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I absolutely adore historical fiction and even more so when there are elements of domestic drama and suspense involved. Themes of secrecy, lies and symbols of darkness really pull me into a book so it was absolutely no surprise to me that this book sounded right up my street.

Blurb:

A secret hidden in the past.

A family bound by a dark legacy…

Ever since her sister disappeared eleven years ago, Serena Warren has been running from a ghost, haunted by what she can’t remember about that night.

When Caitlin’s body is discovered, Serena returns to her grandfather’s house, nestled beside the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall in Oxfordshire, determined to uncover the truth. But in returning to the place of her childhood summers, Serena stands poised at the brink of a startling discovery – one that will tie her family to a centuries-old secret…

Taking readers from the present day to the Wars of the Roses in the 1400s, and with an enthralling mystery at its heart, The Last Daughter is a spellbinding novel about family secrets, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Victoria Hislop and Kate Morton.

My thoughts:

I love books that teach me about a part of history I don’t know much about, blending fact and fiction, and ensuring compelling drama throughout. This book definitely does that.

I usually struggle with historical novels with dual narratives as I usually find I am much more invested in one narrative than the other. This actually wasn’t the case in this story and I loved following Serena and Anne’s physical and emotional journeys. I liked the fact that, despite the time difference of almost 600 years, I was able to draw parallels between their characters and their stories.

This is a book that fuses myth with history in quite a major way and in that regard it is very different and original when compared to anything I have ever read before. After reading, I can see the appeal of this sort of book and would definitely be interested in checking out these sorts of books in the future.

The best part of the story for me was the mysteries that exist on both sides of the narrative. This kept me gripped and interested in the story throughout. I would recommend this author to fans of Victoria Hislop and Stacey Halls.

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Well, how could you not LOVE and be totally intrigued by the title of this book? I think cosy mysteries are a brilliant and sometimes overlooked genre and I was really looking forward to reading this one. Cosy mysteries are probably my favourite genre to read as a series because they are so versatile and entertaining, so I was also really happy to discover that this book is the first instalment in a brand new series.

Blurb:

THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE ENTHRALLING FOLLET VALLEY SERIES, BY TV/RADIO REGULAR IAN MOORE

Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B&B in the fictional Val de Follet in the Loire Valley. Nothing ever happens to Richard, and really that’s the way he likes it.

One day, however, one of his older guests disappears, leaving behind a bloody handprint on the wallpaper. Another guest, the exotic Valérie, persuades a reluctant Richard to join her in investigating the disappearance.

Richard remains a dazed passenger in the case until things become really serious and someone murders Ava Gardner, one of his beloved hens… and you don’t mess with a fellow’s hens!

Unputdownable mystery set in rural France, by TV/radio regular and bestselling author Ian Moore – perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club

My thoughts:

This has been a light-hearted, entertaining and enjoyable read. I loved how the B&B was described so well you felt like you were there. You are also quickly drawn into the story as events develop at a pace!

I thought Richard was a great character and his lack of confidence, reluctance and self-deprecation came across really clearly in the narrative. He is clearly intimidated by the main female characters: Valerie and Madame Tablier, and is very different from them, which makes him all the more likeable.

This has been a charming and engaging book that provides a fun, if somewhat farcical take on the cosy mystery genre. Fans of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club, Verity Bright and Syl Waters are likely to enjoy this book.

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I was drawn to this book as this is an author that has been recommended to me a few times. I also love the covers of her books – the style is unique yet fitting with the romance genre, and they really stand out. This book sounded like an escapist and entertaining read. I really liked and respected the fact that the blurb didn’t tell me much at all about the story. I was definitely intrigued!

Blurb:

Gabriella Gill-Martin – Gigi to her friends – ditches her privileged life in London’s fast lane, to live on an island, in her dream house, where she will build beautiful sculptures and grow vegetables. But she soon learns life in the fast lane is not all she has to give up.
When dreams become nightmares – what’s a girl to do?

My thoughts:

This has been a book that has exceeded my expectations. I sometimes find it quite hard to get into the flow of a new writer’s style but I settled into this book and Rosie’s wonderful writing with ease.

Gigi, or Gabriella, is definitely one of the most likeable and empathetic characters I have met for a while. She comes across as someone who is always thinking of others, putting them before herself, and this causes quite a significant amount of trouble and drama for her in the book, so you can’t help but feel sorry for her.

