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Today I’m on the tour for The Orphans From Liverpool Lane by Eliza Morton, 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: 394

Synopsis: All she wants is to go home . . .

1944, Liverpool.

Marcia is only twelve years old the first time she is sent to the orphanage with her older sister, Cynthia. With their father in a POW camp in Singapore, her mother is struggling to cope and hands them over to the nuns to be ‘orphans of the living’ – a harsh term for those children with living parents, whose families have abandoned them.

Things look up when their father finally returns and the girls are allowed home, but it’s clear the years in the camp have taken their toll on the sweet man Marcia barely remembers – and the family disintegrates.

Cynthia finds an escape with an aunt and her ambitions to be a dancer. But Marcia is sent back to the orphanage. And while she finds friends among her fellow ‘orphans’, it is no substitute for the family she so desperately craves . . .

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this was my first go with Eliza’s work and I wasn’t sure what to expect, I’m not normally a fan of historical fiction, but something about this one had me convinced I had to give it a go.

This one had a slow start, but the build up was needed for you to really appreciate the changes when the dad came back.

This one had me feeling all kinds of emotions, following the lives of Cynthia and Marcia in the years during and after the war really pulled at the heartstrings although being honest, it seemed that poor Marcia definitely drew the short straw so to speak, she as home having to deal with this new version of her dad whilst holding resentment for her sister who has managed to find an escape with her Aunt.

The book wasn’t all sad and miserable, there were plenty of happy uplifting moments peppered through which stopped the sadness becoming overwhelming.

I will definitely be looking out for the next book in the Liverpool Orphans Trilogy

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Hi hi 👋🏼 today I’m here to tell you about a brilliant new book that is now available to preorder!

Three Sisters is Kathryn’s debut novel with Provoco Publishing, so let me tell you all about it!

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.

If the synopsis has piqued your interest or can be bought here!

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Today I’m on the tour for I Confess by Leopold Borstinski, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 231

Synopsis: To earn his fee, Jake must prove his client guilty of murder

Private eye, Jake Adkins takes a case from a French dame who wants him to prove she killed her husband. When a man needs money, he’ll take any offer available and not ask questions. But the more he delves into the circumstances of the husband’s death, the more complicated the situation becomes until Jake is convinced that she is hiding far more than she is showing–and for once, Jake’s not thinking about her skirt.

How far would you go to earn a buck when the person paying your wages could shoot you in the back at any minute?

The first book in the Jake Adkins PI series slaps the reader in the face and leaves you spinning as you fathom who are the good guys and figure out who keeps killing your suspects.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: this is a brilliant opener to what has the potential to be a brilliant new series, we meet Jake a Private Investigator , who has just been offered double his usual fee for one of the weirdest jobs he’s had as a PI, his client wants him to prove that she killed her husband!

Knowing he’s already on the back foot he starts immediately asking questions and trying to put things together, to begin with the people he talks to and the places he goes aren’t very forthcoming with information, but he knows all it takes is one key detail for things to start falling into place!

The writing is engaging and had my interest piqued throughout! – a book full of secrets and lies and I really enjoyed watching Jake uncover the truth.

The pacing was a bit slower than I’d have like but that’s to be expected with this kind of mystery, especially with it being the first book a lot of the beginning has to be dedicated to introducing the repeat characters.

I’m already eagerly awaiting the next instalment ☺️

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Today I’m on the tour for The Fake Out by Sharon M Peterson, thank you to Jess at Bookouture for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to both the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 410

Synopsis: I can’t lock up the library until the guy asleep at his desk leaves. Thank the universe for audiobooks because I could be here all night. But I see his mouth twitch at the exact moment a steamy kiss takes place. My face burns when I realize my headphones aren’t plugged in and my phone is at full volume.

It’s not every day you see a new face in my small hometown of Two Harts, let alone one belonging to an annoyingly handsome all-star NFL player. But for some reason Chris Sterns has decided that the library where I work is his go-to spot to hide from his mega-fans, and unfortunately, winding me up is his new favorite sport.

Being crowned “world’s sexiest man” has done little to curb his confident charm and when he somehow ropes me into his two-person book club, I can’t help warming to his endless positivity.

