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Today I’m on the book tour for Who’s Lying Now by Susan Lewis, 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: 496

Synopsis: You think you’re safe.
You think you know your neighbours.
But can you ever really know who’s telling the truth?

Jeannie Symonds is a force to be reckoned with – an eccentric, award-winning publisher, spending lockdown with her husband in a house near Kesterly-on-Sea. She seems to have it all: a high-flying career, a happy marriage, a niece she adores.

And then one day, she vanishes.

Cara Jakes is a new trainee investigator – young, intelligent and eager to prove herself. When she teams up with detective Andee Lawrence to look into the disappearance, she is determined to find out what has really happened to Jeannie. Cara begins to question the residents of this close-knit community, sure that someone has a secret to hide.

But how can she separate the truth from the lies?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I’ve never read a Susan Lewis book before and this was a good one to start with!

Jeannie is a well established publisher, who appears to have the perfect life, a husband who dotes on her, the perfect job and a beautiful home, so why did she up and leave without a word?

It’s not a proper investigation yet because there isn’t actually any proof of a crime.. but they suspect foul play so they put trainee investigator Cara on the case to find the evidence they need to kick things up a notch.

Right from the off I felt there was something not right with some of the characters, there just seemed to be a lot of things that didn’t add up, everyone had their own secrets which made it hard to work out who to trust, just when I thought I’d worked it out another spanner would be thrown into the mix!

I did work out the culprit just before it was revealed BUT I’d say that’s a sign that Susan is a brilliant writer because before that moment I didn’t suspect them for a second!

Fliss was by far my favourite character, she just made me feel like she was there for everyone and put all her troubles to the side and I was really rooting for her throughout.

I did feel at times that this book was a bit repetitive and is possibly a little long but that’s just personal preference!

If you’re a fan of crime and thrillers then I would highly recommend this one!

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Today I’m on the book tour for Recursion by David J Harrison, 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: Everything that is going to happen already has. During a disruption in the timeline of a sleepy Lake District village, the erratic and strung-out artist Haruki Kensagi cannot help but feel that he’s been here before, either in his past or in his future. Haruki, struggling with both his painting and his mental health, disappears. His long-suffering wife Jane Kensagi, herself a brilliant musician, interrupts her career to look for him unaware that a malignant and ageless entity awaits them both under the dark fells of the Lake District. The estranged couple becomes caught up in a dangerously recursive series of events surrounding a dormant cosmic force. They encounter a cabal of enigmatic characters who may hinder or help in equal measure. And over all this madness, the monstrous but charismatic Captain presides; part faith healer, part cult-leader, all saviour. Haruki and Jane are taken to the limits of sanity and beyond in their attempt to escape from the evil that has been unleashed.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: Well this was different, in a brilliant way.. I think 😂

Being totally honest this book has left me feeling confused and all upside down, but weirdly I think that may have been the point!

We’re following Haruki, who appears to be struggling with his painting, things just aren’t right he can’t get any inspiration and his wife’s just left him, so he goes to Barrowthwaite to try and recover? find himself? Get inspiration? I’m not really sure but that’s where things start getting confusing!

Frank and The Captain were the characters that really stick with you in this book, they’re both creepy and leave you feeling unsettled in different ways and for different reasons.

This book was strangely gripping, I found myself unable to stop reading even though it was causing me to doubt myself and go round in circles constantly.

I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to fans of a read that isn’t straight forward but being honest I wouldn’t even know what genre to put this in, it’s kind of thrillery, kind of suspensey but it’s definitely a lot of fun!

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Today I’m on the book tour for George Bunce and the Black Wave of Fear by Martin Geraghty, 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: 288

Synopsis:

Meet George, a resident at the Four Seasons care home in a Scottish seaside town.
Meet Carrie, an occupational therapist at the Four Seasons care home.

Join them as they form an unlikely friendship.

Immerse yourself in their story as they discover second chances in life.

Cheer for them as they find laughter in the face of adversity.

Support them as they both finally learn to bury the ghosts of their pasts and learn to live again.

Most importantly, allow George and Carrie to take you on a journey where you might just end up looking at the world differently.

