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Today I am on the tour for Three Sisters by Kathryn Barnett, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Before we get started I have to be honest and apologise to all involved that I didn’t manage to get the book finished in time! – so todays post will have my initial thoughts and promote the book too!

Pages: 395

Synopsis: Charlotte, Violet and Rose. Three sisters growing up amidst the rumblings of World War One and each of them fighting for their own personal freedom. Charlotte, the eldest and a teacher, engaged to marry Richard, the Curate, and struggling to accept her passionate nature and sexuality, embroiled into the world of Conservative activism through the Primrose League. Violet, a nurse and a suffragette, fighting not just for female emancipation, but also her own as she battles with her feelings for her best friend, Maeve. Rose, the youngest, and diagnosed an epileptic, fights to be recognised as a person in her own right and in the process falls in love with John, of lower class and station.
When Charlotte takes the decision, along with her mother, to institutionalise Rose because of her epilepsy, the family is split as Violet opposes Charlotte’s high handed decision, but is devastated to find she cannot protect Rose, as personal and political boundaries are pushed to the limits and each girl struggles with impending womanhood.

Three Sisters is author Kathryn Barnett’s first novel with Provoco Publishing and is a delightful, beautifully written social statement, detailing the battle of three girls to become women in their own right. Will Charlotte’s passionate nature and conservatism affect her forthcoming marriage to the Curate? Does Violet find her freedom in her suffragette activities or will she be entrapped by her nursing duties and family responsibilities? And what of Rose, the youngest, fighting to follow her true self and be accepted despite her epilepsy and not ostracised because of it?

A heart-warming tale of three sisters, fighting for freedom in this, the first of five novels making up the Three Sisters Story.

My Initial Thoughts: the writing style was more modern than I was expecting given that the book is set before WW1 which is something I appreciated, it meant that it flowed easier whilst reading.

As for the sisters, they’re all very different, Charlotte rubbed me up the wrong way very quickly, she’s very controlling of her younger sisters, very bossy and of the very strong belief that she is always right.. part of me is hoping that I will grow to like her more as the story continues but we’ll see!

Violet seems like the go getter, the one with high aspirations for helping people and making the world a better place, she was very protective of Rose without being overbearing and was definitely not afraid to speak her mind and attempt to stand up to her older sister!

Rose is the youngest, with a creative streak that comes out in the writing of stories, and she has a secret too, one that has her sneaking out on a night.. I can’t help but feel like there is a lot more to discover about Rose as the book continues and if I’m honest I have a sneaky suspicion she might end up being my favourite of the three!

I am looking forward to continuing in the story and finding out more about what they’re going to get up too so watch this space I promise to update you all again once I’m finished!

If you like the sound of this book it can be bought here! From the 12th October and will be available on Kindle Unlimited too!

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Hi 👋🏼

2 posts in one day before 8am 😅 but I’m here to celebrate release day for AMELES/ CURRENTS OF UNMINDFULNESS by R.M. Francis!

Let me tell you a bit about the book and the author!

Synopsis: In Greek Mythology, those who drank from the underworld river, Ameles Potamos, would suffer inexplicable disorientation. They would be left adrift, out of time, out of place, sometimes out of their minds.

The tales in Ameles / Currents of Unmindfulness by R. M. Francis, his debut collection, range from the quietly unsettling to weird and full-on horror.
R.M. Francis plays around with genre conventions and forms to deliver a flood of dark disturbing imagery that will stay with you in the darkest recesses of your mind.

About the Author:

R. M. Francis is a lecturer in Creative and Professional Writing at the University of Wolverhampton. His novels, Bella and The Wrenna were published with Wild Pressed Books and his poetry collection, Subsidence, came out with Smokestack Books. His book of poems, essays and fieldnotes, The Chain Coral Chorus, is out with Play Dead Press and tracks his time as Poet in Residence for the Black Country Geological Society. His academic work has appeared in journals and edited collections, including his co-edited book, Smell, Memory and Literature in the Black Country (Palgrave Macmillan). He is reviews editor for the Journal of Class and Culture.

Ameles: Currents of Unmindfulness is his first short story collection and consolidates much of his previous creative focus firmly into the horror genre.

If you like the sound of this is can be bought here! And is also available on Kindle Unlimited!

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Today I am on the tour for The Time Of Cherries by Michael S Hollington, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pages: 544

Synopsis: Burgundy, 1861.

Christine ‘Kiki’ Vellay, the daughter of vineyard workers, is forced to marry an older man in exchange for a piece of land. He abuses her. Seduced by a young naval cadet she plots to run away. When her husband is killed during the attempt, she finds herself wrongly accused of his murder.

