#BOOKTOUR #REVIEW – Leap By OC Heaton – @ZooloosBT @OCHeaton #Leap #ZooloosBookTours #prdgreads

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

Pages: 397

Synopsis: Three broken people.

Two centuries of emissions.

One last chance to reverse global warming…

Uma, eco activist and daughter of famed quantum scientist Jakob Arnasson, dreams of reversing global warming.

From his London HQ, Ethan Rae is looking to cement his position as Britain’s youngest tech billionaire as he recovers from the trauma of his parents’ death.

After a chance meeting Uma teams up with Ethan to launch her father’s greatest invention – LEAP, a mysterious device that could replace all transportation, transform manufacturing and revolutionise food production.

But playboy CEO, Samuel Reynolds III has other ideas. Considered a failure by his patriarchal father he needs LEAP to save his family’s airline, once the biggest in the US but now facing bankruptcy in the wake of 911.

As the big day approaches, a terrible accident involving LEAP rips Uma and Ethan’s plans apart and they suddenly find themselves battling not only Reynolds but each other in the race to launch LEAP onto an unsuspecting world.

From the frozen wastelands of Iceland to the leafy suburbs of London and in the shadow of the Twin Towers, all three will stop at nothing to control the greatest invention in the history of mankind.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: firstly can we talk about eye catching the cover is and if you look close enough you’ll see little hints to the story within the pages.. very cleverly done!

I did find the first 1/3 of the book quite slow going, it was very science heavy and I felt a little overwhelmed at times because most of it went over my head 🤣 but stick with it, it’s important to the story!

After you get that out the way what follows is a fast paced thriller that will have you not knowing which way is up!

I was rooting for Uma and Ethan, after all who wouldn’t love to be able to travel somewhere in an instant?

I probably wasn’t the intended audience for this because like I say I got confused by all the science behind everything but I still enjoyed it!

Definitely one to add to your tbr if you like something a little different.

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#BOOKTOUR #REVIEW – The Ugliest Man On The Mountain by Mark Laming – @ZooloosBT @MarklamingBooks @BlossomSpring3 #TheUgliestManontheMountain #ZooloosBookTours #prdgreads

Today I am on the tour for The Ugliest Man On The Mountain by Mark Laming, 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: 211

Synopsis: Amber McCarthy is a young woman with a high IQ and a well-paid job, but it is never enough for her and she seeks the thrill of planning and executing the perfect burglary. On meeting wealthy businessman, Kane, her life changes and she relishes the challenge to win his love. A new enemy at the door plays havoc with her plans and Kane moves to Andalusia. With just one last chance of rebuilding their relationship, Amber believes she has the answer. A thousand miles away in Spain, Kane has a shock in store for Amber that changes everything.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: this book is part crime thriller, part romance and anyone that knows me knows they are my favourite genres so this was just seemed like the perfect book!

I really enjoyed this, although it took a while to warm to some of the characters!

I loved Amber right from the off, she’s pretty much your average girl with a penchant for burglary, she’s not your normal burglar though, she’ll tidy up as she goes along 🤣 she sees herself as a modern day Robin Hood, stealing to sell and then donate the money to charity!

Kane however took some getting used to, I can’t say I ever ‘liked’ him. He was just constantly rubbing me up the wrong way & I found him quite patronising.

As always the path to true love is never smooth and these 2 went on a serious rollercoaster ride.

The story was told from both perspectives which was something I appreciated because we really got into the characters heads.

The character development was brilliant too!

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#BOOKTOUR #REVIEW – The Sweet Spot by Monica Myers – @ZooloosBT @mmyersauthor @inkubatorbooks #TheSweetSpot #ZooloosBookTours #prdgreads

Today I’m on the tour for The Sweet Spot by Monica Myers, 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: 343

Synopsis: Crazy exes and cupcake flexes…

When you own a bakery specializing in erotic-themed treats, life is bound to have its share of comedic mishaps. Meeting the man of your dreams after he mistakenly locks you in a six-foot cake? Well, that one definitely takes the, er, cake.

World-weary workaholic Erin Donavan has made peace with her single status. So when smart and charming attorney Nolan Reid enters her life via a meet cute for the ages, Erin’s guard is up. She’s been sweet-talked before and all she has to show for it is a borderline-creepy ex who can’t take a hint. Thanks, but no thanks.

Nolan has his own clingy ex, but right now he’s not thinking about her. He’s too busy wondering if it’s Erin’s desserts or her lips that have his mouth watering. If only Nolan could be sure he isn’t destined to turn into his shiftless father, he might be able to admit he and Erin have all the right ingredients for lasting love.

