Book Synopsis:

Kennedy Mitchell is brilliant, beautiful and tired of being the only Black woman in the room.

Two years ago, she was plucked from reception for a seat at the boardroom table in the name of “representation”. Rather than play along, she and her best friend founded Token, a boutique PR agency that helps diversity-challenged companies and celebrities. With famous people getting into reputation-damaging controversies, Token is in high demand and business is booming, but when her ex shows up needing help repairing his reputation, things get even more complicated and soon Kennedy finds herself drawn into a PR scandal of her own.
 

My Review:

Token is a fun, sexy and romantic read from a new author from me.

Firstly I absolutely loved Kennedy who was such a strong, clever lady who isn’t afraid to stand up for what she thinks is right. She’s such a lovable, realistic character that I wished that I knew in real life as I think everyone needs a Kennedy on their team. Her job in helping to promote diversity and equal rights by helping people work out their problems was very interesting. It has definitely made me think about my own awareness of issues people might face in day to day life and in their workplace.

It was fun to watch the relationship between Nate & Kennedy develop and I liked watching them grow slowly closer. Their chemistry was amazing and I found myself routing for them from the start, hoping that they would find a way to get together properly. There are some steamy moments which might not be to everyone’s taste but I didn’t feel they were overdone.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it to others. I thought the book had a good pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep my interest. There were a few twists that kept me on my toes and quite a lot of action that made the book hard to put down. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’d definitely like to read more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Sara-Jade for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

BEVERLEY KENDALL has published over ten contemporary and historical romance novels. She also manages the romance review blog, Smitten by Books (smittenbybooks.com). Bev writes full-time while raising her son as a single mother. Both dual citizens of the US and Canada, they currently call Atlanta home.

Book Synopsis:

Jersey, 1943. Once a warm and neighbourly community, now German soldiers patrol the cobbled streets, imposing a harsh rule on the people of the island.

Grace La Mottée, the island’s only librarian, is ordered to destroy books which threaten the new regime. Instead, she hides the stories away in secret. Along with her headstrong best friend, postwoman Bea Rose, she wants to fight back. So she forms the wartime book club: a lifeline, offering fearful islanders the joy and escapism of reading.

But as the occupation drags on, the women’s quiet acts of bravery become more perilous – and more important – than ever before. And, when tensions turn to violence, they are forced to face the true, terrible cost of resistance . . .

Based on astonishing real events, The Wartime Book Club is a love letter to the power of books in the darkest of times – as well as a moving page-turner that brings to life the remarkable, untold story of an island at war.

My Review:

Wow I absolutely loved this book. I was a bit nervous about reading it as I’d loved The Little Wartime Library so much and I thought that I couldn’t possibly love another book as much- but I was wrong and very wrong.

I thought this book was incredibly well researched and I enjoyed learning more about the occupation of Jersey during WW2. The author lays bare the grim reality of life during this time and I found it shocking to learn about all that they had experienced, especially how some of them decided to inform on their neighbours. There were however some very brave people who worked to help save their fellow Islanders from persecution and sabotaged the Nazi regime at every opportunity.

The story is told from the point of view of Grace and Bea, two very brave headstrong girls who I loved following throughout the book. Both of the girls go to great lengths to help their fellow islanders and my heart was in my mouth as I followed them on some of their exploits. Grace in particular was one of my favourites and it was so heartwarming to see her boosting morale through the power of books. It made my bookish heart very happy to see how books helped others and brought them closer together.

I thought the book had a great pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me glued to the page. Even in the slower moments I found myself just enjoying hanging out with the characters and feeling like I belonged in their little group of book lovers. There was lots of action and plenty of twists that made the book very hard to put down. I think I pretty much inhaled the pages as I read it so fast as I was so desperate to find out what happens next and to check that all the characters are alright. The ending was brilliant and I loved that the author continued the book so the reader can see where all the characters end up. The author has included a lot of her research at the back of the book which I found fascinating. It was so interesting to learn that most of the events in the book actually happened and that the characters were based on real life people. One of the characters says that she hopes people learn more about people’s experiences on the ‘home front’ and this book just brings to life the everyday experiences of war.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Hodder and Stoughton for my copy of this book. If you’re a fan of historical fiction set in WW2 or just appreciate a fantastic story then you need to read this book. Highly recommended by me!

About The Author:

Kate Thompson was born in London and worked as a journalist for twenty years on women’s magazines and national newspapers. She now lives in Sunbury with her husband, two sons and two rescue dogs. After ghost writing five memoirs, Kate moved into fiction. Kate’s first non-fiction social history documenting the forgotten histories of East End matriarchy, The Stepney Doorstep Society, was published in 2018 by Penguin. She is passionate about capturing lost voices and untold social histories.

Today Kate works as a journalist, author and library campaigner. Her most recent books, The Little Wartime Library (2022) and The Wartime Book Club (2023) by Hodder & Stoughton focus on two remarkable libraries in wartime. Her 100 libraries project, celebrates the richness and complexity of librarians work and the vital role of libraries in our communities.

Good evening everyone I was lucky enough received a copy of Blonde Identity by Ally Carter through the post yesterday. I love the sound of this one and I can’t wait to read it soon.

Huge thanks to the lovely Chloe from Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book.

Out 14th March 2024

If you were a spy, what would you want your code name to be?

