prdgreads

Today I on the tour for Crossroads by P Robertson, 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: 52

Synopsis: Izzy has always been adamant about not wanting children. Her husband, Luke, had also agreed with this stance until one fateful day when he reveals that he wants to have a child.

Izzy is thrown into a difficult situation as she must decide whether to compromise on her beliefs and have a child or not. She begins to question her own desires, plans for the future and, most importantly, her relationship with Luke.

A compelling story that explores personal growth, self-discovery, and the importance of communication in a relationship. It highlights the struggles of deciding whether to have children and how that decision can impact a couple’s dynamic.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: how could I give this one anything less than 5 stars?! It was raw and honest, I really felt for both Luke and Izzy whilst reading this, having children has to be a mutual decision unfortunately and if one doesn’t want them then it can’t happen.

For such a short book this stirred up some deep feelings in me, I just wanted to hug both of them whilst telling them both their reasons and feelings were both valid. But the author was very clever not to make either one look like the bad guy, which I loved because it didn’t sway the readers opinion in any way!

I laughed, I cried and I smiled all within less than 55 pages 🤣

I adored that Izzy found comfort and friendship in the unlikeliest of places and there was no judgement whatsoever.

Big shout out to Izzys dad too, what a man he was!

I could shout about this book for ages, but then I may as well just tell you the whole thing 😅

It’s emotional and impactful but absolutely worth the read.

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Hi 👋🏼

Today I’m here to tell you all about Demons Of New Orleans by Peter Bouvier!

Synopsis:

In the shadows of New Orleans, evil awakens.

When the dismembered body of a teenage boy washes up on the banks of the Mississippi, it seems like just another gruesome New Orleans murder, until former NOPD Detective Brad Durand begins to see a pattern…

Loath to confront his own haunted past, the case ignites his curiosity: Brad puts aside his personal issues to return to his old hunting ground where he makes a dark and sinister discovery.

There’s more at stake here the merely catching a murderer, and as Brad descends into the terrifying underworld of voodoo, he must embrace the supernatural to solve the case.

In the desperate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in a world where black magic is real, a mystical killer and a relentless detective collide in a chilling dance of darkness. How far will one man go to find the truth?

Now available on Amazon! ❤️

Today I am on the tour for Life and Otter Miracles by Hazel Prior, 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: 437

Synopsis: Down by the river, Phoebe Featherstone is about to make a life-changing discovery . . .


Clever, nosy Phoebe is unable to get out much, but she has a talent for uncovering her neighbours’ secrets by examining the parcels delivered by her courier father, Al.


When they discover an abandoned baby otter on the riverbank, Phoebe must step out of her comfort zone – and she experiences an unexpected sense of happiness that she has not felt in a very long time. But now, further secrets are coming to light.


Phoebe soon realizes that something is amiss at the local otter sanctuary. She will need to overcome her own close­ly guarded issues and put all her sleuthing skills to good use if she wants to save the otters . . . and in the process, change her life for ever.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: can you imagine walking along the river bank, finding a baby otter & having that one change encounter changing the course of not only your life, but a few other people’s as well? – that’s exactly what happens to Phoebe Featherstone!

This is my first dive into Hazels writing and it was a nice gentle easygoing story line with a serious undertone to it, it was easy to get so engrossed in the writing style and the story line that you lose track of time.

Phoebe suffers from chronic pain that was so well described that at times those parts were a hard read for me as someone with a chronic illness whilst also making me realise how lucky I was to not have constant pain at the same time.

The story is full of relatable characters who felt so real, so ‘normal’ that it had me smiling, laughing, rolling my eyes at some of the things they got up to.. even making me a angry at some points too!

There was a mystery element to the story that was cleverly interwoven too.

All in all an enjoyable uplifting story that has made me want to look into more of Hazels books.

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Today I am on the tour for Abigail Returns by Pauline Tait, 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: 226

Synopsis: With just over a decade missing to Dissociative Amnesia, and a newly broken heart, Abigail finds herself with no choice but to return to Lochside. The supposedly idyllic home on the Isle of Skye she had fled so dramatically six years before.

