Book Review: The Other Side of You by Amanda Craig
Abacus, February 2017
Will must run from the gang that controls the estate where he lives or die. He has witnessed the murder of his Aunty and so he is running for his life. He needs to find somewhere to hide
In doing this, he ends up in the area outside the estate he has known all of his life. It’s all very different. People don’t walk around looking over their shoulder and businesses thrive.
He finds shelter in what he calls a ‘glass house.’
Soon after that, he meets Padma and falls in love. He feels he could actually make his life better. Then his past catches up with him.
This book is based around/ is an updated version of Beauty and The Beast. When I started reading, I did wonder how this was going to be achieved. The story is so well-known. It’s all be integrated really well.
The description of the green house and the plants are so vivid. I felt as though I was there. The writing is fast paced and page turning.
I read this in pretty much one sitting (it’s a hundred pages long) but it drew me in. I even like how Amanda included the roses.
Will has been told he is one thing all of his life. He assumes that all he has ever known is all he will ever be. Escaping shows him a different path. You’ve just got to want it. Also, first impressions and appearances are not always to be trusted.
This is a great addition to the Quick Reads library. I enjoyed it very much.
by 
Blog Tour: The One by John Marrs – Review
A big welcome today to John Marrs and the blog tour for his novel, The One which was published as an eBook in January with the paperback following in May 2017.
How far would you go to find THE ONE?
One simple mouth swab is all it takes. A quick DNA test to find your perfect partner – the one you’re genetically made for.
A decade after scientists discover everyone has a gene they share with just one other person, millions have taken the test, desperate to find true love. Now, five more people meet their Match. But even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking – and deadlier – than others…
Chris’s verdict on The One:
Imagine a world where all it takes to find your prefect partner is a simple DNA test. Should you follow the science and seek out that person, or follow convention and see where your heart leads you?
The book follows the stories of several individuals who are drawn together because they have received a notice from the DNA match website identifying their match. The characters are a strange group – Intellectuals, officials and even a serial killer.
I found that the book asks various questions; if you find your perfect match will you love them? If you fall in love with someone other than your match then will it, or can it, work out? And if you have met your perfect match will they love you despite your flaws?
The stories all occur simultaneously, following linear time though out the book, with individual chapters for each character which works wonderfully so as to draw you though the book as you always want to know what is going to happen to X or Y next.
by Book News: February Book Releases
A new month. We’re already reaching the end of the first week of February. How is that possible?!
There are some wonderful authors releasing books this month and I wanted to share a few of the ones I am looking forward to getting my hands on.
Norse Mythology is the latest release by Neil Gaiman and it sounds amazing. It’s released on 7th February by Bloomsbury.
I am fairly new to Neil’s books (although I loved Stardust when it was released as a movie.)
I am also interested in the subject matter of this book.
The norse myths are woven into our story telling. Neil Gaiman reaches back through time to the original source stories. Norse mythology is a thrilling and vivid rendition of the great norse tales; Ragnarok, Twilight of the Gods, Thor, Loki, Odin and Freya. These are all irresistible in Neil’s latest book (although Tom Hiddleston as Loki is pretty irresistible already if I am honest.)
Backstabber by Kimberley Chambers is due for release on 9th February by Harper Collins. Kimberley’s books always sound like they would completely draw me in. I might have to pull this up the TBR pile a bit.
One of them has a gun to his head. Who will pull the trigger?
King of the underworld, Vinny Butler goes into business with respected villain, Eddie Mitchell. It’s a match made in East End legend.
Friends and Family are treated all, enemies like rats.
Then a mysterious package arrives; dead creatures and threats. Someone is out for revenge. Who the enemy is, no one knows. There are some people you should never cross, some who can’t forgive or forget.
by Book News: Galaxy Quick Reads Release Six New Books
Six exciting new Galaxy Quick Reads titles released on 2nd February.
These books are part of the annual campaign to improve adult literacy.
This is the seventh year Quick Reads has been sponsored by Galaxy and the second year it has been run by the Literary Agency.
One in six adults struggle with reading in the UK. This year, Quick Reads will continue its work to break down the barriers that prevent people from picking up a book.
From a re-imagining of Beauty and The Beast, to a road trip in search of Poldark, the titles include books from Jenny Colgan and a special edition of Feel The Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers.
There is also a crime collection featuring Harry Bingham, Clare MacKintosh and Mark Billingham.
The first Quick read is Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers. Released by Ebury, this is a specially adapted book drawing on the landmark self-help book by the late, Susan Jeffers. This is the first time a self-help book has been released in this series and what a great one to kick it off.
Everyone has fears and worries that stop them from progressing and going for the things they want in life. The simple life-changing exercises in this book will teach anyone to turn uncertainty into action.
The second, released by Orion is Dead Simple. This is a collection of short stories from some of the UK’s best crime writers.
Authors featured include Mark Billingham, Clare MacKintosh, James Oswald, Jane Casey, Angela Marsons, Harry Bingham, Antonia Hodgson and CL Taylor.
There are eight stories that will have many twists and turns; a man who attempts to commit the perfect murder, a widow who is about to lose more than her husband and a murderer who, when is he is about to be hanged realises that there could be worse things that happen to him.
by Book Review: The Girl on the Beach by Morton S. Gray
Death By Choc Lit, January 2017
Who is Harry Dixon?
When Ellie Golden meets Harry Dixon, she can’t help but feel she recognises him from somewhere. But when she finally realises who he is, she can’t believe it – because the man she met on the beach all those years before wasn’t called Harry Dixon. And, what’s more, that man is dead.
For a woman trying to outrun her troubled past and protect her son, Harry’s presence is deeply unsettling – and even more disconcerting than coming face to face with a dead man, is the fact that Harry seems to have no recollection of ever having met Ellie before. At least that’s what he says …
But perhaps Harry isn’t the person Ellie should be worried about. Because there’s a far more dangerous figure from the past lurking just outside of the new life she has built for herself, biding his time, just waiting to strike.
Recently, I’ve had the privilege of reading some novels before their published date; my thanks to those who’ve been so generous to allow me to do so, you know who you are. Around two weeks ago, I was accorded the honour of being sent a copy of the author Morton S Gray’s debut novel ‘The Girl on the Beach’, published by Choclit.
I’ve read a few debuts over the years and obviously some are better than others. If you’re lucky, you’re left doing a passable goldfish impression with your mouth simply repeating, ‘OMG! OMG! OMG! Whilst some honestly leave you wondering how on earth they got published. This novel sits firmly, as in set-in-stone firmly, in the former category. I finished it last night and just sat there enjoying a special feeling…you know the one where you know, you just know that you’ve found a special author and you’re going to be ticking off the days on your calendar until their next release!
Those who read my reviews will know that I don’t tend to give much away about the plot, it spoils the twists and turns – and there are plenty here – that a good author will sprinkle around their work. Ms Gray’s story is as much ‘Suspense’ as ‘Romance’ and considering the subject matter, this is just as well. Because of this, I have to explain what I mean and tell you a little more of the story than I normally would. I prefer to concentrate on how the writer…um, writes.
by Blog Tour: Clare Swatman Talks About Her Debut Novel, Before You Go
It’s blog tour day for the brilliant debut novel, Before You Go by Clare Swatman.
When Zoe’s husband Ed dies, her world caves in. But what if Zoe can get Ed back?
You find your soulmate . . .
Some people stare love in the face for years before they find it. Zoe and Ed fumbled their way into adulthood, both on different paths – but always in the same direction. Years later, having navigated dead-end jobs and chaotic house shares, romance finally blossoms. Their future together looks set . . .
Then the unthinkable happens.
One morning, on his way to work, Ed is knocked off his bike and dies. Now Zoe must find a way to survive. But she’s not ready to let go of the memories. How can she forget all of the happy times, their first kiss, everything they’d built together? Zoe decides she has to tell Ed all the things she never said.
Now it’s too late. Or is it?
I’ve reviewed Before You Go below but first, I had a chat with Clare about her novel and her writing process. Hi Clare, thank you so much for joining me today. Your new book is called Before You Go. Could you tell me a little about it and what inspired it?
Thank you for having me. Before You Go is the story of Zoe and Ed. When Ed dies Zoe is left grieving and wishing she could go back and say all the things she didn’t say to him before he died. Then one day, after hitting her head, she wakes up as her 18 year old self, and realises that, for whatever reason, she’s back in the very first day she met Ed, and that she’s going to get the chance to see him again. Slowly, she realises she might even have been given the chance to change the past – and her future. It’s a story about enduring love, and regrets, and second chances.
Most of my ideas are inspired by people’s real stories. I was a true life magazine journalist for years and found that people’s real stories were actually a lot more interesting than anything you could make up! The spark for this came from a story I read about a woman who had an accident and when she woke up she thought she was 17 and didn’t know who her husband and kids were. Although this isn’t what Before You go is about, it got me thinking about what it would be like to wake up as a 17 year old again – and that sparked the idea for the book.
Which writers inspire you?
Margaret Atwood has always been one of my favourite writers. I love the way she writes really simply but conveys so much. I also adore Maggie O’Farrell. For me her stories just flow beautifully and her characters zing from the page. Her writing makes me want to be better. Last year I also really enjoyed the quirkiness of The Trouble With Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon so I hope she becomes one of my favourite authors, and I love Kate Atkinson too; although her books require a bit of concentration, they’re worth it!
by Catherine Bennetto Shares Her Favourite Alternative Romantic Novels
How Not To Fall In Love Actually is the brilliant debut novel from Catherine Bennetto.
Emma has a job in television which is distinctly less glamorous and exciting than it sounds. She’s managed to claw her way up the ranks from Tea-Maker and Rubbish-Collector to 2nd Assistant Director (heavy on the ‘assistant’. Even heavier on the ‘2nd’).
