Book Synopsis:

THE MIGHT OF ROME
The great general Hannibal Barca is on the verge of defeat. Victory will crown Rome the most powerful empire in the world. While the ambitious senator Flamininus plots his path to power…

THE GLORY OF GREECE
Only unconquered Greece stands in the way of glory. King Philip V of Macedon’s mighty phalanx is an enemy Rome has long feared, and one that has never known defeat.

THE HEROES OF HISTORY
Demetrios has dreamed of fighting with the phalanx his whole life, but the young villager will soon learn that, in a clash of empires, you’re only ever one swing of the sword away from death – or entering legend.

CLASH OF EMPIRES is the gripping first novel in a new series from the master of historical fiction – for fans of Simon Scarrow, Harry Sidebottom, Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell.

Clash Of Empires is available in ebook and hardback now. It is published in paperback on the 21st February 2019. You can purchase or pre-order your copy using the link below.

My Review:

This was another amazing read by this brilliant author who is very skilled at making history come to life in a most pleasing way. The reader is quickly drawn into the story and I felt like I was actually there watching all the events unfold. I felt at times that I could smell the blood, sweat and fear of the characters, so vivid were the descriptions.

The story is told from both the Roman and Macedonian army giving the reader a full understanding of the invasion from both sides. As always the historical detail is amazing with the author clearly having done extensive research. This is backed up with some wonderful maps and an historical glossary at the end of the book which further increases the reader’s knowledge of the subject and helps set the scene in their mind.

I haven’t read anything about this period of history so I found this book to be utterly fascinating. I was very absorbed in the story and found the book to be quite gripping because of this as I wanted to find out what would happen next.

This is the first in an exciting new series and I’m sure intrigued to read the next in the series. If you like vivid and absorbing historical fiction then you’ll love this book.

Huge thanks to Tracy and for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orion for my copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.

About The Author:

Ben Kane is a bestselling Roman author and former veterinarian. He was born in Kenya and grew up in Ireland (where his parents are from). He has traveled widely and is a lifelong student of military history in general, and Roman history in particular. He lives in North Somerset, England, with his family.

Twitter @BenKaneAuthor

Facebook – Ben Kane Books

Book Synopsis:

In a quiet village surrounded by the imposing Italian Alps, a series of brutal assaults take place.

Police inspector Teresa Battaglia is called in when the first body is found. Soon more victims are discovered – all horrifically mutilated – and when a new-born baby is kidnapped, Teresa’s investigation becomes a race against the clock.

But Teresa is also fighting a battle against her own body, weighed down by age and diabetes, and her mind, once invincible and now slowly gnawing away at her memory…

Flowers Over The Inferno is available in ebook and hardback now. The ebook is currently only £1. 99. You can purchase a copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

Ooh this was a very interesting, atmospheric crime novel that manages to be different in a popular genre.

Firstly I loved the wonderful team of Teresa and Massimo who seemed very well suited to each other. Teresa is more old school with lots of knowledge and experience to bring to the case which is normally given in an amusingly abrupt way. Massimo is young and keen to learn so although they originally grate on each other they eventually manage to work together really well. It was so nice to see this relationship development and to see the two of them start to become a team.

The story goes back and forth spanning quite a few timelines and is told from a few points of view which was initially a bit confusing until I got used to it. I felt this helped to add to the tension and intrigue in the story as things are slowly revealed. The isolated setting also helped add to the menace as you get a sense of the villagers living by their own rules.

The murder investigation is very intriguing and I enjoyed watching the detectives try to solve the case. The descriptions of the murders are quite graphic and gory at times which might not be to everyone’s case thought I found I was too interested in the story to care about this. The story brings up a few interesting topics that I found quite thought provoking and ensured that I continued thinking about the book long after I’d finished reading it.

This is the author’s debut novel and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. I hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Teresa as thought she was a fabulous main character, very different from normal police detectives. This book would also make a great book for a book club or reading group as I feel there would be lots to discuss.

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Gigi Croft from W&N publishers for my copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.

