Book Synopsis:

Open your heart to the most life-affirming and uplifting novel of the year…

Thelma and Louis, it’s always just been the two of them, Thelma and her beloved son, Louis.

But when Louis is involved in an accident, their lives are turned upside down, as Louis falls into a coma. Feeling lost without him by her side, Thelma finds Louis’ book of wonders – a bucket list of all the things he wants to accomplish in his life. She suddenly sees a way to feel close to him: she will fulfil Louis’ dreams, living them out for him, in the hope that it will inspire him to survive.

Thelma is about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime… and in a way, so is Louis…

The Book of Wonders is a heart-warming and charming story about finding the joy in every moment of life and making each and every day count. Perfect for fans of The Keeper of Lost Things and A Man Called Ove.

The Book Of Wonders is published in ebook and paperback on the 30th May 2019. You can pre-order a copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

The Book Of Wonders is a delightful, fun and heart warming read that was perfect for curling up with on the bank holiday. It’s flowing style and funny action made it an easy read which I finished over two days, no mean feat with three kids.

The book follows Thelma as she tries to cope with her son being in a coma and the guilt she feels for not being there more from him. After finding his Book Of Wonders she decides to start living and experience new things by following her son’s wish list. This leads to some heart warming and utterly hilarious situations that made me laugh out loud at times. I loved the descriptions of the places that they visited, especially Tokyo and Budapest. I’d love to go visit them myself at some point and maybe experience some of the things they did as if all sounded wonderful!

Thelma was an interesting character who took me a little while to warm to as I didn’t like her much at the beginning of the book. However her open and honest narrative of everything she’s going through and the way she beats herself up over what had happened made me sympathise with her. It was great to follow her on her adventures and watch her develop into the wonderful lady she becomes.

The narrative was quite fast paced and there was always something happening to keep me absorbed in the story. Some of the situations Thelma finds herself in are perhaps a little unrealistic but for me that was part of the fun of this book and added to my enjoyment of the story. The ending was wonderful and I found myself tearing up at how far everyone has come. I’m trying not to give too much a way but I hope that there are places like where they end up as I think they are really needed.

Huge thanks to Milly Reid for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Quercus for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Julien Sandrel was born in 1980 in the south of France, is married and has two children. The Book of Wonders is his first novel, and was first published in France by Calmann-Lévy in March 2018. Rights to the novel have sold in twenty-three territories.

Book Synopsis:

“A racing climax and a fully satisfying ending” – Kate Quinn
1960s Roma Nova. Retrained as an undercover agent, ex-Praetorian officer Aurelia Mitela is sent to Berlin to investigate silver smuggling, but barely escapes a near-lethal trap. Her lifelong nemesis, Caius Tellus, is determined to eliminate her. When Aurelia is closing in on him, he strikes at her most vulnerable point – her young daughter.

A former military commander, Aurelia is one of Roma Nova’s strong women, but she doubts in her heart and mind that she can overcome her implacable enemy. And what part does the mysterious and attractive Miklós play – a smuggler who knows too much? 

If you enjoy reading mystery books for women with plenty of twists and a female protagonist driving the action, this is for you!

Fourth in the Roma Nova thriller series, where Roman fiction is brought into the 20th century through an alternative history lens and first of the AURELIA trilogy. INSURRECTIO and RETALIO complete the trilogy.

Aurelia is available in ebook and paperback now. The ebook is currently only 99p. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of Roman history so am absolutely delighted to find another thrilling historical series.

The author has obviously done her research as the Roman era is brilliantly brought to life. The descriptions are very vivid and I enjoyed reading about all the little details the author has included. It’s a brutal time and the author doesn’t sugar coat how things were which made for thrilling reading. I truly felt like I was actually there watching everything unfold.

