#BlogTour: The Essential Family Guide To Caring For Older People by Deborah Stone @DeborahStone_ @LoveBooksGroup

#BlogTour: The Essential Family Guide To Caring For Older People by Deborah Stone @DeborahStone_ @LoveBooksGroup

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Book Synopsis:

No one wants to think about getting older. It’s true. At any age, when things are moving along normally day to day and everyone seems fit and well, there seems no reason to think about future problems that your friends and relatives might (and probably will) come across as they age. In fact, it might even seem a little morbid to think such thoughts, or possibly even tempting fate?

Yet there will come a time when you must raise these issues and, ideally, this should be before any problems arise. The Essential Family Guide to Caring for Older People is the ultimate source of information and help for families with care responsibilities. Deborah Stone draws on her extensive experience working in elder care to offer practical advice on every aspect of the field indepth.

Topics range from how to get help immediately, legal information, care funding options, a guide to useful technology and advice on the main physical and mental health issues that affect older people. Plus guidance is given on dealing with social services and ensuring you choose the right care for your situations. Crucially, the book also offers help on how to cope as a carer with practical advice on juggling family, work and your caring responsibilities while looking after yourself.

The Essential Family Guide To Caring For Older People is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

As people are living longer than ever before the need for elderly care is becoming more important than ever. The Essential Family Guide To Caring For Older People is therefore a very timely read.

This book runs through everything you may need to know about caring for an older friend or relative, from the Do and Don’ts of how to deal with a frail person to the more practical side of things such as where to get further help from. These are all set out into easy to navigate sections and the tone is very easy to read with not a lot of jargon used which can be off putting. There is also an index at the back which will help readers to find the area they most want to read. The author has included when possible websites and charity’s that could provide more information or help if required which I think would be a very useful resource to have and might save lots of time trying to research on the internet. The author has included a little information about where carers could get help and support too which I thought was a nice touch.

This book is very in-depth and if read all at once, like I did, could make your head spin with all the information that this book includes. I do think that the author meant this book as a reference book which you could drip in and out of when needed rather than something you read at once. Some of the facts, like how much funding or benefits you could receive, might date quickly but I think could be easily researched online if needed.

I would recommend this book to someone who is just starting looking after an elderly relative or working in an elderly care setting as I think it would be invaluable.

Huge thanks to Kelly from Love Book Tours for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Deborah Stone read English Literature at Durham University. She lives in North London with her husband, two sons and her dog.

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#BlogTour: Nothing To Hide by James Oswald @SirBenfro @Wildfirebks @headlinepg @annecater #NothingToHide #RandomThingsTours #5Stars #mustread

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Book Synopsis:

Suspended from duty after her last case ended in the high-profile arrest of one of Britain’s wealthiest men, DC Constance Fairchild is trying to stay away from the limelight. Fate has other ideas . . .

Coming home to her London flat, Constance stumbles across a young man, bloodied, mutilated and barely alive. She calls it in and is quickly thrown into the middle of a nationwide investigation . . . It seems that the victim is just the latest in a string of similar ritualistic attacks.

No matter that she is off-duty, no matter that there are those in the Met who would gladly see the back of her, Con can’t shake her innate determination to bring the monsters responsible for this brutality to justice.

Trouble always seems to find her, and even if she has nothing to hide, perhaps she has everything to lose . . .

Nothing To Hide is available in all formats now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author’s books as they are always fantastic, gritty and dark stories which I really enjoy! This story had a bit of a modern feel to it as it included witch doctors and spice addicts which have both been in the news recently. This instantly intrigued me and also made the story seem very real as I knew that some of the things in this book could actually happen.

I loved Constance Fairchild, the main character, and the attitude she has to what other people think which was very inspiring. She really doesn’t care what others think of her and is able to stand up for herself when needed which had me cheering for her in all the awkward situations she finds herself in. I liked that she is so supportive to other female police officers and lends her support to them when needed. My frustration with how her colleagues were treating her meant I was firmly on her side and I wanted to keep reading to find out if she would prove them all wrong.

Part of this book is set in Edinburgh, which is one of my favourite cities so I enjoyed following Constance on her visit there. This part also features a bit of a cross over with characters from the MacLean series which as a huge fan of the series I found hugely enjoyable. I’d love the two teams to feature in future books!

