Book Synopsis:

Haven’t we all wanted to pretend everything is fine?

Jane doesn’t like confrontation. Given the choice, she’d prefer to focus on what’s going well, the good things in life.

But when her husband, Leon, is brutally attacked in the driveway of their home, in front of their two young children, Jane has to face reality. As he lies in a coma, Jane must open her eyes to the problems in her life, and the secrets that have been kept from her, if she’s to find out who hurt her husband – and why.

Maybe it’s time to face up to it all. Who knows what you might find . . .

Open Your Eyes by Paula Daly is available in all forms now and you can purchase your copy here.

My Review:

Ive been a huge fan of Paula Daly for a while and boy oh boy does she know how to write a good thriller!

The thing the most struck me about Open Your Eyes was how realistic it seemed.  This is a story that seemed like it could actually happen, to anyone at any time which was a little freaky to realise and will make me look over my shoulders when on my drive way in future! The little, everyday, disputes that the author includes at the beginning were a brilliantly addition to the narrative as they helped add to the tension and the aforementioned real feel of the book.  I’ve had these arguements with my husband and similar ones, regarding parking, with our neighbours.  It did make me chuckle to read about how Jane and Leon dealt with things.

I warmed to Jane from the start and she was my favourite character in the book.  She seemed to be a woman with a big heart who obvious loves her kids and tries to be nice to her neighbours.when possible.  The reader is privy to her personal thought in the book and they, along with her observations are often hilarious which helps bring some light relief to the book.

This was a gripping read for me which I couldn’t put down.  I found myself sneaking away from the kids, desperate to read a few more pages.  There are numerous twists and turns throughout the book which I didn’t guess and kept me on my toes.  The tantalising way everything is revealed is brilliantly done and I was on the edge of my seat trying to find out where the story was going to go.

Paula Daly is the author of six books and I’m proud to say I’ve read them all.  She is fast becoming one of my favourite authors as when you read one of her books you knowing you are going to get a fantastic read!

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Transworld books for my copy of this book.  If you like realistic, gripping thrillers that you can’t put fodo you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

Paula Daly is the critically acclaimed author of four novels. Her work has been sold in fifteen countries, shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Crime Novel of the Year, and her books are currently being developed for television. She was born in Lancashire and lives in the Lake District with her husband, three children and whippet Skippy.

Good evening everyone! I’m thrilled to be on the blog tour for this wonderful book tonight.  Huge thanks to the lovely Anne for understanding when I was unable to post earlier due to one child going on antibiotics, one having potential chicken pox and not being able to type due to a very painful hand with infected excema.  As someone said it never rains it pours.  I’m typing with one finger so apologies for any typos.

Book Synopsis:

Sam Holloway has survived the worst that life can throw at you. But he’s not really living. His meticulous routines keep everything nice and safe – with just one exception…

Three nights a week, Sam dons his superhero costume and patrols the streets. It makes him feel invincible – but his unlikely heroics are getting him into some sticky, and increasingly dangerous, situations.

Then a girl comes into his life, and his ordered world is thrown into chaos … and now Sam needs to decide whether he can be brave enough to finally take off the mask.

Both hilarious and heart-warming, this is a story about love, loneliness, grief, and the life-changing power of kindness.

The Unlikely Heroics Of Sam Holloway is available now in ebook and paperback, you can buy a copy of both here.

My Review:

Wow this was a gorgeous book.  It managed to be heartbreaking and heart warming at the same time.

Firstly it’s hard not to fall in love with Sam.  I knew I liked him from the first page and soon fell in love with his unique personality and his way of looking at things.  He’s such a sweet, geeky character that I just wanted to wrap him in cottonwool and give him a hug.  I loved his misguided attempts to be a superhero and how he ends up helping a few of them as I felt this really showed the type of person he was.  Throughout the book Sam shares some parts of his childhood with the reader which are heartbreaking to read about.  I was always the odd one out at school so I really felt for Sam at these moments.

This is just the perfect book to sink into and lose yourself in for a few hours.  Sam’s fairly organised and normal (superhero antics aside) life is rocked by a girl’s arrival.  It was fantastic to read about his journey into the unknown and his attempts to let his guard down.  This wasn’t a particularly fast paced book but it was a hugely enjoyable one that would make a great book club read as I think there will be lots to discuss.

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

About The Author:

Good morning everyone I’m pleased to be on the promo tour for One Endless Summer by Laurie Ellingham today.

The One Endless Summer ebook is at the fantastic price of 99p this summer, perfect for downloading and reading on the beach or by the sea!  You can put your copy of the ebook, or paperback, by clicking on the ‘buy’ link below.

