London, 1940. Britain is gripped by the terror of the Blitz, forcing Nell Spelman to flee the capital with her young daughter – leaving behind her husband, Arthur, the clockmaker who keeps Big Ben chiming.
When Arthur disappears, Nell is desperate to find him. But her search will lead her into far darker places than she ever imagined…
New York, Present Day. When Ellie discovers a beautiful watch that had once belonged to a grandmother she never knew, she becomes determined to find out what happened to her. But as she pieces together the fragments of her grandmother’s life, she begins to wonder if the past is better left forgotten…
A powerful and unforgettable tale of fierce love, impossible choices and a moment that changes the world forever, perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy and Suzanne Kelman.
The Clockmaker’s Wife is available in ebook now and in paperback on the 5th of August. You can purchase or pre-order your copy by clicking on the links below.
My Review:
The Clockmaker’s Wife is a beautiful and moving dual timeline story which I really enjoyed.
As I might have mentioned once or twice I’m a huge fan of dual timeline historical fiction so this book instantly appealed. I especially enjoy it when the book teaches me something new and this book was no exception as I loved learning more about Arthur’s job maintaining Big Ben. I was also fascinated to learn a bit more about the fascist groups and supporters of Hitler that were in the country at that time.
Nell was a fantastic main character and one I really enjoyed following throughout the book. She really shows what she’s made of when she discovers Arthur is missing and sets off back to London to find out what happened. Her story there is truly amazing and I was in total awe of her bravery as she searched. I found myself completely absorbed in what was happening and found it hard to put the book down as I had to find out what happens.
The story moves seamlessly between the two timelines and while I did prefer following Nell’s story I thought Ellie’s story was very interesting especially the strong themes of family and how important it is to maintain memories.
This is I believe the author’s debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future. Huge thanks to Ellie from Avon for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via netgalley. If you love dual timeline stories you need to read this!
About The Author:
Daisy Wood worked in publishing for some years before leaving to concentrate on her own writing. She has had several children’s books published, both historical and contemporary, and is happiest rooting about in the London Library on the pretext of research. She lives in south London and when not locked away in her study can be seen in various city parks, running after a rescue Pointer with a Basset Hound in tow.
1665. It is five years since King Charles II returned from exile, the scars of the English Civil Wars are yet to heal and now the Great Plague engulfs the land. Alethea Hawthorne is safe inside the walls of the Calverton household as a lady’s companion waiting in anticipation of the day she can return to her ancestral home of Measham Hall.But when Alethea suddenly finds herself cast out on the plague-ridden streets of London, a long road to Derbyshire lies ahead. Militias have closed their boroughs off to outsiders for fear of contamination.Fortune smiles on her when Jack appears, an unlikely travelling companion who helps this determined girl to navigate a perilous new world of religious dissenters, charlatans and a pestilence that afflicts peasants and lords alike.The Master of Measham Hall is the first book in a page-turning historical series. In lyrical prose, Anna Abney portrays the religious divides at the heart of Restoration England in a timeless novel about survival, love, and family loyalty.
The Master Of Measham Hall is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.
I really enjoyed this fascinating, absorbing book that I found very hard to put down. I especially liked that the author has a personal connection to Measham Hall as it made the story come to life.
I haven’t read many books about the plague and knew very little about it, so I found all the little details the author includes in the book fascinating. I didn’t know that you needed papers to travel to prove you didn’t have plague symptoms for example and I had not heard of the little breakout groups that were around at that time trying to build new communities.
I adored Althea and I warmed to her quickly. She’s a very brave lady and I loved how willing she was to adapt to her new life. I was impressed with how she threw herself into the every day tasks at her new community, doing manual labour and learning to fish. There were some fantastic supporting characters in the book too that I enjoyed getting to know alongside Althea.
Overall I really enjoyed this book which I found very absorbing and therefore very difficult to put down. The ending felt a bit abrupt but gave me hope that there might be a possible sequel.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Duckworth books for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Anna Abney is among the last descendants of the Abney family, former residents of Measham Hall, a lost house of Derbyshire. The Measham Hall series is a fictionalised account of her ancestors’ lives. An academic in the English and Creative Writing department at the Open University, she wrote her PhD on the seventeenth century writer, Margaret Cavendish, the first English woman to be published in her own name, under the supervision of Lisa Jardine at Queen Mary, University of London. Her writing also includes fiction, journalism and drama. Anna was born and raised in London and lived in Ireland, North and South, for thirteen years before returning to the Big Smoke. She now lives in rural Kent with her husband, a playwright and screenwriter, and their border-collie.
