prdgreads

Today I am on the tour for The One by T.A. Caldwell, 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: 343

Synopsis: Marcus knows Emily isn’t perfect. Yet.

Emily is young and naive. Fresh out of college, she dreams of true love while struggling to get a foothold in New York City. Marcus is wealthy, handsome, a charming British born billionaire who has everything – except the perfect wife.

When they meet, Marcus is immediately drawn to this vulnerable young woman. He sweeps Emily off her feet with romantic dinners and a picnic on his yacht. Head over heels, she agrees to a weekend getaway on his private Caribbean Island.

It’s perfect – golden beaches, crystal clear water, a staff to take care of every need. Emily thinks she’s landed in paradise. There’s just one problem – Marcus has no intention of ever letting her leave.

Isolated, alone, Emily gradually realizes that she has stumbled into her own private hell. Marcus has all the power and he is determined to transform her into his warped idea of the perfect woman.

And if Emily fails to meet his exacting standards… the consequences could be fatal.

My Thoughts: this book is dark, but dark in the way that you don’t see it coming at first & by the time you realise what’s happening, you don’t really want to read it but you’re so hooked that all you can do is keep turning the pages and watch it all unfold.. the whole time your jaw is hitting the floor your heart is beating so fast & all you want to do is hide under a blanket. 😂

Marcus is the perfect man, he’s kind, attentive, caring & he has the money to take care of you, Emily rightly so gets swept off her feet.. and to begin with I was proud of her, she started off standing her ground and telling Marcus when he was wrong but very slowly that started to change.

The story is fast paced which matches the speed of the relationship between them, who would have thought the picture perfect paradise would actually end up being a living nightmare.

I think I spent the majority of this reading experience feeling weirdly uncomfortable, but I loved it!

Highly recommend to fans of a psychological thriller!

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Today I am on the tour for Appy Ever After by Chrissie Harrison, 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: 354

Synopsis: Beth is fed up with dating.

Sam doesn’t date.

So why are they creating a dating app together…?

After a failed marriage and months of strikeout dates, Beth is starting to think she’s not cut out for a forever love. Then she meets Sam.

Sam has an uncanny knack for matchmaking his friends into long-term relationships. Now they’ve challenged him to turn his skill into code – a dating app with a difference. It all seems ridiculous… until he’s introduced to Beth.

Beth’s job in venture capital, and her dating experience, are ideal. Plus, she desperately needs a fruitful client project, or her job is on the line. Sam clearly has the matchmaking skill and the coding knowledge to make this app a success. Not only that, maybe he’ll find her a Mr Right?

When they start double dating for project research, Beth falls hard. There’s just one problem: Sam, an incurable romantic, has his heart set on a Paris meet-cute destiny, and won’t consider anyone else.

However, when they decide to fake date as part of the app’s marketing plan, it’s clear to everyone that they belong together.

But if Sam can’t see that Beth is his perfect partner, he’s failed the ultimate matchmaking test, and the app is doomed.

Can she change his mind, save the project, and secure them both an Appy Ever After?

My Thoughts: this is the first book by Chrissie Harrison that I’ve picked up but I adored this one so much that I can promise you it won’t be the last!

This romance book is quite long compared to the others I’ve read recently but I was that swept up by the story and the lives of Sam and Beth that I just devoured it.

Sam had it in his head that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his parents and his sister & fall in love in France, but spent his life pairing people up, it seems that his skill in finding people their perfect match is second to none so with him being a software engineer he can create the perfect dating app.. he just has no money!

This is where Beth comes into the story, her job is to find investments for her boss, they meet by chance but it’s like the stars aligned for them!

This was honestly so much fun, it was hilarious and the banter between them was on point!

I honestly wasn’t ready for the book to finish, I need more of Sam and Beth, some couples you just get attached to!

Perfect for romance fans who prefer the closed door type, plenty of flirting & swoon worthy moments but no spice! As a self confessed spice lover I can tell you that the fact there isn’t any doesn’t take away from the story at all. I was honestly hooked all the way through!

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Today I am on the tour for Overdue by Stephanie Perkins, thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Blogtours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 450

Synopsis: Ingrid Dahl is a cheerful, twenty-nine-year-old librarian living in the cosy mountain town of Ridgetop. She and her boyfriend since college, Cory, have never discussed marriage; they’re perfectly happy with the way things are. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman she’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory suddenly feel pressured to start thinking about the inevitable: marriage and kids.

The thing is, neither of them has ever been with anyone else. Shouldn’t they sow their oats before settling down?

They make the unorthodox decision to separate for a month to date other people, assuming that at the end of it, they’ll reunite and start planning their nuptials. And Ingrid has the perfect man in mind for this relationship sabbatical–Macon Nowakowski, her cantankerous and completely adorable coworker for whom she’s had a crush for years. 