Aurelia is a wonderful main character and just the type I love to read about. She’s incredibly brave and fiesty not letting anything stand in her way which I so admired her for. I loved that she had an unusual job for a women as she was a soldier and that she was more than able to stand her ground over men. I didn’t actually know that women were allowed in the Roman army so found all the details relating to that utterly fascinating. I especially liked the details about some of the training and battles Aurelia experiences which which were very thrilling. Caius was a character that I loved to hate and who really needed to just take the hint and give up! He’s just the type of slimy character that I hate who uses his brute strength and good looks to get his own way. He obviously had a huge ego and his constant attempts to get to Aurelia by any means possible had me seething. I found myself hugely frustrated with him and wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to him.

The book has a great pace with lots of action to keep the reader entertained. I enjoyed watching the story develop and learning more about the characters. This is the first book by this author I have read and I’m excited to read more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book. If you like gripping historical fiction then you need to read this book!

About The Author:

Alison Morton writes the Roma Nova thriller series featuring modern Praetorian heroines. This springs from a deep love of Roman history, six years’ military service and a life of reading crime, adventure and thriller fiction. 

All six full-length novels have received the BRAG Medallion. SUCCESSIO, AURELIA and INSURRECTIO were selected as Historical Novel Society’s Indie Editor’s Choices. AURELIA was a finalist in the 2016 HNS Indie Award. SUCCESSIO featured as Editor’s Choice in The Bookseller. 

A ‘Roman nut’ since age 11, Alison has misspent decades clambering over Roman sites throughout Europe. She holds an MA History, blogs about Romans, social media and writing. Oh, and she gives talks.

She continues writing, cultivates a Roman herb garden and drinks wine in France with her husband. To get the latest news, subscribe to her free newsletter (https://alison-morton.com/newsletter/) and receive the series starter INCEPTIO ebook as a thank you gift.

Book Synopsis:

It is 1976 and Mikey, eight-years-old and street-wise beyond his years, is looking forward to a summer of freedom, roaming the creeks and the mud-flats of Canvey Island. But violent emotions are rumbling beneath the surface, about to destroy all that he thought he knew. 

When Mikey’s neighbours, the Freemans, win a great deal of money, the old couple become the targets of a criminal act that leaves Peggy Freeman dead and her husband, Bert thirsting for revenge. Believing that young Mikey’s family is responsible, Bert devises a highly unusual but devastatingly effective form of reprisal. But where does the guilt really lie, and will there be punishment or redemption? 

Told from Mikey’s viewpoint with light touches of humour, A Patient Man is a gripping crime novel peopled with believable characters who are drawn inexorably in to a story that explores the effects of greed, money and the human need for retribution.

A Patient Man is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

A Patient Man is an absolutely wonderful, compelling read that had me completely captivated. It’s primarily a crime read but manages to have elements of a psychological thriller and a coming of age story.

Firstly the main character, Mikey is such an amazing character that is easy to fall in love with. He’s such a little dude and his experiences of exploring the mudflats near his home reminded me of my childhood where I spent most of my time exploring the woods near our home. All the characters are really well drawn and seem realistic. I felt like I knew them personally and that I was actually there watching everything unfold at times.

The author does a great job in evoking the 70s with some beautifully vivid descriptions that really made if come to life in my mind. She also perfectly captures what life in a small town is like with reputations being difficult to get rid of. I so enjoyed reading about Mikey’s childhood and found that I really didn’t want the book to end.

The plot is well developed and there were plenty of surprises that kept me intrigued. There is a great mix of amusing descriptions and thought provoking scenes that combines to make for a truly brilliant read. This is definitely a book that will stay with me for a very long time!

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for my copy of this book and to Matador for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

S. Lynn Scott is the author of Elizabeth, William… and Me, described by reviewers as `hugely entertaining’ (Books Monthly). A Patient Man is her second novel and she is now working on her third, a modern-day fantasy. She has been involved in theatre all her life and lives in Leicestershire.

Book Synopsis:

A dark, shocking and relentlessly gripping thriller that will keep you up all night, for fans of M.J. Arlidge and Peter James. 

