New Book Review -Finders Keepers -Sabine Durrant -#Blog Tour @hodderbooks @sabinedurrant

About the book

Ailsa Tilson moves with her husband and children to Trinity Fields in search of the
new. New project – a house to renovate. New people – no links to the past. New
friends – especially her next-door neighbour, the lonely Verity, who needs her help.
Verity has lived in Trinity Fields all her life. She’s always resisted change. Her home
and belongings are a shield, a defence to keep the outside world at bay. But something
about the Tilsons piques her interest. Just as her ivy creeps through the shared garden
fence, so Verity will work her way into the Tilson family.
And once they realise how formidable she can be, it might well be too late.

My review

Thank you to Jenny Platt for my invitation to the tour and for my gorgeous copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

The story begins with us being introduced to Verity and Ailsa, something bad has happened and Verity is protecting Ailsa. Verity is telling the story in the first person, she has lived in the house in Trinity fields her whole life,first with her mother and her sister Faith. Her and her sister fall out after the death of her mother. Verity says that she had an unconventional upbringing, but she was bright and goes off to university and when her mother gets ill and her sister says she has had enough of being her mothers carer she has to move back in.

The story moves to more recent times when Ailsa, Tom and their children Melissa, Max and Bea, move next door.

Verity does not have much of a life and she is flattered when she is asked to tutor Max as he is struggling at school with his literacy. The couple find out about Verity’s job and they ask her to help and she enjoys being part of their lives and being needed. She does get angry because Ailsa doesn’t pay her and that Tom invites her around so that he can tackle her about the state of her garden.

I did not know what to think about the characters in this book, none of them are particularly likeable, but some of them made me have empathy for them. Tom is a bully and is not nice to anyone and starts to express his dislike about the state of Verity’s garden. It becomes clear that there is something not right about Verity and when Ailsa pops around the her house unannounced, we start to see another side of her.

At the top of each chapter, there is an item listed as the header and a word this is a link to Verity’s job as an editor for The Oxford English Dictionary but also to something in the chapter. The significance of the item you discover as you progress the book. It is a clever read, quite a slow pace and you get to know the characters really intimately before you find out where the story is going. Which I will not be giving away.

Verity is such a complex character, one minute I felt empathy and sadness for her and the next disbelief and anger. She has so many secrets of her own it is difficult to know when the truth starts and the lies begin.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it kept me on my toes all the way until the end. It is a fantastic read about obsession, loneliness and murder. It is dark and disturbing and so clever, you will need to keep on reading into the night.

5 stars from me !

Sabine Durrant is the author of four psychological thrillers, Under Your Skin,
Remember Me This Way, Lie With Me, a Richard & Judy Bookclub selection and
Sunday Times paperback bestseller, and Take Me In. Her previous novels are
Having It and Eating It and The Great Indoors, and two books for teenage girls,
Cross Your Heart, Connie Pickles and Ooh La La! Connie Pickles. She is a former
features editor of the Guardian and a former literary editor at the Sunday Times,
and her writing has appeared in many national newspapers and magazines.
She lives in south London with her partner and their three children.

#Blog Tour – The Story of Babuska – by Catherine Flores @storyofBabuska @authorflores @aclcreative_@lovebooksgroup #lovebookstours

About the book

A beautifully illustrated book, with a magnificent story that children and tweens will love.

Babushka wants to find out the meaning of life so she sends her bodies out of the forest and into the world to search for answers. 

WHAT IS A BABUSHKA?

The babushka doll, also known as a matryoshka or Russian nesting doll, is a traditional Russian toy first made over 100 years ago. The doll has come to symbolise Russian folk culture, as well as the complex and beautiful layers of women. There are some babushka dolls with as many as fifty dolls nested inside. This is the story of one very special babushka doll and her five bodies. There was the outermost body, Antonia. She was pure beauty. Everyone who saw her admired her good looks. Beneath that body of beauty hid Loretta, who was richly adorned. She wore gold ornaments, and her green robe was decorated with many different gems that glittered like the ocean on a sunny day. Hidden within the rich body was Paula, the body that held all Babushka’s talents. Whatever Paula did, she was sure to succeed. She knew how to work and always did so with joy and determination. Within the talented body was Viola, the body of wisdom. Viola knew a lot about the world and learned very quickly. She was always full of brilliant ideas and had clever solutions for every problem. The last body, the smallest of all, was Mary, the embodiment of love. Mary had a warm and compassionate heart and was very helpful. She could dry tears and mend broken hearts. Together, these bodies formed the complete Babushka.