To try and entice you further, here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Three best friends.
Three continents.
Three months to live.

How long can you keep a secret?

Three best friends are embarking on an all-expenses paid trip of their dreams. The only catch? Every moment will be documented on film.

Lizzie is finally ready to embrace adventure for the very first time. It’s their last three months together, but it is Lizzie’s time to finally start living!

Jaddi is known for her stunning looks, flirtatious attitude and many conquests. But Jaddi has a secret and on this last trip together she needs to decide whether her best friends will ever know the real her.

Samantha has always been the ‘grown up’ of the group, the one with a five year plan. What Lizzie and Jaddi don’t know is that Sam is trapped, and her perfect life isn’t quite what it seems…

As they trek across the globe Lizzie, Jaddi and Samantha must come to terms with loss, love and trusting one another. But will it all be too late…

‘Speechless at just how breathtaking this book really is.’
Rachel Gilbey

’Mind-blowing, enchanting, heart-breaking, moving, spell-binding and emotional.’
The Writing Garnet

’This is a remarkable book, incredibly uplifting. The perfect summer read.’ Brew and Books Review

About The Author:

Book Synopsis: 

A heartbreaking letter. A girl locked away. A mystery to be solved.

1956. When Ivy Jenkins falls pregnant she is sent in disgrace to St Margaret’s, a dark, brooding house for unmarried mothers. Her baby is adopted against her will. Ivy will never leave.

Present day. Samantha Harper is a journalist desperate for a break. When she stumbles on a letter from the past, the contents shock and move her. The letter is from a young mother, begging to be rescued from St Margaret’s. Before it is too late.
Sam is pulled into the tragic story and discovers a spate of unexplained deaths surrounding the woman and her child. With St Margaret’s set for demolition, Sam has only hours to piece together a sixty-year-old mystery before the truth, which lies disturbingly close to home, is lost for ever…

Read her letter. Remember her story…

The Girl In The Letter is available in ebook and paperback now, the ebook is currently the only 99p.  You can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

Wow this was a stunning read! I really can’t believe this was a debut novel, the book is so well written and paced perfectly that makes it very hard to put down.  I instantly felt involved in the characters lives and stories and wanted to know more about them.

This is an incredibly poignant and emotional story made even more so because it is true.  The events in this book actually happened, unmarried women were treated this way and their babies were taken from that which is truly heartbreaking to read about.  The mind boggles as to how these people got away with this awful treatment of so many young women and worse how their loved ones let it happen.  The author has clearly done her research into these homes and doesn’t sugar coat anything for the reader,  which might be a bit if a trigger for some people.  J certainly found myself crying at parts.  I thought, niavely, that such stuff only happened in Ireland so I was shocked to learn it was common in England too.

This story is very gripping and their were lots of twists which surprised me and made me keep reading long into the night.  Sam’s investigation was well described and I really enjoyed reading about her emotional journey.  Sam handled the situation with great sensitivity but didn’t allow herself to be put off the story which I really admired about her.

As mentioned above, this unbelievably is Emily’s debut novel and I really look forward to reading more from her.  I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone as I think it is a very important book for everyone to read.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Headline for my copy of this book via Netgalley.  If you like gripping, emotional reads about a harrowing part of Britain’s history then you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

(Biography taken from Amazon author page)

Good morning I’m very excited to be kicking off the blog tour for Sunset Over The Cherry Orchard by Jo Thomas.

Sunset Over The Cherry Orchard will be published on the 9th August in ebook and paperback.  You can pre-order your copy here.

Book Synopsis:

It’s time for Beti Winter to dance to her own beat.

After three failed engagements Beti is in desperate need of a fresh start. What better place than the sun-drenched hills of southern Spain?

But it’s not all sangria and siestas. Beti finds work on an old Andalusian cherry farm where there are cherries to be picked, trees to be watered and her fiery boss, Antonio, to win over.

As the sun toasts her skin, Beti finds herself warming to the Spanish way of life. Embracing the art of flamenco, she discovers there is much to learn from the dance of passion. She just has to let loose and listen to the rhythm of her heart.

My Review

Sunset Over The Cherry Orchard is a book of wonderful escapism which was a great summer read for me.

As I might have mentioned before, moving away and starting anew has always appealed to me, so I really enjoyed following Beti’s journey as she tries to start a new life in Spain.  The author has a fabulous way of describing the scene so I can really imagine it in your mind.  I loved the descriptions of sunny Spain and the beautiful sounding Cherry Orchard.  It sounds like a great place to live and work and I found myself a little jealous of Beti getting to be there.

