BLOG TOUR AND BOOK REVIEW THE MISSING BY C.L.TAYLOR

You love your family. They make you feel safe. You trust them.

But should you…?

When fifteen-year-old Billy Wilkinson goes missing in the middle of the night, his mother, Claire, blames herself. She’s not the only one. There isn’t a single member of Billy’s family that doesn’t feel guilty. But the Wilkinson’s are so used to keeping secrets from one another that it isn’t until six months later, after an appeal for information goes horribly wrong, that the truth begins to surface.

Claire is sure of two things – that Billy is still alive and that her friends and family had nothing to do with his disappearance.

A mother’s instinct is never wrong. Or is it?

Sometimes those closest to us are the ones with the most to hide…

Firstly a huge thank you to Avon for sending me a copy to review ,I did squeal when I got the email and then again when it arrived . Also I’m thrilled to be sharing my review on this blog tour !

I have loved callys writing since I read the accident in 2014 and like many other book bloggers we all await with excitement for her next book .

The missing doesn’t disappoint and its a very very clever book which left me feeling quite drained when I finished .I read it cover to cover in a day because once you start turning the pages you need to know how the story will end !

Suspicion is everywhere about everyone and the plot only thickens when more questions are answered .

Like all her books it begs us to think what if ? and as a mum this is the worse scenario so you read with your breath held .

There are twists and turns and I was very shocked .Cant say too much .

There is a subject matter in this book which I felt cally delivered very well and I could relate hugely ,though was very unexpected to see it there .

This is a dark haunting read taking a mothers worst nightmare and leaving you on the edge of your seat .

What do you do when you begin to question those closes to you ? and what happens when the truth is worse than your nightmares .

This has the shock factor making it highly addictive and chilling .Great charactars that you will doubt more and more and a incredibly strong resiltant mother who wont stop till she finds her son .

Please check the other blogs out on this tour .

Published 7th april

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW WHEN SHE WAS BAD BY TAMMY COHEN

‘A fresh, clever psychological thriller with toxic characters you’ll love to hate. I loved it!’ CLARE MACKINTOSH

‘Takes the ordinary and twists it until the sense of danger is utterly overwhelming. Tammy Cohen is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors’ EMMA KAVANAGH

‘I was on the edge of my seat. Psychological thrillers don’t get much better than this!’ C L TAYLOR

‘Truly terrifying’ RUTH WARE

‘A taut, immensely readable thriller that kept me guessing right to the end. I love Tammy’s books and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint.’ LOUISE VOSS

One of the Daily Mail’s BIGGEST SELLING bookclub authors

YOU SEE THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH EVERY DAY.

BUT WHAT CAN’T YOU SEE?

Amira, Sarah, Paula, Ewan and Charlie have worked together for years – they know how each one likes their coffee, whose love life is a mess, whose children keep them up at night. But their comfortable routine life is suddenly shattered when an aggressive new boss walks in ….

Now, there’s something chilling in the air.

Who secretly hates everyone?

Who is tortured by their past?

Who is capable of murder?

Firstly thanks to Sarah at Transworld for this fantastic proof. I am a huge fan of Tammys books so couldn’t wait to get stuck in to her latest marvel .

This will enchant you to the bitter end and will have you thinking you have cracked it to then be shocked .

The concept of this storyline is so clever but quite simple really in the fact it happens all around us ,we don’t always get on with everyone and that’s even harder when working with them .

You could feel the tension and intensity building in the workplace and makes you on edge ,all the elements to make a great thriller !!

Tammy’s ability to create characters that we want to read about ,all their dark secrets just makes her books that more compelling .

There are several narratives throughout the book keeping you on your toes and skipping the pages very quickly eager to find out more .

This has all the trademarks of a great Tammy Cohen book that will have you reading at every available opportunity .

A fantastic dark book  full of suspense which as always has you hooked very quickly .

