Book Synopsis:

I turn to where I left my baby in his pushchair and pull up short. With a racing heart, I look around wildly, fear gripping my stomach. I only looked away for a moment. The pushchair and my baby are gone. 

Kelly is taking her twin daughters to their first day of school, ushering them into the classroom, her heart breaking to think they might not need her any more, when she turns around and sees that her newborn baby is gone.

As a desperate search ensues, baby Noah is quickly found – parked in front of a different classroom. But when Kelly reaches forward to comfort him, she finds something tucked beside his blanket. A locket that belonged to her sister Freya. A locket Kelly hasn’t seen since the day Freya died.

And then Kelly’s perfectly-ordered life begins to unravel…

We Were Sisters is a heart-pounding suspense thriller that will grip you until the very last page. Fans of Behind Closed Doors, Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to stop reading this incredible book.

We Were Sisters is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I always love it when I find a new author that I really enjoy, especially if I’ve come across them when they have a few books for me to catch up on! We Were Sisters is a creepy, tense and addictive thriller that I just couldn’t put down.

The story is told from Kelly’s point of view and is divided into two timelines of Now and Then which alternates every chapter. The ‘Now’ follows Kelly as a married mother of three and the ‘Then’ chapters tells the story of Kelly when she was younger and Freya, a foster child who comes to live with Kelly’s family.

Kelly is a very interesting, complex character and from the start the reader is very aware that there is something not quite right with Kelly. She’s extremely anxious and has to count things almost continuous to keep that under control. This anxiety is made worse by a fractious, unsettled new born who doesn’t sleep and Kelly’s insistence that she does everything herself. At the start it’s easy to dismiss this as post natal depression but as her past is slowly revealed it becomes very obvious that there is much more to it than that. My feelings towards her kept changing between sympathy at all she had experienced and frustration with her attitude. I felt there was lots more to her than she was letting on and I had to keep reading to find out what it was.

I read this book in a day, which is no easy feat for a mum of three kids, as I just couldn’t put it down. Jobs went undone, the kids were allowed far to much screen time as I just got lost in the story. I kept promising myself only one more chapter only for something big to happen which meant I had to keep reading to find out more. The tension in this book is almost unbearable at times as the reader is very aware that something bad happened all those years ago, weird things are happening now and that none of the characters are what they seem. The ending was very unexpected which took me by surprise as I thought I’d figured everything out.

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

About The Author:

Wendy Clarke started her career writing short fiction and serials for national women’s magazines. After having over three hundred short stories published, she progressed to writing novels. With a degree in psychology, and intrigued with how the human mind can affect behaviour, it was inevitable that she would eventually want to explore her darker side.

What She Saw is her debut psychological thriller, published by Bookouture, with a second coming out in August 2019.

In her previous life, Wendy has published three collections of short stories and has been a short story judge for the Chiltern Writers Group, Nottingham Writers Group and The Society of Women Writers and journalists.

Wendy lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex and when not writing is usually dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!

Book Synopsis:

WHAT IF YOUR LIFE HAD AN ‘UNDO’ BUTTON?

Arlo Knott develops the mysterious ability to reverse his last action. It makes him able to experience anything, to charm any woman and impress any friend. His is a life free of mistakes, a life without regret.

But second chances aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. As wonderful as his new life is, a mistake in Arlo’s traumatic childhood still haunts him and the temptation to undo, undo and keep undoing could be too much to resist.

Mainstream crossover fiction for fans of Matt Haig, Gail Honeyman and Rowan Coleman, from the author of Everything About You.

The Undoing Of Arlo Knott is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

The Undoing Of Arlo Knott is a clever, thought provoking and intriguing book which was brilliantly written.

The concept of this book really appealed to me as who wouldn’t want an ‘undo’ button to put right all their mistakes? I thought the author handled this really cleverly and I enjoyed reading about the progression Arlo goes through as he learns more about his talent. His initial use was similar to what I’d probably do which actually made Arlo seem quite arrogant and therefore quite unlikeable which was an interesting realisation.

This is a difficult book to review without giving away spoilers but needless to say the pace of the book alongside the compelling storyline made this an addictive read It had hints of The Time Travellers Wife and the film Groundhog Day to it, which made it a bit repetitive at times but this is a relevant part of the story. It’s a book I’ll be encouraging friends to read as I’d love to discuss it with someone. For this reason I think it would make a great book club read as there would be lots to discuss.

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

About The Author:

Heather Child’s debut novel EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU was partly inspired by having worked in digital marketing, which brought her into close contact with the cutting-edge automation and personalisation technologies that herald the ‘big data’ age.

