Good morning everyone and happy weekend.  To celebrate Only Child by Rhiannon Navin bring published in paperback last week, I’m re-sharing my review of this fantastic book.  Its been months since I first read this book and I’m still thinking of it now.

You can buy you copy of this fantastic book here.

Book Synopsis:

We all went to school that Tuesday like normal. Not all of us came home.

When the unthinkable happens, six-year-old Zach is at school. Huddled in a cloakroom with his classmates and teacher, he is too young to understand that life will never be the same again.

Afterwards, the once close-knit community is left reeling. Zach’s dad retreats. His mum sets out to seek revenge. Zach, scared, lost and confused, disappears into his super-secret hideout to try to make sense of things. Nothing feels right – until he listens to his heart . . .

But can he remind the grown-ups how to love again?

Narrated by Zach, Only Child is full of heart; a real rollercoaster of a read that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.

My Review:

German by birth, Rhiannon Navin now lives in New York. She is married, with three children and two cats. This is her first novel.

Book Synopsis:

London, 1926. Two baby girls are born just hours and miles apart. One you know as the Queen of England, but what of the other girl- the daughter of an undertaker named in her honour? Betsy Sunshine grows up surrounded by death in war-torn London, watching her community grieve for their loved ones whilst dealing with her own teenage troubles… namely her promiscuous sister Margie. As Betsy grows older we see the how the country changes through her eyes, and along the way we discover the birth of a secret that threatens to tear her family apart.

Sophie Duffy dazzles in her latest work of family/historical fiction. A tale which spans generations to explore the life and times of a family at the heart of their community, the story of a stoic young woman who shares a connection with her queenly counterpart in more ways than one…

Betsy and Lilibet is available now in ebook and paperback.  You can purchase your copy of both here.

My Review:

Betsy and Lilibet is a wonderful, charming and funny story that I absolutely adored!

The story follows Betsy throughout her whole life, from her birth through the war and all that followed in the twentieth century.  Interspersed with this is Betsy as a 90 year old, remembering her life from a nursing home and quotes from Queen Elizabeth II who despite only meeting her three times has a big influence on Betsy’s life.

It’s hard not to fall in love with Betsy and her wonderful descriptions of her life, particularly when she was a kid.  Her unique narrative and childlike view of things made me smile and laugh out loud at times.  She was such a relatable, real character and some of the incidents she mentions relating to her sister were things I remember arguing with my sister about.  She obviously had a huge chip on her shoulders regarding her sister, feeling she’s never as good as she is which tugged at my heart strings as, from my point of view, she was by far the nicer sister!

Betsy’s family is another fabulous creation from the author and some of my favourite scenes from the book were those involving her family.  They are obviously very close and share a wonderful warmth that was touching to read about.  The family run an undertakers which helped add a new element to the story and shapes Betsy, as her father always installs in her a quiet dignity when dealing with the dead that Betsy takes with her throughout her life.

There are quite a few surprising twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting in this story and definitely made the story more interesting.  The book reads a bit like an autobiography or diary rather than a piece of historical fiction which makes it very readable.  The reader becomes aware early on of a secret that Betsy has kept secret most of her life and still worries her in old age.  Throughout the book we learn more about this and it was great to read about Betsy working through her worries.

This is the first book by this author I have read and I will definitely be reading more from her in the future.  If you liked Any Human Heart by William Boyd then you’ll enjoy this book as I felt the styles were similar.

Huge thanks to Lucy from Legend Press for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.  If you like historical fiction with heart then you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

Book Synopsis:

What if a death sentence meant you could get away with murder?

Claudia and Heather have been friends and neighbours for many years and both women decide it is the right time for them to leave their husbands. Together they get a flat but their peace is short-lived when Claudia is diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Being a good friend, Heather takes on caring for Claudia but a lethal meeting with James, Claudia’s ex-husband, results in someone dying.

