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I am excited to be involved in the blog tour for this entertaining and heart-warming debut novel by Andy Howden. I really loved the cover of this book – the bright cover caught my eye and the simple animation gives me the idea that this might be a book about someone who is losing a grip on their happiness and is about to embark on a journey to find it again.

Blurb:

Long-listed for the Exeter Novel Prize, Melting in the Middle is a literary comedy about redemption and second chances, played out amid the madness of modern life.

For Stephen Carreras, life is in turmoil. His career with Britain’s worst chocolate company is heading for the rocks when it’s taken over by US confectionery giant Schmaltz. He’s just turned forty, he’s messed up on marriage and is struggling to keep a toehold in the lives of his monosyllabic teenage children.

Then he meets Rachel, who dances to a very different beat. She challenges him to do good among the carnage that surrounds him. But to do so, he must confront his past and work out all over again what really matters…

My thoughts:

This is a fast paced novel, split into sections which covers about one year in the life of the main character, Steve. Steve is facing a lot of change and challenges. His ex wife has found a new partner, his job is at stake after the company he works for is taken over by an international brand, and his children are at difficult stages in their life where communication and connection are proving difficult.

There is a dry humour laced throughout the book, and this instantly made Steve a relatable, likeable and entertaining character. The narrative includes some lively and vivid descriptions, that bring Steve’s new reality into focus, such as the re-design of his once familiar office.

Steve unexpectedly meets Rachel. She is an unconventional but likeable heroine in this story. She comes across as someone who is giving, sociable, dedicated but also has a fun, cheeky edge. She believes that we can all strive to “do good amongst the carnage” and she manages to take Steve on quite a journey throughout the book.

Overall, this has been a heart-warming, easy read with some likeable characters and some not so likeable, but all entertaining nonetheless. This is a book that is mostly light-hearted in tone and subject matter, but carries important messages about confession, forgiveness and staying true to yourself.

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I am very excited to be involved in the ‘Publication Day Push’ for this wonderfully escapist and romantic read by an author that has been on my radar for quite some time!

Blurb:

Alice thought her future was set in stone, until her past came knocking…

Alice Butler starred in a successful US sitcom until tensions in the cast and crew caused the show to be cancelled. Now, five years later and working towards her dream job in art history, she’s called back for a revival of the show. It can only end in disaster, surely?

Flown to a villa in Chianti to meet with the rest of the cast, Alice must decide where her future lies – with her boyfriend, David, who laps up the Hollywood company, or with the mysterious Matt, who shies away from public attention?

My thoughts:

Firstly, I adore the cover of this book. It sets the tone for this atmospheric and intriguing book, which includes some wonderful description and imagery of this region of Italy.

Alice is a likeable character. Although I couldn’t really say I can relate to her, as her brain power and fame is far beyond anything I could ever dream of, I still identified with her quite human and natural desires and hopes to be accepted and appreciated for who she is, and what she can offer to others.

I found it completely fascinating that this book was written by a man, as I really think he manages to get into the mind and thoughts of this quite unique woman really well, in order to make her believable.

The story itself had more suspense, drama and mystery than I had expected. I thought, after reading the opening and seeing the title – that I knew where this one was going, and I was proved wrong! This is an unpredictable tale and one that kept me guessing until the end.

I’d definitely recommend this book to romantic fiction fans who are looking to try out a new author, as I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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I am so excited to be involved in the blog tour for one of my most anticipated reads of 2021. Apologies for the late post but I was determined to wait for the hard-back of my pre-order to arrive before I started reading this one.

Blurb:

Life is short. No-one knows that better than seventeen-year-old Lenni living on the terminal ward. But as she is about to learn, it’s not only what you make of life that matters, but who you share it with.

Dodging doctor’s orders, she joins an art class where she bumps into fellow patient Margot, a rebel-hearted eight-three-year-old from the next ward. Their bond is instant as they realize that together they have lived an astonishing one hundred years.