George Bunce and The Black Wave of Fear is an extraordinary and poignant tale full of hope and humour.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: oh this book. 🥺🥺

I don’t even really know what to say, it’s like it picked me up, cuddled me all the way through and didn’t put me down until I was ready at the end.

George is now under observation in the Four Seasons care home after an accident at home where the consequences could have been a lot worse than they were.

In walks Carrie, the occupational therapist who is there to help everyone work out George’s suitability to live on his own, can he be placed in an assisted living place?

To begin with George is not happy, his routine is off and they can by even provide him with his beloved poached eggs and he refuses to communicate with anyone beyond a hello.

He soon learns though that that is not the way to be able to move on, can he change the habit of a life time and actually let someone in?

Watching George’s walls come down slowly but surely was such a beautiful thing to witness, it just shows that sometimes all you need is someone that is persistent enough to keep on at you.

There were times where I laughed out loud and times where I just wanted to grab George and shake him 😂😂

I loved this so much, but I need more, I’m still left with so many questions and would love a follow up 🤞🏼🤞🏼

🐧❤️

Today I’m on the blog tour for Blood Sentence by Keith Nixon, 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: 337

Synopsis: Three bodies, one suspect. That suspect is you…

When the unidentified corpse of an apparent suicide victim is found hanging above a complex pattern of forty photographs of children, Detective Inspector Jonah Pennance of the Met’s specialist Sapphire Unit is brought in to investigate.

A post-mortem reveals the suicide was murder, and Pennance realises he knows the man. But as the body count rises, all the signs point to a care home in Kent – a place that Pennance is all too familiar with.

The problem is the only person connecting the victims is Pennance – and he has a solid motive for wanting them dead… Can Pennance prove his innocence?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this story was so fast paced and left you with more questions than it solved in the beginning.

Jonah finds himself in an abandoned house after someone has committed suicide in the house, at least that’s how it looks.. it doesn’t take long for him to realise that it’s someone he knows, someone from his past that he’d rather not remember… then he gets a phone call from an officer in North Wales, they have a body found in a car, the car was hired in Jonah’s name…

It’s then that he realises that somehow he’s tangled up in all of this and he won’t be able to settle until he realises why or how.

This was bloody brilliant! – and I couldn’t put it down, Jonah is left having to face his past and keep himself together at the same time.

Full of twists and turns, some of them so shocking that I was left not able to believe what I was reading.

Amazing opening to a new police procedural series and I cannot wait to see where it goes in book two!

🐧❤️

Today I’m on the Blog Tour for Don’t Panic; all the stuff the expectant dad needs to know by George Lewis, 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: 297

Synopsis: Are you ready for fatherhood?

DON’T PANIC – dad and comedian George Lewis is here with all the seriously useful practical and emotional advice that you need to keep you (and your partner) sane!

From birth to pre-school, EVERYTHING you need to know is here. And even better, it’s packed with useful tips, inside knowledge and hilarious real-life stories from dads and medical professionals who know exactly what it’s like to take your first steps as a new father.

With contributions from fellow comedians Adam Kay, Romesh Ranganathan, and many others this book will get you totally prepared for the biggest thing to even happen in your life!

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: Obviously as a female I am not the target audience for this, but I really enjoyed it.

I don’t actually have children yet but it’s something we will be considering in the future, so this was a brilliant way of finding out what to expect even if it’s all aimed at fathers.

It was informative in a funny lighthearted way so would be perfect for all expectant dads, even the ones who struggle to concentrate for too long as it’s broken up into small sections so it’s would be easy to dip in and out of as and when.

I really enjoyed the snippets that were written by comedians, they were telling you serious/important things whilst injecting their own comedic style, it made me laugh out loud more than once.

My best friend recently found out she was pregnant so I’m going to pass this on to her partner and help him prepare for the massive way in which his life is going to change in 5 short months!

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Today I’m on the blog tour for Welcome To Your Life by Bethany Rutter, 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:

Serena Mills should be at her wedding. But she’s not.

Instead, she’s eating an ice cream sundae and drinking an obscenely large glass of wine in a Harvester off the M25.

Everyone thinks she’s gone mad.