And while struggling to find her way in a world she can’t recall, she must battle the conflicts of the present with the shocking secrets she uncovers from her past.

Jamie’s support is invaluable, but how much does he know? Greg is loving and attentive, but does he have an ulterior motive?

Meanwhile, the presence of a stranger on the island shakes Abigail to her very core. With no memory, she can only trust her instincts as she strives to build a life and a future she can call her own.

But Abigail soon discovers the stranger’s trail leads far too close to home.

A riveting novel about new beginnings and second chances.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this book would have been a one sitting read for me if work hadn’t have got in the way, so much so that I read on my commute to and from work, which I never do as I rely on lifts and taxis and don’t like to be antisocial but Abigail’s story had me well and truly in its clutches!

Abigail has just recently had her heart broken and with the help of a friend she returns to the Isle of Skye, a place she knows she fled from 6 years ago but with no memory of why and nowhere else to go she’s left with little choice.. her grandma left her the house when she died so at least she still has somewhere to call her own.

She’s left feeling uneasy and not wanting to leave the house when she realises that everyone around her knows who she is, they remember her she can tell by the pitying looks, but thanks to her Dissociative Amnesia she just doesn’t know anyone.

With a little bit of mystery and a little bit of romance this story truly captured my heart, I was more than satisfied with the ending despite not really being ready for it to end 😅

I can’t wait to return to this series for book 2 next year!

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Today I am on the tour for The Secrets We Buried by Becca Day, thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pages: 277

Synopsis: ‘If you ever tell my secret, you’ll be dead to me.’

THE FRIEND: When ordinary mum Frankie moves into her new seaside home, it is a dream come true. Her new neighbours – glamorous Zara, ambitious Nadine and social butterfly Geneva – soon take her under their wing. The four women become inseparable. Until the morning when Geneva’s body is found on the beach.

THE HUSBAND: Suspicion is immediately cast on Geneva’s husband. Everyone believes he must be guilty. But when the police don’t charge him, he vanishes without trace. Now, five years later, he’s back.

THE SUSPECTS: And he’s not the only one. Soon no one is beyond suspicion. Dark secrets that have been hiding behind closed doors begin to be revealed, with devastating consequences.

But one person will do whatever it takes to make sure that one secret never comes to the surface…

A totally gripping and page-turning psychological thriller with a killer twist you just won’t see coming.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: I instantly loved the mixed media aspect to this, the opening chapter is a transcript from a YouTube video from true crime enthusiast Juniper Rose and I felt instantly thrown into the story!

She’s looking into the death of Geneva, the leader of a group of four friends who was found dead on the beach 5 years ago, her husband has just got out of prison after serving time for said murder and now they’re all in the same place again for Zara’s mums funeral.

As you can imagine this digs up certain thoughts and feelings for them all, we soon learn that Geneva wasn’t the nice person everyone makes her out to be, she used secrets and blackmail to get where she wanted..

The book was packed full of secrets that were revealed slowly which added to the grit and suspense of the the story.

Told from various perspective and dual timeline which is one of my favourite formats for a book, with short chapters, all adding up to make this a one sitting read for me!

The shocks and twists just kept coming right until the end!

This is my first ever Becca Day book and one of my top thrillers of the year so I will definitely be looking into more of her books in the future!

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Today I am on the tour for 101 by Tracy Martin-Summers, 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: 278

Synopsis: Alice glanced at the property brochure resting on her lap and let out a sigh. She was on her way to Cedar Grove which, according to the brochure set out before her, was the answer to her prayers. The estate agent had promised that this was the one. The most perfect house, with everything she had asked for.
She smiled as she took in the sight of the pretty, quirky semi at the end of the road with its royal blue shutters and coordinating front door. There was something about this house that moved her. Something was drawing her to it.
So why was it that their world started to crumble around them bit by bit, as though they had been hit by a demolition project, destroying everything they held dear, especially one another?
Who was doing this to them and why had her neighbour, Sally, disappeared along with the rest of the neighbourhood? There was no one left. The vision, as described on the day of the viewing had vanished, fallen off the face of the earth and she was deemed psychotic. Was she losing her mind? She didn’t think so…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: now when I tell you I went into this book completely blind, I am not kidding I did the thing we’re all not supposed to do and judged the book by it’s cover.. I was expecting a nice soppy romance and what I got was an utterly gripping psychological thriller 🤣