Reading this book, you will learn about:

– The value of friendship and love.

– That financial wealth alone cannot make someone happy.

– Not to judge outer appearance.

– To recognize a person’s value and much more

My thoughts

Thank you to Kelly at Love Books Tours for my invitation to the tour and for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

I love Russian Dolls I have always been fascinated with them and I was immediately drawn to this book.

It is a really beautiful story about Babuska and her five bodies (qualities). Nearly of the bodies go off to find their way in life each unique and each special.

Antonia falls in love, Loretta wants to help others with her wealth, Paula is talented, and Viola is wise. Mary who is the Babuska’s heart and inner voice is the only one that stays behind and when autumn come she desperately misses them all and feels empty so she goes to look for them believing them to be settled. I am not giving away spoilers but this book has so many lovely stories within a story.

It is a moral tale about valuing what you have, it is about the grass not necessarily being greener on the other side. It is also about money alone not making you happy and to be your own person but needing all your qualities to make you complete.

The illustrations in this gorgeous book, compliment the story so beautifully and I will be sharing this book with family as it really has such powerful messages. I could see this being used in schools as part of PHSE. I look forward to reading the follow up.

Author Bio

Since quitting her full-time job at a branding communication agency in Zurich, Catherine has gone on to become a successful freelance designer and a children’s author. She spends most of her time on the small island of Madeira with her family, spending her time growing vegetables in her garden and working for clients from around the world.

She is currently working on the follow up to the 2020 release of “The Story Of Babushka”

Social Media:

Instagram:

Author: www.instagram.com/JourneytoFantastic

Book: www.instagram.com/StoryofBabushka

Twitter:

Author: www.twitter.com/AuthorFlores

Facebook:

Book: www.facebook.com/TheStoryofBabushka

Website:

Author: www.catherineflores.ch

Book: www.TheStoryofBabushka.com

Buy Link: 

YouTube Trailer – https://youtu.be/jKnDGZ2e1VY – Book TrailerFree colouring in downloads for your readers – 

The Story of Babushka Colouring Sheets (Free Download)

If I Could Say Goodbye – Emma Cooper – Blog Tour @itsemmacooper @lararosetamara @headlinepg #IfICouldSayGoodbye

About the the book

Jennifer Jones’ life began when her little sister, Kerry, was born. So when her sister dies in a tragic accident, nothing seems to make sense any more. Despite the support of her husband, Ed, and their wonderful children, Jen can’t comprehend why she is still here, while bright, spirited Kerry is not.
When Jen starts to lose herself in her memories of her sister, she doesn’t realise that the closer she feels to Kerry, the further she gets from her family. Jen was never able to say goodbye to her sister. But what if she could? Would you risk everything if you had the chance to say goodbye.

My thoughts

Thank you to Alara Delfosse at Headline for my invitation to the tour and for my gifted copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

There are not many authors that make me cry JoJo Moyes is one, Emma Cooper is another.

I am really going to struggle to convey the feelings and thoughts that this book gave me but I will try. The book begin with a tragic accident in which Kerry, Jen’s beloved younger sister is killed trying to save her.

We pick the story up 3 months later and Jen starts to come out of her grief stricken fog and starts to act in an out of character way. To begin with she is jumping on her husband Ed at every opportunity, at the start he thinks this is great but soon feels that something is not quite right with Jen. She is usually very house proud and a perfect Mum and she slowly begins to slip away from her family. She meets up with Nessa who was Kerry’s fiance and she soon discovers that she is finding life without Kerry just as difficult. The story is told from the perspectives of Jen and of Ed.

Jen who so absorbed in her guilt and grief that she cannot function as she did before and Ed who is on looking knowing that his wife is slipping away before his eyes and does not know what to do. Ed is at his wit’s end when he persuades her to go to the Doctors but is it too late.