I really liked Beti, she was definitely a character that it’s easy to get behind.  At the beginning I felt for her as it must have been very hard to see your dreams go up in smoke, especially when it’s because of someone close to you.  I felt she was very brave picking herself up and starting again in a new place.  I especially loved the descriptions of her learning flamenco dancing as it’s something that I’ve always been a little fascinated by and I’d love to try.

This is a fantastic book to just relax and fully lose yourself in.  I quickly warmed to Beti and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to her.  As mentioned above I also loved the setting and wanted to drink in as much of Cherry Orchard Farm as I could.

This is the first book by this author that I have read and it definitely won’t be my last as I really enjoyed reading it.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Headline for sending me a copy of this book.  If you like books that offer pure escapism with some wonderful descriptions and brilliant characters then you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, first for BBC Radio 5, before moving on to Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Radio 2’s The Steve Wright Show. In 2013 Jo won the RNA Katie Fforde Bursary. Her debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller in ebook and was awarded the 2014 RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the 2014 Festival of Romance Best Ebook Award. Jo lives in the Vale of Glamorgan with her husband and three children.

I’m delighted to finally be able to share with you my review for the fan The Stranger Within today.  I was meant to be on the blog tour for this Friday but I was away on holiday and had very dodgy WiFi so was unable to post.  Huge thanks to Sarah Hardy for being so nice about everything.

The Strange Within is available now in ebook and paperback, the ebook is currently only 99p.  You can purchase a copy of both here.

Book Synopsis:

Torn away from his family life, DI Denis Hamilton is urgently called into a briefing in the early hours of his weekend off. He must unravel an investigation he thought had long closed.

Putting his personal worries to one side, Hamilton and his Murder Investigation Team come up against a patient with a mental disorder hell-bent on revenge.

Comparing the present day with memories of his tragic past, can Hamilton open his mind to the difficulties of mental illness in order to catch a murderer?

And when a colleague’s life is threatened, can Hamilton unlock the truth of the stranger within before it’s too late?

My Review:

Wow I loved this book.  It gripped me from the start with it’s unusual opening and the fast paced action ensured I didn’t put it down. It was one of those books I carried around with me in the, usual vain, hope that I’d get a second to read it.

The murderer in this book was one of the most unique I’ve read as, I felt sorry for her as she’d clearly had a traumatic past.  Yes she was cruel, calculated and quite violent but once you read a bit of the book you realise why she is doing it.

This book helps to shine the spotlight on mental health problems and how they dealt with in the UK.  It was interesting to learn how a psychiatric hospital for criminals work and to hear of the views towards this kind of care.  I was a bit on the fence as to what side I was on to be honest.

The action in this book is non stop and there is always something happening that makes it a very thrilling and addictive read.  The book is told from multiple points of view, the police, the kidnapped victim and the murderer which really added to my enjoyment of the book and lets you learn more about each of the characters.

This is the first book by this author I have read and I have already bought all the previous books in this series to enjoy.  This book can be read as a standalone like I did as anything necessary is mentioned but I do feel I’d have had an even better (if possible) reading experience if I had read the others first.

Huge thanks to Bloodhounds books for my copy of this book via Netgalley and to Sarah Hardy for inviting me onto the blog tour.  If you like addictive, gripping reads with a fantastic plot you’ll love this book.  It would also make a fabulous beach read as it is almost impossible to put down!

About The Author:

Tara is a crime/psychological thriller author from London, UK. Turning 30 in 2015 propelled her to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. In the Shadows is Tara’s debut solo novel published in March 2016. She co-wrote The Caller and Web of Deceit: A DI Sally Parker novella with New York Times bestselling author, M.A Comley.

In August 2016 Tara signed a two-book contract with Bloodhound Books. The third book in the DI Hamilton series, Deadly Friendship, was published in July 2017 and the fourth is due later this year.

When she’s not writing, Tara can be found at a local Wacky Warehouse stuck in the ball-pit with her young, energetic son.

Sign up to Tara’s monthly newsletter for exclusive news, previews and giveaways: http://eepurl.com/bN2KoH

Find out more about the author and follow her writing journey:
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http://www.taralyonsauthor.blogspot.co.uk

Follow The Blog Tour:

The blog tour for The Stranger Within has now finished but please go back and find out what these other fabulous bloggers said about this book .

Book Synopsis:

What if keeping your loved ones safe meant never seeing them again? 

Canada, present day 

When Martha’s beloved father dies, he leaves her two things: a mysterious stash of letters to an English woman called ‘Catkins’ and directions to a beach hut in the English seaside town of Wells-Next-The-Sea. Martha is at a painful crossroads in her own life, and seizes this chance for a trip to England – to discover more about her family’s past, and the identity of her father’s secret correspondent.

