prdgreads

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Love and Miss Harris, 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: 265

Synopsis: Titus Llewellyn-Gwlynne, actor/manager of the Red Lion Theatre, has lost a backer who was going to fund a theatrical tour – when unexpected salvation appears.

Their home theatre in the East End of London having been bombed during the war, The Red Lion Touring Company embarks on a tour of Britain to take a play written by their new benefactress into the provinces.

As they make their vagabond, singing way, they remain unaware that they leave behind in London a man consumed with thoughts of revenge. Revenge which follows them obsessively from town to town, ending in its final act before the last curtain.

This charming series transports the reader to a lost post-war world of touring rep theatre and once-grand people who have fallen on harder times, smoggy streets, and shared bonhomie over a steaming kettle.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this is a heartwarming read about a group of friends helping a couple within their group realise their dreams of script writing and working in the theatre.

They’re just going about their lives taking the story and performance on tour wanting to share it and bring joy to the people who get to watch it, unfortunately got them things aren’t as straight forward as they might’ve hoped.

There were some real laugh out loud moments as well as some heart wrenching ones too, not forgetting the ones that left you on the endive of your seat or hiding behind your hand because you were scared of what might come next.

This was a delightful introduction to a new series and I can’t wait to see where the story takes us next time.

🐧❤️

Today I’m on the blog tour for Echoes of Home by M.L. Rayner, thank you to Zoé at Zooloo’s Blog 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: After accepting a generous opportunity to start afresh, Leslie Wills, a young man from Stoke-on-Trent, eagerly begins his long-distance journey to the Scottish Highlands of Elphin, a settled village that sits huddled amongst the dominating mountains. Its people are welcoming, and the beauty of the land is great. But deep within its Highland paths, a location rests hidden from the public’s eye. A location which entices you to learn the truth of its troubled past. But once you bear witness to its sights and sounds, its presences will never allow you to forget.

Uncover the truth, Journeying back to a forgotten time. With a plot full of secrets and suspicion that will leave you longing for answers.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: this story is a slow burner, but once it gets going the writing is chilling & spooky, everything you want from a ghost story!

After the death of his mother Leslie gets a visit from his brother offering one of his properties in the Scottish highlands so he can start again, feeling excited for the first time in a long time he’s not tied down by anyone or anything and is feeling excited!

Unfortunately as soon as he arrives he realises that this won’t be the fresh start he was hoping for, the house is making noises and he’s pretty sure he’s hearing voices and seeing people too! – can he get to the bottom of what’s happening?

Once I got gripped by the writing it was a really difficult one to put down, I don’t often read ghost stories but this one was really enjoyable and one I will be recommending to my friends!

🐧❤️

Today I’m here celebrating publication for this fantastic looking book!

Synopsis: Marrying The Heiress is a standalone, full-length enemies-to-lovers romance featuring a smoking hot guy, with plenty of heat, heart and a happily ever after.
Kate
I didn’t expect to inherit a multi-million pound estate – especially under dubious circumstances – but I’ve only ever wanted to be financially secure.
For years I’ve been cast out from my family, desperately scraping together a living, trying to find some self-worth in the process.
But the rightful heir – Will Dawlish – hates my guts.
A-Daw-rable Dawlish, the papers call him. Dee-Lish Dawlish.
I’d like to think we could be friends, allies even, but all he wants is his inheritance back.
And even though Will’s distractingly handsome, even though he’s adored by the country as a cricketing legend, he’s emotionally bankrupt.
Will
I just want my grandfather’s inheritance back. I’ve got big plans to realise, and Kate Parsons has utterly derailed them.
After pursuing her through my lawyers, I’m left with one brazen plan.
Marrying her is the only option.
It makes good business sense; the divorce will be clean and tidy, my finances restored.
There will be nothing romantic between us because there’s absolutely nothing to like about Kate Parsons.
Not her lies, her mysteries, nor her blatant thievery.
And when she walks down the aisle towards me, I refuse to be moved by her graceful beauty.
I don’t want to notice her dazzling smile.
All I need to focus on is the next twelve months. Except, I also have to meet a stipulation of the prenup: consummating this marriage.