I absolutely loved this book, it is so beautifully written and Emma’s characters as always are wonderful, real and honest and true and even amongst all the sadness there is humour and family strength and values. It shows what grief can do and should never be underestimated. It is a tough read in places and it did make me cry. I have two sisters and the thought of losing either makes me so sad and I could empathise completely with the sadness that Jen feels. As an older sister it is your job to look after the younger ones and I really felt this. The way Emma writes about mental illness is with sensitivity and understanding is compassionate and caring.

Thank you Emma for another wonderful read this will stay with me for a long time.

I will be talking to Emma next week with my work hat on live on Facebook 23rd September at 7pm join us then. bit.ly/3lDjF7V

About the author

Emma Cooper is a former teaching assistant living in Shropshire with her partner and four children. She spends her spare time writing novels, drinking wine and watching boxsets with her partner of twenty-four years, who still makes her smile every day. Emma
has always wanted to be a writer – ever since childhood, she’s been inventing characters (her favourite being her imaginary friend ‘Boot’) and is thrilled that she now gets to use this imagination to bring tolife all of her creations.

Find her on Twitter at @ItsEmmacooper and Instagram @itsemmacooper

The Flip Side- James Bailey -Blog Tour- @michaeljbooks @sriya_v #TheFlipSide

About the book

Josh thinks it’s going to be the perfect proposal. They’re in a booth on the London Eye, it’s New Year’s Eve, there’s champagne and flowers – everything is just as he planned.

Until his girlfriend says no.

Suddenly Josh has no girlfriend, no job, and no home. Moving back home to live with his parents, who have felt-tipped over their HAPPY ENGAGEMENT banner to read HAPPY HOMECOMING, doesn’t help. Nor do his loyal friends and pub quiz team, the All-Jays. All he has left is a rabbit named Jeremy.

Something has to change.

So Josh decides that for every decision he makes, he’s going to flip a coin. After all, fate can’t do any worse a job than he has so far… right?

This is a wonderfully feelgood, Richard Curtis-esque debut novel, in the vein of One Day in December, The Flat Share or Our Stop. Already receiving some rave reviews from fellow authors, it is the perfect escapist read.

My thoughts

Thank you to Sriya at Michael Joseph for my invitation to the tour and for my copy of the book via Net Galley.

Poor Josh, after a hideous snub from his girlfriend Jade, ends in him being homeless, jobless and his self esteem at an all time low, he decides he must take drastic action.

His friends think he should just ‘find someone else’ and he decides that if life can change so quickly then he will just flip a coin instead of procrastinating over decisions like her has previously.

It is a very funny book. I liked Josh he is genuinely a nice guy and I loved Pap and Josh’s parents particularly his Mum who insists on the engagement party regardless of any engagement and the whole Valentines Day episode is so awful that you had to laugh or you would cry.

Things go from bad to worse when he goes on a Tinder date with Emma and he takes her home, as he thinks his parents are away.

The school reunion was a perfect example of why I have never been to one. Awful !

However, a chance meeting at the London Marathon has Josh looking for his dream woman will her succeed ? When his friends enter him into a quiz show Josh hopes that his luck will finally change.

The setting in Bristol was great as I am from the South West and I do like a book set in an area I am familiar with.This book was a real breath of fresh air, I liked the perspective of Josh and it was great to read about a man’s disasters in love for a change and it made me laugh out loud.

This is a perfect read if you are looking for something to raise your spirits and make you smile. I loved its feelgood perfection.

About the author

Other Girls Like Me – Stephanie Davies – @midaspr @bedazzledink @stephanie5Davie #othergirlslikeme

Today on the blog I am sharing an extract from Other Girls Like Me by Stephanie Davies. Thank you to Bei at Midas PR for my invitation to the tour for this fascinating sounding book. I am old enough to remember Greenham Common and the protests and this a great tale of activism and solidarity between women.

About the book

Till now, Stephanie has done her best to play by the rules—which seem to be stacked against girls like her. It doesn’t help that she wants to play football, dress like a boy, and fight apartheid in South Africa—despite living in rural middle England—as she struggles to find her voice in a world where everything is different for girls.

Then she hears them on the radio. Greenham women—an irreverent group of lesbians, punk rockers, mothers, and activists who have set up camp outside a US military base to protest nuclear war—are calling for backups in the face of imminent eviction from their muddy tents. She heads there immediately, where a series of adventures—from a break-in to a nuclear research centre to a doomed love affair with a punk rock singer in a girl band—changes the course of her life forever. But the sense of community she has found is challenged when she faces tragedy at home.

