Book Synopsis:

Sold by her mother. Enslaved in Pompeii’s brothel. Determined to survive. Her name is Amara. Welcome to the Wolf Den…

Amara was once a beloved daughter, until her father’s death plunged her family into penury. Now, she is owned by a man she despises and lives as a slave in Pompeii’s infamous brothel, her only value the desire she can stir in others.

But Amara’s spirit is far from broken. Sharp, resourceful and surrounded by women whose humour and dreams she shares, Amara comes to realise that everything in this city has its price. But how much will her freedom cost?

The Wolf Den is the first in a trilogy of novels reimagining the long overlooked lives of women in Pompeii’s lupanar. Perfect for fans of Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls and Madeline Miller’s Circe.

My Review:

Wow I absolutely loved this book. It was a very absorbing, gripping and fascinating story that I read quickly over a weekend.

Firstly I absolutely loved being transported to Pompeii and learning more about the life of slaves during the Roman times. It was very heart breaking to see how awfully slaves were treated during this time, with many being kidnapped or simply taken from their homes and then forced into slavery. The contempt that their masters and society treated them was difficult to read about at times and often brought a lump to my throat as I read. How anyone can treat another human like that is beyond me. It was especially poignant to read about how children of slaves were treated and I often had to go give my kids huge cuddles whilst reading. It was however fascinating to learn more about the Roman festival days and how they were celebrated. There seemed to be a festival day for everything and everyone and the vivid descriptions of the celebrations made me feel like I was actually there experiencing everything along side the characters. I loved reading about the Roman spirit on these days, how they seemed to make everyone equal and how they were always celebrated with great gusto!

The characters were all fabulous creations that I enjoyed following throughout the book. They all seemed very real and I soon warmed to them. My favourite character was Amara, even though she scared and annoyed me at times. I loved the strength and determination she showed in trying to get her freedom and thought she showed a lot of bravery in this regard. She did seem a bit cut throat at times though and unaware of how some of her actions would impact others which infuriated me. Her relationship with the other ‘she wolves’ was lovely to read about and I found I enjoyed spending time in their company. Felix was a suitably vile villain who I loved to hate. His callous disregard toward any of the ‘she wolves’ or other employers helped form some of the most emotional parts of the story so I really enjoyed watching him being tricked by Amara.

Overall, as you can probably tell I loved this book and can’t wait for the sequel to come out next month. I found it a very difficult book to put down and I was constantly thinking about the story when I wasn’t able to read it. There was a great pace to the story and there always seemed to be something happening to ensure I couldn’t stop reading. There was a great mix of tragedy and triumph in the book which made it both heartwarming and heartbreaking at times. Highly recommended by me!

About The Author:

Elodie Harper is a journalist and prize-winning writer. Her story ‘Wild Swimming’ won the 2016 Bazaar of Bad Dreams short story competition, which was judged by Stephen King. She is currently a reporter and presenter at ITV News, and before that worked as a producer for Channel 4 News. Her job as a journalist has seen her join one of the most secretive wings of the Church of Scientology and cover the far right hip hop scene in Berlin, as well as crime reporting in Norfolk where her first two novels were set – The Binding Song and The Death Knock. Elodie studied Latin poetry both in the original and in translation as part of her English Literature degree at Oxford, instilling a lifelong interest in the ancient world. The Wolf Den is the first in a trilogy of novels about the lives of women in ancient Pompeii. Elodie can be found online at elodieharper.com

Book Synopsis:

January sees the dawn of the Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation year as the mothers of Reckoners Row unite in preparation for the celebration of the new Queen.

Meanwhile Evie Kilgaren is dreaming of her summer wedding to Danny Harris, but trouble looms for Skinner & Sons with a new rival trying to put them out of business, but no-one knows why….

Ada Harris is summoned to the bedside of her estranged husband, who, in his dying moment confesses to a deadly secret – he knows who really murdered Evie’s mam Rene all those years ago and the consequences are far reaching.

Has an innocent man been jailed and is there still a murderer walking carefree?

Will Evie get the happy-ever-after she so longs for with Danny? And will The Mersey Mothers unite and still be friends?

Mersey Mothers is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

The Mersey Mothers is a gripping, intriguing read from a new author for me. It’s actually the third, and last, book in the series but works well as a standalone.

I was immediately drawn into the story and into the lives of the characters. It was very interesting and enjoyable learning more about what life in the1950s. The author has included a few historical events which I loved, especially the descriptions of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation as it’s her platinum jubilee this year. There are also references to the Korean war and the end of rationing which I found very interesting.

The characters were all fantastic creations who I enjoyed following throughout the book. They seemed so real that it was impossible not to get caught up in their lives and feel their heartbreak personally. I often found myself wishing I could help them in some way.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I’m definitely going back to read the previous two books in the series. There always seemed to be something happening in the book which made it hard to put down and I was soon so invested in the characters lives that I had to keep reading to find out what happens. The ending was brilliant and I thought a great way to end a series.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Boldwood for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Sheila Riley wrote four #1 bestselling novels under the pseudonym Annie Groves and is now writing the Reckoner’s Row series under her own name. She has set it around the River Mersey and its docklands near to where she spent her early years. She still lives in Liverpool.

Good morning everyone today on JoJo Recommends I’m featuring the lovely Annie Bonsignore and her single Just You And Me.

Annie is a singer songwriter who I fist discovered on twitch after following a friend on to her stream. She is originally from South Africa but now lives in Canada with her husband Stu and their two children. Annie’s streams are always great fun to be a part of as she has this amazing energy and wonderful smile that helps make everyone feel at ease and welcome. She often does these cute dance moves between songs that always make me smile and helps lighten my mood after a hard day.

She’s sometimes joined on stream by her husband Stu, a concert pianist, and her cute three year old daughter Olivia who makes the audience’s hearts melt with her and Annie’s beautiful duet of Annie’s song Indigo. This is always quickly followed by a rendition of old McDonald has a farm which is super cute!

If you’d like to follow Annie on social media or watch her on twitch you can do so by clicking on the links below.

How To Listen:

Annie’s originals cross a few genres from soaring ballads to up beat pop songs. The lyrics are all very beautiful and heartfelt as Annie tends to write about her own personal experiences. I have included the videos for Just You And Me and fan favourite Mr Blue below. My favourite original of Annie’s, a upbeat song called Romeo about how she met her husband Stu, is sadly not available yet but there are three albums worth of other beautiful music from Annie to enjoy as linked below.

JoJo Recommends on Island Vibing Presents:

Annie was featured on Island Vibing Presents a few weeks ago but due to life being hectic it hasn’t been featured on my blog yet. If you missed it and would like to watch you can do via the link below.

My feature on Island Vibing Presents might be on pause for a little while as sadly one of the duo, the lovely Island Adjacent has broken his collar bone which I hope will heal quickly for him! Though I know his wonderful community is helping him through it with lots of love, well wishes and of course joke presents.

JoJo Recommends Playlist:

You can now listen to Annie and all other previously featured artists on a special playlist I’ve created on Spotify.

Thanks for reading and happy listening!

Book Synopsis:

Poe’s just hanging around on a Saturday afternoon…

Dangling from a hook in a meat packing plant isn’t how Detective Sergeant Washington Poe wants to spend his weekend. He’s been punched and kicked and threatened, and when a contract killer arrives it seems things are about to go from bad to worse. He goes by the name of the Pale Man and he and his straight-edged razor have been feared all over London for twenty years.

But Poe knows two things the Pale Man doesn’t. Although it might seem like a hopeless situation, Poe has planned to be here all along. More importantly, a nerdy, computer whizz-kid called Tilly Bradshaw is watching his back. And now things are about to get interesting . . .

The Cutting Season is available in ebook and paperback for the bargain price of £1! You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this series, so you can imagine my excitement when I discovered there was going to be an new story from them in the form of a quick read. I’m also a huge fan of the amazing quick read initiative as I’m happy to support anything that encourages people to read.

It was great to be back with Tilly and Poe following them on another intriguing case. I’ve always enjoyed reading about their unique friendship and all the banter that goes with it. It’s hugely entertaining at times and often had me laughing out loud as I read. It helps lift a dark story line a bit so it’s easier to read.

The storyline was very gripping and I was soon absorbed into the story. I liked the way the story develops quickly but without it seeming rushed or forced. I thought this was very clever and felt that it had all the bits I normally love about a Tilly and Poe story. I loved the description of the gangs involved as I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with gang culture and how it works. The author’s descriptions of the aging gangsters made me chuckle and I thought was a great change from the normal, young gangs we see in books.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I really enjoyed this book which has made me even more excited for the next Tilly and Poe book out later this year. It can be read as a standalone I feel and would work really well for anyone wanting to see if this author’s books are for them.

About The Author:

M. W. Craven was born in Carlisle and grew up in Newcastle. He joined the army at sixteen, and left ten years later to gain a degree in social work. He worked for seventeen years as a probation officer in Cumbria before becoming a full-time author. The Puppet Show, the first book in his Washington Poe series, was published in 2018 and won the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger. The fourth in the series, Dead Ground, was published in June 2021 and became a Sunday Times bestseller.Website: mwcraven.comTwitter: @MWCravenUK

Good morning everyone today on JoJo Recommends I’m featuring These Animals by Marcus Arch.

Marcus Arch is an indie rock trio from Melbourne Australia. Their lead Singer Clara Bell streams on twitch and I always enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and chill music in her streams. If I’m feeling stressed or just want to unwind I always feel better when I visit her stream. Despite her streams being busy, Bell always has smile for everyone. She does a variety of beautiful covers and some fantastic originals music – I highly recommend her streams!

If you would like to follow Marcus Arch or Clara on twitch or social media you can do via the links below.

How To Listen:

These Animals is available on many streaming platforms as linked below. Marcus Arch say, “It’s a song about ideas being stuck in your head and then being free to make something out of them. It’s about not holding in the creativity, voices and images inside. The things in your head takes on a life of their own bugging you until you want to create something”.

For me I think it sounds like a great summer song. When I listen to it I picture lazy summer days in the garden, listening to music in the sunshine.

JoJo Recommends on Island Vibing Presents:

JoJo Recommends is now a feature on the fabulous Island Vibing Presents stream on twitch which, as I might have mentioned before, I’m hugely excited about. I love being able to promote talented twitch streamers this way and the feature is also accompanied by an emote wall where viewers can spam emotes as they hear the song which is always great fun.

If you want to watch the vod from the stream you can do via the link below.

JoJo Recommends Playlist:

You can now listen to Marcus Arch and all previously featured artists on a special playlist I’ve created on Spotify.

Thanks for reading and happy listening!

Book Synopsis:

May 1940There are new residents at Goodwill House – WAAF drivers Camilla ‘Millie’ Cunningham and Diane Forsyth, both eager to do their bit for the war effort and excited to be helping the brave boys who fly.And when Millie meets dashing and heroic Spitfire pilot Ted Thorrington, they strike up an instant connection. But with Hitler gaining more ground in Europe, there is danger brewing across the Channel in Dunkirk and Ted is required to fly more and more dangerous sorties, risking his life every time.With their hearts and lives on the line, the courage of the girls in blue will be tested like never before…Don’t miss book two in the wonderful new Goodwill House series by bestselling author Fenella J. Miller!

New Recruits At Goodwill House is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of the first book in this series, War Girls Of Goodwill House, so I was very excited to be invited onto the blog tour for this, the second book in the series.

I was immediately drawn into the story and back into the world of Goodwill House. It’s been really fascinating to learn more about how big houses, like Goodwill, were recommissioned for the war effort. In this book it has been transformed into an army base so I enjoyed learning more about the WAAF and the important role they played in the war. As an army kids I grew up on army bases and have fond memories of visiting the NAAFI for sweets so the references to it in this book made me smile.

The reader is introduced to some fabulous new characters in this book. Some of them I loved like the lovely Millie who I quickly warmed to especially due to her budding romance with her RAF boyfriend, and others I loved to hate like the opinionated mother in law who made my blood boil with some of her comments. It was great finding out more about them throughout the book and see the relationships between them developing.

Overall I really enjoyed this book which I thought was quite fast paced and action packed. There were some very funny moments which made me giggle and some tension filled moments which had me gripped to the page. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series now!

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Boldwood for my copy of this book via netgalley.

About The Author:

Fenella J. Miller is the bestselling writer of over eighteen historical sagas. She also has apassion for Regency romantic adventures and has published over fifty to great acclaim. Her father was a Yorkshireman and her mother the daughter of a Rajah.She lives in a small village in Essex with her British Shorthair cat.

Good morning everyone today on JoJo Recommends I’m featuring When You Sleep by Jackson Harden.

Jackson is 25 and from Utah in the United States. He’s been playing guitar and writing music since he was just 8 years old. He recently completed a bachelor degree in music and is hoping to make a living from his music soon. I found out about Jackson for twitch when a twitch friend messaged me as she knew I would love him. He’s only been on twitch a few months but has already got a lot of fans!

If you would like to follow Jackson on twitch or social media you can do by clicking on the links below.

How To Listen:

Jackson describes his music as folk music though he does dabble in other genres too. His voice is amazing and has a really raw, emotional quality to it which really adds to his songs I feel. He has a few songs on Spotify but is currently working on releasing an EP which I’m really looking forward to. I have linked the YouTube videos for “When You Sleep” and “Another Lonely Morn” for you below or you can listen to his music on Spotify via the link below.

Interview with Jackson Harden!

Tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Jackson Harden. I am 25 years old and I was born and raised in Utah, USA. I’ve been playing guitar and writing songs since I was 8 years old. I’ve also picked up a few other instruments along the way including harmonica, piano, and lap steel guitar. I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in music and now I’m trying to make an honest attempt at doing music for a living. 

 What first got you into music?

My earliest memories of getting into music were through my childhood friends who would burn me CD’s of stuff like Green Day, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Weezer, and Nirvana. A lot of pop punk and grunge. 

Who inspired you to make music?

When I was about 7 years old I was a huge Green Day fan and wanted to be Billie Joe Armstrong which led to me begging my parents to get me a guitar and let me start taking lessons. 

How would you describe the music that you typically create?

I guess you could categorize what I typically create as folk music, though I dabble in a variety of different genres, some of which I never even put out or put out under different aliases. I like to explore all kinds of music and experiment with what it would sound like if I made music like that. 

What is your creative process like?

Almost all of my songs start out as just a riff or chord progression I come up with on the guitar. Then I’ll start to sing different melodies over it with some random words and gibberish until something starts to materialize. Then I try to establish a lyrical theme based on the imagery and feeling that the music invokes and take it from there. 

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

Justin Vernon.

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?

Phoebe Bridgers.

What is the most useless talent you have?

Making a water drop sound with my mouth. 

Do you sing in the shower? What songs?

I do. Usually just whatever the last thing I was listening to or whatever is stuck in my head.

Where have you performed? What are your favourite and least favourite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?

I actually haven’t really done any performing yet. I have pretty bad stage fright and recently started doing Twitch as a means to get over my stage fright. I actually just played my first open mic night which was a pretty big step for me. I’m hoping to get to the point where I’m comfortable enough to play shows soon though and want to hit that pretty hard eventually. 

How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?

I think it makes it easier to make music on your own and put it out to the point where most people can if they want to. The rise of streaming services has also made it very difficult to make enough money to actually make a living as an artist. I have a love-hate relationship with it. 

Which famous musicians do you admire?

My favorite artist of all time is Bob Dylan. I’m also a big fan of anything that Alex Turner, Phoebe Bridgers, or Justin Vernon is a part of. 

What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?

I cheated on a math test in high school and got caught. I was a pretty good student in general but math has always been my weakness, but that’s not a good excuse though haha. They called my parents and everything. 

If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?

All I really want is for streaming services to pay artists what they deserve (a lot more than a third of a penny).

What’s next for you?

I’m going to continue to stream on Twitch and see where that goes. I’m also working on an EP at the moment that I hope to put out this year. I want to start playing shows in the near future as well and see what happens from there. 

JoJo Recommends Playlist:

You can now listen to Jackson and all previously featured artists on a special playlist I’ve created on Spotify.

JoJo Recommends on Island Vibing Presents:

As mentioned previously JoJo Recommends is now featured on the fantastic Island Vibing Presents twitch stream which is on every Thursday night or Friday morning depending on time zones. If you would like to watch live or catch the vod please click on the link below.

Thanks for reading and happy listening!

Book Synopsis:

Summer 1945. After victory in Europe, best friends Lily, Gladys and Beryl are looking to the future. But even with this happy news, their lives are far from simple…Despite Lily’s joyful summer wedding, she has doubts over what her heart wants now. As she adjusts to her role as young wife, could this signal the end of her position at Marlows?The return of Gladys’s husband Bill raises questions of their family life as he struggles to find work after the Navy, and for Beryl big changes at her bridal shop are afoot.As the girls start to move on with their lives, they have never needed to stick together more…

Wedding Bells For The Victory Girls is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

I’ve been a huge fan of this series and so I’m quite sad that this is the last book in the series. I feel like I’ve been on a real journey with these characters and am sorry to be saying goodbye to them.

It was great to be back with the girls, their partners and family members. Throughout the series I feel like I’ve really got to know these fabulous characters so they’ve started to feel like old friends. They’ve definitely been through some difficult times but also some uplifting and heartwarming moments too. It has been great to follow them through the war and to see how they’ve coped with everything that’s been thrown at them.

This book follows the characters after the war which I found fascinating as I haven’t read many books set in this period. It was very interesting to see what life was like after the war with the continued rationing and lack of housing. It was especially interesting to see how the men coped with being back from war and to see them re-adjusting to civilian life.

I thought this book was quite fast paced and there always seemed to be something happening to ensure I couldn’t stop reading. As expected there are some sad moments in the book but I felt that the overall feeling was one of hope for the future. The ending was beautiful and a great way to end the series. I’ll definitely be going back and re- reading these books soon.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Harper for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Joanna Toye joined the production team of The Archers after reading English at university, and became a scriptwriter for the programme for over twenty years. She has also written a number of spin-off books about the long-running radio drama. On television she has written for Crossroads, Family Affairs, Doctors and EastEnders.

Book Synopsis:

Molly lives a quiet, contained life in London. Naturally risk averse, she gains comfort from security and structure. Every day the same.Her identical twin Katie is her exact opposite: gregarious and spontaneous. They used to be inseparable, until Katie moved to New York a year ago. Molly still speaks to her daily without fail.But when Molly learns that Katie has died suddenly in New York, she is thrown into unfamiliar territory. Katie is part of her DNA. As terrifying as it is, she must go there and find out what happened. As she tracks her twin’s last movements, cracks begin to emerge. Nothing is what it seems. And a web of deceit is closing around her.Delivering the same intensity of pace and storytelling that made THE LAST THING TO BURN a word-of-mouth sensation, FIRST BORN will surprise, shock and enthral.

First Born is out in ebook and hardback on the 14th April 2022. You can pre-order your copy using the links below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author’s books so a new book from him is always cause for great excitement. First Born is another fantastic twisty page turner that I really enjoyed.

Firstly I have a fascination with twins so this book instantly appealed to me . It was interesting learning more about them and the relationship they had. New York City is also one of my favourite cities, I actually got engaged there, so I loved exploring the city alongside Molly. The author’s descriptions are so vivid that I often felt like I was walking alongside her getting to know the places and people she did.

Overall I really enjoyed this book which I rate as one of his best yet! The book drew me in from the start and the many twists and turns kept me guessing until the end which I always enjoy. The plot was very clever and I enjoyed trying to piece everything together. There is a sinister edge to the story which helps create a lot of atmosphere and tension throughout the book which helped ensure I kept reading as I wanted to find out what was going on.

Huge thanks to Jenny Platt from Hodder for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands and had lived in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. After studying Law at the LSE and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden where he built a house in a boggy clearing at the centre of a vast elk forest, and it’s from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. His debut novel, Dark Pines, was selected for Zoe Ball’s Book Club, shortlisted for the GuardianNot the Booker prize and named a Daily Telegraph Book of the Year. The second Tuva Moodyson mystery, Red Snow, was published in January 2019 and won Best Independent Voice at the Amazon Publishing Readers’ Awards, 2019. The Last Thing to Burn was his first standalone novel and his first book with Hodder and First Born is his second.