But of course the best laid plans often go awry, and when Ingrid and Cory meet at the end of the month to resume next steps in their relationship, it’s clear neither of them is ready to get back together…

About the Author:

Stephanie Perkins is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author and anthology editor of multiple books, including Overdue, Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, Isla and the Happily Ever After, and My True Love Gave to Me, as well as There’s Someone Inside Your House, which was adapted into a major motion picture for Netflix. She has always worked with books―first as a bookseller, then as a librarian, and now as a novelist. She lives in the mountains of North Carolina with her husband. Every room of their house is painted a different color of the rainbow.

If you like the sound of this it can be bought here!

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Today I am on the tour for Before You Say I Love You by Sarah Gate, 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: 344

Synopsis: Grief taught her how to survive.

Love could teach her how to live again.

Maddie Whittle’s life has been shaped by loss. In an attempt to move past her grief, she’s dedicating herself to transforming her family’s estate into a wellness retreat.

The work is hard, and Maddie has no time for distractions.

Until a runaway piglet from the local farm leads her straight into the path of James Byron — an infuriating blast from her past.

Maddie needs help. James needs a job. What neither of them want is the slow-burning tension that could turn their bickering partnership into something far more dangerous: hope.

As winter sets in and renovations bring them closer, Maddie must confront the one thing she’s avoided for years. The possibility of a future defined not by loss, but by love.

My Thoughts: this is book 2 in a series & yes it can be read as a standalone and appreciated for the beautiful book it is but I would highly recommend reading Before You Say Goodbye first to really be able to experience the character growth.

The first book broke me into 6 million pieces, and this book very slowly put me back together, it’s everything I didn’t know I needed and more.

The Whittles are just the most wholesome family, they all have their issues, they’re all flawed but when it matters they pull together.

In this one we’re following Maddie, she carries a lot on her shoulders after the events of book 1, there’s a lot of guilt, a lot of pressure & I just wanted her to see the positive side of life again, I wanted her to realise that she deserves happiness, that she is allowed to see the good & that that’s what Bowie would want for her.

In walks James, chasing a piglet who has escaped from the farm he’s just started working at, I can’t say they hit it off instantly, but as the reader we could see the attraction, it was there bubbling under the surface & I couldn’t wait for them both to realise it.

Sarah just has a way with words, the writing flows so easily & you’re swept up in the story & hooked completely before you’re even aware of it.

It’s beautiful & almost poetic, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

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Today I am on the tour for Suddenly Mine by Katie Evergreen, 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: 228

Synopsis: ❄️ Christmas romance
❄️ Workplace romance
❄️ Opposites attract
❄️ Billionaire romance
❄️ Second-chance romance

This Christmas, love might be the holiday miracle she’s been waiting for . . .

Merry Sinclair once believed in the magic of Christmas — until heartbreak ruined her holiday spirit.

Now, working in Carroll’s, New York’s famous Department Store, only reminds Merry of what she’s lost. That is, until she meets Christian, a new employee with deep chestnut eyes and a smile that seems to warm even the coldest winter days.

Christian Carroll, estranged heir to a powerful family empire, hasn’t stepped foot in Carroll’s in years. But when his father reveals that the company is on the verge of collapse due to sabotage, Christian reluctantly returns — working undercover as a janitor to uncover the truth.

The last thing he needs is a distraction in the form of the warm-hearted and endearingly quirky store greeter, Merry.

But as Christmas magic fills the air, Merry and Christian grow closer. From skating beneath the Rockefeller tree to dancing at the glittering Carroll’s Christmas Ball, every moment feels like a fairytale.

But when Christian’s true identity is revealed, Merry is left torn — can she trust him with her heart? Or will past heartache keep them from finding their own place under the mistletoe?

It made me all gooey inside, gave me the warm and fuzzies and made me swoon multiple times.

My Thoughts: this is book 3 in the Apex Billionaires series and by far my favourite, I loved the characters, the setting, the Christmas magic, it was just everything you could want from a Christmas romance and more.

Where do I find myself a Christian Carroll?!

As much as I didn’t like the secrets and the lies in Christian’s part I understood them, I know that doesn’t make it right but in a way it added an extra layer to the story.. like how could he give Merry what he thought she deserved without giving the game away and spending too much money?

New York & Christmas is like the perfect combination and I was slightly jealous of how romantic their dates were 😂 everything was just perfect & I kind of wanted the book to be longer so we could have more of them, of Christian falling first and falling hard, of Merry slowly realising that she was good enough and that she deserved it all & more of them together 😩

I have adored this series and tbh I’m a little sad it’s over.

Highly recommend, it’s fantastic!