EVERYONE IN THE WORLD KNOWS HIS NAME . . .BUT IT’S YOU HE WANTS.
To the media, Hayes Campbell is the enigmatic front-man of a record-breaking boyband.
To his fans, he’s the man of their dreams.
To Solène Marchand, he’s just the pretty face that’s plastered over her teenage daughter’s bedroom wall. Until a chance meeting throws them together . . .
The attraction is instant. The chemistry is electric. The affair is Solène’s secret.
But how long can it stay that way?
The Idea Of You is available in ebook and paperback now. The ebook is currently only 99p. You can purchase your copy using the links below.
The Idea Of You is a romantic, steamy read which is perfect for escaping reality and reading in the sun.
Firstly I must admit this isn’t my normal genre but I’d heard lots about this book so was naturally very intrigued. The love affair between Solene and Harry was great fun to follow and I enjoyed watching it progress. It was interesting to see the discussion about the age difference and societies reaction to them being a couple though. It sadly happens in reality but society doesn’t seem to like older woman with younger men where as they think the reverse is absolutely fine which seems hypercritical.
Solene was an interesting character for me and one I wasn’t completely sure I liked. She’s a strong women who has a successful career in the art world but she did annoy me at times with her constant wobbles about the age difference and her continual brand name dropping. Hayes was adorable and someone I can see a lot of people falling in love with. He’s based on Harry Styles so it was fun to read the book with him in mind. Some of the scenes between Hayes and Solene get really steamy which might not be to everyone’s taste.
This book takes you to some beautiful locations throughout the world and it was fun to follow the characters in these locations and live precariously through them. Some of the properties they visit sound stunning and made me wish I was able to visit them myself. It was quite eye opening to see how the other half live with live in chiefs and people catering to their every whim.
The ending was an interesting one for me. I didn’t mind it ending the way it did but was confused by the reasons that it ended that way as to me I felt they had been worked through or could have been easily resolved.
Overall I’m a bit on the fence about this book to be honest. There were parts I really enjoyed but other parts that I wasn’t sure about. I did find it an addictive read at the beginning and read the first half of the book quite fast but I felt it slowed down a bit in the middle and I must admit I found it a bit hard to finish sadly. As I said at the beginning though this isn’t more normal genre and I can well imagine it appealing to lots of other people this summer.
Huge thanks to Jen Harlow from Michael St Joseph for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.
About The Author:
A graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, Robinne was born and raised in Westchester County, New York. As the daughter of Jamaican parents of African, Chinese, and British descent, Robinne has long had an affinity for travel and the arts. Her past endeavors include working as an Editorial Assistant for ELLE Magazine, both in New York and Paris, writing celebrity profiles for the now defunct youth culture magazine, TELL, and running a music management company. Robinne has numerous acting credits in both television and film, has served as a producer on various independent films and regularly speaks on panels and writes for trade magazines regarding the roles of women and actors of color in the industry. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another Music Monday. Today I’m featuring the fabulous Zoë Wren and her recent album Reckless River.
Zoë is originally from London, where she used to busk on the London underground but she now lives in Switzerland. She is one half of folk duo Roswell but releases solo music too. I first discovered Zoë (you guessed it) through twitch and was immediately blown away by her beautiful voice which is just stunning. Zoe is one of the nicest streamers on twitch as she’s always very welcoming despite having a fast moving chat.
You can follow Zoë on twitch and social media by clicking on the links below.
Zoë has written some truly wonderful music which is perfect for relaxing to. Her music is mainly folk songs which have some lovely melodies in them. Zoe says her music was influenced by the unorthodox harmonies of Joni Mitchell and the honest storytelling of Tracy Chapman.
I have included the music videos for two of my favourite songs from this album, Smoky Sunrise and Elephant and Drum. These videos were both shot in Zoe’s new home town in Switzerland and contain some absolutely beautiful scenery in them. I’ve also included Don’t Touch My Guitar as it always makes me smile.
You can listen to Zoe’s music on the main streaming platforms or you can purchase it from Bandcamp.
When a depressed, alcoholic single mother disappears, everything suggests suicide, but when her body is found, Icelandic Detective Elma and her team are thrust into a perplexing, chilling investigation.