Of course, there are still those meddlesome exes to contend with…

Together, are these two nothing but a hot mess—or can they hope to find the sweet spot?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved this, laugh out loud funny at times and heartbreaking at others.

Erin and Nolan meet in the most awkward way and it had me putting my head in my hands and saying out loud “No, Nolan, no no no” 🤣I knew straight away that this was going to be a binge read and I was right, I couldn’t put it down!

They do say the course to true love never runs smoothly and these two had more bumps than most.

I’m really struggling to review the book because I’m not sure my words will do it justice.

Who knew an erotic baker and a lawyer would make such a good pair? 😍😍

Throw in a lawyers PA who is full of sass and is always one step ahead, a Granny who isn’t scared to stick her nose in to what she thinks is best & a 5 year old who just loves everyone.

With 2 nasty conniving exes this book really was incredible, maybe even my favourite book of the year so far? 🤭

I cannot wait for the next book!!! Please tell me it’s out soon 😂

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#BOOKTOUR #REVIEW – The Cursed Tarot by Killian Wolf – @ZooloosBT @_killian_wolf #ZooloosBookTours #TheCursedTarot #prdgreads

Today I’m on the tour for The Cursed Tarot by Killian Wolf, 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: 580

Synopsis: Everything you’ve heard about Wonderland is wrong.

Instead of falling through the looking glass, I’ve entered a cursed world where the tarot deck has come alive, there are impossible creatures that talk, and the high seas are deadly and filled with pirates.

My name’s Soren, and I’m not innocent. But my sister is and I’ll do anything to protect her. When my final con goes wrong and I steal a golden tarot card from a fortune teller that can open portals, I’m whisked away like Alice and the white rabbit, only it’s a spider who beckons me and Tarotland makes Wonderland look like a walk in the park.

I wake up on the ship of the Devil himself who brands me a spy, trading one jail for another. He has a darkness in him that sends shivers down my spine. Still, there’s something about him that piques my curiosity.

All I want is to get back home to my sister, but the only way to do that is to get the Devil to release me, and steal the Ace of Wands, a weapon of great power inside of this world. Unfortunately, it’s being protected by the Empress’s magic, and she wants my head on a platter.

Unless I can steal the Ace of Wands, there’s no escape from this world, and I’ll never see my sister again.

My Thoughts: no rating yet as I’ll be honest I haven’t actually finished it, but what I will say is that I’m loving it!!

Soren is one hell of a character, she would have every reason to give up and let life get the best of her, she’s an orphan and although she has a foster family they just use her for her sleight of hand skills.. the only good thing in her life is her sister Talia.

The story so far is incredible, a whole bunch of different characters and one of them is in a wheelchair which as a wheelchair user myself the fact that she is shown as independent, clever and just a general badass makes me happy!

Cursed tarot is an Alice in wonderland retelling, so far the links have been woven in cleverly instead of being obvious and in your face!

The world building and descriptions are absolutely breathtaking! Making it easy to picture what is happening it almost reads like a film.

I can’t yet tell where the story is going but I am 100% invested and looking forward to seeing what happens and I promise to update you when I finish!

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DOUBLE JULIE SHACKMAN COVER REVEAL – @G13Julie @rararesources #AScottishCountryEscape #TheChristmasHighlandLodge

Today I’m here to do a double cover reveal for you! Julie Shackman has 2 brilliant books coming out next year, so I’m here to tell you all about them!

Firstly we have A Scottish Country Escape!

Synopsis: Escape to the Scottish Highlands with a brand new spring romance from bestselling author, Julie Shackman

*Julie Shackman’s brand new romance The Cottage in the Highlands is exclusively available on First Reads for November*

Determined to overcome a family tragedy, Elle Cassidy decides to reopen her late mother’s ailing newsagent as a stationery shop in the quiet Scottish town of Fir Haven.

But when the arrogant yet handsome crime writer Dexter Grayling almost runs over Elle in his beast of a sports car, the town is thrown into a tailspin – especially when Dexter claims that local resident Linda Carlucci has put a curse on him and he is no longer able to write.

Can Elle put aside her dislike for the self-absorbed writer and help Dexter uncover what is really going on with the Carlucci family? And in the process will Elle realise that there’s a lot more to her beloved Fir Haven than she first thought…

Are you ready for the cover??

This one will be released on the 16th March 2023 and can be bought here!

Then we have The Christmas Highland Lodge

Synopsis: The brand new Christmas romance filled with love and second-chances
Fall in love with the Christmas romance of the year, full of love and second chances!

Lottie Grant loves the festive season so much that she works at the incredibly successful Christmas shop, Christmas Crackers, in her pretty Scottish home town of Craig Brae. But when the shop is sold, her world is turned upside down, leaving her wondering what she will do next.