Norfolk, 1940

Sylvia’s husband Howard has gone off to war, and she is struggling to raise her two children alone. Her only solace is her beach hut in Wells, and her friendship with Connie, a woman she meets on the beach. The two women form a bond that will last a lifetime, and Sylvia tells Connie something that no-one else knows: about a secret lover… and a child.

But the tragedy of war brings heartbreaking choices. And a promise made between the two women will echo down the years, and could change everything for Martha…

The Lost Letters is available to buy now in ebook and paperback.  The ebook is currently only 99p.  You can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

I’ve always been a big fan of dual timeline books, especially if it is set in WW2 so I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The author has a great way of setting the scene, especially in the past timeline, so the reader really feels that they are there experiencing everything alongside the characters.  I especially loved Sylvie.  She seemed such a warm hearted person and I enjoyed watching their friendship develop.  It was quite poignant to read about Sylvie and Connie’s daily life and everything they had to deal with.  There were some very difficult decisions that the two of them had to make which were quite heartbreaking to read about.  Their emotions were almost palpable at these times and I definitely felt myself welling up at times reading the story.

This book is a bit if a slow start but keep reading as it soon develops into a beautiful, gripping story that I couldn’t put down.  I did prefer the past story more but Martha’s story was also very interesting and I liked following her journey into her father’s past.  The connections and discoveries seemed to be revealed at a pace that seemed quite natural.  There were no huge coincidences or sudden connections which was great for me as these tend to annoy me!

This is Sarah’s debut novel and I really look forward to reading more from her.  If you like fabulous, emotional dual timeline mysteries then you’ll love this book.

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

About The Author:

Book Synopsis:

Nineteen year-old Max is the duchesse de Claireville’s second footman, but he does not intend to endure the indignities of service for long. He has a plan – to find an aristocratic patron who will become his unwitting accomplice in an audacious fraud.

It is true that in 1880s’ France, despite nearly a century of revolution and social turmoil, the aristocracy is still firmly entrenched in privilege, and the gulf between the salon and the servants’ hall is as wide as ever. But Max is handsome, quick to learn and confident of his abilities as a seducer of both men and women.

Whether ladling soup into noble plates beneath crystal chandeliers, or reading biographies of the great generals in his squalid footman’s dormitory, he is planning his strategy. He, Max, is the man of the future – ruthless, above morality and sentimental attachments.

Yet, when, after a couple of false starts, he at last acquires his patron, he finds himself ambushed by instinctive longings—for friendship, for affection—that threaten his grand plan.

‘Be true to yourself…’ the saying goes. But to which self? And what is ‘truth’?

The Second Footman is available now in ebook and paperback now.  You can purchase your copy of bothhere.

My Review:

The Second Footman was a very intriguing, gripping piece of historical fiction that I really enjoyed.

I haven’t read many books from a servant’s point of view so it was very interesting to learn about their lives and what they have to do day in day out.  This book follows a male servant too which I unusual as it’s normally female servants that are featured.  I enjoyed reading about what their jobs entailed, how they lived and the secret parts of their job.  I was especially I interested to learn more about their living conditions and the lack of privacy that they had to cope with.  It’s amazing to think that such a high servant still had such trouble.

I really warmed to Jean, the second footman.  He was obviously really hard working and consciousness which was lovely to read about.  He’s also an avid reader and I loved that he had to read for two hours each night despite how late he goes to bed.  His tentative friendship with the third footman was very sweet and it was great to see their friendship develop.

This was a surprising gripping read as there was always alot happening and a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.  I felt invested in the characters quite quickly and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to them.  Especially Jean as i quickly developed a soft spot for him.

This is the first book by this author I have read and I look forward to reading more from from them.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.  If you like unusual historical fiction you’ll love this book!

About The Author:

Book Synopsis:

When Alice Hart’s husband runs off with his secretary, she runs off with his dog to lick her wounds in a North Yorkshire village. Battling with loneliness but trying to make the best of her new start, she soon meets her neighbours, including the drop-dead gorgeous builder Richard Wainwright and the kindly yet reticent café owner, Owen Maltby.

As Alice employs Richard to start renovating the barn next to her house, all is not what it seems. Why does she start seeing Owen when he clearly isn’t there? Where – or when – does the strange crying come from? And if Owen is the village charmer, what exactly does that mean?

The Cheesemaker’s House is a gripping read, inspired by a framed will found in the dining room of the author’s dream Yorkshire house. The previous owners explained that the house had been built at the request of the village cheesemaker in 1726 – and that the cheesemaker was a woman. And so the historical aspect of the story was born.