I found this a fast paced, gripping read which I found hard to put down. There are lots of twists and turns to keep the reader very interested in the story, which helped keep me guessing what was going on. I had to keep reading to find out what was happening and to see if Fairchild comes out on top again.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Wildfire Books for my copy of this book. I can’t wait to read more!

About The Author:

James Oswald is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Inspector McLean series of detective mysteries. The first two of these, Natural Causes and The Book of Souls were both short-listed for the prestigious CWA Debut Dagger Award. Set in an Edinburgh not so different to the one we all know, Detective Inspector Tony McLean is the unlucky policeman who can see beneath the surface of ordinary criminal life to the dark, menacing evil that lurks beneath.

He has also introduced the world to Detective Constable Constance ‘Con’ Fairchild, whose first outing was in the acclaimed No Time To Cry.

As J D Oswald, James has also written a classic fantasy series, The Ballad of Sir Benfro. Inspired by the language and folklore of Wales, it follows the adventures of a young dragon, Sir Benfro, in a land where his kind have been hunted near to extinction by men. The whole series is now available in print, ebook and audio formats.

James has pursued a varied career – from Wine Merchant to International Carriage Driving Course Builder via Call Centre Operative and professional Sheep Shit Sampler (true). He moved out of the caravan when Storm Gertrude blew the Dutch barn down on top of it, and now lives in a proper house with three dogs, two cats and a long-suffering partner. He farms Highland cows and Romney sheep by day, writes disturbing fiction by night.

#BlogTour: The Perfect Widow by A. M. Castle @AliceMCastle @HQstories #ThePerfectWidow

#BlogTour: The Perfect Widow by A. M. Castle @AliceMCastle @HQstories #ThePerfectWidow

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Book Synopsis:

Louise Bridges has the perfect life.

A loving husband, Patrick. Two adorable children. A comfortable home.

So when PC Becca Holt arrives to break the news that Patrick has been killed in an accident, she thinks Louise’s perfect world is about to collapse around her.

But Louise doesn’t react in the way Becca would expect her to on hearing of her husband’s death. And there are only three plates set out for dinner, as if Louise already knew Patrick wouldn’t be home that night…

The more Becca digs, the more secrets she uncovers in the Bridges’ marriage – and the more she wonders just how far Louise would go to get what she wants…

Is Louise a loving wife – or a cold-hearted killer?

The Perfect Widow is available in ebook now and paperback on the 23rd January 2020. You can purchase or pre-order your copy using the link below.

My Review:

The Perfect Widow is a clever and compelling psychological thriller which is the author’s debut novel in this genre.

The novel is split between ‘then’ and ‘now’ chapters which helps the reader to see the story from various points of view which I thought was very interesting and helped me to see the whole story more clearly. I don’t think I was a particular fan of either of the main characters as they both had flaws which I found quite irritating and which meant I was unable to warm to them. Becky’s constant mistakes and inability to make much headway in the investigation grated on me after a while as I felt she should have been able to do a much better job. Louise was a much more sympathetic character as I could understand why she behaves like she did but her need to control things was a bit worrying and meant that I couldn’t warm to her. These flaws did make both characters seem more realistic however, which was probably the author’s intention as it did increase the level of unease in the book.

This book was a bit of a slow burner as the reader learns more about the characters and their past but soon picks up as things become very interesting. The author cleverly led me in one direction and then another, with the many twists keeping me guessing until the end. There is a level of unease in the book which slowly builds as the reader becomes more aware of what is going on. I actually found it quite thought provoking to think about how much we can ever truly know someone.

Huge thanks to Jessica Lee from HQ stories for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a feature writer on national newspapers including the Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Alice lives in south east London and is married with two children, two stepchildren and two cats. She writes psychological thrillers for HQDigital under the name A.M. Castle and the London Murder Mystery cozy crime series for Darkstroke as Alice Castle. Twitter @AliceMCastle, website http://www.alicecastleauthor.com. Click the ‘Follow’ button if you’d like an email when her next book is released 🙂

#BlogTour: A Perfect Cornish Christmas by Philippa Ashley @PhillipaAshley @AvonBooksUK @Sabah_K #APerfectCornishChristmas #christmassyread

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Book Synopsis:

Christmas in Cornwall is just around the corner…

But after last Christmas revealed a shocking family secret, Scarlett’s hardly feeling merry and bright. All she wants this Christmas is to know who her real father is.