She’s left the man everyone told her she was ‘so lucky’ to find – because Serena wants to find love. Real love. A love she deserves – not one she should just feel grateful for.

So, she escapes to the big city and sets herself a challenge: 52 weeks. 52 dates. 52 chances to find love. It should be easy, right?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: oh I loved this, like really loved it.

Serena was just such a likeable character & I felt for her right from the beginning, no one should be stuck in a relationship they know they won’t be happy in, even if they’re not 100% sure on the reason why.

Although the overall tone of this story was fun and lighthearted there was a very serious undertone of fat shaming, wether that be because people thought she was stupid for leaving her long term relationship because she’ll never find better, highlighting the shortcomings of the fashion industry when it comes to their plus size ranges, or even something more serious as unwanted sexual advances.

If you’ve gone through your life trying to hide away so you’re not picked on you condition yourself own mind to expect certain things & it’s not always positive.

The main bulk of the story is all about Serena going on dates and discovering the high’s and lows of online dating..

This book had me laughing out loud at some points and also shaking my head in utter disbelief in others.

It was exactly the escape I needed and I can’t recommend it enough.

🐧❤️

Today I’m on the book tour as part of the international Womens Day festival 2.0, I have a review for you today of The Secrets Left Behind by Antoinette Tyrrell, thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 313

Synopsis: Hungry for scandal, the villagers of Rathmichael congregate in the grand Hatchwood House.
Before the night is over, the elusive Kate Millington will lie dead at the bottom of the Hatchwood stairs – her death opening a disturbing window into the past for three women.

Alice, Kate’s daughter, is faced with her grief for a mother who was forever distant. As the circumstances of Kate’s death, and her state of mind, are drawn into question, Alice struggles to understand the appalling truth about her mother’s past.

In New York, a death bed secret brings Faith Cranston to Ireland, where news of a shocking accident in a rural community leads her to a distressing discovery.

Nancy Canning has only seen Kate from afar. Ashamed of her past, an overwhelming fear of human relationships drives Nancy. As the news of Kate’s death spreads through the village, she is forced to overcome her fear of connection, and come to terms with the fact that the shame she feels may not be hers alone.

Over the course of a harsh Irish winter, the women battle misogyny and impediment as they struggle to reveal the secrets about Kate’s past.
But will they ever be able to make peace with the devastating truth they’re about to uncover?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this story was told from 4 different perspectives in 2 different timelines and being honest it took me a while to get to grips with it & not get them mixed up, although that’s possibly more to do with the fact that I was poorly.

The writing was incredible, each story was different but yet you know that someone they’re linked.. we just don’t know how.

Elements of this story were shocking, other parts were heartbreaking.

Lots of secrets were uncovered, some of them have been a long time coming and made the people it concerned look at their childhood differently.

I soon learnt that the people you’re supposed to be able to trust are ones who have kept these secrets buried for so long.

I definitely didn’t see the ending coming but it was everything I never knew I needed and tied the book up perfectly.

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Today I’m on the book tour for Entitled by Gill Merton, 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.

Another disclaimer I am still poorly with covid so this might not be the best review.. my brain is mush. 😂

Pages: 321

Synopsis: In 1971, Nan Douglas and her toddler twins arrive on the remote island of Inniscuiilin, long-lost family of the eccentric Miss Campbell. For fifteen years they all live quietlyup at the Big House, until the twins start planning their future – forcing Nan to confront their past…

Because someone, somewhere believes that the twins aren’t twins. That they’re not even Nan’s children. And that Nan isn’t Nan. 

Only Nan herself can prove them wrong – but it’s a gamble. Win or lose, she’s still at risk of losing her beloved family.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I loved this, the synopsis only tells you part of the story, and although I was really confused when I first started reading I soon got to grips with it & thought it was really cleverly done!

We have some characters that you love and hate in equal measure at different points within the book. But Nan was one that I loved the whole way through, although she has different names at different points so make of that what you will. 🤭😉

It’s true what they say about one event in your life can can stay with you forever and change the outcome of your future in ways that you don’t even realise until they make themselves known and they just feel like they fell in your lap and it was just meant to be.

I really really enjoyed this book, full of things I didn’t expect that just kept me turning the pages.