When single mother MarÃanna disappears from her home, leaving an apologetic note on the kitchen table, everyone assumes that she’s taken her own life … until her body is found on the Grábrók lava fields seven months later, clearly the victim of murder. Her neglected fifteen-year-old daughter Hekla has been placed in foster care, but is her perfect new life hiding something sinister?
Fifteen years earlier, a desperate new mother lies in a maternity ward, unable to look at her own child, the start of an odd and broken relationship that leads to a shocking tragedy.
Police officer Elma and her colleagues take on the case, which becomes increasingly complex, as the number of suspects grows and new light is shed on MarÃanna’s past – and the childhood of a girl who never was like the others…
Breathtakingly chilling and tantalisingly twisty, Girls Who Lie is at once a startling, tense psychological thriller and a sophisticated police procedural, marking Eva Björg Ægisdottir as one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction.
Girls Who Lie is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.
‘Chilling and addictive, with a twist you won’t see coming. I loved it!’ Shari Lapena
‘An exciting and harrowing tale’ Ragnar Jónasson
‘Eerie and chilling. I loved every word!’ Lesley Kara
Giveaway:
Im lucky enough to have a paperback copy of Girls Who Lie to giveaway today. This giveaway is for UK people only but do look out for international giveaways soon.
To enter all you have to do is like and share my post, then tag some bookish friends.
This giveaway will end at 9am (BST) on Monday 19th July 2021. Good luck!
About The Author:
Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir studied for an MSc in Globalisation in Norway before returning to Iceland and deciding to write a novel – something she had wanted to do since she won a short-story competition at the age of fifteen. After nine months combining her writing with work as a stewardess and caring for her children, Eva finished The Creak on the Stairs. It was published in 2018, and became a bestseller in Iceland. It also went on to win the Blackbird Award, a prize set up by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Ragnar Jónasson to encourage new Icelandic crime writers. It was published in English by Orenda Books in 2020. Eva lives in ReykjavÃk with her husband and three children and is currently working on the third book in the Forbidden Iceland series.
Fish friends Dab and Blenny are upset by the plastic that washes into their lovely rockpool home. Crab, on the other hand, just LOVES the shiny bright colours… But when Blenny gets caught in plastic twine, Crab finally understands the danger of plastics in the ocean.’Crab, Dab & Blenny’ is a fun, rhyming picture book with an important environmental message. Perfect for 4 to 8-year-olds.
Crab, Dab & Blenny is available in paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.
My Review:
Crab, Dab & Blenny is a beautifully illustrated book with fabulous characters and an important message at its heart.
My kids love books so a new book arriving at our house is always cause for great excitement. I had to read this book as soon as I opened the parcel and had read it multiple times before bedtime. The story is told in rhyme which makes it easy to read and my kids loved the funny characters in it, especially their names which my eldest said were very creative.
There is an important message behind the fun story about pollution and the effect it can have on animals. I must admit I did think this would go over my kids heads but both my five and eight year old mentioned it in their comments about the book so the message obviously did go in. My five year old said that her favourite part of the story was the children getting the rubbish out of the sea so they can help the animals.
The illustrations in this book are simply beautiful and both my kids enjoyed pouring over them looking for the little details they might have missed before. They cover the whole page and I felt really helped add to my kids enjoyment of the story.
Overall my kids and I really enjoyed this story, which I will definitely be recommending to others. I’d say the age range from the publishers of 4-8 was perfect as my 5 and 8 year old really enjoyed the book but it was a bit too long for my three year old even though he did like the pictures.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the author for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Peta writes and illustrates her funny picture books on the Isle of Wight, where she lives with her husband, daughter, and hairy jack russell, Archie. In normal times, Peta loves going into schools to share her books and inspire children in their writing and art. She has appeared at a number of festivals and other events, including: Barnes Children’s Literature Festival, Isle of Wight Literary Festival, Exmoor Dark Skies Festival and Ventnor Fringe. She is one of the organisers of the IW Story Festival, for children and families, which takes place every February half term.
PREPARE FOR PUZZLES, PERIL, AND PLENTY OF CAKE IN THE SECOND THRILLING ADVENTURE FOR ALEJA AND THE CREW OF THE LEGENDARY SHIP OF SHADOWS
Aleja and her fellow pirates are eager to embark on a new adventure to find the second piece of the missing magical map. But they soon find themselves panicking, bewildered by a series of confusing clues. And time is running out – fast.
When she starts experiencing strange visions, Aleja realizes that someone is trying to tell her something. But can this new knowledge be trusted? And what will it cost her to find out?