So when she finds she’s accidentally very pregnant and at the same time accidentally very sacked (well, less accidentally: she did tell her boss to stick his job up his bum), she knows things are going to have to change.
Luckily she’s also accidentally the heir to a lovely cottage in Wimbledon, with a crazy Doberman-owning octogenarian as a neighbour and a rather sexy guy as an accidental tenant. But this baby is coming whether she likes it or not, and she needs to become the sort of person who can look after herself let alone another human being – and quickly.
Catherine shares with us today her top ten alternative romantic novels. Over to you Catherine…
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
I’ve not seen the movie but you’d have to be living under a rock in Snezhnegorsk (Russia) to not know Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger played the main characters. And regardless of sexual orientation you’d be a fool, A FOOL I SAY, to turn either one of them down. Sadly, the written characters are much less lust worthily depicted…. But it’s a fabulous story with unique characters and a satisfyingly heart-wrenching conclusion.
Michael Joseph, 2012
ME BEFORE YOU
This book was so fascinating I read it in one day. A romance develops between two unlikely characters: Louisa; who is relatively normal, and Will, completely paralyzed, wholly dependant and with a very genuine, and not unwarranted, death wish. And oh how I wanted it to work out in the end! Couldn’t he just miraculously recover? But I’d have liked the story less and would have called it unrealistic and twee. So die he must, be sad she was, and cry I did.
BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY
Instead of the typical mid 20’s heroine working in advertising and wearing amazing shoes, meet Bridget; thirty-something with an average woman’s body and an average woman’s job, bumbling around London in big pants trying to hook up with the bad guy while accidentally falling in love with the geek guy. It was a refreshing change to the romantic comedy trope and I (along with scores of others) adored ridiculous, kind, forever-willing-to-dust-off-and-try-again Bridget.
by Book Review: The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr
Released: 12th January 2017, Penguin
Flora is seventeen and longs to be like every other girl her age. However, Flora can’t remember anything past being ten for more than a few hours. She has anterograde amnesia ever since she was ten.
When she goes to a party, she ends up alone with her best friend’s boyfriend, Drake. They kiss and he leaves. When Flora wakes up, she remembers Drake, she remembers the kiss. Her first new memory for seven years.
She must be with Drake and so sets out to find him alone hoping that she will find him quickly and they can be together.
I found Flora to be such an interesting character. She had such an innocence about her that I felt the need to protect her, hoping that no one was going to take advantage. As far as all the other characters are concerned, I didn’t know who to trust much like Flora. She’s an inspirational character. Many could learn a lot from her.
As I read, I tried to put myself in her shoes – getting myself to a place and then waking up a while later having no idea how I got there. It was a terrifying thought and yet, she embraces the adventure. She forgets, starts again and keeps moving.
by Book Cover Reveal: The Good Daughter by Alexandra Burt
Evening everyone.
I hope you’ve all had a lovely weekend. It does tend to go too quickly.
It’s time for a cover reveal (we’ve not had one in a while.)
Today, Avon has revealed the cover for the latest book by Alexandra Burt. I really liked her novel, Little Girl Gone. I’m looking forward to reading this one. It sounds great.
It’s called The Good Daughter and it’s due to have its paperback release on 23rd February 2017 via Avon Books (you can follow all the lovely guys and girls at Avon on Twitter.)
Ta-dah. Here’s the cover for The Good Daughter. I think it already creates a pretty chilling backdrop. What do you think?
What if you were the worst crime your mother ever committed?
Dahlia Waller’s childhood memories consist of stuffy cars, seedy motels, and a rootless existence traveling the country with her eccentric mother. Now grown, she desperately wants to distance herself from that life. Yet one thing is stopping her from moving forward: she has questions.
In order to understand her past, Dahlia must go back. Back to her mother in the stifling town of Aurora, Texas. Back into the past of a woman on the brink of madness.
by This Week’s New Book Releases – Jane Fallon, Danielle Steel and Jill Mansell
It’s Friday. Yey!
I hope you’ve all had a great week and have lovely things planned for the weekend. If you’re looking for something to read over the next few days, there are some cracker titles out this week.
The wonderful Jill Mansell released her latest novel, Meet Me At Beachcomber Bay on 12th January 2017 by Headline Review.
There is love in the air in St Carys, not that you’d know it. The residents are good at keeping secrets.
The man that Clemency loves is in love with someone else. When she ropes into a friend to help, wires get crossed.
For the first time in Ronan’s life, his charms have failed him in getting him the woman he wants.
Belle seems to have the perfect boyfriend but something isn’t quite right. A secret is also rising to the surface. The truth has a funny way of revealing itself and when it does, St Carys will be very different.
The new book from Jane Fallon is called My Sweet Revenge and was also released on 12th January, this time by Penguin. To read my review, click here.
‘I want to make my husband fall back in love with me.’
Paula put her own acting career on hold in order for her husband to have his own success. Robert is now a regular on a popular daytime TV show.
Despite that, Paula is pretty happy with her life. It feels perfect to her. Until she finds out that Robert is having an affair.
Before she tells him it’s over, Paula wants Robert to be reminded just what he’s sacrificing. Then once she has won him back, she wants to break his heart. It will be her greatest acting role.
Next up is The Bone Field by Simon Keruick which was released by Century on 12th January.
There is a missing girl, a ruthless crime gang and a man so evil he must be stopped at any cost.
DI Ray Mason and PI Tina Boyce begin a hunt for the truth that will take them into a dark and terrifying world. One of corruption and deadly secrets.
The bones of a 21-year-old woman are found in the grounds of an old catholic school. This girl went missing in Thailand in 1990.
Her boyfriend at the time of her disappearance is now a middle aged university lecturer. He comes forward to say that he knows what happened. He knows who killed Kitty.
by Book Review: My Sweet Revenge by Jane Fallon
Penguin, 12th January 2017
I want to make my husband fall back in love with me.
Let me explain. This isn’t an exercise in 1950s wifeydom. I haven’t been reading articles in old women’s magazines. ‘Twenty ways to keep your man’. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
I want him to fall back in love with me so that when I tell him to get the hell out of my life he’ll care. He won’t just think, ‘Oh good’.
I want it to hurt.
Paula has had Robert’s back since they got together as drama students.
She gave up her dreams so he could make it.
Now he’s one of the nation’s most popular actors.
And Paula’s just discovered he’s having an affair.
She’s going to remind Robert just what he’s sacrificing.
And then she’s going to break his heart like he broke hers.
It will be her greatest acting role ever.
Revenge is sweet.
Isn’t it?
Paula has been married to Robert for many years. They have a daughter who is about to become eighteen. Paula left her ambitions to be an actress to raise her daughter and to support Robert in his career. He’s a regular on a long running day time TV show.
Paula is pretty content with her life. She has no idea her marriage is anything but perfect. That is until she finds out he’s having an affair.
She decides to get revenge before she confronts him. She wants to make him fall back in love with her before she breaks his heart.
I loved Jane’s previous novels and I am a big fan of her style of writing. It is not hard to fall into her stories and this book was no exception. I was completely hooked.
There were many moments when my sympathy went from one character to another and back again. There were some chapters where I couldn’t believe the behaviour of some of the characters and I wasn’t quite sure how the end was going to go.
This book puts spotlight on the lack of communication within relationships. It will be a relatable plot in terms of how Paula deals with finding out her husband is having an affair.
It had me wondering what I would do in Paula’s situation. I am not sure if I am honest.
The plot and characters were engaging and there were a few twists and turns too. The writing is witty and I couldn’t put this book down to be honest. It certainly did not disappoint. As I was reading, I could see this making a good TV show or movie.
Well done Jane Fallon. Another great novel.
(My Sweet Revenge is due to be released on 12th January 2017 by Penguin. Will be available in UK bookshops and online. Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy.)
by Latest Book Releases – Sue Fortin, Julia Forster and Jessie Burton
A new year and new book releases. There are some great books out this week and I can’t wait to settle down and make my way through some of the books on this list.
Sister, Sister by Sue Fortin was released on Kindle on 6th January (the paperback version is due for release by HarperImpulse in April.)
This book is definitely going to be making its way up to the top of my to be read pile.
Alice is beautiful, kind, manipulative and a liar. Clare is intelligent, loyal, paranoid and jealous.
Clare thinks Alice is trying to steal her life. Alice thinks Clare is jealous of her return and place in the family. One is telling the truth, the other is a maniac Two sisters, one truth.
I can’t wait to read this one.
Also from HarperImpulse is the legacy of Lucy Harte by Emma Heatherington. Its Kindle release was on 6th January with the paperback due out next week. I think this is my favourite book cover this week. It is very pretty.
For fans of JoJo Moyes and Kelly Rimmer, this book focuses on Maggie. She knows better than most that life can change in a 
heartbeat. Eighteen years ago, she got given the gift of a new heart and a second chance at life.
Maggie has never forgotten Lucy Harte, the girl who saved her life. As Maggie’s life begins to fall apart, she looses sight of everything she has to live for. Then an unexpected letter arrives which changes everything.
The Muse by Jessie Burton got its paperback release on 29th December by Picador. I am still totally in love with this cover. It’s a book that’s been on my pile of books to be read for a while and i am hoping I can pick this one up soon.
Odelle climbs the steps of the Skelton Gallery in London, knowing that her life is about to change. Having struggled to find her place in the city, she’s been offered a job as a typist with Marjorie, who remains a mystery.
The Muse is a novel about aspiration, identity, love and obsession.
by Book Review: Winter’s Fairytale by Maxine Morrey
Carina, November 2015
A few weeks before Christmas and a sudden blanketing of snow has closed the roads and brought public transport grinding to a halt, stranding Izzy miles from home and in desperate need of rescuing.
