Book Synopsis:

THE TENSION-FILLED NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF NUMBER ONE DIGITAL BESTSELLER, AND RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK, THE PRISONER .

Iris and Gabriel have just got home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their dearest friends, Laure, is in their house – sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris’ clothes, even rearranging the furniture. She has walked out on her husband – and their good friend – Pierre over his confession of an affair.

Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive. But as Laure’s mood becomes more unpredictable, her presence begins to unravel secrets in all their pasts – until things reach breaking point …

My Review:

I really enjoyed this gripping, unsettling read from one of my favourite thriller authors.

Firstly I loved all the characters and enjoyed getting to know them throughout the book. They all had a fascinating back story and all seemed to be hiding secrets which I loved unraveling. The story is told from the point of view of Iris with a few chapters from Gabriel’s point of view. All the characters were pretty unlikeable and quite selfish which made it easier to just sit back and watch everything unfold.

I thought the book had a great pace to it and I found it hard to stop listening to the audiobook once I had started. There always seemed to be something happening to keep me interesting and even when there wasn’t I just enjoyed being a fly on the wall, watching everything unfold. There were a few twists that kept me guessing and some that I did guess often before the characters had caught up.

The ending was absolutely brilliant and took me completely by surprise. I honestly hadn’t guessed the final twist which I always love and I have found myself thinking about the book long after I’ve finished reading it. I listened to this as an audiobook yid highly recommend it as I thought the narrator was fantastic.

Huge thanks to Libro FM for providing me with an arc audiobook. If you’re a thriller fan I highly recommended this book.

About The Author:

B.A. Paris is the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of seven novels including the word-of-mouth hit, Behind Closed Doors, and her latest thriller, The Guest.

Over 7 million editions of her work have been sold worldwide and her books have been translated into 41 languages. Three of her novels have been optioned for major screen adaptations with films of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown and The Therapist in development.

Before becoming an author, B.A. Paris, who spent most of her adult life living in France, worked in finance as a trader before retraining as an English teacher. She and her husband then ran a language school together whilst bringing up their five daughters. Today, she writes from her cottage in Hampshire, England.

Follow B.A. on Twitter and Instagram at @baparisauthor. You can also find her on Facebook, Goodreads, and BookBub. Sign up to her newsletter for teasers, giveaways and updates.

Good morning everyone! Today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two books by Casey McQuiston. I absolutely loved Red, White & Royal Blue so I can’t wait to read her next book The Pairing!

Huge thanks to Beth from Pan Macmillan for sending this to me. I’m so excited to read it soon.

6th August 2024

Do you have a favourite book that’s been made into a TV series or movie?

The Pairing

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston comes a delicious romantic comedy The Pairing.

Theo and Kit have been childhood best friends, crushes, lovers and, after a brutal breakup four years ago, estranged exes.

It’s not until Theo and Kit are trapped on board a tour bus that they discover that they’ve each had the same idea: to take their dream European food and wine tour – alone. And now they’re stuck with each other for three weeks of the most romantic sights and sensuous flavours of France, Spain, and Italy. But it’ll be fine. They’re absolutely over each other.

So, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is game. In fact, why stop there? Why not a full-on European hookup competition?

But sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can’t have.

Red, White & Royal Blue

What happens when America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

Alex Claremont-Diaz is handsome, charismatic, a genius – pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House ever since his mother became President of the United States. There’s only one problem. When the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an altercation between Alex and Prince Henry, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of family and state devise a plan for damage control: stage a truce. But what begins as a fake, Instagrammable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon they are hurtling into a secret romance that could derail the presidential campaign and upend two nations.

About The Author:

Casey McQuiston is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies, whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Bon Appetit. Originally from southern Louisiana, Casey now lives in New York City.

Good evening everyone and happy Monday. I hope you all had a good weekend. I thought I’d do a little reading update for you today.

I’m currently reading two books and listening to one more:

📕 Enlightenment by Sarah Perry

I’m just over halfway through this book and really enjoying it so far. I was expecting it to be historical fiction but it’s not, though there is an historical mystery running through the book. I absolutely love the characters and it’s lovely following the same people through the years.

📙The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins

I’ve been so excited to read this book as I’ve loved the author’s previous books. I started reading it yesterday so I’m not far into it but I’m hooked already. I can’t wait to read more later today.

📗🎧The Warm Hands Of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

I’m just over half way through this audiobook and I’m really loving it so far. It’s surprisingly gripping and I love the supernatural side to it which is unlike anything I’ve read before. I walked home from work today so I got to listening to a bit more of it.

What are you currently reading/listening to?

Good afternoon everyone! I hope you are having a good day. I was super excited to receive a copy of This Motherless Land by Nikki May through the post this week. I was such a huge fan of her last book so I’m incredibly excited to read this book soon.

Huge thanks to the lovely @alison_is_reading for sending me a copy of this book It’s really appreciated!

