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Today I’m on the tour for One Down by Diana Wilkinson, 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: 377

Synopsis: I’m not being paranoid. It’s all there in the crossword clues…in black and white. There’s no doubt the threat is real. Today, the answers spell out my murder.
May Third. Amanda. Silver Birch. Noontime. Assassination.

Is Nathan, my estranged crossword-setter husband, really planning to kill me? Or is it someone closer to home?

I check the door is bolted, slither to the ground, and count down the seconds to noon. There’s nothing left to do, and no one I can call. Who’d believe me anyway? The lady on the ground floor has already left the building, and my new boyfriend is on holiday. Or is he?

A tread of footsteps. A rap at the door, and I close my eyes, hold my breath…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: I thought this story was really cleverly done, the idea that the main character feels her ex husband is communicating with her through the daily cryptic crossword was eerily believable and utterly fascinating! – I didn’t really understand half of the clues even though the author did a bloody brilliant job of explaining how we got to answers.

I loved Amanda as a character and teddy too, although I definitely didn’t trust any of them at all.

Throughout the story an event is hinted at, an event that caused Amanda to have serious anxiety and a bit of a drink problem, you’re left wondering if this is the reason she’s being taunted through crossword & wether her husband is really the one one responsible as she thinks… after all the crossword setters are anonymous and it could be anyone!

This was a good solid psychological thriller, I didn’t know which way it would go & doubted myself repeatedly.

Although the chapters were short which is what I love I did find the book a bit long and repetitive, but that’s just a personal preference. I would still highly recommend you pick this one up!

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Today I’m on the tour for The Iron Fists by A.G. Chacon, 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: 227

Synopsis: Long ago there were six species: the Shadows, Gods, Beasts, Dragons, Humans, and Rebels.

The humans locked them away to gain power of the world. When a nihilistic, Mexican young adult girl is summoned into the world beneath our own she discovers her true power and purpose alongside The Iron Fists who are dead-set on overthrowing the overlord who terrorizes them. 

Her lies get her in the door, but it is her resilience and growth that makes her essential to the cause.

Devastation and death expose the nature of each character’s soul as some rise to greatness overcoming otherworldly challenges, mystical curses, and their status as underdogs while others reveal their true colorsand betray the ones they claim to love.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: it’s been a while since I sunk my teeth into a fantasy story and what a good one this was to choose!

It’s the first book in a new series so there was a lot of world building and character introduction but it was fine flawlessly.

Some of the descriptions in this book were beautiful and so vivid that it made it easy to picture.

We’re following Iris who is left alone when her parents are killed and she gets separated from her older siblings, but years later she discovers they are alive, she can’t wait to be reunited with them but doesn’t know if she can trust the people around her, how far is she willing to go to see the hope she’s been clinging onto all these years to be realised?

There were heartwarming moments in this book as well as heartbreaking moments too, but we soon learn to realise that to achieve your goals you need to work with the people you’ve been led to believe are your enemies.

I very quickly fell in love with these characters and can’t wait for the next instalment!

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Today I’m on the tour for Rivalry Gone Wrong by L.C. Turner, 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: 103

Synopsis: These cheer moms are not content to sit on the sidelines.

Abby Winters is not your typical cheer mom. She doesn’t have time to micromanage her daughter’s competitive cheer group.
She’s got her business, Scoops Ice Cream Shop, to run.

But when a rival team’s coach turns up dead and all signs point to murder, Abby wants to make sure her daughter is safe.

Can she catch the killer before they strike again or is the culprit going to murder the competition?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I love a cosy mystery because they’re lighthearted and fun and this one didn’t let me down.. it kept me engaged throughout.

Abby is one of those people that when she sets her mind to something she is like a dog with a bone & she was determined to get to the bottom of the murder of the coach of the rival cheer team and I was here for the lengths she went to, I definitely had her back!

This book definitely had me craving pistachio ice cream in a chocolate covered waffle cone 😋

Doubt was put on a lot of the cheer mums as well as some of the other coaches too.

Lots of little clues that added up to give us the bigger story, but yet I still didn’t guess the reveal!

I can not wait to see what these mums get up to next time!

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Today I’m on the tour for Heading Home to Lavender Cottage by Alison Sherlock, 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: 320

Synopsis: With nowhere else to go, Harriet Colgan has returned to the sleepy village of Cranfield to sell her beloved aunt and uncle’s cottage, the only place she ever called home.

When she arrives at Lavender Cottage, Harriet discovers plans to replace the beautiful lavender fields, her uncle’s pride and joy, with an industrial warehouse.

With time on her hands, she realises she must fight to protect her family’s legacy and the village of Cranfield as well.

Workaholic businessman Joe Randall was expecting an easy purchase of the lavender fields. But suddenly his quiet life is disrupted by protests from angry locals, organised by Harriet.

Can Harriet show Joe that there’s more to life than just work? And can Joe change his mind and help Harriet save the lavender fields?