Extract

From Chapter Twelve Where we break into a nearby nuclear research establishment.

TWO TRIBES Frankie Goes to Hollywood                                           

WE DIDN’T MEAN to break into a nuclear research establishment. We meant to break into Abingdon Royal Air Force base and spray paint some planes with peace slogans.

Jane had a car and drove like a madwoman for an hour along the dark unlit roads, the full moon just visible on the horizon as it began its ascent into the inky sky, but we could not find Abingdon. We were on our way back to Blue Gate, when Zee saw a sign for Aldermaston. “That’s something military. Let’s go there instead.”                                               

We were all sure that Aldermaston was an important military site, but none of us could remember why.                                      

“I think it’s British, isn’t it?” I said.                                      

“Maybe, it doesn’t matter, they are all the same,” Zee said. “Men waging war.”

And so it was that I ended up lying flat on my stomach on the damp grass scoping out the military facility through the same kind of mesh metal fencing we had at Greenham—no match for our bolt cutters. The scent on the warm Berkshire air and the dark silhouettes of the trees reaching up to the stars reminded me of night walks in St. Mary Bourne. But this was not St. Mary Bourne, it was a military establishment, and after my last experience of being threatened with rape, I wanted to run right back to join Susan, who had preferred to be our getaway driver than join us on the action. But I didn’t have the courage to admit I didn’t have the courage. I could see a guard illuminated in lights in the distance, far inside, but no police or security personnel anywhere along the perimeter fence. There was nothing to stop us, really, and my heart fell as I realized we had no choice but to start cutting.

Zee cut into the fence easily with her bolt cutters and we crawled through. When it was my turn, I snagged my black tuxedo jacket and ripped the top of my trousers, then I crawled on my stomach behind the others under a rope and through an area of long, damp grass, until I made it to a paved, well-lit road where my friends were crouched in a huddle. Zee cut another hole in yet another fence. We crawled through and as we stood in an unnatural, eerie pool of light I looked around for soldiers, but none appeared.

“What now?” I whispered as we made our way to the cluster of buildings ahead. It was a warm summer evening, but I couldn’t stop shivering. I glanced behind me, and the fence we had just come through was invisible in the darkness.

“There’s nobody around,” Zee said. “Let’s just take a look.”

Zee and I walked ahead, looking around at the low buildings. She stopped at a sign standing in front of one of them and grabbed my arm as she read aloud. “Accident in 1967. Do not go within fifteen feet of this building with a naked flame.”                                      

“Why do you think?”

“Got a match? We could light it and see what happens.”

“No, you don’t.” I wasn’t sure if she meant it or not.

By now the others had caught up and were reading the sign too.

“If we had a camera we could show it to Greenpeace,” Zee said.                                        

“Maybe they’d know what it’s all about.”                                        

“Let’s pose anyway,” someone said, and we did, and I even found it in me to laugh at us all hamming it up for the imaginary camera.                                    

We continued to stroll around, almost casually, and I started to relax as if I were window shopping on Newbury high street.                         

“Look at this,” Karen called, from a few feet ahead. To her right was a building with flashing lights coming from its darkened windows. To her left was an open storage area where we could see white protection suits hanging on hangers next to a van. We walked over to take a closer look, and saw that the van had a Geiger counter, a box, and a clipboard with delivery sheets on its dashboard.                                

“Spooky,” Maggie said.

“Let’s try on the suits,” Zee said.

Before we could debate the wisdom of this suggestion, I saw a flash of light above me and crouched down to the ground. Everyone followed suit as a flashlight streaked across the ground before us in a sweeping arc that disappeared slowly into the distance as the small figure carrying it walked away from us.

As we continued looking around, I pointed to the piles of full, black bin bags strewn in front of the buildings and asked, “Why so many?”

Then Zee asked, “And why do they have radiation stickers on them?”

A rabbit hopped through the shorn grass in front of us. I looked around at the non-descript buildings and the radiation stickers, and suddenly there seemed to be no air to breathe even though we were outside.

“I’m cold,” I said. “Let’s go back.”