Rosie really brings Gigi’s life on the Isle of Wight to life. One way she does is through using multiple perspectives as we also hear from Luke. This creates a three dimensional feel to the book and I became encapsulated in the story. I have always wanted to visit the Isle of Wight and the descriptions of the island in this book are lovely.

I am definitely looking forward to reading more by this author and I am glad to have finally discovered her!

I was drawn to this book because I love Lynda Stacey’s books and The Fake Date was one of my favourite books of 2020. I love her gripping and captivating style. I also love the haunting and gloomy cover of this one, displaying hints of danger and darkness.

Blurb:

He knows where you are…

Sisters Molly and Beth Winters thought the remote clifftop house would be the perfect place to hide away after their mother’s brutal murder. They were wrong….

He wants revenge…

Because someone from the girls’ past has already found their safe house and he is watching and waiting in the shadows ready to make them pay.

He won’t stop until you’re dead…

Their new home should have been the place the sisters were safe.

But no place is safe forever.

A gripping new thriller from Lynda Stacey guaranteed to keep you up all night!

Perfect for fans of Sue Watson, S E Lynes, Jackie Kabler and Kendra Elliot.

My thoughts:

Wow, this book draws you in and gives no reprieve! I have loved being hooked into the drama and disharmony straight from the start. The subtle hints that something is not right quickly unsettled me but I love that feeling when reading a book in this genre!

“Overnight their lives had turned into an unpredictable rollercoaster, one that wouldn’t or couldn’t stop.”

This is how the plight of Molly and Beth is described in the book and I’ve included it here as I think it definitely reflects the fast pace and gripping nature of the book. This has been a rollercoaster that I couldn’t, and didn’t want to, get off.

The characters are well-developed and their relationship is believable, especially Beth’s role as a petulant, ungrateful and moody younger sibling.

As the story develops, the back story plays an important role and themes of revenge, tragedy and lies come to the fore and build towards an anxious and unpredictable conclusion.

I have loved this book and would highly recommend it to fans of psychological thriller and domestic suspense novels.

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I was drawn to this book as I previously enjoyed Second Chances in Chianti and I absolutely adore the crisp and beautiful covers of T A William’s books.

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Blurb:

Her work has got in the way of relationships before – but never like this

Anna’s job as a geologist takes her all over the world, including to the beautiful island of Elba, where she’s sent to look for precious metals. And the island isn’t the only thing that’s gorgeous – she can’t believe her luck when she meets windsurfer Marco and sparks fly.

But Anna must keep her role on Elba a secret to avoid upsetting the locals, which means lying to Marco even as they grow closer. When her old friend Toby visits, Anna suddenly finds herself torn between the attentions of the two men. However, Anna’s not the only one keeping secrets.

Is Marco being entirely honest with her? And why did Toby really come to visit?

A fun and escapist romance, perfect for fans of Lucy Coleman and Alex Brown.

My thoughts:

Despite being the third book in the series, this book definitely pulls a punch as a standalone and works well as one. Although, you can see T A William’s easy and escapist style carried throughout the series.

Anna, for me, was a relatable character as I could see that she was hard-workinf and driven. However, I appreciated the journey she went on in this novel, both the physical journey to the stunning scenery of Italy, and the emotional and personal journey related to romance and an evaluation of what’s important in life.

In this novel, there is secrecy, smiles and stunning scenery, all of which have kept my attention and ensured I have become lost in this story.

I loved the way the author played Toby and Marco off against one another to an extent, and though this is a popular trope in this genre, for me it is probably one of my favourite as it ramps up the excitement and the entertainment.

Overall, I would highly recommend this author and book to fans of Sue Moorcroft, Lucy Coleman and Leonie Mack. This is a great summer read.

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I was drawn to this book by the beautiful, bright and enchanting cover. I am always keen to discover and support debut authors. I also have a special place in my heart reserved for books that are set in or around Nigeria and Britain, as this was what I wrote my dissertation about at university.

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Blurb:

A sweeping, uplifting story of how a boy from Brixton and a girl from Lagos escape their dark past to find themselves a bright future.

1981: England looks forward to a new decade. But on the streets of Brixton, it’s hard to hold onto your dreams, especially if you are a young black man. Racial tensions rumble, and now Michael Watson might land in jail for a crime he did not commit.
Thousands of miles away, village girl Ngozi abandons her orange stall for the chance to work as a maid. Alone in a big city, Ngozi’s fortunes turn dark and soon both her heart and hopes are shattered.
From dusty roads to gritty pavements, Ngozi and Michael’s journey towards a better life is strewn with heartache and injustice. When they finally collide, their lives will be transformed for ever.