To celebrate their shared century, they decide to paint their life stories: of growing old and staying young, of giving joy, of receiving kindness, of losing love, of finding the person who is everything.

As their extraordinary friendship deepens, it becomes vividly clear that life is not done with Lenni and Margot yet.

My thoughts:

This book was absolutely worth the wait. The original and captivating opening, in which Lenni compared waiting for death to waiting at an airport, really brought to my attention the writer’s talent and ability to play with imagery and language. This continues throughout the book to create a sense of place, and to also really help you empathise with the frustration of a long hospital stay.

I loved the structure of the book. I loved that the writer chose to write from both Lenni and Margot’s perspective, and I was amazed at the way she so authentically and wonderfully created a strong and distinct narrative voice for each of the characters. The short chapters kept me hooked on the book, and the flashbacks and “stories” really deepened my feelings towards the characters.

Lenni and Margot quickly became like old friends, and I definitely admired their bravery, humility and ability for love and acceptance despite the devastating situation each one of them faces. These are wonderful characters which I have loved getting to know.

Overall, this has been a heart-warming yet tear-jerking novel about friendship, gratitude and courage, that I have absolutely adored. This has definitely been a reading highlight of the year so far.

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I was drawn to this book as I was keen to understand the significance of the “eleven days”, and how such a short period of time might have a significant impact on one’s life.

Blurb:

Dan Whitaker is 20, lives in a sleepy village in Devon and works in a small DIY shop. He likes numbers and hero worships Lord Nelson. But he finds ordinary people difficult to understand and he’s certainly never had a girlfriend. His mother mocks him, and he misses his father and he pines for Ollie, his only childhood friend who truly understood him.

But, despite it all, Dan thinks he’s happy enough. Until one June day, the beautiful and mysterious Libby walks into his shop – and into his life.

Libby’s sudden appearance turns Dan’s ordered existence upside down. But Dan soon realises that Libby isn’t who she seems. Who exactly is she? What is she hiding, and, more importantly, who’s that threatening man always looking for her?

In trying to help Libby, Dan comes to realise what’s missing in his own life, and, in turn, appreciates what’s really important…

My thoughts:

This has been a short and easy read, which I have devoured in one sitting. I loved the effective simplicity of the structure, as the author takes us through the highs and lows of eleven days in Dan’s life.

I liked the character of Dan and had a lot of sympathy with some of the things he endured in the book. I thought it was interesting that the author refers to Dan being called ‘special’ at numerous points. To my mind, Dan had traits linked to a possible educational and social need or difficulty, but the fact that this is not ‘labelled’ in the book I think helped me to identify better with his character, and understand things that happened from his point of view. I’m sure, for example, that autistic people don’t necessarily going around thinking; ‘I’m autistic’ but rather ‘I’m just me’. I felt sorry for Dan at a number of points as you could see he was a genuinely good guy.

Despite being a short and easy read, the book explores some quite important topics including: friendship, family breakdown and loyalty.

Overall, this has been an enjoyable read with a likeable main character and an easy and effective structure.

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I am very excited to be involved in the tour for this clever, captivating and original debut novel.

Blurb:

On a cold blustery November night, Detective Sergeant Mike Brugge and his partner Detective Constable Mel Bailey come across a girl, age unknown, in the parkland in Gordon Square. She was frail, malnourished, dirty and was covered in excrement.
What had happened to this girl? Why was she cowering down, shielding her eyes from the light, with a look of horror on her face? She appeared to be non-coherent, totally unengaged and would not speak to anyone. Nothing could penetrate the world where her soul had taken solace.
Mike and Mel set out to find out where she had come from and what had been her plight. Revealing hypnosis sessions allow them to glimpse some of her pain and suffering. Follow their story deep into the horrors that unfold, causing chaos and turmoil among their own lives.
The detectives are about to discover a horrific, gut-wrenching story, that spanned over four decades. But will it end?

