prdgreads

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!

🐧❤️

I was lucky enough to be approached by Murray offering me a copy of the next instalment to the Ash Carter prequels. thank you again Murray 🙂

Pages: 301

Synopsis: Ash Carter and Bill Wolfe are in Israel hunting a group of British Army deserters known as the Killing Crew. Some people think they were a myth, others believe they were the most hated of British soldiers.

In the newly formed state that’s at war with the Arab nations, hated by Jews and despised by Arabs, the two SIB officers think they face an uncomfortable task.

But when they become targets they realise this is more than just a job. It’s life or death.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: Murray has done it again, created a book that is just so easy to devour and lose track of the day reading it, I made the mistake of picking this one up for the first time when I had an hour to kill before work & the temptation to call in sick and just sit and finish the book was real 😂

This time we’re following Ash Carter and Bill Wolfe whilst they’re in Israel trying to identify and bring to justice the members of The Killing Crew.

We’re introduced to some new faces as well as being reacquainted with some old ones, but don’t make the mistake of getting attached like I did because no one is ever safe and you may find yourself crying 🥺

The story was action packed with lots of twists and turns & red herrings galore.

I had a particular soft spot for Ruth Gotting, thanks again Murray for putting in someone named after me that doesn’t get killed, not sure I’ve forgiven you yet for killing Patrice in the last book 😂

I love the fact that Murray can write characters that you fall in love with & then make you doubt their intentions later down the line, there were a few characters like that this time, I honestly had no idea where the story was going or who the guilty party would be.

I cannot recommend this book enough, or just Murray as an author, this isn’t a genre I would’ve picked up a couple of years ago but I now find myself looking forward to his next book!

🐧❤️

Today I’m on the book tour for A Life For A Life by Carol Wyer, 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: 364

Synopsis: Nobody can get into the mind of an erratic killer—except an unpredictable detective.

When a young man is found lying on a station platform with a hole in his head, DI Kate Young is called in to investigate the grisly murder. But the killing is no one-off. As bodies start to pile up, she is faced with what might be an impossible task—to hunt down a ruthless killer on a seemingly random rampage.

Meanwhile, Kate has her own demons to battle as she struggles to come to terms with her husband’s death. And she is hell-bent on exposing corruption within the force and bringing Superintendent John Dickson to justice. But with the trail of deception running deeper—and closer to home—than she could ever have imagined, she no longer knows who she can trust.

With her grip on reality slipping, Kate realises that maybe she and the killer are not so different after all. But time is running out and Kate is low on options. Can she catch the killer before she loses everything?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: yet another absolutely brilliant instalment in the Detective Kate Young series.

This had me on the edge of my seat throughout, all these bodies keep turning up, but they have nothing to go on to help them catch the killer – the victims and the locations seem random with absolutely nothing linking them together..

The team soon find their stride though and start pulling together, but have they left it too late?

This book obviously sees the return of all the favourite characters, my particular favourites being Morgan and Emma, I just love how well they work together and seem to bounce off each other.

Whilst all this is going on Kate is still working behind the scenes to bring down Dickson, but every lead she has either winds up dead or appears to go nowhere. Will she finally get the breakthrough she needs and be able to reestablish contact with her dead husband?

I felt Kate’s character development in this book was great, we finally saw a vulnerable side to her that we haven’t seen previously.

Again, I’m being vague with my review but I loved this book so much. We had red herrings, twists that I didn’t see coming and a perpetrator that I actually felt sorry for.

This book was left on a huge cliff hanger so I’m hoping that means there is a book 4?!

🐧❤️

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Across the Water by Jack Byrne, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 352

Synopsis: RETURN OF A NATIVE SON
Following the events of Under the Bridge, Vinny and Anne travel to Ireland in search of Vinny’s father, Paddy, who mysteriously disappeared not long after returning to his homeland in 1974.