I led the way this time, more than ready to race to the safety of our campfire at Greenham. I ran toward the grassy area we first crawled through, which was carefully sectioned off with rope, like a crime scene. I had only half-noticed this on the way in, but now I could see it was deliberately cordoned off, and for a reason. Planted firmly on the grass facing us was a sign with a radiation sticker on it, warning:

RESTRICTED AREA: DO NOT ENTER.

“What do you think that means?” I asked Zee, in a whisper, as we scurried through the hole in the fence. “It can only mean one thing,” Zee said. “We’ve been radiated

About the author

Photo credit  Nyra Lang 

Stephanie Davies is a communications consultant who worked for many years as the Director of Public Education for Doctors Without Borders. A UK native, Stephanie moved to New York in 1991, where she taught English Composition at Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus and led research trips to Cuba. Before moving to New York, she co-edited a grassroots LGBT magazine in Brighton called A Queer Tribe. Stephanie earned a teaching degree from Aberystwyth University in Wales, and a BA in European Studies from Bath University, England. She grew up in a small rural village in Hampshire, where much of her first book, Other Girls Like Me, takes place.

New Blog Post- The Heatwave – Kate Riordan- @michaelJbooks @kateriordanUK #TheHeatwave #BlogTour

Elodie was beautiful. Elodie was smart. Elodie was troubled. Elodie is dead.

Sylvie hasn’t been back to her crumbling French family home in years. Not since the death of her eldest daughter Elodie.

Every corner of the old house feels haunted by memories of her – memories she has tried to forget.

But as temperatures rise, and forest fires rage through the French countryside, a long-buried family secret is about to come to light.

Because there’s something Sylvie’s been hiding about what really happened to Elodie that summer.

And it could change everything.

My thoughts

Thank you to Ella Watkins at Michael Joseph for my invitation to the tour and for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

Sylvie has a call from her solicitor in France to say that their house in France has been damaged in a fire, she has not been back to the house since the death of her daughter Elodie, her younger daughter Emma can not remember visiting the house as she was very young.

The story switches between the present day 1993 and 1970s and 1980s when Elodie was a baby and Emma is born. Sylvie doesn’t bond with Eloide and wonders if something is wrong with her as she is very quiet and unresponsive.

Her husband Greg and her are now divorced but the flashbacks describe how he doesn’t appear to be very supportive of her concerns. He believes she is just different but Sylvie thinks it’s much more.

The story is narrated by Sylvie and is mainly in the style of her talking to her daughter.

It is wonderfully atmospheric and you can imagine being in the house in France, with the storms, it’s creepy house noises and underlying unsettling feeling and that heat.

It is very cleverly crafted and I was surprised by the twist. Overwhelming it is story of a mother’s love for her daughters.

I loved the unspoken secret that hangs over the book, but you will have to read it to find out what this is. This is definitely a no spoilers book to be savoured and have you gripped. A fantastic summery read!

About the author

Kate Riordan is a writer and journalist. She is an avid reader of Daphne du Maurier and Agatha Christie, both of whom have influenced her writing. She lives in the Cotswolds, where she writes full-time. The Heatwave is her fourth novel.

The Diver and The Lover -Jeremy Vine @hodderbooks @thejeremyvine @jennyplatt90

About the book

Soaked in sunlight, love and the mysteries surrounding a famous artist The Diver and the Lover is a novel inspired by true events.
It is 1951 and sisters Ginny and Meredith have travelled from England to Spain in search of distraction and respite. The two wars have wreaked loss and deprivation upon the family and the spectre of Meredith’s troubled childhood continues to haunt them. Their journey to the rugged peninsula of Catalonia promises hope and renewal.

While there they discover the artist Salvador Dali is staying in nearby Port Lligat. Meredith is fascinated by modern art and longs to meet the famous surrealist.

Dali is embarking on an ambitious new work, but his headstrong male model has refused to pose. A replacement is found, a young American waiter with whom Ginny has struck up a tentative acquaintance.

The lives of the characters become entangled as family secrets, ego and the dangerous politics of Franco’s Spain threaten to undo the fragile bonds that have been forged.

A powerful story of love, sacrifice and the lengths we will go to for who – or what – we love.

My thoughts

Thank you to Jenny Platt at Hodder for my invitation to the tour and for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

The book begins with us being introduced to the painting featured in the story
Christ of Saint John of the Cross which is in The Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow.