That doesn’t mean she’s looking to bump into Rob and spend a cosy weekend holed up in his swanky flat watching London become a winter wonderland! Because Izzy and Rob have history…
Six months ago, they were standing in the vestry of a beautiful country church, while best man Rob delivered the news that every bride dreads on their big day.
But at the time of year when anything is possible, can Rob and Izzy let go of the past and let Christmas work its magic? Or will this be one holiday wish that Izzy lets walk right out of her life…
My first thought was – ‘…and this is a debut novel?’
That should say about all you’d need to know how much I loved this book.
Maxi has crafted and woven a beautiful tale where you’re rooting for the two protagonists to get together from the first time we meet them on the pages. Izzy was jilted at the altar and promptly broke the nose of the Best Man when he came to break the bad news – pretty good considering she’s on the petite-side and Rob’s a strapping rugby-playing fellow.
As life has it, Izzy makes wedding dresses for a living and it’s through her business, and the fact that fate conspires to bring the pair together all the time, that ‘something’ begins to grow between the two of them. Life being what it is though, it’s never going to be that simple and there are many misunderstandings and false starts before love finally finds a way.
by Latest Book Releases (December)
(Released on 16th December by Bookouture.)
The weather has definitely got colder over the past few weeks. Christmas trees are appearing in corners of living rooms and the festive scents of candles are filling the room.
It is certainly an excuse to set yourself up on the sofa or in a favourite armchair. Here are some new releases; suggestions on what you could be reading as we make the most of being warm against the cold.
The first book is The Gift by Louise Jensen.
This book sounds so good and it’s certainly being added to my TBR pile. Jenna is given a second chance when she receives a donor heart from a girl called Callie.
Jenna will always be eternally grateful to Callie and her family. She grows close to the family Callie left behind but discovers they are holding some dark secrets. Jenna feels that she is only getting half the story.
Callie’s sister, Sophie has been ‘abroad’ since Callie’s death but there is something about her absence that doesn’t add up for Jenna. Then she meets Callie’s boyfriend.
Jenna is determined to uncover the truth bit it could cost her everything in the process, including her sanity.
Next up is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Alexander
(Released by Cornerstone Digital on 16th December, 2016.)
This is a novelisation of the film (due for release in cinemas on 15th December,) and features new scenes and expanded material. POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE MOVIE BEFORE KNOWING ABOUT THE BOOK, SKIP TO THE NEXT BOOK IN MY LIST.)
The shadows of the empire and deeply troubling rumours loom large across the galaxy. The rebellion learns of a sinister imperial plot to bring worlds to their knees. In empire domination space, a weapon of unbelievable destructive power is nearly completion – a threat that may be too great to overcome.
If the worlds that oppose the Empire have any chance, it lies with an unlikely band of allies; Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Bodhi Rook, Chirrut Imwe, Baze Malbus and K-250.
They need to capture plans to the Empires new weapon but as they race toward their dangerous goal, the spectre of their enemy darkens the sky: the Death Star.
by Blog Tour: Christmas Cheer (Willow Cottage) by Bella Osborne – Extract and Review
OK, I admit it, I already have the Christmas songs playing and if I could get away with it, I would already have my tree up. I adore this time of year. I love the songs, the lights and any excuse to dig out the Christmas films whilst eating mince pies.
One of the things I love the most are the Christmas themed novels. I am very excited to say that Bella Osborne is with Novel Kicks today (welcome back, Bella,) with the blog tour for her latest Christmas themed novel, Christmas Cheer which is the second book in the Willow Cottage series.
Beth is running away. With her young son Leo to protect, Willow Cottage is the lifeline she so desperately needs. Overlooking the village green in a beautiful Cotswolds idyll, Beth sees a safe place for little Leo.
When she finally uncovers the cottage from underneath the boughs of a weeping willow tree, Beth realises this is far more of a project than she bargained for and the locals are more than a little eccentric!
A chance encounter with gruff Jack, who appears to be the only male in the village under thirty, leaves the two of them at odds but it’s not long before Beth realises that Jack has hidden talents that could help her repair more than just Willow Cottage.
Over the course of four seasons, Beth realises that broken hearts can be mended, and sometimes love can be right under your nose…
Thanks to Bella and Avon, we have an extract from Christmas Cheer. Enjoy…
‘Carly!’ said Beth, her voice sharp.
Carly spun in Beth’s direction with an exaggerated movement. With slow blinks she looked at Beth until something registered.
‘Beth! This is … um … what was your name again?’ She swung precariously back towards Jack who stopped her falling on him with one hand whilst holding the pub table steady with the other.
‘I know who it is.’ Beth was trying to suppress the annoyance that was rapidly developing within her.
‘He’s lov-erly,’ cooed Carly whilst she stroked his arm in a deliberate action.
‘I’d like to know what he’s planning on doing with my drunk friend?’ Beth retorted. Jack let go of
Carly as if she were a lit firework.
As the accusation slowly registered, Carly looked hurt. ‘I’m not dunk!’ she protested as she slowly slid towards the floor.
Jack was looking blindly from one woman to the other as if he’d just been teleported there. ‘I was just …’
‘For someone that wasn’t looking for a relationship a few hours ago you’ve sure as hell come round to the idea quick!’ Beth stepped forward and grabbed Carly by one arm and hauled her into a standing position. ‘Come on! We’re leaving now.’
Carly wobbled on unsteady legs, grinned inanely at Jack and was towed away.
by Selection of New Book Releases
Hello everyone. I hope you’re all enjoying your Thursday so far. The temperature has certainly dropped today hasn’t it.
Summer has gone and we say hi to dark mornings, cold hands and scraping of the windscreen on cars.
The one thing I do love about this time of year is that when I do make it home after work or whatever, I can curl up in the chair with a blanket and a lovely mug of hot chocolate and read into the night.
As it’s Thursday, there is a new batch of book releases too. Here are four of the books released today that I am looking forward to reading.
Rather Be The Devil sees the return of Rebus and is the latest novel by Ian Rankin. It’s released today by Orion. I can remember seeing a documentary on the BBC about Ian Rankin and his writing process. It was so interesting. It was also very encouraging for a new writer like me as I got to see someone as fantastic as this author have the same insecurities as me when writing his books and he just sits down and gets on with it. I hope it does someday get repeated.
This book is the twenty first novel in the Rebus series. The general gist is that it has been forty years but for John Rebus, the death of Maria Turquand still prays on his mind. She was murdered in a hotel on the same evening a famous singer and his entourage were staying. Maria’s body has never been found.
Meanwhile, young pretender Darryl Christie is left weakened and vulnerable after a vicious attack and an enquiry into a major money laundering scheme threatens his position.
Danielle Steel also has a new novel out today. The Award has just been released by Bantam Press.
Gaelle is sixteen when the German army occupies France in 1940. Her father and brother are killed in a matter of months and her mother descends into madness.
Gaelle becomes a member of the resistance. She fearlessly delivers Jewish children to safety underneath the eyes of the Gestapo.
Toward the end of the war, she tries to help save France’s art treasures but when the war draws to a close, she is accused of collaboration. She flees to Paris and then to New York to start a new life as a model, a wife and a mother.
The ghosts of her past however are always near.
The third book out today is Lyrebird by Cecelia Ahern. This has been released by Harper Collins. I have actually read this book already (I will be reviewing it as part of the Lyrebird blog tour on 8th November so watch this space.)
by Review: Start Now (A Creativity Journal) – Perfect For Writers
Start Now: The Creativity Journal is written and illustrated by Kate Neckel and published by Chronicle Books (August 2015.)
This is a book to pour ideas, doodles and dreams. There are illustrations to help spark creativity.
I love books like this generally. It appeals to the part of me that loves stationary and books to work through.
This journal is for people who want to create something.
It is so beautifully illustrated throughout and the cover is bright, colourful and inspiring too.
This book is full of ways you can be creative. You can do pretty much what you want.
You can write, jot down story ideas, doodle, sketch, write down sayings or quotes you find inspiring, song lyrics (your own or ones you like) and poetry. That is what I love about it. It gives you the space to get your ideas (any ideas) down on paper. One of the best things… you can make mistakes and it won’t matter.
It’s inspirational too. Although I did think there would be more than there are, there are prompts to help you along should you get stuck. For example, there is the list of the ten ways to curate your day which includes a suggestion to make snacks. Ha-ha. There is enough space to really make this book your own.
It’s a place to jot down all your thoughts and ideas in one place (a place where you can find order in the chaos.)
by Book Review: A Cornish Christmas by Lily Graham
Nestled in the Cornish village of Cloudsea, sits Sea Cottage – the perfect place for some Christmas magic …
At last Ivy is looking forward to Christmas. She and her husband Stuart have moved to their perfect little cottage by the sea – a haven alongside the rugged cliffs that look out to the Atlantic Ocean. She’s pregnant with their much-longed for first baby and for the first time, since the death of her beloved mother, Ivy feels like things are going to be alright.
But there is trouble ahead and suddenly she misses her mum more than ever.
To give away a huge spoiler or not to give away a huge spoiler, that is the question.
And it is! There’s one thing I never do in my reviews and that’s to give the main points of a plot away and I’m tying my fingers in knots to stop them typing something yes, huge, about this story and a postcard…there, that’s the spoiler alert over with. If you want to know what I haven’t told you, there’s one good way – buy the book and read it!
All I shall say about the story is…Ivy and her husband Stuart have been trying and failing to get pregnant and finally make a break from London and move down to Cornwall. The change of scene and pace of life make all the difference, plus they get away from Stuart’s controlling mother, though Ivy feels a constant ache, she misses her deceased mother so much.
