Book Synopsis:

Christmas Day, London 1880
Snow falls … a dying Irish girl clutching her new-born baby drags herself to the sanctuary of an East End orphanage and throws herself on the mercy of the Sisters of Clemency. The nuns raise little Ettie O’Reilly as their own and provide her with the love and education she might never have had. But the lives of the nuns and orphans are soon crushed by a powerful and greedy bishop.

The heart-breaking outcome separates Ettie from her friends and family, luring her into a world of male dominance and the fickle nature of intimate relationships. In her naivety, with her faith in the goodness of human nature severely tested, she doesn’t know who to trust. And when the boy who has promised his undying love and loyalty betrays her, Ettie’s world starts to crumble.

She must finally accept the hard-hitting truth – happiness comes at a cost! Does she have the courage and wisdom to face the demons she long ago learned about from the Sisters of Clemency? Will the resolution of an undiscovered and painful secret be her making – or breaking?

Christmas Child is available in ebook now, you can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Christmas Child is a poignant but captivating read which is perfect for curling up with.

Ettie was a fantastic main character that was easy to get behind and I enjoyed following her on her emotional journey. She experiences some tough times which made my heart ache for her as I felt she really didn’t deserve it. However her determination to get through the hard times and find happiness made me smile. I found I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to her and to see if she gets the happy ending I felt she deserved.

This book is set in the Victorian era and the author has obviously done a lot of research as the historical detail was excellent, making the story seem very realistic. There are many different parts of the era explored in this book which were interesting to learn about, especially her work as a governess as I hadn’t read many books about that profession.

This book manages to be both heart breaking and heartwarming at times which made it hard to put down as there was always something happening. It is a fabulous mix of saga and coming of age story which makes for a wonderful read. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I look forward to reading more from her 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:

Mum and Dad were both East Enders who were born on the famous or should I say the then infamous Isle of Dogs. Their family were immigrants who travelled to the UK from Ireland and France, while others emigrated to America.
As a child I would listen to the adults spinning their colourful stories, as my cousins and I drank pop under the table.
I know the seeds of all my stories come from those far off times that feel like only yesterday. So I would like to say a big heartfelt thank you to all my family and ancestors wherever you are now … UK, Ireland, France or America, as you’ve handed down to me the magic and love of story telling.

Book Synopsis:

Audrey, recently widowed, is not saying why she left her comfortable home in the south of England to move into an old school boarding house on the edge of a moor. Tina, a young estate agent, is concerned for Audrey’s safety as she believes the folklore about a schoolboy who never went home. Property developers, annoyed at losing a site ripe for demolition, make plans to encourage Audrey to sell. Malcolm, a charming widower, brings a welcome light into Audrey’s life until it shines into a very dark corner…

Bridge Of Eternity is available in ebook and paperback. You can purchase a copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

This was an atmospheric and captivating story that I really didn’t want to end. It manages to be a wonderful love story and an unsettling ghost story rolled into one which combines to make a fantastic read!

I always love books set in old houses as you never know what will happen. This house has definitely seen some interesting things and some of the incidents described in the book made my hair stand on end. However the more I learnt about the history of the house the more I came to realise how beautiful and emotional this story is.

I thought this was a cleverly crafted book which was beautifully written. Some of the descriptions where wonderfully vivid and made me feel like I was there watching everything unfold. It’s clever plot took me on a journey of discovery alongside Audrey, while the twists kept me fully absorbed in the story. I found I really enjoyed this book and can’t believe it’s a debut novel for the author.

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:

“I started my working life in the theatre and was very lucky to find myself on the West End stage in a hit play at the age of 16. My career and life nearly ended there as I was knocked down by a car on the way home one Saturday night. I recovered and went on to be quite a successful photographic model. Later, when that part of my career did die, I turned to writing and made quite a good living writing screenplays, making films, and writing advertising copy for a marketing company. A few years ago I entered a short-story competition and fell in love with prose and knew I had to tell my own story within a fictional framework. At the moment I am hiding behind a nom de plume.”

Book Synopsis:

Outer London, September 2016, and neighbouring eight-year-olds have homework: prepare a traditional story to perform with their families at a school festival. But Nathan’s father thinks his son would be better off doing sums; Sky’s mother’s enthusiasm is as fleeting as her bank balance, and there’s a threatening shadow hanging over poor Alka’s family. Only Mandeep’s fragile grandmother and new girl Xoriyo really understand the magical powers of storytelling. As national events and individual challenges jostle for the adults’ attention, can these two bring everyone together to ensure the show will go on?