About The Author:

ILARIA TUTI lives in Friuli, in the far north-eastern part of Italy.
FLOWERS OVER THE INFERNO, her debut novel and the first book in the Teresa Battaglia trilogy, was a top 10 bestseller on publication and the biggest debut of 2018 in Italy. Rights for the novel have been sold in over 15 countries, making her one of the most internationally successful Italian authors of recent years.

Book Synopsis:

Sunderland, 1942: Polly’s heart and her future are hanging in the balance…

Polly’s sweetheart Tommy has been declared missing while serving overseas, and although there is no certainty that he is dead, there is no guarantee that he will return home. Now Polly needs her friends more than ever, and the other women welders are ready to rally around her while she waits for news.

The only one not showing support is shipyard manager, Helen. But looks can be deceiving, and beneath her cold exterior, Helen is wrestling with demons of her own, including one life-changing decision that could lead to potential ruin.

As the war continues, the shipyard girls must support one another as they bravely soldier on.

The Shipyard Girls is published in paperback and ebook on the 21 February 2019. You can pre-order your copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

Courage Of The Shipyard Girls is another enthralling addition to the Shipyard Girls series which seems to just get better and better.

One of the things I like the most about this series is that the books always start off where the last book ended. There is never a lot of preamble or recapping of the story which is what normally happens in similar books. Instead the reader is thrown straight into the story again and the lives of the Shipyard Girls.

I absolutely adore the wonderful descriptions of the friendships that exist between the Shipyard girls. They truly care about each other, knowing instantly that something is wrong with one of them and jumping to try and comfort each other in their time of need, I found myself wishing that I could be their friend as they sounded so fun and lovely to be around,

The story line was quite an emotional one for me as Polly has always been one of my favourite characters and I really felt for her when she gets news of her husband being missing in action. Her relationship with Tommy has always made me smile and the fact that readers of the series have seen the relationship develop right from the start made for a very poignant read. I felt very involved in the story, feeling anxious alongside Polly as she waits for news.

The story is quite a fast paced one as there is always something happening with one of the characters to keep the reader entertained and firmly glued to the page. The story lines were well developed but never rushed allowing the reader to fully enjoy them and become fully immersed in the story.

I’ve read all the books in this series and can’t wait to read the next installment. If you are looking for a fantastic historical series to get stuck into then you need to try this series as it is utterly brilliant!

Huge thanks to Rachel Kennedy for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley that I received in exchange for an honest review.

About The Author:

Nancy Revell is the Sunday Times bestseller author of The Shipyard Girls series, which is set in the north-east of England during World War Two.
Nancy is the pen name of Amanda Revell Walton, a former journalist who worked for all the national newspapers, providing them with hard-hitting news stories and in-depth features. She also wrote amazing and inspirational true life stories for just about every woman’s magazine in the country.
When she first started writing The Shipyard Girls series, Nancy relocated back to her hometown of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, along with her husband, Paul, and their English Bull Mastiff, Rosie. They now live just a short walk away from the beautiful award-winning beaches of Roker and Seaburn, within a mile of where the books are set.
The Shipyard Girls is particularly close to Nancy’s heart as she comes from a long line of shipbuilders, who were well known in the area.

Book Synopsis:

Dan Matlock is out of jail. He’s got a choice. Stay or leave. Go back to where it all went wrong, or just get out of the county. Disappear. Start again as someone else. But it’s not as simple as that. 

There’s the matter of the man he killed. It wasn’t murder, but even so. You tell that to the family. Especially when that family is the Mintons, who own half of what’s profitable and two-thirds of what’s crooked between the Wolds and the coast. Who could have got to Matlock as easy as you like in prison, but who haven’t touched him. Not yet.

Like Matlock found out in prison, there’s no getting away from yourself. So what’s the point in not facing up to other people?

It’s time to go home.

East Of England is available in ebook and paperback now. Purchase your copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

This was a gripping, gritty read that I’d love to see made into a film one day as I think it would be very cool!

Firstly the author does a great job of setting the scene for this book with his rundown, slightly seedy seaside location. It was quite a realistic setting that I could well imagine at many of the seaside towns in England. It hints at a darker world away from the bright lights at the sea front and makes the reader very intrigued about what is going to happen.