Just as she’s about to give up hope on finding a new dream job, an offer comes that she can’t refuse, managing a set of luxury wooden cabins… and opening just in time for Christmas!

As she gets to work decorating the cabins, and hanging lights on the fir trees, Lottie can’t believe her luck. That is until the arrival of Blake Dempster, a moody but handsome hiking expert, who threatens to bring down her festive joy. But never one to shy away from a challenge, Lottie is determined to change Blake’s mind about all things festive.

And as the snow falls and the fairy lights sparkle, will work-obsessed Lottie and frozen-hearted Blake make their Christmas wishes come true?

This one will be released on 20th October 2023 and can be bought here!

Author Bio:

Julie Shackman is a former journalist from Scotland, who has always wanted to write feel-good romance. As well as being an author, Julie also writes verses and captions for greetings card companies. 

She admits to having an obsession with stationery and handbags and has an impressive pile of gorgeous To Be Read novels she is wading her way through.

She is married, has two sons and a Romanian rescue puppy, Cooper. A Scottish Country Escape and The Christmas Highland Lodge are Julie’s eighth and nineth novels respectively.

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#BOOKTOUR #REVIEW – The Clinic by Sally-Anne Martyn – @ZooloosBT @sallyannemartyn @JoffeBooks #TheClinic #ZooloosBookTours #prdgreads

Today I’m on the tour for The Clinic by Sally-Anne Martyn, 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: 395

Synopsis: DISCOVER THE CLINIC’S SECRETS IN THIS ABSOLUTELY GRIPPING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER. PERFECT FOR FANS OF FREIDA MCFADDEN, COLLEEN HOOVER AND LUCY CLARKE.

Three women with something to hide.
A beauty clinic in a former asylum.
One deadly secret.

Jenny: a troubled woman who spent time at the clinic when it was an asylum.

Amy: a guest at the clinic who will do anything to transform her body.

Rebecca: the doctor who will stop at nothing to make the clinic successful.

What happens to them at the clinic will change everything . . .

Just don’t go down into the basement.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: well, I can safely say I didn’t expect the book to go in the direction it did!!

I knew it was thriller.. obviously but it really messed with my head. – could have been because I have issues with food in the past.. 🤷🏻‍♀️

6 women have been chosen by Dr Cavendish to attend her clinic, where she promises to make you perfect.. the catch being you have to do whatever she says whenever she says it and you’re not allowed to leave until perfection is achieved!

The clinic has been built in the old Pine Ends Asylum and what the ladies soon start to realise is that things don’t stay buried and it’s not always easy to paper over the cracks, give something a new name and start again.

I have to be really careful what I say about the story but it was forever keeping me guessing.

Fast paced, exciting and sometimes scary I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough!

At one point near the end I said to my step mum “this book is making my heart beat really fast.. I don’t know what’s about to happen” 🤣

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#BOOKTOUR #SPOTLIGHT – The Dominion Destiny by Chris Cloake – @ZooloosBT @author_chriscloake #TheDominionDestiny #ZooloosBookTours #prdgreads

Today I’m on the tour for The Dominion Destiny by Chris Cloake, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author for having me.

Can we just take a second to appreciate how beautiful this cover is 😍

I have a spotlight for you today where I tell you all about the book and Chris himself ☺️

Synopsis: The ancient dominion of Ordefima faces a catastrophic invasion that will rip it apart.

This is a tale of desperate duels, greed and loss, dreams unrealised and the ultimate price paid by those in love.

Can the close siblings Rupert and Socha survive such insurmountable odds and find any kind of happiness? 

Or will darker powers and covetous enemies prevail?

About The Author:

Chris Cloake was born in 1964 and began telling stories a couple of years later. He grew up in Kent, England. He is motivated to write by a deep interest in life, particularly the cruel, deeply flawed nature of people contrasted with their incredible creativity and inspiration. The power of the natural world is a common theme in his work as a writer and professional photographer. He lives happily with his wife, two children and a large collection of music, books and board games

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chriscloakeauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_chriscloake/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ChrisCloake

Website: https://www.chriscloake.co.uk/

Please bear in mind that this is the 3rd and final book in a trilogy, if you like the sound of it I can be bought Here!

I’ll link the first in the series here too!

Book one: The Dominion Divided

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#BOOKTOUR #REVIEW – Girl Out of Sight by Helen Matthews – @ZooloosBT @HelenMK7 @darkstrokedark #GirlOutOfSight #ZooloosBookTours #prdgreads

Today I’m on the tour for Girl out Of Sight by Helen Matthews, 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: 311

Synopsis: How well do you know your neighbours?

Odeta’s life has shrunk to a daily round of drudgery, running her father’s grocery store in a remote Albanian village. One day, an enigmatic stranger from Tirana turns up, promising her an exciting career in London. Odeta’s life is about to change, but not in the way she expected.

