Book Synopsis:

You’ll be the woman of this house, next, miss. And you’ll like it.’

1947

Governess Alice Miller loves Winterbourne the moment she sees it. Towering over the Cornish cliffs, its dark corners and tall turrets promise that, if Alice can hide from her ghosts anywhere, it’s here.

And who better to play hide and seek with than twins Constance and Edmund? Angelic and motherless, they are perfect little companions.

2018

Adopted at birth, Rachel’s roots are a mystery. So, when a letter brings news of the death of an unknown relative, Constance de Grey, Rachel travels to Cornwall, vowing to uncover her past.

With each new arrival, something in Winterbourne stirs. It’s hiding in the paintings. It’s sitting on the stairs.

It’s waiting in a mirror, behind a locked door.

The Women In The Mirror is available now in ebook and paperback, you can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

Ooh I do love a dark creepy book and The Woman In The Mirror definitely ticked both of those boxes.

From the start the book is incredibly atmospheric, especially when it comes to the eerie descriptions of the house.  The air almost crackles with mystery and feels weighed down with all the secrets the house holds.  The reader is given the sense that anything can happen at any moment which made me quite jumpy at times.  This is definitely a book to read with lots of people about and the light on! The description of all the paintings in the house sent a chill down my spine as they seemed so threatening and I shared Alice’s sense that they were watching her.

I felt quite sorry for both of the main characters who were both trying to find a new start and a place to belong.  It was quite emotional to see them not get the happy new life they hoped.  Both of them are hiding secrets in their past which I was very intrigued to find out more about.

The secrets of the house and what happened to Alice are slowly and tantalisingly unwrapped which ensured I was thoroughly gripped to the last page.  The slow merging of Alice and Rachel’s story was very realistically done and never seemed forced with some far fetched connection to each other.  I felt that this story could have actually happened, which did also help to add to the tension in the book.

The ending was brilliant and I closed the book with a happy, contented sigh of having read a fantastic book.  If anything I felt a little sad to have to leave the characters and Winterbourne behind.

Huge thanks to HQ stories and Joe Thomas for my copy if this book via Netgalley and for inviting me onto the blog tour.  If you like dark, creepy and atmospheric books with a dual timeline mystery than you will love this book!

About The Author:

Rebecca James was born in 1983. She worked in publishing for several years before leaving to write full-time, and is now the author of eight previous novels written under pseudonym. Her favourite things are autumn walks, Argentinean red wine and curling up in the winter with a good old-fashioned ghost story. She lives in Bristol with her husband and two daughters.

Follow The Blog Tour:

If you liked the sound of this book from my review please follow the blog tour and find out what these other fabulous bloggers are saying.

Book Synopsis:

Thousands of years ago, in an ancient world where the gods control all and heroes fight to have their names remembered down the ages, two extraordinary women become entangled in one of the greatest heroic tales of all time . . . and must face how much they are willing to risk for immortality.

Desperate to save her dying brother, Admete persuades her father, the king of Tiryns, to let her join Hercules on one of his legendary twelve labours. Travelling to the renowned female warrior Amazons in search of a cure, Admete soon discovers that both Hercules and the fearsome Amazons are not as they first seemed.

The Amazons greet the arrival of the Greeks with mixed feelings – and none more so than Hippolyta, the revered queen of the tribe. For Hercules and his band of fighters pose a threat to her way of life – but also stir up painful memories that threaten to expose her deepest secret.

As battle lines are drawn between the Greeks and the Amazons, both women soon learn the inevitable truth – in war, sacrifices must be made; especially if they are to protect the ones they love most . . .

For The Imortal is out now in ebook and hardback now, you can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

I’ve been a huge fan of the Golden Apple trilogy for a while, so you can imagine my delight when I was invited onto the For The Immortal blog tour.

Emily really has a fantastic way of making the Greek legends come to life in this fantastic book.  The reader really feels like they have been transported to ancient Greece, watching events unfold.  I could almost smell the herbs that Admete used for her healing and smell the sweat, fear and blood from the fierce Amazon battles.

