BOOK REVIEW MY SISTER BY MICHELLE ADAMS

My name is Irini, I was given away

My name is Elle I was kept. 

All her life inrini thought she was given away because her family didn’t want her.

What if the truth is something far worse?

Two sisters 

Two separate lives

One family bound by a harrowing secret.

Firstly a huge thank you to headline for my copy to review.  This has been one of my most anticipated thrillers of the year .I loved the title and cover before i even knew what the blurb was! I knew I was in for a chilling read!

This is a impressive debut book especially in the genre it is as there are so many great ones out there.

A compelling and haunting read that makes you keep turning the pages to discover the truth. 

It’s full of anticipation as we build up to the final showdown and learn what is this family’s secrets?

Incredibly written packed with suspense and tension. 

Published 20th April 

BOOK REVIEW MY HUSBAND THE STRANGER BY REBECCA DONE

It’s a funny thing, when the future you dreamed of can never be anywhere  but the past .

When Molly married Alex Frazer , she knew it was for ever. Theirs would be the perfect future. 

In sickness and in health.

But a terrible injury after a night out ledges Alex with permanent brain damage. In a single moment the man she married is transformed into someone new. Someone who has forgotten how to love her. And someone molly isn’t sure she can ever love again. 

Till death do us part .

The Alec she married no longer exists . Even with his twin brother Graeme willing to help , molly isn’t sure that she can go on . How can she stay married to a man she doesn’t know?  Should she let the future she dreamed of slip through her fingers?  And what really happened on the night that turned her husband into a stranger ?

Firstly a huge thank you to Sarah at penguin for sending me a copy to review .

I have read this front to back cover in one go ..so you know it’s a brilliant read when that happens. 

This explores what happens when the building blocks your marriage is based on are destroyed. 

What happens when your husband isn’t the same man anymore.

She finds herself in a new area and in a new role …not just a loving wife but as a carer.

It’s not easy but she loves him right?

Told in narratives of past and present and of each voice so as the reader we got to see what he was like before the accident . 

We learn not all is as 

 it seems especially regarding some characters. 

Thought provoking and a enjoyable read. 

Published 6th April 

BOOK REVIEW HOW NOT TO FALL IN LOVE ACTUALLY BY CATHERINE BENNETTO

Life as any chancer knows ,is 10%planning , 10% design and 80% totally winging it…

So join Emma George as she guides you through ..

How not to become accidentally knocked up at the age of 27…

How not to unceremoniously dump the father of your child ….

And then how not to lose the job that (even though you hate it) is the only thing between you and being homeless. …

Along the way discover that …

Even though your mother is perpetually vexed by your life choices ,she loves you really …

Having a doberman owning ,handicam -wielding, felony obsessed octegenerian as a neighbour is not as awful as it sounds ….

Sometimes just sometimes ,your bossy younger sister might actually be right…

Firstly a huge thank you to SJ at books and the city for this copy.

This is already without doubt one of my best reads of 2017!

This book is bloody hilarious  , I was literally laughing out loud.

I adore so many characters , Emma is just brilliant and is so witty .  Her mum is a legend and her new friend /lodger is just the tonic we all need when finding ourselves in a sticky spot. .. 

Similar tone with excellent comedy gold to kirsty Greenwood .

Excellent new voice in women’s fiction and the perfect antitode to a tough week.

This will make you laugh and smile ,an all round feel good read.

For those feeling like it’s always them with the bad luck  …take comfort in meeting Emma and going on a whirlwind of a journey .

Really recommend and cannot wait to read more from this hilarious author.

BOOK REVIEW MISS MARYS BOOK OF DREAMS BY SOPHIE NICHOLLS

Ella runs happy ever after , a bookshop nestled in the cobbled streets of York. 

She’s a wife ,mother and a successful novelist. 

But somethings missing. ..

Once day a strange girl comes into Ellaa shop. Bryony is shy and unsure,  but Ella feels an immediate connection to her.

With the help of one very special book – and a little touch of magic -can these women help each other find the fairy tale endings they’ve been searching for? 

Firstly thank you to bonnie zaffre for my review copy. 

I absolutely adore the title and cover. ..it screams book worm!

This is a story full of magic and hope .

Incredibly uplifting and a quirky charming  read.

I think most mum’s can relate to Ella at one point in there lifew or another and she’s a very genuine character

I believe in fate ,dreams and sixth sense all this was a fascinating read for me 

 There were some parts that were somewhat unbelievable and for a reader who didn’t have such open mind they may struggle. 

A great read with extra dose of magic .

Published 23rd March 

BOOK REVIEW KEEP ME SAFE BY DANIELA SACERDOTI

When Annas partner walks away fron their relationship, she is shattered.  But it is her little girl who takes it the hardest of all. The six year old falls silent for three days and when she does finally speak, her words are troubling.  Available tells Anna she wants to go home . To a place called Seal. To her other mother.