‘Sara! Remember! Victoria and Albert. All I can say. They’re here. They’re-‘ 

These are the last words Sara Prior will ever hear from her husband. 

As DS Nathan Cody struggles to make sense of the enigmatic message and solve the brutal murder, it soon becomes clear that Sara is no ordinary bereaved wife. Taking the investigation into her own hands, Sara is drawn into a world of violence that will lead her in a direction she would never have suspected. 

For Cody, meanwhile, things are about to get personal in the darkest and most twisted ways imaginable . . .

Your Deepest Fear is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Your Deepest Fear is a tense, nail bitting thriller that I couldn’t put down. It’s one of those books that is easy to get absorbed into as you’d sit down promising yourself you’d just read a few chapters and before you know it’s past midnight!

The story is told from both Sarah’s and Coby’s point of view which makes for very interesting reading as it lets the reader find out more about them. Through this we learn some of the things that Coby is dealing with in his personal life which helped me warm to him as I felt very sympathetic about all he was going through. I enjoyed watching the two story lines joined together and thought the build up to the reveal was fantastically done as it kept me firmly gripped.

There were some fabulous characters in this book who I thoroughly enjoyed reading about. Sarah is a fantastic kick ass heroine and I loved reading her story as she tries to solve the investigation herself. She’s a very fiesty lady and it was great to read about how she handled difficult, dangerous situations. The baddie Waldo was a very frightening, scary character who had me on edge through the book with the mind games that he plays. He helped add a lot of the tension as you weren’t sure what he’d do next.

Although this could be read as a standalone, as I have, it’s probably best to read the books in order so you have a better understanding of the background to the characters. I will definitely be going back to read the other books in the series.

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for my copy of this book and to Bonnier for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

David Jackson is the bestselling author of Cry Baby. His debut novel, Pariah, was Highly Commended in the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Awards. He lives on the Wirral peninsula with his wife and two daughters. Follow David @Author_Dave.

Book Synopsis:

When Hannah and Ben meet at a friend’s party, he knows she’s The One. But Hannah’s in an intense relationship with Mark and planning to return to her native Sweden to embark on a teaching career.

Desperate to make Ben fall in love with her, rich spoilt heiress Vanessa sets in motion a devious string of events that ultimately changes the course of four people’s lives indefinitely.

Hannah is the love of Ben’s life, yet Vanessa will stop at nothing to claim the man she is convinced is her destiny.

Because of You is a dark, morally complex and cross-generational story of enduring love, fate and destiny.

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

My Review:

Because Of You is a trilling, engaging and realistic love story that was hard to put down.

The thing that most stands out about this book is how realistic it seems. Life for Hannah isn’t all sugary sweet, there are lots of highs and lows, twists and turns like in real life which makes for very interesting reading. All the events in the book make the reader very sympathetic to the characters and I found myself falling in love with Hannah with all the things she goes through.

The story follows Hannah through the years starting at the age of eighteen when she’s leaving home. The reader experiences everything alongside Hannah which makes for very emotional reading at times. The author covers some quite hard subjects which often made me cry. Having had personal experience with one of the things that happens I found it quite hard reading at times and had to skip a few pages as I found it too hard to read.

The author has created some fabulous characters that are mixed into the story really well, coming in and out of the story at various points in her life. There are some characters I loved reading about but other nasty characters who I really hated. It was very interesting to watch them all interact together and I enjoyed reading about them.

Overall this was a gripping, intriguing read which covers some thought provoking topics. It’s the first book I’ve read from this author and I’d definitely like to read more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to the lovely Sarah from Books On The Bright side publicity for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Hélene Fermont writes character-driven psychological crime fiction with a Scandi Noir flavour. 

Known for her explosive, pacy narrative and storylines, she has published three novels – Because of You, We Never Said Goodbye and His Guilty Secret – and two short story collections – The Love of Her Life and Who’s Sorry Now? Her fourth novel is due for release in the summer of 2019. 

