prdgreads

Today is my stop on the blog tour for the big ol’ bike by Rachael Clarke, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 81

Synopsis: Big things are happening in Little Springs…

Everything about Oliver is small, from his footprint to his glasses—and a trio of bullies never let him forget it. When Oliver receives his grandfather’s old bike for his birthday, he rides tall for the first time. But the meanest bully in school doesn’t like that at all. Oliver quickly finds himself challenged to a race. Now, he’ll have to be bigger than he ever imagined in order to prove heroes come in small packages too.

The Big Ol’ Bike is a contemporary slice of life for ages 7-10. It’s filled with characters who could live down the street from you, or have a locker beside yours at school. Come hang out with Oliver, Austin, and Sue, as they experience excitement, setbacks, and adventure together. Themes of bullying, family, friendship, confidence, and community are all explored.

Longer than average for this age range, The Big Ol’ Bike is meant to be transitional between chapter books and middle grade novels. It’s an equally perfect choice for eager readers who fly through the pages, and kids who enjoy taking it chapter by chapter.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

my Thoughts: I loved this book so much, obviously as a 30 year old woman I am not the target audience but it was just so lovely.

This book is longer than most children’s books, so I think it’s perfect for someone who is just moving from children’s books to middle grade as it has chapters but they’re all quite short.

The underlying message in the story is that, newer doesn’t always mean better, sometimes the sentimental value of something is more important than how much it costs and even more important than wether you have the latest version of something.

It’s about being true to yourself, standing up for a what you believe in and not giving into peer pressure.

“Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for being who you are, you hear? Not ever.”

This quote really hit home to me & it’s an important message for children to learn from an early age.

It made me feel so warm and happy inside and I can’t wait for my godson to be old enough to read and learn from it!

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for A Beautiful Spy by Rachel Hore, Thank you to Anne at random things yours for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 400

Synopsis: Minnie Gray is an ordinary young woman.
She is also a spy for the British government.

It all began in the summer of 1928…

Minnie is supposed to find a nice man, get married and have children. The problem is it doesn’t appeal to her at all. She is working as a secretary, but longs to make a difference.

Then, one day, she gets her chance. She is recruited by the British government as a spy. Under strict instructions not to tell anyone, not even her family, she moves to London and begins her mission – to infiltrate the Communist movement.

She soon gains the trust of important leaders. But as she grows more and more entangled in the workings of the movement, her job becomes increasingly dangerous. Leading a double life is starting to take its toll on her relationships and, feeling more isolated than ever, she starts to wonder how this is all going to end. The Russians are notorious for ruthlessly disposing of people given the slightest suspicion.

What if they find out?

Full of suspense, courage and love, A Beautiful Spy is a stunningly written story about resisting the norm and following your dreams, even if they come with sacrifices

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: Minnie is in her twenties, working as a typist and belong to support her mother and young siblings, but she’s bored and wants more with her life.

People are telling her she should settle down, get herself a husband and have children, but she doesn’t want that, at least not yet. she wants to do something that will make a difference.

When she’s approached by someone from the government asking if she would like a job with them doing some secret undercover work, thinking this is the break she’s been waiting for she jumps at the chance!

Unfortunately for her it’s not at all what she was expecting and she starts second guessing her decision, can she get out before it’s too late?

This book wasn’t at all what I was expecting, it was so good, I thoroughly enjoyed it, at times I wanted more from the story, I wanted a little more depth – but at the end of the story I learnt that it’s based on a true story with explains why some parts weren’t embellished more.

If you’re a fan of spy stories and historical fiction then I can highly recommend this one. it was a joy to read

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Chasing Petalouthes, thank you to the team at Love Books Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 464

Synopsis: Evvie has lived through more tragedy than a young girl should ever endure, having lost both her father and a most beloved grandmother at a young age. Her rebellious ways are her only defense to mask the ever-present pain in her heart. Closing herself off emotionally, Evvie vows to never let anyone into her heart. But will her determination to keep everyone out see her lose the only person who could heal her broken soul?

Over-achieving, focused, talented, determined to succeed. Those are the traits Stella envies in her siblings and cousins. Her insecurities and lack of confidence stunts her ability to realize her own worth. When an older, handsome young man claims her as his own, Stella believes she has finally found who she has been looking for—someone to love her enough to mold her into the best version of herself. But has she fallen in love too quickly for a man she barely knows anything about?