My thoughts:

As a massive fan of crime thrillers and police procedurals, the blurb was enough to entice me into reading this novel. I was keen to discover what this horrific, gut-wrenching story was all about!

I definitely agree that that is an accurate description of the book. To my mind, the novel has three elements – the mystery of the girls who are found, an unexpected and shocking incident which involves Mel, one of the detectives, and the blossoming relationship between Mel and Mike. Each of these elements bring something unique and necessary to the book, and by the end are sleekly and clever brought together and intertwined.

I loved meeting Mel and Mike. They are caring, daring, brave detectives who are clearly very good at what they do and support each other unconditionally. These characters were easy to build a rapport with, and I’d actually love to see this book made into a series that focuses on these two characters’ detective work.

This book is, at times, quite dark and harrowing, and the easy and natural connection between these two characters provide a light relief that is absolutely needed.

The writer uses flashbacks and a clear timeline to maintain the reader’s interest and provide key information that leads to an understanding of the true horror and enormity of the cases being looked at.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of darker police procedural fiction.

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I think it is very admirable and brave, but also very vital to lots of people’s mental health that wonderful authors are releasing fantastically topical and sensational debuts during this global pandemic. Allegation is a thought provoking and original book, focusing on another important and topical issue (aside from the C word which everyone is talking about!) I have absolutely loved this book and feel honoured to support a Welsh author as part of their blog tour.

Blurb:

 

A scandal will shake a small community to its very foundations.

Sandbeach, South Wales. Two women have come forward to make historical sexual allegations against a pillar of the local community, Matthew Cooper. And child-safeguarding protocol demands that Social Services remove the accused from his home and his family, while a formal assessment is carried out.

The Cooper case lands on the desk of inexperienced Social Worker, Kit Goddard. Although intrepid and intuitive, she is ill-prepared for such a high-profile case.

Kit finds herself navigating a local minefield of connections and class, reputations and rumour. Unsure whether her interference is a heroic intervention or a hurtful intrusion, she knows one thing: it will have an impact. The question is whether this impact will be to expose an iniquitous lie, or destroy an innocent life…

My thoughts:

I absolutely love a police procedural, but I thought it was fascinating and original that this author chose to write about this case from the point of view of a social worker.

I loved the character of Kit. I could see that she was a resilient, courageous and intelligent woman, fighting for the rights of children in what can sometimes be quite a corrupted and patriarchal system.

I don’t mind admitting that the plot hit a raw nerve and parts of it were quite hard to read, giving me some quite traumatic flashbacks. My personal experiences of this rather taboo and difficult topic allowed for a different perspective. I won’t go into major detail here as it’s not appropriate, but I definitely felt sympathy for Annie, as well as respect for Kit.

This was a gripping read that I found hard to put down! The ending was unexpected and I love how the author left it open to allow for a sequel. I can’t wait for the next book, I wish the author all the luck in the world with this book, and I want to thank Quercus Books for my advance book.

I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys police procedural books, as this is definitely an interesting and original spin on it – definitely worthy of 5 stars!

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I absolutely adore Amanda’s books and I feel honoured to be involved in the blog tour for her latest book, which I am absolutely certain will be another best seller. I also loved the fact that this book had strong elements of historical fiction as this is quickly becoming my favourite genre. Like many of Amanda’s book covers, this beautiful cover focuses on one distinct image. In this image, the dusty book and beautiful, old-fashioned and ornate cup suggested that this book would be strongly rooted in the past, and be about memories, domesticity and possibly hidden secrets.

Blurb:

An Ordinary Life

From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a tale of love, loss—and one last extraordinary dance.

Christmas Eve, 2019. Ninety-four-year-old Molly lies in her hospital bed. A stroke and a fall may have broken her body—but her mind is alive with memories.