The Magic Carpet is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I have to admit I didn’t expect this book to be such an intriguing and thought provoking read as it was. I’m not sure if it was the title or innocent looking front cover that did it but I really wasn’t expecting what I found within its pages- in a good way!

This book follows five very different children as they embark on a school project to understand more about the different cultures that exist in their home town of London. The story is told from each families point of view and details the reaction of both the adults and the children in the family to what they discover. The five families are unknown to each other before the project begins despite living near each other.

Told with great insight and humour the author describes the many different cultures and beliefs that exist in modern day Britain which was fascinating to learn more about. I believe that the author hopes to develop understanding for the differences in these cultures by helping to educate the reader, through the families experience. As such I think this is an important book for everyone to read and I will definitely be recommending it to others. It would also make a great book club read as there would be lots to discuss.

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

About The Author:

Jessica Norrie studied French literature at Sussex University, and trained as a teacher at Sheffield. Then she wandered into parenthood, told her now grown up children stories, and heard theirs. A qualified translator, she worked on an eclectic mix of material, from health reports on racehorses to harrowing refugee tales. She taught adults and children, co-authored a textbook and ran teacher training. In 2008 came the idea for “The Infinity Pool”, which appeared in 2015 (and in German in 2018). Her second novel “The Magic Carpet”, inspired by teaching creatively in multicultural schools, was published in July 2019, and she is working on a third. She divides her time between London and Malvern, blogging, singing soprano, and walking in the forest and hills.

Book Synopsis:

You trust your family. They love you. Don’t they?

When 17-year-old Eva Olsen awakes after a horrific accident that has left her bedbound, her parents are right by her side. Devoted, they watch over her night and day in the attic room of their family home in the forests of Norway.

But the accident has left Eva without her most recent memories, and not everything is as it seems. As secrets from the night of the accident begin to surface, Eva realises – she has to escape her parents’ house and discover the truth. But what if someone doesn’t want her to find it?

An edge-of-your-seat, atmospheric psychological thriller for fans of Lucy Clarke and Erin Kelly.

The Lake Child is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

This was a heartbreaking, shocking and gripping read from this talented author! This is a difficult book to review as I don’t want to give too much away.

The main character Eva is a very sympathetic one who I couldn’t help but feel sorry for. Her confusion is almost palpable at times and it was heartbreaking to watch her try to piece everything together. Her memory loss makes her an unreliable narrator which made for very interesting reading as I tried to work out what was real and what wasn’t.

The story does start of slow which I thought was cleverly done by the author as it reflected the confusion that Eva feels. It soon picks up though when the different threads of the story start pulling together and the many twists kept me guessing until the end. The ending really shocked me and I felt pulled the story together nicely.

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

About The Author:

Isabel Ashdown was born in London and grew up on the south coast of England. The opening of her debut won the Mail on Sunday Novel Competition, going on to be published as Glasshopper and being named as one of the best books of the year. Today, she writes full-time, walks daily, and volunteers in a local school for the charity Pets as Therapy. Isabel lives in Sussex with her carpenter husband, their two children and dogs Charlie and Leonard. Follow Isabel on Twitter @IsabelAshdown

Book Synopsis:

From the author of THE MAYFLY comes a dark and compulsive thriller, perfect for fans of M. J. Arlidge and Katerina Diamond.

A secret buried for two thousand years.
The rise of an ancient evil.
An invisible killer who will stop at nothing.

When a brutal serial killer defies all known methods, the police call in prolific lawyer and former homicide detective, Charlie Priest, to assist the hunt.

Working together they soon discover a link to a lost scripture that contains a secret so devastating that its custodians are prepared to die to keep it.

Tangled in a dark world of fanaticism, chaos and deadly secrets, Priest comes up against a nemesis more formidable and deranged than any he has previously encountered.

There is no Judgement Day. There is something far worse.

False Prophet is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

False Prophet is another fantastic, entertaining and riveting thriller from this talented author. This is not a book to start just before you go to bed as, it’s very hard to put down and you’ll soon find yourself reading until the early hours.

The main character Charlie is quite an unusual one as he suffers from DPD ( depersonalisation disorder) which I’d never heard of before. It presents itself suddenly and in quite inconvenient times which was interesting to learn about. I felt it really added to the story as it created some unpredictability to the story and led to a few laugh out loud moments.