It’s very clear when Alice and her husband turn up to the house they’ve just bought it is not the same one that Alice viewed mere months ago, everything has changed including the neighbours.

There was something about Tracy’s writing style that had me completely captivated despite the story being eerie, I found myself unable to put it down because I just constantly felt compelled to keep reading.

There were many parts that gave me goosebumps and sent shivers down my spine I love it when you get so engrossed in a book that you have actual physical reactions!

Definitely one to be added to your TBR!

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Today I’m on the blog tour for The Opposite Of Lonely by Doug Johnstone, 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: 334

Synopsis: Even death needs company…

The Skelf women are recovering from the cataclysmic events that nearly claimed their lives. Their funeral-director and private-investigation businesses are back on track, and their cases are as perplexing as ever.

Matriarch Dorothy looks into a suspicious fire at an illegal campsite and takes a grieving, homeless man under her wing. Daughter Jenny is searching for her missing sister-in-law, who disappeared in tragic circumstances, while grand-daughter Hannah is asked to investigate increasingly dangerous conspiracy theorists, who are targeting a retired female astronaut … putting her own life at risk.

With a body lost at sea, funerals for those with no one to mourn them, reports of strange happenings in outer space, a funeral crasher with a painful secret, and a violent attack on one of the family, The Skelfs face their most personal – and perilous – cases yet. Doing things their way may cost them everything…

Tense, unnerving and warmly funny, The Opposite of Lonely is the hugely anticipated fifth instalment in the unforgettable Skelfs series, and this time, danger comes from everywhere…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: honestly this series just gets better and better, where else would you find a family of women running a funeral directors and a private investigation firm who find themselves tangled up with an astronaut and a group of travellers whilst also getting caught in the middle of a police investigation!

There were so many layers to this story, with 3 different parts all slowly coming together towards the end, I’m trying to be really careful what I say so I don’t give any of it away, because where’s the fun in that.

But as well as the investigations and the funerals there is a very personal element to the story too, that really pulled at my heartstrings!

There is humour and sass cleverly interwoven within the book to lighten the mood slightly..

The book was tense and gripping, but somehow in a very different way to the rest of the series, I devoured this one & can quite confidently say that this is my favourite instalment so far, there was a new addition to Dorothy’s group of waifs and strays and I just loved him so much 🥺

and I’m secretly hoping we will have many more in the The Skelfs series because these guys will be hard to say goodbye to!

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Today I’m on the tour for The Infertile Midwife by Sophie Martin, 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: 288

Synopsis: An insightful, moving memoir, capturing life working as a midwife in a busy NHS hospital at the same time as dealing with experiences of infertility, IVF and loss.

As a young married couple, Sophie Martin and her husband spent years trying to conceive. They went through several rounds of IVF, at great expense, and even travelled overseas for treatment, never quite knowing whether they would one day have a family. Alongside this, Sophie was working hard at a job she loved: looking after expectant mothers and newborn babies as a midwife in a busy hospital, where the patients’ daily new additions were a constant reminder of Sophie’s own setbacks in pursuit of motherhood. 

The Infertile Midwife is a deeply personal, moving account of chasing something that you want so desperately. It also offers a much-needed look at how society treats infertility – from the language we use to the small talk we make – and the ways in which we can all do more to make things better for hopeful parents. With great warmth and honesty, Sophie shares her experiences of the bursts of hope and moments of great loss, but also the humour, love and joy that can be found in even the darkest places.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: ahhh this book, I’m really struggling to find the words, it’s raw, honest and overwhelming beautiful.