But when a photo of him stumbling out of a Las Vegas club with a woman in tow is leaked to the press, I can’t help but question whether his good boy persona is just an act.

And that’s far from the only answer I’m left searching for when Chris pops the question I’ve only ever heard in my favorite romance books. Did he really just ask me to marry him?

It’s not the proposal I was expecting, but with my mom’s medical bills piling up faster than I can pay them, and with the scandal threatening to ruin everything Chris has worked for; could an engagement be the perfect fake out for us both? Or is this a game we’ll both lose?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I absolutely adored this book! So much so that I’m struggling to put my thoughts into words 🤦🏻‍♀️

Mae, is working herself into the ground with a second job that her family don’t know about, to help pay off her mums medical bills that at the minute are staggeringly high and constantly increasing, adding her mums care to the mix as well as a teenage sister that can’t seem to stick to curfew and you soon realise that she’s spinning so many plates that it won’t be long before one gets dropped, but will she ask for help? – absolutely not!

Chris Sterns is a hugely successful NFL player who has escaped to Two Harts for a little bit of down time, they’re talking about him and some girl in the press, it’s not what they think but he won’t give up what he knows, he has to protect her anonymity at all costs.. but why? who is she?

As soon as these 2 meet, they hit it off, not in the way that you think. But they both give as good as they get, the banter is off the charts! I was laughing out loud repeatedly throughout the whole book!

I won’t give too much away because where’s the fun in that, but this book was the distraction I needed at just the right time, I finished it 4 days ago and I’m still thinking about it, all the characters feel like friends, friends that I was sad to leave behind.

I got the warm and fuzzies regularly, i swooned more than once.. (a guy that reads romance books, it’s like my perfect man smirk 😏)

The fact that all the chapters were started with a pick-up line/pick-up story that I assume were sent into the author was something unique and added something extra to the story.

I love a good romcom because you know a HEA is guaranteed, but sometimes I wish that it was part of a series so we get to see the characters again.. this is one of those times.

Will I read this again in the future? absolutely yes.

Is Sharon an author I will look out for in the future? also yes but Mae, Chris and all the other characters will be hard to beat!

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Today I’m on the tour for The Lottery Winners by AJ Wills, 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: 308

Synopsis:

They’ve won the lottery – but at what cost?

When Callum Champion and his wife, Jade, win the jackpot on the lottery, they think all their dreams have come true.

Until they’re approached by a desperate stranger begging for help and they discover the cost of their newfound fortune might be more than they’re willing to pay.

Their win should mean they can look forward to a life of unbridled wealth and freedom. They’ll be able to move out of their tiny, rented property, finally start a family, clear their debts and never have to worry about how they’re going to pay the bills again.

But widower Gabriel Salt has a unique proposition for them – the chance to put right the appalling injustice of his pregnant wife’s untimely death.

His request puts them in an impossible position, forcing them to make a decision that will have far-reaching consequences and threatening to put them in the crosshairs of a dangerous criminal family.

They may have more money than they could ever have dreamed of, but they’ll soon realise all the money in the world can’t buy happiness – or even their own safety…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: I thought this book would be predictable, after all what else would lottery winners do but spend all the money in expensive things they’ve never had the pleasure of enjoying before?

And whilst some of the book was that, this book took a way darker turn than I expected, so at times the predictable elements were reassuring!

I was fascinated how one letter and the actions that followed set off a whole chain of events that had me shocked regularly.

Jade was definitely the more level headed of the two, but Callum added the ‘fun’ into the story until he found the dark web and realised what the money could do.

The story was engaging and surprisingly fast paced, once I got into the story I struggled to put it down, there were even a few surprise twists I wasn’t expecting!

This is my first dive into AJ’s work and I can guarantee it won’t be the last ☺️

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Today I am on the tour for A Wedding Changes Everything by Isabelle Grace, the 4th book in the Hickory Ridge series, 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: He’s a happy bachelor. She’s vowed never to marry. Then a little girl changes everything.

Holden Blackwood’s brothers are all happily married, yet he has no desire to join their ranks.