The story then goes back to an introduction to Ginny and her sister Meredith on holiday in Spain in the 1950’s, there is a big age gap between the sisters and Meredith has health problems. Ginny witnesses a young man jump off a cliff and is terrified the man has died.

The story then takes the reader back to Meredith’s earlier life which has been a really troubled, with the death of her mother and her father’s own mental health. Her mental health is portrayed sensitively by the author but it is really sad how she is treated, unfortunately a sign of the times then at the hospital as a single woman with no family. I do not want to give away spoilers but she is reunited with a sister that she does not know exists and she is able to leave the hospital with her, Ginny.

As a huge art lover, this book was a joy to read, very emotional at times but I was enthralled by the story of the sisters and the link with Dali. The story is really well researched and I learnt a lot about 1950’s Spain and its politics. The painting and its composition which are very controversial was also fascinating. It is a love story but also about family devotion between sisters.

I love the Walker Gallery in Liverpool and was delighted to find its inclusion in the book within Meredith’s story. It was wonderful to read how Meredith used art as her mother did to escape her troubles in the real world and her meeting with Salvador Dali is a very hugely important to her and links her to Scotland, the eventual home for the painting. You can tell that the author has a real love for this painting in the descriptions he writes in the story they are really beautiful.

If like me you like the history of art and a really good story this book will keep you gripped, a beautiful tender read and I really loved it.

About the author

Jeremy Vine is one of the UK’s leading broadcasters. He currently
presents The Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2. In 2018 he took over Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff, now called Jeremy Vine.
Jeremy is also an accomplished journalist and writer, with two non-fiction
books published in recent years.
Coronet will publish The Diver and The Lover in hardback, ebook and
audiobook in September 2020.

Hopeful Hearts at Glendale Hall -Victoria Walters @herabooks @rararesources @vicky_walters #BlogTour #Bookreview.

About the book

Hopeful Hearts At Glendale Hall

What happens when love takes you to unexpected places?

Heather Douglas appears to have it all. But living on a farm in the Scottish Highlands with her partner, Rory Fraser, all while bringing up their adorable toddler, Harry, isn’t easy. As a former librarian, Heather is worried that she’ll never fully fit into life on Fraser Farm. And after the death of her beloved mum five years ago, Heather feels lost, as well as guilty for holding back accepting Rory’s marriage proposal because she can’t imagine her wedding without her mother.

So when ex-boyfriend, Stewart, appears in the village of Glendale, it’s a shock to the system. The man who broke her heart years ago now has big plans for the neighbouring farm and wants Heather to be part of the development. Knowing that she’s living a very different life to the one they had planned at university leaves Heather wondering if she has made the right choices since she and Stewart broke up. Especially when things start to go very wrong on the farm …

This Christmas, Heather will need to face her fears and let go of the past or risk losing everything. She will need love, faith, and a whole lot of hope!

Return to the beautiful Highlands village of Glendale with the latest book in the bestselling Glendale series – the perfect cosy, uplifting, romantic read for fans of Heidi Swain, Milly Johnson and Holly Martin.

Purchase Links

Amazon https://amzn.to/2Y6P1dt

Apple https://apple.co/3emKwBn  

Kobo https://bit.ly/37AMc7D

My thoughts

Thank you to Rachel for my invitation to the tour and for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

Heather never imagined herself as a farmers wife, engaged to Rory and now she is also a mother to Harry, when Rory says he would like to get married Heather is unsure because she can not imagine her mother not being there. She is finding life as mother and working on the farm a struggle in comparison to her job before as a librarian in a small village everything seems very full on.

She misses female company and getting dressed up and at Christmas, a village wedding gives her the opportunity for both. Unfortunately everyone is reminding her that she is still not married.

This was my first visit to Glendale but it will not be my last. I loved the setting and the characters were warm and I do really love a book set at Christmas.

I felt for Heather as it is really hard losing your own identity when you become a mother. Also not having her own mum to support her makes it even harder for her. When a old flame turns up on her doorstep she is not prepared for how she feels.

I really enjoyed the visits to the hall and I will be reading more about Beth and Drew and the other inhabitants of the Highland town.

About the author

Victoria Walters writes up-lifting and inspiring stories. She’s the author of three novels, THE SECOND LOVE OF MY LIFE, SUMMER AT THE KINDNESS CAFÉ, and COMING HOME TO GLENDALE HALL. She has been chosen for WHSmith Fresh Talent and shortlisted for an RNA award. Victoria was also picked as an Amazon Rising Star, and her books have won wide reader acclaim.

