prdgreads

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Whatever you Are is Beautiful by Richard Blandford, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 196

Synopsis:A mysterious illness, called HEROS, is sweeping America. It changes those afflicted, stage by stage, into super-powered costumed crimefighters.

Charlie was once one of Britain’s favourite TV personalities, known for sneering at the weirder members of society in his cutting-edge documentaries. But now, after a battle with cocaine addiction, he wants to go straight and show his caring side. A programme about this bizarre new disease may be a chance to get his career back on track.

As he films and interviews a number of people with HEROS, or Rosies, as they call themselves, Charlie gets close to many of them, perhaps too close, and starts to question his role as a neutral observer. This may well be a career-changing experience, but not in the way he imagined.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: this book was a strange one 😂 but the writing was engaging and I was interested enough to need to see what was going to happen.

Hero’s causes any part of your body to fall off, instantly grow back but be different in some way, I couldn’t help but make comparisons between hero’s and MS as I know that if I have a relapse any part of my body can stop working & not be guaranteed to work the same when the relapse is over.

The book was short, but the story was very intricate and had lots of different levels, all of the people introduced had different issues caused by HERO’s not all of them negative!

The author has done a brilliant job of writing a story that is funny and serious in equal measure and also has a very strong underlying message!

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Today is my stop on the blogtour for Cuban Heel by Leopold Borstinski, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles for organising it and inviting me to take part, and thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 228

Synopsis: Would you work with the devil to build a paradise on Earth?

Jewish gangster, Alex Cohen joins long-time friend and business partner, Meyer Lansky to recreate Las Vegas in 1950s Havana. When dictator President Batista gives them the opportunity to build their dream casino complexes, Alex must choose between dancing with this devil or being in debt to the Italian mob.

If he takes the mafia money then he will be tied to the men who planned his earlier downfall and removed his mentor, Lucky Luciano from the syndicate. If he refuses their investment then he will be beholden to the tinpot generalissimo and his bloated ego. But Alex knows that there is more at stake than mere gelt–now he has his family surrounding him and they will suffer the ultimate price if he makes a bad decision.

The fifth book in the Alex Cohen series is an historical thriller novel, which tears at the heart of the Jewish mob’s role in pre-revolution Cuba. Leopold Borstinski’s piercing crime fiction gives each reader the shocking skinny into the building of modern America.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I have to be really careful what I say here because it’s obviously book 5 in a series, so I won’t go into the plot like I normally would.

This book was just as action packed as the others, There was fighting and disputes between some long standing characters which I didn’t see coming, it really brought the common phrase in the book “we live together, we love together, but we die alone” into perspective it really showed that these kind of people only see someone as useful whilst they have something to gain from them!

I loved that this book was more family oriented than the others and we got to see more of a couple of Alex’s children (although they’re fully grown adults now) and ready to join the “family business” although both Alex and Sarah are reluctant for that to happen!

I devoured this book in one sitting was totally hooked and thoroughly enjoyed it. I cannot wait to see what the gang get up to next time!

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for the Influencer, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pages: 296

Synopsis: She is worshiped by millions. But she has a secret…

Adored by her legions of followers, social media megastar Skye is an inspiration. Once homeless, she is now fantastically wealthy, enormously powerful. A ‘like’ from Skye can literally change your life.

So when she suggests partnering with Nathan’s charity for the homeless, he thinks it’s a match made in heaven. With Skye’s backing, who knows what he can achieve? And no-one is more excited than Nathan’s teenage daughters, both massive fans of the star.

But Skye’s influence comes at a price. Yes, funds are pouring into Nathan’s charity, but she is a smothering presence, seemingly determined to insert herself into every nook and cranny of his family life.

Nathan’s daughters are thrilled to have so much up close and personal contact with a superstar. But he worries about Skye’s growing influence on them… And is it just a coincidence that ever since she’s been around, his personal life is disintegrating?

As things spiral out of control, Nathan begins to wonder what Skye really wants from him and his daughters. The answer is more terrifying than he could ever imagine…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: This is my first go at Miranda’s work, and I loved it, the writing flowed easily, was gripping without having too much going on at one time which made it really difficult to put down.