Jane Cable’s novel won the Suspense & Crime category of The Alan Titchmarsh Show’s People’s Novelist competition, reaching the last four out of over a thousand entries. The judges of this competition compared her work to that of Barbara Erskine, but it also resembles the more recent works of Alan Titchmarsh or Kate Mosse.

The Cheesemaker’s House can be enjoyed by anyone who has become bored of today’s predictable ‘boy-meets-girl’ romance novels.

The Cheese Maker’s House is available now in ebook and paperback now.  You can buy your copy of bothhere.

My Review:

The Cheese Maker’s House is a wonderful story of friendship, love and new beginnings, which I absolutely loved.

Firstly Alice is a great main character.  I loved how real she seemed as she made mistakes that I would and seemed a very genuine person. I found her utterly hillarious and often found myself laughing out loud over things she did or observations she makes.  Owen was another great character, I think everyone needs an Owen in their lives.  He was such a kind, caring guy and I loved reading about his meetings with Alice.  The fact he is involved in the church was very sweet and I instantly warmed to him. I found myself hoping early on that they would end up together.

For me this was quite a gripping read as I loved reading about life in the village and finding out more about the characters lives.  I found I didn’t watch to put the book down as I was enjoying it so much and I didn’t want to leave the world the author has created.

The mystery of the crying Alice can hear and the mysterious figure that looks like Owen is very interested and definitely kept me intrigued throughout the book as I wondered what was going on.

This was the author’s debut novel and Im excited to read more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Although brought up in Cardiff, Jane Cable left Wales to study at the age of eighteen and has lived in England ever since. Her father was Anglo-Welsh poet Mercer Simpson so growing up in a house full of books Jane always read – and wrote. In 2011 she started to take her hobby seriously when The Cheesemaker’s House, which became her debut novel, reached the final of The Alan Titchmarsh Show’s People’s Novelist competition. She writes romance with a twist of mystery which has been published independently and through the UK ebook giant, Endeavour Press. Jane is an active member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and a director of Chindi Authors.
In 2017 Jane moved to Cornwall and this year will become a full time author. She’s passionate about her new home, cricket, travelling and her husband of 22 years – although not necessarily in that order.

Book Synopsis:

For years, two sisters have vied for the turf of their dead crime boss father. Across the streets of Guatemala City, bodies have piled up; the US Drug Enforcement Agency, operating far from its own borders, is powerless to stop the fighting.

But now one sister has a weapon that could finally win the war – a cold, amoral hitman known, fittingly, as ‘Victor’.

Freed from previous employers the CIA and MI6, Victor is a killer for-hire whose sense of self-preservation trumps all else. Yet as betrayal and counter-betrayal unspool in the vicious family feud, Victor finds himself at the centre of a storm even he could be powerless to stop.

Kill For Me is available to buy now.  You can purchase a copy here.

My Review:

Kill For Me is a fast paced thriller that grabbed me from the start.

The world of gangs has always fascinated me so I found this story very intriguing.  It’s amazing to think about how much power they have over people and what they can get them to do.   In this book the author creates a very seedy world where people aren’t just involved in gangs for a sense of power but to survive.  The gang members are desperate people who are doing what they need to in order to get by, who switch sides in order to survive and live another day.  Through fantastic, action packed scenes the author manages to transport the reader into this world so you almost feel the same fear they do and understand their actions more.  It did make me feel sorry for the gang members at times.

Victor is an interesting main character.  Very sharp and extremely capable I was never entirely sure what he would do next.  He’s very good at thinking on his feet and his ability to think through the situation makes him very unpredictable and I was unable to guess what he would do next or where the story was going which definetly kept me on my toes.

Tom Woods is fast becoming a favourite author of mine as his books are incredibly readable and gripping which makes them a must read for me.  He’s one of those rare author’s where you know that the book will be good before you read it.  This book was no exception as his ability to draw me into the characters world and make me empathise with the characters made this a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Huge thanks to Little Brown for my copy of this book via Netgalley and to Millie Seward for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Tom Wood is a full-time writer born in Burton-on-Trent who now lives in London. After a stint as freelance editor and film-maker, he completed his first novel, The Hunter, which was an instant bestseller and introduced readers to a genuine antihero, Victor, an assassin with a purely logical view on life and whose morals are deeply questionable. Like Victor, Tom is passionate about physical sport, being both a huge boxing fan and practising Krav Maga martial arts, which has seen him sustain a number of injuries. He has not, however, ever killed anyone.