With the crew’s loyalties tested and more secrets to unlock than ever, Aleja must find a way to beat the clock and prove herself truly worthy of her place on the ship’s crew . . .
Secrets Of The Stars is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.
Secrets Of The Stars was an thrilling pirate adventure story that I enjoyed reading with my son for a bedtime story.
Firstly I loved that this book contained an all female pirate crew, though my eight year old didn’t really register this fact as we read. Our favourite character was definitely Aleja as we both admired her bravery and her cleverness at solving puzzles. Each of the crew had different skills to bring into the story which I thought was very clever and helped them work together well as a team. I enjoyed getting to know them and watch their relationship with each other develop throughout the book.
We both loved the vivid descriptions in this book which made us feel like we were actually visiting all the places alongside the characters. I felt like I could see everything they did and even smell the same things that they could. It has definitely made my eight year old want to travel to those places so he can experience them for himself.
I thought this story had a great pace to it and there was always something happening to make the book hard to put down after our planned chapter per day. I ended up having to let my son read it first as he was so eager to keep reading.
This is actually the second book in the series but can easily be read as a standalone like we did. We will look forward to reading more from this author on the future.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Maria Kuzniar spent six years living in Spain, teaching English and travelling the world, which inspired her debut novel The Ship of Shadows. Now she lives in Nottingham with her husband, where she reads and writes as much as she can and bookstagrams at @cosyreads. She is always planning her next adventure and you can visit her at https://www.mariakuzniar.co.uk/ (watch out for the pirates!).
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another Music Monday. Today I’m featuring Ionse and his song EspÃritu. Ionse is a singer songwriter from Bolivia who I met on twitch. I always enjoy watching ionse’s streams as not only does his music have a great indie vibe to it he has a collection of very cute jumpers that always makes me smile.. Ionse is always very welcoming on his streams and seems to remember little details about his viewers which I think is really nice.
If you would like to follow Ionse on social media or on twitch please click on the links below.
Ionse’s music is available to listen to on the streaming platforms linked below or you can buy his music via Bandcamp. I have included the YouTube video for EspÃritu and another of my favourite songs below.
Tell us a little about yourself?
Hello there Joanna, first of I really appreciate your interest on what I do, and i'm glad we had the chance to meet through Twitch, I'm ionse from La Paz, Bolivia I lived here my entire life, but I had the chance to travel a little bit thanks to music.
What first got you into music?
While i was studying Architecture, I was playing video games with a friend one day, but then he checked out his phone and worried, because he was late for his band rehearsal, i was so curious about that, that i asked him if i could go to his rehearsal with him, when we arrived at the place, the guitar player of the band was later, so they asked me if i could play the guitar, i had no idea on how, but they teached me a couple chords for a very simple song, and as soon as i felt the electric guitar with the amp sound i fell in love for ever with the sound, since then i never stopped making music.
Who inspired you to make music?
"Who" could be translated to "When" or "How" considering that I do music with lyrics that are related to different moments of my life and circunstances that really touch me at the moment, sometimes I imagine things that would be nice that happened me, and I just imagine myself in different scenarios, so inspiration is always there.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Very simple but with words that mean a lot to me
What is your creative process like?
Most of the times I just grab a guitar and start playing some chords that i like then I start mumbling vocal melodys then I start playing around with words and give structure and find a point where I like what i'm singing that follows the melody.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Anyone that shows interest I been doing a lot of collaborations this way
If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
The Drums, Cigarrettes After Sex, King Krule, Silversun Pickups
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Enjoy your life is later thank you think
What is the most useless talent you have?
My lack of Music Theory Knowledge is my most useless talent, I tried to learn many times, but I always get distracted and I can't retain the information haha
Do you sing in the shower? What songs?
Oh yes I do, most of the time, I do different songs it could be a very chill song like Kokomo from the beach boys or some latin song like me rehuso from Danny Ocean it depends on what I been listening lately
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn't for your music career?
Maybe being an Architect or doing profit sales
Where have you performed? What are your favourite and least favourite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
One of my favorite ones was when I had a music festival in Cochabamba, I was a little bit down about music, thinking that probably it wasn't for me, and I was going to this music festival without expectations, it was like a goodbye for me, but when I went to this place and I saw how people really enjoyed what I was doing, it motivated me a lot knowing that there is always someone out there who's gonna dig what you do, so since then I never stopped.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
In the most and best positive way, which is amazing, if it wasn't for the internet I would be stuck locally probably, and I know we wouldn't have meet or know other artist that we enjoy nowadays, what's going on right now on the internet is fascinating it's giving everyone a chance to get known, breaking barriers, and connecting everyone who is willing to join in, for example something that I like a lot is that here in Bolivia artists would blame on the lack of support of the goverment or that we are a small country with not so much population and that is hard to reach other areas, but now with the internet everyone is in the same bag, it just depends on creating something that can move itself the rest is there, there is a bunch of platforms, that you can just expose your work and the rest will come if it's good, so there is no more excuses.