Over a long, hot summer, and with the help of a stray dog, perhaps Harriet and Joe can find their way home too.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved this one, Harriet was such a likeable character she was confident, fun & knew how to go after what she wanted, she had her flaws though, she went back to Cranfield to clear the house of her late Aunt and Uncle with plans to sell it, although that was really the lady thing she wanted, Cranfield was her happy place, the place that held the best memories for her..

On the way there she runs into Joe Randall, or rather he stops when he sees her pulled over on the side of the road having a dance 😂 little did she know at the time that this man was about to try and tear all her dreams apart… or maybe help her achieve new ones?

This story had a real sense of community which left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

Having recently lost my dad, the amount of loss in this book was difficult to read about, but it was important to the story and helped to change the priorities of some people within the story.

A true lesson about not being afraid to go after what you want ☺️

The descriptions, especially those of the lavender fields were so on point that I swear I could smell lavender as I was reading.. that might have something to do with the fact that lavender is my favourite scent but still!

I would 100% recommend this book if you’re looking for something lighthearted and fun.

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Today I’m on the tour for If I Can’t Have You by Louise Mullins, 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: 284

Synopsis: Have you ever wanted something so much you’d do anything to get it?

I wanted her from the moment I laid eyes on her. I promised to do anything to make her mine. But like a caged bird all she wanted was to fly away.

Have you ever wanted someone so much you’d do anything to keep them?

When you love someone, you should never let them go.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: PS Tomos is called to a young girl found wandering the streets of their village in a bloodstained dress, when he gets to her she either can’t or won’t talk and seems to have a fear of women.

Can they get to the bottom of who she is, why she’s out on her own and why her dress is covered in blood?

The story is told from 3 different perspectives and 2 different timelines, you get Laura’s story from the past although we don’t yet know who Laura is.

Then we have PS Tomos and also DI Locke once we get further into the book, this is the 3rd book in the DI Locke series and the first one I’ve read, I didn’t feel like I’d missed anything though, the story be read really well as a stand alone.

Although the story wasn’t the fast paced crime story I’m used to, it was gripping and kept me turning the pages.

Lots of twists to keep you on your toes, I had no idea where the story would end up going!

I will definitely be picking up the previous books in the series if I get chance in the future.

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Today I’m on the tour for Daisy Does It Herself by Gracie Player, 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: 316

Synopsis: Sometimes, the Last Place You Intended to Go is Exactly Where You Need to Be.

When 26-year-old Daisy’s life in London comes crashing down around her, the only thing she can think of is getting away – far away. That’s how she found herself stumbling off a train in England’s picturesque Peak District – 150 miles from home, with no idea why she’d gone there and even less idea how she intended to get home.

As Daisy explores the gorgeous village of Upper Finlay, she glimpses the possibility of a different life. The Derbyshire Dales offer up new friends, new opportunities, and a distractingly dishy object of attraction in the form of local bookstore owner Alex (and his bumbling Great Dane.) When Daisy discovers Alex’s business is in trouble she steps in to save the day.

But London’s Calling – literally. The life Daisy ran away from is calling her back. Why then, is she so reluctant to heed its call?

Daisy’s got a decision to make: Will she play it safe, and return to what she knew? Or is she brave enough to take a leap of faith and create a bold, new life for herself in the last place she’d ever expected?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: this was an absolute delight and I absolutely devoured it, full of characters that you couldn’t help but love.

Daisy goes from believing she’s getting the promotion she’s been working towards to losing her job and finding her boyfriend of many years cheating on her in the space of a couple of hours.. needing to get away from him she gets on a train not knowing where she’s going and falls asleep, before she knows it she’s 150 miles away from home and wandering to find somewhere she can sit and get her bearings.

She runs into Alex, or rather his dog runs into her 🤣

Lots and lots of laugh out loud moments that kept me wanting more and made it impossible to put the book down!

If you’re a fan of romantic comedy stories with strong female main characters and swoon worthy but your average Joe men then this is definitely one you need to add to your TBR!

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Today I’m on the tour for Coyote by Ashley Brandt, 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: 261

Synopsis: Beware the man of many faces…

Eighteen-year-old Raven Thatcher is a coyote shapeshifter and newly promoted pack warrior. On the eve of her first duty assignment, Raven is attacked by her boyfriend Jonathan, who has turned feral. Rescued by a beautiful stranger in the forest, Raven immediately becomes infatuated with the man in tribal art, the one who watches her in the shadows.

When tragedy strikes the pack, Raven hunts for justice, forging her own path between duty and desire, honor and love. Based on the centuries-old Navajo legend of Ma’ii, Coyote spins a web of suspense, mystery, and seduction that will keep readers guessing until the last paragraph

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, but it wasn’t what I got.. I guess in my head it was a romance and although that was a small part of it, the main story was full of action. 

I won’t lie, the beginning of the story had me doubting wether I would enjoy it, it all felt a little too YA for me. But once you get to know Raven and her struggles I was really gunning for her and couldn’t put it down! 

A real fast paced page turner, that left me feeling in parts that Raven couldn’t trust anyone. 

Parts of this story really pulled at my heartstrings and I’m not ashamed to admit that I had tears in my eyes more than once. 