After 20 years in London, Hélene recently returned to her native Sweden where she finds the unspoiled scenery and tranquillity a therapeutic boost for creativity. 

Enjoying a successful career as a Psychologist, when she’s not working her ‘day job’, Hélene spends her time writing, with friends and family, or playing with her beloved cat, Teddy.

Book Synopsis:

In this new cookbook, author Rinku Bhattacharya combines her two great loves—Indian cooking and sustainable living—to give readers a simple, accessible way to cook seasonally, locally, and flavorfully. Inspired by the bounty of local produce, mostly from her own backyard, Rinku set out to create recipes for busy, time-strapped home cooks who want to blend Indian flavors into nutritious family meals. Arranged in chapters from appetizers through desserts, the cookbook includes everything from small bites, soups, seafood, meat and poultry, and vegetables, to condiments, breads, and sweets. You’ll find recipes for tempting fare like “Mango and Goat Cheese Mini Crisps,” “Roasted Red Pepper Chutney,” “Crisped Okra with Dry Spice Rub,” “Smoky Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Puree,” and “Red Harvest Masala Cornish Hens,” to name a few. As exotic and enticing as these recipes sound, the ingredients are easily found and the instructions are simple. Rinku encourages readers to explore the bounty of their local farms and markets, and embrace the rich flavors of India to cook food that is nutritious, healthy, seasonal and most importantly, delicious.

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

My Review:

My husband and I are huge curry fans so we’re always looking for new recipes to try. We really enjoyed trying some of these easy to follow receipes which I am happy to report made some delicious curries! The author includes advice about how to make this vegetarian or gluten free which was very helpful for us as my daughter’s gluten free.

There are some interesting spices and ingredients used in this book which are listed in the helpful introduction at the front of the book. I’d not heard of some of these so enjoyed exploring them and discovering how they all taste. Most of the ingredients aren’t available in a normal supermarket so you will need to have access to an Indian supermarket or specialist shop for them. We’re lucky to have one not far from us but I’m not sure everyone would.

The author’s passion for Indian cookery shines from the page and I loved the background information she gives on every recipe. She helps make the cooking even easier with lots of helpful hints and advice which as a fairly novice cook I found very helpful. There are also some lovely pictures of the food accompanying the recipes which are bound to make your mouth water. I can see this book being a family favourite and I can’t wait to try all the wonderful recipes!

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:

Rinku Bhattacharya was born in Kolkata, India and currently resides in Westchester, New York. She teaches cooking classes, maintains a popular food blog, Cooking in Westchester, and writes a weekly column, Spices and Seasons, for the Journal News website.

Book Synopsis:

Voluntary nurse Ella is haunted by the soldiers’ cries she hears on the battlefields of Dieppe. But that’s not the only thing that haunts her. When her dear friend Jim breaks her trust, Ella is left bruised and heartbroken. Over the years, her friendships have been pulled apart at the seams by the effects of war. Now, more than ever, she feels so alone.

At a military hospital in France, Ella befriends Connie and Paddy. Slowly she begins to heal, and finds comfort in the arms of a French officer called Paulo – could he be her salvation?

With the end of the war on the horizon, surely things have to get better? Ella grew up not knowing her real family but a clue leads her in their direction. What did happen to Ella’s parents, and why is she so desperate to find out?

The Abandoned Daughter by Mary Wood is the second book in The Girls Who Went To War series.

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

My Review:

I’m such a huge fan of this author’s books and always look forward to reading more from her as I know I’m going to enjoy them.

The Abandoned Daughter was another fantastic historical read from the The Girls Who Went To War series. One of the things I most like about this author is her ability to tell things as they would have been. She doesn’t shy away from the hard, uncomfortable facts to spare the reader’s feelings but instead tells the reader the hard truths which I really admire her for. This does mean she often makes me cry though.