I was utterly captivated by the whole thing, such a hard read but one that I just couldn’t put down.

I can only imagine how hard it was for Sophie working as a midwife whilst having problems with her own fertility, the fact that she has willingly opened up and shared her story in the hopes of helping other women feel less alone is admirable really!

I never expected this book to effect me the way it did, considering I haven’t yet started thinking about children, but this had me crying so many times & with each chapter it just felt heavier.

A very insightful read, but one that I feel is important to share, I would absolutely recommend this to the people who feel strong enough to read it.

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Today I am on the tour for Blue Lunar and the Apex Grail by Ricky 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: 394

Synopsis: In a world where the gods have long deserted mortals, a powerful sorcerer emerges from a 100-year-old prison. Releasing an army of beasts, he enters a path of destruction while searching for an ancient relic.

Tasked with challenging the darkness, a pure and naive-hearted boy named Luke embraces his destiny to defeat the wizard for the promise of a better tomorrow.

Equipped with a divine armour, fashioned by the most powerful goddess, Luke will journey across the land in pursuit of the dark sorcerer, making unforgettable allies and bonds along the way. However, as a long-buried tragedy slowly comes to light, the boy will question everything he believes in… including his destiny.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this book definitely surpassed my expectations, I’m not really a reader of YA fantasy/adventure stories anymore, I just feel I’m slightly too old for them and they don’t hold my attention.. but this was so good!

Incredible world building with simple yet powerful descriptions making it easy for the reader to visualise the environment that out characters were in and the things that they were seeing!

With the unlikeliest of heroes and some friends he finds along the way, the story is full of adventure and intrigue with bits that will make you laugh and bits that will break your heart!

I will say I found the different characters hard to differentiate between and keep track of, especially towards the end, but I got there eventually 🤣

Tagging along for the journey was a lot of fun, you just don’t know what’s coming next, I’m definitely looking forward to the next instalment!

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Today I am on the tour for Mine by Marlene Hauser, 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: 312

Synopsis: When is enough, enough?

High-powered Sophie Taylor thinks baby-making can happen on the fly. Managed alongside work, marriage, an MBA and travel, she decides to launch Project Bébé. Successful at everything, Sophie expects and always scores one hundred per cent. That is until the shocking failure of one fertility treatment after the next.

As the heart-breaking reality of infertility sinks in, Sophie owns up to another almost unspeakable loss and faces difficult decisions when she’s targeted as the love interest of a high-powered financier. Through a colleague, a mother of four, she learns that motherhood is not all it’s cracked up to be. Just as Sophie feels satisfied with the advantages of a childfree lifestyle, a fateful meeting changes everything…

Triumphant, joyous and full of hope, Mine is a captivating story about a less understood route to motherhood: the fertility option Sophie almost forgot.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this book is something a little different for me, I’m learning to read out of my ‘comfort zone’ and this was a perfect example of why!

Sophie has always wanted children, but had believed that it will just happen when she’s ready. She still has things she wants to achieve in her life first.

She’s now got the husband, but she still wants a degree and a high flying job, so she works at both, then one day realises that time is no longer on her side, with a husband who is in another country most of the time and a dog to look after too, having a baby hasn’t always been the biggest priority until she realises it might not happen, now she’s fixated on it, she sees babies everywhere she goes, she even dreams of what she imagines to be her future child!

The story is beautiful, I really enjoyed reading about Sophie’s life, not just about her need for a child, but her relationship worries and her academic and work life achievements too.

I’ll be honest I didn’t like Tucker, it just seemed like for the most part he wasn’t on the same page and his business was more important which I’d obviously fine. But be honest. He was eventually but even that was sort of swept under the carpet 😅

We go on a journey with Sophie through all of her options and fertility treatments & we experience the highs and lows with her, sometimes I just wanted to open my arms to her and give her a big cuddle.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely yes, but some of the topics dealt with can make it a difficult read for some so please please do some research.

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