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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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Today I am on the tour for A Third Is Darkness by Murray Bailey, thank you to Murray himself for organising the blog your inviting me to take part and for providing me with a copy of the book.

Pages: 308

Synopsis: Charles Balcombe cannot control his alter ego.
BlackJack is killing for fun and DI Munro knows his partnership with Balcombe can’t continue.
While Balcombe seeks help, Munro is asked to work for the Hong Kong governor’s aide-de-camp. He seems to be sidelined as Garrett resumes his hunt for the Squeezed-heart murderer.
But people have secrets and the more Munro investigates, the murkier they seem. When people start dying and with Balcombe’s help, Munro tries to get to the bottom of a conspiracy of silence.
Will he find the truth?
Will Garrett catch his killer?
Will Balcombe learn the truth about himself?
As the psychoanalyst told him: a third of the mind is darkness. If you dig too deep, be prepared. You won’t like what you find there.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: Murray has done it again and provided us with a story that just sinks its teeth into you straight away.. the action is there from the off and just doesn’t let up!

This is the third book in the BlackJack series and although it would work as a stand-alone I would highly recommend reading the other 2 first so you don’t miss the subtle references made throughout.

We see an almost softer side to Balcombe in this one, like we see the man behind all the walls he’s built which I appreciated, it made me feel less guilty about rooting for the ‘bad guy’

This time he is helping DI Munro locate the daughter of a very important person.. under the radar of course and what follows is a heartbreaking story with twists and turns throughout, this one has me on the edge of my seat!

I cannot wait to see what Murray comes up with next!

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Today I am on the tour for Christmas At The Snow Covered Inn by Lucy Coleman, thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 304

Synopsis: Ria’s Christmas wish list: A secluded inn, beautiful decorations, lots of snow and a man who could change her life forever…

After a messy breakup, interior designer Ria Porter has been dedicated to her job. Now one of the best in the business, she’s been hired to work on a beautiful inn nestled in the snow-covered mountains of New Hampshire. A career-making opportunity she couldn’t refuse, Ria’s determined to make it her finest work yet.

Successful businessman Hayden Reynolds has carved his own path in life. But this December he is flying back home on a mission to save his grandfather’s beloved inn.

Between interfering family members and a tight deadline, Ria’s got her hands full. The last thing she needs is Hayden distracting her with his good looks and kind heart. But as they work together to bring the inn back to life, Ria finds her resolve thawing and it harder to keep things professional.

With Christmas Eve approaching, Ria has a decision to make. She can keep her focus on her work or she can allow herself to dream, letting this beautiful place open up a future she never thought possible…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this one was a light fluffy festive read which is exactly what I needed, set in the beautiful snowy mountains of New Hampshire where Hayden has hired interior designer Ria to help revamp his grandfathers inn, which has been passed down to his parents, it’s failing now, so he thinks giving it a new lease of life will fix all the problems.. but are the problems deeper than that?

Both of our main characters have been hurt before so when they start falling for each other they both unbeknownst to the other are either fighting the feelings or finding a way to reveal them without scaring the other off.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, there is some family drama that although a very important part of the story was cleverly interwoven so that it never felt overwhelming or out of place.

A fabulous book that gets you in the mood for the Christmas build up & one I will be recommending to others!

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Today I am on the tour for Countdown To Christmas by Jo Thomas, 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: 359

Synopsis: Chloe can’t wait for Christmas . . . to be over! Her son Ruben is staying with his dad and Chloe is planning to ignore the holidays altogether. Her only festive touch is her son’s advent calendar, to help count down the days till he’s home again.

But a surprise call changes everything. Chloe might be the unexpected owner of some land in Canada! Surely, it’s a scam. Or could it be just the escape she needs right now? Ruben’s latest note in the advent calendar tells her to ‘say yes!’

In a flash, Chloe’s new countdown to Christmas involves a log cabin in the middle of a snowy forest, a community that’s worried for its future, a gruff lumberjack who gives her butterflies and a lot of pancakes with maple syrup . . .

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: hard to believe but I think this might be my first ever read of a Jo Thomas book and I can promise you it won’t be the last!

