prdgreads

Today I am on the tour for Waiting For A Brand New Future by Sally Jenkins, 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: 335

Synopsis: Is it ever too late to start living for the first time?

Florence is buoyant and colourful, an ageing tribute band singer who’s full of life. And the complete opposite of staid Stuart, her new landlord.

Stuart’s not sure about having a lodger. And he’s not used to the singing and dancing that now fills the house. Nor the pairs of voluminous knickers left to dry on every spare surface in the bathroom.

Florence is everything Stuart has never allowed himself to be: bold, fearless, unabashedly herself. He’s spent his life putting everyone’s needs ahead of his own, avoiding risks and hiding from chances.

Soon Florence is persuading Stuart to dance with her in the kitchen. And when his childhood sweetheart shows up again, it’s Florence who encourages him to make his move.

Florence can see how much he’s changed, even if he won’t admit it. But Stuart has changed. He’s no longer the timid man he was when they first met.

Life is about to give Stuart a second chance, if only he has enough courage to grasp it . . .

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: now let me be honest from the off, I’ve had to put this down half way through, something just happened in the book that for personal reasons I can’t handle right now, so this will be a partial review, I fully intend on finishing the book in the near future.

Stuart is the kind of main character that you just want to give a big hug too, you want everything to go his way because he deserves the world.. whilst also knowing his life just needs a big shake up… in walks Florence, she’s loud, she’s bright, she’s colourful and she might be exactly what Stuart needs!

The writing in this book is beautiful, it’s so easy to read, I was so engrossed that i found myself feeling like I was experiencing the grief and heartache myself, which from the authors point of view is an absolutely fantastic skill to have, but as a reader I just had to put it down for a while.

I’m hoping for the best for all of the characters.. William and Lillian especially. 🥺

Based on what I’ve read, I would absolutely recommend this book, just make sure you have the tissues ready.

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Today I am on the tour for The Weatherman by Royston Reeves, 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: 336

Synopsis: I’m going to tell you about the worst thing that ever happened to me.’

Will’s a nice guy. So when he takes a shortcut to the tube station after a few beers with his mates from work, he steps out of the way of the fellow who’s staggering towards him. But he – deliberately – moves back into his path. They knock each other as they pass.

Moments later one man is dead and another’s life is changed forever. Or is it? There are no CCTV cameras. There was no one else in the out-of-the-way alley. Maybe the world doesn’t have to end for Will after all.

But there’s always someone watching . . . and Will’s life is about to implode.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this book was hard to put down because it’s something that happens a lot more than you think in real life, it really brought home that one moment and one wrong decision can end one persons life and change another’s exponentially!

Will do just in the wrong place at the wrong time and around the wrong people & ends up doing something so out of character.. but what he didn’t realise was that someone was watching & they’re determined to make him pay.

There weren’t really any likeable characters in this book except maybe Ellie, but for me this added to the enjoyment, because I wasn’t necessarily rooting for anyone as horrid as that seems so I wasn’t really wishing for a particular outcome, which then meant I wasn’t actively looking for clues as to how the book would end!

I was however completely invested in the story, the writing flowed nicely, helped along by what was for the most part short chapters.

I did find myself inwardly cringing every time Solly was on the pages, what a horrible, pitiful excuse for a human being he is!

The book was cleverly descriptive so I could actually see everything that was described perfectly, which was probably why Solly made me feel so uncomfortable.

The outcome completely shocked me & then made me feel sorry for Will and everything he went through, his feelings were executed so well that I felt them with him.

For a debut novel this was fantastic and I can’t wait to discover what Royston comes up with next!

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Today I am on the tour for Courting Samira by Amal Awad, 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: 322

Synopsis: Coming from a moderately traditional Muslim family, twenty-seven-year-old Samira Abdel-Aziz has endured her fair share of arranged matches—first dates she calls “doorknock appeals,” where she and her possible suitors eat snacks in her living room in the company of both sets of parents. Her general rule: no shoes with tassels, no cheesy leather jackets, no mustaches. A girl has to have some standards, right? The truth is, Samira is already experiencing enough wedding drama as an assistant at Bridal Bazaar magazine and as a gofer for her soon-to-be-married cousin and nemesis Zahra. She’s not sure she needs to add any of her own.