Out 18th July 2024

Book Synopsis:

When Funke’s mother dies in an accident in Lagos, she’s sent to live with her maternal family in England. Against a backdrop of condescension and mild neglect, sensible Funke strives to fit in, determined to become one of them.

Free-spirited Liv has always wanted to break free of her joyless family, to be nothing like them. Fiercely protective of Funke, she at last has an ally. The two cousins give each other what they need most: love.

But the past casts long shadows and the choices made by their mothers haunt them, shaping the trajectory of their adult lives. Can they escape their legacy?

Witty, warm, hugely entertaining, This Motherless Land bridges three decades and two continents, delving into the thorny territories of race and culture and belonging. At its heart is a story about love and how it can make the difference between surviving and thriving.

About The Author:

Born in Bristol, raised in Lagos, NIKKI MAY is Anglo-Nigerian. Her critically acclaimed debut novel WAHALA won the Comedy Women in Print New Voice Prize, was shortlisted for the Diverse Book Award and the Fingerprint Debut of the Year Award, and longlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell Award. It’s being turned into a major BBC drama series.

THIS MOTHERLESS LAND is her second novel.

Nikki lives in Dorset with her husband, two standard schnauzers, and way too many books. She should be writing but is probably reading.

You can follow Nikki on Twitter: @NikkiOMay

Or Instagram: @nikkimaywriter

Good evening everyone and happy Saturday. I was tagged by the lovely @lovedreadingthis to share some bookish books.

📕The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein
📖The Lost Book Shop by Evie Wood
📕The Keeper Of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin
📖The Book Of The Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran
📕 Reading Lessons by Carol Atherton
📖The Book Of Beginnings by Sally Page
📕The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence
📖The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

All of these are tbr but I’m hoping to read some of them soon as I’ve heard great things about them – though The Book Who Wouldn’t Burn might be too pretty to actually read 😅

I was feeling quite tired today after a fantastic day at the show yesterday. It was really fun and I enjoyed seeing all the great things there. It was also interesting seeing what books sold there compared to the shop. I didn’t get to do many of the signings sadly as it ended up being a bit hectic but I had fun at the shop! I’m had a quiet morning as my youngest two are at clubs this morning so I was able to get some reading time.

I’ve tagged a few people who might want to join in but, as always, no pressure. Also if you’d prefer not to be tagged in these kind of posts do let me know!

What where your Saturday plans?

Good evening everyone I hope you’ve had a good day. I was lucky enough to get a copy of this fantastic looking book last week. I’m a huge fan of books from Orenda as they are always amazing reads. This is a new author for me so I’m excited to read this book soon and find out what it’s like.

Huge thanks to the lovely Karen @orendabooks for sending me a copy of this book.

Out 18th July 2024.
Find out more about the book below ⬇️

What’s your favourite thing to do in summer?

Book Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Frieder’s plans for the summer are shattered when he fails two subjects. To be able to move up to the next year in the Autumn, he needs to resit his exams. So instead of going on holiday with his family, he now faces the daunting and boring prospect of staying at his grandparents’ house, studying with his strict and formal step-grandfather.

On the bright side, he’ll spend time with his grandmother Nana, his sister Alma and his best friend Johann. And he meets Beate, the girl in the beautiful green swimsuit…

The next few weeks will bring friendship, fear and first love – one grand summer that will change and shape his entire life.

A number-one bestseller in Germany and winner of the German Booksellers Prize, One Grand Summer is a moving, beautiful and profound novel about relationships and respect that captures those exquisite and painful moments that make us who we are…

WINNER of the German Booksellers Prize and over two years on the German bestseller list.

About The Author:

Ewald Arenz, born in Nürnberg in 1965, studied English and American literature and history. He is a teacher at a secondary school in Nürnberg. His novels and plays have received many awards. Ewald lives near Fürth with his family.

Good morning everyone and happy Thursday.  I was tagged by the lovely @helen_t_reads and @alittlebrightcorner for tagging me in this challenge.  The idea is to find books that sound like titles for a guide or manual.

Here’s what I found:
❤️Reading Lessons by Carol Atherton
🧡A Beginners Guide To Breaking And Entering by Andrew.
  Hunter Murray
💛Boys Who Hurt by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
💚How To Build A Boat by Elaine Feeny
💙The Virago Book Of Witches by Shahrukh
🩵A Demon’s Guide To Wooing A Witch by Sarah Hawley
💜The Fellowship Of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr
🩷The Bells Of Westminster by Leonora Nattrass
💞To Cage A God by Elizabeth May
🤍A Lady’s Guide To Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin
🩶A Short Walk Through A Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke

I actually found more than I thought I would and had great fun finding all the books.  All of these are tbr but I’m hoping to read some of these soon.

I was working this morning which was fun and then I had a hectic afternoon ferrying my eldest two kids to various clubs. I had to visit the mechanic as my car is making funny noises and they think it’s the brakes sadly. I’m then looking forward to maybe sitting in the sun and doing some reading if it’s still warm enough.

