BOOK REVIEW THE WORLD AT MY FEET BY CATHERINE ISAAC

The secrets that bind us can also tear us apart…

1990. Harriet is a journalist. Her job takes her to dangerous places, where she asks questions and tries to make a difference. But when she is sent to Romania, to the state orphanages the world is only just learning about, she is forced to rethink her most important rule.

2018. Ellie is a gardener. Her garden is her sanctuary, her pride and joy. But, though she spends long days outdoors, she hasn’t set foot beyond her gate for far too long. Now someone enters her life who could finally be the reason she needs to overcome her fears.

From post-revolution Romania to the idyllic English countryside, The World at My Feet is the story of two women, two worlds, and a journey of self-discovery that spans a lifetime.

Firstly a big thank you to the fabulous team at Simon and Schuster for my copy to review on netgalley. I am a huge fan of this authors writing both under this name and her previous. However ones written as Catherine just have that extra emotive side.

This is a fantastic tale written in different timelines for different women.

It explores mental illness in a relatable genuine way . With each chapter the reader goes on a journey with Ellie of self discovery and growth.

Heartwarming and uplifting this is a great 2021 spring read.

As Ellies world grows more so does those around her.

Emotional and beautifully captures the human trials and tribulations and how to be brave and face our fears.

Published 18th March

BOOK REVIEW SINGLE MOTHER BY SAMANTHA HAYES

I will do anything to protect my daughter. She’s all I’ve ever wanted and all I really have, but the moment I opened that letter and accepted the gift inside, I walked us right into a dangerous trap.
I know I should have got her to tell me who she’s been talking to on the phone late at night, and where she was the day I went to pick her up from school and couldn’t find her, but she’s not spoken a word since she discovered a secret hidden in our new home.

And now she’s missing…

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. Another fantastic gripping psychological thriller from Bookouture!

This is a rollercoaster of a read . Packed with tension and gripping action.

What starts as everyones dream esp for someone in same boat as me… ends up being a nightmare!

Completely unpredictable and addictive this is a great book.

Published 5th January

BOOK REVIEW NO SUCH THING AS NORMAL BY BRYONY GORDON

‘Mental illness has led to some of the worst times of my life… but it has also led to some of the most brilliant. Bad things happen, but good things can come from them. And strange as it might sound, my mental health has been vastly improved by being mentally ill.’
From depression and anxiety to personality disorders, one in four of us experience mental health issues every year and, in these strange and unsettling times, more of us than ever are struggling to cope. In No Such Thing As Normal, Bryony offers sensible, practical advice, covering subjects such as sleep, addiction, worry, medication, self-image, boundary setting, therapy, learned behaviour, mindfulness and, of course – as the founder of Mental Health Mates – the power of walking and talking. She also strives to equip those in need of help with tools and information to get the best out of a poorly funded system that can be both frightening and overwhelming. The result is a lively, honest and direct guide to mental health that cuts through the Instagram-wellness bubble to talk about how each of us can feel stronger, better and just a little bit less alone.

Well shes done it again….Bryony is a bit of a hero of mine. Ive met her , have signed copies of a few books. Her soberity memoir was the first one i read when i realised I had a drinking problem. She writes from the heart and with sincerity and warm depth.

Her books should be prescribed for peoples mental health .

I loved the fact she included lockdown in this book and some of the difficulties being raised for people.

I have huge respect for her and her words and she definitely inspires the writer in me.

I highly recommend and definitely begs the question…what is normal??

Published 7th January

BOOK REVIEW GIRL A BY ABIGAIL DEAN

’Girl A,’ she said. ‘The girl who escaped. If anyone was going to make it, it was going to be you.’
Lex Gracie doesn’t want to think about her family. She doesn’t want to think about growing up in her parents’ House of Horrors. And she doesn’t want to think about her identity as Girl A: the girl who escaped. When her mother dies in prison and leaves Lex and her siblings the family home, she can’t run from her past any longer. Together with her sister, Evie, Lex intends to turn the House of Horrors into a force for good. But first she must come to terms with her six siblings – and with the childhood they shared.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for approving my request to read on netgalley.

This will be a big book of 2021…in fact its already been announced its heading to the screen.

This is not a easy read, thought provoking and emotive. Chilling, consuming and atmospheric.

This will get under your skin and in your head.

Fantastic debut and wish her dvery success with it!

Published 21st January

BOOK REVIEW THE MAN I DIDNT MARRY BY ANNA BELL

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What happens when the man she married can’t remember her?

Ellie has the perfect life: a happy marriage, a gorgeous daughter and a baby on the way. But when her husband Max develops amnesia, he forgets everything about the last five years . . . including their relationship.

Now the man she said ‘I do’ to has become a stranger, and she has no idea why. Yet Ellie is determined to reconnect and find her Max again – he has to be in there somewhere, right?

As they get to know one another afresh, Ellie finds herself seeing Max clearly for the first time. But then she discovers that before his memory loss, Max was keeping a huge secret from her. Will their new beginning prove to be a false start, just as it seemed they might fall in love all over again?

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Firstly a big thank you to Hq for my copy to review on netgalley. I had the pleasure of meeting Anna in 2020 before the world went mad. Ive been a huge fan of her books and this is no exception.

Funny, warm and absolutely swoon worthy!

Packed with romance and sexy moments this is a fantastic book to read in these cold winter months and in lockdown.

I loved every page and seeing the romance rekindle between Max and Ellie. Also to see Ellie realise her own strength and value in herself and in her marriage .

As a geek i loved all the reference to comic con etc. Nice touch!

This made me smile and warmed my heart.

Published 4th February and i wish her every success with this release.