As life for Claudia and Heather begins to unravel, the answer to their problems becomes clear… it’s murder.

Malignant is available in paperback and ebook now.  The ebook is currently only 99p.  You can purchase your copy of both here.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of Anita Waller and I couldn’t wait to read her latest book Malignant.  I was not disappointed as Malignant is a fantastic book that manages to combine a crime story with a heartbreaking one amazingly well.

I absolutely loved the two main female characters Heather and Claudia.  They are such wonderful strong individuals that show a lot of strength and courage to do what they do and start again.  I warmed to them straight away and wanted things to go right for them, getting overly cross when they started to go wrong.  I wanted to keep reading to see if they’d get the happy ending I felt they deserved.

This is described as a psychological thriller and that side of the book is done extremely well too.  There are lots of twists and turns as well as moments that made me gasp out loud which did help make the book hard to put down.  However, in my opinion, this is eclipsed by the human aspect of the story and the heart breaking things that the characters face.

I’ve read most of Anita’s books but I think this one is my favourite so far as I felt so engaged with the characters.  I think it’s definitely a story that I’ll remember for a while.  If you like emotional psychological thrillers with some fabulous character yoully love this book.

Huge thanks to Sarah and Emma from Bloodhound books for inviting me onto the blog tour and sending me a copy of this book.

About The Author:

Book Synopsis:

Annie is the dream wife.

Mother to two-year-old Johnny and wife to David, she is everything her husband expects her to be – supportive, respectful and mild – but what he expects isn’t who she truly is.

Annie is a prisoner in her home.

Her finances, her routine, her social life are all controlled by him. It’s the love for her boy that she lives for, and at night she dreams of a world where she is free.

But Annie is going to fight back.

And you won’t believe how she is going to do it . . .

Perfect for fans of Cara Hunter, Laura Marshall, Elle Croft, BA Paris, JP Delaney Teresa Driscoll and Claire Allan. 

The Dream Wife is published today in ebook and paperback.  The ebook is currently only £1.99.  You can purchase your copy of both here.

My Review:

It’s rare that I’m speechless at the end of a book but this one just completely amazed me. What an ending! Wow I did not see that coming! It’s going to be hard to review this book without giving too much away but I really enjoyed this dark, tension filled and unsettling book.

From the start the reader is aware that something isn’t quite right in Annie’s life as they are introduced to her mad cleaning routines where everything has to be just right.  The things her husband expects her to do and how he expects her to behave is shocking to read about.  I soon felt very sorry for Annie and the situation she finds herself in.  The only bright light in Annie’s world is her son, Johnny and I loved reading about her interaction with him.  The little games that she plays with him were so sweet and it was great to read about the close relationship she has with him.  This part of the book reminded me a bit of ‘Room’ as the style and intense mother-son relationship were both similar.

Annie husband is possible the most loathesome character I’ve ever come across in a book.  His attitude and the way he treats Annie just made my blood boil especially what he says after she’s given birth! Even though I hated him I always think that characters that provoke such a strong reaction are great as they mean that they have been very well written.  I found myself hoping that Annie would get her revenge on him and that he would get what he deserved.

The book is very fast paced and gripped me from the start with the unusual situation that Annie finds herself in.  I was immediately on Annie’s side and wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen.  As an unexpected twist is promised in the blurb I had lots of ideas about what it might be, but was wrong (very wrong) as the ending completely surprised me.

This, unbelievably, is the author’s debut novel and I’m so so excited to read more from her.  This would make a fantastic book club book as I’m desperate to discuss it with someone else, so I’m sure it will create lots of lively discussions.

Huge thanks to Orion publishers for my copy of this book via Netgalley and to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour.  If you like dark, addictive thrillers that surprise you then you’ll love this book!

About The Author:

I started out studying Psychology at the University of Southampton, before spending many years working in HR. But I had always wanted to be a writer, and now work as a copywriter, proof reader and editor.