With the aid of new friends and finally re-acquainting herself with her mother’s old ones, Ivy struggles to accept that their dreams of a child may finally come true. Whilst Stuart makes a surprising success from producing condiments from his smallholding, his sister Smudge brings her own troubles to the fold.
by Book Release/Extract: Making It Up As I Go Along by Marian Keyes
Making It Up As I Go Along (Notes By A Small Woman) by Marian Keyes has its paperback release today (released by Penguin) and is available in most UK bookshops and online.
Welcome to the magnificent Making It Up as I Go Along – aka the World According to Marian Keyes™ – A bold and brilliant collection of Marian’s hilarious and often heartfelt observations on modern life, love and everything in between.
From a guide to breaking up with your hairdresser to entering the fifties-zone, the joys of her nail varnish museum to singing her way through insomnia, Marian will have you laughing with delight and gasping with recognition throughout – because at the end of the day, each and every one of us is clearly making it up as we go along.
I have reviewed the book below but first, thanks to Marian and Penguin, I am able to share an extract from Making It Up As I Go Along with you. Enjoy….
Writers I Love
May I tell you about what turned out to be one of the happiest days of my entire life? I may? Tanken yew! Well! You know Sali Hughes, the brilliant journalist who writes for the Guardian on a Saturday and the Pool on a Wednesday? And has her own website, salihughesbeauty.com, where she does great videos called ‘In the Bathroom’, where she visits the bathrooms of famous and/or interesting people and discusses their beauty products and skincare and whatnot? Well, I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time because while she really loves all things beauty, she’s entirely honest and reliable and informative. She knows everything.
We first came into contact when I twittered asking people what I should do about the little broken capillaries on my face and everyone told me to email Sali – and she emailed me back immediately, giving me a variety of options and telling me the upsides and downsides of each. And after that we stayed in touch, and even though we hadn’t met in real life I loved her already because she has great sweetness and gentleness coupled with razor-sharp intelligence.
Also, she gives airtime to all kinds of brands, they don’t have to be big names and expensive, so she’s in nobody’s pocket, so I know that what she writes in her columns is genuinely impartial. Also, she’s wonderful for giving exposure to new and emerging brands, which thrills me because I am a divil for ‘New and Exciting’.
And now she’s after writing a book, called Pretty Honest, and it is the ABSOLUTE BEAUTY BIBLE – it covers everything from the very basics, such as identifying your skin type, to how to manage your beauty when you’re going through something awful like cancer, and she demystifies the ‘anti-ageing’ industry, separating out cod science from things that do actually work. (As well as acknowledging that there’s nothing wrong with looking your age – basically she gives you every option.)
Every woman should have this book. Because beauty stuff is a passionate hobby of mine, I thought I knew a bit, but compared to Sali I know nothing and I’ve already consulted the book many times.
So anyway, there I am, living in Dublin and, you know, living a quiet life, seeing my mammy and the Redzers and the Praguers and going for walks with Himself and Posh Kate and Posh Malcolm – when Sali sends me this invitation to a lunch. A foncy lunch – being thrown for her by Bobbi Brown – yes! The make-up brand Bobbi Brown! And I was invited!
There were only twenty people invited and I was one of them – and when I saw the list of the other invitees, didn’t I nearly get sick! They were all writers or journalists that I hold in HUGE regard: India Knight, Jojo Moyes, Sam Baker, Polly Samson, Miranda Sawyer, Hadley Freeman, Lucy Mangan, Maria McErlane, Georgia Garrett, Julia Raeside, Jo Elvin, Camilla Long, Sophie Heawood, Bryony Gordon and Sarah Morgan. Also invited were three amazing women from the Estée Lauder group: Jay Squier, Cheryl Joannides and Anna Bartle.
My immediate impulse was that I couldn’t possibly go, that I didn’t belong, that I wouldn’t fit in, and then I thought, ‘Feck it! I want to go. I’m GOING!’
And this was huge for me because I’ve been mad in the head (MITH) for so long that I’ve had to keep my life very small and safe because it was all that I could cope with. But I realized I was ready to go into a daunting, intimidating situation and try to hold my own.
And off I went. And I really hope you don’t think I’m being a boasty-boaster, I just wanted to let you know that if you’ve suffered from the MITH-ness yourself and you think you’ll always feel terrible, it may not be the case for ever.
I ‘jetted’ in from Dublin – normally, when I travel by air, I simply fly, but because this was so glamorous I ‘jetted’ – and the lunch was upstairs in the private room in Balthazar and I had to scuttle past the welcoming committee to go to the Ladies to do last-minute checks on myself, only to discover that – horrors! – I’d somehow managed to leave Dublin without my comb!
by Review: Collection of Harry Potter Colouring Books
I am Laura, and I am a Potter Head. I will never grow tired of these amazing stories. When I received these wonderful colouring books in the post for review, I was beyond excited. I love an adult colouring book. It’s an activity I’ve liked all my life and find relaxing (and can be for a lot of people especially if you have anxiety or have trouble relaxing.) I have found that people either do love them or hate them but I find colouring books can be really good for wellbeing and mental health.
I received the full size version of The Magical places edition, the compact edition of the Harry Potter colouring book as well as postcard editions. It was hard to decide which one to try first.
The illustrations in these books are beautiful and really capture the greatness of this incredible world. The details within them are great and a wide range of characters and places are represented.
I decided to try the Hogwarts crest first in the postcard edition. What is good about these is that you don’t have to have a good knowledge of the colours. You can choose how you want it to look or simply (as I did) look up an example and copy the colours.
by Review: The Christmas Promise by Sue Moorcroft
Avon, December 2016
I am now a Master Milliner…well, perhaps not, but I know a whole lot more about hat creation than I ever did before. They go on your head. Correct?
Here I am, fresh from having survived the new Sue Moorcroft novel, The Christmas Promise. Don’t get worried, by survived, I mean that Sue’s stories are always emotional roller-coasters, she’s that good.
Lucky enough to obtain an advance copy of this novel, I settled down to immerse myself, knowing that my attention would never be allowed to wander, no chance of skipping even a word here and I wasn’t disappointed.
All wrapped up in a snowy cover, don’t be fooled. Sue is a master of emotions and here, you’re going to be pulled left, right and centre before the conclusion; actually, afterwards too however, you’ll need to read the book for that little Easter egg.
Ava is to a degree, damaged emotionally, as are all good characters and we follow her in a journey of trust, who to trust, how much to trust them, learning to trust herself even. She dislikes Christmas due to her parents attitude to it when she was growing up and now finds herself caught up as the victim of Revenge Porn. Riding to her rescue is Sam. Ah, to have his qualities would be wonderful…I digress. Stumbling into each other, attraction is mutual but Sam is just as traumatised as Ava in his own way and so we watch them bond over his mother’s cancer struggle, Ava’s feelings of perceived guilt over those pictures, getting close but neither feeling able to make that final step that will enable them to become the couple we know they should be.
by Blog Tour: The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan – Review
To everyone who knows her now, Zoe Maisey – child genius, musical sensation – is perfect. Yet several years ago Zoe caused the death of three teenagers. She served her time, and now she’s free.
Her story begins with her giving the performance of her life.
By midnight, her mother is dead.
The Perfect Girl is an intricate exploration into the mind of a teenager burdened by brilliance, and a past that she cannot leave behind.
Zoé and her mother Maria moved from Devon to Bristol to start a new life following a big tragedy. Maria is now married to Chris and along with his son, Lucas, Zoé and Maria seem to be getting their lives back on track. Tessa, Maria’s sister is also living near by.
Zoé finds that she isn’t going to really find protection from her old life when it very much catches up with her. When more tragedy strikes the family, Zoé is worried she is going to become suspect number one but is she really to blame?
I loved Burnt Paper Sky so I have been waiting patiently and excitedly for Gilly’s new novel, The Perfect Girl which is due its paperback release on Thursday (22nd September.)
The Perfect Girl has a great build up of suspense across the novel. It is set in a very short but very tense space of time. The lives of the characters are complicated and fascinating.
by Today’s New Releases: 8th September 2016
Hello, hello, hello. How is everyone? Thursday has rolled around again. This week has gone incredibly quickly I must say. Here on Novel Kicks, Thursday means a new list of new book releases.
Rupert Campbell-Black is back in Mount which is the latest novel by Jilly Cooper.. It has been released by Bantam Press in hardback and eBook today.
Rupert is the anti hero we all love to hate and hate to love. We find Rupert consumed with his grey horse, The Love Rat. He longs to beat Roberto’s Revenge, the horse owned by his rival Cosmo Rannaldini. This obsession means abandoning Penscombe and his wife, Taggie.
The fort at home is being held by Rupert’s assistant, Gav. Gala also arrived at Penscombe. Gav is attracted to her. The bad news for Gav is that a returning Rupert is also dangerously tempted.
Riders is so delicious and so it’s good to see Campbell-Black make his return.
If you’re a fan of Jilly’s novels, be sure to pick up a copy of Mount.
The Protector by Jodi Ellen Malpas has also been released today this time by Orion. From what I get from the blurb of this book, it sounds as though it would make a great book to take with you on holiday if you’re managing to escape the impending Autumn weather and the darker mornings that seem to be sneaking up on us.
People think they know Camille. They see her as a beautiful spoilt daddy’s girl who uses her father’s money to fund her lifestyle. Camille however is desperate to have a life free from his strings. She has fought hard for the happiness and independence she now has but she soon finds that her father’s ruthless business dealings threaten her new life.
Camille prepares herself for the measures her father will take to protect her. That is until she meets Jack. He is hired as her bodyguard but he has his own issues. Jack soon finds out that his perception of Camille is incorrect.
