage. Just as her life seems hopeless, Alex, the son she gave up for adoption nearly 20 years ago, shows up at her door. Somehow, he has tracked her down.

Their reunion is everything Nina has hoped for. Now she has a child of her own, someone in the family who really cares about her.

But honeymoons are brief and this one is no exception.

Far from welcoming him, Gary is hostile to Alex and as their arguments become increasingly vicious, it soon becomes clear that Nina must choose between them.

But how will the abusive Gary react if she rejects him? And can she trust Alex? Is he really the loving son he seems to be – or does he have a sinister agenda of his own?

My Thoughts: this was a very well written psychological thriller, poor Nina doesn’t have the best life, her husband is controlling, her relationship with her step daughter is rocky at best and she’s just had a miscarriage.. which unfortunately has made the past rear it’s ugly head, she wishes things could have been different & then the past knocks on her door, could this be the chance she’s been waiting for?

We soon learn that if something seems too good to be true it normally is… & it’s a lesson that Nina will have to learn the hard way.

There are so many twists and turns in this book that you never know wether you’re coming or going, the writing is addictive yet utterly chilling, it’s one of those books that you can see the bad stuff coming before it happens but yet you’re powerless to stop it, my heart was in my mouth the last half of the book!

Will definitely be looking out for more from this author in the future.

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Today I am on the tour for Trail Of The Heart by Kathleen Pendoley, 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: 207

Synopsis: When both your best friend and new love interest share a secret, can you keep them close to your heart?

Marriage can be challenging, divorce harder still, which is how Jordan Roberts finds herself in the middle of a two thousand-mile backpacking journey. Resilient has become her middle name, and it’s about time she figured out what she wants without anyone else’s input.

Jordan is desperate for a few days’ rest, but her friends bail on her last minute due to a plumbing mishap. Not hanging her out to dry completely, they find a host willing to take her in.

Adam Beck is used to running things. Together, he and his lifelong friend, Jonathan Wilson, started their own robotics company. Leading the way in state-of-the-art surgical care, Advanced Automation is committed to saving lives.

Obligated to do his friend a favor, Adam gladly opens his doors to a woman who appears half vagrant, half forest sprite. Different in every way, Jordan soon has Adam considering a life outside of the boardroom.

Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. Accidents happen, and people get hurt. Ex-husbands refuse to stay away, and there are often strange goings-on in the forest.

Jordan attempts to meet each situation head-on, but when it’s her best trail friend who is the one hurt the most, will her newly found romance be strong enough to withstand the pressure?

My Thoughts: the synopsis almost reads like a book review so now I have to be careful about what I say so I don’t repeat what you already know 😂

I went into this book pretty much blind, I knew it was a romance but that’s all I knew, I really bloody enjoyed this one, Jordan was a really down to earth character & a total thrill seeker, it’s not often that the female main character is the one taking all the risks and doing everything she can to get her adrenaline going but I was definitely here for it!

Adam puts himself out there as a favour to a friend to put Jordan up on what she calls her zero days, giving her chance to rest and recover before getting back on the trails.. he had no idea what to expect but immediately feels uncomfortable with the whole thing. Until he gets her to the house and then he can’t help but feel like she belongs there, almost like she’s always belonged there..

Watching the two of them navigate the newly blossoming relationship whilst also trying to hold onto everything else in their life was heartwarming, amusing and at times utterly frustrating!

As with all romances this wasn’t always an easy journey, they both have secrets and there’s even a few lies thrown in there too..

This one was a one sitting read for me, I was so invested I couldn’t put it down, I will definitely be looking out for more from this author in the future.

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Today I am on the tour for Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera, 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: 337

Synopsis: Am I a murderer? You tell me . . .

You probably already know about me. Lucy Chase, the woman who doesn’t remember murdering her best friend.

You all think I did it. That’s OK, I get it. Being found wandering the streets covered in her blood wasn’t a great look.

Believe me, I’m as frustrated as you are. I’d love to know if I’m a murderer – it’s the sort of thing you really should know about yourself, isn’t it?

And now, thanks to true-crime podcast Listen for the Lie, I finally have the chance to find out. But will I be able to live with myself if it turns out it was me?

And if it wasn’t, will digging into the secrets of the night I forgot make me the next target of whoever did?

My Thoughts: this one was different to all the other thrillers I’ve read this year, although the subject matter was serious there was a lighthearted fun undertone to the book that I really enjoyed.