So Scarlett heads to the little Cornish town of Porthmellow, where she believes the truth of her birth is hidden. She just didn’t bargain on being drawn into the Christmas festival preparations – or meeting Jude Penberth, whose charm threatens to complicate life further.

Everything will come to a head at Porthmellow’s Christmas Festival … But can Scarlett have the perfect Christmas this year, or are there more surprises on the way?

Curl up with this gorgeous novel and savour the world of Porthmellow Harbour.

A Perfect Cornish Christmas is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

A Perfect Cornish Christmas is a wonderful feel good, warm and engaging read which is perfect for curling up with at this time of year.

I loved being back in PorthMellow and catching up with all the residents I met in the first book. There is a great feeling of community in this village as there is always someone to help, offer advice or give you a hug which made me feel all warm inside and relax into the story. I found myself wishing that I lived in the village and that I was friends with some of the characters as I think it would be amazing.

I’ve always liked the idea of moving somewhere new and starting afresh so the blurb of this book really appealed to me. I enjoyed living precariously through Scarlett as she moves to and attempts to settle into a new place.

There is lots of different things going on which kept me firmly absorbed in the book. It’s a story of hidden secrets, forgiveness and new starts which I found very intriguing and loved following Scarlett in her new life. There are some absolutely hilarious moments which had me laughing out loud but also some sad ones which stops it being too sugar sweet and seem more realistic. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and was quite sad when it ended and I had to leave PorthMellow behind. I really hope that there will be more books in this series!

Huge thanks to Sabah from Avon for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book. If you are looking for a compelling festive read to curl up with this season then you’ll love this book!

About The Author:

http://www.phillipa-ashley.com

Phillipa Ashley is the author of a string of Amazon Top 10 and Bookseller Heatseekers N best-selling Cornish novels. Before she became a full-time writer, she studied English at Oxford and worked as a copywriter and journalist.

She also writes rom coms as Ashley Croft and steamy romance as Pippa Croft.

She lives in a Staffordshire village with her husband and has a grown-up daughter. When she’s not writing, she loves falling off surf boards and following Poldark around in a camper van.

#BlogTour: Ghoster by Jason Arnopp @JasonArnopp @orbitbooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n #Ghoster

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Book Synopsis:

Kate Collins has been ghosted.

She was supposed to be moving in with her new boyfriend Scott, but all she finds after relocating to Brighton is an empty flat. Scott has vanished. His possessions have all disappeared.

Except for his mobile phone.

Kate knows she shouldn’t hack into Scott’s phone. She shouldn’t look at his Tinder, his texts, his social media. But she can’t quite help herself.

That’s when the trouble starts. Strange, whispering phone calls from numbers she doesn’t recognise. Scratch marks on the door that she can’t explain.

And the growing feeling that she’s being watched . . .

Jason Arnopp – author of The Last Days of Jack Sparks, a Radio 2 Bookclub pick – returns with a razor-sharp thriller for a social-media obsessed world. Prepare to never look at your phone the same way again . . .

Ghoster is available in all formats now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Wow Ghoster is quite an intense, addictive, creepy read which was very difficult to put down. It’s going to be a difficult book to review as I don’t want to give anything away!

I think what makes this book so interesting is how realistic it seems as we are all guilty of spending too much time on social media and perhaps sharing too much. This book perfectly shows how important it is for people to feel accepted on line, how it feels to get a like, a comment or even a follow from someone. It gives you a boost even if you don’t want to admit it and can help with low self confidence or mood but therefore can make a person more vulnerable as their new found self is linked to their on line presence. I found this quite thought provoking as I’ve read a lot about how it is damaging society and particularly the young. It made me wonder how much danger we are a opening ourselves up to.

This book was very fast paced and gripped me from the start. The narrative manages to be both hilarious at times but also quite scary as the book continues and the reader is made more aware of what’s going on. The descriptions are very vivid and made me feel like I was actually there alongside Katie experiencing everything alongside her. It’s not a book to read on your own and I found myself sleeping with the light on after reading or questioning shadows and noises. I always think it’s a sign of a great book when the author can get in your head that way and make you think about the book long after reading.