Published 21st april

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW MY MAP OF YOU BY ISABELLE BROOM

Holly Wright has had a difficult few years. After her mother’s death, she’s become expert at keeping people at a distance – including her boyfriend, Rupert.

But when Holly receives an unexpected letter explaining that an aunt she never met has left her a house on the Greek island of Zakynthos, the walls she has built begin to crumble. Arriving on the island, Holly meets the handsome Aidan and slowly begins to uncover the truth about the secret which tore her family apart.

But is the island where Holly really belongs? Or will her real life catch up with her first?

Firstly a huge thanks to Francesca at penguin for sending me a copy to review .

I am going to say now this is going to contain a lot of WOWS and AMAZING to describe this book .

I read this in one afternoon and I don’t think I can do it justice in my review so take my word for it this is going to be one of the TOP reads for 2016 .

When you finish this don’t be surprised if you want to book a holiday to Zakynthos as you will be transported there within the beauty and magic of Isabelles writing .

This ticked so many boxes for me ,chick lot but with added depth and I think I enjoyed it so much as I could relate to Holly .

Holly needs to wake up and allow herself to be real and find out what she wants from life ,makes Holly unique and happy.

There are family secrets and tragedy which again makes it so much more than a chick lit easy read. This touched me at a personal level and the irony is I have just started writing myself which is kind of therapeutic to me so In a  way I read this at the right time of my life .

Its funny ,romantic and will whisk you away from dreary UK to the glorious magical island of Zakythonos .

I cannot wait to read more from this talented author and I wish her every success with this book which i cant believe is her debut!

Isabelle reviews books for a  national magazine ,well move over other books allow this to be centre stage .

A gorgeous read perfect for summer,i cried smiled and will be recommending this to everyone .

 

 

THE WEEKEND WIVES BY CHRISTINA HOPKINSON

‘What is the world, then, of the weekend wife?’ asked Emily.
‘Secrets, there will be secrets. Not necessarily serious ones, but the triviality of them almost makes them worse. Someone will start smoking. One of you will see an ex and for some unknown reason decide not to tell the other one and before you know it, it’s become a thing.’ Laura sighed. ‘None of it really matters, I know, when I say it like that, but it all chips away.’
‘Still, those sort of secrets, like you say, they’re not anything serious, you know, like…’ Emily paused, unable to say the word out loud.
‘Like an affair?’ said Laura. ‘Oh god, this set-up is a recipe for adultery, don’t you think?’

A few months ago, Emily and her husband sold their house in the city and bought a place in the country. But Emily didn’t know that it would sometimes feel like a move to another country altogether. Moreover, with Matt working in the city from Monday-Friday, and only coming home to her and the kids at the weekend, Emily is suddenly plunged into the world of a ‘weekend wife’. With all the obstacles . . . and secrets . . . that brings with it.

Firstly thanks to Hodder and book bridgr for sending me a copy to review .

I haven’t read any of this authors work before and one of the many amazon things of being a book blogger is discovering new authors .

One of the wives I could really relate to and found myself getting quite cross .

The wives are all  very different which makes the book interesting as they all have varying outlooks on life and their families .

A enjoyable read which made my nutty pup look realtively normal in comparision to the dog featured in this book .

All their lives are stuck in some way or another and we follow them all on a journey .

A story of friendship ,new beginnings and the great countryside .

 

 

BOOK REVIEW BREAKING THE SILENCE BY JO MILNE

Jo Milne had already lived a lifetime surrounded by silence, profoundly deaf from birth, when she began to lose her sight. Just before turning thirty, Jo was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome, a rare genetic and progressive condition that will one day rob her of her sight altogether.

In 2014 she made a life-changing decision to undergo major surgery. She had cochlear implants fitted allowing her to hear for the first time. Every moment of Jo’s days since the operation has become a journey of discovery.

Over 12 million people watched the poignant video of the moment that 39 year old Jo Milne’s cochlear implants were switched on allowing her to hear for the first time in her life.