We piece Paddy’s story together as he returns to Wicklow to lie low after a killing in Liverpool. DI Barlow of Special Branch wants to use him to disrupt an IRA gun route. Facing danger on every side he struggles to fit in. A devastating experience in Dublin forces him to re-evaluate his life and seek a better future.

A story of emigration and return in three narratives that span recent history in Ireland and the UK.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: although this is the 2nd book in a series I personally haven’t read the first one & didn’t feel like I was missing anything so it works really well as a stand alone. That being said I do have the first one, I just haven’t had chance to read it!

This story was told in 2 timelines.. 2010 where Vinny is trying to find out more information about his dad, he never knew him as he wasn’t around when he was a child and now he’s ready for answers. And 1974 where we get the real story about Vinnys dad Paddy.

This story really had me gripped, both timelines were full of twists and turns & characters that you either loved or hated, there seemed to be no in between!

I was equally invested in both timelines, was rooting for Vinny to get the answers he needed whilst also wishing I could put the brakes on what I knew was going to happen to Paddy because although he had his faults he was such a likeable character who just really needed a little looking after!

I would absolutely recommend this book to fans of crime fiction and love the fact that I’ve discovered a new author.

🐧❤️

Today I’m thrilled to be kicking off the blog tour for Space Hopper by Helen Fisher, 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: 351

Synopsis: If you could go back in time to find answers to the past, would you?

For Faye, the answer is yes. There is nothing she wouldn’t do to find out what really happened when she lost her mother as a child. She is happy with her life – she has a loving husband, two young daughters and supportive friends, even a job that she enjoys. But questions about the past keep haunting her, until one day she finally gets the chance she’s been waiting for.

But how far is she willing to go to find answers?

Space Hopper is an original and poignant story about mothers, memories and moments that shape life.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: oh my, this book.

I don’t think anything I have to say will do it justice, it’s beautiful.

We follow Faye, who after finding the box of a space hopper she received for Christmas as a child is transported back to the past where she finds her mum, who died when she was little and little Faye.

It takes her a while to realise that the box is some kind of key/portal that allows her to travel between the past and the present & having grown up without her mum the need to go back regularly is strong.. but will she lose the life she’s built with her husband and children if she travels too often?

She decides to keep what she’s discovered a secret for now, because let’s be honest people would think she’s crazy wouldn’t they?

There were so many poignant moments within this book that it will stay with me forever.. yes I’m being purposely vague because part of the magic of this is not knowing anything about it and going in blind.

A line that really resonated with me and got me thinking was this one.. “What about your past? How often would you travel there given the chance? Often? Never? And when you got there would you think about staying forever?”

And I realised that it was a question I couldn’t answer, there are people that have left my life that I’d love to see again and there are people in my family that I never got to meet and would possibly jump at the chance, but I think I’d be too scared of losing what I have in the present 😂

I cannot believe this is a debut novel, it was so well written the words just flowed off the page so easily. – this is by far my favourite read of the year so far and in my top 5 favourite books ever.

🐧❤️

Today I’m on the blog tour for Keep Your Friends Close by Tony Millington, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 197

Synopsis: A young woman’s body is found on the Russell brother’s patch.

Jimmy and Allan have been running West Ravenswood for too long, it’s time to bring their empire down.

While Monteith gets to work on doing just that, Detective Watson begins searching for a young woman, snatched from the street while out running.

Are the abduction and murder linked?

Will the Russell brothers evade justice – again?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this is the 2nd book in the Monteith and Watson series, I haven’t actually read the first one so I did at times feel like I was missing some small part of the story and after reading something reviews I now know this follows straight after the end of the first one so try at makes sense.. that being said though this absolutely works as a stand alone.

You very quickly get to grips with the characters, learn who the good guys and the bad guys are, even some that cross over at times.. enough that you can never be 100% sure which side they’re really on!

The story follows 2 different disappearances, one being one of our main police officers, they even have footage of his abduction on cctv!