Chasing Petalouthes (Chasing Butterflies) is the coming of age story of two flawed, young women who push their way out from the confines of the cocoons they’d built around themselves and discover how to soar.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I was lucky enough to be part of the blog tour for all 3 parts of this incredible trilogy – every single one has lived up to and exceeded the high expectations that I had for them.

The third and final instalment follows the younger generation, the children of the “honey hill girls” all of them are teenagers now and this story is a real coming of age story, they’re discovering more about themselves and what they want to do with the rest of their lives!

Just like the other 2 this one was an emotional rollercoaster, with grief, heartache, heartbreak love and intrigue!

I don’t want to give anything away, but be warned trigger warnings for abuse, mental, sexual and physical, coercive control and rape – but every single subject is dealt with in a sensitive way.

This can be read as a stand alone but to get the overall effect I would highly recommend reading the other 2, starting with Evanthia’s Gift and then waiting for Aegina.

This is one series that had me totally engrossed and swept away with the stories, it made me feel real emotions, it had me crying, it had me feeling nervous for the characters and even had my heart beating out of my chest.

Most of all though it made my heart happy and I really wish I could experience it for the first time all over again ❤️

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Singapore fire, thank you to Murray for organising it, inviting me to take part and for providing me with a copy of the book.

Pages: 370

Synopsis: She wants to escape He wants to save her But nothing is what it seems

Singapore 1954 and once again, private investigator, Ash Carter is caught between the government and the criminal gangs. It’s time for Carter to choose. Escape now or stand and fight?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: after being part of the blog tour for Singapore Killer last year and being totally drawn in by the story when Murray asked me if I’d like to be part of the blog your for Singapore Fire, there was no way I could say no!

We’re back with Ash Carter, who after the whole BlackJack case has a better reputation in his Job as a private investigator and finds himself with more clients and more money coming in, which in turn is keeping his receptionist Madame Chau happy and off his back a little.

Unfortunately Ash doesn’t seem to learn from his past and had found himself tangled up with and falling in love with Su Ling, the Mistress of the crime boss Andrew Yipp, who also happens to be Ash’s arch nemesis, what could possibly go wrong? 😂

One night Su confessed to Ash that she needs to leave Andrew and that she needs his help doing so, clouded by the love he feels for her he sets out on a mission to help her calling in favours from friends!

Just as he has everything in place Su goes missing and it soon becomes clear that it won’t be as easy as he hoped, but when Andrew Yipp comes looking for him wondering where Su is Ash is left confused and wondering who he can trust!

This story is packed with action and intrigue and had me feeling like I couldn’t take it all in quick enough!

I adored the story and was left a little sad that this was the final instalment of the Ash Carter series, but what an ending it was… wow 😍

Thank you Murray for trusting me to read and review your book, I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Dark Truths by A.J. Cross, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles Blog Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 352

Synopsis: A fresh case lays bare old bones for DI Watt’s team

When a young woman’s body is discovered on a popular jogging trail in Birmingham, Detective Inspector Bernard Watts and his team are plunged into a disturbing murder investigation. Not only has the woman been violently stabbed – her head is missing.

When a close examination of the crime scene results in a shocking discovery linking the present murder to a past crime, criminologist Will Traynor is brought in to assist the police. Aware of Traynor’s troubled past, Watts is sceptical that he will bring anything useful to the investigation.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: the book is creepy right from the get go, a headless body has been found on a well used jogging trail! DI Watts is put on the case, but when more heads are discovered in quite close proximity to the first he soon realises that is going to be a far from easy case to solve! They’ve found the heads, but where are the bodies?

Inspector Brophy decides it’s time to use the help of a psychologist so enlists Will Traynor to give the police advice, however Di Watts isn’t happy, he sees Will as flaky! (With good reason, but still unreliable).

The story is quite a slow burn, but it’s twisty and full of things that will leave you second guessing the characters and absolutely no idea how the story will wrap up until the big reveal!

I thought it was very cleverly done and I thoroughly enjoyed it! – I can’t wait to see what Will Traynor gets up to next time!

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Alter Ego by K.A. Masson, 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: 456

Synopsis: Pounding on the door. My seven-year-old son shaking me awake. My head fuzzy with sleeping pills. The hallway flashing with blue light. This morning my life will change forever.

Alex Kendrew is juggling single parenthood, work and dating; with a wild, impetuous streak that’s hard to keep in check, she struggles to find a balance and feels perpetually guilty for the choices she makes.