I’ve not read any of Jodi Ellen’s novels before but this one sounds very intriguing and a good place to start. This book feels as though it would be a good insight on first impressions and how incorrect they can initially be.
by News: Another Screenplay Release For JK Rowling
Little, Brown. November 2016
There has been so much divided opinion since Harry Potter and The Cursed Child was released at the end of July. For me, it was lovely to be back in the magical world that these wonderful characters inhabited. Yes, there were elements for me that didn’t quite add up but regardless, this was another piece of the world I love so much and that is better than nothing. It is for that reason that I am excited for the upcoming release of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them which is due to be released in cinemas on 18th November (it is starring Eddie Redmayne as main character, Newt Scamander.)
When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt’s fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone . . .
Inspired by the original Hogwart’s textbook by Newt Scamander, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original screenplay marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books.
This film is based on the short book JK Rowling wrote especially for Comic Relief. That short book was based on the textbook that is required reading for students of Hogwarts.
At a recent trip to the cinema, I saw the trailer for this film. I’ve only got to hear that music and I am back to when I was reading all the Harry Potter books for the first time. It never fails to make me smile.
To carry on the trend of releasing screenplays in conjunction with their performance counterparts, the original screenplay is being released on the same day.
by Latest Book Releases Including Gill Paul, Bella Osborne and Katie Flynn
Hello. I hope everyone is enjoying their Thursday evening. It’s time for another week of great book releases. It’s a perfect evening for settling down with a book and like I try to do every week, I wanted to share a few with you.
The first book out today is The Secret Wife by Gill Paul (released by Avon.)
This one sounds great. It appeals to my love of history and I am interested in the history surrounding the Romanov family.
The general information on this novel is a Russian Grand Duchess and an English Journalist are linked by one of the worlds biggest mysteries.
In 1914, Russia is on the brink of collapse. The Romanov family face an uncertain future. The Grand Duchess Tatiana has fallen in love with Officer Dmitri but events take a catastrophic turn that puts everything in danger.
In 2016, Kitty escapes to her Great Grandfather’s cabin. There she discovers a jewelled pendant that will lead to the uncovering of a big family secret.
The second novel out today is A Family Holiday by Bella Osborne.
We took part in the blog tour for this book when it was released on Kindle earlier in the year (to read my review, click here.) I absolutely adored 
this book and couldn’t put it down. If you’re a fan of Katie Fforde, Carole Matthews or Jill Mansell, you will love A Family Holiday.
Charlie is a nanny to four children. When tragedy strikes, Charlie needs to decide to move on or fight for the children she loves. There is also the added distraction of the children’s uncle, Felix.
Charlie gets the opportunity to have a family holiday to Antigua and this leaves Charlie wondering whether the turquoise seas can wash away to present troubles. A Family Holiday was released today by Harper Impulse.
The House on Sunset Lake is the third novel released today. By Tasmina Perry, it’s released via Headline Review.
This is another one that sounds like I’d really like it. Even by reading the blurb to the book, I can imagine myself in front of this big house.
Casa D’or, the mysterious plantation house on Sunset Lake has been in the Wyatt family for over fifty years. Jennifer returns to it one summer full of hope but by the end, she will have a broken heart. Casa D’or stands neglected twenty years later and Jennifer has closed the door on her past.
A reunion though will stir up old ghosts for both of them and reveal the dark secrets the house still holds.
by Blog Tour: Out of Bounds by Val McDermid – Review
I’m pleased to be welcoming Val McDermid to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her new novel, Out of Bounds. This is the latest novel in the Inspector Karen Pirie series and has been released today by Little, Brown.
There were a lot of things that ran in families, but murder wasn’t one of them . . .’
When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car, a routine DNA test could be the key to unlocking the mystery of a twenty-year-old murder inquiry. Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is an expert at solving the unsolvable. With each cold case closed, justice is served. So, finding the answer should be straightforward, but it’s as twisted as the DNA helix itself.
Meanwhile, Karen finds herself irresistibly drawn to another case, one that she has no business investigating. And as she pieces together decades-old evidence, Karen discovers the most dangerous kind of secrets. Secrets that someone is willing to kill for . . .
Out Of Bounds is the latest instalment of McDermid’s successful Karan Pirie series of crime thriller novels. The story follows Inspector Karen Pirie of Police Scotland’s Historical Case Unit. When a teenage joy rider in a stolen car ends up in hospital his DNA casts new light upon a twenty two year old cold case, but finding the answers are never as simple as they should be and getting to the bottom of this problem is a complex and twisty task.
In the meantime Karen is drawn to another case, stepping on toes and winding people up in the progress as it is not her case, when an apparent suicide has her digging into a decades old bombing from the IRA era.
This is the first book from this series which I have read and I am pleased to say that it stands on its own very well, as relevant and concise backstory is provided as required in a subtle way unlikely to frustrate those already familiar with it.
by Blog Tour: If I Only Had A Duke by Lenora Bell – Author Interview and Book Review
I’m very happy to be welcoming Lenora Bell to Novel Kicks today and her blog tour for the latest novel in the Disgraceful Duke series, If I Only Had a Duke which is due to be released by Piatkus on 30th August 2016.
After four failed seasons and a disastrous jilting, Lady Dorothea Beaumont has had more than enough of her family’s scheming. She won’t domesticate a duke, entangle an earl or vie for a viscount. She will quietly exit to her aunt’s Irish estate for a life of blissful freedom. Until an arrogant, sinfully handsome duke singles her out for a waltz, making Thea the most popular belle of the season.
Well, the duke ruined her plans and now he’ll just have to fix them.
Dalton, Duke of Osborne, is far too heartless for debutantes or marriage – he uses dalliances to distract from his real purpose: finding the man who destroyed his family. When his search leads to Ireland, the last thing he needs is the determined, achingly innocent Thea, who arrives in the dead of night demanding he escort her to her aunt. His foolish agreement may prove his undoing. The road to the Emerald Isle is fraught with unforeseen dangers, but the greatest peril of all might just be discovering that he has a heart . . . and he’s losing it to Thea.
I’ve reviewed the book below but first, I’ve had a chat with Lenora. Hi Lenora, thank you so much for joining me today. First, can you tell me a little about your typical writing day and how many words you aim to write on a daily basis.
Hi Laura! Thanks for having me here at Novel Kicks! I see you have a cat named Buddy. Every writer should have a cat, don’t you think? They’re such good companions for long writing sessions. They just curl up and sleep to the sound of your clicking fingers on the keyboard as if it were rain pattering on a tin roof. (Yes, Lenora, I totally agree!)
Writing for me is both agony and ecstasy. There is a certain amount of slogging through the trenches that needs to happen before the words on the page learn to fly. A typical writing day for me means churning out extremely rough stream-of-consciousness pages and then spending three times as many hours trying to wrestle those rough pages into something fit to be seen by other eyes. I may have ten rough pages and only produce one edited page *sigh*. But when things go right there truly is no better feeling.
Do you have any writing rituals (plenty of coffee, writing in silence etc?)
Coffee, of course! Absolutely necessary for those late night writing binges. I find what helps me the most to focus on the emotional heart of scenes is to do some yoga and light a candle before I write, and then stop every hour or so and take a quick yoga break. It helps me focus as well as helps stretch all those cramped writing muscles.
Your new book, If I Only Had a Duke is the second in the Disgraceful Duke series. Can you tell me about it?
I’m so excited about this book! It’s the second in the Disgraceful Dukes series and is loosely inspired by the Wizard of Oz. If you read it with that in mind you’ll find subtle references throughout the novel. This is the story of Lady Dorothea Beaumont, who’s had more than enough of her family’s scheming and just wants to escape from London and live a quiet life as a spinster, and Dalton, Duke of Osborne, who uses public spectacle to distract from his true purpose—finding the man who destroyed his family.
How did you approach writing this novel in terms of planning and research?
I worked closely with my fabulous editor at Avon Books, Amanda Bergeron, on planning and plotting. Sometimes my plots tend to wander and she always reined me in and redirected me to the heart of the story. As for research, I read books and watched videos on everything from Regency-era traveling coaches, ships, and gaming hells to etiquette and recipes for trifle. It was tons of fun!
by Book Cover Reveal: It’s a Wonderful Life by Julia Williams
OK, so we are technically still in Summer but I am a little obsessed with Christmas (if you’ve not guessed already) and one of the things I love most about this time of year is the Christmas themed books that get released.
That is why I am over excited to be part of the cover reveal for the new novel by Julia Williams.
Her new novel is classic Julia, it’s due out on the 3rd November 2016 and it’s Christmas themed. It’s called It’s a Wonderful Life (I just say that and get the festive feels.)
Isn’t this cover just beautiful? I absolutely LOVE it. What do you think of the cover?
Christmas with the family. Cosy, relaxing…and a total nightmare?
Driving home for Christmas, Beth has everything she wants. The kids and the house, the career and the husband. So why is it that when the New Year comes, she can’t stop thinking about her old college boyfriend?
Her husband Daniel is tasked with bringing a struggling school up to scratch, but when family life catches up to him, can he be a good father and a good teacher at the same time?
Beth’s sister Lou has just been dumped…again. Single and childless, she can’t help but be jealous of her sibling’s success. But is the grass really always greener?
by Latest Book Releases: 18th August 2016
Notting Hill Press, 18th August 2016.
Hello all. It’s another Thursday which means another load of book releases. I wanted to share a couple of them that I am looking forward to reading.
I love Michele Gorman’s style of writing and therefore have really enjoyed all the books I’ve managed to read so far. Life Change (which is due out on Kindle today,) is released by Notting Hill Press and sounds great (this book was originally released as Bella Summer Takes a Chance which is one of Michele’s books I’ve not read.)
