Book Synopsis:

London, 1905. A show. A stuttering romance. Two squabbling actresses.

Is it Shakespeare? Is it Vaudeville?

Not quite. It is Mrs Morphett’s Macaroons, a satirical play about suffragettes which its creators – friends, colleagues and would-be lovers Robbie Robinson and Violet Graham – are preparing to mount in London’s West End.

It is the play rival actresses Merry and Gaye would kill to be in, if only they hadn’t insulted the producer all those years ago.

For Robbie and Violet meanwhile there are backers to be appeased, actors to be tamed and a theatre to be found; and in the midst of it all a budding romance that risks being undermined by professional differences.

Never mix business with pleasure?

Well – maybe, maybe not.

Mrs Morphett’s Macaroons is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

Mrs Morphett’s Macaroons is a fun, entertainment and humourous read from a new author for me.

Firstly the author has clearly done her research and I loved all the fabulous details she includes in the story which really made it come to life. I have a bit of a fascination with the theatre too so I enjoyed learning more about what theatre life was like in the Edwardian period. It was especially interesting to discover what is involved in putting on a play as I hadn’t given it much thought before and there’s definitely more to it then I thought.

There are some amazing character’s in this book which I enjoyed following throughout the book. Each one is a bit different to the others and all help bring something different to the story which I really liked. The author manages to cleverly weave some of their personal lives into the story so the reader gets to know them better and gets to see what’s going on behind the scenes so to speak.

This was a very absorbing read and I enjoyed getting lost in its story. There always seemed to be something happening to keep my interest and lots of humour that had be laughing out loud. This is the fourth book in the series which I hadn’t realised before starting but it can easily be read as a standalone, as I have done.

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

About The Author:

Patsy Trench has worked in the theatre all her adult life, firstly as an actress in the UK and Australia, then a scriptwriter for stage and (TV) screen. She co-founded The Children’s Musical Theatre of London, creating original musical shows with primary school children and she has written lyrics for cabaret songs for grownups. She teaches and lectures in theatre part-time at Kingston University and organises theatre tours in London for overseas visitors (Clovid permitting). She has two adult children and one grandson and she lives in London.

Book Synopsis:

ALL NEW from the Tobacco Girls
BRISTOL 1943 and life for the Tobacco Girls isn’t getting any easier…

Bridget Milligan has donned a uniform and joined the nursing services where she becomes intrigued with the miracles of modern medicine. She’s also torn between family loyalty, her new career and Lyndon O’Neill, the love of her life. Is it too impossible to hope that everything will come out right in the end?

Phyllis Harvey is still serving in Malta where she sees the casualties of war first hand. Finally it seems like Phyllis is blessed with true in love, but fate can sometimes be a rocky road and nothing is that certain.

Maisie Miles is left holding the home front at the tobacco factory but with the sudden death of her grandmother finds herself once more alone in the world. However, thanks to a substantial inheritance, she is able to extend a helping hand to a friend in desperate need.

There are tears and laughter, goodbyes and new arrivals along with the hope that new beginnings are not far over the horizon.

Heaven & Hell for The Tobacco Girls is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

Heaven and Hell is another emotional, gripping and atmospheric book in the fabulous Tobacco Girls series.

Firstly it was great to be back with the tobacco girls and to find out what they were up to. Although now separated helping out in different areas of the war the three M’s (Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget) are still friends. The different areas the girls are involved with helped provide a more holistic view of the war which I thought was very clever. It was interesting to learn what life was like for the girls in these different areas, especially Phyllis in Malta as I hadn’t known much about events there before.

There are some fantastic characters in this story that I really enjoyed following . I’ve been a huge fan of this series from the start so I’ve grown quite fond of them almost as if I knew them personally. Maisie was definitely my favourite of the three. I love her feisty nature and the wonderful way she stood up for Caroline. Each of the girls have their own battles during the book and it was very exciting to watch everything unfold. I found the book to be quite hard to put down as I was so invested in the story and eager to see how everything pans out for the girls.

Overall i really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in the series soon. There are some surprisingly gritty and emotional bits which some might find hard but I felt theses were handled sensitively. This is the fourth book in the series and while it could be read as a standalone but it’s probably best to read the series in order.

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:

Lizzie Lane is the author of over 50 books, a number of which have been bestsellers. She was born and bred in Bristol where many of her family worked in the cigarette and cigar factories. This has inspired her saga series for Boldwood The Tobacco Girls.