Breaking the Silence is a remarkable and beautifully written memoir that will serve as an inspiration to everyone who reads it. By turns, heart-breaking and heart-warming, it is the incredibly uplifting life-story of a woman who refused to give up hope and always lives life with a smile upon her face.

Watch Jo hear for the first time here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyDdVJ81Ixs

Firsly thanks to Jenni at Hodder for sending me a copy to review .

This is a incredible life affirming book which will always stay with me .

If this doesn’t inspire you I don’t know what will .

Jo tells her journey with such warmth and wit ,not an ounce of self pity .

As a mum of a autistic son I know only too well the difficulties of a hidden disability as a child .It was lovely to read her accounts as a toddler .

A emotional powerful read especially when she learns she not only cant hear but soon her sight will be lost .Having to readjust in the world once more sounded so difficult and I have so much respect for her and those like her.

We learn about her great work helping others in similar situation.

A must read and it will definitely leave its mark on you and makes you re-evaluate your outlook on the world.

 

 

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW THESE DAYS OF OURS BY JULIET ASHTON

novel about love. Raw important love. Small, beautiful love. And what happens when the person you love cannot be yours… Perfect for fans of Rowan Coleman, Jane Green and David Nicholls.

Kate and Becca are cousins and best friends. They have grown up together and shared all the most important milestones in their lives: childhood birthday parties, eighteenth birthdays, and now a wedding day as they each marry their childhood sweethearts, Charlie and Julian.

Kate has always loved Charlie – they were meant to be. Then she discovers that life never turns out quite how you expect it to. And love doesn’t always follow the journey it should.

But best friends are forever, and true love will find a way, won’t it…?

Firstly a huge thanks to the team at Books and the city who invited me to their spring blogger event on Wednesday 16th march .I felt so honoured to be there amongst great writers and one of them was this lovely lady . Her personality and humour really shone through while she was talking and she was lovely to sign my copy of her upcoming novel . The novel was in our goody bags …I know lucky right!! Maybe I should do a post about that wonderful evening 🙂

Anyway back to my review ,I started this Thursday morning and finished it Thursday evening .I could not put it down ,this is one of those books that you will read in queues ,in the bath in  the playground ….everywhere .Lynx even lost his beloved bedtime story as by the time I got to his room he had crashed ,in his own book I must add .

Nearly 2 days later and I still feel quite bereft at finishing this book and to all those who haven’t read it yet are so lucky because you are in for something quite special .

The style of writing and the chapters is very unique and is fast paced .

There are twists and turns to be discovered but for me the main premise is of love ,not just in a man and woman way but with friends and family .

Its about how we grow as people and the effect those important have on us .

We go on a journey with these characters and you feel quite attached to them ,what they experience and feel you do to .

I felt so many emotions reading this from laughter right through to sadness . You will get cross and you will cheer with joy .

This is a REAL account of humans and all our funny ways ,our weaknesses and strengths .

A beautiful story that will always stay with me .Perfect for fans of jojo Moyes and Rowan Coleman who all have the ability to take us on glorious journey but playing with our emotions !

One message this book gets across though is life really is too short ,so grab your dreams and love your life .

I wish her every success with this book and I can understand why you said you wanted to write this one again .

Published in paperback 7th April

 

 

 

 

BOOKS AND THE CITY SPRING BLOGGER EVENT 2016

I have been blogging and spreading the joy of books for just over 2 years now ,and ive

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been invited to several events but this was the first one I went to . As soon as I got the invite I booked the sitter and after a turbulent start to the year that was a personal goal of mine to get on that train and be in my seat that night.

It was fantastic and a great honour not only to be listening to 4 fantastic authors but to be surrounded by bookworms . Bookbloggers and the people who worked with Sara -jade  in her team at simon&schuster .

For years I thought I was the only one  loving books but the beauty of blogging is realising there are so many of us bookworms.

It was held on Wednesday 16th march at Books and the city HQ in London ,we was greeted by Sara-Jade who I have had the pleasure of emailing and tweeting with so was a delight to meet her at last. She is very funny with a great personality .