In K.A. Masson’s domestic noir thriller, Alex begins a passionate affair when an old flame gets in touch. But one morning, the police arrest her for his attempted murder. Someone is framing her; can she prove her innocence as the evidence mounts against her?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this story was incredible, I was a little daunted by the size of it, at over 400 pages it’s a little longer than the thrillers I would normally ready and was worried that it would drag and more be able to hold my attention, but I’m happy to say that I was wrong, this one kept me guessing the whole way through.

We follow Alex Kendrew who is woken in the early hours of the morning by her young son because there is banging at the door, in come the police arresting her for the attempted murder of her boyfriend – but she claims to have been at home all night!

What follows is a story going back 8 years – then forward a little to just 4 years before her being arrested, a story full of characters (all of which you will start to doubt at some point) and little things that seem like nothing on the surface but could they be linked to something much bigger?

If you love a domestic Noir thriller that will keep you on your toes, but never get boring then this is the one for you.

Be warned this book contains possible abuse, sexual and mental, violence and some very graphic sex scenes (not all consensual)

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Today I’m here to reveal the cover for a disappointment of owls by S.E Smith… but before I do let me tell you about the book…

Synopsis: When the mutilated body of Albert Shawcross is found in the East End, the police head straight to Fournier street to the last person who saw him alive – Symington, Earl Byrd
Horrified at the presumption of guilt, Symington vows to track down the real killer. With the help of the pawnbroker’s niece, Emily, he’s drawn into an increasing dangerous world, where not everyone wants him to succeed.
With enemies using violent tactics to persuade him to drop the case, the earl must make a difficult decision. Does the shady solicitor deserve justice, or did he deserve to die?

About the Author: S.E. Smith, known as Sarah to her friends, and ‘Miss’ to her students, was born into a naval family and now lives on a 65-foot broad-beam boat with her husband, Steve, and her two rescue dogs – Ben and Eva.

Crediting her Nana May for instilling in her a love of history, and an encyclopedic knowledge of the East End of London at the turn of the 20th Century, Sarah took on board the adage ‘write about what you know’ and created Symington Byrd: a gentleman detective whose foray into the East End leads him into all kinds of danger.

A great fan of the West Wing, Pokemon Go, and Doctor Who, Sarah’s biggest claim to fame is the day spent with the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, chasing Daleks down The Strand.

So without further ado, here’s the cover….

Isn’t it beautiful?! 😍😍

If you want to but it you can do so here!

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Girl at the Back of the bus by Suzette D. Harrison thank you to the team at Bookouture for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 310

Synopsis: I watched in awe as Miz Rosa stopped those men on the bus with her clear, calm “no” and I thought about that word. What if I said no? What if I refused to follow the path these White folks wanted for us? What if I kept this precious baby?

Montgomery, Alabama, 1955
On a cold December evening, Mattie Banks packs a suitcase and leaves her family home. Sixteen years old and pregnant, she has already made the mistake that will ruin her life and disgrace her widowed mother. Boarding the 2857 bus, she sits with her case on her lap, hoping that the driver will take her away from disaster. Instead, Mattie witnesses an act of bravery by a woman named Rosa Parks that changes everything. But as Mattie strives to turn her life around, the dangers that first led her to run are never far away. Forging a new life in a harsh world at constant risk of exposure, Mattie will need to fight to keep her baby safe.

Atlanta, Georgia, present day
Ashlee Turner is going home. Her relationship in ruins, her career held back by prejudice, she is returning to the family who have always been her rock. But Ashlee’s home is not the safe haven she remembers. Her beloved grandmother is dying and is determined to share her story before she leaves…

When Ashlee finds a stack of yellowing letters hidden in her nana’s closet, she can’t help the curiosity that compels her to read, and she uncovers an old secret that could wreak havoc on her already grieving family. As she tries to make sense of what she has learned, Ashlee faces a devastating choice: to protect her loved ones from the revelations, or honor her grandmother’s wishes and follow the path to the truth, no matter where it may lead.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My thoughts: this book was an absolute delight, it was heartwarming, but also heartbreaking & very powerful, I’m not really sure how to put my thoughts into words as I’m completely speechless.

The story is told in 2 timelines from 2 separate perspectives. – Mattie Banks – 1955 and Ashlee Turner – 2020

The book opens in 1955 with Mattie as a 14 year old, caught in a situation she never expected she’s boarding a bus to take her somewhere where she can sort it, as a young black girl she is sent to the back of the bus, unbeknownst to her she is about to be witness to a big event in black history where Rosa Parks refuses to move from the back of the bus & it changes Matties perspective on things forever.