I am delighted to have the lovely Ed Wilsonat Johnson & Alcock as my agent. My debut novel, THE DREAM WIFE, is published by Orion, and out now in eBook and paperback on 4th October 2018. It will be followed by DOUBLE TAKE in autumn 2019.

I live in Hampshire with my son and husband. When I’m not writing I can be found pounding the streets in running shoes, or hiding behind a camera lens. I have too many book cases, too many books I haven’t read, and too much of an addiction to American tv.

Follow me on Twitter @paperclipgirl, Instagram @loudelangewriter or Facebook @loudelangewriter.

(Author’s bio taken from her website & picture from her Twitter account)

Book Synopsis:

The First Graphic Adaptation of the Multi-Million Bestseller

’12th June, 1942: I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.’

In the summer of 1942, fleeing the horrors of the Nazi occupation, Anne Frank and her family were forced into hiding in the back of an Amsterdam warehouse.

Aged thirteen when she went into the secret annexe, Anne Frank kept a diary in which she confided her innermost thoughts and feelings, movingly revealing how the eight people living under these extraordinary conditions coped with the daily threat of discovery and death.

Adapted by Ari Folman, illustrated by David Polonsky, and authorized by the Anne Frank Foundation in Basel, this is the first graphic edition of the beloved diary of Anne Frank.

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation is available now in hardback and ebook.  You can purchase your copy by clicking ‘buy’ below.

My Review:

I have to admit that when I first received this book I was a little unsure whether the cartoon format would be able to do justice to such a well known and tragic story.  However my fears where unfounded as this is a great graphic adaption that will surely allow this story to reach a whole new younger audience.

The graphic nature of this book actually helps to bring the story to life and makes the story of what happened seem even more poignant as the victims have faces.  This was especially true of pictures showing the younger victims as it is impossible to ignore the fact that they were involved to.

The stark contrast between the unfolding tragedy of the holocaust and Anne’s teenage personality are also more obvious.  It was nice at times to see her childlike innocence shine through but then also very poignant as it illustrates how young she was when all this happenned.  This was made even more obvious by the illustrations as bright colours where used for these parts as well as in flash backs or day dreams of Anne.

I remember reading Anne Frank’s Diary when I was younger and finding it quite a hard read.  This graphic adaption will ensure that this important book, with its important message reaches the next generation to hopefully ensure that nothing similar happens in the future.  I think it will also help people understand better what discrimination means and the effect it can have.

Huge thanks to Ruth Killick and Viking Books for my copy of this book.  If you’d like to see a classic story come to life or a different way of introducing the holocaust to children then you’ll like this book.  I think this would be a great book to have in schools as it would help increase children’s understanding of a dark period of history.

About The Author:

David Polonsky is an award-winning illustrator and designer, who illustrated Waltz with Bashir.

Book Synopsis:

The new gorgeously sweeping historical novel from Sarah Maine, the acclaimed author of The House Between Tides and Beyond the Wild River. Perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Jenny Ashcroft.

On the rugged, sea-lashed coast of west Scotland lies Ullaness: home to the Scottish legend of Ulla, a Viking woman who washed up on Scottish shores centuries ago. The legend will bring the stories of three different women together…

In AD 800 there is Ulla, lost in a foreign country after her lover is brutally killed. Ellen, a servant-girl in the 1800s, catches the unwanted attentions of the master of the house’s lascivious son. And, in the present day, there is Libby – an archaeologist who is determined to uncover an age-old mystery.

When a body is excavated from Ullaness – the body of someone who was murdered long ago – the mystery deepens, and the fates of the three women become ever more tightly bound.

Women Of The Dunes is available in ebook and hardback now.  You can purchase your copy here.

My Review:

I’m such a huge fan of Sarah Maine’s so was very excited to read The Women Of The Dunes, her latest book.  Sarah always writes such amazing historical fiction and within a few pages I realised I was in for another treat.