Lucy has no memory of the night her best friend died, all she knows is that she everyone thinks she did it.. so much so that she starts to wonder if she did herself. & she hears voices telling her to kill people and she knows that’s not normal!

Then along comes Ben the host of the Listen For The Lie Podcast, he’s determined to get to the bottom of what happened that night after all these years.

It’s dark and twisty in places, but also makes you laugh out loud in others, you definitely need more of a dark humour to really get it the way it’s intended.

The mixed media of the book with some parts of it being told in interview format really helped to break up the book a little and ensured that you knew what everyone’s opinions were.. and yet was still able to shock you at times.

Not one I would normally think about reading but i thought I’d take a chance and it was bloody brilliant.

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Today I am on the tour for The Last Resort by T.J. Emerson, 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: 403

Synopsis: As soon as you first see the house, a former hotel in a picturesque enclave of the Cypriot hills, you know this abandoned resort is the perfect home for you – with breath-taking views, a refreshing pool, and peace and quiet, away from the rest of the world. A place to recover and grow.

Until someone makes you an offer: to keep your home, all you have to do is take a life.

But you could never do that… could you?

But paradise isn’t cheap, and as the debts mount, you could lose everything you’ve worked so hard for.

You’d die to stay here. But would you kill to?

My Thoughts: this did not go the way I thought it would at all, but I really really enjoyed it!

Again maybe that was my fault as I went in without reading the synopsis so I expected a holiday with disastrous consequences, but what I got was a group of people living off grid at an abandoned hotel. One of them returns after leaving to sty with her grandparents after her mum dies and she brings with her an offer for the other residents that will leave one of them dead if they take her up on it!

Although the pacing was fairly slow for a thriller I do feel that this worked well with the story , if left things opened ended for a while and really allows the suspense and the doubts to build!

The story was told from multiple perspectives which as you’ll know if you’ve been here a while, that is definitely one of my favourites as it gives you a well rounded look at the story.

I really enjoy TJ Emerson’s writing, this is the second book of hers that I’ve read and will be looking out for more in the future. ☺️

If you’re looking for a new thriller to add to your TBR then look no further because you’ve found it.

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Today I am on the tour for ATOM INC by O.C. Heaton, 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: 384

Synopsis: No one is above the Laws…

Seven years after its conception, LEAP is finally about to spell the end of global warming. For Uma and Ethan, this means personal and professional triumph – but quantum teleportation is an unwieldy beast, held back by those fighting to dominate the new world order.

As LEAP’s roll out slows to a trickle, a greater threat emerges when a stealth attack on US troops leaves thousands dead. With the finger of suspicion pointing to a LEAP copycat, Ethan and Uma are forced to condone a breach of the Laws to reverse the massacre.

As LEAP’s new rival continues to show their hand, Ethan is dragged back into a nightmare he thought he had escaped. One that may finally claim his sanity, and that pushes Uma to the limits of hers, to defeat an evil that no longer plays by the rules.

My Thoughts: I’m going to be brutally honest here, I don’t always understand the bulk of what’s going on in this series 🤣 Sci-Fi is a genre where a lot of it goes over my head…

But I still really enjoyed this book, it was full of action and the suspense was palpable, there were parts of this one that had me on the edge of my seat and shouting at the book (yes I know it’s fiction but meh 🤷🏻‍♀️)

I saw a new side to Kathryn & her character really warmed to me in this one, I was on her side by the end of it!

A fantastic story that made me feel so uncomfortable at times but had me turning the pages anyway because I just needed to know what happened.

As much as this isn’t a book I’d normally pick up, I’m 3 books deep in this series & I can’t wait to see what the next instalment has in store for us.

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Today I am on the tour for The Saturday Place by Alice Peterson, thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Blog Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 274

Synopsis: Three perfect strangers who help each other to believe in love again

Holly’s husband died, and she’s lonely. She needs to do something to save herself, quickly. Next thing she knows she’s interviewing for a voluntary cooking job, surprised to be ambushed by a scruffy man who looks like he has a past.

Angus has messed up. He’s lost the respect of his family and has none for himself. If it weren’t for his brother and friend who run the café, he’d be sleeping on the streets. Angus is about ready to give up – until he meets Holly, who sparks something in him.