With irresistible joy and grace, Rosanna Amaka writes of people moving between worlds, and asks how we can heal and help each other. Humming with beauty and horror, tragedy and triumph, THE BOOK OF ECHOES is a powerful debut from an authentic new voice in British fiction.

My thoughts:

Well, I certainly experienced a far more dramatic opening than I was expecting and it definitely hooked me into the narrative straight away.

This book has been an absolutely amazing experience to read and I’m so glad I read it. It is beautifully written, lyrical and soft in all the right places, but also displaying the harsh realities realities of inequality, slavery, racism and the caste system.

This is so incredibly and wonderfully different to anything I’ve read before. For me it struck the right balance as I’m not massively sold on the “ghost” element of stories but here it worked well, to amplify and highlight important themes, events and emotions.

I have found this to be a heart-breaking book that has also been educational, eye-opening and provides some important social commentary on modern society through an intricate, compelling and original storyline.

If you are looking for a book that will take you on an intense, emotional journey, look no further and pick this one up. You will not regret it.

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I was drawn to this book by the engaging cover. I love the focus on the empty chair – why is it empty and who does it belong to? This is also a new to me author, who comes highly recommended by lots of book-loving friends!

Blurb:

Can her own dark secret set her free?

Day one. As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I slowly start to recognise my surroundings: the small hole in the door and a narrow window allowing only a small chink of light. The jewellery given to me by my loving husband is gone and I am wearing someone else’s clothes. The room is exactly as the first woman described. And the second. And the third… It’s then I know, I am the fifth woman to be taken.

Just days before, I had interviewed the third victim for the local paper. Her story was the same as those before her: an ordinary woman, locked away for ten days then released with no explanation, and nothing – nothing she could think of – to link her to the others. Throughout the ordeal, her abductor stayed eerily silent.

I tell myself I’ll be safe; that I can brave the loneliness and survive just like the others. But as the days pass, I can’t help thinking of the fourth victim who is still missing.

And then I hear the voice coming through the door. ‘You said everything would be fine. But it wasn’t was it?’ It is then that I realise. If I am to make it out alive, I need to revisit a dark secret of my own that I have spent a lifetime trying to forget.

An absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller with a truly brilliant twist, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, T.M. Logan and C.L. Taylor.

My thoughts:

Mel Sherratt needs to take a bow as I have been completely consumed by this unputdownable thriller. The characters are well-drawn, haunting, raw and in some cases unsettlingly believable. I definitely felt sorry for Eva and found her unfortunate and frightening experience completely unbelievable in some ways. However, Mel’s precise details and focused narrative ensures that you come to experience Eva’s captivity with her, which completely hooks you in and you begin to forget that this is a piece of fiction.

The character of Alex draws up lots of questions about what it means to be a victim, and the frustration of feeling ‘invisible’ compared to other more high profile or more damaged ‘victims’. The book as a whole raises questions about the label ‘victim’. Is it helpful or a hindrance? Are you always a victim, or can you change your life in order to become a ‘survivor’ or a success story? I really enjoyed exploring this element of the story.

Related to this, Mel also explores the issue of abuse and how it can impact your life. This is where the psychological element of the story becomes very strong. What effect does this have on your psychological state, your memories and your self-control? Unexpected parallels between Eva and Alex’s story come to light in order to allow us to explore this in more detail.

This has been an absolutely exceptional book that is another league within the genre as far as I am concerned. The title links well to the structure of the book, which provides an intricate and well formulated timeline, but also ensures that this will be a compulsive and intense read. I have absolutely loved this book from start to finish and cannot pick fault with it.

K L Slater is one of my favourite authors in this genre so I literally jumped at the chance to get an advanced copy of this book and be involved in another blog tour of her books. This is definitely one of the best books I’ve read by her, along with The Apartment and The Girl She Wanted. You can find out more about why and more about the book below.

Blurb:

I can see her through the glass door. She’s smaller in real life than I expected. She looks the exact opposite of the type of woman that might murder her husband.

Everyone’s heard of Simone Fischer. The young mother accused of killing her husband in cold blood, one sunny afternoon, while their son played in the room next door.

So when journalist Esme secures an exclusive interview with her it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. Simone has remained silent since her husband’s death but after a decade in prison, she is willing to talk to Esme. And Esme, recently freed from her own toxic marriage, is confident she can get Simone to open up.

