prdgreads

Today I am on the tour for Mute by Richard Salsbury, 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: 330

Synopsis: If Wes is such a quiet man – mute from birth, in fact – why does someone try to murder him one Friday night in the office toilet? Shaken, and dismissed by the police for reasons he doesn’t understand, he goes on the run. But Keiran, his would-be killer and member of a survivalist cult, is not giving up, and tries to get to Wes through his wife, Alex. Though kept apart, Wes and Alex must find out what has happened and why. Not an easy task when the real reason is unknown even to Keiran himself …

Mute is a darkly comic thriller in the spirit of Graham Greene and the Coen brothers.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I’m going to be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect going into this story l, I have a habit of briefly reading the synopsis and stopping as soon as I see something that appeals to me.

This one was brilliant, the fact that the main character was mute added a new element to the story that not only made it more enjoyable but at certain points made it more frustrating because some situations could have been avoided if he’d just been able to talk 🤣

There was so many layers to this story that you never knew what was coming next and I absolutely loved that, I was kept on my toes throughout!

Lots of fun characters that were strong and all willing to do what you was necessary to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Part comedy, part action and part thriller, this was very different to anything I’d read before, it had me utterly engrossed throughout. I will definitely be looking out for other books by Richard in the future!

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Today I am on the tour for Me Here Without You Now by Edie D. Browning, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 198

Synopsis: Me Here Without You Now is a love story after the love story about a woman who has lost the love of her life trying to move on and getting lost on the way. It’s a feel-good romance book set against the stunning but cold backdrop of Finland’s winter. After building a life abroad with her true love, Louise finds herself dating again. Trying to make sense of late-night eggplant and fire emojis, she grapples with the loss of the love of her life. Between modern text-dating in her forties and navigating the complexities of a budding relationship with a younger man, she becomes entangled in an quirky obsession, and begins to lose touch with those who matter most, including her son.

As the story unfolds through the winter months and culminates just after the New Year, Louise is faced with either going further down the rabbit’s hole and losing everything or confronting her past and shedding her obsessions. But how can someone who has lost so much, love again?

This heartfelt, beautiful and inspiring novel is about love, life, and the resilience of mothers that will make you laugh and cry simultaneously. It underscores that while grief is universal, healing is unique for everyone, reminding us that no matter how challenging life becomes, hope and healing are always within reach.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this was a very original take on love story that was both heartwarming and heart wrenching in equal measure.

Louise is raising her teenage son alone after the unexpected loss of the love of her life, and she finds herself unexpectedly navigating the love scene again, 2 colleagues have both shown an interest, one younger, he makes her laugh and seems like a lot of fun, the other is very serious & always making little jokes about her love for Captain America.. is either of them going to be right for her?

After the loss of my dad last year I feel that the thoughts and feelings of lousie within this book felt very real and genuine, the self doubt and the sadness could be felt through the pages but on the other side that meant a he positive feelings came through too!

This book made me laugh, it made me cry & at points just sat so heavily on my heart.

An incredibly beautiful debut novel that has left me wanting more from Edie in the future.

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Today I am on the tour for Its Your Turn Now 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: 328

Synopsis: Daisy is desperate to escape her husband. But has she made a deal with the devil?

Daisy Costigan is desperate to leave her violent, controlling husband, Bruce. But she knows he’ll never let her go. And if she tries to escape, he’s promised he’ll do whatever it takes to track her down and have his revenge. She’s trapped.

One day Daisy meets a charming stranger in a bookstore. His name is Marco and he overhears Daisy’s terrified phone conversation with controller Bruce.

Marco makes Daisy an offer. He’ll take care of Bruce if she’ll help him with a little problem – his wife.

Daisy doesn’t really think he’s serious, but two days later Bruce is dead. And now Marco wants her to hold up her end of the deal. If she doesn’t, he says he’ll kill someone she loves.

Stalked by the unhinged Marco, Daisy finds herself in an impossible situation. Can she find a way to escape this terrifying man? Or will she be forced to do the unthinkable?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this book was fantastic, now given the subject matter I do feel a bit weird saying that, but it is what it is 🤷🏻‍♀️

The story is hard hitting, brutal and shocking, but the scary thing is that is a reality for a lot of people 😔

I’ll be honest, i found physically reading the words difficult and overwhelming, especially the first part, so I ended up downloading it on Kindle Unlimited and got Alexa to read it to me.

I have to be really careful what I say because this is kind of book that you definitely don’t want spoilers for, a book where you can see the bad stuff unfolding but you know that there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it.

Let’s just say I’ll never look at bookshop the same way again.

It amazes me now authors can get into the headspace they need to, but I’ll always be grateful that they do.

If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers then this one needs to be added to the top of your TBR.