Her second book, THE UNDOING OF ARLO KNOTT, is about a man who has an ‘undo’ button for life. Arlo is able to avoid mistakes, to sidestep regret, but it may not give him the perfect life he expects. 

Heather Child is based in Bristol, UK. Alongside writing she has had an eclectic career in marketing and communications, working for various non-profit organisations.

She often takes part in panel discussions, workshops and other events at festivals and conventions. You can find out more about her work, and see discussion questions for book clubs, at http://www.heather-child.co.uk.

Find her on Twitter @Heatherika1

Book Synopsis:

Innocent?

When Carrie was accused of brutally murdering her husband’s lover, she denied it. She denied it when they arrested her, when they put her in front of a jury, and when they sent her to prison. 

Now she’s three years into a fifteen-year sentence, away from the daughter she loves and the life she had built. And she is still denying that she is to blame. 

Guilty?

Tess Gilroy has devoted her life to righting wrongs. Through her job for Innocence UK, a charity which takes on alleged miscarriages of justice, she works tirelessly to uncover the truth.

But when she is asked to take Carrie’s case, Tess realises that if she is to help this woman, she must risk uncovering the secrets she has struggled a lifetime to hide . . .

We’ve all done things we’re not proud of.

Clear My Name is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author so you can imagine my delight to be invited onto the blog tour of her latest book, Clear My Name.

Once again the author has written a clever, twisty thriller that I really enjoyed. The story is told from the point of view of both Tess as she tries to investigate Carrie’s case and Carrie the alleged murder. This made for fascinating reading as the reader gets to see both sides of the story often finding out intriguing details before the characters do which was hugely enjoyable! My opinion on both characters kept changing as the story progresses and I must have had a dozen theories about what happened which were all proven wrong.

I thought this book was instantly gripping and I was soon absorbed into the story. The fast pace and short chapters made this book hard to put down as I wanted to find out more about this intriguing case. The slow drip feed of clues was brilliantly done and I found I really enjoyed trying to piece all the clues together alongside Tess.

The subtle mix of storylines involving not just the murder but also Tess’s past was cleverly done and added a lot of mystery into the story as you weren’t sure what it involved or what she was capable of. They all come together nicely in the end which was very satisfying. The tension in the book slowly increases so that the book becomes hard to put down with the final twist taking me completely by surprise which I always enjoy.

I can’t wait to read more from this author soon!

Huge thanks to Hayley from Transworld for my copy of this book and to Emma from Damp Pebbles Tours for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Paula Daly is the acclaimed author of six novels. She has been shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Crime Novel of the Year award, and her books have been developed for the new ITV television series, DEEP WATER, starring Anna Friel. She was born in Lancashire and lives in the Lake District with her husband, three children, and whippet Skippy.

Book Synopsis:

There’s something I have to explain, my love,” he says, taking your hand in his. “That wasn’t a dream. It was an upload.”

Abbie wakes in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. The man by her side explains that he’s her husband. He’s a titan of the tech world, the founder of one of Silicon Valley’s most innovative startups. He tells Abbie she’s a gifted artist, a doting mother to their young son, and the perfect wife.

Five years ago, she suffered a terrible accident. Her return from the abyss is a miracle of science, a breakthrough in artificial intelligence that has taken him half a decade to achieve.

But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins questioning her husband’s motives – and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together for ever? And what really happened to her, half a decade ago?

A gripping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of The Woman in the Window and The Wife Between Us.

The Perfect Wife is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

This was a clever, twisty and thought provoking book that I thoroughly enjoyed! Although I found The Girl Before difficult to read due to personal experience, I still found the idea behind it very interesting so I was very intrigued to read more from him.

Artificial Intelligence is a very current topic with examples of it being invented recently so I found it fascinating to read about the world the author has created in this book. What was especially interesting about the ‘cabot’ Tim invents is that it doesn’t seem like a robot that is normally depicted in science fiction films. Instead ‘Abbie’ seems like a real person who can think and act for herself. I found myself believing in her relationship with Tim and hoping that the story ends up well for them.

The plot is very clever with lots going on to keep the reader on their toes. I particularly liked the inclusion of Danny, Tim & Abbie’s son, who has degenerative autism which makes him become more and more withdrawn. I believe the author has an autistic son which has helped bring this character to life. He was a very endearing character that often made me smile.

This book gripped me from the start with the unusual plot and the fascinating world the author has created. The plot develops at a fast pace and there are lots of twists that kept me guessing as to how it would end which is always enjoyable. The ending took me completely by surprise and I loved watching everything unraveling. A brilliant ending to a completely original psychological thriller.