🐧❤️

Today I’m on the book tour for My Mothers Gift by Steffanie Edwards, thank you to Sarah at Bookouture for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Before we get into the review and stuff let me apologise if the review seems disjointed or doesn’t make sense, I tested positive for covid this morning & I’m not feeling great but didn’t want to miss my stop 😂

Pages: 298

Synopsis: Can your heart belong somewhere that you’ve never called home?

When Erica gets a phone call to say her mother, Ione, is ill in St Lucia, she knows she must go to her. Though the island – the place of her mother’s birth – is somewhere that Erica has never seen as her homeland.

Even when the plane touches down in the tropical paradise, with its palm trees swaying in the island breeze, the sound of accents so like her mother’s own calling loud in the air, Erica doesn’t find herself wanting to stay a moment longer than she has to.

But stepping into her mother’s house, she is shocked by what she finds. Her mother’s memory is fading, her once-immaculate house is now dirty and messy, and she’s refusing help from anyone but family. And Erica knows she must stay with her, even though it means leaving everything else behind.

What she doesn’t know is that – even as her mother’s memories get worse – Ione still has a final gift for her daughter. Because the unspoken secrets of their past are about to emerge, changing everything Erica thought she knew about her mother, her home, and who she really is…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: well this book was an eye opener and a page turner, I devoured it in just one sitting, I couldn’t put it down even if at times I wanted to because my heart was breaking.

I don’t know who I felt more sorry for, Ione or Erica. They’re both going through the same thing but from different perspectives and at times I didn’t know who was worse off, the daughter watching her mother slowly disappear before her eyes, or the mother who doesn’t really know what’s happening and no longer feels like herself.

I’ve never had to experience a family member with Dimentia/Alzheimer’sbut I have friends who have & this just made me realise how hard it must be for them.

At times I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough because my heart was in my mouth and I needed to know that everything was going to work out ok.

I laughed, I cried and I got angry at various characters. What an absolute rollercoaster of emotions this book took me on, but knowing all that would I do it again… absolutely.

highly highly recommend this book!

🐧❤️

Today I’m on the book tour for The Break by Daniel Hurst, 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: 230

Synopsis: It seems like a lovely little house. But it has dark secrets…

Karen is a busy wife and mother. Between work, her husband Peter, and their two children, Oscar and Noah, she doesn’t have a minute to herself.

So when it all begins to feel too much, Karen knows just what she needs – to get away for a little while. Nothing big. Just a short break.

Her friend, Eve, tells her about a quaint little holiday home, and Karen books herself a short stay. She’ll have time to read, take bubble baths, unwind. Perfect.

But this is no ordinary holiday home – it contains a dark and disturbing secret. Because Karen isn’t alone here – someone is watching her. Waiting for the right moment to spring the trap and plunge her into a nightmare she’ll never forget.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: this was a good solid psychological thriller, that in places kept me guessing, but in others was a little predictable.

We’re following Karen who is still struggling to forgive her husband for cheating on her in the past, they have 2 young boys together, but again Karen feels like she’s left to parent them on her own, she does the cooking, the cleaning, the school pickups and drop offs and everything else in between, she sometimes feels like all Peter is good for is finding the screwdriver when their son locks himself in the bathroom.. Is this really any way to live your life?

She’s decided she needs a break her friend Eve has the perfect solution, a little house not far from them where she can disappear for a night or 2 and just forget all her responsibilities! – sounds like heaven right? little does she know that staying there could be the biggest mistake she’s ever made.

I loved Karen as a character, she was strong willed and independent, not afraid of confrontation but also had a softer more vulnerable side that we see a couple of times.

Peter just seemed lost, like he didn’t really know what he wanted and wasn’t brave enough to come forward and just admit how he was feeling.

They both get tricked by different women and neither one knows about it, it won’t be long until it all comes crashing down.

As I said at the beginning some parts of this story were predictable, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it just took some of the ‘magic’ away for me.

I also felt the ending was a little rushed, we had this big slow build throughout the book which was brilliant and then the big climax was done within 5-10 pages.

I’d definitely recommend this though if you’re a fan of the genre!

🐧❤️