Book Synopsis:

What happens when you lose the love of your life just three months after you meet him?Lottie Brown has finally found The One. Leo is everything she’s ever wanted – he’s handsome, kind, funny and totally gets her. Three months into their relationship, Lottie is in love and happier than ever before. But then Leo tragically dies, and Lottie is left floundering.As she struggles to stop her life falling apart, Lottie learns more about the man she thought she knew, and starts to question whether Leo really was as perfect as he seemed…The brand-new heart-breaking novel of love, loss and learning to live again, from the acclaimed author of MARRIED AT FIRST SWIPE. Perfect for fans of Paige Toon, Holly Miller and Rosie Walsh.

The One is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

The One is a sweet, romantic and emotional book that I really enjoyed. It’s told in two timelines one following Lottie after the accident as she deals with her grief and the other flashing back to how the couple met and their families reaction to their meeting.

Firstly I thought Lottie was a fantastic main character who I warmed to quickly. It was heartbreaking to see her struggling to deal with her grief and crushed dreams as to where the relationship could have gone. The scenes at the funeral were very poignant and I thought it was heartbreaking to read about her standing alone on the sidelines as she didn’t know anyone. I wanted to reach into the book and give her a huge hug.

This book deals with some quite difficult subjects but somehow manages to be uplifting rather than sad which I thought was cleverly done. It’s a book about finding yourself and I found it fascinating to go on the journey alongside Lottie. It was interesting to see other people’s reactions to her grief that some understood it and wanted to help her through it, while some were surprised by it and didn’t know what to do with it as she hadn’t known Leo very well.

Overall I really enjoyed this book which I managed to race through in a few days. I was sorry to leave Lottie behind as I has grown very fond of her and I’ve kept thinking about the story long after I’ve finished reading it. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

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

About The Author:

Claire Frost grew up in Manchester, the middle of three sisters. She always wanted to do a job that involved writing, so after studying Classics at Bristol University she found a job in magazines. For the last 12 years she’s worked at the Sun on Sunday’s Fabulous magazine, where she is Assistant Editor and also responsible for the title’s book reviews. She can mostly be found at her desk buried beneath an ever-increasing pile of books or at home writing funny and heart-warming novels about love, life and social media. You can follow her on Twitter: @FabFrosty, and Instagram: @therealfabfrosty.

Good morning everyone. Today on Jojorecommends I’m featuring Sailing Boat which is the new single from the lovely Zoë Wren.

Zoë is a British singer songwriter, originally from Camden in London she now resides in Switzerland. She started off her career as a busker and has now played in some in some of the largest folk festivals in Britain.

Zoe was one of the first big streamers I felt comfortable asking to feature as she was always so lovely on stream. Even though there’s lots of people in get stream Zoe is very interactive and it makes her streams really fun. She’s also the streamer who I visited when I was trying to explain to my work colleagues about twitch and who waved at us when I typed what I was doing in chat which I thought was very sweet.

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

How To Listen:

Zoë’s music is available to listen to on all streaming platforms or you can buy it on Amazon or Bandcamp. Sailing Boat actually has a very cute music video to go with it which I absolutely loved. The idea came from Zoe herself and it’s a really fun video to watch. I have linked the music video for it below so you can see it for yourself along with another of her more recent originals.

Spotify Playlist:

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

Jojorecommends on twitch

Jojorecommends is now featured on the Island Vibing Presents channel on twitch which is very exciting and has helped push me out of my comfort zone a bit. If you’d like to watch last week’s episode you can do via the link below.

Thanks for reading and happy listening!

Book Synopsis:

The heartbreaking new novel from the author of the international bestseller In Five YearsWhen Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mum, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, the mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and – of course – delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.And then Carol appears, healthy and sun-tanned… and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how – all she can focus on is that somehow, impossibly, she has her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman who came before.But can we ever truly know our parents? Soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and daughter. With her signature ‘heartbreaking and poignant’ (Glamour) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.

One Italian Summer is available in ebook and hardback now. You can pre-order your copy using the links below.

My Review:

One Italian Summer is a beautiful, emotional and heartwarming read that would make a great holiday read.

Firstly i loved the author’s fantastically vivid descriptions of the Amalfi coast and the beautiful town of Postitano. I felt like I’d been transported there and was experiencing everything alongside the characters. I eagerly drank in all the wonderful descriptions and spent far to long googling it. It’s definitely a place I’d love to visit in the future.

The story follows Katy who, after her mother’s death, decided to go on the dream holiday they had planned. It was heartbreaking and very emotional to see her trying to work through her grief over her mother and my heart went out to her as I read. Once there she learns a bit more about her mother and discovers why she made some of the decisions she did.

Katy was an interesting main character and it took me a while to warm to her as I thought some of her actions were quite selfish. The plot is very absorbing and I soon felt submerged in Katy’s world. It’s not particularly fast paced at times but I didn’t care as I was enjoying learning a little bit more about Katy’s mum’s life.

Overall i liked this wonderful, escapist read which was great for reading in the storms that were battering the UK at the time.

Huge thanks to Milly Reid from Quercus for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Quercus for my copy of this book via netgalley.

About The Author:

Rebecca Serle is an author and television writer who lives between NYC and LA. Serle most recently co-developed the television adaptation of her YA series FAMOUS IN LOVE for Freeform and Warner Brothers Television. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Her bestselling US debut adult novel DINNER LIST was a Book of the Month club pick, Costco bookclub pick, and Bustle Bookclub selection.

Book Synopsis:

The sixth novel in a stunning series set in eighteenth-century Cornwall, perfect for fans of Bridgerton

Cornwall, 1800.

Imprisoned on false pretences, Madeleine Pelligrew, former mistress of Pendenning Hall, has spent the last 14 years shuttled between increasingly destitute and decrepit mad houses. When a strange man appears out of the blue to release her, she can’t quite believe that her freedom comes without a price. Hiding her identity, Madeleine determines to discover the truth about what happened all those years ago.

Unsure who to trust and alone in the world, Madeleine strikes a tentative friendship with a French prisoner on parole, Captain Pierre de la Croix. But as she learns more about the reasons behind her imprisonment, and about those who schemed to hide her away for so long, she starts to wonder if Pierre is in fact the man he says he is. As Madeleine’s past collides with her present, can she find the strength to follow her heart, no matter the personal cost?

The Cornish Captive is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

The Cornish Captive is a heartwarming, romantic and absorbing read that I really enjoyed.

Firstly the author has obviously done her research and I loved all the rich historical detail in this book. I hadn’t read much about the French Revolution so I found it really interesting to learn more about that period. I also have a fascination about asylums so it was interesting, though poignant, to learn more about Madeline’s experiences there. I thought the author does a great job of describing Madeline’s feelings on her release from the asylum being a mixture of relief but also being overwhelmed my things.

The story is fairly fast paced and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. Madeline’s relationship with Pierre was very interesting and helped keep me on my toes as I wasn’t sure whether to trust him. There was some lovely heartwarming moments of kindness and community spirit that was lovely to read about.

This is the sixth book in the series which I didn’t realise when I started reading. Whilst it can be read as a standalone I feel the reader would understand more about the backstory to the characters. I’d definitely like to read more of the series in future.

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

About The Author:

Nicola Pryce trained as a nurse at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. She has always loved literature and completed an Open University degree in Humanities. She is a qualified adult literacy support volunteer and lives with her husband in the Blackdown Hills in Somerset. Together they sail the south coast of Cornwall in search of adventure.

Book Synopsis:

In an age defined by men, it will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are . . .October 1840. A young woman staggers alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders.Meanwhile, when rumours of a ‘fallen angel’ cause a frenzy across London, a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession, one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger . . .THE GIFTS is the astonishing debut adult novel from the lauded author of BEARMOUTH. A gripping and ambitious book told through five different perspectives and set against the luminous backdrop of nineteenth century London, it explores science, nature and religion, enlightenment, the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition.

The Gifts is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

The Gifts is a magical, atmospheric and absorbing read which I really enjoyed. I made sure I started it when I knew I’d have lots of reading time as I knew I’d soon be lost in the story.

Firstly I absolutely loved the rich historical detail which helped to bring the story to life. It was fascinating to learn more about the era, especially the medical practices at the time some of which were very eye opening. I found myself wincing at some of the descriptions, not able to believe that that was how things used to be done. Some of the surgical scenes were very vivid and I felt I could smell the sweat and the blood sometimes as I read.

The characters were all very different creations and I enjoyed following them throughout the book. The story is told through 5 characters point of view, four women and 1 men, each one has a different symbol at the start of the chapter so once I got used the quick changes it was easy to keep track of. It was interesting to explore Victorian attitude towards women through the female characters and I loved seeing how they refused to give up their dreams despite societies expectations of them.

I especially enjoyed reading more about the changes in opinion as science advanced and the arguments between science and religion which had previously had such a firm grip on society. There are some quite poignant subjects discussed during the book which took me by surprise but I enjoyed exploring the subjects alongside the characters. I feel that this would make a great bookclub read as there would be lots to discuss.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I absolutely loved this book. The story gripped me from the dramatic opener to the final pages with the beautiful, haunting writing and absorbing storyline. This is a book that I’ll be recommending to everyone as it’s one of my books of the year so far!

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Bonnier for my copy of this book from Netgalley, though as you can see from the picture I was enjoying the book so much I treated myself to a beautiful special edition from Waterstones too!

About The Author:

Liz Hyder has been making up stories for as long she can remember. She has a BAin drama from the University of Bristoland, in early 2018, won the Bridge Award/Moniack Mhor Emerging Writer Award.Bearmouth, her debut young adult novel,won a Waterstones Children’s Book Prize,the Branford Boase Award and was chosenas the Children’s Book of the Year by TheTimes. Originally from London, she nowlives in South Shropshire. The Gifts is herdebut adult novel.

Book Synopsis:

A twisty and chilling thriller about a woman who did one bad thing when she was young… and must now suffer the consequences.

She thought she’d got away with it. She was wrong.

Hannah Godley is an agony aunt on a London radio show Queen of Hearts. She’s warm and empathetic; a good listener. Her catchphrase is: Be kind, always. But when a stranger phones in to tell a tragic story about her brother who killed himself after he was the victim of a terrible prank by two people, Hannah goes cold. Because she remembers Diane’s brother well. In fact, all these years later, he still haunts her dreams. All because of that one bad thing she did when she was young…

Is Diane just a sad, lonely woman looking for a friend, or does she know what Hannah did, and is looking for revenge? Because as Diane insinuates herself into her life and family, Hannah is going to discover that you can never truly escape that One Bad Thing you did – sooner or later, you’re going to have to pay the price…

One Bad Thing is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

One Bad Thing is a twisty, gripping thriller that you’ll be unable to out down!

Firstly I’m a huge fan of this author so I was very excited to get a copy if this his latest read. I definitely wasn’t disappointed as this was a fantastic story of obsession and revenge that was very difficult to put down.

The author has created some interesting characters who I enjoyed following throughout the book though wasn’t sure I liked. I must admit it took me a while to like Hannah as I really was sure about her. She seemed genuinely regretful about what she did but I wasn’t sure I could trust her. Diane was a fascinating character who sounded alarm bells for me me straight away as I quickly realised there was something not quite right about her. I wanted to scream at Hannah to stay away from her as I didn’t think she would bring anything but trouble.

Overall I really enjoyed this book which I raced through in a few days. The story is told in two timelines one in the present day and one flashing back to the bad thing Hannah did. I liked the slow build and the way Hannah’s history is slowly revealed so the reader gets more of an overall view of what happened. There were lots of twists along the way that kept me guessing and I only figured everything out in the last few pages which I thought was very clever! I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.

Huge thanks to Sophie from Head Of Zeus for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

M.K. Hill was a journalist and an award-winning music radio producer before becoming a full-time writer. The first novel in the Sasha Dawson series, The Bad Place, was described as ‘everything a police procedural should be’ by The Times, who also named it as their crime book of the month. He lives in London.

Good morning everyone and welcome to another addition of Jojorecommends! Today I’m featuring the amazing Kimarie Sky and her new EP Emora.

Kimarie Sky is a singer songwriter from Austin TX. I first discovered Kimarie on Twitch when I followed a friend onto one of her streams. I quickly fell in love with her beautiful voice and the chilled vibe on her streams. She plays a variety of originals and some wonderful originals. One of the first times I was on her stream she sang Dream A Little Dream by the Mama’s And The Papa’s to me as I was leaving to go to bed. It was an absolutely beautiful rendition and remains one of my all time favourite twitch moments.

Kimarie streams on twitch three times a week, including a Britain friendly stream on a Tuesday about 9pm.

If you would like to follow Kimarie on social media or watch her on twitch by clicking on the links below.

How To Listen:

Emora has four songs on it all of which are quite upbeat songs with a great, unusual beat to them. On stream Kimarie makes some amazing beats with her guitar which are always great to watch her create.

You can listen to Emora on all the major streaming platforms as linked below or I have included the YouTube videos for two of the songs below.

#Jojorecommends Playlist:

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

JoJo Recommends on Twitch:

Jojorecommends is now a feature on the brilliant Island Vibing Presents twitch podcast which I’m very excited about! I’m still getting used to filming myself but I’m enjoying trying something knew and am grateful for the opportunity! You can now watch last week’s episode by clicking on the link below.

Thank you for reading and happy listening!