London, 1940s. Molly is a bright young woman, determined to help the war effort and keep her head up despite it all. Life becomes brighter when she meets and falls in love with a man who makes her forget everything with one dance. But then war forces her to make an unforgettable sacrifice, and when she’s brought to her knees by a daring undercover mission with the French Resistance, only her sister knows the secret weighing heavily on Molly’s heart.

Now, lying in her hospital bed, Molly can’t escape the memories of what she lost all those years ago. But she is not as alone as she thinks.

Will she be able to find peace—and finally understand that what seemed to be an ordinary life was anything but?

My thoughts:

Wow. How can I ever do this book justice? I am a big fan of Amanda’s, and have read a number of her books, and have quite a few more on the TBR. She is an author I highly recommend, and often get asked “Which one shall I start with?” In future, I will definitely be recommending people new to Amanda’s books pick this one out, first and foremost. Amanda Prowse is a true queen of domestic drama in fiction, but to me, this book has reached new heights.

This is an epic and sensational that centres around the wonderful character of Molly. Molly is not your average, ordinary character, and she certainly doesn’t “fit the mould” of a 1940s lady. She is passionate, clever, strong-willed, independent and courageous. She goes through far more in her life than anyone can ever dream of, and she does so with humility and resilience.

The writing of this book is so authentic, I really wonder if the author did a lot of research, or spoke to a lady of a similar age to Molly who had lived through the war, to gain inspiration for it. I can’t imagine how else she could have written something that flows so well, and seems to perfectly describe the attitudes and atmosphere of 1940s Britain.

The plot is a complete rollercoaster ride. There are some shocking and unexpected twists, and some inevitable plot points (such as death of older characters), that enable Amanda’s book to showcase a raw and realistic portrayal of domestic and war-time British life. I found myself with tears silently rolling down my cheeks many times. This book is heart-breaking, and covers many important themes: love, war, betrayal, loyalty, mental health and motherhood are just some of them. It is not a light read, but to my mind it is it such a beautiful exploration of human existence and resilience, it is a must read for everyone.

I am truly confident that this will be a best-seller and I encourage everyone to read this book. It will break you into little pieces, and slowly put you back together again. Molly became an old friend, and this book will stay with me a long time.

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I am very excited to be involved in the Birthday Blitz for this fun and romantic novel! I was drawn to this book by the gorgeous enticing cover, plus the author is one that has been recommended to me many times!

Blurb:

Alex is tired of being single. After years of disastrous hook-ups and relationships that lead to the bedroom but nowhere else, Alex is convinced she’ll never find her Mr Right. Then her newly married friend Stacey recommends what worked for her: a self-help book that guarantees Alex will find true love in just seven steps. Sounds simple, right?

Except Alex soon discovers that each step is more difficult than the last, and one of the rules involves dating, but not sleeping with a guy for six months. Absolutely no intimate contact whatsoever. Zero. Nada. Rien. A big challenge for Alex, who has never been one to hold back from jumping straight into the sack, hoping it will help a man fall for her.

Will any guys be willing to wait? Will Alex find her Mr Right? And if she does, will she be strong enough to resist temptation and hold out for true love?

Join Alex on her roller coaster romantic journey as she tries to cope with the emotional and physical ups and downs of dating whilst following a lengthy list of rigid rules.

My thoughts:

I was totally pulled in by the opening of the novel. I was unsure at first whether I was frustrated with Alex or felt sorry for her as she faced the dilemma of whether to reply to someone who was clearly blowing hot and cold with her.

The plot was original and entertaining. I loved the idea that Alex was going to experiment with love, based on the advice of a self help book. Her attitude to the book was similar to my attitude whenever I’ve read ‘parenting’ books – very sceptical and judgemental, only to find, as Alex does, that in theory at least, some of it makes a lot of sense.

The language used in the self-help book and Alex’s reactions to it was informal and humorous, setting a light hearted mood for Alex’s “mission”.