Once again the author has created some wonderful characters that I warmed to very quickly. I especially liked the main character Ella who I couldn’t help but like even if I found her story truly heartbreaking at times. The poor girl seems to have everything thrown at her but battles through it bravely. Just when it looked like everything might be going right for her something happened and everything changed again. Her relationship with Rowena was wonderful to read about and I loved watching it develop. Rowena is a fantastic friend to her just when she needs one and their interactions were some of my favourite parts of the book. I found I desperately wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to them and to see if they get the happy ending I felt they deserved.

Mary always manages to find a part of history I haven’t read much about before which I always find fascinating. This time it was about the treatment of the returning soldiers and what their families were dealing with. It was so sad to read about how many of the soldiers ended up homeless, begging on the streets and how their families were just left to deal with any problems that they had.

This was a very gripping, fast paced read that I couldn’t put down and often found myself sneaking away to try and read a few more pages. Whilst this book could be read as a standalone it’s probably best to read the books in order as it gives you more of an understanding of the background to this book.

Huge thanks to the lovely Mary Wood for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Ellis from Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book. If you like well researched, emotional historical sagas then you need to read this book.

About The Author:

Born in Maidstone, Kent, in 1945, the thirteenth child of fifteen children, Mary’s family settled in Leicestershire after the war ended. 

Mary married young and now, after 54 years of happy marriage, four children, 12 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren, Mary and her husband live in Blackpool during the summer and Spain during the winter – a place that Mary calls, ‘her writing retreat’. 

After many jobs from cleaning to catering, all chosen to fit in with bringing up her family, and boost the family money-pot, Mary ended her 9 – 5 working days as a Probation Service Officer, a job that showed her another side to life, and which influences her writing, bringing a realism and grittiness to her novels 

Mary first put pen to paper, in 1989, but it wasn’t until 2010 that she finally found some success by self-publishing on kindle. 

Being spotted by an editor at Pan Macmillan in 2013, finally saw Mary reach her publishing dream.

When not writing, Mary enjoys family time, reading, eating out, and gardening. One of her favourite pastimes is interacting with her readers on her Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/HistoricalNovels
And on her web page: http://www.authormarywood.com
She is also on Twitter: @Authormary

Mary welcomes all contact with her readers and feedback on her work.

Book Synopsis:

Are you contemplating a move abroad? Don’t panic!

From culture shock to capable, from language barriers to lifelong friends, and from foreign land to the familiar. Being hurled into life in a strange new place can be daunting and overwhelming, but it can also be exciting and enjoyable. Rich with tips on how to expat like a boss, Lasairiona McMaster’s “Bloom where you’re planted”, takes you on a journey from packing up her life in Northern Ireland to jumping in at the deep-end as an expat in two countries.

An experienced expat from a decade of living abroad, her honest and uncensored tales of what to expect when you’re expatriating, are as funny as they are poignant, and as practical as they are heartfelt. If you’ve lived abroad, or you’re considering the move from local to expat.

If you’re looking to rediscover yourself, or simply wondering how on earth to help your children develop into adaptable, resilient, and well-rounded people, this book has something for you.

Get yourself – and your house – ready for the big move.
Travel with kids, like a boss.
Make life-long friends, super-fast.
Dealing with distance.
It takes a village.

Bloom Where You’re Planted is available in ebook and paperback now. It’s currently available on Kindle Unlimited if you have membership. Purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I though this was a funny, informative read that is surely a must read for anyone considering moving abroad or who wants to be assured that their own expat experience isn’t unusual!

This book is written in a fantastic style that just draws the reader in and makes them want to keep reading the book. I felt like I was having a conversation with a friend rather than reading the book at times which helps demonstrate the easy, engaging writing style in the book.

The author has included a lot of information in this book which covers everything you will need to know. I liked how honest she was about her own experiences and how she didn’t try to sugar coat expat life. Instead she includes information and hilarious stories covering the highs and lows of what to expect. I found a lot of these very funny and often read bit aloud for my husband to enjoy too!