The story is told from the point of view of two very strong and determined woman from very different worlds.  Hippolyta is a fierce Amazon warrior queen who shows great skills on the battlefield but has a big heart when it comes to her tribe, particularly the children.  Admete is a princess but works hard at being a healer which she really enjoys.  She too has a big heart when it comes to her family and it is her desire to help her I’ll brother that makes her go on Hercules quest.  I actually liked both characters which made it hard to decide whose side I was on as I wanted them both to succeed!

This is a fast paced and gripping story that intrigued me straight away.  I was instantly hooked and kept turning the pages to find out what would happen next.  The author clearly knows her stuff when it comes to Greek history and I loved all the historical details about what life was like then and the food they used to eat.  I had of course heard of Hercules before (mainly sadly from the Disney film) but didn’t know much about his story so found this book to be a fascinating read.

This is Emily’s  third book and a brilliant conclusion to the Golden Apple trilogy.  It can easily be read as a standalone alone however as each book is about a different Greek Legends so there isn’t much overlap.

Huge thanks to Hannah Bright and Transworld publishers for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.  If you like gripping historical fiction I think you’ll like this book!

About The Author:

Born in Brighton and brought up in Suffolk, EMILY HAUSER studied Classics at Cambridge, where she was taught by Mary Beard, and completed a PhD at Yale University. She is now a Junior Fellow at Harvard University. For the Most Beautiful – the first book in the Golden Apple trilogy – was her debut novel and retells the story of the siege of Troy. Her second, For the Winner, is a reimagining of the myth of Atalanta and the legend of Jason, the Argonauts and the search for the Golden Fleece.

Follow The Blog Tour:

If you liked the sound of this book from my review please follow the blog tour and find out what these other fabulous bloggers are saying.

I’m very excited to be on the blog tour for Death In Vienna by Kevin Wignall today and to have a copy of this fabulous looking book to giveaway.

I would like to thank Anne for letting me host a giveaway rather than a review, when due to 2 out of 3 kids being ill I was unable to read this book in time.  A review will be coming soon though once they are a bit better!

To Die In Vienna is available now in ebook and paperback, you can purchase a copy of both here.

Before I tell you about my giveaway here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

He’s seen something that could get him killed. But what?

Freddie Makin is a spy for hire. For a year he’s been watching Jiang Cheng, an academic whose life seems suspiciously normal. To Freddie it’s just a job: he never asks who’s paying him and why—until the day someone is sent to kill him, and suddenly the watcher becomes the watched.

On the run from whoever wants him dead, Freddie knows he must have seen something incriminating. The only trouble is, he has no idea what. Is the CIA behind all this—or does it go higher than that? Have his trackers uncovered his own murky past?

As he’s forced into a lethal dance across Vienna, Freddie knows one thing for sure: his only hope for survival is keeping the truth from the other side, and making sure the secrets from his past stay hidden.

Giveaway:

I have a paperback copy of Death In Vienna for one lucky person to win! All you have to do to enter is RT the pinned tweet on my profile AND tag some other bookish friends you think might be interested!

On Facebook simply reply to the post on my blog page here.

The giveaway will close at the end of the tour and I will once again get my lovely son or daughter to pick a winner!

Good Luck everyone!

About The Author:

Kevin Wignall is a British writer, born in Brussels in 1967. He spent many years as an army child in different parts of Europe, and went on to study politics and international relations at Lancaster University. He became a full-time writer after the publication of his first book, People Die (2001). His other novels are Among the Dead (2002); Who Is Conrad Hirst? (2007), shortlisted for the Edgar Award and the Barry Award; and Dark Flag (2010). The Hunter’s Prayer was originally titled For the Dogs in the USA. The film The Hunter’s Prayer, directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Sam Worthington and Odeya Rush, will be released worldwide in 2015.

Follow The Blog Tour:

If you liked the sound of this book from my post please follow the blog tour and find out what these other fabulous bloggers are saying!

I’m excited to be on the blog tour for Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom today and to be sharing a guest post of Stephanie’s as well as my review.