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

About The Author:

JP Delaney is a pseudonym for a British writer of psychological suspense who has previously written best-selling fiction under other names. THE GIRL BEFORE was an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller and was published in over 40 countries. The follow-up, BELIEVE ME, was also an international bestseller. THE PERFECT WIFE will be published summer 2019. For more information, go to http://www.jpdelaney.co.uk or follow @jpdelaneywriter on Facebook.

Book Synopsis:

Life is made up of countless moments. Moments that make us who we are. But what if they don’t unfold the way they’re supposed to…?

What if you get on the wrong bus, or don’t speak to the right person at a party, or stay in a job that isn’t for you? Will you miss your one chance at happiness? Or will happiness find you eventually, when the moment is right?

Meet Matthew and Myrtle. They have never really felt like they fitted – in life or with anyone else. But they are meant to be together – if only they can find each other.

A powerful and emotional story about missed chances, interwoven lives and the moments that define us.

The Moments is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

The Moments was an emotional, powerful and compelling story that will stay with me for a long time.

The story follows two families from the birth of their child through all the ups and downs life can throw at you. I think it’s fair to say that these families have their fair share of bad luck and it was quite heartbreaking at times to read about all that they go through. This was especially true when you realise all they have gone through by the time they reach their teenage years, as this is always an awkward and difficult time so I felt that the events had more of an impact on me.

The story is written in such a way that the reader feels like they are experiencing everything as the characters so feels everything they are feeling more acutely, like it’s happening to them. This along with the different writing style made me feel very involved in the story and my heart broke for Matthew and Myrtle as they grow up. I kept wishing I could reach into the book and give them both a huge hug.

I found this story to be a very absorbing, compelling one that I found hard to put down at times as I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to the characters. Matthew and Myrtle’s story is told in alternative chapters which often finish on a dramatic moment meaning I was desperate to get back to their thread, only for the other story to also end dramatically so I had to keep reading! I loved watching the two characters grow and develop throughout the book with both feeling like old friends towards the end so I was sad to leave them. I will be recommending this book to everyone! If you loved Kristin Hannah’s, The Night Road, then I think you’ll like this one as I felt the styles were similar.

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

About The Author:

Natalie Winter is from Hertfordshire and has worked as a content editor in various media industries for the last fourteen years. She has lived in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, among other places, and now currently resides in Bristol with her scruffy rescue dog.

Book Synopsis:

Welcome to the escape room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive.

In the lucrative world of Wall Street finance, Vincent, Jules, Sylvie and Sam are the ultimate high-flyers. Ruthlessly ambitious, they make billion-dollar deals and live lives of outrageous luxury. Getting rich is all that matters, and they’ll do anything to get ahead.

When the four of them become trapped in an elevator escape room, things start to go horribly wrong. They have to put aside their fierce office rivalries and work together to solve the clues that will release them. But in the confines of the elevator the dark secrets of their team are laid bare. They are made to answer for profiting from a workplace where deception, intimidation and sexual harassment thrive.

Tempers fray and the escape room’s clues turn more and more ominous, leaving the four of them dangling on the precipice of disaster. If they want to survive, they’ll have to solve one more final puzzle: which one of them is a killer?

The Escape Room is available now in ebook and paperback. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

This was a fantastic, tense and gripping thriller which is based around one of my worse fears of getting stuck in a lift! The characters go through every emotion as they try and figure out how to get out. From fear, claustrophobia, thirst, hunger to greed and lust their emotions are so intense that they seem almost palpable. Gone are the polished high flying people that they normally present to the world and instead the author allows us to see the people they actually are and it was quite fascinating to see the stark contrast at times.

Wall Street isn’t a place I’m likely to inhabit so I found it very interesting to learn more about it in the behind the scenes glimpse the author gives us. It’s a very tense, competitive environment which I’d not enjoy with everyone just out for themselves. It makes the characters seem very unlikeable and it did take me a while to feel sorry for them.

This was a very fast paced read which gripped me from the start. The high pressure atmosphere the five characters find themselves makes for fascinating reading, particularly when the riddles start getting personal and everything gets a little nasty. I must admit I got a bit caught up in the situation, wanting to keep reading to see what happens to them and to see if they get justice for their awful experience. The ending was brilliant and I felt a fantastic way to finish the book.

This unbelievably is the author’s debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future. I think this would make a fantastic film, which is not something I say often about books!