Michele is really good at the feel good romantic comedy and this book sounds like it is no exception.
The general information on the story is that Bea has been through some big life changes recently (including loosing her job, her flat and finishing a long-term relationship over a takeaway.) With no boyfriend, no job and nowhere to live, things are very shaky for Bea for the first time in thirty-eight years.
Things are not made any easier but the fact that dating has moved on too. With online dating and apps she has no idea how to date anymore.
She used to dream of a music career but the best she can do is performing to drunks in pubs. She’s beginning to wonder whether anything is easy after all.
by Book Review: Smoke by Dan Vyleta
W&N, 7th July 2016
Smoke opens in a private boarding school near Oxford, but history has not followed the path known to us. In this other past, sin appears as smoke on the body and soot on the clothes. Children are born carrying the seeds of evil within them. The ruling elite have learned to control their desires and contain their sin. They are spotless. It is within the closeted world of this school that the sons of the wealthy and well-connected are trained as future leaders.
Among their number are two boys, Thomas and Charlie. On a trip to London, a forbidden city shrouded in smoke and darkness, the boys will witness an event that will make them question everything they have been told about the past. For there is more to the world of smoke, soot and ash than meets the eye and there are those who will stop at nothing to protect it . . .
Imagine a world where sin were rendered visible by smoke; where evidence of your deeds and intents was visible for all to see. Large cities like London are hives of sin and corruption, wrapped in smoke and stained with soot, where the common people are forced to live in the thick of it while the very wealthy move out into the countryside away from the corruption and into the fresh air where their own smoke can dissipate.
The children of the wealthy are schooled in how to be mindful of their thoughts and actions so as not to smoke and it is in once such school that the story starts.
Thomas is a young boy who until very recently was home schooled, until a powerful sponsor secured his place at a well-respected school outside of Oxford. On a school trip into London to observe the sinful city Thomas sees something which causes him to question the true nature of smoke.
by Extract: Because of You by Helene Fermont
Because of You by Helene Fermont is released today by Fridhem Publishing.
Because of You spans 36 years in the life of Hannah Stein, a Swedish teenager who arrives in London, at the tail end of the disco era, for a gap year before embarking on a teaching career. The people she meets change the course of her life irrevocably and the novel charts her changing personal and professional fortunes over the next three decades. Because of You is about love, coming of age, friendship, bereavement, stillbirth and rape. Its themes include redemption, acceptance, fidelity and family. Because of You is a story that every woman can relate to.
Thanks to Hélene, Fridhem and Palamedes PR, we have an exclusive extract to share with you. Enjoy.
As soon as Easter and Passover were over, Hannah organised a meeting between her grandmother and friends. “I booked a table at Cosmo,” she told the girls. “Ella and Granny’s old friends Katja and Tanya will be joining us.” May was approaching and with it, sunny hot weather. The ladies made the effort to look their best.
Opting to wear a light blue dress, her hair in a soft shade of red perfectly matching her lips, Zipporah admired Tanya and Katja’s bright kaftans, the latter wearing a turban to conceal her loss of hair due to old age. Meanwhile, Hannah assisted dressing Ella, choosing a lavender dress with matching jacket. Rosie and Sanna also made the effort to dress up.
Seated at the large table in the buzzing restaurant overlooking the crowd around them, Rosie kept thinking everyone looked wonderful. “You look years younger than your actual age!” she blurted out, referring to each by surname.
“Please don’t! Unless you refer to us by first name, we’ll feel ancient,” Zipporah whispered in her ear.
It was difficult choosing from the extensive menu. “I’m postponing my diet,” said Sanna. This place’s worth it.”
Nodding her agreement, Katja replied, “You’re a girl close to my own heart. Women are wrong assuming being thin as a stick’s attractive – men prefer a fuller, feminine figure!” Her Russian accent matched that of her friends’. Beaming, Sanna wholeheartedly agreed.
“I’d never contemplate cutting down on my food, neither would Tanya,” Katja added, winking at the larger woman seated next to her.
by Latest Book Releases: 11th August 2016
Hodder and Stoughton, 11th August 2016.
Sphere, 11th August 2016.
It’s Thursday. It’s come around quickly this week. I hope everyone has enjoyed what sunshine we have had. As it is Thursday, it is time for another list of new book releases.
What have you all been reading this week?
The first book released today is Acts of Love by Talulah Riley. If the name sounds familiar that is because she is also an actress and has been in St Trinian’s and The Boat That Rocked. Acts of Love is her debut novel and is about a girl called Bernadette who can be liberal with the truth. She has built her journalism career on lulling men into a false sense of security then exposing them publically through her tell all articles.
However, she may have met her match in Radley Blake. Despite her charms, Radley seems to immediately see straight through her.
This book sounds like a winner and I definitely will give it a read.
The second book released today is Rules: Things are changing at the little school by the sea which is the latest book from one of my favourite authors, Jenny Colgan. This is the second book in the Maggie Adair series and has been described as a Malory Towers for grown ups. I did love that series as a kid.
The basic plot is that it is a new year and the girls are breaking the rules. Which one of them will come out the other side unscathed?
Maggie loves teaching at Downey House. She is maybe less keen on planning her wedding to Stan whilst trying to ignore the crush she has on David who teaches at a neighbouring school.
Simone and Fliss have become friends. Zelda arrives and upsets things.
This sounds like this has the makings of a great series.
Simon & Schuster, 9th August 2016.
Mantle, 11th August 2016.
The third book released today is Miss You by Kate Ebelen. This is the debut novel from Kate and I think this is my favourite cover this week. It’s so simple but so pretty at the same time. This is the story of Tess. The motto she can’t seem to forget is ‘This is the first day of the rest of your life.’ She is in Florence for a final holiday before she goes to university. Her life is about to change.
Gus is also in Italy with his parents. He is being the dutiful son but he wants more. The paths of these two characters cross before the book covers the next sixteen years of their lives.
This book sounds like something I would really like. It has a cross between David Nicholls’s One Day and Vince and Joy by Lisa Jewell feel to it.
by Book Review: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by J.K Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
Little, Brown, 31st July 2016.
This is the review that I’ve titled ‘Harry Potter and the Underwhelmed Reviewer’
Hands up who amongst us have waited with baited breath for a new Harry Potter story? That’s pretty much every one of us. Now, hands up all those who think that this is that story…don’t be so hasty. Yes, this is Harry Potter, and at the same time, no it’s not.
I was so excited when I heard that they were releasing a script-book of the stage-play (I’ve tickets for this for May 2017) that I was determined to drop all my other reading as soon as it arrived. This I did and being a script, it didn’t take as long to read as one of the canon novels we’re used to. It didn’t help that I read it in two sittings, at least that’s no fault of the book itself.
To the bread and butter question; is it any good?
Not an easy thing to answer actually. After so long in between official releases, those of us fans who’ve taken to getting our fix from some of the excellent fan fiction out there were perhaps always going to be the most critical, I’m certainly one of those. I can only give this 3 stars as I think the problem the author(s) came up against was trying to please everyone and when you try and do that, you generally end up pleasing no-one. It’s not quite as bad as that seems, as I did enjoy it. I did come away dis-satisfied though.
Why? Because of the above. Now, I don’t go in for spoilers/telling about the story, if I can at all help it in my reviews, so I’ll do my best here. But some of the things that happen to drive the story along are so contrived, that I’d really like to know who came up with the story? Whose idea was it and who fleshed it out? Characters act out of well, character, to what we’ve come to know about them (except when not in the canon universe – nearest I’ll come to having to give a spoiler alert), things happen that (nothing to do with the capabilities of magic here) are obviously just devices to drive the story along and I found myself saying out loud, ‘Puleeese….’
by Blog Tour: A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams – Review
Harper, July 2016
The blog tour train has arrived. Hello to Beatriz Williams who’s new novel, A Certain Age was released earlier this month by Harper. Here’s the blurb:
As the freedom of the Jazz Age transforms New York City, the iridescent Mrs. Theresa Marshall of Fifth Avenue – a beautiful socialite of a certain age – has done the unthinkable: she’s fallen in love with her young lover, Captain Octavian Rofrano, a handsome aviator and hero of the Great War. But though times are changing, divorce for a woman of Theresa’s wealth and social standing is out of the question.
When Theresa’s bachelor brother, Ox, decides to tie the knot with the youngest daughter of a newly wealthy inventor, Theresa enlists her lover to present the family’s diamond rose ring to pretty ingénue, Miss Sophie Fortescue – and to check into the background of this little-known family. Yet even as he uncovers a shocking secret, Octavian falls under Sophie’s spell…
Divided loyalties and dangerous revelations lead to a shocking transgression and eventually Theresa must make a choice that will change them all forever.
My verdict on A Certain Age…
It took me a couple of chapters to settle into this book but once I had, I found it to be very compelling to the point where I couldn’t stop reading. This book beautifully captures what I imagine the twenties to have been like and the imagery is so vivid. I felt like I was in New York at the beginning of the 1920’s witnessing the lives of these characters.
The plot is developed well and has a good number of twists and turns. It didn’t turn out quite the way I imagined. There is mystery surrounding this story. You know me, I love a good mystery.
The story is told from the point of view of two women; Theresa (she’s been married to a wealthy husband for a number of years,) and 19 year old Sophie.
by Latest Book Releases: 28th July 2016
Century, 20th July 2016
It’s Thursday again. Is it me or did that week go incredibly fast?! It does mean that it’s time for some more book releases…
The first book is The Moment She Left by Susan Lewis which has been released today in hardback. The e-book version is also available.
Here’s the blurb:
Kesterly-on-Sea is full of secrets.
Some are darker than others; many are shameful. One is even deadly.