Victoria is a full-time author. She lives in Surrey with her cat Harry, and loves books, clothes, music, going out for tea and cake, and posting photos on Instagram.

Find out more about Victoria by following on Instagram at @vickyjwalters, on Twitter at @Vicky_Walters or by visiting her blog at:https://victoria-writes.com/.

You Can Trust Me – Emma Rowley – Blog Tour @orionbooks @alexxlayt @emma_rowley #Bookbloggers #Thriller

About the book

Published in paperback original by Orion Fiction on
3 September 2020, £8.99
Ebook and audio also available

If you like Clare Mackintosh, Fiona Barton, Rachel Abbott or Lisa Jewell then you will be utterly gripped by this psychological thriller with a massive twist you won’t see coming.

You can trust me.
But can I trust you?

Olivia is the domestic goddess who has won millions of followers by sharing her picture-perfect life online. And now she’s releasing her tell-all autobiography.

For professional ghostwriter Nicky it’s the biggest job of her career. But as she delves deeper into Olivia’s life, cracks begin to appear in the glamorous façade. From the strained relationship with her handsome husband, to murky details of a tragic family death in her childhood, the truth belies Olivia’s perfect public image.

But why is Olivia so desperate to leave an old tragedy well alone? And how far will she go to keep Nicky from the truth?

My thoughts

Thank you to Alex at Orion books for my invitation to the tour and for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

Nicky is a ghostwriter and I have to say that I have always found this job really intriguing. She is is asked to write the autobiography of Olivia ‘The Coupon Queen’ who is an influencer and lives out the perfect life on social media. Nicky turns up at Olivia’s beautiful home unexpectedly after a mix up with emails and Olivia as the perfect host says that she must stay the night.

After an incident with a coffee, Nicky goes out for a walk and she makes a discovery of a tragedy that happened many years ago that shocks her and sets her on a path which Olivia does not want to venture on to.

Will Nicky be able to leave it alone and what else will she uncover in the process?

Set in two parts part one by Nicky, Part two by Olivia, set around the home of Olivia. This is a really gripping psychological thriller and it took a completely different direction than I was expecting which I really enjoyed. It has some fantastic twists and I became totally absorbed in Olivia’s story and there are plenty of shocks in store. A really fantastic read !

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emma Rowley is a writer, ghostwriter and editor with a background in journalism. She is currently a Contributing Editor at Grazia and formerly of the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph. A graduate in Classics and English at Oxford University, she trained as a journalist on the prestigious City University course. Emma has spent considerable time in the courts and covering major crime stories. She lives in London.

Christmas at Carly’s Cupcakes-Jessica Redland Christmas on Castle Street Blog Tour – #ChristmasonCastleStreet @jessicaredland @rararesources @boldwoodbooks

Christmas on Castle Street Blog Tour – #ChristmasonCastleStreetChristmas at Carly’s Cupcakes

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

It’s December on Castle Street; the fairy lights are twinkling, snow has settled and the festive season is in full swing.

For Carly, the owner of Carly’s Cupcakes, it’s the busiest time of year getting everyone’s Christmas treats ready on time. However with her clumsy sister, Bethany, as a co-worker, it’s proving a difficult task. They say you shouldn’t mix work with family. Maybe they have a point…

As Christmas approaches, Carly is also eagerly awaiting the return of her best friend to Whitborough Bay. Liam has no idea he’s been the object of her affection since their schooldays. After years of pining after him, can Carly pluck up the courage to finally tell him how she really feels by 25th December?

Could a little festive magic make all of Carly’s wishes come true this Christmas…?

A heartwarming, short festive story of friendship and family from bestseller Jessica Redland. You can find out what happens to Carly next through exploring her best friend Tara’s story in Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Café.

This is a new and updated version of Christmas at Carly’s Cupcakes which has been previously published.

My thoughts

Thank you to Rachel at Randoms Reads for my invitation to the tour and to Boldwood Books for my copy of the book via NetGalley.

Carly is supporting her sister Bethany who really has had a rough time.

Unfortunately Bethany has not inherited her sisters talent for baking and her friends are worried that Bethany is taking advantage of her sisters kindness.