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Today I am on the tour for Christmas In Port Berry by K.T. Dady, 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: 265

Synopsis: ❤️ Christmas romance
❤️ Small town
❤️ Second-chance romance
❤️ Friends-to-lovers
❤️ Found family

Welcome to Port Berry, where love and Christmas miracles are just around the corner.

Alice Dipple is determined to make her first Christmas running Port Berry’s Seaview B&B a success.

But when her childhood best friend, Jamie Stark, returns after years away, the Christmas season suddenly feels a little brighter — and a lot more complicated.

Jamie was once the love of Alice’s life, until a dreadful mistake tore them apart. He’s returned to Port Berry for a fresh start, and hoping to win back the woman he’s never stopped loving.

Alice is focused on her business. But as she and Jamie are drawn back together by the cosy charm of the B&B, the warmth of the community, and their shared history, she begins to wonder if there’s a second chance for them after all.

But just when it seems like Christmas could bring them their new beginning, Jamie’s troubled past resurfaces, threatening everything they have built.

Will the magic of the season be enough to bring them together — and this time forever?

My Thoughts: this book will have a special place in my heart forever I think, it’s about Christmas & about someone getting a second chance after being in prison, made my heart happy & gave me all the warm and fuzzies.

We’re following Alice who is trying to get the Seaview B&B through its Christmas with her in charge, it’s a big ask as it’s so well known and such an iconic part of the town, she wants to get it all perfect whilst also adding her own twist! – whilst doing all this she is also raising her 15 year old nephew.

Then one day she gets a surprise visitor, she just hears him call her angel and she knows exactly who it is.. but she wasn’t expecting him for another year!

Jamie is nervous returning to Port Berry, knowing that most of the residents won’t be happy, after all he left there under a cloud, causing lots of issues and getting into trouble, he’s done his time and he’s now free but everyone knows a reputation like that can be almost impossible to shake.

He no longer has his gran to fall back on & doesn’t want to impact Alice’s life too much, but for now he doesn’t have a choice, he literally has nowhere else to go!

Seeing the two of them getting to know each other again after so long was something quite magical, he was really quite swoon worthy and she wasn’t afraid to tell him how it is.

It was an absolute delight to be back in Port Berry & I think might just be my favourite instalment yet.

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Today I am on the tour for The Therapy Room by OMJ Ryan, 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: 291

Synopsis: She shared her darkest secrets. Now someone is using them to destroy her.

New mother Shelly should be enjoying the happiest time of her life. She’s just given birth to a beautiful baby boy, Alfie.

But Alfie’s arrival has triggered something deep inside Shelly and now she finds herself at the mercy of crippling OCD and violent intrusive thoughts that terrify her. Desperate for help, she joins a therapy group led by renowned psychologist Dr Andrea Galanis.

It doesn’t work. Instead of helping, somehow therapy seems to be bringing her very worst fears to life.

What Shelly doesn’t realise is that someone from her dark past has infiltrated the group. And now she is sharing her most private secrets with a person who is determined to rip her life apart, one painful piece at a time.

With everything and everyone she cares about under threat, Shelly has a simple choice – confront the horrifying truth she’s kept hidden for almost twenty years, or face every mother’s worse nightmare – losing the child she loves.

My Thoughts: this book shows how one small moment can change the trajectory of your life forever, Olivia realises that when she loses her brother Daniel, leading her mum to end her life, her dad to become an alcoholic and Olivia to end up on her own when her gran ends up in a care home.

Then experiences it again when after 12 years she sees Shelly, the lady she believes killed her brother Daniel, she finds herself in a spiral of revenge no matter the cost & once she starts there’s just no stopping her.

Shelly finds herself in the grips of OCD and awful thoughts that she just can’t explain, she loves her son but constantly imagines hurting him, she’s doing all the right things she’s attending therapy, she’s being open and honest, she’s getting the help she needs, little does she know that this therapy could be the worst thing she could do…

The story was eerily realistic & cements my decision to never be able to attend group therapy 😂

Just when you think it can’t get worse it absolutely does.

A fast paced thriller that I found impossible to put down & read in one sitting within 3 hours – I inhaled it!

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Pages: 289

Synopsis: Every room has a secret. Every secret has a price.

Rachel thought marrying Lucas Price would be the beginning of her happily ever after. Instead, moving into Crestwood, his sprawling seaside estate, feels more like stepping into a nightmare.

The shadow of his first wife, Eliza—who died in a tragic fall from the cliffs—haunts every corner of their new home. When ghostly apparitions begin appearing and mysterious messages warn Rachel to leave, she questions her own sanity.

Lucas dismisses her fears and refuses to discuss what happened to Eliza, leaving Rachel isolated and paranoid. Desperate to get to the truth, she starts to investigate Eliza’s death.

In a house where nothing is as it seems and everyone has something to hide, Rachel must confront not only the ghosts of the past but the buried trauma of her own dark memories.