Matlock was an interesting main character and it took me a while to warm to him. He’s a very hard, cold and calculating man who I’m very glad I haven’t had the misfortune to meet. However as the book progressed I found that I was actually on his side and was hoping that things would go his way.

This was quite a dark book and some of the violence was quite graphically described, making for an uncomfortable read at times. There is a lot of tension which is slowly increased building to an fantastic ending! The style of the book is a bit unusual and took me a little while to get used to but once I had I felt that it actually added something to the story which I thought was very cleverly done.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Unbound for my copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.

About The Author:

Eamonn Griffin was born and raised in Lincolnshire, though these days he lives in north-east Wales. 

He’s worked as a stonemason, a strawberry picker, in plastics factories (everything from packing those little bags for loose change you get from banks to production planning via transport manager via fork-lift driving), in agricultural and industrial laboratories, in a computer games shop, and latterly in further and higher education.

He doesn’t do any of that any more. Instead, he writes fulltime, either as a freelancer, or else on fiction. 

Eamonn has collected a PhD, an MA, an assortment of teaching qualifications, and a BSc along the way. He really likes biltong, and has recently returned to learning to play piano, something he abandoned when he was about seven and has regretted since. 

Good morning everyone I’m on the blog tour for It’s No Secret by Danielle Downey today and have a fun guest post to share with you all.

Before I share my guest post with you here is a bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Danielle knew early on that she was not like most children at her school.
With a chaotic home life riddled with violence, neglect, abuse and poverty she learned early on how to survive and adapt.

Every challenge taught her a valuable lesson about resilience and self-motivation allowing her to develop an unshakable positive mindset, along with a sense of humour.

This book takes the reader on a journey detailing the life-changing events which tested Danielle’s resilience and willpower. She bravely shares the difficult choices she was forced to make in order to safeguard her precious family as long-forgotten secrets are revealed.

This uplifting, shocking and empowering book chronicles Danielle’s story and her determination to never let her past define her future.

It promises to inspire the reader that change and choice are absolutely possible and that nothing is ever insurmountable.

It’s No Secret is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

Guest Post:

10 things you don’t know about me….

1. I own a metal detector
2. My favourite programme is digging for Britain.
3. I sing ALOT.
4. I can say the longest railway station name correctly- ‘llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch’
5. I speak fluent Guinea pig when alone
6. I am an avid Plastic Warrior on our local beach
7. My favourite supper is smash potato, baked beans and fish fingers!!
8. Whilst not built for running, I run so that I can eat more cake!!
9. I am a ginger wannabe
10. I always wanted to perform on the West End in Musicals. Instead I became a midwife!!

About The Author:

Danielle lives in Devon with her children and husband. Her own experiences in overcoming adversity allow her to be a positive role model, inspiring others that thriving after surviving is truly possible.

Follow Danielle aka @crazykids48 on Twitter, Visit danielledowney.co.uk

Good morning everyone I’m pleased to be kicking off the blog tour for The Belle Hotel by Craig Melvin today!

The Belle Hotel will be published in ebook and paperback on the 21st February 2019 but you can pre-order your copy using the link below.

Book Synopsis:

13 October 2008. Welcome to the worst day of Chef Charlie Sheridan’s life, the day he’s about to lose his two great loves: his childhood sweetheart, Lulu, and the legendary Brighton hotel his grandfather, Franco Sheridan, opened in 1973.

This is the story of the Belle Hotel, one that spans the course of four decades – from the training of a young chef in the 1970s and 80s, through the hedonistic 90s, up to the credit crunch of the noughties – and leads us right back to Charlie’s present-day suffering.

In this bittersweet and salty tale, our two Michelin star-crossed lovers navigate their seaside hangout for actors, artists and rock stars; the lure of the great restaurants of London; and the devastating effects of three generations of family secrets.

My Review:

The Belle Hotel is a unique and funny book that was an entertaining read.

The story follows the lives of Franco and Charlie as they try to manage The Belle Hotel throughout the years. This hotel definitely has a colourful history and the reader has a fly on the wall view of all the highs and lows that it goes through. I liked the funny chapter headings that seemed to sum up in just one sentence what each decade was about and never failed to make me smile. I’ve heard a lot from my parents about how kippers were very fashionable in the 70s so found it quite amusing to read about The Kippers Wars!