I’ve tagged some people on Instagram who might want to take part but, as always, no pressure.

Where’s your favourite outdoor reading spot?

Good evening everyone I hope you’ve had a good day. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this fantastic looking book this week. It sounds really interesting and I have been hearing lots of good things about it.

Huge thanks to Katy from Little Brown for sending this to me. I’m excited to read it soon.

Birding is out now and you can find out more about the book below ⬇️

Book Synopsis:

In a small seaside town, autumn is edging into winter, gulls ride winds over the waves, and two women pass each other on the promenade, as yet unaware of each other’s existence.

In the nineties Lydia was a teen pop star, posed half naked on billboards everywhere with a lollipop between her lips and no idea how to live, letting the world happen to her. Now, three decades later, Lydia is less and less sure that what happened to her was in the least bit okay. The news cycle runs hot with #MeToo stories, and a famous former lover has emerged with a self-serving apology, asking her to forgive him. Suddenly, the past is full of trapdoors she is desperately trying not to fall through.

Joyce, in middle age, has never left home. She still lives with her mother Betty. With their matching dresses, identical hairdos and makeup, they are the local oddballs. Theirs is a life of unerring routine: the shops, biscuits served on bone china plates, dressing up for a gin and tonic on Saturday. Nice things. One misstep from Joyce can ruin Betty’s day; so Joyce treads carefully. She has never let herself think about a different kind of life. But recently, along with the hot flushes, something like anger is asserting itself, like a caged thing realising it should probably try and escape.

Amid the grey skies, amusement parks and beauty parlours of a gentrifying run-down seaside resort, these two women might never meet. But as they both try to untangle the damaging details of their past in the hope of a better future, their lives are set on an unlikely collision course.

With mordant wit and lyrical prose, Birding asks if we can ever see ourselves clearly or if we are always the unreliable narrators of our own experiences. It is a story about the difference between responsibility and obligation, unhealthy relationships and abusive ones, third acts and last chances, and two women trying to take flight on clipped wings.

About The Author:

Rose was originally a visual artist working in performance, sculpture, drawing and video. Stories and language were always part of her art practice, but as the written word crept further and further into her art and gradually edged out making and performing, she had to admit that she had become a writer instead.

​

She undertook the MLitt in Creative Writing at Glasgow University, and subsequently won the Off West End Adopt a Playwright award in 2015. She writes plays, makes podcasts, performs spoken word and occasionally still has a go at drawing and making things just to see if she still can.

She lives in Glasgow with her ever-expanding collections of twentieth century kitsch and other people’s letters, postcards and photographs.

​

Her debut novel This Is Yesterday was published in 2021. 

Good morning everyone and happy Tuesday. I hope you had a good bank holiday. Today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two books by Sophie Keetch.

💜 Morgan Is My Name
💟Le Fay

I’ve not actually read anything by this author before but I keep hearing great things so I’ve been eager to read them. As luck would have it I received a proof of Le Fay through the post a few days before a copy of Morgan Is My Name appeared on the damages shelf at work. I’m very excited to read them soon.

Huge thanks to @oneworldpublications for sending me a copy of Le Fay, it’s really appreciated!

Le Fay is published on the 18th July 2024.
Find out more about the book below ⬇️

Le Fay by Sophie Keetch

‘They should fear me, the power I possessed, and the bright, ravenous rage that now fuelled my every breath… Even I did not know what I was capable of.’

Lady Morgan surveys her life at Camelot: she is safe, valued for her intelligence, and has the love and respect of her brother King Arthur, despite a growing conflict with Queen Guinevere.

It’s not enough. For, between the strict rules of court, a vengeful husband determined to snatch their son away, and a jealous rival in sorcerer Merlin, Morgan desires freedom. And when a face from her past arrives, igniting old memories and new desires, the future she is planning becomes fraught with danger.

Morgan must break the shackles of expectation to seek true happiness. In doing so, she discovers dark new powers that promise control of her life is within reach. But it’s at the risk of destroying everything…

Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch

When King Uther Pendragon murders her father and tricks her mother into marriage, Morgan refuses to be crushed. Trapped amid the machinations of men in a world of isolated castles and gossiping courts, she discovers secret powers. Vengeful and brilliant, it’s not long before Morgan becomes a worthy adversary to Merlin, influential sorcerer to the king. But fighting for her freedom, she risks losing everything – her reputation, her loved ones and her life.

About The Author:

Sophie Keetch read English Literature at Cardiff University, including the study of Arthurian legend. Her debut trilogy is a feminist retelling of the story of sorceress Morgan Le Fay. The first book, Morgan is my Name, was a #1 Audible bestseller and one of the Sunday Times’ Best Historical Fiction novels of 2023. The audiobook, narrated by Oscar-nominated actress Vanessa Kirby, was a The Times Audiobook of the Week.

Sophie is Welsh and lives with her husband and son in South Wales.

Find Sophie on Twitter @SophKWrites and on Instagram @sophiekeetchauthor