The other one a 17 year old girl out for a run, are they linked or just a case of 2 people being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

This was brilliant, for such a short book it packed one hell of a punch, was fast paced, gripping and left me on the edge of my seat!

highly highly recommend!

🐧❤️

Today I’m on the book tour for Death at the Abbey by Jan Durham, 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: 213

Synopsis: A cliff-top murder. A clever canine. A seaside sleuth.

After the death of her husband, Liz McLuckie has taken early retirement and moved to Whitby, a picturesque fishing town on the North Yorkshire coast. She thinks the renovation of two ramshackle fishing cottages will take her mind off things, but soon discovers Whitby isn’t quite the peaceful retreat she imagined.

When she discovers the body of a local Professor near the medieval Abbey, Liz reluctantly finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation. The post mortem reveals death by drowning. So how did he get onto the clifftop? And why did he have a fish in his pocket?

Liz follows the trail of the murderer, and many red herrings – both literal and metaphorical – in the company of her friends, including an almost-reformed burglar, a disgraced archaeology student and Nelson the bull terrier – the ugliest (and bravest!) dog in Yorkshire.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: cosy mysteries are becoming a favourite genre of mine because they’re just so easy to get lost in and always have the most likeable characters.. throw in Nelson the dog and this was just everything I wanted.

Liz has taken early retirement in Whitby, not ready to settle down and take it easy just yet she’s bought two cottages with the intentions of doing them up, one to live in and the other one to rent out as a holiday home.

One morning whilst taking Nelson for a walk she discovers a dead body, or rather Nelson discovers a dead body – it’s the body of a well known figure in the town and straight away Liz decides things count add up & despite warnings from police she decides to do a little investigating of her own & drags a couple of friends along with her… what could possibly go wrong?! 😂

This story was full of twists and turns and left you trusting someone one minute and doubting them then next. I got myself all tied up in the mystery and just didn’t know which way to turn.

There were serious moments & bits that made me laugh out loud, I definitely did not see the ending coming. I was convinced it was someone else.

There was a small part of this book that hit a little too close to home one of the characters had a wife who had died, she’d been poorly for a while.. the only explanation given was that she had MS. As someone with MS it always upsets me a little when people who suffer from MS die in books or films when it’s the only explanation given.

But that didn’t take away from the story and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

🐧❤️

Today I’m on the book tour for Trust Me by Lucinda Lamont, 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: 248

Synopsis: Sara has no idea that her life is in danger, but a hitman has her in his crosshairs.

Driven by rage and rejection, businessman Christian hires an assassin to murder his ex, Sara, after she abruptly ends their affair. With no knowledge of the target on her back, a chance encounter in a parking garage leads her to a fresh start: a picture-perfect romance with policeman George.

As Christian’s plan forms, George pursues a long-wanted criminal for promotion on the force, and Sara inches unwittingly closer to a lurking danger. With a hired gun, a new flame, and a treacherous plan converging, will Sara be saved?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: how far would you go to punish someone who had broken your heart?

Christian decides that when his bit on the side Sara has had enough of being just that, he has no choice but to hire a hit man (nothing like being extreme 😂)

Obviously completely unbeknownst to her so she goes on a date with George, who just so happens to be a policeman… perfect for protection.

Sara is absolutely besotted with George, he treats like an absolute princess, leaves her a little dubious because she’s just not used to it, it leaves her feeling like she’s missing something and looking out for red flags that just aren’t there.

She then starts feeling like she’s being watched and stalked by Christian.. George is already on the case though and had a whole team and operation to catch him.. hoping he can get it sorted before she realises.

That all falls through and things come to blows right at the end with more than one person ending up dead and another in hospital!

The parts of this story that were thriller left me utterly gripped.. I just needed to know what the outcome would be. The best but about this book though is that half of it is romancey which helped you become attached to the main characters and break up the seriousness of the other bits. Amazingly it all flowed perfectly and never felt like two separate stories!

🐧❤️