This story perfectly blends an ancient mystery and a modern day murder to create a very intriguing story line. This was a book that just kept on giving with lots of twists and secrets being revealed which kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed going on the journey alongside the characters and trying to figure everything out. This book got into my mind and I found myself constantly thinking about it when I wasn’t able to read it which is always a sign of a great book!

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

About The Author:

Before turning his hand to writing, James Hazel was a lawyer in private practice specialising in corporate and commercial litigation and employment law.

He was an equity partner in a regional law firm and held a number of different department headships until he quit legal practice to pursue his dream of becoming an author.

He has a keen interest in criminology and a passion for crime thrillers, indie music and all things retro.

James lives on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds with his wife and three children.

For exclusive writing, new releases, news and plus a FREE ebook from James Hazel, sign up to the Reader’s Club: http://bit.ly/JamesHazel

For more info visit http://www.jameshazelbooks.com

Book Synopsis:

When a girl’s body is discovered in a park in the sleepy Massachusetts town of Oakhurst, local detective Jo is shocked to the core. Because the girl is the second innocent victim to turn up dead in three days. And just like the first, a tarot card has been left by the body. The meaning of the card: betrayal.

After uncovering a series of threatening messages targeting the girl, a student at the university, and the first victim, her teacher, Jo thinks she’s locked the killer in her crosshairs. The primary suspect is a volatile ex-military student with an axe to grind for failing grades, and the frightened town is out for his blood. But the next day, a much-loved member of the community is found dead in her home, a tarot card in her mail. There’s no clear motive to link her death to the others, and the message on the card this time is even stranger: domestic bliss.

With a fourth body and card appearing the following day, Jo knows she’s running out of time to crack the code and bring the killer to justice. And the pressure only gets worse with heart-breaking news about Jo’s father forcing her to choose between helping her family heal or the victims’ families get justice. Can Jo find the twisted murderer sending the town into a panic before another life is lost? Or this time, will the dangerous killer find her first?

A completely addictive detective thriller that will keep you guessing into the early hours of the morning. If you love Kendra Elliot, Melinda Leigh and Lisa Regan you’ll love Taken to the Grave.

Taken To The Grave is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I really enjoyed this brilliant book which had me gripped from the start.

The story follows Detective Jo Fournier as she tries to solve a difficult case whilst dealing with a number of problems in her personal life too. The author provide a lot of background to her life which had me feeling immediately sympathetic towards her. She has gone through some tough times which would floor a lot of people and I was impressed with her resolve to try and keep going.

The case was a very intriguing one with lots of twists that kept me guessing until the end. Just when I thought I had figured everything out something would happen to send the story in a completely new direction. I found I enjoyed watching everything unfold and trying to solve the case alongside Jo.

This was the second book in the series but I felt could easily be read as a standalone as anything you need to know is explained. I am looking forward to reading more from this exciting new author in the future.

Huge thanks to Noelle for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

M.M. Chouinard writes crime fiction (including suspense, procedurals, and cozies), and women’s fiction. M.M. Chouinard’s first fiction story was published in her local paper when she was eight, and she fell in love with Agatha Christie novels not long after. While pursuing a Ph.D in psychology and helping to found the first U.S. research university of the new millenium, the stories kept rattling around inside her skull, demanding to come out. For sanity’s sake, she released them.

Book Synopsis:

What if you couldn’t get away from the one who got away?

This December, unlucky-in-love Jess is following her dream and moving to Notting Hill. On the first night in her new house-share she meets Alex, the guy in the room next door. They don’t kiss under the mistletoe, but there’s still a spark that leaves Jess imagining how they might spend the year together – never mind the house rule against dating…

But when Jess returns from her Christmas holiday, she finds Alex has started seeing Emma, who lives on the floor above them. Now Jess faces a year of bumping into the man of her dreams – and, apparently, the woman of his.

Jess is determined to move on and spend the year falling in love with London, not Alex – but what if her heart has other ideas?

We Met In December is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I thought this was a funny, warm and absorbing read that has made me want to visit London again as soon as possible!

The thing I most liked about this book was the gradual development of the couples relationship. It wasn’t a straight forward romance for the two of them, despite having a spark when they first meet. Instead the pair become friends first and spend a lot of time exploring London together which leads to some lovely scenes.