As the book visits four different countries, the bloggers on the tour were also assigned a certain city.  I was very pleased to get New York City as it’s a city that I’ve visited quite a few times and one that holds many memories for me.  I first visited the city only five days before the September the 11th terrorist attacks, actually visiting the twin towers and walking around the shops that existed under it which is quite scary to think of now.  New York is also the city my husband proposed in, going down on one knee in a wooded area of central Park, that we haven’t been able to find since.  He had planned on proposing in the row boats on the lake but after discovering them to be far too crowded, chose the wood area instead.  Of course like all good engagement stories I almost ruined the whole thing by continually moaning that my feet were tired!

I have a great guest post from Stephanie about the things you definitely need to visit in New York later in this post, but first here is a little about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Travelling with friends and family is usually thought of as a privilege. In theory, anyway. In practice, it’s more often about debating which sights to see, panicking over diminishing phone batteries and bickering over what to eat. Not much joy in that. But alone you can do as you please. You can wander markets, relish silence, go to a park. Go to Paris. Why not?

In Alone Time, New York Times travel columnist Stephanie Rosenbloom travels alone in four seasons to four remarkable cities – Paris, Istanbul, Florence and New York – exploring the sensory experience of solitude. Along the way she illuminates the psychological arguments for alone time, revealing that whether you recognize it or not, it’s good to be alone now and then.

This is a book about the pleasures and benefits of savouring the moment, examining things closely, using all your senses to take in your surroundings, whether travelling to faraway places or walking the streets of your own city. Through on-the-ground observations and anecdotes, and drawing on the thinking of artists, writers and innovators who have cherished solitude, Alone Time lays bare the magic of going solo.

Alone Time is out now in ebook and hardback, you can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

As a mother of three I must admit alone time seems like a distance memory and one that i’d have no problem filling! However I very much enjoyed the journey to the four countries that the author takes us on.  I don’t think I’d ever dare to travel to a foreign country on my own, to a place where I knew no one, but I admire Stephanie for having the courage to do it.

The four cities (Paris, Istanbul, Florence and New York) are vividly described by the author so that the reader feels like they are there alongside her experiencing all the sights and sounds too.  I really felt that I could visualise the cities in my mind and I now want to visit them in the near future as Stephanie makes them seem so interesting.  In each city we are taken on a whistle stop tour of the tourist attractions and must see sights which were fascinating to read about.  I spent a lot of time on Google looking up some of the places as they sounded so intriguing.  This is cleverly interwoven with some history of each place and some quotes from famous people who lived in or visited the area.  This helped add to the experience of each place and it was very interesting to know more about how other people perceived the city too.

I found her experience of New York to be very intriguing, especially as there are places mentioned in the book that I haven’t visited yet.  I had no idea so many famous people had lived in New York and that so many interesting things had happened there.  Stephanie’s love for her home town shines from the page and it was lovely to detect a little bit of pride in her writing. I love the idea of revisiting your home town and seeing it again with fresh eyes.  I have lived in the same town for over twenty years and will be taking time out to visit some of the famous and beautiful areas as soon as possible.

This is Stephanie’s debut book and I’ll be interested to read more books from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Hayley and Transworld publishers for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

Five Things Not To Miss In New York by Stephanie Rosenbloom:

1.  The elevated park known as the High Line is Central Park’s slender downtown sibling, where wildflowers and trees grow amid railroad tracks, and visitors are treated to lofty views of the Hudson River.

2.  Stop into the New York Public Library for a break from the city’s hustle and bustle, and walk the stately marble halls to some of the loveliest research rooms you’ve ever seen. Afterward, go ice skating in Bryant Park.

3.  Crack your wallet and head downtown to the streets of Soho and the East Village for the best boutique shopping (and brunching) in Manhattan.

4.   Get tickets to see a Broadway show – there are some great places to buy these without spending a fortune. TKTS is one of several ways to find discounted prices https://www.tdf.org/nyc/7/TKTS-ticket-booths.

5.  New York is home to Museum Mile, so there’s no shortage of world-class art. But should you tire of the MET and MoMA, go check out the dinosaur bones and dioramas at The Museum of Natural History— or travel to the Milky Way at a planetarium show in the adjoining Rose Center for Earth and Space.