Anna knows the only way to unravel the mystery is to find the place her daughter speaks of.  And when she discovers a tiny island on the edge of the Atlantic called Seal ,she wonders ,is this the place of Avas dreams ? Would taking her there lead to further heartbreak?  Or could there be a whole new world, a whole new life,  waiting for them….?

Firstly a big thank you to Frances at headline for my proof copy .
 Was immediately grabbed by the premise of this book.

Daniela has a style of writing which immediately has you wanting more and whizzing through the pages 

Written with descriptive flair you can almost hear the sea .

Beautifully captivating and great warm characters you feel a real fondness to.

A quirky unusual story and I think this is best for readers with a open mind ….

A story of fate new beginnings love loss and the mother /child bond. 

A great read .

Published 6th April 

BLOG TOUR SUMMARY JUSTICE BY JOHN FAIRFAX

The last time Tess de Vere saw William Benson she was a law student on work experience. He was a twenty one year o

, led from the dock of old Bailey to being given a life sentence for murder. He’d said he was innocent. She believed him.

Sixteen years later Tess overhears a couple of hacks mocking a newcomer to the London bar,a no hoper with a murder conviction, running his own show from an old fishmongers in spitalfields. That night she walks back into Bensons life . the price of his rehabilitation-and access to the bar -is an admission of guilt to the killing of Paul harbeton,whose family have  vowed revenge. He’s an outcast. The government wants to shut him down and no solicitor will instruct him. But he’s subsided by a mystery benefactor and a desperate woman has turned to him for help:  Sarah Collingstone, mother of a child with special needs,accused of slaying her wealthy lover. Its a hopeless case and the murder trial , Bensons first, starts in four days. The evidence is overwhelming but like Benson long ago,she swears she’s innocent. Tess joins the defence team ,determined to help Benson survive. But as Benson follows the twists and turns in the courtroom, Tess embarks upon a secret investigation of her own ,determined to uncover the truth behind the death of Paul Harbeton on a lonely night in Soho .

Firstly thank you to grace for my copy and having me on the blog tour.

I loved the sound of this straight away.

This is fast paced with great characters. 

You can easily image it on the TV screen with its drama packed pages.

A story of new beginnings, dodgy pasts and secrets that people will do anything to keep buried. 

Twists and turns that keep you guessing in which way this courtroom tale will go!

Very original and fascinating concept .
Published 2nd March 

BOOK REVIEW THE SECRETS OF A HAPPY MARRIAGE BY CATHY KELLY

A special birthday party is the perfect chance to come together, but for the Branningans clan its about more thann just raising a glass….

 Bess is hoping to show everyone how happy her recent marriage is ,but behind all the party planning the cracks are beginning to show. Why is joining a new family so difficult? 

JoJo Bess’s step daughter, has a point to  make .Bess is not her mother, and she won’t ereplace The one she’s been missing every day for the past two years. And will she ever get the chance to become a mum herself?

Cousin cari is a fierce career woman who isn’t unnerved by anything apart  from facing the man who left her at the altar,and he’s on The guest list. Her job has been her safe place to hide -but is it time to let love into her life again?

Thanks to laughter ,tears and one surprise appearance, the brannigans might just discover the secrets of a happy marriage …. But will they find out before its too late?

Firstly thank you to Elaine at Orion for sending me a Copy to review.

I have really enjoyed the books of cathys that I’ve read so far.

This was a fun read and I enjoyed being involved In these characters lives.

My favorite was cari who is a very strong woman and her new love interest definitely caught my interest.

My only criticism is there was a lot of characters and at times there wasn’t an easy flow to the story-line. This often made the book feel unnecessarily busy ,taking the focus away from the main charactars .

However this is a modern tale of love friendship and family and what do you do when you feel you can’t get over the hurt in your life?

A very  enjoyable read from a author who knows how to write Womens fiction!

Published 9th march

BOOK REVIEW THE THINGS WE THOUGHT WE KNEW BY MAHSUDA SNAITH

Ravine and Marianne were best friends. They practiced handstands together , raced slugs ,and looked up at the stars and imagined their own constellations. And then, one day , marianne disappeared. 

Ten years later,  ravine lies in bed in her mother’s council flat ,plagued by chronic pain syndrome,  writing down the things she remembers.  As her words fill page after page ,she begins to understand that the only way to conquer her pain is to confront the horrors of her past.

Firstly a huge thank you to Becky at  Transworld for my copy to review.

The cover really is striking and intrigued me to delve in.

This is a quirky read but dealing with real and emotional issues.

A story of friendship ,family and loss. This is real life and real issues and you find Ravine easy to connect with .

As a woman who suffers with a invisible illness i could relate and you will be cheering her on as she starts to question her life and where to go next on the scary journey called…LIFE .

With each page we learn more about all the characters that have left a important imprint on Ravine and who she is today.

Shes only 18 but i got a real sense of someone with a very wise head on young shoulders .

Shes been hurt ,disappointed and confused and this explores how she deals with all that pain .

Really enjoyed this sensitive portrayl into the troubled teenage mind ,also i loved the insight into another culture and how different families run..

A fresh and exciting voice and a author to watch out for .

published 15th june