When she meets the charismatic Menem at a work retreat, Samira finds herself intrigued. But her best friend Lara insists Menem isn’t right for her, and now her childhood friend Hakeem has begun behaving oddly. Adding to the confusion, Samira is seeking a promotion at work, yet isn’t sure it’s the job of her dreams. Suddenly, her life is full of drama and complications, and she realizes that part of growing up is making difficult choices about what—and whom—she really wants.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this one was a lot of fun, with a serious undertone. Samira was the perfect main character, she takes her religion seriously, but not overly so, she has a job that she’s happy in yet open to change & can have a laugh at her own expense of her inner monologue is anything to go by 😂

The only thing she hasn’t managed to do is find herself a husband and settle down, which irritates her parents, but I also appreciated that they weren’t pushy, they just couldn’t understand why every man they suggested weren’t suitable.. but like Samira says a girl has to have standards and they just weren’t right.

But will that change when she meets Menem? Or will she find happiness with Hakeem?

This book dealt with a lot of insecurities from several characters in a sensitive yet lighthearted way, making their vulnerability and self doubt normal which I know I found refreshing and I’m sure a lot of other readers will to.

I’m always looking out for more diverse reads & this one was fantastic, if it’s not on your radar then it should be.

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Today I am on the tour for Making Sacrifices by B.C. Harris, 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: 403

Synopsis: To the world she is Vida.

To Isaac Saddler she epitomises only fear, the stuff of his nightmares, willed into existence through art and writing.

Transformed from victim to warrior, she became Vida, Queen of the Vidian Empire.

But Vida doesn’t just exist between the pages of a book.

High on Exmoor archaeologists think they’ve found ancient remains, but the body proves to be evidence of a modern murder. A facial reconstruction publicised by the police quickly goes viral.

Now Isaac must find out why the woman of his nightmares ended up in a bog pool close to his childhood home.

A lifetime of secrets that threaten to undermine his entire existence.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: yet again another book that I didn’t really know much about before I started and again it went in my favour, this was brilliant!

Isaac has written a book under a pen name, based on horrific dreams he was having, he just saw it as cathartic and a form of therapy. he didn’t expect it to be a best seller and he definitely didn’t expect to see the face of his main character on the news!

The story is eery & gripping, yet sweet and romantic too. It’s a whole mix of genres that you wouldn’t think to put together but it really works, I couldn’t put it down!

This book had me feeling all sorts of different feelings sometimes all at once. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it had me wanting to knock some sense into the characters at times too.

Full of secrets and lies and a heartbreaking reveal that makes you understand why things were kept quiet!

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 I Remember Now by Robert W Kirby, 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: 346

Synopsis: Melinda never really knew her husband. Until he died.

When Melinda’s husband, Gabriel, is murdered while walking their dog in some local fields, her world is smashed to pieces.

Melinda, who was also attacked and knocked out during the terrifying ordeal, tries to get her life back on track, but the grief is overwhelming.

Then, months after the incident, she has an intense flashback. The killer said something to Gabriel in the moments before stabbing him, something that seems to indicate they knew each other.

Now convinced Gabriel was targeted on purpose, Melinda becomes obsessed with discovering the truth about her husband’s death. But her daughters are concerned she’s becoming delusional and she’s seeing conspiracies where there are none.

As she digs deeper into his past, Melinda begins to realise that Gabriel had secrets, that despite all their years together, she may never have really known him.

What she doesn’t realise is that she is inching towards the biggest secret of all, a secret that people have killed for – and died for. Can Melinda uncover it before she becomes its next tragic victim?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: Roberts writing just has me so easily gripped every single time, I know that if I’m going to pick up a book of his I’ll enjoy it!

This one was a lot slower than the others I’ve read from him to begin with, but it had to set the story, there were a fair few characters to keep track of and I couldn’t work out how they were all connected as they all just seemed so different.

It’s not until you get to about the half way point that things start to slowly fall into place & the action really picks up!

This felt more than just your average psychological thriller, there was elements of family drama that really made you think and so many secrets being kept by so many people.

This was told mainly in present day but with odd chapters from the past which gave the book a well rounded feel.

I absolutely loved it and urge you all to add it to your TBR!

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Today I am on the tour for The Canterbury Tails by Trudie Pabor, 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: Carol Flynn and Jack Wallis are living and working in the same square mile, eighty years apart. In the twenty-first century, Carol is afraid of potential dangers lurking in the outside world and locks herself away safely at home. Longing to improve her mental health she keeps a diary and rehomes a dog to help her go outside and meet other people.