About The Author:

Stephanie Rosenbloom is the staff columnist for the Travel section of The New York Times, where she has been a reporter for various desks (including Styles, Business, and Real Estate) for more than a decade. She has appeared on CNN’s American Morning, NBC’s The Today Show, and NPR’s The Takeaway.

Follow The Blog Tour:

If you liked the sound of this book from my review please follow the blog tour and find out what these other fabulous bloggers are saying.

I’m pleased to be on the blog tour for Deep Blue by Kirsty McCaffrey today and to have an extract to share with you.

Deep Blue is out in ebook and paperback now and you can purchase your copy of bothhere.

Before I share my extract with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Don’t miss this first book in a sexy and suspenseful new series!!

In the deep blue ocean lives an ancient predator…

Dr. Grace Mann knows great white sharks. As the daughter of an obsessed shark researcher based at the Farallon Islands, Grace spent her childhood in the company of these elegant and massive creatures. When a photo of her freediving with a great white goes viral, the institute where she works seeks to capitalize on her new-found fame by producing a documentary about her work.

Underwater filmmaker Alec Galloway admires Dr. Mann and jumps at the opportunity to create a film showcasing the pretty biologist. As he heads to Guadalupe Island in Baja California Sur for a three-week expedition, it’s clear that his fan-boy crush on Grace is turning into something more serious. But even more pressing—Grace’s passionate focus on the sharks just might get her killed.

Contains strong language and sexual content.

The Pathway Series reading order:
Deep Blue
Deep Blue: Australia (short novella available exclusively to Kristy’s newsletter subscribers)
Cold Horizon—coming soon

Extract:

“Tell me something crazy about you,” Grace said.

“I have a dog,” Alec replied.

She lowered her eyebrows. “Okay. I guess that’s crazy, since I doubt you’re hardly ever home.”

“True. She stays with my parents. She really adores my mom.”

“What kind of dog is she?”

“A golden lab.”

“What’s her name?”

“Grace.”

She released a bark of laughter. “You’re full of it.”

“No, it’s true. Her name is Grace Kelly. I could introduce you one day. I think she’d like you—kindred spirits and all that.”

She couldn’t shake the smile from her lips as she turned her gaze back to the ocean that shimmered under the crescent moon, pleased that Alec dangled a future between them.
And then she remembered that maybe he was saying nice things to get her in the sack, that maybe he had no intention of following through with such suggestions, that maybe, in the end, he’d be like Brad. The smile left her face.

“You’re overthinking it, Grace.”

“About what?”

“Us.”

Her eyes locked with his. “You’re awfully sure of yourself.”

“Around you? Hardly. But there is one thing I am sure of.”

“And what’s that?”

“I’m not going to let a chance with you go by.”

Ah, hell. It worked for her.
She held his gaze, letting him know that he had a free pass to first base.
He leaned forward and kissed her, his lips warm and inviting, his skin smelling of sweat and sunscreen. He scooted closer and kissed her again, and she slanted her mouth against his, sinking into the delicious sensations that had lived only in her daydreams until this moment.

She brought a hand to his cheek, her fingertips brushing along the stubble, and then slid it to the back of his neck. The kiss changed, deepening, as Alec pulled her into his arms.

When she surfaced for air, she thought to say something funny, but he’d literally knocked the wind from her. Like flash lightning, her body was on fire everywhere. She brought her mouth to his again and let loose the desire coursing through her. Lack of sex for well over a year apparently wasn’t good for a person, and she suddenly wanted to remedy that. With Alec.