And when she finally gets closer to Crestwood’s horrifying secret, she realizes she’s in danger of losing everything she cares about. Including her life.

My Thoughts: it’s been a while since I read a book by Theo & I forgot just how gripping they are and how quickly you get swept up by the plot.. but the almost like the book becomes your whole personality until you finish it!

In this one we’re following Rachel and Lucas, they’re newly weds and have just moved into Crestwood which is the house that Lucas built with his ex wife Eliza and instantly Rachel gets the feeling there’s more to the whole thing than she’s been told, but Lucas completely shuts down whenever Rachel brings it up and when she tries to talk to the housekeeper Mrs Potts she just gets told “Mr Price doesn’t like us to talk about it”

She tries to let it go, but the house feels haunted, it makes noises on a night, there’s locked rooms in the house and a wardrobe full of dresses that she knows aren’t hers.

This story did not go the way I expected, not fully, when I tell you I was hooked I promise I’m not being dramatic, this book gave me actual chills and I absolutely loved it!

I might even go as far as to say this is my favourite book by Theo so far.

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Today I am on the tour for Baby’s Got Blue Eyes by L M Krier, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 279

Synopsis: A compelling début crime thriller with a very different sort of detective.

Someone is dumping bodies on DI Ted Darling’s patch and he’s not happy. Ted’s a good solid copper, in an old-fashioned way, with an excellent clear-up rate.

He’s not at all like your average cop and has his own unique way of dealing with any prejudice his differences bring him. No heavy drinking, no failed marriage, just a steady, long-term relationship. He and his partner have cats, not kids.

But this serial killer seems to be running effortless rings round Ted and his team. Every promising lead just takes them up another frustrating blind alley. Then it starts to get personal.

Baby’s Got Blue Eyes was the first book written in the popular Ted Darling Crime Series. There is now a retrospectively-written prequel, The First Time Ever, which can be read first, or at any point in the series.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this and sometimes I feel weird saying that when it’s a crime thriller book full of murder, dead bodies and an unknown person leaving messages for Ted, but honestly I was hooked.

I loved the characters, I loved the story line, the twists and the red herrings that had me tied up in knots and constantly second guessing myself!

I have to be honest though the best part was the cats, you spent the whole book wondering if Teds husband was going to smuggle another one in 😂😂

The twist in this book had me welling up, I didn’t expect it at all, it totally threw me which I guess is a testament to the authors skill as a writer.

I can’t wait to dive back into the series, this is a book I would highly recommend to fans of a police procedural.

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Today I am on tour for The Best Wild Idea by Lily Parker, 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: 341

Synopsis:

❤️ Forced proximity
❤️ Enemies-to-lovers
❤️ Second-chance
❤️ Opposites attract
❤️ He falls first
❤️ Dual POV

She can’t forgive him. She can’t forget him.

Jules, Silas and Grant were once inseparable — until Jules and Grant got engaged, Silas inherited a billion-dollar empire, and everything fell apart.

Then the unthinkable happens. Grant is gone. And Jules is left reeling, her heart in pieces.

The last person she wants to see is Silas — the one man she swore to hate. The best friend she pushed away.

Silas has loved Jules since he first set eyes on her. But he lost her to his best friend. And now he’s lost his best friend to something his money couldn’t fix.

Then a letter arrives. Grant’s final request: Show Jules how to live again.

Silas must be the one to take Jules on the adventure she’s always dreamed of.

But it’s with the man she hates most in the world.

From golden Spanish sunsets to the sparkling coast of Amalfi and the magic of Parisian nights, Jules wants nothing to do with Silas. But there’s a thin line between love and hate . . .

And somewhere along the way, the man she left behind begins to look a lot like the one she can’t live without.

My Thoughts: oh my heart, this book. This might just be my favourite read of the year, the emotions this book made me feel it couldn’t possibly be anything less than 5 stars.. I’m not even joking when I tell you this book had me in tears by page 24, the depiction of grief in here was so spot on that took me right back to losing my dad 3 years ago.

I loved all of the main characters, Jules, Grant and Silas were all stand out in their own right, even after his death Grant was selfless and wanted nothing but the best for his wife and his best friend, he planned the trip right down to the tiniest detail, even knowing how each of them would react.. I know it’s fiction, but it genuinely felt like it was real, like I was a fly on a wall watching it all unfold in real time.

And don’t get me started on the letters.. honestly even just thinking about this book & putting my thoughts into words I’m fighting back the tears.

Jules and Silas were exactly what each other needed, that was obvious to us as readers even if they couldn’t work it out for themselves, they had me shaking my head, putting my head in my hands & wanting to just push them together myself.

I am broken into a million pieces in the best way possible, Lily you are a genius and have now official cemented yourself as an author whose books I will read no matter what.

If you trust any of my book recommendations make it this one!

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