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Today I am on the tour for The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok, 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: 310

Synopsis: ‘I will find my daughter. No matter the cost…’

Jasmine Yang thought her daughter was dead at birth. But five years after she was taken from her arms, she learns that her controlling husband sent the baby to America to be adopted, a casualty of China’s one-child-policy. Fleeing her rural Chinese village, Jasmine arrives in New York City with nothing except a desperate need to find her daughter. But with her husband on her trail, the clock is ticking, and she’s forced to make increasingly risky decisions if she ever hopes to be reunited with her child.

Meanwhile, Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all: a high-powered career, a beautiful home, a handsome husband and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores. But when an industry scandal threatens to jeopardise not only Rebecca’s job but her marriage, this perfect world begins to crumble.

Two women in a divided city, separated by wealth and culture, yet bound together by their love for the same child. And when they finally meet, their lives will never be the same again…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this book was brilliant! – part thriller, part women’s fiction, not a mix of genres I’d put together but wow did it work!

Two women who couldn’t be more different, but ultimately want the same thing, to be a mother & there’s nothing they won’t do to make that happen.

Fast paced, full of twists and turns that leave you not knowing which way is up.

I don’t want to say too much because it’ll ruin the whole addictive atmosphere of the book, there are so many important topics covered & done so well.

This book made me feel so many emotions, anger, sadness, happiness just name a few.

This is my first dive into Jean Kwoks writing and it definitely won’t be my last, this book will stay with me for a long time.

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Today I am on the tour for The Only Son by Brian R O’Rourke and I have a spotlight for you, 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: 391

Synopsis: There are problems, serious problems – and then there’s the dead boy in the garage.

When Sarah’s son, Andrew, calls her at work and begs her to come home immediately, she fears he’s being bullied again. But it’s so much worse than that.

Because when Andrew got back from summer camp, he found thirteen-year-old Hal English in their garage.

Dead. With no plausible explanation as to how he got there.

To make matters worse, Hal was one of the kids bullying Andrew at school and just recently they had a fistfight. And Andrew has a reputation for being impulsive and quick to anger.

As much as she loves him, as much as she wants to believe he is innocent, Sarah has to admit that Andrew looks guilty.

But she knows one thing for sure – no matter what she has to do, what risks she has to take, she will do anything to protect her only son.

About the Author

Brian R. O’Rourke has been writing stories since he was eight years old. A lifelong, avid reader, Brian believes that fiction has the power to change the world. He enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, playing the violin, and golfing.

If you like the sound of this it can be bought here! And is also available on kindle unlimited.

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Today I am on the tour for Black Sun by Cameron Curtis, 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: 244

Synopsis: The bad guys want her dead. But first they have to get past Breed.

Breed is on vacation in Arles, France when he sees a group of men open fire on a car. In the gun battle that ensues, a young girl escapes from the vehicle and runs for her life.

Breed pulls her to safety. Her name is Julia and she was abducted by the gang in the car. They forced her to take heroin, and when she was addicted, used her as a sex slave.

The slavers want to recapture Julia, and it soon becomes clear that the anonymous men who fired on the car want her dead. Breed is determined to keep Julia alive, but to do that, he’ll need to figure out who is after her and why.

On the run, outnumbered and outgunned, he calls for help from his friends: CIA Deputy Director Anya Stein, Delta Force veteran Ken Takigawa, and cowgirl sharpshooter Heth Crockett.

From Arles to Seville in Spain, Breed fights to keep Julia alive. The chase leads to a deadly showdown on the blood-soaked sand of La Maestranza, Seville’s great bullring.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: trouble always seems to just follow Breed even on holiday he can’t seem to stop himself getting involved when he sees something that just doesn’t feel right.. and yet again his instincts are correct!

Black Sun is book 7 in the Breed Thriller series but can be read as a stand alone, this is the 4th one I’ve read and by far the best.

It was gripping, full of tension and suspense and left me not knowing where the story was going and who I could trust which left me second guessing everyone but Breed himself.

He’s ruthless and dark & you never truly know what he’s thinking or what he’s going to do next, but he also has a kind, caring, softer side which we got to see more of in this book.

A book I would recommend to fans of the thriller genre.

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Today I am on the tour for The Homemaker 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: 281

Synopsis: Maria always wanted a family. Now she’s found one.

Imogen has never been so busy – she’s juggling two jobs, has a young family and now she’s pregnant again.

Enter Maria, the perfect housekeeper. Hard working and capable, she seems like the ideal solution to Imogen’s chaotic life. But Maria isn’t at all what she seems – she has a sinister agenda of her own.

Little by little, she installs herself at the heart of Imogen’s family – doing the school run, cooking meals, caring for Imogen’s little girl.

But once she has won the family’s trust, Maria starts to do some digging. And discovers that Imogen has been keeping a terrible secret, a secret which Maria threatens to reveal unless Imogen starts to run this home the way Maria sees fit.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Imogen has no choice but to comply.

A terrible mistake. Because as the full scale of Maria’s horrifying plan becomes apparent, Imogen realises that everything she holds dear – her marriage, her family, her friends – all may fall victim to The Homemaker.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I’ve ready a lot of Miranda’s novels this year and I think this one might be one of best ones yet.