Kiki is on the run.

On reaching Paris in disguise, Kiki discovers she is pregnant and takes on various jobs to survive. When her child is stolen from her, she begins a desperate attempt to find him. Her story takes her from imprisonment in the infamous Conciergerie, to a chateau in the Loire, back to Paris under siege – as a spy – during the Franco-Prussian war, culminating in a dramatic conclusion in the final bloody week of the Paris Commune.

A story of resilience in the face of immense hardship, The Time of Cherries is a gripping account of a woman’s instinct and longing for her child.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: now anyone who has been following my reviews for a while will know I’m not really a historical fiction fan but something about this one drew me in, I loved the idea of a female fighting for what she believed in.

And can we just take a moment to appreciate the cover! – it’s beautiful,very busy but eye catching and it fits the story perfectly!

The book took me a few days to read, it’s a chunky one, but the writing flows so easily that whilst you’re reading it you don’t realise it. The story is engaging , I found myself feeling for Kiki throughout, especially with the awful scene which led to her husbands death, my heart was in my throat & after what he did I think Florian became one of my favourite side characters in the book, him and Madame Thierry of course 🥰

The action in the book never stopped and poor Kiki just never caught a break, but I loved her so much I was 100% behind her throughout because I knew that everything she was doing was to claim her freedom and her identity back..

A story full of heartbreak and sadness, but with hope and a light at the end of the tunnel cleverly interwoven throughout.

Would 100% recommend this one!

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Today I am on the tour for Rise of Dresca by Tim McKay, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part.

Pages: 222

Synopsis: From the pits of an ancient darkness, a new power is rising.

Ceremai has fallen.

After a decade of struggle for independence, a fledgling nation collapses under the unrelenting force of invasion.

Join an unlikely band of allies on a journey beset by shadow and intrigue, pulled by the strings of fate to the source of a new evil.

A lord’s daughter turns assassin. An orphan girl discovers her power. A captain plots in vain.

And the last soldier of Ceremai finds his destiny.

Witness the dawn of a new age, and learn if what evil intended for harm…

… can become something far more terrible.

About the Author:

Tim McKay is a writer, editor, and marketer from Ottawa, Canada. He used to be a pastor, still cares about good and evil, and still strives to create meaningful experiences for others. He has degrees in history, theology, and public policy, along with a diploma in professional writing, but likes nothing more than hiking in the woods, running along the Rideau Canal, and connecting with the people he loves. Oh, and reading a good book.

If you like the sound of this it can be bought here!

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Today I’m the tour for Bittersweet Injuries by Kateri Stanley, 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: 318

Synopsis: Some secrets can last for centuries.

Marcus Weaving is a retired psychology lecturer and therapist. Not a man to sit around, he volunteers at his local university. Years of clinical practice are put to the test when he receives a mischievous text from somebody called L.

Intrigued and unnerved, Marcus goes to the address provided and is welcomed by a beautiful blonde woman named Lily. Their story goes way back to his tumultuous youth when he had to flee from his abusive mother and other demons skulking around.

Timing for a romantic reunion could not be any worse. Marcus is about to become a grandfather and he has ongoing issues with his estranged, drug addicted son.

Why has Lily shown up after all of this time? And, why hasn’t she aged a day?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I’m actually really struggling to review this one, partly because it’s a bad MS day if I’m completely honest and partly because the story line is so complex that it’s hard to get my thoughts into words.

We have Lily and Marcus on the surface they’re ex partners but the reality goes a lot deeper than that.

Soon the story line jumps to the past to several significant times in history and Lily is in all of them.. intriguing? Or a coincidence?

The story does go back to the present day and it’s at that point that it all starts to come together and pull you in.

I don’t want to give too much away because sometimes you need to go into these books blind, bur I will say it didn’t go the way I planned, it kind of went full circle and I had a smile on my face by the end!

I’m definitely left wanting/needing to carry on with the series!

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Today I am on the tour for Salvation by D.A. Schneider & what a pleasure it is to be posting today on release day! 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: 261

Synopsis: John Garvey never said he was an angel, or a fallen one at that. Biker, businessman, guitarist, drug dealer, you name it, he’s involved. Attention naturally turns to him when someone starts to murder musicians and steal the guitars from their bodies. Is it John Garvey? That’s something Detective Marion Kern has to figure out. Meanwhile, stranger Jude befriends Elizabeth, despite being warned off by his boss, Lou, who tells him to stick strictly to business. But what business does Jude have, and why do things become complicated when he finds out who Elizabeth’s father is?

Meanwhile, during her investigation into the musician murders, Marion stumbles on a sinister truth that has terrifying repercussions for her, and inevitably, humanity. When events take a turn for the worse, it looks like John and Jude are the angels or demons left to battle for salvation.