The story is told from three timelines which may sound like it will be confusing but isn’t as the author cleverly manages to write with a different style and has created very different characters in each.  This makes it very easy to differentiate between the them.

All the stories are fascinating in their own way and I enjoyed reading all of them in turn though, unusually for me, I actually preferred the present timeline the most.  I think this was due to the potential relationship between the two main characters that I was willing to happen as I thought they’d be very sweet together and Declan’s wonderful house and family that you couldn’t help fall in love with.  I would have loved to stay in that interesting house, especially with their cook who seemed to make some lovely sounding food.

The descriptions of Ullaness where very vivid and I felt I could really imagine the Island.  The beautiful, ruggedness and history of the Island was beautifully described and I would love to visit there some day.  Though my Scottish mother in-law tells me it’s very windy and cold! The community that the author describes was a really close one who seemed to look out for each other.  It seemed like a wonderful place to live.

The mystery involving the murders and the truth behind the legend was very interesting and kept my attention throughout.  I was disappointed to find that the legend wasn’t a real one, as I love stuff like that but it was still a fascinating one to read about.

This is Sarah’s third book and I really look forward to reading more from her in the future.  If you enjoy fascinating, multiple time line mysteries then you’ll enjoy this book.

Huge thanks to Hodder publishers for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Sarah Maine was born in England but grew up partly in Canada before returning to England for university. She studied archaeology and for many years worked in the profession but is now a freelance writer and researcher. Sarah’s debut novel The House Between Tides (previously Bhalla Strand 2014) was re-published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2018. Beyond the Wild River (2017) is her second novel and Women of the Dunes will be published in 2018.

Book Synopsis:

Harry Rechthart always knew how to laugh, but laughter can hide a lot of pain that’s drowned by the bottle and good times. He grew up the joker in the early 1900s in Cleveland, Ohio, but as he enters adulthood, conflict splits him. His once close relationship with his brother, Erik, breaks as they come into their own and Erik goes off to college. No longer under Erik’s shadow, Harry feels he might finally shine and make others see him as someone to be proud of. Harry finds an unlikely comrade who understands how he feels–his younger sister, Hannah. Once free of high school, Harry and Hannah double date sister and brother, Kat and Will Jones, attending wild, extravagant parties during the years of Prohibition. Harry thinks he’s won at life–he’s found love in Kat, in a good time, and in the bottle. But all the light goes out fast when Harry’s alcoholism leads to disastrous consequences for him and Kat.

Harry thinks the joke’s on him now that he’s sunk lower than ever. He’s in jail. He’s pushed away his family. He’s a broken man, but in the darkest depths of a prison cell, there is hope. Can Harry rebuild his life and learn that true laughter comes from knowing true joy, or will he bury himself once and for all in this laughing matter of pain?

A Laughing Matter Of Pain is available in ebook and paperback now.  You can purchase your copy here.

My Review:

Cynthia Hudson is an author I’ve heard lots about but have never had the chance to read before.  I’m so glad to have read The Laughing Matter Of Pain as I thought it a very interesting and thought provoking book.

The author really brings the 1920’s and the prohibition era to life with her fantastic descriptions of wild parties where lots of bath tub gin was drunk.  I’ve often thought I’d like to have been alive in this era so enjoyed experiencing it all alongside the characters.

Harry was a very intriguing and relatable character that you couldn’t help but like.  I felt very sorry for him living under the shadow of his brother and for all that befalls him.  He seems such a real character as he isn’t perfect and makes mistakes.  This means it was very easy to get behind him and hope that things go well for him.  His attempts to change were very sweet to read about and I admired his bravery to face up to his problems.

The book covers some serious subjects in alcoholism and whether you can tell when people are hiding a problem.  The author sensitively addresses this problem without over dramatising it and therefore makes it seem very real.  Facts are cleverly mixed into the story and I found it fascinating to learn more about the problem.