His family would love nothing more than to see him settle down with a good woman. But the good woman in Holden’s life, Frankie Malone, is perfectly happy with the “friends with benefits” arrangement they share.

Growing up with a mother who thought her happiness depended on men, Frankie learned the hard way to take care of herself, and that’s how she likes it. Until a child comes into the picture.

When Frankie becomes the unexpected guardian of her young niece, Sophie, her treasured independence comes under threat. And a custody battle with people who don’t have the child’s best interests at heart suddenly puts marriage on the table.

Holden and Frankie agree to commit – for just as long as it takes to secure custody of the little girl.

But can their heads really rule their hearts?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I’ve got to say I’m now really sad that we’ve run out of Blackwood brothers, I have absolutely adored this whole series, but I think Holden might just be my favourite 😍

This was not what I envisioned for Holdens story, after all in the other books he’s made out to be this playboy, who doesn’t do love!

And yeah to begin with him and Frankie were just having a ‘friends with benefits’ relationship, but add in a complicated family on her side and the appearance of an adorable 6 year old niece who just needs love and reassurance and it brought out a whole new side to him.

I appreciated the way the author dealt with the complicated, heartbreaking situation, it was done with care and respect without ever really pulling Frankie’s sister down, after all some people just aren’t cut out to be parents and that’s ok!

Holden and Frankie’s path was never easy, but they handled the obstacles together which in the long run with the help of Frankie’s niece a dog, and Holdens sometimes overbearing family they got the HEA they deserved.

I devoured this book in one sitting and had the biggest smile on my face when I’d finished, it gave me the warm and fuzzies and made me forget real life for a bit!

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Hi 👋🏼 today I have a review of The Reluctant Billionaire by Sara Madderson for you!

Pages: 348

Synopsis: Lotta

I may be a total princess, but I’m not looking for a prince. Or even my usual type of wealthy, overly-groomed playboy.

I’m done with smooth. I want a bit of rough. A real man, with a real job. One who’s good with his hands and not afraid to get them dirty.

Someone exactly like the foreman on the new community project my team’s volunteering on.

Aide.

He’s delicious. Even his name says “I know how to get the job done”. And his demeanour says “I could have you moaning in five seconds flat”.

Aide

Carlotta Montefiore-Charlton is as ridiculous as her name. She’s a pampered princess who’s totally out of her depth on a building site.

Even her bras are incompetent at doing their basic job.

Usually, I’d run a mile from a woman like her. But she looks like an angel, and I can’t stay away.

It seems I’m her “bang a poor guy” project. It’s not on me that she’s underestimated my bank balance.

By eight or nine zeroes.

She has me all wrong.

I can’t be her Mr Right.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: oh my days this book, I don’t even know where to start, I absolutely adored it, devoured it in one sitting and may even go as far as to say Aide and Lotta might just be my favourite Sara Madderson pairing yet..

They just had it all, the wit, the banter, the friendship and they definitely had the chemistry. They were both equally matched in all of it and gave as good as they got!

They meet at a community project that Lottas company is funding, they’re remodelling the kitchen in a community centre, the service they provide is essential to the families that live locally..

Aide is the foreman on the project and Lotta immediately swoons, she’s ready for a real man, one who isn’t afraid of hard work, who’s good with his hands in more ways than one, not someone like her past relationships where they sit around and throw cash at people to get things done…The only problem is that Aide is a billionaire, which is the last thing Lotta wants right now and she has no idea.

Lotta comes from money, she’s never wanted for anything and has never had to save a day in her life, she is aware how privileged she is, but also isn’t afraid to work either.

Aide is a self made billionaire who got a lucky break and support from the right person when he was young, so he knows what it’s like to be at the bottom of the pile so he puts his heart and soul into everything he does & you can really feel that oozing from the page.

Not only do the two of them have all the attributes you could want from the main characters of a rather spicy romance but they also had what a lot of them seem to lack and that’s the ability to communicate, once all the truths were out they talked throngs through like grown adults!

This book really has everything, the story is told in such great detail that it almost feels like a movie, I know I would definitely watch it!