We’re following Nathan, who after losing his wife years ago set up a charity to help the homeless in her name, and Skye who is now a social media influencer who really had risen from the bottom in the last few years, at the age of 18 she came out of foster care with nowhere to go and ended up on the streets… because of her past she feels she is the perfect person to help Nathan take Sacha’s Sanctuary to the next level.,, but is she all she claims to be?

The story is told from 2 different perspectives as I said, but also from 2 different timelines, the present from both Nathan and Skye, but also Skyes past. – the chapters from Skyes past were my favourite because they made the events of the present feel all the more creepy!

As a psychological thriller this was so good! – it made me feel uncomfortable in places and even like I was being watched 😂 I did work out the big reveal by about the half way point, but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the story at all.

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Today is my stop on the blogtour for Because You’re Mine by Luna Miller, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles Blog Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 277

Synopsis: Gunvor Ström, a Swedish surgeon who had to retire because her hands weren’t steady enough to perform operations, accepts a position as a private detective and enters a new and surprisingly dangerous career.

In Because You’re Mine, she accepts her second assignment. Is it always for the best to look for a missing person? Gunvor is not entirely sure as she believes there are those who don´t want to be found. Despite this, she takes on a case. A wife needs help to find her husband, Per Cedergren. A simple case at first glance. Gunvor is convinced that he has sneaked off on an adventure with a mistress and soon will return voluntarily.

Gunvor’s good friend Aidan also makes his debut as a private detective when he helps a new acquaintance look for her missing friend.

When Gunvor and Aidan take the help of their young friends, Elin and David, the two parallel cases meander closer each other. But how do they relate? And what do the disappearances have in common with the murders that at first glance appear to be hate crimes.

Soon they find themselves in the eye of the storm, not knowing where the danger lurks.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: this one took a while to get into, the writing style (because it’s a translated novel) seemed a little blunt and to the point so wasn’t as easy to get lost in, but once I got used to it I found the story thoroughly enjoyable.

There are 2 separate investigations going on, one run by Aidan and one run by Gunvor with the help of Elin and David and we’re introduced to lots of different characters who they soon learn are all linked! – but how closely?

Soon some of the witnesses linked to their cases are murdered, is there more going on that they first thought, can they get to the bottom of what’s happening before it’s too late?

This is my first go at the genre “Nordic Noir” and it was a solid enough read that I would be willing to give it another go.

Trigger warnings for possible homophobia and hate crime.

Definitely one I would recommend to lovers of crime novels.

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for No Place Like Home by Jane Renshaw, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles Blog tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 285

Synopsis: They wanted the simple life. What they get is simply terrifying.

The Hendriksen family, Bram, Kirsty and their two kids, are living the dream. They have left the rat race of the big city and moved into a gorgeous, custom-built house in the Scottish Highlands. Bram has already planted up a vegetable plot and is planning to create a wildflower meadow and keep chickens and goats.

But then a dead crow appears on their washing line, their vegetables are weedkilled and someone shoots at Bertie, a gentle guide dog belonging to Kirsty’s mother.

The police say it’s nothing to worry about, it’s just bored local teenagers hanging out in the woods. But Bram is sure that more sinister forces are at work, that these events may be connected to a terrible secret in Kirsty’s past.

And he’s right. As the campaign against them escalates, the family is pulled down into a relentless spiral of terror and violence until the home they always dreamed of becomes a nightmare from which they may never escape

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: Well this one was a journey and a half, that left me never knowing which way was up 😂

The Hendriksen family have just moved back to where Kirsty grew up to start a new life, now right from the start we know that Kirsty isn’t 100% happy to be back home, what we don’t know is why…

Straight away strange things start happening, the family are being targeted, is it all linked to the past?

Some chapters are told in the past which gives us a little insight into Bram and Kirsty which I appreciated but it didn’t give us enough to let us know what was happening which was as slightly frustrating as a reader ( in the best way possible)

There were so many people that could of committed the crime that happened, all totally believable and I just didn’t know who was guilty, I know who I wanted it to be though.

This book was thoroughly enjoyable and near impossible to put down.