It was full of tension and suspense, and the most unlikeable ‘villain’ I didn’t like Maria at all, she was creepy, weird and just a little too intense which was obviously the point so really she was a really well written, well developed character!

Moments in this book were really dark and shocked me, the story was fantastic the writing really sucked me in, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

I think the most disturbing part is that the general premise of this could actually happen in every day life, it would be so easy for someone to infiltrate your life and your home and for you not to know until it was too late.

It really baffles me how authors manage to come up with these story lines but I am definitely here for it.

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Today I am on the tour for The Better Mother by Emily Shiner, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 243

Synopsis: You let him in your house. Now how are you going to stay safe?

Zoe is happily married to Ethan until the day a 13-year-old boy shows up on their doorstep. He says his name is Micah and that Ethan is his father. Distressed because his mother is missing, Micah has come to them for help.

Ethan is wary – he didn’t know anything about Micah – but kind-hearted Zoe feels she can’t possibly turn her back on the boy. She welcomes him into their home and does her best to make him part of the family.

But there’s something off about Micah.

He lies constantly, creeps silently around the house and towers over Zoe, observing her every move. And his growing bond with Anna, Zoe’s young daughter, feels all wrong.

So when his mother’s body is found and the police start looking for the murderer, Zoe realizes something terrible…
He might already be in her home.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this one was so clever! I don’t know how Emily does it but her writing is the kind that just draws you in, I want to say seductive but it doesn’t feel quite right for the genre of the book 🤣

In my head as I was reading I had it all worked out, thinking that Emily had been smart and set it up that way, sometimes I love to know what’s happening so I can see it all unfold and be really immersed in the story and invested in the different characters reactions, it was all unfolding the way I was expecting & then everything got turned on it’s head & left me feeling like I was in some kind of free-fall, I was almost tempted to read back to see if I’d missed any clues!

It’s been a while since a psychological thriller had me so gripped and full of self doubt and if I remember rightly it was Emily who made me feel it last time too!

I am aware that I haven’t laid out any of the plot for you in this review like I normally do, but honestly I wouldn’t be able to do it justice, just go read it!

It really shows that first impressions really do colour your judgement of people you don’t know, it’s creepy, it’s tense & it’s intriguing!

This might just be my favourite thriller of the year so far!

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Today I’m on the tour for Pariahs Lament by Richie Billing, 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: When an attempt is made on the life of Ashara, Keeper of Yurr, his young, hapless advisor Edvar must uncover and stop those behind it.

With enemies in the capital city and the belligerent Tesh, Keeper of neighbouring nation Karrabar stirring trouble in the Borderlands, can Edvar hold together Ashara’s brittle reign?

The troubles ripple throughout Yurr, affecting an ancient race of people known as the Amast, who in their time of utmost need, turn to pariah Isy for salvation. Rejected by society, kith and kin, can Isy guide the Amast to safety during the greatest turmoil Yurr has known since the War of the Damned?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I was lucky enough to be gifted an audio copy of this book and let me tell you it added a whole new dimension to the experience, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I’m not going to go into the plot because I always think for a high fantasy it’s better to go in as blind as you can.. but this one is definitely worth sinking your teeth into.

The world building is such an important part of a fantasy novel and Richie did such a brilliant job with the descriptions making the people and places being described easy to visualise.

We’re following 2 main characters who you wouldn’t put in that role, they’re like the bottom of the pile but when they come together they just work so well and just get shit done!

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel going into this one, but I’m definitely looking forward to the next instalment!

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Today I’m on the tour for The Babysitter by Emma Curtis 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: 400

Synopsis: Three women. Three secrets.

Claudia’s life imploded ten years ago when she was convicted of the murder of her child. Now she has done the unthinkable and confessed to manslaughter in order to be granted parole – her only hope of finding out what really happened to Tilly.
Sara is married to Joe, Claudia’s ex-husband, and they have a young child together. She finally has everything she ever wanted, but Claudia’s release threatens the perfect life she has created.
Anna was the babysitter who let Claudia and Joe down on day their daughter disappeared. Married with a child of her own, Claudia’s reappearance in her quiet cul-de-sac is an unwelcome surprise.
These three women are tied together in more ways than they realize. But only one of them is capable of killing

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this one was bloody brilliant, the suspense building was perfect, the tension could be felt through the pages.

3 women, one missing baby, presumed murdered by her mum who just got out of prison after changing her plea!

Claudia, Anna and Sara, the 3 ladies who this story focuses on all have an abundance of secrets, but only one has the answer to the biggest one, but who is it?

One thing you can guarantee is that nobody is what they seem and you never know what goes on behind closed doors!

This is a really short review from me because I don’t want to give anything away, but as always Emma’s writing had me hooked from the first page to the last and had me so engrossed that I couldn’t put it down!!

One I highly recommend to all fans of psychological thrillers.

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