The wonderful descriptions of London were brilliant and I thought I could clearly envision them in my mind. I enjoyed visiting all the places alongside them, including some that I hadn’t heard about before which I had to look up on the internet.

This book drew me in straight away and I soon found myself losing myself in it’s pages. I enjoyed following Jess and Tom’s story whilst wondering how it was going to end up for them. It was a fun, easy read which would be great to take on holiday or curl up with in front of the fire.

Huge thanks to Sabah for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Avon for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Rosie Curtis was born in the Highlands of Scotland, and now lives with her family in a 150 year old house by the sea in the north west of England. She loves travel, happy ever after stories, and daydreaming. Her favourite book character is a toss up between Anne Shirley and Jo March. Rosie also writes adult and teen fiction as Rachael Lucas.

You can say hello to Rosie on Twitter where she is @karamina and follow her on Instagram at @rosiecurtisauthor

Book Synopsis:

Summer Hastings hates Christmas. She loves sunshine, the beach and running her travel agency, sending people off to their dream destinations – even if she doesn’t get to see the world for herself. For Summer, Christmas is nothing but a reminder of all the things that have gone horribly wrong in her life, so when handsome Noel Pritchett moves his pop-up Christmas shop in the store next to hers, Summer is livid.

Noel loves Christmas…and he also has a sneaking suspicion that he might be falling in love with Summer, if only he could break through the armour she has surrounded herself with. Just why does Summer hate Christmas so much? And can Noel be the one to prove to her that life can be sweet all year round?

Summer Hates Christmas is available in ebook now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of Christmas so I really enjoyed this festive, heartwarming read, which will be perfect for curling up with a hot cuppa this winter.

The story follows Summer who hates Christmas with a passion and tries to plot ways to avoid it. When she meets the lovely Noel who has opened up a pop up Christmas shop, the sparks fly as Noel tries to change Summer’s opinion.

Summer was a great main character that I enjoyed following throughout the book. The love/ hate relationship she has with Noel is very interesting and leads to some hilarious moments that had me laughing out loud. The development of their relationship was great fun to watch change and to see how far they had come.

This was a thoroughly absorbing read which I found hard to put down as I was so involved in the story. The author has done a great job in her vivid descriptions which helped me to picture the scene perfectly. There were a few twists which I wasn’t expecting and helped add to my overall enjoyment as everything doesn’t run smoothly.

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

About The Author:

I am a writer and teacher, living in West Yorkshire with my husband, our two sons, and our furry pets.

In July 2015, I won the Prima magazine and Mills & Boon Flirty Fiction Competition, with my entry, The Chic Boutique on Baker Street, out now in ebook and paperback. The Flower Shop on Foxley Street followed this in 2017 and both books hit the Amazon top 200. Chic Boutique got to #2 in the rural life humour chart and is regularly in the top 100 of that chart. The Wedding Shop on Wexley Street came out in ebook on 10th August and the paperback 1st November 2018.

I am the winner of the Writers Bureau Writer of the Year Award in 2016 and I have had work published in the UK and overseas in various magazines.

My standalone soldier book, The Long Walk Back, came out in January 2018 and I am currently writing the next book in the Westfield series. My first book with Manatee Books, Nice Guys Finish Lonely, came out in April 2018 in ebook and paperback. I love to write romantic fiction, both rom-com and harder hitting women’s fiction.

I am also a post 16 teacher and am undertaking an MA in Creative Writing at Teesside University.

I love to chat on twitter so come say hi! @writerdove

I also run a blog (very occasionally these days): racheldoveauthor@wordpress.com 

I was lucky enough to be on the Random Things blog tour for this fabulous book in April so I thrilled to be re-sharing my review for the paperback publication day!

Book Synopsis:

A thriller with a killer hook, and an ending that will make you gasp!

Wilbrook in Western Australia is a sleepy, remote town that sits on the edge of miles and miles of unexplored wilderness. It is home to Police Sergeant Chandler Jenkins, who is proud to run the town’s small police station, a place used to dealing with domestic disputes and noise complaints.

All that changes on a scorching day when an injured man stumbles into Chandler’s station. He’s covered in dried blood. His name is Gabriel. He tells Chandler what he remembers.
He was drugged and driven to a cabin in the mountains and tied up in iron chains. The man who took him was called Heath. Heath told Gabriel he was going to be number 55. His 55th victim. 

Heath is a serial killer.