But who will win, and who is on the side of good and who is evil? Only God has the answer and only God will be everyone’s Salvation. Or will He?

Salvation is a dark, fantastical horror story from D.A. Schneider that will leave you wondering whether good and evil really are one and the same thing.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: Now the synopsis does a pretty good job of setting the story up so I’m gonna skip that part of my review..

Firstly can we talk about the cover?! it’s eye catching, beautiful yet eerily haunting, which I guess sums the book up perfectly too.. but seriously the cover gave me real Lucifer vibes (the tv show, just incase anyone hasn’t heard of it😅)

The book did take me 2 or 3 chapters to get into the book because we were thrown into the action almost instantly with no explanation as to what was happening or why.. it worked though because it stopped me from putting the book down until I understood what was going on!

We have Garvey and Judas.. one has a guitar that he won’t put down, the other is finding and killing people with similar guitars, who’s the good guy, who’s the bad guy, is there a distinction & what’s with all the bloody guitars? 🤣

I absolutely loved this one, the writing just never eases up long enough for you to catch your breath, lots of subtle biblical references, some names you’ll recognise & others that you won’t.

With a biker gang, a little bit of romance and a son who thinks he knows better this one will keep you guessing until the very end and leave you eager to pick up book 2!

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Today I am on the tour for Starlight at Snow Pine Lodge by Rachel Barnett, thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and m the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 314

Synopsis: Three friends. One Christmas escape. A week that will see their lives changed forever…

Making headlines is something socialite Tania knows all too well. After her latest scandal goes too far, she decides the perfect solution to her problems lies in a remote ski lodge away from the cameras.

Clara is learning to take each day as it comes after a sudden tragedy rocked her whole world. A trip to the French Alps couldn’t have come at a better time, a chance to heal and get back on her feet.

To her friends, Rose is the glue that keeps the group together. The first person they call in times of need and one always to put others before herself – even if it comes at the cost of her own secret heartache.

As Clara, Rose and Tania head to Snow Pine Lodge, what waits for them there is far more than the relaxing break they were expecting. Between uninvited guests, a brewing snowstorm and old secrets bubbling to the surface, these women will need to lean on their friendship more than ever before if they’re to face up to their pasts and fight for the relationships they really want…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this book had everything, friendship, romance, secrets, sibling rivalry. And I absolutely devoured it!

One thing I will say, I went into this blind and expected a cute, fluffy Christmas romance and that is not what this is… the romance is there but it’s a smaller theme in the book, this focuses more on the heavy themes of grief, loss and the seemingly impossible journey of rediscovering your identity.

Whilst Clara is dealing with all that, we have Tania who is trying to escape for a bit after ending an affair & Rose who is hiding a big secret of her own too! The question is where does Miranda fit into it all?

Lots of funny moments, I’ll never be able to think of a hot tub in the same way again 🤣.

With a hunky sounding Scottish chef that has breakfast on the table in the morning and a slap up meal in the evening along with a new cheese every night that comes with its own story, I’m not a fan of cheese but I would’ve loved to be around that table every night, the characters felt like old friends!

And as for Lysander, the way him and Tania spoke to each other, reminded me so much of the relationship I have with my brothers, without the animosity.

I don’t want to give too much away, because where’s the fun in that, but this one definitely needs to be added to your TBR!

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Today I am on the tour for Meeting The Billionaire Boss by Wynter Wilde, 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: 227

Synopsis: Edward Cavendish: Losing my wife two years ago was not something anyone expected. Lucille was beautiful and successful, and I thought we’d spend our lives together. Turns out I was wrong. Facing the world feels impossible so I shut myself away in my mansion in the countryside where only my young son can bring a smile to my face.
Ava Thorne: I’m broke. More than broke, actually. I have mountains of debt and it’s getting worse by the day. I’ve been working two jobs to support my sick mother and younger brother, but when I’m fired from the one over a mistake that wasn’t mine, I don’t know where to turn.
Edward: My son’s nanny is going away on the trip of a lifetime, so I need to find a replacement. It has to be someone we can trust but the thought of having anyone else in my home turns me cold. Plus, there’s the inheritance clause that states I must be married on my 35th birthday and the date looms ever closer…
Ava: When the opportunity of a lifetime arises in the chance to earn a large sum of money fast, I’m forced to confront my past and decide if I can embrace a future I never dreamt of.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: this was the palette cleanser I needed at the time, an easy book to lose yourself in and lose track of time at the same time, I had a cup of tea, a blanket and a packet of biscuits, I was so settled that this was a one sitting read for me!