When out walking Biddy, her Bichon Frise, she sees a poster protesting the closure of the local social club and unwillingly finds herself co-opted onto the committee to save it.
In the twentieth century, Jack is on the home front as the first line of defence for the aeroplane factory, fighting the dangers that invade his world. He has made a special human connection and wants to explore it before time runs out.

When Covid 19 threatens the closure of the social club on their housing estate, saving it could acknowledge Jack’s affections and provide the community Carol is trying to find.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this was a nice easy read which is exactly what I needed after the heavy psychological thrillers I’ve been reading 😂

We’re following Carol and Jack, Carol doesn’t really leave her house and doesn’t really have any friends, she keeps herself to herself and she likes it that way.. until she meets Jack on a dog walk, Jack is a 99 year old man with some stories to tell to anyone who will listen.

I really enjoyed the fact that the story was told in 2 different timelines, so we got Jacks perspective as the things he was talking about were happening in 1940 and then his thoughts present day (well 2020)

The book took us through the start of covid and how it effected everyone, reading it in a book like this make it sound like utter craziness, it’s so hard to believe that we lived all that just 3 short years ago.

This book was a one sitting read for me and an absolute pleasure throughout although I definitely shed a tear or 2 at one point.

Plus it has dogs, hilarious dogs who know their own minds… what more could you want?!

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Today I am on the tour for Joe Nuthin’s Guide To Life by Helen Fisher, 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: 429

Synopsis: Joe loves predictability. But his life is about to become a surprising adventure.

Joe-Nathan likes the two parts of his name separate, just like his dinner and dessert. Mean Charlie at work sometimes calls him Joe-Nuthin. But Joe is far from nothing. Joe is a good friend, he’s good at his job, good at making things and good at following the rules, and he’s learning how to do lots of things by himself.

Joe’s mother knows there are a million things in life he isn’t prepared for. While she helps guide him every day, she’s also writing notebooks full of advice about the things she hasn’t told Joe yet, things he might forget and answers to questions he hasn’t yet asked.

Following her wisdom – applying it in his own unique way – this next part of Joe’s life is more of a surprise than he expects. Because he’s about to learn that remarkable things can happen when you leave your comfort zone, and that you can do even the hardest things with a little help from your friends.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I loved this book so much. Joe-Nathan will have a special place in my heart and will stay with me for a long time.

He likes routine, he likes predictability and will take everything you say literally, but with the help of his mum and a little blue book, he gets on just fine.

But how will he cope when he loses his one constant & he finds out there’s another book to help him in her place.

The story is beautifully heart wrenching and made me cry more than once, it really shows that you can achieve anything with the support of friends and even some people that you think are mean.

We learn that there’s nothing wrong with finding your own way to do things & bending the routine slightly is sometimes a good thing.

I know I’m being vague but no matter what I say my review won’t do the book justice.

Just go and pick it up I promise you won’t be disappointed.

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Today I am on the tour for The Psychologists Shadow by Laury A. Egan, 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: 334

Synopsis: In October 1992, Dr. Ellen Haskell begins a new therapy practice in Princeton after a tragic error with a former client. Demoralized by her failure, Ellen strives to restore her emotional and professional confidence. Her parents have departed for Greece, leaving Ellen alone in their secluded country house. As her clients are introduced through their individual sessions, Ellen becomes unnerved when she receives hang-up phone calls and a series of bizarre gifts from an anonymous admirer—first at her office and then at home. As the obsessive lover increasingly invades her life, Ellen’s anxiety crescendos and she begins to fear the stalker’s behavior will escalate into violence.

The Psychologist’s Shadow is a simmering literary suspense and a portrait of a compassionate, introspective therapist who finds herself in a dangerous struggle. As tension accumulates, the reader gains insights during sessions and through the stalker’s journal entries, which serve as discordant counterpoints. Who is the shadow lover? An acquaintance, a shopkeeper, an old boyfriend, or a client?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this book is the kind of slow burn book that you don’t realise how creepy it’s going to get or how much it’s going to get your skin until it’s too late and you’re already invested, I wanted to put it down but I couldn’t 🤣

The stalker could’ve been anyone of Ellen’s clients there was glimpses of all of them in the journal entry’s I know that was purposely done and it worked really well, it had me constantly questioning myself and second guessing everything!