I personally was really sad when it ended I could read about Aide, Lotta and their gang of lovable misfits (meant in the nicest way possible) forever.

Well done Sara on another beautifully written book that I am still thinking about over a week later.

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Today I’m on the tour for The Visit 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: 386

Synopsis: One mistake can ruin everything.

Vanessa and Curtis have just moved to an idyllic house in the seaside town of Whitstable. Their life there is wonderful, until Vanessa’s ex-boyfriend Hayden shows up out of the blue.

Hayden is not only brash and unpredictable with a warped sense of humour, he also seems intent on making life very difficult for Vanessa, who hasn’t seen him since she was sixteen.

As Hayden causes more and more disruption in their lives, Curtis begins to realise that he has some kind of bizarre hold on Vanessa.

And when she suggests a plan to remove Hayden from their lives forever, Curtis becomes convinced she’s hiding some big secret from her past.

But has Vanessa underestimated how dangerous and unpredictable Hayden is? How far will he go to get what he wants? And how far will she go to stop her perfect life from being destroyed?

The Visit is a gripping psychological thriller with satisfying twists and turns that will keep readers enthralled till the very end.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this book is the epitome of the past always coming back to haunt you, it doesn’t matter how far you run.. until it’s dealt with properly it will always find you!

I was drawn into this one instantly, this wasn’t your typical thriller, there are elements of other genres too, it really was like an onion, with so many layers, every time you peel one away it presents questions to more.

I’m really trying not to reveal anything about the plot, but we get flashbacks in the book from Vanessa or Essa and we soon start to realise that there are secrets galore being kept throughout the story!

Fast paced, utterly engaging and bloody impossible to put down, at nearly 400 pages it’s a long one for a psychological thriller but I promise it’s worth it!

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Hi guys 👋🏼

Today I’m here to help reveal the cover for Graeme Huttons Multiple Exposures! But before I do that let me tell you a little bit about the book!

This is different to the books I normally feature on my blog, it is a book of Graeme’s photography, accompanied with writing to help entice discussion.

Graeme is a wheelchair user with Multiple Sclerosis like me! And uses his photography to help him feel at one with himself and give him a sense of control when everything else is out of his control.

This really intrigues me so will be keeping an eye out for it when it’s released!

Anyway let’s get to the cover reveal, after all that’s what you’re all here for!

What do you think?!

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Today I’m on the tour for When You’re Dying by MQ Webb, 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: 347

Synopsis: When you’re dying, a lot goes through your mind.

Verity Casmere knows Dale Carmot kidnapped her sister Ashlee and is willing to risk it all for the truth. 

Alternating timelines collide as psychiatrist Oscar de la Nuit returns to help Verity find peace before she dies.

Who would you live for? Who would you die for?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: oh I loved this, with book one in the Oscar de La Nuit series being such a huge hit for me I was worried that this one wouldn’t live up to my expectations, but I am happy to say that I was so wrong!

We’re following Verity, she’s been given a terminal cancer diagnosis and is determined to find out what happened to her sister, who has been missing for a while before it’s too late! – the police have hit a dead end and seem to have forgotten all about Ashlee so Verity decides to take matters into her own hands…

The first chapter had me on edge and uncomfortable but in the best kind of way, the descriptions almost set my vertigo off 😅

Oscar is tasked with speaking to both Verity and Dale as Caroline is convinced that one of them is lying and she feels Oscar is the best person to wheedle the truth out of them.

As with the last book this story is told in 2 different timelines, the then and the now, which is one of my favourite ways for a thriller to be written, it really fleshes out the story but in a way that still invites questions, places seeds of doubt and leave you wanting more.

We get to see more of Oscar’s life too & his past and present collide in a way that I wasn’t expecting, can’t wait to learn more about him in book 3 if we’re lucky enough to get one!

The book was fast paced and I the storyline didn’t let up enough for you to catch your breath I was left feeling like I just needed to know what happened which turned this into a one sitting read.

If you’re looking if or a book with a well written storyline that is also full of character development that will have you tying yourself in knots over the twists and turns then look no further, you’ve found it!

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