The two owners of the hotel were very interesting and I found I kept changing my opinion about them throughout the book. On one hand I felt sorry for them as they both seemed to work quite hard for little reward and never seemed to be able to just relax and enjoy the experience. However on the other they made me groan out loud over some of the decisions they make which even I realised were daft ones! Lulu was another intriguing character who whilst obviously exasperated by Charlie and his antics obviously still wants to help him which I thought showed a lot about who she was as a person.

I found this story quite compelling and surprisingly gripping in places as there always seemed to be something going on at the hotel or with its owners. The story is broken up by recipes and letters which added to the story and made it seem quite realistic. The author is actually in the hotel industry so I did wonder at times if any if the book was based on real life experiences, though for his sake I hope they didn’t happen directly to him.

This is the author’s first book and I’d definitely like to read more from him in the future as I think he gives an insightful look into the hotel industry.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Unbound publishers for my copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.

About The Author:

Craig Melvin holds an MA in Creative Writing from Sussex University and works as restaurant consultant in
London and Brighton. He was mentored by Albert Roux at catering college and has worked in the restaurant and hotel business ever since. He also runs http://www.lunarlemonproductions.com with his wife Mel. The Belle Hotel is his first book.

Book Synopsis:

An essential lifestyle guide to reducing headaches and other symptoms related to migraine, vertigo, and Meniere’s disease. Its “slow-approach” plan and more than 75 trigger-free recipes set readers up for success—even when they’re in pain.

In The Migraine Relief Plan, certified health and wellness coach Stephanie Weaver outlines a new, step-by-step lifestyle approach to reducing migraine frequency and severity.

Using the latest research, her own migraine diagnosis, and extensive testing, Weaver has designed an accessible plan to help those living with migraine, headaches, or Meniere’s disease. Over the course of eight weeks, the plan gradually transitions readers into a healthier lifestyle, including key behaviors such as regular sleep, trigger-free eating, gentle exercise, and relaxation techniques. The book also collects resources—shopping lists, meal plans, symptom tracking charts, and kitchen-tested recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner—to provide readers with the tools they need to be successful.

The Migraine Relief Plan encourages readers to eat within the guidelines while still helping them follow personal dietary choices, like vegan or Paleo, and navigate challenges, such as parties, work, and travel. A must-have resource for anyone who lives with head pain, this book will inspire you to rethink your attitude toward health and wellness.

The Migraine Relief Plan is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I’ve suffered from headaches most of my life and, though apparently they aren’t bad enough to be called migraines, I’ve often been told that diet can help ease them. I was therefore quite intrigued to read this book.

Firstly this book is very easy to read and the advice is easy to follow. The author includes a comprehensive list of foods that should be avoided which was very interesting as I’d only ever been told about three (cheese, chocolate and citrus fruits) before.

With three children I find it quite hard to find time to cook so although I haven’t tried any of the recipes included in the book they all sound quite yummy! They seemed to need a bit if preparation so I think they would require a bit of time to create.

I read an ebook copy of this book and whilst I found it fine to read I think this is the type of book which would be better as a paperback copy as I think it would be easier to find sections quicker.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.

About The Author:

Stephanie Weaver, M.P.H. is an author, blogger, and certified wellness and health coach. She has a Master of Public Health in Nutrition Education from the University of Illinois. Her recipes have been featured in Cosmopolitan, Bon Appétit, Cooking Light, Parade, and more. She lives in San Diego.

Book Synopsis:

1686, Iceland.

An isolated, windswept landscape.

Rósa is newly betrothed to Jón.

The villagers look on them with suspicion – they don’t trust outsiders.

They whisper dark threats.

There is an evil here, Rósa can feel it.

Alone and far from home, Rósa sees the darkness coming.

She fears she will be its next victim . . . 

The Glass Woman is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase a copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

The Glass Woman is an extraordinary novel that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It manages to be atmospheric, gripping and very dark which makes it the perfect book to snuggle up with on cold nights.