As a manhunt is launched, a man who says he is Heath walks into the same station. He tells Chandler he was taken by a man named Gabriel. Gabriel told Heath he was going to be victim 55.

Gabriel is the serial killer.

Two suspects. Two identical stories. Which one is the truth?

55 is available in all formats now. You can purchase a copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

55 is a fantastic, twisty and gripping story that I really enjoyed! I’ve always been a fan of stories set in Australia. There is something about the extremely hot oppressive heat that adds an air of danger and unpredictability to the story which really adds to the atmosphere.

55 is a very intriguing, gripping story that I managed to read in two days which is no easy feat with three children. The reader is taken on a fantastic twisty journey whilst trying to put together all the clues to work out who is telling the truth. This is superbly plotted and the author slowly builds the suspense in the book until it is almost impossible to put down as I wanted to find out what had really happened.

Alongside the serial killer mystery is the equally interesting mystery of what happened between Chandler and Mitchell two of the cops investigating the case. The story is told in two timelines to uncover this mystery one dating from when they were both new police officers and the other on the present day as they try to solve the serial killer case. Out of the two of them I much preferred Chandler who seems very dedicated and hard working, compared to Mitchell who is an extremely unlikeable, arrogant person only interested in getting the praise for solving the case.

The story builds to a brilliant, shocking and just unbelievable ending which took me completely by surprise. All the theories I had built up proved to be untrue and the truth was something I hadn’t even considered. I think I would like to re re-read the book now I know the ending to see if I should have guessed earlier!

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Simon & Schuster for my copy of this book whowh I received in exchange for an honest review. If you like gripping, twisty crime thrillers set in Australia then you’ll love this book?

About The Author:

James Delargy was born and raised in Ireland and lived in South Africa, Australia and Scotland, before ending up in semi-rural England where he now lives. He incorporates this diverse knowledge of towns, cities, landscape and culture picked up on his travels into his writing. 55 is his first novel.

Book Synopsis:

Rama, the Hindu god who maintains dharma – or the balance of all things – is in terrible trouble, and only Barnabas and Wilfred can save him!

Private detectives to the gods, Barnabas Tew and Wilfred Colby, believed they’d discovered the secret to taking charge of their destinies. Unfortunately, nothing is as it seems and taking control is easier said than done.

Fresh off their most challenging case to date, the two detectives step into a cenote: an otherworldly portal that connects worlds and can take them anywhere. Each is hoping to be reunited with someone he left behind, but they soon realize that something has gone terribly, disastrously wrong. Unexpectedly, they find themselves in a Hindu temple, together with Kamadeva, the Hindu god of desire.

Kamadeva asks them to save his friend Rama, who is in grave danger. It seems an innocent enough request, but Barnabas and Wilfred have learned that not everything is at it seems, and the right thing to do is not always so obvious.

The detectives have faced dangerous deities before, but the Hindu gods are different. Otherworldly, wise, and full of shadowy motivations, they all seek to manipulate the hapless detectives to suit their purposes.

Can Barnabas and Wilfred see through the illusions and the lies to uncover the truth of the matter? Or will they fail, and choose the wrong side?

Barnabas Tew And The Case Of The Enlightened Cow is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I have to admit the unusual title and synopsis for this book instantly appealed to me as it sounded like a bizarre, fun story. This book definitely didn’t disappoint as this was one of the most unusual books I’ve read.

The story follows Barnabas and Wilfred who are two detectives to the gods as they embark on a mission to find Kamadeva’s friend. What follows is a completely mad adventure that leads to some strange events like the pair being turned into fish at one point and encountering talking crabs. This makes the book very enjoyable and there were moments which had me laughing out loud as they were so funny.

I felt that the book started off quite slow as there is a lot about the detectives relationship at the start and a lot of arguing between them. It soon picks up though as the story continued and I soon found myself completely engrossed in the story. As mentioned before the story is quite unusual and you have to just go with the story and not think too much about it, but this didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I didn’t realise this was a series when I started but I think it can easily be read as a standalone, like I did, as anything you need to know is explained. This reminded me a bit of Haruki Murakami’s books at times as it was that kind of magical, fantasy adventure.

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:

Columbkill Noonan is the author of the bestselling “Barnabas Tew” series, which features the bumbling-yet-lovable Victorian detective Barnabas and his trusty sidekick, Wilfred. Columbkill combines her love of mythology and her affinity for period fiction to craft unique cozy mysteries that will leave you guessing (and chuckling!) till the very end.