On the other side what i think it's inevitable is the fact that since it's getting more accessible and easier to make music it's cool that everyone can make it, even if you have no idea about how to do it which is my case, but I think in a soon future there will be tools that will allow us to make songs on the go just with melodies that you think of, and the mass production of it will maybe play against those who study music for years and give their best effort to perform, by regular people that just play around for a bit with tools to help you out making some music, I don't quite now if this will be good or bad, I have mixed feelings about it, but maybe being a music idol, or a "famous" character might not have the impact that it has right now, as you can see it's starting to show, that for example if you go on instagram or tik tok, normal people that show themselves as they really are, are growing more than the old fashioned way of an artist that has a mysterious air gimmick, that we know to little about the lifes and we only know them for them performances, so being this said i think transparency and simplicity is getting a more welcome nowadays from my perception.
What is your favourite song to perform?
From my originals I think my favorite is Isla and when I cover a song I think Pursuit of Happiness at the moment.
Which famous musicians do you admire?
Jonathan Pierce from the Drums, Tyler The Creator, Jack Johnson, Beck, and many others
What is the most trouble you've ever gotten into?
Dropping out Architecture
What is the best advice you've been given?
If you don't do it, someone else is going to do it.
Patience comes to those who wait
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
Well, the industry it's changing itself already, labels are adapting to it, everyone can start independently and labels got a lot to pick from on who to work with, so people really needs to outstand on whatever they do, which is nature itself the "law of the strongest" can be consider here if you will like it always been, but as i mention before the best part is that everyone got the chance to try it, it's easier and more accessible, so i can't complain about the now
What's next for you?
I took this day off from producing to learn music theory and enjoy the music i always liked to refill myself on stuff to use in my own stuff, so i'm hoping next year i can come back and keep producing even more songs with more quality, i'm always aiming to improve and get better from the very beginning.
Thanks so much for answering my questions Ionse!
Music Monday Playlist:
You can now listen to Ionse and all other previously featured Music Monday artists in a special playlist I’ve created on Spotify.
A stunning novel that examines the price of loyalty, the burden of regret, the meaning of salvation, and the sacrifices we make for those we love, told in the voices of two unforgettable women linked by a decades-old family mystery at a picturesque lake house.
In 1935, six-year-old Emily Evans vanishes from her family’s summer house on a remote Minnesota lake. Her disappearance destroys the family – her father takes his own life, and her mother and two older sisters spend the rest of their lives at the lake house, keeping a decades-long vigil for the lost child.
Sixty years later, Lucy, the quiet and watchful middle sister, lives in the lake house alone. Before her death, she writes the story of that devastating summer in a notebook that she leaves, along with the house, to the only person who might care: her grandniece, Justine. For Justine, the lake house offers freedom and stability – a way to escape her manipulative boyfriend and give her daughters the home she never had. But the long Minnesota winter is just beginning. The house is cold and dilapidated. The dark, silent lake is isolated and eerie. Her only neighbor is a strange old man who seems to know more about the summer of 1935 than he’s telling.
Soon Justine’s troubled oldest daughter becomes obsessed with Emily’s disappearance, her absent mother reappears, and the man she left launches a dangerous plan to get her back. In a house haunted by the sorrows of the women who came before her, Justine must overcome their tragic legacy if she hopes to save herself and her children.
The Lost Girls is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.
The Lost Girls is an atmospheric and gripping duel time novel which I really enjoyed. I knew from the start that this would be a great read for me as I love dual timeline stories especially when they are based around a creepy house.
I loved the fabulous descriptions of the lake house which had a deliciously creepy feeling to if from the start. I found myself able to envision the isolated location of the house and the abandoned atmosphere of the holiday destination in winter. The house seemed like a character itself sometimes as it seemed to slowly give up the secrets it held. I felt under its spell at times and had to keep reading to find out if there were any clues hidden in its possessions.