Firstly the Icelandic settings is superbly described so that the reader can picture the scenes vividly. The dark, volatile landscape almost becomes another character as it sits brooding in the background and seems to reflect Rósa’s mood as the book progresses which I thought was very clever. I also loved learning more about Icelandic culture and a bit about their myths or legends which they used to believe in. I’d not read much about rumes so I found that bit particularly interesting.

Rósa was a very interesting character but one that took me a little while warm to. She seemed quite full of herself at the beginning and I didn’t like how she threw everything away even if it was meant to be for selfless reasons. However she soon grew on me and I found I admired her bravery and determination.

This book was surprisingly gripping and there was always an underlying feeling that something was going to happen which helped add to a lot of the tension in the book. I found myself gripped pretty much from the start as I wanted to find out how the story would develop. As I grew to like Rósa my concern for her welfare increased and I wanted to keep reading to make sure she was ok.

I absolutely loved the ending and thought it was the perfect way to end the book. I was so pleased this is worked out how they did though wish it had maybe continued a little further as I would love to have read more.

This is unbelievably the author’s debut novel and I’m very excited to read more from her. This is definitely a book I’ll be thinking about for a while.

Huge thanks to Jenny Platt from Michael St Joseph for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.

About The Author:

Caroline Lea grew up in Jersey and gained a First in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Warwick, where she now teaches on the Creative Writing degree. Her fiction and poetry have been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, the Fish Short Story Competition and various flash fiction prizes. She currently lives in Warwick with her two young children and is writing her next novel.

Book Synopsis:

BREAKING: Nuclear weapon detonates over Washington

Historian Jon Keller is on a trip to Switzerland when the world ends. As the lights go out on civilisation, he wishes he had a way of knowing whether his wife, Nadia, and their two daughters are still alive. More than anything, Jon wishes he hadn’t ignored Nadia’s last message.

Twenty people remain in Jon’s hotel. Far from the nearest city and walled in by towering trees, they wait, they survive.

Then one day, the body of a young girl is found. It’s clear she has been murdered. Which means that someone in the hotel is a killer.

As paranoia descends, Jon decides to investigate. But how far is he willing to go in pursuit of justice? And what kind of justice can he hope for, when society as he knows it no longer exists?

My Review:

The thing I most enjoy about dystopian fiction is the chance to explore the author’s great imagination through the world they have created . The Last was a very well imagined and frightening story made all the more so by how realistic it seemed. The nuclear weapon is detonated because a politician makes a mistake, which is seeming increasingly likely in today’s political climate. I found myself instantly drawn into this world, trying to work out how I’d fit into it which is always a sign that I’m enjoying a book.

The characters or residents of the hotel are all very varied and well developed. It was fascinating to read about how much they change over the course of the book. The fear and uncertainty that the characters feel are almost palpable at times and I found myself feeling very sorry for them.

This is quite a character driven novel though it is still quite gripping as the more I got to know the characters, the more involved in their story I became. I wanted to keep reading to find out not only who the murder was but also what would happen to everyone.

The murder mystery side of the story was very intriguing and I enjoyed watching it develop. The evidence is tantalisingly revealed and I found myself changing my mind frequently as to who the murder could be.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’ll definitely be going back to read her previous novels soon. The Last manages to be both a dystopian and a murder mystery which I felt was an interesting mix that worked very well!

Huge thanks to Emily Burns from BrandHive for inviting me onto the tour and to Viking for my copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.

About The Author:

Hanna Jameson’s fourth novel, part murder mystery and part post-apocalyptic thriller – THE LAST – is out early 2019, with Viking UK and Simon & Schuster – Atria Books US. The Last is the story of an American academic searching for the truth about a girl who has been murdered in his Swiss hotel in the aftermath of a nuclear war that has destroyed most of the Western world.

Jameson had written the first draft of her debut, award-nominated novel – SOMETHING YOU ARE – at just seventeen. Something You Are and two further novels in the series – GIRL SEVEN and ROAD KILL – are available now in the UK, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.

She lives in London currently, and is working on screenwriting projects. She likes whiskey, history, and emotionally taxing TV shows.