Look how inviting the cover is, it gives the perfect Christmas vibes and makes you want to wrap up all warm and cosy with a blanket, a hot drink and just lose yourself for a few hours.

We’re following Chloe, who after dropping her son off with his dad at the airport realises she is faced with the first Christmas without him in 12 years… she soon realises though that Ruben has already thought of everything and had given her the perfect gift to get through December without him.

With the help of Ruben she finds herself in a remote part of Canada with only the forest and a few wild animals for company.. oh and the grumpy lumberjack who helped her to the cabin.

Whilst she’s cold, grumpy and questioning her life choices, doing what she needs to do to pass the time and get through each day, the little town and the people within the community start to work their magic and Chloe finds herself falling in love, in more ways than one.

A story about saying yes, realising that change can be a good thing and finally taking what you want in life and putting yourself first!

Packed full of important messages, most of them delivered by a 12 year old boy, a beautiful book that I will be recommending to everyone!

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Today I am on the tour for A Scandal Of Secrets by J.F. Howard, 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: 280

Synopsis: Anthony Crawford is young, rich, and lazy. With aspirations to take the film world by storm, he never quite seems to motivate himself enough to do anything about it – until he meets the beautiful Cecile. Wife to Robert Ford, who is Anthony’s stepfather’s business associate and close confident, Cecile is older, wiser, and wants Anthony to be her next little plaything, but will an affair with her be Anthony’s making or his downfall?

The oncoming Christmas season provides a perfect opportunity for Anthony’s mother and stepfather to throw a party, but what happens to turn a glittering, dreamlike celebration, the pinnacle of the social calendar of the rich and famous, into Anthony’s personal nightmare, and more importantly, will he survive?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one! I have to be honest I felt sorry for Anthony, he just seemed a little lost, not really sure where he fit in in the world, was trying to find his place and got swept up in things that were new and exciting!

The prologue had me straight away, it was gripping and exciting and felt so real that I was almost struggling to breath whilst reading it 🤣

The story that follows slowed down in pace but I feel like that was important in order to introduce everyone properly.

There were secrets being held by all parties which made it so that you never knew who was going to be next.

A slow burn mystery which had a few shocks within!

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 Something Like Murder by Ashley Brandt, 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: 38

Synopsis: When two of Corinth’s oldest residents turn up murdered, Da Vinci and his sidekick team up to uncover the truth behind the murders.Denali crosses paths with the newest resident in town, the gorgeous Alex Plummer and Da Vinci fears his housemate has fallen for a killer. However, as always, nothing in Corinth is as it seems, and the killer may be much closer to home than they ever suspected!

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: as with the first book this is another hard one to review without giving the story away as although it is longer than the first one it’s still only 38 pages.

The action was still there though and it never lets up, this time we’re introduced to a new face & as we all know no one in a small village likes a newcomer even if they are related to a resident of said village so when 2 more bodies turn up around the same time they instantly point the finger of suspicion at him.

Denali and Da Vinci obviously find a way to get closer to Alex, but when they work out the truth it’s not what either of them are expecting! A

Lots of drama and suspense but also a whole lot of fun too! I’m already looking forward to book 3!

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Today I am on the tour for Someone You Know by Erin Kinsley, 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: 389

Synopsis: Your daughter isn’t answering your calls.
She’s not replying to your messages.

You rush to her house.
She’s slumped in the basement, dying and alone.

You desperately call for help.
She whispers a single word: ‘pushed’.

Someone is keeping secrets.
And it must be someone you know…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: what a wild ride this one was, full of tension and suspense I spent the whole time not knowing which way was up!

Natalie is found at the bottom of the cellar stairs by her mum, it’s clear she’s been there a long time and she’s all but given up the fight to stay alive, but can Dee get to the bottom of what’s happened and get justice for her daughter?

This was a long book for the thriller genre but I found I appreciated that, the story was told from various different perspectives which gave us a the full picture and made the story feel fully fleshed out.

This is a real whodunnit, there are several people who could have done it, most with motive and the means to do so.

Plenty of twists and turns throughout and a couple of red herrings to keep you on your toes too, I enjoyed this so much that I bought the kindle version so I had it in my library, will definitely be looking out for more by Erin in the future!

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