The story is told in two timelines one set in 1935 which followed Lucy and her two sisters. The other follows Judith who inherits the lake house from her grandmother and moves there to escape an abusive relationship. I liked Lucy at the beginning as we learn more about her childhood through her diary entries. She and her sisters definitely had a difficult childhood which was heartbreaking to read about at times. I never really warmed to Judith though or her rather selfish mother however who made my blood boil at times.
Overall I thought this was a well paced but gripping read which had lots of twists that kept me guessing as to what happened to Emily. I did prefer the older timeline to the more recent one though I did enjoy following Judith as she tried to piece everything together. The ending was very surprising and more sad then I was expecting.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Verve books for my copy via Netgalley. If you are a fan of Kate Morton or Eve Chase, I think you will like this book.
About The Author:
Heather Young earned her law degree from the University of Virginia and practiced law in San Francisco before beginning her writing career. She received an MFA from the Bennington College Writing Seminars, and has studied at the Tin House Writers’ Workshop and the Squaw Valley Writers Workshop. She lives in Mill Valley, California, with her husband and two children. The Lost Girls is her first novel.
‘Glitz, glamour and ambition … Ruthless Women is the binge read we all need right now’ Woman & Home
Ambition can be deadly
Broadcast to millions from its picturesque location off the coast of Jersey, Falcon Bay was once the world’s most popular soap opera. But with ratings at an all-time low, a new network owner, the malevolent Madeline Kane, arrives on the private island determined to do whatever it takes to get the show back to the number 1 slot.
Director Farrah, leading lady Catherine and producer Amanda are the driven, ambitious women who’ve been trying to hold the production together. But thanks to their handsome but corrupt boss, Jake Monroe, Farrah is losing episodes to male colleagues, seventy-year-old Catherine is terrified of losing the public’s adoration, and Amanda is battling her desire for a forbidden affair with a handsome new employee.
As Madeline’s pressure to revive the show intensifies, she unleashes a true battle of the sexes where the women will do anything to stay in the jobs they love and on the island they call home. Can they team up to bring down their rivals? Or will jealousy, betrayal and revenge rip their friendships apart? As the story reaches its shocking climax, one thing is for certain: only the most ruthless woman will survive…
Everyone’s talking about Ruthless Women…
Ruthless Women is now available in all formats. The ebook is currently only 99p. You can purchase your copy using the links below.
Ruthless women is an incredibly addictive, fun thriller which has to be one of the best books I’ve read this year. It was very entertaining to read and was perfect for getting away from reality for a while.
Anyone who reads my blog regularly will know what a fan I am of strong female characters so you can imagine how much I enjoyed this book with its three incredibly strong, sassy and ruthless women. I went between wanting to be like them or at least friends with them to being slightly terrified of them and sure that if I was in the same room as them I’d be shrinking into the corner. These women definitely know what they want and aren’t afraid to try and get it. I loved their casual attitude towards things which would reduce most women into tears and that they didn’t take no for an answer.
The setting of a TV soap set was a perfect setting for the story and the author’s rich descriptions made it easy for me to imagine what life would be like on set. The interesting tactics that the staff have to make the soap stay relevant seemed very realistic and it made me wonder if some of them actually happen in real life. You can just imagine the high pressure, bitchy atmosphere of such a place and I felt myself tingling with anticipation as I read as I was never really sure where the next drama would come from.
The story starts off slow as we are introduced to the characters and the setting but it soon gets going and becomes impossible to put down. Its very addictive and I found myself often trying to sneak away from the kids to try and read a little bit more, almost like I was afraid of missing some of the action. The chapters are told from different characters points of view which helps increase the atmosphere and the tension in the book as it always seemed to add another layer to the story meaning I was always reading faster trying to find out what was going to happen. The twist at the end was amazing, seriously one of the best twists I think I’ve read I was completely taken by surprise which I always love. I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.
Huge thanks to Midas publicity for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Head Of Zeus for my copy of this book. Highly, highly recommend this book!
About The Author:
Melanie Blake regularly writes columns for national newspapers and her first novel, The Thunder Girls, was a top-ten bestseller before it was adapted into a successful play. But she is best-known as the ‘Queen of Soaps’ for her success within the entertainment industry. Her London-based talent agency represents stars of Coronation Street, Eastenders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks as well as the US drama Dynasty. A true insider, Melanie has seen everything that goes on behind the velvet rope of showbiz. And now, through her fiction, she’s sharing those secrets… Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @MelanieBlakeUK
Over The Rainbow Blog 