I adored all the main characters, Ava was selfless, Edward was just the perfect dad and Joe was just the cutest little boy ever 😍😍

After losing his wife and telling his grandad he wouldn’t remarry it was put in as a clause that Edward has to fulfil before his 35th birthday in order to become the CEO of the company, when he sees the way Ava is with Joe and seeing Joes little face light up when they’re together he starts to see a solution to his problem…

Although as expected it’s not long before real feelings get involved and I was here for it, it wasn’t instant or rushed, but it got hot and heavy eventually 🥵

Lots of cute moments between them that made me swoon and say “aww” out loud.

My only bug bear was that it just wasn’t long enough, I needed more Ava and Edward.. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them.

I cannot wait for the rest of the trilogy!

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Today I am on the tour for Christmas at the Cat Cafe by Jessica Redland, 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: 386

Synopsis:

It’s the most wonderful time of the year on Castle Street, and there’s a paw-some new business opening….

It had always been Tabby’s dream to work with catsand an inheritance from her beloved nanna has finally made that a reality. Idyllic Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay couldn’t be a better place for pastry chef Tabby to open a cat café with her boyfriend, Leon.

But when Leon leaves her in the lurch, the pressure mounts for Tabby. With Christmas fast approaching, she has to open the café on her own – a daunting prospect, especially when she’s been hiding her health issues from the ones she loves.

Faced with local resistance to the café – and somebody seemingly determined that she won’t succeed – Tabby will need her friends, family and cats more than ever to recover her broken Christmas spirit and pull together for a Christmas miracle.

Will the cat café bring the festive joy to Castle Street as Tabby had hoped or will it be a cat-astrophe? And can the magic of Christmas on Castle Street mend Tabby’s broken heart as well as her business?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: as a cat person this one was right up my street!

Tabby and her boyfriend have been trying to find the perfect premises for a cat cafe, which they find on Castle Street, but before they can open Leon goes away to work on a cruise ship for 3 months then the day he’s supposed to be back he calls her and says he’s not coming back… Tilly is rightly devastated and because of her fibromyalgia she almost shelves her dream because she knows she won’t be able to do it alone..

In steps her family and her brothers best friend Tom, Between them they make Tabby’s dream a reality!

It was lovely to be back in Castle Street with old friends and new, and in typical Jessica Redland style there was romance too!

I especially loved this one as someone with a chronic illness the representation was incredible, and felt genuine!

This book genuinely made me want to open my own cat cafe, but I definitely couldn’t handle the work.

This one definitely gave me the warm and fuzzies but also made me cry like a baby, who would’ve thought I’d get so attached to fictional cats 🤣

A perfect book to get lost in and add a little light to these cold dark evenings.

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Today I am on the tour for Christmas Nights at the Star and Lantern by Helen Rolfe, 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: 297

Synopsis: A wonderful story of love, friendship and opening your mind and your heart to new possibilities that will enchant fans of Holly Martin and Heidi Swain.

The Copper Plough is at the heart of village life for the residents of Heritage Cove, and never more so than at Christmas, when the tree glows in the alcove and the smell of mulled wine carries out onto the street. So when new owners for the beloved pub arrive and decide to shake things up, not everyone welcomes the changes with open arms.

Local bakery owner Celeste is ready to keep an open mind. But she’s shocked to discover that one of the new landlords is Quinn, a former Navy sailor with whom she had a short but powerful romance years earlier.

Fate may have brought Quinn and Celeste back together, but life seems determined to keep them apart. Can the villagers learn to embrace the newcomers this Christmas? And will Quinn and Celeste find a way back to each other before snow falls over Heritage Cove?

Join new friends and old, as Christmas comes to Heritage Cove.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this was my first time visiting Heritage Cove and I can tell you I will be going back to read the rest, I absolutely loved this!

The characters felt real and genuine, like they could be a person you met on the street and meet up with them for a coffee!

The only think about Heritage Cove is that the residents don’t like change, so the fact that the owners of The Copper Plough are leaving and selling up had them all on tenterhooks whilst they wait to meet the new owners…

What Celeste doesn’t expect is to see a blast from her past back in the Village, but is he there to stay or is it just another flying visit?

I loved the whole will they won’t they aspect of this book and watching them discover each other again was just lovely, I felt the need to know where the story would take them which made this book a one sitting read for me!

The issues dealt with in this book were done so in a sensitive way, but without making them small or feel unimportant which means the representation will be appreciated by readers who are in a similar situation.

Absolutely recommend this book, it does work as a stand alone. I was left feeling like I didn’t get some of the subtle references made about other characters, but that didn’t take away from the story at all & left me intrigued to give the previous books a read at some point.

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