This light-hearted mood continues and the descriptions of her dating blunders and some of the blunt, selfish men she met had me either chuckling to myself or audibly gasping!

I loved the way the narrative focused on two men – rich, handsome, confident, Luke and sweet, romantic and complicated Miles. I was rooting for Miles throughout, but who does Alex choose? You’ll have to read to find out.

This has been a perfect rom-com read that I have flown through in one sitting, and I am so excited for the sequel! This book has placed Olivia Spring as one of my favourite romantic fiction authors!

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An interesting quote from the book:

“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got.” 🤔♥️

I am very excited to be involved in the first day of this blog tour, kicking off a wonderful set of reviews for a brilliantly mystery book, which excitingly for me, was written by a (very) local author!

I was completely intrigued and drawn in by the cover of this book, which suggests this book will be about suspicion, betrayal and an exploration of family loyalties and family ties.

Blurb:

Tim, Rose, Will and Belle led a charmed childhood growing up together on idyllic Bluebell Farm, but everything changed when their mother died. Sixteen years on, they’re practically strangers.

An unexpected invitation from their estranged father brings them back together giving them an opportunity to heal past wounds and start afresh.

But when Frank is found dead on the morning of his wedding, suspicion turns to the four siblings’ motivations, and the bad blood of the past resurfaces.

My thoughts:

The structure of this novel is original, effective and sophisticated. Pretty early on, we discover that Frank (the siblings’ father) has been found dead, then we are taken back in time a number of months to discover how each of the siblings felt and reacted to the shocking and unexpected news of their father’s wedding and new love interest. Could any of them have reason or motive to have involvement in their dad’s death, knowing how their mother’s death ripped them apart?

Each of the chapters takes us through the events that lead up to that fateful morning, but show a wide range of perspectives and share a huge amount of possibly relevant information by giving each of the four siblings a narrative voice. All of the characters are complex, and are flawed in some way, whether that be their character, their questionable choices or their treatment of others. I personally disliked Tim the most, and found him to be quite narcissist and rude. I did feel a little sorry for Belle at times.

This has not been as fast paced as I was initially expecting but it has definitely kept my interest and attention. The structure and style reminds me of “Our Little Cruelties” by Liz Nugent, and if you enjoyed that book then this is definitely one you can check out.

This is a fantastic book with meaningful twists by a local, talented author, and I wish her all the best with it!

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I am so excited to present to you the 2nd in the “Nosey Parker” cosy mystery series. This has been another fabulous read. Scroll down to find out why 👇

Blurb:

When a body turned up at her last catering gig it certainly put people off the hor d’oeuvres. So with a reputation to salvage, Jodie’s determined that her next job for the village’s festival will go without a hitch.

But when chaos breaks out, Jodie Parker somehow always finds herself in the picture.

The body of a writer from the festival is discovered at the bottom of a cliff, and the prime suspect is the guest of honour, the esteemed painter Duncan Stovall. With her background in the Met police, Jodie has got solving cases down to a fine art and she knows things are rarely as they seem.

Can she find the killer before the village faces another brush with death?

My thoughts:

I had high hopes and this book absolutely did not disappoint. The first few chapters sets the scene and builds up to the mystery, providing just enough back story to bring new readers who have chosen this as a stand alone up to speed, whilst maintaining a good level of pace and interest for readers of the previous book. I really dislike it when a series book spends too long covering old ground. In my opinion, this is perfectly balanced.

Once the introductions and contextual information was done, I found this to be a faster paced read than the first book, which was great. I loved the drama of the love story running alongside the mystery, and it was made all the more exciting by the fact Jodie’s love interest is a key suspect.

This was quite a twisty tale, with some unexpected turns of events. I’d say the tone overall is a little more serious and the plot a little more complex than the last book, but it was still a fabulously enjoyable and entertaining read.

Overall, this is so far a series with wonderful characters, a striking setting and a clever plot line, which I have no hesitation in giving five stars.

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