Set in the lovely Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay, which is in it’s own community.

Carly does not have a social life, it is just work, work, work. Her best friend is Liam and he is has always been there for her since school. He can make her laugh, she is comfortable with him and she is also in love with him. He joins the Army and leaves Whitsborough leaving Carly devastated. After some disastrous relationships she decides she needs to take action.

It is Christmas in Castle Street and Carly’s friends are wondering what she is going to do this year, she is busy looking after Bethany, and busy in the shop. She always puts everyone else first.

Can Carly find sometime for love and herself ?

This is a lovely read, it is engaging and cosy. I loved the setting of Castle Street and I liked the sense of friendship and it was a joy to read, plus it has cake ! What could be better.

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3e5pUMP

Purchase Link –  https://amzn.to/3i98oKO

Author Bio –

Jessica Redland is the author of nine novels, including The Secret to Happiness, which are all set around the fictional location of Whitsborough Bay. Inspired by her hometown of Scarborough she writes uplifting women’s fiction which has garnered many devoted fans.

Jessica Redland is the author of nine novels, including The Secret to Happiness, which are all set around the fictional location of Whitsborough Bay. Inspired by her hometown of Scarborough she writes uplifting women’s fiction which has garnered many devoted fans.

Social Media Links –

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/JessicaRedlandWriter/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/JessicaRedland

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/JessicaRedlandWriter/

Website – https://www.jessicaredland.com/

Blog – https://jessicaredlandwriter.wordpress.com/

Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-redland

Mailing list sign up – http://bit.ly/JessicaRedlandNewsletter .

The Year of the Witching -Alexis Henderson- Blog Tour @randomTTours @bantampress

About the book

Born on the fringes of Bethel, Immanuelle does her best to obey the Church and follow Holy Protocol. For it was in Bethel that the first Prophet pursued and killed four powerful witches, and so cleansed the land.
And then a chance encounter lures her into the Darkwood that surrounds Bethel.
It is a forbidden place, haunted by the spirits of the witches who bestow an extraordinary gift on Immanuelle. The diary of her dead mother . . .
Fascinated by and fearful of the secrets the diary reveals, Immanuelle begins to understand why her mother once consorted with witches. And as the truth about the Prophets, the Church and their history is revealed, so Immanuelle understands what must be done. For the real threat to Bethel is its own darkness.
Bethel must change. And that change will begin with her . . .

My thoughts

Thank you to Anne Cater for my invitation to the tour and to the publisher for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

A gripping start to a book in which we discover the fate of Immanuelle’s mother Miriam. Miriam was exiled for cheating on The Prophet Abram and banished to the Darkwood. She dies in childbirth and Immanuelle is taken in by Abram and her Grandmother Martha.

Immanuelle is sent to sell her ram at market but fails to do so and on the way back he gets spooked and she ends up in the Darkwood, a place that she has been told never to go to.When she is there she has a surprise encounter with two women and she is shocked by what she sees. One of the women hands her book and it turns out to be her mothers journal.

When she goes home and tells her Grandmother where she has been, she is punished severely and warned never to return there. She is really intrigued by this and wants to find out more. A second encounter in the woods has devastating consequences and Immanuelle enlists the help of Ezra one of the Prophet’s sons to help her find out why this happened and also tries to put things right. I liked the dynamic between Ezra and Immanuelle and was gripped by their discovery of the Witches in the Wood.

I really do love a witchy book and this one really drew me in quickly and the characters were interesting and I wanted to find out more about them. It is a fast paced read and I was hooked and the apprehension is great as Immanuelle discovers more about her history and the history of Bethel. I really did enjoy this book it is engrossing, dark and punchy and I liked Immanuelle being a strong female character in a world that is very male dominated and misogynistic. Fans of The Discovery of Witches will enjoy this book. I look forward to reading more by this author.

About the author

Alexis Henderson is a speculative fiction writer with a penchant for dark fantasy, witchcraft, and cosmic horror. She grew up in one of America’s most haunted cities, Savannah, Georgia, which instilled in her a life-long love of ghost stories. When she doesn’t have her nose buried in a book, you can find her painting or watching horror movies with her feline familiar. Currently, Alexis resides in the sun-soaked marshland of Charleston, South Carolina.