The tension in the book slowly builds as we learn more about the characters past and about Kate & Scott’s relationship, becoming ever more sinister and creepy until it seems like a completely different book from about half way through. There is lots going on to keep the reader absorbed in the story but the reader is kept guessing about what is going on until the end if the book which I thought was cleverly done. I had lots of theories but didn’t guess how the ending which I always enjoy.

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

About The Author:

Jason Arnopp is the author of the new Orbit Books novel Ghoster, which Barnes & Noble’s SFF blog has said, “just might qualify as the first true horror novel of the 21st Century.” The Three author Sarah Lotz calls it, “a fiendishly smart exploration of obsession and social media addiction”, while Cross Her Heat author Sarah Pinborough reckons it’s, “twisty, creepy and utterly absorbing.”

Arnopp’s previous novel was The Last Days Of Jack Sparks (2016), which has been described as “a magnificent millennial nightmare” (Alan Moore), “scarier than watching The Exorcist in an abandoned asylum” (Sarah Lotz) and “The Omen for the social media age” (Christopher Brookmyre). Director Ron Howard (Apollo 13, Frost/Nixon, The Da Vinci Code) optioned the film rights shortly after the book’s 2016 release.

Arnopp co-wrote the official behind-the-scenes book Inside Black Mirror with Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones.

Check out his four shorter-form fiction titles:
— Beast In The Basement, a suspenseful, mind-blowing thriller novella
— A Sincere Warning About The Entity In Your Home, a chilling and groundbreaking short story set in YOUR home
— Auto Rewind, a dark, emotionally charged thriller novelette
— American Hoarder, a supernatural creep-fest available only when you join the author’s free mailing list at JasonArnopp.com

Arnopp previously wrote and executive-produced the Lionsgate feature film Stormhouse and script-edited the Peter Mullan feature The Man Inside. He has also written for the worlds of Doctor Who (BBC), The Sarah Jane Adventures (BBC) and Friday The 13th (New Line Cinema).

In his past life as a rock journalist, he interviewed the likes of Bon Jovi, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne and Guns N’ Roses. He was once surrounded by angry guards holding semi-automatic weapons at The Vatican. His Slipknot biography, Slipknot: Inside The Sickness, Behind The Masks, was released in 2001 and is now available as a Kindle Edition. Arnopp has also written a guide to journalistic interviewing, entitled How To Interview Doctor Who, Ozzy Osbourne And Everyone Else, which is also out on Kindle.

Arnopp’s latest non-fiction book is From The Front Lines Of Rock. Available in the Kindle Store now, it gathers 30 of his favourite nterviews he wrote as a rock journalist, with the likes of Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Korn, Kiss, Faith No More, Garbage, Nine Inch Nails and Green Day.

When you sign up for Arnopp’s free newsletter at JasonArnopp.com, you can also download his short story American Hoarder for free. You might also want to check out his YouTube channel by searching for his name there. What a wonderful world.

Furious Hours by Casey Cep @cncep @penguinrandom #FuriousHours #TrueCrime #nonfiction #HarperLee #5Stars

Furious Hours by Casey Cep @cncep @penguinrandom #FuriousHours #TrueCrime #nonfiction #HarperLee #5Stars

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Book Synopsis:

The stunning story of an Alabama serial killer and the true-crime book that Harper Lee worked on obsessively in the years after To Kill a Mockingbird

Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members for insurance money in the 1970s. With the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative shot him dead at the funeral of his last victim. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Maxwell’s murderer was acquitted – thanks to the same attorney who had previously defended the Reverend.

As Alabama is consumed by these gripping events, it’s not long until news of the case reaches Alabama’s – and America’s – most famous writer. Intrigued by the story, Harper Lee makes a journey back to her home state to witness the Reverend’s killer face trial. Harper had the idea of writing her own In Cold Blood, the true-crime classic she had helped her friend Truman Capote research. Lee spent a year in town reporting on the Maxwell case and many more years trying to finish the book she called The Reverend.