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

About The Author:

MEGAN GOLDIN reported from the Middle East for the Associated Press, Reuters, and the ABC. During nearly two decades as a journalist, she wrote about war, peace, and international terrorism. After living in the US, the Middle East, and Asia, she now resides in Australia with her husband and three sons.

Book Synopsis:

Seven days. Three families. One killer.

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday, dreamed up by Kate as the ideal way to turn 40: four best friends and their husbands and children in a luxurious villa under the blazing sunshine of Provence. 

But there is trouble in paradise. Kate suspects that her husband is having an affair, and that the other woman is one of her best friends. 

One of these women is willing to sacrifice years of friendship and destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined. 

Because someone in the villa is prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden.

My Review:

The Holiday is a gripping, thrilling read that was thoroughly absorbing which makes it hard to put down. I’ve always enjoyed stories featuring old friends as there is so much history there, scope for secrets and potential for things going wrong which makes for intriguing reading.

There are some great characters in this book who I loved to read about, even though most were quite unlikeable. The author gives the reader a chance to slowly get to know them which I found fascinating. All of them have unlikeable qualities which made them seem quite real. As a mother myself I did cringe at some of the children and parents scenarios that are described in this book. I know I’ve been guilty of a few of them whilst on holiday.

This is a bit of a slow burner as there isn’t initially a lot of action going on, however it soon picks up and becomes very interesting. I loved the slow revealing of information and the twists which often took the story in a completely different direction which kept me on my toes. These were well paced and gave the reader plenty of time to get used to the new idea before bringing new twists into the story. The ending was brilliant and took me completely by surprise which I always love.

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

About The Author:

Bestselling author TM Logan was a national newspaper journalist before turning to novel-writing full time. His debut thriller LIES was one of Amazon UK’s biggest ebooks of 2017, selling 350,000 copies and gathering more than 1,400 5-star reviews.

Together with his second standalone thriller, 29 Seconds (2018), his books are now published in 14 countries around the world including the USA, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and the Netherlands.

His latest thriller, The Holiday, is a Richard & Judy Book Club pick for summer 2019. It takes place over a sweltering summer week in the south of France, as four best friends see the holiday of a lifetime turn into a nightmare of suspicion, betrayal and murder…

Tim lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children, and writes in a cabin at the bottom of his garden.

For exclusive writing, new releases and a FREE deleted scene from Tim, sign up to the Readers’ Club: http://www.bit.ly/TMLogan. You can also follow him on Twitter @TMLoganAuthor, find him on Facebook at /TMLoganAuthor or on his website at http://www.tmlogan.com

Book Synopsis:

Welcome to the escape room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive.

In the lucrative world of Wall Street finance, Vincent, Jules, Sylvie and Sam are the ultimate high-flyers. Ruthlessly ambitious, they make billion-dollar deals and live lives of outrageous luxury. Getting rich is all that matters, and they’ll do anything to get ahead.

When the four of them become trapped in an elevator escape room, things start to go horribly wrong. They have to put aside their fierce office rivalries and work together to solve the clues that will release them. But in the confines of the elevator the dark secrets of their team are laid bare. They are made to answer for profiting from a workplace where deception, intimidation and sexual harassment thrive.

Tempers fray and the escape room’s clues turn more and more ominous, leaving the four of them dangling on the precipice of disaster. If they want to survive, they’ll have to solve one more final puzzle: which one of them is a killer?

The Escape Room is available now in ebook and paperback. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

Book details

My Review:

This was a fantastic, tense and gripping thriller which is based around one of my worse fears of getting stuck in a lift! The characters go through every emotion as they try and figure out how to get out. From fear, claustrophobia, thirst, hunger to greed and lust their emotions are so intense that they seem almost palpable. Gone are the polished high flying people that they normally present to the world and instead the author allows us to see the people they actually are and it was quite fascinating to see the stark contrast at times.

Wall Street isn’t a place I’m likely to inhabit so I found it very interesting to learn more about it in the behind the scenes glimpse the author gives us. It’s a very tense, competitive environment which I’d not enjoy with everyone just out for themselves. It makes the characters seem very unlikeable and it did take me a while to feel sorry for them.

This was a very fast paced read which gripped me from the start. The high pressure atmosphere the five characters find themselves makes for fascinating reading, particularly when the riddles start getting personal and everything gets a little nasty. I must admit I got a bit caught up in the situation, wanting to keep reading to see what happens to them and to see if they get justice for their awful experience. The ending was brilliant and I felt a fantastic way to finish the book.

This unbelievably is the author’s debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future. I think this would make a fantastic film, which is not something I say often about books!