This is the author’s third book but the first I’ve read and I’ll definitely be interested in reading more from her in the future.  If you are a fan of well written, fascinating historical fiction then you’ll love this book.

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:

Cynthia Hilston is a thirty-something-year-old stay at home mom of three young kids, happily married. Writing has always been like another child to her. After twenty years of waltzing in the world of fan fiction, she has stepped away to do her debut dance with original works of fiction. In her spare time – what spare time? – she devours books, watches Doctor Who and Game of Thrones, pets her orange kitty, looks at the stars, and dreams of what other stories she wishes to tell.

Book Synopsis:

Blue lives a charmed life. From her family’s townhouse in Richmond, she lives a life of luxury and couldn’t want for anything – well, on the surface at least.

Then on the night of her twenty-first birthday her father makes a startling toast: he will give his daughter’s hand to whichever man can capture her heart best in the form of a love letter. But Blue has other ideas and, unwilling to play at her father’s bewildering games, she sets out on her own path to find her own destiny…

Darling Blue is available now in hardback and ebook.  It will be published in paperback on the 1st November 2018.  You can purchase or pre-order your copy here.

My Review:

Darling Blue is a wonderful story set in the 1920’s about love, life and finding yourself that was fantastic to read.

Firstly I loved the Camberwells, Blue’s family.  Their obvious love for each other was so nice to read about, particularly as most books seem to focus on dysfunctional families.  They are so kind and supportive which just makes you warm to them.  I would definitely have liked to be a member of their family.

I thought the idea of writing a letter to win Blue’s hand was a fabulous, sweet idea from Blue’s father.  I think it showed how much he knew and cared about his daughter.  It was great to read all the letters, to see the different styles and the sentiments expressed.  I enjoyed trying to guess who wrote what and who Blue would go for.

This was a charming, easy read that just invites the reader into Blue’s world and let’s them relax into the story.  There are a few story lines running through the book which were well developed and plenty happening to keep my interest.  This is definitely a ‘feel good’ book and I closed the book with a contented sigh, though I was sad to leave the wonderful characters behind.

I have read all of Tracy’s books and in my opinion she keeps getting better and better.  Darling Blue is easily her best book yet! I’m normally a bit cautious when I see one author compared to another buying this case the comparison to Lucinda Riley was justified.

Huge thanks to Ella from Quercus books for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.  If you like historical fiction that just emerses you into the story, making you want to live in the characters world then you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

Tracy Rees has been called “the most outstanding new voice in historical fiction” by Lucinda Riley and her books are paperback and kindle bestsellers. She was the winner of the Richard and Judy ‘Search for a Bestseller’ Competition. A Cambridge graduate, she had a successful eight-year career in nonfiction publishing and a second career practising and teaching humanistic counselling before becoming a writer. She lives in Wales.

Visit Tracy on twitter at @AuthorTracyRees

(Author picture and bio from Amazon).

Good morning everyone and welcome to a very special blog tour to celebrate all of Le Carré’s 27 books being published as modern classics and that The Drummer Girl has been adapted for the BBC!

Our Game is available to buy now, along with all his other books, in all formats.  You can purchase your copy here.

Before I share details of my Giveaway and how you can win a copy of Our Game here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Le Carré’s post-Cold War masterpiece, filled with suspense, betrayal, desire and drama

The Cold War is over and retired secret servant Tim Cranmer has been put out to pasture, spending his days making wine on his Somerset estate. But then he discovers that his former double agent Larry ­- dreamer, dissolute, philanderer and disloyal friend – has vanished, along with Tim’s mistress. As their trail takes him to the lawless wilds of Russia and the North Caucasus, he is forced to question everything he stood for.

My Review:

Our Game is classic John Le Carré and one of my favourite books of his.  John Le Carré writes in an unique style that makes me feel that he is narrating the book to me.  This makes his books very enjoyable for me as I do love being read to.