Now Casey Cep brings this story to life, from the shocking murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South. At the same time, she offers a deeply moving portrait of one of the country’s most beloved writers and her struggle with fame, success, and the mystery of artistic creativity.

This is the story Harper Lee wanted to write. This is the story of why she couldn’t.

Furious Hours is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

To Kill A Mockingbird is one of my all time favourite books. I’ve still got my broken, dog eared copy from when we did it at school and take it out to re-read regularly. I was therefore very excited to learn that this book existed and I could learn more about one of my favourite authors.

The author does a great job of including historical facts into this story in a way that makes the story surprisingly gripping and not at all dry like some non fiction can be. I found all the background information interesting, especially the fight for civil rights which I didn’t know much about and how life insurance used to be used. I always enjoy learning about new things so found this particularly fascinating.

The actual case was very intriguing and I enjoyed following it from the very beginning through to the court case. For me it was a very thought provoking book as I wondered how such a case would have been solved today as, to me, it seemed quite an open and shut case. The reader is taken through the court case from the beginning and I especially enjoyed seeing how the two sides put forward their case. The differences in the way things were done then compared to now was quite marked at time which surprised me.

The book is divided into three parts the murderer, the lawyer and the author which gives the reader an in-depth look into the whole case and more of an insight into Harper Lee’s life. I found the book very gripping and I struggled to put it down at times as I was so absorbed in the story which never normally happens with non fiction.

This is the author’s debut book and I very excited to read more from her in the future. If you are a fan of To Kill A Mockingbird or American history then you’ll love this book.

Huge thanks to Random House Publishers for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Casey Cep is a writer from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in English, she earned an M.Phil in theology at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times and The New Republic, among other publications. This is her first book.

#BlogTour: The Pursuit Of William Abbey by Claire North @ClaireNorth42 @orbitbooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n #ThePursuitOfWilliamAbbey #ClaireNorth

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Book Synopsis:

From the award-winning and bestselling author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August and 84K comes a powerful new novel that examines how the choices we make can haunt us forever . . .

South Africa, 1884. William Abbey, an English doctor, watches white colonists lynch a Zulu child. As the boy dies, his mother curses William: wherever he goes, the shadow of her son will follow him. It will never stop, never rest. It can cross oceans and mountains. And if it catches him, the person he loves most in the world will die . . .

But to those in power, William’s curse might be a blessing, and as the world slides towards war, William must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice in order to survive.

Moving, thought-provoking and utterly gripping, Claire North’s extraordinary new novel proves again that she is one of the most original and innovative voices in modern fiction.

The Pursuit Of William Abbey is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

This was a fascinating, gripping and thought provoking read. I always enjoy this author’s books as they are always very unique reads. The Pursuit Of William Abbey is no exception as it manages to be part historical, part science fiction but does this incredibly well so it’s never confusing.

The story intrigued me from the start with an interesting opening and I soon found myself drawn into the story. The writing is beautiful and very vivid with some fabulous descriptions of the places that William visits on his journey. I loved how she manages to show the life and sounds of each place which allows the reader to feel like they are actually there watching it all unfold. Some of the descriptions are a little graphic at times, especially the injuries of the soldiers at the start, which were a little stomach churning. The author definitely doesn’t hold back from telling the truth about a situation which makes for uncomfortable reading sometimes.

The story is a very interesting one and I enjoyed following William on his journey and I was very intrigued to see how it would all end up. It’s not a particularly fast paced book but there is always something to keep the reader interested, so if you get to a slow bit do keep reading as it’s definitely worth it.

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

About The Author:


Claire North is a pseudonym for British author Catherine Webb. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August was her first novel published under the Claire North name, and was one of the fastest-selling new SFF titles of the last ten years. It was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club, the Radio 2 Book Club and the Waterstones Book Club promotions. Her next novel Touch was published in 2015 to widespread critical acclaim and was described by the Independent as ‘little short of a masterpiece’. Catherine currently works as a theatre lighting designer and is a fan of big cities, urban magic, Thai food and graffiti-spotting. She lives in London. Find her on Twitter as @ClaireNorth42.