Copyright © 2018 K. McCaffrey LLC

About The Author:

Kristy McCaffrey writes historical western romances brimming with grit and emotion, and in 2018 she will branch out into contemporary adventure stories packed with smoldering romance and spine-tingling suspense. All of her work is filled with compelling heroes, determined heroines, and her trademark mysticism. Life is a wondrous endeavor, and she strives to bring that sense of awe and joy into the tales she weaves, along with in-depth research into settings and time periods. Kristy holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering, but writing has been her passion since she was very young. Her four children are nearly grown and gone, so she and her husband frequently pursue their love of travel to the far corners of the world. Kristy believes life should be lived with curiosity, compassion, and gratitude, and one should never be far from the enthusiasm of a dog. She also likes sleeping-in, eating Mexican food, and doing yoga at home in her pajamas. An Arizona native, she resides in the desert north of Phoenix. Sign up for Kristy’s newsletter at http://kmccaffrey.com/subscribe/ to receive her latest book news as well as subscriber-only content.

Follow The Blog Tour:

If you liked the sound of this book from my extract please follow the blog tour and find out what these other fabulous bloggers are saying.

Book Synopsis:

Marion Zetland lives with her domineering older brother, John in a decaying Georgian townhouse on the edge of a northern seaside resort. A timid spinster in her fifties who still sleeps with teddy bears, Marion does her best to shut out the shocking secret that John keeps in the cellar.

Until, suddenly, John has a heart attack and Marion is forced to go down to the cellar herself and face the gruesome truth that her brother has kept hidden.

As questions are asked and secrets unravel, maybe John isn’t the only one with a dark side.

My Review:

The Visitors is an extremely dark, chilling and disturbing read.  It gets under your skin making the dark and any noises heard at night take on extra significance and creepiness!

I didn’t know what to make of the two main characters John and Marion.  They are definitely two very messed up, cruel individuals who seem to be aware that what they are doing isn’t right but don’t seem to care.  The fact that John is considered very clever and, as a doctor, a respectable member of society made my skin crawl as I wondered how many other similar people might have also been overlooked because of this.  Marion is another very interesting character. I did feel a little sorry for her at the beginning as I felt people judged her without really knowing her and the lack of love or support she got from her mother was heartbreaking to read about.  However the fact she just follows John blindly, believing his lies and continues to lie and cover for him after his death is very chilling.  It definitely made me uncertain or her and believe there was more to her then I initially thought.

The author cleverly makes the cellar a character in its own right as it’s oppressive, creepy presence is always there lurking in the background and effecting those around it.  Not much is disclosed as first about what could be down there so the reader’s imagination goes into overdrive imaging what the secret could be.  It definitely lead to some very creepy dreams!

The secret of the cellar is gradually revealed throughout the book and the tension is almost unbearable at times.  I simultaneously wanted to keep reading to discover what happens and stop as I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.  If I could have read from behind my fingers I think I would have.

This is Catherine’s debut novel and I definitely can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.  If you like dark, chilling thrillers with some very messed up characters you’ll love this book.

Huge thanks to Lina and Legend Press for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Follow The Book Tour:

I’m the last stop on The Visitors blog tour but if you liked the sound of this book please go back and visit the other bloggers in this tour to see what they thought!

Book Synopsis:

My dearest daughter, I will never forget the day I nearly lost you. The day you learned the secrets that would tear our lives apart…

Time stops for Jen when her beloved daughter, Gracie, is involved in a terrible car crash. Pronounced dead at the scene, it’s a miracle when paramedics manage to then resuscitate the little girl.

The relief Jen feels at Gracie’s recovery is matched only by her fury at the driver of the car – her ex-husband’s new girlfriend Ella. Jen has never trusted Ella, and now her worst fears have been confirmed.

But then Gracie begins to tell strange stories about what she heard in the car that day, and what she saw in those moments near death. It’s clear that there’s something shocking hidden in Ella’s past… but exposing it could tear all their lives apart.

An emotional page-turner that will take your breath away. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Lisa Wingate and Kerry Fisher.

Gracie’s Secret is out in ebook and paperback now, the e-book is currently only 99p.  You can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

This is a gripping and emotional read where everyone is hiding something.