Then Lauren arrives from the homeless shelter. She came to London with nothing but an old train ticket, a teddy bear, and the clothes on her back. With no family, no home, no friends, she doesn’t know what love is. People scare her. She’s terrified of Angus and Holly. At first.

Each of them finds themselves in the Saturday café at a time when they need something to grab hold of. It might have to be each other…

My Thoughts: this book is everything 🥺 I loved it so much.

3 strangers, completely different, all going through their own things come together in the most heartfelt way, healing themselves and each other in the process and watching the transformation in all of them really gave me the feels throughout!

This one was really hard to put down, if I’d known it would grab my heart the way it did I definitely wouldn’t have picked it up on a day where I’d have to put it down to go to work! 😂

I’m really struggling to put my thoughts into words because I know that no words I say will do it justice.

It made me laugh, it made me cry and it also made me realise the true power of community and genuine friendship.

This is my first Alice Peterson book but now I just want to read her entire backlist!

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Today I am on the tour for The Devil Inside by Bethany Russo, 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: 331

Synopsis:Matthew’s life is turned upside down the day his daughter, Lucy, is born. His wife has died, and Gabriel, the all-powerful leader of his world, has taken Lucy to the mortals. Eight years later, Matthew returns from his self-imposed exile looking for answers. He decides to go back home and ask his brother, Lucifer, for help. It becomes Lucifer’s mission to bring Lucy back home.

Lucy’s family has no idea she is not their biological daughter, nor do they know she is spending time with her real father and uncle. Gabriel is unhappy to find out Matthew and Lucifer have been visiting the mortal world, as their actions have been causing collateral damage. He strips Lucifer of his powers to access Lucy.

The mortal clock is ticking quickly. Will Matthew and Lucy ever be reunited
in the place they both belong?

My thoughts: do not be fooled by the cover of this book, the story is dark and heartbreaking, but also bloody brilliant.

I found it really hard to put down I was so invested in Lucy’s life, she is the daughter of Matthew and Emily.. Matthew just happens to be Lucifers brother!

Emily unfortunately dies not long after Lucy is born, Matthew is distraught and worrying about how Lucifer might influence the baby Gabriel decides its best to give her to a surrogate family in the mortal world..

The story is the journey of Matthew and Lucy finding each other again and them both trying to work out if they belong together or apart.

It’s not all doom and gloom, there were some really heart warming moments in the book that just made my heart melt and even brought a tear to my eye, I can honestly say I never thought I’d be on the side of the devil, but here we are 😂

An absolutely fantastic debut novel, I will definitely be looking out for more from Bethany in the future.

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Today I am on the tour for The Porcelain Moon by Janie Chang, 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: 346

Synopsis: France, 1918. In the final days of the First World War, a young Chinese woman, Pauline Deng, runs away from her uncle’s home in Paris to evade a marriage being arranged for her in Shanghai. To prevent the union, she needs the help of her cousin Theo, who is working as a translator for the Chinese Labour Corps in the French countryside. In the town of Noyelles-sur-Mer, Camille Roussel is planning her escape from an abusive marriage, and to end a love affair that can no longer continue. When Camille offers Pauline a room for her stay, the two women become friends. But it’s not long before Pauline uncovers a perilous secret that Camille has been hiding from her. As their dangerous situation escalates, the two women are forced to make a terrible decision that will bind them together for the rest of their lives.

Set against the little-known history of the 140,000 Chinese workers brought to Europe as non-combatant labor during WWI, The Porcelain Moon is a tale of forbidden love, identity and belonging, and what we are willing to risk for freedom.

My Thoughts: firstly can we just talk about how stunning the cover is, I know we’re not supposed to judge a book by it’s cover but I’ll be honest I went into this one not really knowing anything because the cover drew me in on its own!

This might be really ignorant of me but I didn’t know a lot about the Chinese being brought in to work in France during the First World War so this book really opened my eyes to a whole new aspect and although historical fiction isn’t really my thing Janie Chang’s writing made this book accessible and easy to understand.

I got swept up in the story which is told from 2 different perspectives, we have Camille and Pauline, 2 very different women from very different backgrounds, but both equally affected by what’s going on around them.

There are secrets being kept by everyone, some bigger than others obviously & although the premise of the story is one of war and sadness, there is a lighter undertone running through and also a little romance.

I thoroughly enjoyed it & will be recommending it to my friends who are fans of historical fiction.

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