At their first meeting, when Esme sees Simone sitting across the table from her in jeans and a lemon tunic top, she is stuck by her ordinariness. Then Simone begins to tell her story of an abusive relationship where she was a prisoner in her own home, and Esme decides that the truth needs to come out.

But not everyone is pleased that Esme is telling Simone’s story. And when Esme’s beloved sister is left for dead in a nearby wood, Esme’s life begins to unravel. Forced to question what Simone has told her, she can’t help but wonder if murder was the only way out of Simone’s marriage. Why has it taken Simone so long to tell the world the truth? And will the consequences be devastating for Esme?

An utterly addictive and jaw-dropping read from bestselling author K.L. Slater about the darkness behind closed doors. If you like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train you will LOVE The Evidence.

My thoughts:

I am a big true crime fan, and though this is clearly fiction, I was definitely pulled in by the opporunity and task afforded to Esme. This is definitely something I would want to do, in her position. Therefore, Esme is immediately believable and relatable.

My favourite parts of the book were definitely the interview sections as this provided a fresh feel to the book and gave me lots to think about and ponder over.

There are some great twists and turns that kept me hooked after the build up at the start. The writer works hard to involve the reader in the drama and suspense, which raises lots of questions and makes this book difficult to put down.

Overall, this has been another superb psychological thriller from one of my favourite authors. I loved how layered this one was, with a few different plot points to explore, and the way the characters and themes really resonated with me.

I am very excited to be involved in the cover reveal for this book! It is the follow up to Martin’s 2019 book, The Road to Cromer Pier. Both of these sound like lively, dramatic and escapist reads and researching into them for this cover reveal has meant I’ve added them to the TBR!

It’s ten years on from The Road to Cromer Pier, and Summertime Special Show Director Karen Wells has two potential headliners, but both have issues. Dare she take the risk? And Karen herself is at a crossroads. Will her mother Janet ever retire and allow her to run the pier theatre?

Meanwhile Janet’s nemesis, businessman Lionel Pemrose still has designs on the pier theatre, but he is facing growing financial problems. Bank manager Peter Hodson is haunted by a past indiscretion, and calls in recently widowed turnaround expert Tom Stanley. Can he keep the indiscretion a secret?

Tom is bereaved and has recently been made redundant from his own firm. He is too young to retire, and after years of long hours, suddenly finds himself unemployed. He pours his energies into the assignment, which could be his last hurrah.
Old enmities, loyalties and past mistakes surface as the future of the pier theatre is once again under threat, and those involved must deal with unresolved issues in their lives.

Pre-order Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Cromer-Pier-Martin-Gore-ebook/dp/B0982HW7CG

US – https://www.amazon.com/Road-Cromer-Pier-Martin-Gore-ebook/dp/B0982HW7CG

Publication Date: 17^th July 2021

I love Isabella May’s books. I have read a few now and the titles, covers and concepts are always so fun and well executed. This story was no different!

Blurb:

When Ali, Blake, Charlotte, and Grant sign contracts to star in a Back to School reality TV show, LOVE is the very last thing on their minds:

Ali flies to the UK from New Zealand, intrigued by the golden opportunity to advance her amateur social media influencer career.

Blake carpe diems the moment with both hands after a constant flurry of bad luck.

Charlotte jumps at the chance to relive her sporting glories of the past – and take a hiatus from her humdrum marriage.

And Grant is just relieved to get away from his failing second-hand music shop.

But once the advances hit their bank accounts, it soon becomes apparent that producer Jock’s Pied Piper-style offer to change their lives is distinctly lacking in sherbet fizz!

In fact, the only sweet thing about this gig for the former students and the rest of their Bubblegum and Blazers competitors, may just be the packet of candy in their pockets.

Re-enacting their past is a roller coaster of revelations, retaliation, and unlikely romance in a goldfish bowl of mayhem where Raphael (agony uncle of the school sweet shop) and his rhubarb and custards reign supreme…

My thoughts:

I have loved the concept behind this book. It is filled with nostalgia and I am a big fan of reality TV so it was interesting to see this portrayed in a fun and original way in a book.

Once again, Isabella’s story provides a sensory and atmospheric experience. You are thrown into the past and also into the craziness of reality TV production.

There are a well-drawn and entertaining set of characters who I have loved getting to know and passing judgement on.

This is a light-hearted and entertaining read about accepting the past, embracing the present and laying foundations for the future. I highly recommend it to fans of the romantic fiction genre, or fans of reality TV!

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