Andee is an ex-detective whose marriage is breaking up. So when a young female student disappears without trace, she throws herself into the search.
Meanwhile, the town’s beloved Rowzee Cayne has just discovered that she is terminally ill, and doesn’t want to burden her family and friends with the news.
Andee and Rowzee don’t know it yet, but their journeys are going to help them uncover a secret. One that is going to affect them more than they could ever imagine.
This one sounds like I’d really enjoy it. It’s got a lot of mystery and sounds very compelling. I shall definitely be giving this one a read.
Sphere, 28th July 2016
I See You by Claire MacKintosh has also been released today. I think this cover is so pretty. I have to admit, I’ve not read I Let You Go which was Claire’s debut novel but reading the synopsis for I See You, it’s one I will definitely pick up at some point. What do you think?
When Zoe Walker sees her photo in the classifieds section of a London newspaper, she is determined to find out why it’s there. There’s no explanation, no website: just a grainy image and a phone number. She takes it home to her family, who are convinced it’s just someone who looks like Zoe. But the next day the advert shows a photo of a different woman, and another the day after that.
Is it a mistake? A coincidence? Or is someone keeping track of every move they make . . .
Truly Madly Guilty is the latest novel from the fantastic Liane Moriarty.
Michael Joseph, 28th July 2016
Despite their differences, Erika and Clementine have been best friends since they were children. So when Erika needs help, Clementine should be the obvious person to turn to. Or so you’d think.
For Clementine, as a mother of a two desperately trying to practise for the audition of a lifetime, the last thing she needs is Erika asking for something, again.
But the barbecue should be the perfect way to forget their problems for a while. Especially when their hosts, Vid and Tiffany, are only too happy to distract them.
Which is how it all spirals out of control…
It’s the week for suspense and thriller. There is something about Liane’s books that draw me in so I can’t wait to read this one.
by June/July Book Haul
I’ve acquired some fantastic books recently. My TBR pile has never looked so good. I wanted to share some of the titles with you.
Mount by Jilly Cooper (Bantam Press, 8th September 2016. Review copy received.)
Rupert Campbell-Black is back!
I was so excited to receive this book in the post. Riders was such a guilty pleasure of mine and Rupert is the bad boy we all hate to love. He’s of course been in other novels but this is the first time he has taken centre stage for a while.
Mount sees an older Campbell-Black but is he wiser? This new book from Jilly brings together old and new characters and is set in the competitive world of flat racing.
Fans of Jilly Cooper… there is not long to wait.
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge (MacMillan, May 2015)
This book was recently a pick for one of the subscription boxes I subscribe to. The cover is so wonderfully atmospheric and almost gothic. The plot sounds so interesting I just couldn’t resist buying it.
Faith is searching through the belongings of her recently deceased father and discovers a strange tree. The tree only grows healthy fruit if you whisper a lie to it. In return, once the fruit is consumed, it will deliver a hidden truth to the person who has eaten it.
The bigger the lie, the bigger the truth and the more people believe it.
This book sounds so ace and right up my street. I am looking forward so much to reading it.
by Latest Book Releases: 14th July 2016
Yey it’s Thursday which means more book releases. This week is a great one too.
On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher (Sphere, 14th July 2016.)
The premise for this book sounds so brilliant (and I am kind of annoyed I didn’t think of it.) I’ve been looking forward to reading this book and so I am pleased it’s been released today. Plus this cover is just gorgeous.
Your soul is too heavy to pass through this door,
Leave the weight of the world in the world from before
Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It’s the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she’s become her twenty seven- year-old self and the door won’t open. Evie’s soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it’s too late. As Evie begins the journey of a lifetime, she learns more about life and love than she ever thought possible, and somehow , some way, she may also find her way back to her long lost love…
The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter (Century, 14th July 2016.)
The Kept Woman is the latest novel in the Will Trent series.
A body is discovered in an empty Atlanta warehouse. It’s the body of an ex-cop, and from the moment Special Agent Will Trent walks in he knows this could be the most devastating case of his career. Bloody footprints leading away from the scene reveal that another victim – a woman – has left the scene and vanished into thin air. And, worst of all, the warehouse belongs to the city’s biggest, most politically-connected, most high-profile athlete – a local hero protected by the world’s most expensive lawyers. A local hero Will has spent the last six months investigating on a brutal rape charge.
But for Will – and also for Dr Sara Linton, the GBI’s newest medical examiner – the case is about to get even worse. Because an unexpected discovery at the scene reveals a personal link to Will’s troubled past. The consequences will wreak havoc on his life and the lives of those he loves, those he works with, and those he pursues.
But Sara’s scene-of-the-crime diagnosis is that they only have a few hours to find the missing woman before she bleeds out . . .
by Latest Book Releases: 8th July 2016
It’s time for another set of great book releases. I am looking forward to reading pretty much all of these. How about you?
The Sister by Louise Jensen (Bookouture, 5th July 2016.)
This book sounds fantastic. I have already downloaded my copy and will be reading it as soon as possible. I like books with a twist.
‘I did something terrible Grace. I hope you can forgive me …’
Grace hasn’t been the same since the death of her best friend Charlie. She is haunted by Charlie’s words the last time she saw her, and in a bid for answers, opens an old memory box of Charlie’s. It soon becomes clear that there was a lot she didn’t know about her best friend.
When Grace starts a campaign to find Charlie’s father, Anna, a girl claiming to be Charlie’s sister steps forward. For Grace, finding Anna is like finding a new family and soon Anna has made herself very comfortable in Grace and boyfriend Dan’s home.
But something isn’t right. Things disappear, Dan’s acting strangely and Grace is sure that someone is following her. Is it all in Grace’s mind? Or as she gets closer to discovering the truth about both Charlie and Anna, is Grace in terrible danger?
There was nothing she could have done to save Charlie … Or was there?
Sunshine and Secrets (Book One of Willow Cottage) by Bella Osborne (Released on Kindle by Avon 7th July 2016.)
This has just got its Kindle release and is the second book to be released recently by Bella Osborne. I’ve got my copy and if it’s anything like A Family Holiday, it’s going to be fantastic.
Beth is running away. With her young son Leo to protect, Willow Cottage is the lifeline she so desperately needs. Overlooking the village green in a beautiful Cotswolds idyll, Beth sees a safe place for little Leo.
When she finally uncovers the cottage from underneath the boughs of a weeping willow tree, Beth realises this is far more of a project than she bargained for and the locals are more than a little eccentric! A chance encounter with gruff Jack, who appears to be the only male in the village under thirty, leaves the two of them at odds but it’s not long before Beth realises that Jack has hidden talents that could help her repair more than just Willow Cottage.
Over the course of four seasons, Beth realises that broken hearts can be mended, and sometimes love can be right under your nose…
by Latest Book Releases – 30th June 2016
It’s Thursday which means the release of some more fantastic titles.
Get Even by Martina Cole (Headline, 30th June 2016.)
Get Even is the latest from Martina Cole.
Playing grown-ups, the future is theirs for the taking.
Sharon Conway and Lenny Scott are childhood sweethearts. Everyone says they are too young, but nothing can keep them apart. Sharon doesn’t question Lenny’s business dealings and it isn’t long before his reputation as a hard man destined for the top means they are living the good life with their sons.
It leaves a stain on her heart for ever.
But one night Lenny doesn’t come home. It isn’t the first time he has gone AWOL. But it is his last. He is found murdered – beaten to death in an act of brutality that shocks even the police. And Sharon never knows why.
Old wounds will surface.
Now, twenty years later, Sharon is about to find out the truth. Such a crime cannot go unpunished. Revenge is long overdue. The time has come to…
GET EVEN.
The Plumbery School of Comfort Food by Cathy Bramley (Corgi, 30th June 2016.)
This book was originally published as a four-part serial but it’s now the complete series in one book and it gets its release today. This book had me at its title.
Verity Bloom hasn’t been interested in cooking anything more complicated than the perfect fish finger sandwich, ever since she lost her best friend and baking companion two years ago.
But an opportunity to help a friend lands her right back in the heart of the kitchen. The Plumberry School of Comfort Food is due to open in a few weeks’ time and needs the kind of great ideas that only Verity could cook up. And with new friendships bubbling and a sprinkling of romance in the mix, Verity finally begins to feel like she’s home.
But when tragedy strikes at the very heart of the cookery school, can Verity find the magic ingredient for Plumberry while still writing her own recipe for happiness?
The Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger (Harper, 30th June 2016.)
From the author of The Devil Wears Prada comes The Singles Game and with Wimbledon in full swing (see what I did there… I’ll get my coat), it is the perfect book for this time of year.
When Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Silver makes a pact with the devil, infamously brutal tennis coach Todd Feltner, she finds herself catapulted into a world of stylists, private parties and secret dates with Hollywood royalty.
Under Todd it’s no more good-girl attitude: he wants warrior princess Charlie all the way. After all, no-one ever won by being nice.
Celebrity mags and gossip blogs go wild for Charlie, chasing scandal as she jets around the globe. But as the warrior princess’s star rises, both on and off the court, it comes at a high price. Is the real Charlie Silver still inside?
Sweeping from Wimbledon to the Caribbean, from LA to mega yachts in the Med, The Singles Game is a brilliantly entertaining romp through a world where the stakes are high – and no-one plays by the rules.
by Books I’m Looking Forward To Reading in 2016: Part Two
2016 is shaping up to be a great year for book releases and I for one can’t wait for what’s to come (can anyone say Harry Potter and The Cursed Child?)
I wanted to share some more of the titles I am most looking forward to reading. What about you?
(Click here to read Books I’m Looking Forward to Reading in 2016: Part One.)
Falling by Jane Green (MacMillan, 14th July 2016.)