Kate, a journalist, lives on a quiet London street, but her seemingly perfect life is filled with anxiety for her son, Ben. The boy is obsessed with online gaming but struggles to make friends. Kate sets out to create a simpler life for her family, disconnects them from the internet, and tries to build a community on her street.

On a visit to her home village in Wales, Kate is forced to confront a secret from her past. But even greater danger lies where she lives. Perhaps her neighbours are not the friendly community they seem at first glance…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: well this story really brought home the fact that you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

Odeta works in her fathers shop, she’s 17, she’s had to give up school and has always wanted more.. so when someone walks into the shop promising her a modelling career in London all she has to do is convince her parents…

We’re also following Kate, who is trying to convince her family to live without technology, probably not the best idea when they’ve not been there long and don’t actually know the neighbours yet 🤣

I was expecting a thriller judging by the cover, expecting something fast paced but what I got was harrowing, eye opening and one of the most important books I’ve ever read.

As much as I loved it, the fact that I knew what was coming made me feel uncomfortable and uneasy because I was just powerless to stop it!

If you can handle the uncomfortable subject of human trafficking then I definitely recommend giving this one a go!

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#BOOKTOUR #REVIEW – As The Moon Fell Down by L.B. Stimson – @ZooloosBT @stimsonink #AsTheMoonFellDown #ZooloosBookTours #prdgreads

Today I’m on the tour for As The Moon Fell Down by L.B. Stimson, 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: 166

Synopsis: In the spring of 1982, photographer Ellie Spaulding conned her way into the perfect setting to complete her upcoming gallery show; a secluded farmhouse in rural Virginia.

There were only two rules to follow. She soon learns the house is keeping secrets and those dwelling within it have been waiting for someone to expose them

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I’ll be completely honest from the get go, with this being such a short book I wasn’t expecting a lot, but I will happily admit that I was wrong!

I loved Ellie as a character, it’s like she wanted to be good, she really wanted to follow the rules, but she also wanted to get the perfect shots for her exhibition.. so she started off small, but before she knew it there was no turning back, the secrets she’d uncovered could not be hidden again.. but rules are meant to be broken right? no harm done?

The eeriness is the story went from 0 to 100 very quickly, and the descriptions that were used really helped with that, the writing was so immersive, it’s like you were there, but not really there.. I don’t even know if I’m making sense anymore 🤣

There were only a few characters in this book but each one was vital to the story, although you don’t actually learn why until close to the end and I didn’t see that twist coming!

Very well written and definitely creepy, I’m glad I read it in the daylight!

If you’re a fan of horror or ghost stories then you definitely need to give this one a try.

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#BOOKTOUR #REVIEW – Forget Me Not by Miranda Rijks – @ZooloosBT @MirandaRijks @InkubatorBooks #ForgetMeNot #ZooloosBookTours #prdgreads

Today I’m on the tour for Forget Me Not 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: 262

Synopsis: Five years ago, Helen lost her husband. Now she may lose her life.

Five years ago, Helen’s husband Paul went missing while skiing in the Swiss Alps. His body was never found, but he is presumed dead because no-one could have survived a night on that freezing mountainside.

It took Helen a long time to get over her loss, but now she has pulled her life back together – she is an acclaimed interior designer in a loving relationship with a new man.

Even better, Helen has just been offered her dream project, renovating a luxurious chalet in an idyllic location. There’s only one catch – it’s right next to the resort where Paul went missing.

She decides to take the job anyway, convincing herself that a visit to the scene of her great tragedy will actually be good for her, that it will give her a chance to lay old demons to rest.

But soon after she arrives, she makes an utterly shocking discovery and finds herself caught up in a nightmarish web of treachery and deceit where nothing is as it seems.

Only one thing is certain – the mountains want to claim another body…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: something about this book just pulled me in, right from the start I knew I was going to love it.

The descriptions of the surroundings were so believable that during parts of this I actually felt cold and had a shiver I can’t explain it, it’s like I was living the story rather than just reading it.

Helen is just starting to get her life together after experiencing a horrible trauma 5 years ago, she’s found the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with, a man who is now only willing to, but can’t wait to adopt her 4 year old daughter, and her Interior design business is really taking off.

She takes on a new client which takes her back to the alps, but far away from the scene of her nightmares, the place she’s been trying to forget exists..

Taking the job ends up being the best and worst decision of her life, the story is fast paced, thrilling, impossible to put down and is told from 2 different perspectives over 2 different timelines and I just devoured it.

I’ve read a few of Miranda’s books before and they never let me down.

A book that makes you doubt yourself constantly, highly highly recommend!

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