#BlogTour: The Rector’s Daughter by Jean Fullerton @JeanFullerton_ @CorvusBooks @rararesources #TheRectorsDaughter #historicalfiction #saga

#BlogTour: The Rector’s Daughter by Jean Fullerton @JeanFullerton_ @CorvusBooks @rararesources #TheRectorsDaughter #historicalfiction #saga

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Book Synopsis:

Charlotte, daughter of Reverend Percival Hatton, has been content to follow the path laid out for her. Charlotte has an understanding with Captain Nicolas Paget – every inch the gentleman – who she expects someday to marry. But then she meets Josiah Martyn, and everything changes…

A driven and ambitious Cornish mining engineer, and the complete opposite to Captain Nicholas, Josiah has come to London to help build the first tunnel under the river Thames. When unpredictable events occur at the inauguration of the project, Josiah and Charlotte are suddenly thrown into an unexpected intimacy.

But not everyone is happy with Charlotte and Josiah growing closer. As friends turn to foes, will they be able to rewrite the stars and find their happy ever after, although all odds seem to be stacked against them…?

The Rector’s Daughter is available in ebook now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author’s other series based in world war 2 so I was very intrigued to read her new series based in the early 1800’s.

Once again the author has written an absorbing and gripping read that manages to completely transports the reader into the story. The historical detail in this book is exquisite and I enjoyed all the little details the author includes that helped give me a vivid picture of life at that time. I hadn’t read many books set in this era so I enjoyed learning more about this period, especially the construction of the Rotherhithe tunnel which I found utterly fascinating.

I loved the main character Charlotte who comes across as a kind, compassionate lady who is willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to help those in her community. Through her we learn more about the way of life at that time and the class differences. Her attraction to Josiah was wonderful to read about and I enjoyed watching it develop. I kept hoping they’d find a way to be together despite the class differences which were obviously a huge obstacle to their romance. I had to keep reading to find out how things would end for them.

I thought this was a beautifully written book which just draws the reader into the story. There was lots going on to keep the reader interested and the continual uncertainty of her bidding relationship with Josiah made for compelling reading which had me glued to the page. I hope there will be more books like this from the author in future.

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

About The Author:

I was born into a large, East End family and grew up in the overcrowded streets clustered around the Tower of London. The Fullerton family have lived by London docks since the 1830s and all my books are set in and around this area.

East London has changed greatly and many of the old neighbourhoods I knew as a child have changed too, but I endeavour to bring them alive again in my East London stories of love, family and hard times. I feel that it is my background that gives my stories their distinctive authenticity.

I has been shortlisted for and won several awards and regularly undertake writing workshop. I’m fortunate enough to be a guest cruise lecturer and have sailed all around the world talking about East London’s vibrant history. I am married to a minister in the Church of England and have three grown-up daughters.

#BlogTour: The Nine Lives Of Christmas by Florence McNicoll @TrapezeBooks @AlainnaGeorgiou #TheNineLivesOfChristmas #FlorenceMcNicoll #Battersea

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Book Synopsis:

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BATTERSEA DOGS AND CATS HOME

Can Battersea’s loneliest cat find a home in time for Christmas?

It’s Christmas at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and Laura is desperate to find a home for Felicia, a spiky, bad-tempered moggy with a heart of gold. Her boyfriend, Rob, can’t understand why she’s spending so much time at work, but for Laura, the animals aren’t just a job – they’re her life. She needs a partner who understands that – doesn’t she?

As the December snow falls, Laura encounters nine people, all of whom need a little love in their lives and find it in new pets. Everyone needs somebody to curl up with at Christmas, and when the handsome Aaron walks in, he takes not just Felicia, but Laura’s heart too…

A heart-warming tale about loneliness, love, and the importance of furry friends – perfect to snuggle up with this Christmas.

The Nine Lives Of Christmas is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

This was a wonderfully heartwarming but emotional book which was perfect for curling up with on a cold night.

I have to admit I’m not much of a cat person, I much prefer dogs, but I had heard a lot about the Battersea animal shelter and wanted to find out more about what they do. It was really interesting to find out what happens behind the scenes and all that is involved in looking after the animals. There was a lot more to it than I realised and I have a lot of respect for anyone who works there. Even I found myself falling in love with some of the cats, especially Felicia, and I loved how the author managed to convey the cats with their own little personality which made them seem very cute. It has definitely made me change my opinion of cats!