There is not long to wait for the latest novel by Jane Green (who is one of the most nicest women on the planet incidentally.) I’ve been a massive fan of Jane’s ever since a friend introduced me to her novels (I think the first one of hers I read was The Other Woman and since then, I’ve been a fan.) The sleeve for this book looks beautiful too.
Eight years ago, Emma Montague left behind the strict confines of her upper-crust English life – and rather dull boyfriend – and moved to New York City, where she immediately found success in the world of finance. But her soulless, cut-throat, all-consuming job has only led to another life she didn’t want.
Answering an online ad, Emma finds a tiny beach cottage to rent in the small town of Westport, Connecticut. It needs work – lots of work. But it’s the perfect project to satisfy Emma’s passion for interior design and gardening, if her new landlord, Dominic, is agreeable to the small changes she yearns to make.
To Emma, Dominic is also something of a fixer-upper. A local handyman with a six-year-old son, he’s a world away from the men she should be interested in, but he’s comfortable in his own skin, confident, quiet and kind. Slowly, over a shared garden, time spent with his son and late-night conversations, Emma finds herself falling for Dominic.
From friends to lovers happens as naturally as the changing seasons. But laying down roots doesn’t come easily when two lives as different as theirs merge into one. And Emma will realize that the seeds of happiness must be nurtured and cherished to grow into something strong enough to shelter all their hopes and dreams . . .
Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory (Simon & Schuster UK, 9th August 2016.)
I love history (especially the Tudor and Elizabethan era) and so this book looks right up my street. Also, just a heads up but The Other Boleyn Girl is going to be the book club title for July so keep an eye out for that.
“There is only one bond that I trust: between a woman and her sisters. We never take our eyes off each other. In love and in rivalry, we always think of each other.”
When Katherine of Aragon is brought to the Tudor court as a young bride, the oldest princess, Margaret, takes her measure. With one look, each knows the other for a rival, an ally, a pawn, destined – with Margaret’s younger sister Mary – to a sisterhood unique in all the world. The three sisters will become the queens of England, Scotland and France.
United by family loyalties and affections, the three queens find themselves set against each other. Katherine commands an army against Margaret and kills her husband James IV of Scotland. But Margaret’s boy becomes heir to the Tudor throne when Katherine loses her son. Mary steals the widowed Margaret’s proposed husband, but when Mary is widowed it is her secret marriage for love that is the envy of the others. As they experience betrayals, dangers, loss and passion, the three sisters find that the only constant in their perilous lives is their special bond, more powerful than any man, even a king.
by Wild Life Book Trailer by Liam Brown
Wild Life is the latest novel from Liam Brown, author of Real Monsters.
It’s been released today (13th June 2016) by Legend Press. Check out the great book trailer below.
‘When we moved into the wild, the wild moved into us.’
When a troubled advertising salesman loses his job, the fragile wall between his public and private personas comes tumbling down. Fleeing his debtors, Adam abandons his family and takes to sleeping rough in a local park, where a fraternity of homeless men befriend him.
As the months pass, Adam gradually learns to appreciate the tough new regime, until winter arrives early, threatening to turn his paradise into a nightmare.
Starving, exhausted and sick of the constant infighting, Adam decides to return to his family. The men, however, have other plans for him. With time running out, and the stakes raised unbearably high, Adam is forced to question whether any of us can truly escape the wildness within.
by Latest Book Releases
Happy Thursday everyone. It’s time for another round up of the recently released books. Any take your fancy?
End of Watch by Stephen King (Hodder & Stoughton, 7th June 2016.)
This had its hardcover and electronic release today. Although it is a standalone novel, it’s also the last in the Hodges Trilogy. I have to admit, I’ve never read any of Stephen King (his book ‘On Writing’ has been recommended to me so many times.) I might have to start though.
Retired Detective Bill Hodges now runs a two-person firm called Finders Keepers with his partner Holly Gibney. They met in the wake of the ‘Mercedes Massacre’ when a queue of people was run down by the diabolical killer Brady Hartsfield.
Brady is now confined to Room 217 of the Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, in an unresponsive state. But all is not what it seems: the evidence suggests that Brady is somehow awake, and in possession of deadly new powers that allow him to wreak unimaginable havoc without ever leaving his hospital room.
When Bill and Holly are called to a suicide scene with ties to the Mercedes Massacre, they find themselves pulled into their most dangerous case yet, one that will put their lives at risk, as well as those of Bill’s heroic young friend Jerome Robinson and his teenage sister, Barbara. Brady Hartsfield is back, and planning revenge not just on Hodges and his friends, but on an entire city.
The clock is ticking in unexpected ways …
The Fireman by Joe Hill (Gollancz, 7th June 2016.)
This book has been on my TBR pile for a few weeks and I’ve been trying to get to it. It looks so interesting. I am looking forward to reading.
Nobody knew where the virus came from.
FOX News said it had been set loose by ISIS, using spores that had been invented by the Russians in the 1980s.
MSNBC said sources indicated it might’ve been created by engineers at Halliburton and stolen by culty Christian types fixated on the Book of Revelation.
CNN reported both sides.
While every TV station debated the cause, the world burnt.
Pregnant school nurse, HARPER GRAYSON, had seen lots of people burn on TV, but the first person she saw burn for real was in the playground behind the school.
With the epic scope of THE PASSAGE and the emotional impact of THE ROAD, this is one woman’s story of survival at the end of the world.
by Latest Book Releases
Wow, I can’t believe that we are already into June. With a new month comes a bunch of new books. Here are some of the new releases available this week. Which one do you want to read?
Always With Love by Giovanna Fletcher (Penguin, 2nd June 2016.)
How excited am I to be able to revisit Rosemont Hill? Lots, that’s what. I can’t wait to catch up with Billy and Sophie in the sequel to Billy & Me. A gorgeous cover too.
Sophie’s got used to being the girlfriend of Billy Buskin, the biggest movie star in the world. Sort of.
But when she and Billy take a trip to visit his family in Los Angeles, she quickly discovers she’s totally unprepared for the chaos of Hollywood, the paparazzi and Billy’s controlling mother.
And when Billy extends his stay in LA, leaving Sophie to fly home to Rosefont Hill alone, it seems there’s more than just miles between them.
Now Sophie must decide if they can overcome their differences for good. Because not every love story lasts the distance . . .
The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison (Thomas & Mercer, 1st June 2016.)
This cover is lovely and the plot to this novel is very intriguing.
In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.
When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.
As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding…
Cross Kill by James Patterson (Bookshots, June 2016.)
This is a book in the Alex Cross thriller series and has been released in paperback today.
ALEX CROSS, I’m coming for you – even from the grave if I have to.
Along Came a Spider killer Gary Soneji has been dead for over ten years. Alex Cross watched him die. But today, Cross saw him gun down his partner. Is Soneji alive? A ghost? Or something even more sinister?
Nothing will prepare you for the wicked truth.
by Book Review: In The Light of What We See by Sarah Painter
Brighton, 1938: Grace Kemp is pushed away by the family she has shamed. Rejected and afraid, she begins a new life as a nurse. But danger stalks the hospital too, and she’ll need to be on her guard to avoid falling into familiar traps. And then there are the things she sees…Strange portents that have a way of becoming real.
Eighty years later, Mina Morgan is brought to the same hospital after a near-fatal car crash. She is in terrible pain but recalls nothing. She’s not even sure whom to trust. Mina too sees things that others cannot, but now, in hospital, her visions are clearer than ever…
Two women, separated by decades, are drawn together by a shared space and a common need to salvage their lives.
I came across this book after listening to Sarah Painter’s podcast called Worried Writer. This podcast is brilliant if you are a writer and I have been hooked since the first podcast I listened to. This is the first book I have read of Sarah Painter’s and after having finished this one I will definitely be getting hold of her backlog to add to my ever growing TBR (To Be Read) pile.
I have one word to sum this book up: amazing. You could tell that everything about this book was well thought out and I loved every bit of it.
by This Week’s Latest Releases
It’s Thursday which means another batch of new books. I love this time of the week. Here’s just a selection of new releases. Are there any new books you’re looking forward to reading?
Half Lost by Sally Green (Penguin, 31st March 2016.)
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I love this book series. Half Lost is the last in the Half Bad trilogy and I am anxious and excited to know what becomes of Nathan who I see as a very relatable character. If you’re a fan of Red Queen, then you’ll love the Half Bad series. I’d say you’ll need to have read the first two books though before starting this one…
Nathan Byrn is running again. The Alliance of Free Witches has been all but destroyed. Scattered and demoralized, constantly pursued by the Council’s Hunters, only a bold new strategy can save the rebels from total defeat. They need the missing half of Gabriel’s amulet – an ancient artefact with the power to render its bearer invincible in battle.
But the amulet’s guardian – the reclusive and awesomely powerful witch Ledger – has her own agenda. To win her trust, Nathan must travel to America and persuade her to give him the amulet. Combined with his own Gifts, the amulet might just be enough to turn the tide for the Alliance and end the bloody civil war between Black and White witches once and for all…
One Stary Night by Tilly Tennant. (31st March 2016 on Kindle)
For fans of Tilly Tennant or for people new to her books, this is book four of the Once Upon a Winter series. This cover is so Christmassy. I love it.
They say the darkest hour is just before dawn, and for the first time Hannah is starting to truly understand what that means. With Gina’s husband misbehaving, Ross under attack, and bad news for Mitchell that only Hannah can tell him, things seem to be falling apart around her. How will she be the rock that everyone needs when she can’t control any part of her own life? It’s going to take a special kind of courage to see this dawn break, but when it does the future might just be the brighter for it. The problem is that Hannah’s not sure she can be that strong…
by Book Club