The journal entries between each chapter broke the story up well whilst also giving us an insight into how they were feeling about certain things that happen in the book.

Did I work out who the stalker was? No, but I have it a bloody good go!

The chapter where I was all revealed had me on the edge of my seat with my heart in my mouth.

This definitely needs to be added to your TBR!

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Today I am on the tour for Seventy Times Seven by Alex Mar, 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: 377

Synopsis: On a spring afternoon in 1985 in Gary, Indiana, a fifteen-year-old black girl kills a white elderly bible teacher in a violent home invasion. In a city with a history of racial tension the press swoops in.

When Paula is sentenced to death, no one decries the impending execution of a tenth grader. But the tide begins to shift when the victim’s grandson Bill forgives the girl, against the wishes of his family, and campaigns to spare her life. This tragedy in a midwestern steel town soon reverberates across the United States and around the world — reaching as far away as the Vatican — as newspapers cover the story on their front pages and millions sign petitions in support of Paula.

As Paula waits on death row, her fate sparks a debate that not only animates legal circles but raises vital questions about the value of human life. This story asks us to consider the nature of justice, and what radical acts of empathy we might be capable of.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I am an absolute sucker for True Crime, wether that be a tv programme, a book or even sometimes a podcast, so this one was right up my street!

I don’t know how, but I’d never heard of this case before, going into it knowing absolutely nothing meant I was hooked from the start, some of the things that happened were so shocking that it should have been fiction.

We’re following the story of Ruth Pelke, a sweet innocent elderly, white (yes that bit is important) bible teacher who is murdered in her own home by a group of teenage girls.

There were 4 of them, but only one gets the death sentence Paula Cooper, she’s 15 & black.. she didn’t work alone so why didn’t the other girls get such a heavy sentence?

This book goes a lot further than the actual crime, it’s a look into the death sentence as a whole but mainly focussing on the giving the death sentence to minors, it’s a look into how far a story can reach and how quickly a teenage girl can gain support from people she doesn’t even know.

It’s a story of how forgiveness can be found in the most unlikeliest of places and also shows how your childhood and your upbringing really does impact on the person you turn out to be in the future.

I flew through this and thoroughly enjoyed it, definitely one that I would consider adding to your TBR if you’re a fan of true crime!

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Today I am on the tour for Private Inquiries by Caitlin Davies, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 320

Synopsis: The female private detective has been a staple of popular culture for over 150 years, from Victorian lady sleuths to ‘busy-body spinsters’ and gun-toting modern PIs. But what about the real-life women behind these fictional tales?

Dismissed as ‘Mrs Sherlock Holmes’ or amateurish Miss Marples, mocked as private dicks or honey trappers, they have been investigating crime since the mid-nineteenth century – everything from theft and fraud to romance scams and murder.

In Private Inquiries, Caitlin Davies traces the history of the UK’s female investigators, uncovering the truth about their lives and careers from the 1850s to the present day. Women like Victorian private inquiry agent Antonia Moser, the first woman to open her own agency; Annette Kerner, who ran the Mayfair Detective Agency on Baker Street in the 1940s; and Liverpool sleuth Zena Scott-Archer, who became the first woman president of the World Association of Detectives. Caitlin also follows in the footsteps of her subjects, undertaking a professional qualification to become a Private Investigator, and meeting modern PIs to find out the reality behind the fictional image.

Female investigators are on the rise in the UK – and despite the industry’s sleazy reputation, nearly a third of new trainees are women. After a century of undercover work, it’s time to reveal the secrets of their trailblazing forebears.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: we’ll I’ve well and truly had my eyes opened to a world that I never really knew anything about outside of the fictional female PI’s.

It’s a job and a world that most of us assume is dominated by the male population, well now I know otherwise, and the more I think about it the more it makes sense, no one’s going to expect the little old lady, siting drinking her cup of tea minding her own business to be listening in to conversations and possibly hiding a weapon under her clothes.

We learn a lot about the different types of women who were perfect for the jobs, some of them using their femininity to their advantage to get the answers that were needed.

I really enjoy the way Caitlin writes the books, each chapter is informative and intriguing, yet a reasonable length so the information provided never gets overwhelming or boring.

This book is about more than just telling us about some of the female sleuths, Caitlin herself shows us the process of gaining the qualification to become a Private Investigator, so much research has gone into this book & it really shows!

I’ll be looking out for more from Caitlin in the future.

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