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:

Lasairiona McMaster grew up dreaming of an exciting life abroad, and, after graduating from Queens University, Belfast, that is exactly what she did – with her then-boyfriend, now husband of almost ten years. Having recently repatriated to Northern Ireland after a decade abroad spanned over two countries (seven and a half years in America and eighteen months in India), she now finds herself ‘home’, with itchy feet and dreams of her next expatriation. With a penchant for both travelling, and writing, she started a blog during her first relocation to Houston, Texas and, since repatriating to Northern Ireland, has decided to do as everyone has been telling her to do for years, and finally pen a book (or two) and get published while she tries to adjust to the people and place she left ten years ago, where nothing looks the same as it did when she left.

Social Media Links –

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/QueenofFireLas

Twitter –  https://twitter.com/QueenofFireLas

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/queenoffirelas/?hl=en

Book Synopsis:

A toxic family … a fight for survival…

Seventeen-year-old Tyler lives in one of Edinburgh’s most deprived areas. Coerced into robbing rich people’s homes by his bullying older siblings, he’s also trying to care for his little sister and his drug-addict mum.

On a job, his brother Barry stabs a homeowner and leaves her for dead, but that’s just the beginning of their nightmare, because the woman is the wife of Edinburgh’s biggest crime lord, Deke Holt.

With the police and the Holts closing in, and his shattered family in devastating danger, Tyler meets posh girl Flick in another stranger’s house, and he thinks she may just be his salvation … unless he drags her down too.

A pulsatingly tense psychological thriller, Breakers is also a breathtakingly brutal, beautiful and deeply moving story of a good kid in the wrong family, from one of Scotland’s finest crime writers.

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

My Review:

Breakers is an absorbing, thought provoking, gripping book that I really enjoyed.

I’ve always loved Edinburgh and have always though it a beautiful, historical city when I’ve visited it. As with most big cities though it has its dark side full of crime and people in poverty which is the setting of this book. It was quite an eye opener to read what could go on behind the normal everyday view of the city. These are quite vividly described so I felt like I was there watching everything unfold.

The author does a great job of letting the reader see the person behind the crime so that you start understanding the characters a bit more. I had mixed feelings about the main character Tyler. On one hand I hated him for the distress that he causes the people he robs but on the other hand his obvious love for his sister made me warm to him and his interactions with her were some of my favourite in the book. His friendship with Flick also helped me to see his gentle side and I enjoyed watching this develop. It was interesting to see how teenagers can be from very different backgrounds but still have to deal with the same problems.

This was a fast paced, gripping read that I just couldn’t put down as I found I had to know what would happen to the characters. I went through a range of emotions whilst reading feeling angry at the characters, sorry for them and them hopeful that they would make a better life for themselves. There are some passages which whilst quite uncomfortable to read, as they were very realistic, helped create a lot of the tension and atmosphere in the book which made them necessary to what’s happening. I’ve read all of this author’s books and in my opinion he keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait to read what his next one.

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

About The Author:

Doug Johnstone is an author, journalist and musician based in Edinburgh. He’s had eight novels published, most recently Crash Land. His previous novel, The Jump, was a finalist for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. Several of his other novels have been award winners and bestsellers, and he’s had short stories published in numerous anthologies and literary magazines. His work has been praised by the likes of Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Irvine Welsh. Several of his novels have been optioned for film and television. Doug is also a Royal Literary Fund Consultant Fellow. He’s worked as an RLF Fellow at Queen Margaret University, taught creative writing at Strathclyde University and William Purves Funeral Directors. He mentors and assesses manuscripts for The Literary Consultancy and regularly tutors at Moniack Mhor writing retreat. Doug has released seven albums in various bands, and is the drummer for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He also reviews books for The Big Issuemagazine, is player-manager for Scotland Writers Football Club and has a PhD in nuclear physics.
Follow him on Twitter @doug_johnstone and visit his website: dougjohnstone.com