This story had a lot more going on than I thought there would be with lots of drama and a touch of romance which kept me absorbed in the book. Laura was a lovely main character, who obviously has a heart of gold but a rather miserable boyfriend who doesn’t understand her devotion to her job at Battersea. I disliked him instantly especially when you see him compared to the much more dynamic Aaron, a man she meets at Battersea and bonds with as they both love the same cat. I really wanted her to ditch her boyfriend and get with him as I thought she would be much happier. I wanted to keep reading to see how it would end for her.

The Nine Lives in the title is very clever as it refers to the supposed nine lives that cats are meant to have but also the nine people in the story whose lives are changed due to their adopting an animal. It was quite sad to read some of their stories and the reasons why the animals have come to the shelter in the first place.

This was a hugely enjoyable, warm read which I loved reading. It was very absorbing and found the book hard to put down as I felt so invested in the story. It would make a great gift for any animal lover this Christmas.

Huge thanks to Alainna from Orion for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Florence McNicoll is the pen name for writer and editor Sophie Wilson, who worked at Transworld Publishers for five years before going freelance. She lives in Barcelona and is a huge cat lover and supporter of Battersea.

#BlogTour: On The Up by Alice O’Keeffe @AliceOKeeffe @CoronetBooks @JennyPlatt90 #OnTheUp #AliceOkeeffe

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Book Synopsis:

Sylvia lives in a flat on a council estate with her not-quite-husband Obe and their two young children. She dreams of buying a house on a leafy street like the one she grew up in. If she closes her eyes, she can see it all so clearly: the stripped floorboards, the wisteria growing around the door…

It’s not ideal that she’s about to be made redundant, or that Obe, a playworker, is never going to earn more than the minimum wage. As sleep deprivation sets in, and the RnB downstairs gets ever louder, Sylvia’s life starts to unravel.

But when the estate is earmarked for redevelopment, the threat to her community gives Sylvia a renewed sense of purpose. With a bit of help from her activist sister, and her film-maker friend Frankie, she’s ready to take a stand for what she believes in.

Warm, witty and brilliantly observed, On the Up is about relationships and community, finding a way through the tough times, and figuring out what’s really worth fighting for.

On The Up is available in ebook now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

On The Up is a fantastic, uplifting read with some memorable characters . It’s a very realistic read which shows the realities of modern life.

I loved the two main characters Obe and Sylvia who I though were very well drawn and developed. It was hard to decide whose side I was on sometimes as I felt each of them had a point. Sylvia is a character I think most mum’s would relate to as the grind of being with children all day can definitely get you down. Yes you do love them but it is quite hard being with them all day everyday. You feel like you lose part of yourself sometimes so I really felt for her and the situation she finds herself in. Obe is a very happy go lucky person whose view on life made me smile. He’s obviously a very loving dad who loves his family but I did wonder if he’d become annoying in real life as there were moments where I think I’d have happily have hit him myself! Bill, the Anti Social Behaviour Officer, was a wonderful secondary character and I loved his interactions with Sylvia. It was nice to see the two grow closer and I loved how he had time to listen to her and help her with her problems, something that sadly seems to be missing in modern life.

I’ve got a secret desire to live in London so I loved the wonderful descriptions of a multi-cultural, bustling Hackney or the ‘Hackney Riviera’ as Obe calls it. The sense of community that Sylvia experiences when they are fighting for their homes was wonderful to read about and made me smile. I hope this is true in real life to as it would be brilliant if it was.

Overall I thought this was an absorbing, warm and uplifting book which I really enjoyed reading. It’s a book about family, community and life which I think most people can relate to. I loved following the characters and their story throughout this book and felt quite sad when the book finished and I had to leave them behind. This is the author’s debut novel and I’m very excited to read more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Jenny Platt from Hodder and Stoughton for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Alice O’Keeffe is a freelance writer and journalist. She was deputy editor of the Guardian’s Saturday Review section, and writes book reviews, interviews and features for the Guardian, Observer and New Statesman. She has been a speechwriter at the Department for Education and literary programmer at the Brighton Festival.
Alice lives in Brighton with her husband and two children.