BOOK REVIEW STAY HOME BY AVA PIERCE

LOCKED DOORS DON’T KEEP SECRETS SAFE

LOCK YOUR DOORS
Caitlin has been having an affair for nearly a year when the country enters lock down. Suddenly, seeing her lover, Daniel, without alerting her husband becomes almost impossible. When she does manage to sneak to his home, she finds him lying in a pool of his own blood, dead.

STAY HOME
Ali is a just-about-functioning alcoholic, recently let go, and feeling rather lonely. Each day she goes to her local shop to buy her permitted two bottles of wine, leaving food parcels for neighbours on her way home. While keeping an eye on what they are up to, of course.

STAY SAFE
Caitlin can’t tell a soul about what she has discovered for risk of losing her family. Little does she know that Ali has noticed her coming and going, and that she will be drawing her own conclusions.
As Caitlin delves into the life of the man who said he loved her, she finds that maybe she didn’t really know him at all. But if she wants to avoid suspicion, she needs to keep digging until they find Daniel’s killer. Because the doors may be locked, but everyone’s secrets are starting to leak out . . .

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

What a culturally relevant topic to be embedded into a thriller. Very cleverly crafted.

A affair goes wrong and the fallout is massive especially in lockdown where everyone is home…

Twisty and unpredictable this is a compelling and exciting book.

Who can be trusted? Is all as it seems?

A great debut for 2020.

Published 31st December

BOOK REVIEW BECAUSE OF YOU BY DAWN FRENCH

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock . . . midnight.

The old millennium turns into the new.

In the same hospital, two very different women give birth to two very similar daughters.

Hope leaves with a beautiful baby girl.

Anna leaves with empty arms.

Seventeen years later, the gods who keep watch over broken-hearted mothers wreak mighty revenge, and the truth starts rolling, terrible and deep, toward them all.

The power of mother-love will be tested to its limits.

Perhaps beyond . . .

Firstly lets just all discuss how fantastic Dawn is … am i right? Funny,warm,genuine and just one of Britain’s treasures. I treated myself to this for Christmas and it was an absolute delight to read especially in January and even more so a lockdown in January.

Can i say i see this as film or tv series.. i could visualise every page in my head.

It is a beautiful,life affirming and sensitive story. It is a story about motherhood first and foremost and the many forms of motherhood and the different emotions surrounding this responsbility. I resonated a lot with so many parts of this book.

Written in alternate narratives so we get a rich deep insight into all the characters.

Fantastic and cleverly written and will capture your heart.

Its a journey of love,loss, grief and hope. Thought provoking and you will question your moral compass many times throughout.

I loved every part of this book and highly recommend.

BOOK REVIEW THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY BY MATT HAIG

Between life and death there is a library.

When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.

The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always what she imagined they’d be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger.

Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: what is the best way to live?

I have had this beautiful signed copy since publication day , just one thing after another delayed me reading it . However reading it in tge first week of January was probably a wise decision . Also we have just gone into another lockdown so reading Matt’s words resonated even more.

I have been a fan of his for a long time and i know his non fiction books connect with me and so many others. He writes from the heart and with his own experiences of mental illness.

Life is hard theres no denying that but books have always been a lifeline to me.

This is the story of Nora who gets the opportunity to live other versions of her life. Wow right? Wouldnt we all like that chance?

It is magical and sensitive as Nora navigates her way around new stories shes now living.

What lessons can she learn?

Will she get the opportunity to go back and start living again? Will she change anything?

A fantastic original story which is life affirming and uplifting .

Highly recommend even if not your usual genre.

BOOK REVIEW THE SPLIT BY SHARON BOLTON

SHE’LL NEVER STOP RUNNING.
BUT HE’LL NEVER STOP LOOKING.

A year ago Felicity Lloyd fled England to South Georgia, one of the most remote islands in the world, escaping her past and the man she once loved. Can she keep running her whole life?

Freddie Lloyd has served time for murder – and now he wants her back. Wherever she is, he won’t stop until he finds her. Will he be able to track her to the ends of the earth?

TOGETHER THEY’LL FIND THEMSELVES TRAPPED ON THE ICE AND IN DANGER. WHO WILL SURVIVE?

Firstly a big thank you to Sam at Trapeze books for my copy to review. Im a big fan of this author so was excited to read.

Written in alternate narratives and timelines this is a complex and compelling story of love,loss, obsession and mental health issues.

Its a layered story and its written beautifully to draw you in one direction and then spin you in the opposite direction.

A fascinating and intriguing main character and all is not as it seems.

Unpredictable and thrilling this is Sharon at her best.

Published 22nd october

BOOK REVIEW CIRCLE OF DOUBT BY TRACY BUCHANAN

She thought she was the perfect mother—until the new neighbours moved in.

Emma and Dele’s dreams came true nine years ago when they adopted their daughter, Isla. It felt like fate, like they were meant to find each other, and now they’re living the life they always wanted. But then one day a new family moves into Forest Grove—and Emma can’t shake the chilling feeling that the wife looks just like Isla’s birth mother.

Emma tells herself that this sophisticated stranger can’t possibly be the troubled woman she remembers from the adoption. But as they get to know each other and it becomes clear that Tatjana has a special interest in Isla, her suspicions grow.

When small things start to go wrong and her parenting abilities are brought into question, Emma feels undermined, turning to her sister Harriet for support. But things only spiral further when secrets from her past suddenly resurface.

With rumours swirling, Emma begins to doubt herself. Could Tatjana be Isla’s birth mother? And, with everything that’s happening, is Emma the right person to be raising her daughter at all?

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. I love this authors books and read her last one in lockdown which was set in the same place as this one.

I raced through this, its intriguing and unpredictable. I am adopted so i could relate to elements of the plot. A exploration of what makes a good parent and who gets to make that call?

Great mix of characters though who can be trusted?

Additive reading and compelling twists and turns. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend.

Published 5th January

BOOK REVIEW TWO WRONGS BY REBECCA REID

How far would you go to correct your worst mistake?

When Chloe goes to university and meets wild, carefree Zadie, she is utterly seduced by her and her lifestyle. It doesn’t take long for Chloe to ditch her studies in favour of all-night parties at Zadie’s huge house off campus.

But when something goes badly wrong one night and Zadie disappears in the aftermath, Chloe knows she should have done more to help her friend. It’s something she’ll always regret.

Fifteen years later, Chloe finally gets the chance to make it right. But in order to do so, she’ll have to put everything at stake . . .

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

I whizzed through this completely drawn in by these fascinating characters. This explores the dynamics of a female friendship and the influence one has over the other even years on. Toxic relationships and obsession.

Intriguing and compelling. Utterly gripping and thrilling .

Intense and accurate in so many ways and Rebecca’s writing style is captivating and riveting. She is a expert in creating suspense and tension to reel the reader in.

Published 21st january

BOOK REVIEW THE PERFECT LIFE BY NUALA ELLWOOD

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO BE SOMEONE ELSE?
Vanessa has always found it easy to pretend to be somebody different, somebody better. When things get tough in her real life, all she has to do is throw on some nicer clothes, adopt a new accent and she can escape.
That’s how it started: looking round houses she couldn’t possibly afford. Harmless fun really. Until it wasn’t.

Because a man who lived in one of those houses is dead.

And everyone thinks Vanessa killed him…

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley . Ive read a few of this authors books so was really looking forward to it.

Written in alternate timelines so the reader is aware something has happened.

Packed with tension and suspense this is a jam packed read full of mystery and intrigue.

A insightful look at how far people go to create the perfect life with the perfect lie.

Published july 22nd