I will say the revelation at the VERY end was a little too far fetched to me, i was happy with the conclusion we had before that 😂

But it’s definitely a book I would recommend to all fans of psychological thrillers!

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Kate In Waiting by Beck Albertalli and I have a spotlight for you. (Where I tell you about the book, the author and where you can buy it) Thank you to The Write Reads for organising it and inviting me to take part

Synopsis:

From bestselling YA rom-com queen Becky Albertalli (author of Love, Simon) comes a new novel about daring to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight in love, life and theatre.

[PRINCIPAL CAST LIST]
Kate Garfield
Anderson Walker

Best friends, and contrary to popular belief, not co-dependent. Examples:

Carpooling to and from theatre rehearsals? Environmentally sound and efficient.
Consulting each other on every single life decision? Basic good judgment.
Pining for the same guys from afar? Shared crushes are more fun anyway.

But when Kate and Andy’s latest long-distance crush shows up at their school, everything goes off-script.

Enter Stage Left: Matt Olsson

He is talented and sweet, and Kate likes him. She really likes him. The only problem? So does Anderson.

Turns out, communal crushes aren’t so fun when real feelings are involved. This one might even bring the curtains down on Kate and Anderson’s friendship…

About the author: Becky Albertalli is the author of the acclaimed novels Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (film: Love, Simon), The Upside of Unrequited, and Leah on the Offbeat. She is also the co-author of What If It’s Us with Adam Silvera. A former clinical psychologist who specialized in working with children and teens, Becky lives with her family in Atlanta. You can visit her online at www.beckyalbertalli.com.

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Matchmaker by Hélene Fermont, I’m here with a spotlight (to tell you all about the book, the author and where you can buy it)

Synopsis: Perfect Lives Don’t Come Cheap

Marcia Bailey has it all: a passionate marriage to a rich and handsome man who is utterly devoted to her; fame and success as London’s premier matchmaker; a beautiful home in a posh neighbourhood, and fabulous holidays in exotic places.

But her perfect life turns into a nightmare overnight when a mysterious caller suddenly threatens to reveal secrets from her past she thought she had left behind forever. Who is he and what does he really want? He says he wants three million pounds to keep quiet, and she’s willing to pay. After all, she has already sacrificed so much, and perfect lives don’t come cheap.

But Marcia has a hunch her caller wants more than money from her. He wants to hurt and humiliate her. But why?

As police investigate a brutal murder in a wealthy London neighborhood, they untangle a web of lies, violence, sex and jealousy surrounding Marcia Bailey and the group of wealthy and powerful men who have secrets of their own to keep.

The Matchmaker is filled with unexpected twists and turns — and characters that will haunt you long after you’ve read the last page.

About the author: Hélene is an Anglo-Swedish fiction author currently residing in her home town of Malmo, Sweden, after relocating back from London after 20 years.

Her thrilling character-driven psychological fiction novels are known for their explosive, pacy narrative and storylines.

Hélene is the proud author of five novels – The Matchmaker, One Fatal Night, Because of You, We Never Said Goodbye and His Guilty Secret.

If you would like to know more about Hélene she has pages on the following platforms for you to follow

Twitter: https://twitter.com/helenefermonthttps://twitter.com/helenefermont

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

Website: https://www.helenefermont.com/

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15484308.Helene_Fermont

Today is the release day for Bovine Tricks by Seelie Kay, I personally think this sounds brilliant so let me tell you a little about it.

Synopsis; Lady Annabelle Trask is missing. Unfortunately, MISix doesn’t know if they’re looking for a woman, a cow, or something in between!
Is it real or is it fantasy? That’s the question MISix Agent Mathilda Honoria Spencer struggles with on her latest assignment. Tasked with discovering the whereabouts of Lady Annabelle Trask, Tillie is thrust into the world of Hucows and other human animals. It’s a world that raises serious questions about sexual fetishes, intentional physical enhancements, and even pornography, but in the end, Tillie has only one mission—to rescue and return Lady Annabelle to the Queen. However, as she and her partner, Agent Abdul Ali, attempt to find Lady Annabelle and keep her out of the clutches of terrorists bent on destroying the monarchy, they must also wrestle with their feelings for each other. Can they draw the line between their duty to the Crown and their relationship with one another? Or must they embark on separate paths to continue to serve the Queen?