If you like your romances sexy, playful, and with guys in full possession of killer smiles, bods and moves, then buy this book!
The Rags to Riches books are a collection of steamy romance stories which can be read in any order, though reader enjoyment will be improved if you start with Marrying The Heiress.

About the Author: I loved reading romance books so much, I started to write my own. Featuring my own personal swoon-worthy book boyfriends with killer bods/smiles/moves and playful banter, hopefully, you’ll enjoy these heartfelt stories too.
I live in Norfolk, England and write stories with heat, heart and happily ever after.

Come back to me on the 23rd July to see what I thought of the book! 😍

🐧❤️

Today we are celebrating publication day for What Dreams We Had by Phil Featherstone! – let me tell you all about it 🙂

Synopsis: Five young people are in the dead period between finishing their exams and getting the results that will determine what they do next. It’s a time of anxiety but also a time of hope. And it’s the end of an era because whatever happens they will go separate ways. Meanwhile, there is a long summer vacation to fill.

Out of the blue, they receive an astonishing invitation. Four of them are in a band and a wealthy celebrity wants them to play at an event to be held at his home in Tuscany. All their expenses will be paid and they will live in a luxury villa. It sounds too good to be true, and it is.

They go to Italy, but when they reach the villa they find it’s empty. The location is remote, and with no transport, no internet connection and no mobile signal they are cut off from the world. A succession of mysterious events begins which forces them to review who they are, and to rethink what’s important to them. It’s not until the final chapters that we discover the real reason why they’ve been brought to the villa and exactly what the experience will mean for them.

About the Author: Phill lives in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK. He came to writing late, after a career in education and educational publishing. His first novel was Paradise Girl (2017). It’s the first book in the REBOOT trilogy and is the story of a teenage girl, Keryl Shaw, who finds herself alone when a deadly virus wipes out her family and friends. It was followed by Aftershocks (2018), recounting the adventures of Kerryl’s twin brother as he journeys to investigate and understand the pandemic. The finale to the series is Jericho Rose (2020). The pandemic is over and it’s time to rebuild, but there are some who see the chaos as an opportunity to pursue their own selfish aims. Phill’s fourth novel, The God Jar (2020), is a time-shift tale of a mysterious object and its strange powers. What Dreams We Had (2021) is his fifth novel.

Phill’s writing has received a number of awards. Paradise Girl, Aftershocks and The God Jar have Chill With a Book awards. Paradise Girl and The God Jar are Wishing Shelf finalists. Paradise Girl and Aftershocks have received Indie BRAG Medallions. Jericho Rose is a Wishing Shelf Red Ribbon Winner.

When he’s not reading or writing Phill likes walking, going to the theatre and concerts, travel, and visiting museums and galleries. He enjoys music and plays the tenor saxophone.

LOOK HOW PRETTY THE COVER IS!! 😍😍😍

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The CalDat Investigation by BRM Stewart, thank you to Kelly at Love Books Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 294

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: this book was a really scary look into the way news can be twisted or completely faked on the internet. How people can create their own photos /videos and make them look so real that anyone who saw them would believe what it was telling them!

I’ve just realised that this book is the 3rd in a series which explains why at times I felt like there was something I was missing within the interactions between certain characters, that being said it read really well as a stand-alone!

I honestly felt really creeped out and uncomfortable whilst reading this, I couldn’t believe how easy it was for them to hack into and take over someone’s Twitter account and start posting things without the real person knowing until it’s too late, it made me go in and change all my passwords 😂

I loved Grant as a main character, he wasn’t afraid to do what was needed to get the job done & I felt that him and Amanda had a hidden past that was hinted towards but never elaborated on, I may have to go back and read the first books and see if it gives me any insight.

I would recommend this book to all who enjoy crime novels, especially those who like them with private investigators, but I’d also maybe suggest that children in secondary school read it to show them why they have to be careful online!