The story is told from both Jennifer’s and Ellie’s point of view which helps make the book a lot more compelling.  My opinion on whose ‘side’ I was on changed constantly.  My favourite character was actually Ellie who I felt was quite misunderstood, especially by Jennifer.  As her story unfolds and we discover more about her history my like of her grew as I really felt for all she had been through. That’s not to say I didn’t feel for Jennifer.  Having your child in such a critical situation in hospital must be absolutely horrendous.  The pain and anguish she obviously felt was heartbreaking to read about and was almost tangible at times.  I can’t imagine how I would feel in such a situation.  However she came across as too perfect, or definitely thought herself to be, and everything was everyone else’s fault but hers which made it difficult to warm to her.

The mystery part of the book was very intriguing and definitely kept me on my toes.  I honestly wasn’t sure what was going on at times.  I found Gracie’s memories/ recollections had a slightly eerie feel to them I felt.  I couldn’t understand why Jennifer was so ready to dismiss them and felt Gracie’s frustration as she tried to get her mum to believe her.  At times I just wanted to reach in and give the little girl a huge hug.

The author very cleverly lulled me into a sense of false security with some of the characters.  She was very good at setting the scene and making the reader believe one thing when the opposite was true.  The twist at the end was brilliant and completely took me by surprise, I always love when that happens in a book.

This, amazingly, is Jill Child’s debut novel and I very much look to reading more from her in the future.

Thanks to Kim Nash and Bookouture for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Jill has always loved writing – real and imaginary – and spent 30 years travelling the world as a journalist, living overseas and reporting wherever the news took her. She’s now made her home in London with her husband and twin girls who love stories as much as she does. Although she’s covered everything from earthquakes and floods, riots and wars, she’s found some of the most extraordinary stories right here at home – in the secrets and lies she imagines behind closed doors on ordinary streets, just like yours.

For latest news, follow Jill on Twitter (author_jill) and Facebook (Jill Childs).

Follow The Blog Tour:

If you liked the sound of this book from my review please follow the blog tour and find out what these other fabulous bloggers are saying.

I’m thrilled to be on the blog tour for A Dead American In Paris and to be able to share my spotlight post with you.  Firstly huge thanks to the lovely Emma for letting me do a spotlight post instead of a review when due to a teething baby I was unable to read the book in time.  It sounds like a fantastic book though and I look forward to reading it soon.

A Dead American In Paris is available in ebook now and is currently only £1.99.  You can purchase a copy here.

Book Synopsis:

Arty Homebrook lived and died in a world of sleaze which stretched from Chicago to Paris but never beyond the gutter.

He’d been sleeping with Madame Fulton, which is why Harry Fulton promised to kill him. So far as the Paris Police are concerned it’s an open and shut case. Harry’s father has other ideas and hires Salazar to investigate.

As Salazar gets to grips with the case he’s dragged reluctantly into an unpleasant underworld of infidelity, blackmail, backstreet abortions and murder.

Salazar is far too inquisitive to walk away and far too stubborn to know what’s for the best. So he wakes up each hungover morning, blinks into the sunlight, and presses on until it’s his life on the line. Then he presses on some more, just for the hell of it.

“If you want a book which has fast paced action, plenty of snappy lines and transports you to another time then Salazar delivers.”

“One of the best novels I’ve read all year.”

About The Author:

I have recently re-released my first novel Salazar. This should be followed by the sequel later in the year.

I enjoy crime fiction and in particular Léo Malet and Georges Simenon. There’s also a lot of fantastic new the crime fiction – it’s a genre with incredible vitality.

I live in the town of Corsham, England, with my partner and our two young daughters.

If you’d like to contact the author:

Email: books@Salazar.co.uk

Twitter: @SethALynch

Amazon: Seth’s Author Page

Follow The Blog Tour:

If you would like to find out more about this book and see what others bloggers thought please follow the blog tour !

Book Synopsis:

Bestselling author, Holly Seddon, has delivered another page-turning and utterly enthralling novel.

Sometimes a promise becomes a prison.

Fearing eternal singledom, childhood friends Kate and Paul make the age-old vow that if they don’t find love by thirty, they will marry each other.

Years later, with the deadline of their 30th birthdays approaching, the unlikely couple decide to keep their teenage promise. After all, they are such good friends. Surely that’s enough to make a marriage?

