Book Synopsis:

A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A storm gathering force.

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny weather-lashed island that is home to the world’s largest seed bank. As Shearwater risks being lost to rising sea levels, the island’s researchers have fled, and only the Salts remain.

Until, during the worst storm in living memory, a stranger washes ashore. The family nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, but it seems she isn’t telling the whole truth about why she’s there. And when Rowan stumbles upon sabotaged radios and a recently dug grave, she realises that she’s not the only one on the island with a secret.

A novel of breathtaking twists and dizzying beauty, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love.

My Review:

Wild Dark Shore is an atmospheric, gripping and thought provoking read which I’ve continued to think about long after finishing it .

The story takes place on a remote, wild island off the coast of Australia which is slowly being claimed by the sea. The story is told through the point of view of the family that lives on the island and the mysterious Rowan who washes ashore during a storm. From the start things seem off on the island as Rowan discovers a fractured family cut off from the rest of the world, broken communication equipment and missing residents.

I thought the author did an amazing job with the descriptions of the isolated island that the characters find themselves on and I loved exploring it alongside them all. It often seemed like a character itself prone to quick weather changes that helped or hindered the characters and I wish it existed in real life as I’d love to be able to explore it myself. The family was just brilliant, especially the fabulous Orly and despite initially being a little apprehensive of them I slowly found myself falling in love with them as the story went on.

The mystery side of the story was really well done and I loved following Rowan as she slowly discovers all that has happened on the island. There were multiple twists that I didn’t see coming and sent the story in a completely different direction to what I had assumed which I always love. The ending, oh my goodness what an amazing ending! I was in tears as I read and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I finished reading. I was very sad for the book to end as I really didn’t want to say goodbye to the wonderful family. It’s one of those books I’d love to see a sequel to (even though I know there never will be) as I just want to be able to spend more time with them.

Huge thanks to @canongatebooks for sending me a copy of this book. Highly recommended by me, don’t hesitate just read it!

About The Author:

Charlotte McConaghy is the author of the New York Times, USA Today, and Indie Bestseller WILD DARK SHORE, named Amazon’s Best Book of the Year So Far for 2025; as well as the New York Times Bestseller ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES, winner of the Indie Book Award for Fiction 2022; and the international bestseller MIGRATIONS, a TIME Magazine Best Book of the Year and the Amazon Best Fiction Book of the Year for 2020. Her books have been translated into more than 25 languages, and are being adapted for film and television. She lives in Sydney with her partner and two children.

Book Synopsis:

Sofas, secrets and a snowbound road to trouble…

Helsinki, 1982. Recently divorced postal worker Ilmari Nieminen has promised his daughter a piano for Christmas, but with six days to go – and no money – he’s desperate. 

A last-minute job offers a solution: transport a valuable antique sofa to Kilpisjärvi, the northernmost town in Finland. 

With the sofa secured in the back of his van, Ilmari stops at a gas station, and an old friend turns up, offering to fix his faulty wipers, on the condition that he tags along. Soon after, a persistent Saab 96 appears in the rearview mirror. And then a bright-yellow Lada.

That’s when Ilmari realises that he is transporting something truly special. 

And that’s when Ilmari realises he might be in serious trouble…

A darkly funny and unexpectedly moving thriller about friendship, love and death – The Winter Job tears through the frozen landscape of northern Finland in a beat-up van with bad steering, worse timing, and everything to lose…

My Review:

The Winter Job is dark, funny and oddly heart-warming story of misadventure.

The story follows two recently reunited friends as they transport a valuable sofa across snowy Finland. Sounds simple enough right? However a simple journey soon turns into a wild car chase as the friends are pursued by two communist intent on stealing the sofa to sell and use the profits to fund their cause as well as a crazy, psychopath called Otto.

I thought the characters in this book were brilliant and I really enjoyed following them throughout the book. Ilmari and Antero were easy to warm to and I loved following them on the journey they go on both physically in the car but also emotionally as the conversation in the car turns into a bit of a heart to heart. The bad guys in the book were fantastically evil and Otto especially made my blood run cold as I read as I was never completely sure what he was going to do next.

Overall I loved this book and I can’t wait to read more from this author soon. The story is very gripping with lots of tension that ensured I couldn’t put the book down. The author includes lots of red herrings in the story which kept me guessing and some very funny scenes mixed with some subtle humour that had me laughing out loud as I read. There are some rather dark, gruesome scenes that might not be to everyone’s taste but I really enjoyed going on this rather madcap adventure with some amazing characters.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Karen from Orenda Books for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. The critically acclaimed My Brother’s Keeper was published two years later. In 2011, Tuomainen’s third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for ‘Best Finnish Crime Novel of 2011’ and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. The Finnish press labelled The Healer – the story of a writer desperately searching for his missing wife in a post-apocalyptic Helsinki – ‘unputdownable’. Two years later, in 2013, they crowned Tuomainen ‘The King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published.

With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards. Palm Beach Finland (2018) was an immense success, with The Times calling Tuomainen ‘the funniest writer in Europe’, and Little Siberia (2019) was shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Readers Awards, the Last Laugh Award and the CWA International Dagger, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. The Rabbit Factor is the first book in Antti’s first-ever series. The Rabbit Factor is also in development to become an Amazon Studios film starring Steve Carell.

Follow Antti on Twitter @antti_tuomainen, or on Facebook: facebook.com/AnttiTuomainen.

Book Synopsis:

Annie and Lewis search for the son of an old enemy, who may hold the key to ending Annie’s curse. Their investigations lead back to the past, uncovering something that could destroy the most powerful people in the country. The compelling, chilling next instalment in the Annie Jackson Mysteries series…

Two men, centuries apart, dream of being a wolf. 

One is burned at the stake.

Another is locked in a psychiatric hospital for most of his life.

And Annie Jackson is about to find out why…

Vowing once again to remove herself from society, Annie is back living alone in her little cottage by the shores of a loch. But when an old enemy – now locked up in a high security hospital – comes calling, begging her to find the son that she was forced to give up at the age of seventeen, Annie is tempted out of seclusion. The missing boy holds the key to ending Annie’s curse, and he may be the only chance that both she and Lewis have of real happiness.

Annie and Lewis begin an investigation that takes them back to the past, a time etched in Scottish folklore, a period of history that may just be repeating itself. And what they uncover could destroy not just some of the most powerful people in the country, who will stop at nothing to protect their wealth and their secrets, but also Annie’s life, and everything she holds dear…

Dark, immersive, and utterly compelling, The Howling is a story of deception, betrayal, and misplaced power, and a reminder that the most public of faces can hide the darkest of hearts…

My Review:

The Howling is a creepy, atmospheric and gripping read that’s perfect for this time of year.

In The Howling we follow twins Annie and Lewis as they try to solve the mystery of a curse that has been plaguing their family for generations. Still reeling from a near death experience, Annie and Lewis find themselves investigating a mysterious order who are determined to keep their secrets hidden.

I absolutely loved this book and flew through it in a couple of days. The descriptions of the secret order with all it’s hidden rooms, secret members and history was fantastic to explore. It helped drew me into the story as I wanted to learn more about them. The link to events in the past as well as to a mysterious boy called Lewis was very intriguing and I had to keep reading to find out how everything connected.

This is actually the third book in the series, which I didn’t realise when I started reading but I feel you could read it as a standalone as everything you need to know is explained. I’ve already ordered the other books on the series though and I’m looking forward to reading them soon.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orenda books for my proof copy.

About The Author:

Michael J. Malone was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country, just a stone’s throw from the great man’s cottage in Ayr. Well, a stone thrown by a catapult, maybe.

He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings.

BLOOD TEARS, his debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize (judge:Alex Gray) from the Scottish Association of Writers and when it was published he added a “J” to his name to differentiate it from the work of his talented U.S. namesake.

He can be found on twitter – @michaelJmalone1

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/themichaeljmalonepage

And here’s my newsletter – subscribe for lots of cool stuff! – https://michaeljmalone.substack.com

Book Synopsis:

Burnt out and in need of retreat, a middle-aged woman leaves Sydney to return to the place she grew up, taking refuge in a small religious community hidden away on the stark plains of rural Australia.

But disquiet soon interrupts this secluded life. First, the skeletal remains of a sister who disappeared decades before are returned to the monastery, resurfacing years of grief and pain. And then, an unexpected and troubling visitor plunges the narrator further into her past…

Book Review:

Stone Yard Devotional is a quietly powerful, moving book that has stayed with me.

In the book we follow an unnamed, middle-aged protagonist who has joined a Women’s monastery (interestingly not called a convent in the book) to escape a difficult marriage and to get away from life.  The quiet and tranquillity of the setting allows her to reflect on her life and past experiences from school and her childhood.  I found it fascinating to follow her throughout her daily life at the monastery and to learn more about her past, especially what brought her to the monastery in the first place.

I though the book had a slow, steady pace to it (perhaps to match the slow pace of the monastery) though it was incredibly readable with just enough happening to ensure I kept reading.  We follow the main protagonist as she meets up again with a girl everyone bullied at school and deals with a mouse plague that brings a lot of violence to their otherwise quiet existence.  Some of her recollections were quite emotional to read about, particularly her experiences as a child that seemed to still haunt her as an adult.  I found myself thinking about my own experiences and what my own attitude would be in a similar situation.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it to others.  I buddy read this with my sister and we both wondered whether the mouse plague was meant to symbolise something profound that went over our heads.  I think it would make a great book club read as I think there would be a lot to discuss.

About The Author:

Charlotte Wood is the author of seven novels and three books of non-fiction. Her novel Stone Yard Devotional was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and other awards. It was described by the UK Guardian as ‘a quiet novel of immense power’ and as ‘extraordinary’ by Ron Charles at the Washington Post who wrote, ‘The fact that “Stone Yard Devotional” not only stays aloft but soars would seem to deny the laws of literary physics.’ It has also been praised by authors Anne Enright, Tim Winton, Karen Joy Fowler, Hannah Kent and Paula Hawkins among others.

Her previous books include The Luminous Solution, a book of essays on the creative process; the international bestseller, The Weekend; and The Natural Way of Things which won a number of prizes including The Stella Prize and the Prime Minister’s Literary Award. Her features and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Literary Hub, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Saturday Paper among other publications.

Book Synopsis:

Saskia is building a home for herself out of the ruins of an old castle. Surrounded by forest, hidden away from everyone and everything, the place is special – it’s the only connection she has left to her father and it’s a hard-won chance to escape from her difficult past and create a new future. She’s spent her whole life trying to find a way to make this project work and finding someone to help her realise her dream has been almost impossible.
 
When local builder Owen finally signs up to manage the construction, things get off to a very bad start. But forced to find a way to work together, both realise that first impressions aren’t always the right ones, and when Owen discovers the forest is hiding a secret that could bring work to a halt, he realises he’s much more invested in the project – and Saskia – than he thought . . .

My Review:

The Forest Hideaway is a beautiful, atmospheric read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Firstly I really loved the fabulous characters of Saskia and Owen who were great fun to follow throughout the book. They both seemed so real which made it very easy to warm to them and get behind their efforts to restore Gair Castle. Saskia has over a lot of personal obstacles to get to where she is and I loved Owen’s sense of fairness even though I can understand why it was infuriating at times. The gorgeous doggie Brodie was another wonderful character who never failed to make me smile.

The forest setting was beautiful and I loved the author’s vivid descriptions that made me feel that I was actually there. I love walking in a forest as I always feel so at peace when I’m there and the author managed to make me feel like this as I read which I thought was really clever. There’s a history of magic and folklore in attached to the forest too which I found very intriguing.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be recommending it to others. It does start off a bit slowly as the author sets the scene but soon picks up to become a very absorbing read. It was fun watching the characters grow slowly closer together as well as unpicking the mystery surrounding the Forrest.

Huge thanks to Sara Jade from Simon and Schuster for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

I’ve been writing since I was a teenager, which is now a distressingly long time ago! I started out as an entertainment journalist – actually, my earliest published work was as a reviewer of science fiction and fantasy books. I went on to become a staff writer and then an editor for print magazines, before beginning to write non-fiction making-of books tied in to film and television, such as The Art and Making of Penny Dreadful and Wonder Woman: The Art and Making of the Film.

I now write both children’s and adult fiction – my first novel was called The Diamond Thief, a Victorian-set steampunk adventure book for the middle grade age group. That won the Redbridge Children’s prize in 2014, and I went on to write two more books in the series before moving on to other adventure books including The Golden Butterfly, which was nominated for the Carnegie Award in 2017, The House of Hidden Wonders, and a YA horror called FIR, which was shortlisted for the Lancashire Book of the Year Award in 2018. My last children’s book (to date) is called The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott, and was published by Little Tiger in 2023.

My debut adult novel, The House Beneath the Cliffs, was published by Simon & Schuster in August 2021. Since then I’ve written three more: The Lighthouse Bookshop, The Forgotten Garden, and The Secret Orchard, which is out in September 2024. My adult fiction tends to centre on small communities – feel-good tales about how we find where we belong in life and what it means when we do. Although I have also published full-on adult horror stories, which are less about community and more about terror and mayhem…

I was born in Kent but now live in a very small house in an equally small village in northern Cumbria with my husband, who owns a bookshop in the nearby market town of Penrith.

Book Synopsis:

Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people – but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall Inn who isn’t here for the big event.

When the bride discovers her elaborate destination wedding could be ruined by a divorced and depressed stranger, she is furious. Lila has spent months accounting for every detail and every possible disaster – except for, well, Phoebe . . . Soon, both women find their best-laid plans derailed and an unlikely confidante in one another.

Hilarious and moving, The Wedding People is an irresistible novel about love, friendship, dysfunctional families, and the unexpected paths that lead to happiness.

My Review:

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

The Wedding People is a warm, uplifting read which manages to be hilarious and emotional at times. I picked up this book expecting a light read and was very pleasantly surprised!

The book follows Phoebe who is feeling suicidal after a tough few years and Lila a spoiled bride who meet when Phoebe choices the hotel Lila is getting married in to try and commit suicide. The pair form an unlikely friendship, each helping the other with the problems they are facing in their lives which was wonderful to read about. It was so nice to see them grow closer as the book progresses and their conversations often made me laugh out loud as they were always so funny together.

I thought the book had a good pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep my interest. The book does discuss some serious topics but I felt they were sensitively handled. I loved to get to know the wedding people and to get a fly on the wall glimpse into the wedding as Phoebe finds herself drawn into the group. As you can probably guess nothing goes quite according to plan but it was great fun watching everything unravel and to see how everything turned out for everyone at the end.

About The Author:

Alison Espach is the author of the novels The Wedding People, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance, an Indie Next Pick and Amazon Editors’ Pick for 2022, and The Adults, a New York Times Editor’s Choice and Barnes and Noble Discover pick. She has written for McSweeney’s, Vogue, Outside Magazine, Joyland and other places. She teaches creative writing at Providence College in Rhode Island.

Book Synopsis:

Lily Brown is ready to turn the page and see what adventure awaits . . .

Lily Brown prides herself on her organised, surprise-free life. Whether it’s charity yoga for polar bears or crafting a ninety-six-piece balloon arch, Lily always goes the extra mile. But when her adoptive father asks her to reconnect with her birth mother, Lola Starr – a legendary pop punk singer who vanished from fame – Lily decides to venture off the well-trodden path.

With her best friend Seb, Lily tracks Lola to her humble hotel on the beautiful Isle of Skye in Scotland, far from the glamorous life she imagined. Hiding the truth, Lily gets to know Lola and finds a kind, free-spirited woman. If life wasn’t complicated enough – she meets Noah, a charming travel writer on a quest to discover hidden gems.  

As Lily takes a chance and embraces new possibilities, she begins to question whether the safe rules she’s built her life around are what she really needs.

My Review:

The Next Chapter is a heartwarming, funny read which is perfect for reading in the sun or on the beach this summer.

Firstly I absolutely loved Lily who came across as a really lovely, relatable character who I wish I knew in real life. Watching her try to get to know her real mum and make new friends was hilarious to watch at times. I wished I could give her a cuddle and tell her to just be her self as she tried to fit in with her new friends. Her attempts to try to convince people she was an adventurous person while also worrying about health and safety made me laugh out loud as that’s something I think I’d do too.

I thought the book had a great pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. Even in the quiet moments I was just happy hanging out with Lily and seeing what she would do next. The book does a great job of balancing some funny, light hearted moments with some more emotional ones which I thought were very clever.

I loved the ending and closed the book with a happy sigh though I was very sad to leave Lily behind.

Huge thanks to Sara Jade for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Rebecca Ryan lives in Bradford with her husband

and three young children. Although she always

loved writing, it hadn’t really occurred to her that

she could do it professionally. She currently splits

her time between writing and working as a history

teacher at a large comprehensive school. She

enjoys walking in the countryside and takeaways

(if that counts as a hobby), which it probably doesn’t.

Book Synopsis:

Jemma has lived a thousand lives through books. The only life she isn’t living is her own.
That is, until the day she finds a note from a stranger in her favourite library book. When she replies, the pair begin a longhand conversation about their love of novels that sees Jemma finally coming out of her shell. Is she ready to fall in love for the first time – with someone she’s never met?
 
Clara has always run away from her problems, but this might finally be one she can’t escape.
Everyone wants to know what happened to Clara in America – but Clara isn’t talking. Instead she’s focusing all her energy obsessing over a hot new actor, starring in the TV adaptation of her twin Jemma’s favourite book. Soon, Clara is reading every interview, trawling his social media, and following him to showbiz parties in the hopes he’ll notice she’s The One.
 
As the sisters fall hard for two men they’ve never met, it’s time to ask the question: Can either relationship survive the real world?

My Review:

The Book Boyfriend is funny, romantic read that is just made for book lovers.

The story follows twins Clara and Jenna who couldn’t be more different if they tried.  Jenna is the responsible daughter who stuck around, has a steady job and loves to spend her time reading.  Whereas Clara is the happy go lucky twin who doesn’t take anything seriously and is very happy spending her time day dreaming about her favourite actors.  Out of the two girls I much preferred Jenna who I feel most book lovers will completely relate to.  Her attitude towards books and how you should treat them made me warm to her instantly, as did her hatred of film adaptions which I also share.  Clara on the other hand came across as a bit of a brat, not caring about how her actions might hurt others and just wanting to have fun.  I think she’d make a nightmare housemate and I felt very glad that it wasn’t me having to share with her.

I thought the book had a great pace to it and there always seems to be something happening to keep me reading.  The author has created some absolutely fabulous characters who I just enjoyed hanging out throughout the book.  They seem to have a lot of fun together and it was great to follow their antics.  As a book lover I loved the idea of a romance starting through notes left in my favourite book.  I felt completely invested in the budding relationship from the start and very intrigued to find out who they might be.  There were lots of red herrings that kept me guessing and meant that ultimately I was unable to guess who they were before the reveal which I always love. 

About The Author:

Lucy Vine is a writer, editor and columnist. She’s the best selling author of Hot Mess (2017), What Fresh Hell (2018), Are We Nearly There Yet? (2019), Bad Choices (2021), Seven Exes (2023) and Date With Destiny (2024)

Book Synopsis:

Inspired by an infamous real-life case, The Mourning Necklace is the unforgettable feminist historical novel from the Women’s Prize-longlisted author of The Maiden, Kate Foster.

They said I would swing for the crime, and I did . . .

1724. In a tavern just outside Edinburgh, Maggie Dickson’s family drown their sorrows, mourning her death yet relieved she is gone. Shame haunts them. Hanged for the murder of her newborn child, passers-by avert their eyes from her cheap coffin on its rickety cart.

But as her family pray her soul rests in peace, a figure appears at the door.

It is Maggie. She is alive.

Bruised and dazed, Maggie has little time for her family’s questions. All that matters to her is answering this one: will they hang her twice?

Book Review:

The Mourning Necklace is a gripping, absorbing and poignant read which I really enjoyed.

The story follows the real life events of Maggie Dickson, a fish hawker who lived in the early 18th century and managed to survive being hung. Maggie is a very sympathetic character who I enjoyed learning more about. She works hard to overcome the problems she faces purely by being a woman. I loved her strength in the face of diversity and that she tried to do the right thing even when facing death.

The author does a great job setting the scene so that the reader feels transported to the time as if they are watching events unfold. It was very poignant learning more about how powerless the law made women which meant they didn’t even have control over their own bodies. I really felt for Maggie and all she goes through, particularly as I’ve lost a baby myself so I could relate to all she must have been feeling.

Overall I really enjoyed this fabulous read which I’ll definitely be recommending to others. The story has a great pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. The dual timeline aspect of before and after the hanging was very intriguing as it allowed the reader to learn more about Maggie’s life. This helps the reader build an emotional attachment to Maggie which makes the later events harder to deal with.

Huge thanks to the lovely Chloe from Pan Macmillan for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

If you’re a fan of absorbing historical fiction featuring historical characters you might not have known about them I highly recommend this book.

About The Author:

Kate Foster worked as a national newspaper journalist for more than twenty years before becoming an author. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. Her previous novels include The Maiden, which won the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and The King’s Witches. The Mourning Necklace is her third novel. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.