About the author: Award-winning author Seelie Kay writes about lawyers in love, sometimes with a dash of kink.

Writing under a nom de plume, the former lawyer and journalist draws her stories from more than 30 years in the legal world. Seelie’s wicked pen has resulted in nineteen works of fiction, including the new paranormal romance series Donovan Trait, as well the erotic romance Kinky Briefs series and The Feisty Lawyers romantic suspense series. She also authored The Last Christmas, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, The President’s Daughter, Seizing Hope, The White House Wedding, and participated in the romance anthology Pieces of Us.

When not spinning romantic tales, Seelie ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. Currently, she resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, WI, where she enjoys opera, the Green Bay Packers, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.
Seelie is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Somebody Out There by Kevin Lynch, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles Blog Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 257

Synopsis: Somebody out there wants to hurt them…

When Ben and Deborah leave the city to start a new life in the beautiful countryside, they can almost taste their perfect future – growing their own food, the kids running free, peace and silence.

But as soon as they arrive in their new home bad things start to happen. And it becomes clear that somebody out there wants them gone.

But ex-crime reporter Deborah doesn’t scare easily. This is the life she’s dreamed of for her family and she’s not giving up on it without a fight.

As the campaign against the family intensifies and becomes truly terrifying, Deborah is determined to unmask whoever is trying to hurt them and starts to dig for the truth.

What she finds is more twisted and horrifying than she could ever have imagined.

My Rating; 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: welll, this one is definitely a psychological thriller, it’s the first book in as long as I can remember that has creeped me out so much that I’ve had to put it down and take a break from it 😂

Having just moved to the countryside expecting a nice quiet life away from Deborah’s past as a crime reporter they are suddenly left wondering if they’ve made the right decision when it becomes clear that they are being targeted, at first they think it’s someone from Deborah’s past, but it’s not long before they realise that it’s someone a lot closer to home, can they work out who before it’s too late?

There are some absolutely horrifying scenes in this book involving a beloved pet, having lost one of our dogs in January this bit really broke my heart, so please be prepared for this when going in! 💔

It had me on the edge of my seat throughout because I just couldn’t tell what was going to happen next & I couldn’t work out who was after them and why!

The story led us in about different directions, all of them believable and yet I still didn’t work it out 😂

Please, please pick this up and be sure to come back and let me know your thoughts!

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson, thank you to Dave at The Write Reads for organising it and inviting me to take part, thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 368

Synopsis: When everything you love is in danger, how long can you keep running to survive?

Life can be brutal
Winter in Idaho. The sky is dark. It is cold enough to crack bones.

Jack knew it
Jack Dahl has nothing left. Except his younger brother, Matty, who he’d die for. Their mother is gone, and their funds are quickly dwindling, Jack needs to make a choice: lose his brother to foster care, or find the drug money that sent his father to prison. 

So did I
Ava lives in isolation, a life of silence. For seventeen years her father, a merciless man, has controlled her fate. He has taught her to love no one. 

Did I feel the flutter of wings when Jack and I met? Did I sense the coming tornado?
But now Ava wants to break the rules – to let Jack in and open her heart. Then she discovers that Jack and her father are stalking the same money, and suddenly Ava is faced with a terrible choice: remain silent or speak out and help the brothers survive.

Looking back, I think I did . . .

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this book was utterly heartbreaking but so, so good.

Jack come home one day to find his mum hanging from the ceiling fan in her bedroom, instead of calling the police he gets her down and buries her in the garden.

Now he has his little brother to look after, they’re on their own. Their dad is in prison…they have no money and only enough food in the house to last a couple of days, if that! – he tries to find a job but given who his dad is no one trusts him.

When the police come knocking Jack decides it’s time to leave, it’s only a matter of time before child services get involved and he can’t lose his brother, he’s the only person he has left.

What follows is a real eye opening journey where with the help of his new friend Ava, Jack does everything in his power to keep his brother safe, even putting his own life at risk several times.

This book is definitely not for the faint hearted, but it’a a powerful one that will stay with me for a long time.

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