🐧❤️

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Mrs Narwhals Diary by S.J. Norbury, 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: 368

Synopsis: “It was Woman’s Hour who suggested I keep a diary. They said it was good for mental health, and I must say I did feel much less frazzled after writing everything down yesterday. The frustrations were all still there, but somehow smoothed out – as if by a really good steam iron.”Mrs Narwhal is overwhelmed. Her husband, Hugh, is unkind and unhappy – working every hour at a job he hates to save the ancestral home he never wanted. Then there’s Hugh’s sister, Rose, who’s spurned her one true love, and ricochets from drama to drama; not to mention two small boys to bring up safely in a house that could crumble around their ears at any moment…When Hugh’s pride receives a fatal blow, and he walks out, Mrs Narwhal is plunged into a crisis of both heart and home. With help from Rose she sets out to save the house her husband couldn’t. But now that Hugh’s gone, the question must be faced: does Mrs Narwhal really want him back?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I signed up to this blog tour before there was even a cover for this book as I LOVED the sound of it, and I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but I am ashamed to admit that this time I did, when I saw the cover or did absolutely nothing for me, that being said now that I’ve read the book I know that it fits the story well, and isn’t that the point of a book cover? 😂 so please don’t make the same mistake I did and give this book a chance!

As the book suggests it’s set out as a diary, and each ‘chapter heading’ is the date that the entry is written, although for me some of them didn’t feel like diary entries as there was proper action and conversation and I really enjoyed that as I find that books that are set as diaries can be a little too repetitive at times, this really wasn’t the case with this one, there was so much going on that once I got into the story properly I was totally immersed and couldn’t wait to see what happened.

Poor Mrs Narwhal feels at times she is balancing too many plates at once and eventually one of them has to drop, but which one? Does she give up trying to make the effort with her husband or more so trying to get him to make an effort with his children, does she throw caution to the wind and give up her life as a stay at home mum and find herself a job, or does she give up trying to restore their old home back to its former glory?

Throw in a sister in law who is having problems, a person who has been with the Narwhal family for as long as they can remember who is VERY against any amount of change & strange family tradition ls that no one really understands but everyone endeavours to uphold then what you have is a glimpse into family life that I’m sure a lot of people can relate too!

Lots of laugh out loud moments and lots of moments that make you want to either shake your head or hide under the duvet and get the world to swallow you up!

As far as a debut novel goes, this is one that really doesn’t feel like one, I cannot wait to see what is next for this author!

🐧❤️

Today is my stop on the blogtour for Perfect on Paper by Gillian Harvey, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the author for my copy

Pages: 336

Synopsis: It’s time to shake things up a little…

Clare Bailey’s life is perfect. Successful career, loving husband, two kids and a gorgeous townhouse. At least, that’s how it looks from the outside.

In fact, she’s never felt more invisible. Her boss barely remembers her name, her husband is distracted by his new TV job and her daughter has never found her more embarrassing!

But when she’s given a chance to turn her life upside-down she wonders whether she should risk everything she loves for a life that’s more than just ‘perfect on paper’…?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: I really felt for Clare as there is nothing worse than feeling under appreciated and like people are taking advantage of you.

Her family don’t notice her or anything she does for them, something she learns when she stops trying.

At work the only person who cares is Ann, her boss is constantly shushing her, sending her away or just generally overlooking her, so when she misses the bus and a whole new opportunity opens up for her she just goes for it but never in a million years did she expect things to take off the way they did!

The writing was flowed easily which made this a fairly easy and enjoyable read, I did find it a little repetitive in places but found myself really rooting for Clare!

The story is really uplifting all about how making one single decision can change your life, one I would definitely recommend to my friends

🐧❤️

Today I’m happy to be kicking off the blog tour for Web of Lies by Sally Rigby, 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: 348

Synopsis: A trail of secrets. A dangerous discovery. A deadly turn.

Police officer Sebastian Clifford never planned on becoming a private investigator. But when a scandal leads to the disbandment of his London based special squad, he finds himself out of a job. That is, until his cousin calls on him to investigate her husband’s high-profile death, and prove that it wasn’t a suicide.

Clifford’s reluctant to get involved, but the more he digs, the more evidence he finds. With his ability to remember everything he’s ever seen, he’s the perfect person to untangle the layers of deceit.