Huge thanks to Kelly from St. Martin’s Press for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

MEGAN GOLDIN reported from the Middle East for the Associated Press, Reuters, and the ABC. During nearly two decades as a journalist, she wrote about war, peace, and international terrorism. After living in the US, the Middle East, and Asia, she now resides in Australia with her husband and three sons.

Book Synopsis:

An Extra Shot continues to tell the story of Freddie and Jo-Jo. It moves backwards and forwards through time in a series of first-person flashbacks and describes how the couple fell in love as teenagers, why they drifted apart, what happened in their lives away from each other, and what happens when they meet up again over thirty-five years later.

A failed reconciliation in book one, Another Shot, has left Freddie at a railway station thinking about jumping under a train and Jo-Jo in a hotel room consumed with the dark secret she has carried for most of her adult life. Freddie is saved by his best friend, Jack Sparrow, and Jo-Jo is convinced by her daughter, Amy, to meet up with Freddie again. Freddie then persuades Jo-Jo to go away with him for a long weekend in Devon and the couple return home with their love reignited.

However, Jo-Jo can’t let their relationship continue without telling Freddie the truth about her dark secret. Is their love strong enough to get them through?

An Extra Shot is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Another Shot is an emotional, compelling but poignant read which it’s impossible not to get caught up in.

The story follows Freddie and Jo-Jo as they take another shot at their relationship after their first horrendous attempt. What was interesting was that both of them are quite broken characters and have a lot of secrets or problems in their past. This book goes back over the two couples past and explains more about how they met and what drew them to each other which was fascinating to read about.

This was a compelling read which was hard to put down as I felt personally involved in the story. The author gives the reader a fly on the wall glimpse into their lives which made me feel that everything happening was happening to a friend of mine. There are some difficult subjects mentioned in this book which the author handles quite sensitively. They are quite poignant however and I really felt for Freddie and Jo-Jo as they went through it.

This is the second book in the trilogy but I felt it could easily be read as a standalone as anything you need to know is explained. I’m very interested to see what happens in the final book in the series.

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 was born in Walsall, grew up in the West Midlands and now live in Telford with my two cats, Boris and Tai. After working in the health and social care sector for over thirty years, I have now decided to finish writing the trilogy that has been rooted in my head for most of my life. 

The Shots trilogy is based on a first love relationship I had as a teenager. It tells the story of Freddie and Jo-Jo, who are reunited in a coffee shop three decades after the end of their teenage romance. How they originally met, why they parted, what happens in their lives apart, and what happens when they reunite is all told through a series of first person vignettes. 

Getting these stories down on paper has been a cathartic process. I hope you enjoy them. 

I’m currently working on the final instalment.

Book Synopsis:

Mona has almost everything: money, friends, social status… everything except for freedom. Languishing in her golden cage, she craves a sense of belonging… 

Desperate for emotional release, she turns to a friend who introduces her to a world of glitter, glamour, covert affairs and drugs. There she meets Ali, a physically and emotionally wounded man, years younger than her. 

Heady with love, she begins a delicate game of deceit that spirals out of control and threatens to shatter the deceptive facade of conservatism erected by Lahori society, and potentially destroy everything that Mona has ever held dear. 

In The Company Of Strangers is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

I thought this was an exciting and captivating read which was brilliantly written.

The thing that most stands out about this book is the author’s ability to vividly set the scene so that the reader feels that they are actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters. I loved the vivid, colourful descriptions of Lahore which I’d now love to visit at some point. The culture of the city with the lifestyles and expectations of the classes was fascinating to read about, particularly as I hadn’t realised it was so strict nowadays.

The love story between Mona and Ali was beautifully told and had me captivated from the start. The conflict Mona feels over what she wants to do and what she feels she is expected to do is heartbreaking to read about at times. I was completely on the couples side from the start and found myself hoping for a happy ending. This isn’t a usual love story though so don’t read this thinking it’s going to be all sugar coated romance as it’s not and it has a very interesting ending.

I so enjoyed reading this story and was gripped to the start reading about Lahore society which outsiders don’t get to know about normally. The story alternates between Mona and Ali’s point of view which made for very intriguing reading. I can’t wait to read more from this talented 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:

Awais Khan currently lives in Pakistan. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and Durham University. He has studied Novel Writing and Editing at the prestigious Faber Academy in London. His work has appeared in the Missing Slate Magazine, MODE, Daily Times and Aleph Review. Awais is the Founder of the Writing Institute, the largest institute for Creative Writing in Pakistan and has been interviewed by several leading television channels about his work.