The atmosphere of uncertainty and suspicion in the Cold War era is brilliantly described.  The tension in this book was almost palpable at times as the investigation develops and the reader is given the feeling that anything could happen at any time.  I wasn’t sure which of the characters I could trust which kept me on my toes and increased my enjoyment of the book as I love unreliable characters.

One of the things I most like about Le Carré’s books is that I always learn something new.  He manages to perfectly blend historical information into his books so that the reader doesn’t even realise they are being educated.  In Our Game Le Carré manages to tell both sides of the Cold War which was very interesting to read about, especially as I hadn’t read a lot of books from the Russian point of view.  His fair and detailed account makes the reader question what they know and wonder about who was actually in the right!

I’ve read quite a few Le Carré books and I’m definitely going to read more in the future.  I’d love to start a collection of the new Modern Classics collection as I love the distinctive covers.

Huge thanks to Sarah Wright from Penguin Press for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.  If you like thrilling, historical crime novels then you’ll love this book!

International Giveaway!

I’m so excited to have copy of Our Game to giveaway today! All you have to do to enter is comment below, or on the post on my Facebook page, telling me what you favourite John Le Carré book is.

I’ll keep the draw open until 8am on Monday 1st October.

Good luck everyone!

About The Author:

John le Carré was born in 1931. His third novel, THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, secured him a wide reputation which was consolidated by the acclaim for his trilogy TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, THE HONOURABLE SCHOOLBOY and SMILEY’S PEOPLE. His other novels include THE CONSTANT GARDENER, A MOST WANTED MAN and OUR KIND OF TRAITOR.

Book Synopsis:

The perfect read for fans of Mary Wood, Kitty Neale, Val Wood and Nadine Dorries

Orphaned and destitute, will Grace find her own way in the world?

When Grace’s Ma passes away and her Da’s ship sinks with all hands, Grace is utterly alone in the world. She’s sent to an orphanage in Blackpool, but the master has an eye for a pretty young lass. Grace won’t be his victim, so she runs, destitute, into the night.

In Blackpool, she finds a home with the kindly Sheila and Peggy – and meets a lovely airman. But it’s 1938, and war is on the horizon. Will Grace ever find the happiness and home she deserves?

The Blackpool Lass is available in ebook and paperback now.  It is currently only £1.99 in ebook.  You can buy a copy of both here.

My Review:

Blackpool Lass is a fantastically gripping but heartbreaking historical saga from one of my favourite authors.

I fell in love with Maggie from the start.  She is an incredibly sweet though strong little girl who goes through a lot of heart breaking things in her young life.  Some of the scenes describing her ideal were utterly gut wrenching and quite hard to read at times.  Its unbelievable that some people can act like that with no regard to how it affected Gracie.  I so wanted to be able to give her a hug and adopt her myself.

This is quite a fast paced book with lots of stuff happening or going on all the time.  I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened to Maggie, hoping with all my heart that she got the happy ending I felt she deserved.

The setting in the book is brilliantly evoked and I loved the sense of community that the author manages to describe.  The tight knit fishing village, with everyone looking out for each other was great to read about and I loved how everyone rallied around Grace.  My favourite setting was the wonderful descriptions of the circus and the people who live there.  Their kindness, fun and willingness to help was great to read about and were my favourite bit of the book.

This is the first book in a planned series from Mary Wood writing as Maggie Mason and I can’t wait to read more from her.  If you like realistic, emotional historical saga’s with a fantastic main character that you can’t help falling in love with then you’ll love this book.

Huge thanks to Mary Wood for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Sphere Publishers for my copy of this book!

Weout The Author:

Maggie Mason is a pseudonym for saga author Mary Wood. Mary was born the thirteenth child of fifteen and throughout her life had various factory, office and home-based jobs, finally becoming a Probation Service Officer before she retired.

Mary married in 1963 and with her husband Roy has four children, eight grandchildren, and five step-grandchildren. She got her first book deal in 2013 and has not looked back since.