He meets Detective Constable Bird, an underutilised detective at Market Harborough’s police force, who refuses to give him access to the records he’s requested unless he allows her to help with the investigation. Clifford isn’t thrilled. The last time he worked as part of a team it ended his career.

But with time running out, Clifford is out of options. Together they must wade through the web of lies in the hope that they’ll find the truth before it kills them.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: at the start of the book I expected it to go in a completely different direction to what it did 😂 I have to say that is definitely one hell of an opening chapter!

We follow Sebastian, who is told he has to attend the funeral of his cousins husband who has just committed suicide – once there his cousin approaches him and tells him she’s not convinced it was a suicide, little clues were left in the suicide note that no one else would’ve picked up on! – so against his better judgement to try and keep her focussed on something he agrees to use his skills and contacts to look into it.

The build up of the actual story is slow, and can feel a bit repetitive at times but once it gets going it’s impossible to put down!

Birdie was my favourite character, followed closely by Seb, but their interaction together is what really made the book for me, they just bounced off each other so well, part of me wanted them to become more than friends, whilst the other part just loves their easy friendship so much! – I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

The investigation was constantly going in ways that were unexpected and I was in a constant state of doubt – there were so many possible suspects and outcomes that I literally trusted no one, other than Seb and Birdie.

I didn’t see the ending or conclusion coming and I absolutely love it when that happens!

🐧❤️

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Crazy Season by Jim Ody, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Blog Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 360

Synopsis: Joel Baxter is infamous for solving weird and bizarre cases that others avoid. So, when he receives an email from a teenage boy Tim saying his town is cursed, he cannot turn it down.

“…I will more than likely be dead when you read this. There is nothing I can do about it. It’s the curse, and we’ve hit The Crazy Season.” Every 20 years, there are a handful of unexplained teenage deaths and it’s started again.

With the help of his straight-talking friend Melody, they set out to get to the bottom of the alleged curse. Everybody in Black Rock has secrets and nobody wants to speak.

The closer they get to truth the more Joel and Melody realise that their involvement is far from coincidental.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: right from the start I loved this, I was 100% invested and couldn’t wait to see where the story would take us!

I loved Joel as a main character, he had a very tough exterior but was vulnerable underneath and you could just tell that everything he did, he did for his wife. there were parts of the story, watching his interaction with her that were making me tear up because I just couldn’t imagine the heartbreak he was going through!

Melody was the perfect counter part to hun, she was sassy, straight to the point and just didn’t tip toe around him, she brought out his fun side which was a delight to see!

As more people started seemingly committing suicide or going missing I was starting to worry that they wouldn’t be able to solve it until it was too late!

Just when you think it’s been solved, something else happens to disprove that and we didn’t know which way to turn next.

This is the first Jim Ody book I’ve read but the writing flowed so easily making it such an easy and fun read that I will definitely be picking more up in the future.

The parts about the suicide and some of the details involved in that were hard to read as someone who has lost people to suicide, but I found those aspects were very respectfully done.

🐧❤️

Today is my stop on the blog tour for a bad, bad thing by Elena Forbes, 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: 441

Synopsis: After a police operation ends in catastrophe, DCI Eve West is suspended. She faces expulsion from the force, until John Duran – a violent criminal Eve incarcerated, still serving his sentence – offers to help clear her name. But nothing comes without a price.

Duran wants Eve to help free a fellow prisoner, who he claims has been wrongly convicted of murder. But as her investigationtakes a dark turn, Eve finds that more than just her job is at stake, and realises Duran is a dangerous man to trust . . .

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My thoughts: This was a brilliant opener to a new series, DCI Eve west is out to prove to all her colleagues that she is not to blame for the mess she’s found herself in, when she’s offered help from someone she least expects, but as we all know nothing ever comes for free!

She’s thrown into helping 4Justice prove that someone that is in prison for Murder didn’t get a fair trial, and she soon finds herself a lot deeper in the situation than she intended.

The writing is gripping and had me totally absorbed in what was going on, the storyline keeps you hooked and leaves you unable to stop turning the pages!

I did find some parts a little long winded and repetitive but I can’t wait to see where the series goes next!

🐧❤️