We then took our seats and was introduced by Clare Hey to the authors who were all going to read extracts and discuss their books .

In no particular order ;

1. Paige Toon –The one we fell in love with being published 19th May I have been a huge fan of Paige for years so I did slightly fangirl when I met her .Her extract was quite steamy …I shall say no more . I just know this is going to be brilliant and a great summer romance read .

2.Juliet Ashton -These days of ours being published 7th April . I have read this since I met her and just wow I can’t wait to share my review .Its fantastic and was lovely as she knew who I was .You can tell Juliet has a great wit which really shines through when she talks and in her written words.

3.Holly Hepburn -Summer at the star and sixpence being published 25th April . This is the second part of the series so I cant quite dig in to this yet .I loved hearing about Hollys research :p

4.Penny parks-Out of practise being published 28th July in paperback . I’m looking forward to reading this and enjoyed hearing about penny’s inspiration to this book .

In our goody bags we had copies of all of this which we then got signed .We all felt very lucky !

The talk was great funny and really inspirational .

We then moved into the next room and enjoyed the most divine cakes ever and fizz …it beats moaning at your kids and washing up doesn’t it ! 

I would like to say a big thank you for inviting me and making me feel like Charlene for a night .Also to the fantastic women who are able to capture our imaginations and let us escape through the power of their creativity .

Juliet Ashton

Paige Toon

Penny parkes

Holly Hepburn

The incredible goody bags ,thanks to Alba for the picture .

 

 

BOOK REVIEW THE LAST KISS GOODBYE BY TASMINA PERRY

A spellbinding tale of love, loss and long-buried secrets from the Sunday Times bestselling author. If you loved spending A Week in Paris with Rachel Hore or losing yourself in Songs of Love and War by Santa Montefiore, you will adore Tasmina Perry’s The Last Kiss Goodbye.

Everyone remembers their first kiss. But what about the last?

1961. Journalist Rosamund Bailey is ready to change the world. When she meets explorer and man about town Dominic Blake, she realises she has found the love of her life. Just as happiness is in their grasp, the worst happens, and their future is snatched away.

2014. Deep in the vaults of a museum, archivist Abby Gordon stumbles upon a breathtaking find. A faded photograph of a man saying goodbye to the woman he loves. Looking for a way to escape her own heartache, Abby becomes obsessed with the story, little realising that behind the image frozen in time lies a secret altogether more extraordinary.

Firstly thanks to Caitlin at Headline for sending me  a copy to review .Apologies in my delay in getting to this book .

I devoured this and I was completely swept away ,it reminded me what romance feels like .

 

I love reading the different timescales in the book and how it all come together .

I cried ,laughed and smiled reading this .

I felt like I was packed a punch in my heart several times .

The characters are great and I must say I was quite smitten with Dominic and admired Rosamunds strength and fieriness .They had each met their match in one another and that just made their love even more believable and special .

 

A beautiful story of love loss and history .

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW SONG OF THE SKYLARK BY ERICA JAMES

Lizzie has always had an unfortunate knack of attracting bad luck, but this time she’s hit the jackpot. Losing her heart to her boss leads to her losing her job, and with no money in the bank, Lizzie finds herself forced to move back home with her parents. When she reluctantly takes another job, she meets Mrs Dallimore, a seemingly ordinary elderly woman with an astonishing past . . .

Firstly a big thanks to Elaine at Orion for sending me a copy to review and apologies for the delay !

I made it my mission recently to tackle my review tbr and I cant believe I left this so long to read .

I absolutely loved this book and it completely captured me and my heart .

Two women learn from each other in unexpected ways.

I have always had a soft spot for second world war so was thrilled to read the history in this book .The characters were brilliant and the friendships beautiful both in the past and present day .

I couldn’t put this down and I look forward to reading more of Ericas books .

This is a story of friendship ,love ,loss but most importantly I felt it explored the  eventualities  and uncertainties of life and what choices do you make ?