Definitely one I would recommend if you love a story about shapeshifters.

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Today I’m on the tour for The Simple Truth by James Buckler, 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: 357

Synopsis: A young woman is dead.

A very wealthy client needs a favour. You’re newly qualified as a lawyer and this could be your big break, so you jump at the chance.

The case is about to be closed.

All you have to do is talk to a family, ask them to sign some papers. How difficult could it be? Their daughter was found dead at a beauty spot on the outskirts of London in what you’re told was a tragic suicide.

Only you can uncover what really happened.

But the truth is never that simple. And this case could cost you your life…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: what a book to kick off my 2023 reviews with..

The story starts off with a dog walker finding what he assumed is an abandoned car.. when he finds a note telling him not to open the car to just call the police curiosity gets the better of him and he opens the door to find a young woman dead..

This was the perfect kind of thriller for me, fast paced, short chapters and with more than one story arc.

It had me on the edge of my seat throughout, so many possibilities for what happened, so many reasons and a handful of characters that could have been responsible!

It left me not knowing who to trust, because I genuinely thought that all of the characters the story threw doubt on had enough reasons!

I absolutely loved Lewis as a character, he went to a meeting innocently and ended up thrown into a situation that a lot of people would have run from, but yet he took it in his stride & worked his hardest to get justice, I was with him every step of the way.

Some difficult topics are dealt with it this book and some of the scenes are graphic, but dealt with in a really clever way.

If you’re a fan of a thriller then definitely get this one added to your TBR.

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Today I have something different for you, sort of.. I was part of the Tandem Read Along for the Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley, was my first time taking part in a readalong and it was a lot of fun… I did a reel on Instagram and posted prompt cards on my Instagram stories! – today I’m posting the review.. sorry it’s a little late, I work in a supermarket and retail at Christmas is craaazy!

Pages: 416

Synopsis: In a beautiful old apartment block, deep in the backstreets of Paris, secrets are stirring behind every resident’s door.

The lonely wife
The party animal
The curtain-twitcher
The secret lover
The watchful caretaker
The unwanted guest

One resident is missing. Only the killer holds the key to the mystery…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this was my first time reading one of Lucy’s books, but I can promise you it won’t be the last.

Short snappy chapters, multiple perspectives and secrets behind every door, what more could you possibly want?

Jess had found herself in a bit of trouble at home so has talked her brother Ben into letting her stay with him in Paris for a while until things blow over, the only problem is when she gets there he’s not waiting up for her as promised – in fact when she gets to the apartment he’s not there at all..

Instantly Jess knows there’s something wrong and takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of it.

The story that follows is fast paced and a real page turner once you get into it, with a whole host of characters you’re left knowing you can’t trust any of them.. you just don’t know why!

With the story being told from everyone’s perspective i feel you get a well rounded version of the story. Feeling like you know it all whilst also knowing there is something you’re missing.

This one really messed with my head but in the best way possible!

Would I recommend this story? absolutely yes. Just be prepared for a bumpy ride! 😅

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Today I’m on the tour for Her Husbands Lies by T.J. Brearton, 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: 316

Synopsis: A GRIPPING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF GONE.

HUSBAND IN A COMA.
TWO MISSING TEENAGE GIRLS.
WHO CAN SHE TRUST?

Callie lives in a ten-acre home in the stunning Adirondacks with her husband. She misses her son, who’s away at college, but she’s coping pretty well with her empty nest.

SIX WEEKS AGO THE NIGHTMARE BEGAN.

Her husband Abel skidded off the road into an icy lake. His truck hit a tree and plunged into the frigid water below.

Now this once-vital 43-year-old carpenter lies in a coma, surrounded by bleeping machines and the hushed rumble of the ward at Pearl Medical Center in Vermont.

The police say it was an accident, but the details remain murky.

For some reason, he’d been an hour away from home, in a region where he had no clients that Callie was aware of.

THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET WORSE.

Callie keeps getting calls from an unknown number.

Finally she picks up. ‘Hello?’ she asks. ‘Excuse me, who’s calling?’

A woman’s voice: ‘I know what happened to your husband.’

But what comes next is even more shocking. Police tell Callie her husband is a person of interest in the disappearance of two teenage girls.

CAN CALLIE CLEAR HIS NAME? DOES SHE EVEN WANT TO?

Her Husband’s Lies is a twisty and utterly addictive thriller that will keep you turning pages. You won’t see the ending coming . . . !

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I’ve never read a book by T.J. Brearton before but after this one I want to have a look and see if he has a back catalogue.. I was absolutely enthralled…

The writing just draws you in and consumes uou completely.

So many twists and turns and each one makes you think there can’t possibly be anything else & then another one gets thrown at you 🤣

Is Abel in a coma because someone rear ended him by accident or was it in purpose? and did he have anything to do with the missing girls?

Can Callie really trust the woman who keeps calling her claiming to know what happened that night?

So many options and so many potential ‘bad guys’ that not even I guessed what the truth was before it was revealed!!!

A thriller that will really keep you on your toes and will keep you up at night if you don’t finish it all in one sitting!

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