Ashlee Turner (who we later find out is Matties granddaughter) has just been passed up for promotion AGAIN and needs time to reflect on what she actually wants to do with the rest of her life. – she then gets a devastating phonecall which turns her whole life upside down!

The 2 ladies stories become interwoven in a very clever way & I found myself unable to put it down, this is definitely a story that will stay with me for a long time

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Danger Close by Cameron Curtis, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles Blog tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the publisher and the author for my copy

Synopsis: He wanted peace. But war would always find him.

Ex-Delta Force sniper Breed has spent most of his life at war and now he’s trying to make some time for peace. But when a veteran from his old unit is beheaded in El Paso, Breed feels duty bound to bring the killer to justice. A feeling that only grows stronger when his friend’s widow and son are also murdered.

As he uses all his specialist skills to uncover the truth, Breed finds himself working with some unlikely allies – a devious CIA operative, and a determined Latina reporter who is investigating the trafficking of underage girls. Together, they uncover a conspiracy to launch a massive attack on US soil.

The terrorists are confident – they have powerful friends in the Mexican cartels and US law enforcement. But they have reckoned without one thing—Breed.

Danger Close – the first in the stunning Breed action thriller series. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Jason Kasper, David Archer.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: this story takes you on one hell of a ride, let me tell you! – action packed from the first chapter, it just totally draws you in and is easy to get lost in!

We follow Breed, who is an ex Military sniper, his friend and colleague had just been found in his ranch, dead and beheaded! – nothing like a serious murder to start a book with 😂.

Breed is determined to find out what happened and after speaking to the law enforcement and the family of the victim he soon realises that although, they’re doing their best they’re looking in the wrong places! – so with the help of 2 more people from their old Military team, he sets off on his own to work it out for himself.

There are so many layers to this story that I thought I’d get confused but it was actually pretty easy to follow, and goes a lot deeper than you expect! – trigger warnings for abuse, drug use, violence and trafficking of young girls.

I was totally invested in Breed and his mates! – they were there for each other no questions asked and ready to lay their lives on the line to see justice done for their dead friend.

The only reason I knocked half a star off was because sometimes the description of the weapons, how to use them and other parts of the Military aspect were slightly confusing and hard to follow but that didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the book.

I will be looking out for the next instalment of the series and can’t wait to see what Breed gets up to next time!

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Today is my stop on the tour for Waiting for Aegina by Effie Kammenou, thank you to the ladies at Love Books Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 386

Synopsis: Read as a standalone or as part of the trilogy

In 1961, five little girls moved into a suburban neighborhood and became inseparable, lifelong friends. They called themselves the ‘Honey Hill Girls,’ named after the street on which they lived. As teenagers they shared one another’s ambitions and dreams, secrets and heartaches. Now, more than thirty years later, they remain devoted and loyal, supporting each other through triumphs and sorrows.

Evanthia’s Gift follows the life of Sophia Giannakos. In Waiting for Aegina the saga continues from the perspectives of Sophia and her friends as the story drifts back and forth in time, filling in the gaps as the women grow to adulthood.Naive teenage ideals are later challenged by harsh realities, as each of their lives takes unexpected turns. Now nearing their fiftieth year, Sophia, Demi, Amy, Mindy and Donna stand together through life-altering obstacles while they try to regain the lighthearted optimism of their youth.

My Rating:🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: if you’ve been following my blog this year, you’ll know that Evanthia’s Gift the first book in the series was one that I really enjoyed, it made my heart so happy. well this one was no different, I absolutely loved it!

We’re still following the same characters, but this one is spread over multiple timelines, present day where something tragic happens right at the start of the book and we’re all just waiting on the edges of our seats and hoping for a good outcome!

And in the past too, which for me really helped me understand the friendship that the 5 girls have and the reasons why, they really have been there for each other through everything! 🥺

Again there are so many emotions packed into this story, the present day parts start off happy and so full of love and hope for the future but quickly then to devastation and heartbreak, whilst the chapters set in the past have all that and more too, mix in the teenage angst the thinking they know a everything and an unplanned pregnancy! – it’s no wonder their journey to adulthood wasn’t plain sailing 😂

I really enjoyed getting to see more of Dino, his chapters building up to the present day were my favourite, seeing it dawn on him that he’s made the wrong decision but feeling like he has to put up with it anyway broke my heart.

This book deals with some really hear hitting topics but does it so sensitively, hats off to Effie for being brave enough to tackle them in the first place.

You’ll definitely need tissues to make it through this book, I personally can’t wait to dive into book 3.

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