BOOK REVIEW THE PROMISE BY LUCY DIAMOND

When faced with the sudden death of his brother, Dan’s mission is clear. He puts together a project to help pick up the pieces and support his grieving sister-in-law Zoe, plus her young children. This is Dan’s promise – to ensure his family’s happiness, and to try and live up to the man his brother was.

But tying up loose ends brings a shocking secret to light, and calls into question everything Dan knew about his older brother. With more than just his promise on the line, Dan is faced with an ultimatum: Should he tell the truth and risk his family’s fragile happiness, or will his brother’s secrets end up becoming his own?

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. Im a big fan of Lucy’s books so was excited to read.

A fantastic book from start to finish about a family who are picking the pieces up after a death. But things arent as they seem as secrets are revealed.

A story of family,love,loss and new beginnings.

It was refreshing to read from Dans perspective whos trying his hardest to step in his brothers shoes. Can he make amends or has the damage been done?

A perfect new year read for escapism and family drama.

Published 18th February

BOOK REVIEW THE CAPTIVE BY DEBORAH O CONNOR

Hannah knows the cage intimately. Small, the size of a shopping centre parking space. A bed, a basin, a table and chair. A hatch and metal drawer through which to exchange food and other items.
Then there’s him. Always there on the edges of her vision, no matter how hard she tries to block him out.
Every day, the same thoughts run through Hannah’s mind:

What if he speaks to me?
What if he hurts me?
What if he gets out?

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley.

This looks like its going to be a huge hit this year. The title and cover alone capture your attention.

I raced through this exhilarating and exciting thriller. Its a original concept written with knowledge and style . Completely unpredictable and full of revelations.

Thought provoking as it features a form of punishment that we dont have in 2021 . Hannah has her husbands killer in her house but is all as it seems?

Published 7th January

BOOK REVIEW DOG ROSE DIRT BY JEN WILLIAMS

When prodigal daughter Heather Evans returns to her family home after her mother’s baffling suicide, she makes an alarming discovery–stacks and stacks of carefully preserved letters from notorious serial killer Michael Reave. The Red Wolf, as he was dubbed by the press, has been in prison for over twenty years, serving a life sentence for the gruesome and ritualistic murders of several women across the country, although he has always protested his innocence. The police have had no reason to listen, yet Heather isn’t the only one to have cause to re-examine the murders. The body of a young woman has just been found, dismembered and placed inside a tree, the corpse planted with flowers. Just as the Red Wolf once did.

What did Heather’s mother know? Why did she kill herself? And with the monstrous Red Wolf safely locked inside a maximum security prison, who is stalking young women now? Teaming up with DI Ben Parker, Heather hopes to get some answers for herself and for the newest victims of this depraved murderer. Yet to do that, she must speak to Michael Reave herself, and expose herself to truths she may not be ready to face. Something dark is walking in the woods, and it knows her all too well.
Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. Fun fact my daughter used to go to school with jens niece… small world! I was excited to see she had made the move into the dark land of the thriller.I loved it and i reckon this will fly off the shelves! I connected with Heather immediately and was gripped into the plot .

Cleverly written and thought provoking. This is a compelling case of who done it but also a question of who am i as questions are raised after Heather’s mums death.

Excitting and gripping this had me hooked from start to finish . It is dark and eerie as the writing whisks you away to the location.

I wish Jen every success with this book and cant wait to read more from her.

Published June 8th

BOOK REVIEW THE BETRAYAL BY TERRY LYNN THOMAS

From the USA Today bestselling author comes a gripping thriller about a divorce attorney who’s about to discover her own marriage is based on lies when she’s arrested for murder.

Attorney Olivia Sinclair is shocked when she receives an anonymous video showing her husband Richard sleeping with someone else. After years of handling other people’s divorces, she thought she could recognise a marriage in trouble.

She angrily throws Richard out of the home they share. But days later she’s arrested—for the murder of his mistress.

Olivia knows she’s innocent but, with all the evidence pointing at her and an obvious motive, she must find the real killer to clear her name.

She may be used to dealing with messy divorces, but this one will be her most difficult case yet. Olivia’s husband has already betrayed her—but would he set her up for murder?

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. This is a new author for me.

A thriller set around a huge relevation and who did the crime?

Who can be trusted? As Olivia starts to wind down for retirement she gets forced into a world of scandal lies and murder.

Fast paced and gripping . This a unpredictable and thrilling read.

Published 28th oct 2020

BOOK REVIEW THE LONG WAY HOME BY FANNY BLAKE

A family secret, a mysterious legacy, and a journey that will change everything…

When Isla, a 65-year-old grandmother, is left nothing but an old painting in her mother’s will, while her sisters and aunt inherit the estate, she is devastated. Close to retirement, getting ready to live on her own terms, the last thing she expects at this time of her life is such turmoil. So, to find an explanation for her mother’s rejection, she embarks on a road-trip.

But, right at the last moment, she’s forced to take her sullen – and, in her view, impossible – 14-year-old granddaughter Charlie with her. Cramped together in Isla’s car with her smelly old dog, these ill-assorted travelling companions set off to uncover some shattering and life-changing family truths at the same time as learning to love each other…

Firstly a huge thank you to sj at Simon and Schuster for my gorgeous hardback . I will also share my review on netgalley.

Im a huge fan of Fannys books and i knew just by seeing the cover i would love this. Clue the black lab may have influenced that decision.

I devoured this in one evening and was perfect for a cold January day. Family, secrets,love and loss are all running themes in this story. Fantastic charactars and i loved reading the relationship between grandma and granddaughter blossom .

Written in alternate timelines,locations and perspectives this gives the reader great insight into more than one layer of this book.

Cleverly written and thought provoking this is a great read and i highly revommend .

Full of warmth and wit this makes the perfect escapism.

Published 7th January