Now, on the eve of their 10th wedding anniversary, they will discover that love between men and women is more complex, and more precarious, than they could ever have imagined. As Kate struggles with a secret that reaches far into their past, will the couple’s vow become the very thing that threatens their future?

Love Will Tear Us Apart is a moving and heart-breaking exploration of modern love and friendship, from the bestselling author of Try Not to Breathe.

Love Will Tear Us Apart is available in ebook, hardback and audiobook now.  You can purchase your copy here.

My Review:

This is a very powerful and entralling book that is a departure from Holly’s normal books as it isn’t a psycological thriller.

The story goes back and forth between 2012 and their ten year wedding anniversary and 1981 when the two of them first met. This gives the reader a great opportunity to really get to know the characters and to better understand their relationship.  The two of them are quite different to each other but, at the beginning at least, seem to compliment each other despite being from very different backgrounds.  I enjoyed reading about their friendship and watching it develop over the years.  Some of the stuff they got up in their youth made me feel quite nostalgic as I remember doing similar stuff as a kid.  There was also some great 80’s references in this part which helped add to the atmosphere.

I think what most hit me about this book was that the trouble Kate and Paul was experiencing are everyday problems or arguments that most couples have.  The tension in the book is created from this and makes the book seem a lot more real.  As their problems increase the tension between the pair gets worse and the book becomes more enthralling as you wonder what will happen.

I have to admit to being a little disappointed with the secret.  It was mentioned a lot throughout the book and I felt that the action was built up for the big reveal and it wasn’t as dramatic as I expected.  That said this didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment of the book as the story is very intriguing on its own.

I’ve read most of Holly Seddon’s books to date and I will definitely be reading more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Corvus for my copy of this book.  If you like intriguing, power books with real characters I think you will enjoy this book.

About The Author:

Follow The Blog Tour:

If you liked the sound of this book from my review please follow the blog tour and find out what these other fabulous bloggers are saying.

Book Synopsis:

‘My arms ache with the need to reach and hold my precious child, and then to never let go. But I can’t. I know I can’t.’

Heather is devastated. There’s no way she can keep her baby. She can barely pay the bills as it is. But when she meets Grace, a wealthy, single career woman, who wants a baby more than anything, Heather believes she has found the perfect adoptive mother.

As Grace and Heather’s lives become entwined, they are tested to breaking point, though neither can deny the other’s love for the child. But just when they think they are learning how to live with each other, they receive devastating news that turns their fragile world upside down.

Will either mother know what is the right thing to do for the child they both love?

A Mother’s Goodbye is available now in ebook and paperback, the ebook is currently only 99p.  You can purchase a copy of both here.

My  Review:

Oh my word I think this book broke me.  It’s been a while since I’ve cried so much at a book but I’m very glad I got the chance to read this one.

The story follows two women on both sides of the adoption journey.  Rachel is a mum of three whose fallen on hard times and when she falls pregnant again she knows they can’t afford to keep the baby.  Grace is a high flying career woman who desperately wants a child to stop the loneliness she feels after her father’s death.  It was great to be able to follow both woman’s story and to have access to all their thoughts and feelings, it really added to the story.  Both women feel so real and I felt like I went on a real journey with them over the course of the book.  I really felt for both of them as their emotions throughout the book was almost palpable at times and I wished I could reach out to them to give them a hug.

The writing in the book is just exquisite! I think it takes quite a skilled writer to make a reader care so much about the characters and feel so involved in the book.  The book is a fairly easy read and the plot is very gripping meaning it is quite difficult to put down.  I wanted to read on to find out what happens, as I felt so involved,  like the events were actually happening to me.

The ending was wonderful, bitter sweet but a good way to end the book.  I was definitely sobbing by the end of it. I do tend to avoid books involving children as being a mum I find them quite difficult to read.  This book was definitely a tear jearker and very emotional, which I struggled with at times but I pulled myself together to finish the book which I’m very glad I did.  This book will stay with me for a long time.

This is the first book by Kate Hewitt I have read but I’ll definitely be reading more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Bookouture, Netgalley and Kim Nash for my copy of the book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author: