Book Synopsis:

He needs a wife…
Manchester industrialist William Rose was a poor lad from the slums who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, but in order to achieve his greatest ambitions he must become the epitome of Victorian respectability: a family man.

She has a plan…
But the only woman who’s caught his eye is sophisticated beauty Octavia Marshall, one of the notorious ladies of Carson Street. Though she was once born to great wealth and privilege, she’s hardly respectable, but she’s determined to invest her hard-earned fortune in Mr Rose’s mills and forge a new life as an entirely proper businesswoman.

They strike a deal that promises them both what they desire the most, but William’s a fool if he thinks Octavia will be a conventional married woman, and she’s very much mistaken if she thinks the lives they once led won’t follow them wherever they go.

In the third instalment of Rachel Brimble’s exciting Victorian saga series, The Ladies of Carson Street will open the doors on a thoroughly modern marriage – and William is about to get a lot more than he bargained for…

A Very Modern Marriage is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author so I was very excited to be invited onto the blog tour for this her latest book.

The story follows William, once a boy from the slums who’s managed to work himself up to be a respectable business man in Victorian society. To complete this image of respectability he wants a wife and has set his sights on Octavia, a local beauty. Octavia has a bit of a shady past but also wants to improve herself and learn more about business. She agrees to be Williams wife in return for for him teaching her about business, but things don’t go according to plan.

I really liked the main characters William and Octavia who haven’t had the best start in life but their determination to improve themselves has dragged them out of poverty. Their journey was wonderful to read about and very inspiring, especially Octavia who also had society’s prejudice against females to deal with. The banter between the two of them was brilliant and the air seemed to sizzle between them from the start.

Overall I loved this story and soon felt absorbed into the character’s world. The story seemed to move at a good pace and when it was a bit slower I found I didn’t care as I was just enjoying hanging out with the characters. The relationships in the book were fascinating to explore and I enjoyed learning more about them. The ladies of Carson Street were especially great to follow through the book and I enjoyed observing the closeness between them. I was a bit disappointed that they weren’t more supportive of Octavia and her dreams to make more of herself though. The ending was brilliant and it was great to see how far each of the characters had come, despite the many curve balls that had been thrown at them.

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

About The Author:

Rachel Brimble lives in Wiltshire with her husband of twenty years, two teenage daughters and her beloved chocolate Labrador, Tyler. Multi-published in the US, she is thrilled to have a new beginning writing for Aria in the UK. When Rachel isn’t writing, she enjoys reading across the genres, knitting and walking the English countryside with her family… often stopping off at a country pub for lunch and a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Book Synopsis:

‘The trouble is, we don’t recognise every danger when we see it. And that’s how Mr Man manages to creep into our lives.’

It is 1966, and things are changing in the close-knit Napier Road. Stephanie is 9 years old, and she has plans:

1. Get Jesus to heal her wonky foot
2. Escape her spiteful friend Dawn
3. Persuade her mum to love her

But everything changes when Stephanie strikes up a relationship with Mr Man, who always seems pleased to see her. When Dawn goes missing in the woods during the World Cup final, no one appears to know what happened to her – but more than one of them is lying.

May 1997, and Stephanie has spent her life trying to bury the events of that terrible summer. When a man starts following her on the train home from London, she realises the dark truth of what happened may have finally caught up with her.

Sorry Isn’t Good Enough is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

Sorry Isn’t Good Enough is a gripping, fast paced book that somehow manages to be sad and uplifting.

The story is told in two timelines one following Stephanie as a child growing up in the 1960’s with a very religious father and a mother who is very cold towards her and just follows what her father says. The other follows Stephanie in 1997 as she deals with a stalker and the fear that her past might have come back to haunt her. Out of the two I did prefer the earlier time line as it was fascinating following Stephanie and learning more about her life. I thought it was very clever how it was told from a 9 years olds perspective as the author manages to show events from the beautiful innocent of a child. I felt quite sympathetic towards Stephanie from the beginning and and just wanted to reach into the book to give her a hug as I felt she needed one. I also wished I could have a word with her parents and her supposed best friend who always seemed to be putting her down.

The story was very addictive and I soon found myself thoroughly engrossed in the story. There were some sad moments but also some uplifting ones too. The conversations between Stephanie and her supposed best friend Dawn made me laugh out loud at times as it was amusing to see how they’d misinterpreted the adults comments. The story has lots of twists and turns which kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next which I always enjoy.

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orion for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Jane Bailey was born and brought up in Gloucestershire, where she now lives. She has written seven novels, including Lark Song, What Was Rescued and Tommy Glover’s Sketch of Heaven, and has been shortlisted for the Dillons Fiction prize and the RNA award. She has edited four anthologies of work by young people as Writer-in-Residence for Cheltenham Festivals, First Story and Gloucestershire Hospitals Education Service.

Book Synopsis:

At fifteen, she made a life-changing decision. Thirty years on, it’s time to make another.When Diana escaped her misfit childhood, she thought she’d chosen the easier path. But the past lingers on, etched beneath her skin, and life won’t be worth living if her secret gets out.As an adult, she’s kept other people at a distance… until Simon sweeps in on a cloud of promise and possibility. But his work is taking him to Cairo, the city that transformed her life. She’ll lose Simon if she doesn’t join him. She’ll lose herself if she does.Sugar and Snails describes Diana’s unusual journey, revealing the scars from her fight to be true to herself. A triumphant mid-life coming-of-age story about bridging the gap between who we are and who we feel we ought to be.

Sugar and Snails is available in all formats now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

This is a powerful, poignant book that was beautifully written. Throughout the book we follow Diana who is second guessing a big decision she made at the tender age of 15 and the impact it’s had on her life. Through the author’s beautiful but powerful narrative the reader finds out about Diana’s childhood, in a series of flashbacks, and what her life is like now.

I thought Diana’s parents were brilliant characters who were excellently portrayed. I started off not liking them as they seemed quite unsympathetic but as the book continued I realised what a hard decision they had to make and that they were actually just scared. As a parent myself their situation was one I found myself thinking about when I wasn’t reading and wondering to myself what I would have done.

The author is a psychologist and there is a lot of psychology in the book which I found really fascinating. The author has written these sections really well so I feel that anyone could understand what she was saying. I thought it was interesting to get this background information and that it helped add a lot to the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this book! The author has taken a controversial, modern subject and written about it very sympathetically giving the reader both sides to the story so they are encouraged to make up their own minds about things. It was surprisingly gripping and I quickly found myself caring for the characters , wanting to keep reading as I wanted to find out how it would end.

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

About The Author:

Anne Godwin writes entertaining fiction about identity, mental health and social justice. She is the author of three novels and a short story collection published by small independent press, Inspired Quill. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize. Her new novel, Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home, is inspired by her previous incarnation as a clinical psychologist in a long-stay psychiatric hospital. Subscribers to her newsletter can download a free e-book of prize-winning short stories.

Good morning everyone and welcome to the 1st edition of JoJo Recommends previously known as Tunes For Tuesday. I decided on a name change so I wasn’t tied down to posting on a Tuesday as life is rather hectic at the moment but also so I could feature other fabulous twitch streamers from other categories in twitch.

Today on JoJo Recommends I’m featuring the wonderful waxbirds and their new single Kansas. The Waxbirds are acoustic duo Jo on vocals and Pete on guitar They are originally from Yorkshire in the UK but now live in New Zealand. I discovered them on twitch and quickly fell in love with their beautiful music. Jo has a truly beautiful voice and the harmonies they produce together are wonderful. They also have a very cute golden lab who makes regular appearances on the stream.

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

How To Listen:

The Waxbirds music is available to listen to on most streaming platforms as listed below. .if you are in New Zealand they are currently doing a lot of live gigs so do check out there socials for gigs in your area. I have included my favourite videos of them below.

Playlists:

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

Thanks for reading and happy listening!

Book Synopsis:

For Sara Keane, it was supposed to be a second chance. A new country. A new house. A new beginning with her husband Damien.

Then came the knock on the door.

Elderly Mary Jackson can’t understand why Sara and her husband are living in her home. She remembers the fire, and the house burning down. But she also remembers the children. The children who need her, whom she must protect.

‘The children will find you,’ she tells Sara, because Mary knows she needs help too. Sara soon becomes obsessed with what happened in that house nearly sixty years ago – the tragic, bloody night her husband never intended for her to discover. And Mary – silent for six decades – is finally ready to tell her story . . .

The House of Ashes is the stunning new 2022 thriller from the award-winning master of the genre, Stuart Neville – perfect for fans of John Connolly, Alex North and Brian McGilloway.

The House Of Ashes is published in ebook and hardback on the 3rd February 2022. You can pre-order your copy using the links below.

My Review:

The House Of Ashes is a creepy, atmospheric and at times terrifying read which I think is his best yet.

The story is told in two timelines one following Sarah in the present day and her life with her manipulative, controlling husband. The other flashes back to Mary and her childhood experiences at the same house.

I was quickly drawn into the story and the lives of the two main characters. I felt a lot of sympathy for them and the horrendous things they have experienced. However I sometimes found myself feeling frustrated with then too, particularly Sarah as I couldn’t understand her unwillingness to leave her husband.

The story is fast paced and there was always something happening to keep me gripped and unable to stop reading. It’s very emotional at times and quite brutal so I often had to put the book down for a bit and continue on another day. How someone can treat another person like that is beyond me and I found myself tearing up as I read. The ending was very clever and I liked the way the two stories came together.

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Zaffre for my copy of this book via netgalley.

About The Author:

Stuart Neville’s debut novel, The Twelve (published in the US as The Ghosts of Belfast), won the Mystery/Thriller category of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and was picked as one of the top crime novels of 2009 by both the New York Times and the LA Times. He has been shortlisted for various awards, including the MWA Edgar, CWA Dagger, Theakstons Old Peculier Novel of the Year, Barry, Macavity, Dilys awards, as well as the Irish Book Awards Crime Novel of the Year.He has since published nine more critically acclaimed books, two of which were under the pen name Haylen Beck, as well as a short story collection, The Traveller and Other Stories.

Book Synopsis:

Inspired by the incredible true story of how the people of Denmark saved their Jewish neighbours during WW2Helsingør, Denmark, 1943In the midst of the German occupation during World War Two, Inger Bredhal joins the underground resistance and risks her life to save members of Denmark’s Jewish community and help them escape to Sweden.Copenhagen, 2018 Inger’s granddaughter, Cecilie Lund, is mourning her death when a mysterious discovery while cleaning out Inger’s flat leads past and present to intersect. As long-held secrets finally see the light of day, Cecilie learns the story of her grandmother’s courage and bravery, and of the power of friendship, love, and standing for what’s right…even when you have everything to lose.An inspiring tale of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of community.

My Review:

The Helsingør Sewing Club is a beautifully written, fascinating but heartbreaking piece of historical fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Firstly I hadn’t read many books set in Denmark during the war so I was unaware of what happened there and the incredible bravery of the Danish people to save their Jewish Neighbours. It was absolutely fascinating to read about this and my heart was in my mouth as I read everything they went through to try and help.

The story is told in two timelines, though it’s mainly set in 1943, one follows Inger and her involvement with the resistance in ww2. The other follows her granddaughter Cecile who is clearing out her grandmother’s flat after her death and discovering the big secret her grandmother had kept hidden. While I did prefer the war time timeline the modern story did have some beautiful moments in it too and I liked the way the two stories tied together to reveal the full story.

I thought this was a very absorbing book which I sailed through in a couple of days. I think I felt a range of emotions whilst reading experiencing some very heartwarming moments but also some truly heartbreaking ones. The tension in the book slowly increases as the Gestapo get nearer until I almost couldn’t bear it. The fact that this was based on a true story made the story even more poignant and has ensured the story has stayed with me long after reading.

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

About The Author:

Ella Gyland grew up in Northern Denmark but moved to England after she graduated from the University of Copenhagen.She has worked in a variety of jobs, including the Danish civil service, before setting herself up as a freelance translator and linguist. Ella won the New Talent Award in 2011 from the Festival of Romance and a Commended from the Yeovil Literary Prize.Ella lives in London and also writes as Henriette Gyland.

Book Synopsis:

An ancient adversary in the east seeks to invade Ordefima and claim the treasures it holds.
When his beloved sister is captured, Rupert, the youngest son of the ruling family, is sent to save her. As the power of the enemy increases, can he overcome personal tragedy, emotional entanglements, and lost allegiances to emerge as the hero? Or will subversive forces and increasing austerity inspire the people to rebel against him?

The Dominion – Defiant is the second book in the fantasy trilogy. If you like epic adventure, dark brooding menace, vivid characters, and imaginative settings, then you’ll love this latest instalment by popular author Chris Cloake.

Extract:

Vucusa sensed power on a bigger scale than his petty scheming could deal with. This was more than just a young girl’s tender flesh he was making contact with. Within her dwelt the hand of ancient nature, that had shaped the very fabric of the world since the dawn of time. And there was more, hidden in the depths of the night. A threat that loomed larger still, with the primed potency of a lightning strike. It was Vucusa’s turn to be wracked by fear. With a lurch he stood up and threw her away from him. While Socha struggled to regain her senses he spoke loudly into the ink black firmament above.
“I will not risk the wrath of Gaticus for the temptations of this sorceress of Ordefima. I saw what he did to my dear cousin, Vumlash, the only one I could ever trust. I read what was in the beast’s mind. She must be given to him pure, whole and in full health so he can rise to full strength and bring us untold riches. He watches us now. We must keep to our task.”
He retrieved his spear from the ground and advanced on Socha where she lay. The others returned to look on in puzzlement.
“Wrap yourself up and go to sleep,” he told her, kicking dust over the fire. “Tomorrow, I will deliver you to Gaticus and your fate will be sealed.”

About The Author:

Chris Cloake was born in 1964 and began telling stories a couple of years later. He grew up in Kent, England. He is motivated to write by a deep interest in life, particularly the cruel, deeply flawed nature of people contrasted with their incredible creativity and inspiration. The power of the natural world is a common theme in his work as a writer and professional photographer. He lives happily with his wife, two children and a large collection of music, books and board games.

Follow him/her at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chriscloakeauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_chriscloake/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisCloake
Website: https://www.chriscloake.co.uk/

Book Synopsis:

When seven-year-old Fran first met Will they knew instantly that they were made for each other. For eleven years they were inseparable, but then, at the age of eighteen, Will just upped and disappeared.

Twenty-five years later Will is back.

Is fate trying to give them a second chance?

Still nursing the heart break from all those years ago, Fran is reluctant to give Will the time of day. The price Will must pay is to tell the truth – the truth about why he left, the truth about why he’s back…

And Fran has her own secrets to hide. The time has come to decide what Fran and Will really want from life – before it’s too late.

Unashamedly romantic, Before We Grow Old is a book full of love, laughter and tears, and you’ll be rooting for Fran and Will from the moment you meet them. Let Clare Swatman whisk you away for the love story of the year. Perfect for fans of Sophie Cousens and Isabelle Broom.

Before We Grow Old us available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

Before We Grow Old is a beautiful, emotional story that was much more than the love story I was expecting. It’s going to be a hard book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.

The story is told from the point if view of Fran who I quickly warmed to and enjoyed following throughout the book. She was a very realistic character that I felt I could relate to and I’d be friends with in real life. It was so lovely to get to know her and her slightly dysfunctional family.

I thought this was a truly beautiful read that I found hard to put down as I soon found myself thoroughly absorbed in the character’s lives. Yes there is a beautiful love story but it’s also much more than that which I wasn’t expecting. There are some very emotional moments about some heartbreaking topics which I found hard to read at times and found myself crying as I read. There are lots of secrets being kept hidden and I enjoyed watching them all being revealed.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m now very excited to read more in future.

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

About The Author:

Book Synopsis:

Would you murder your brothers to keep them from telling the truth about themselves?
On a long, cold Icelandic night in March 1920, Gunnar, a hermit blacksmith, finds himself with an unwanted lodger – Sigurd, an injured stranger who offers a story from the past. But some stories, even those of an old man who can barely walk, are too dangerous to hear. They alter the listeners’ lives forever… by ending them.

Others are keen on changing Gunnar’s life as well. Depending on who gets to tell his story, it might lead towards an unwanted marriage, an intervention, rejoining the Church, letting the elf drive him insane, or succumbing to the demons in his mind. Will he manage to write his own last chapter?

Bjørn Larssen’s award-winning, Amazon #1 best selling novel is an otherworldly, emotive Icelandic saga – a story of love and loneliness, relief and suffering, hatred… and hope.

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

My Review:

The Storyteller is a unique, absorbing read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Firstly I loved the location of this book which was so wonderfully described that I felt transported to the village able to feel the cold and see the beautiful aurora displays. The cold help add to the atmosphere in the village as it made the village seem more cut off somehow and more insular.

The main character, Gunnar, was a very interesting character and I enjoyed getting to know him throughout the book. It was interesting to learn more about his trade, lifestyle and especially his bond with his dog. When we first met him I thought he was quite happy in his life but as the story unfolds it becomes apparent this isn’t the case and he has a lot of demon’s he’s trying to fight. The supporting characters in this book are also brilliant and I liked how they all helped bring something different to the story. The two women who made up the Conservative Woman of Iceland party were definitely my favourites and helped bring some humour into the story.

The story unfolds at a steady pace which gives the reader plenty of time to get to know the characters more. I liked how the story seemed very simple to start with but gradually becomes much more complicated. It’s actually a story within a story which I wasn’t expecting and I loved how the author has included the Icelandic tradition of storytelling into the book. I thought the ending was brilliant and very surprising. I will look forward to reading more from him in the future.

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:

Bjørn Larssen is a Norse heathen made in Poland, but mostly located in a Dutch suburb, except for his heart which he lost in Iceland. Born in 1977, he self-published his first graphic novel at the age of seven in a limited edition of one, following this achievement several decades later with his first book containing multiple sentences and winning awards he didn’t design himself. His writing is described as ‘dark’ and ‘literary’, but he remains incapable of taking anything seriously for more than 60 seconds.Bjørn has a degree in mathematics and has worked as a graphic designer, a model, a bartender, and a blacksmith (not all at the same time). His hobbies include sitting by open fires, dressing like an extra from Vikings, installing operating systems, and dreaming about living in a log cabin in the north of Iceland. He owns one (1) husband and is owned by one (1) neighbourhood cat.Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal winner (‘Storytellers’)2020 Stabby Award Nominee (‘Children’)Find out more about Bjørn at http://www.bjornlarssen.com

Book Synopsis:

THE NEW NOVEL IN THE MILLION-COPY SELLING DETECTIVE GERALDINE STEEL SERIES

An inoffensive man is murdered in a seemingly motiveless attack. Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel and her team are baffled, until DNA from an apparent stranger is discovered on the victim’s body.

Geraldine is not convinced the suspect is guilty. When a witness comes forward to offer the suspect an alibi, Geraldine lets him go. That night, a second murder is committed. The evidence points to the suspect who has just been released.

As Geraldine attempts to make sense of the suspect’s complex history, he goes on the run. Even his wife appears to condemn him. Only Geraldine still doubts that he is to blame for the murders, but is she prompted by her own guilt for having released him to kill again?

As the story races towards a breathtaking twist, Geraldine is tormented by self-doubt, and struggles to focus all her attention on the case. Someone is lying and the police must uncover the truth before anyone else is killed…

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

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this series so I was very excited to discover there was a new book in the series. As always it was great to be back with the fantastic Geraldine solving a case alongside her and her team. One of the things that always stands out for me is the author’s ability to make the reader feel included in the team and the case so they feel everything that happens personally.

I always enjoy books that show all sides to a character and I have really liked getting to know Geraldine over the course of the series in both a professional and personal capacity. I feel showing both sides of the character has allowed me to understand her more so I truly get what makes her tick. This has also made me feel more protective of her and I found I really cared about what was going on in the story and what happened to her.

Overall I thought this was another fantastic addition to a series that just keeps getting better and better. The multiple points of view was very interesting and helped to give me an holistic view of what was going on. The many twists kept me guessing and I found the book hard to put down at times as I was so engrossed in the story.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to No Exit press for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

LEIGH RUSSELL (Location: Pinner, UK)Leigh Russell is the author of the internationally bestselling Geraldine Steel series: CutShort, Road Closed, Dead End, Death Bed, Stop Dead, Fatal Act, Killer Plan, MurderRing, Deadly Alibi, Class Murder, Death Rope, Rogue Killer, Deathly Affair, DeadlyRevenge, Evil Impulse, Deep Cover and the upcoming Guilt Edged. The series has soldover a million copies worldwide. Cut Short was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association(CWA) John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award, and Leigh has been longlisted for theCWA Dagger in the Library Award. Her books have been #1 on Amazon Kindle and iTuneswith Stop Dead and Murder Ring selected as finalists for The People\’s Book Prize. Leigh ischair of the CWA\’s Debut Dagger Award judging panel and is a Royal Literary Fellow.Leigh studied at the University of Kent, gaining a Masters degree in English and AmericanLiterature. She is married with two daughters and a granddaughter, and lives in London.Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, Angela Marsons and Cara HunterThe first Geraldine Steel novel, Cut Short, was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Dagger, and Leigh has been longlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library Foreign rights to the series have been sold in USA (HarperCollins), Germany (Bastei Lubbe) and Italy (Mondadori) plus France, Turkey & China