Book Synopsis:

The Blonde Identity is a hilarious, action-packed, road-trip rom-com with witty banter, sexy operatives, and the ultimate high-stakes from New York Times bestselling author, Ally Carter.

It’s the middle of the night in the middle of Paris and a woman just woke up with no memory.

She only knows three things for certain:

1. She has a splitting headache.
2. The hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen is standing over her, telling her to run.
   And oh yeah . . .
3. People keep trying to kill her.

She doesn’t know who. Or why. But when she sees footage of herself fighting off a dozen men there’s only one explanation: obviously. . . she’s a spy! Except, according to Mr. Hot Guy, she’s not. She’s a spy’s identical twin sister.

Too bad the only person who knows she’s not the woman they’re looking for is this very grouchy, very sexy, very secret agent who (reluctantly) agrees to help her disappear. Which is easier said than done when a criminal organization wants you dead and every intelligence service in the world wants you caught.

Luckily, no one is looking for a pair of lovesick newlyweds on their honeymoon. And soon they’re lying their way across Europe―dodging bullets and faking kisses as they race to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister’s name.

But with every secret they uncover, the truth shifts, until she no longer knows who to trust: the twin she can’t remember or the mysterious man she can’t let herself forget . . .

The Blonde Identity is the hotly anticipated adult debut from New York Times bestselling YA author, Ally Carter.

About The Author:

Ally Carter is the bestselling author of novels that have epitomized action-adventure YA romance for more than a decade. From the spy-centric humor of I’d Tell You I Love You, but Then I’d Have to Kill You to the globe-trotting glamour of Heist Society, Embassy Row, and Not If I Save You First, the name Ally Carter is synonymous with hilarious action and heart-pounding romance.

She is also the author of The Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor and The Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery for younger readers; as well as DEAR ALLY, HOW DO YOU WRITE A BOOK–which Booklist describes as “What Stephen King did for adult writers in ON WRITING…Carter does for aspiring teen authors.”

She lives in Oklahoma, where her life is either very ordinary or the best deep-cover legend ever. She’d tell you more, but…well…you know…

Good morning everyone and happy Wednesday. I treated myself to these beautiful tulips this week and thought I’d do a little book stack to match them.

💜 Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
❤️The Great Divide by Christina Henriquez
💛Token by Beverly Kendall
💜 When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein
❤️Teddy by Emily Dunlay
💛 Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
💜A Bookshop Of Ones Own by Jane Cholmely
❤️The Lifeline by Libby Page
💜The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield
💛Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Slater by Nicci French

All of these are tbr apart from Icebreaker which I read a while ago and was the only purple book I could find which perfectly match the purple flowers.

I’m off this morning so I’m hoping to read some more of my book and write some reviews for the blog tours I’m on tomorrow. If I’m feeling particularly energetic I might tackle the kids bedrooms but I only did it at the weekend so I’m a little deflated about it tbh. I’m then working this afternoon at the bookshop which is always fun before watching a concert with friends on discord.

I’ve tagged a few people on Instagram who might want to share a flower stack but, as always, no pressure!

What are your Wednesday plans?

Good evening everyone I was very happy to receive a copy of this fantastic sounding book this week. I absolutely love destination reads and can’t wait to be whisked away to Glorious Tuga.

Huge thanks to Carmella and Vintage Books for my copy of this book.

Find out more below ⬇️

Out 6th June 2024

Book Synopsis:

Set sail for a tropical paradise where secrets don’t stay hidden for long…

London vet Charlotte Walker has taken up a fellowship on the tiny, remote island of Tuga de Oro to study the endangered gold coin tortoises in the jungle interior. She can claim the best of reasons for this year in paradise – what better motivation than to save a species? – but the reality is more complex. For Charlotte has a secret that connects her to the island, and has finally determined to solve the mystery that has dominated her life.

But she will have little time for any of her declared or covert investigations. Inconveniently attracted to the new island doctor, Dan Zekri, Charlotte immediately finds herself the subject of local speculation and gossip. And not only do Tuga’s tortoises need attention but so do the island’s dogs and donkeys, not to mention the islanders themselves, determined to win Charlotte over with endless deliveries of cake until she relents and becomes vet to all their animals.

A complete and vivid world to escape to, Welcome to Glorious Tuga celebrates a fictional island, and the eccentric community who live there. Enchanting, uplifting and very funny, this is a captivating novel about love, belonging, and what it really means to come home.

About The Author:

Francesca Segal is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, The Innocents (2012) and The Awkward Age (2017), and a memoir of NICU motherhood, Mother Ship (2019). Her writing has won the 2012 Costa First Novel Award, the Sami Rohr Prize, a Betty Trask award, and been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Good morning everyone today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two books by Hannah Kaner.

I absolutely loved Godkiller and read it in a couple of days so I’ve been very excited to get my hands on a copy of Sunbringer which is the next book in the series. I can’t wait to read Sunbringer soon and, after that fantastic twist at the end of Godkiller, see what happens next for the characters.

Sunbringer is out now and you can get signed copies from your local Rossiter Books or Indie bookstore.

Find out more about Sunbringer below ⬇️

If you wanted to set a fantasy book for a book club read, which one would you choose?

Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner

War is coming, godkiller.

Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Now they are stirring, whispering of war. Godkiller Kissen sacrificed herself to vanquish the fire god Hseth and save her friends, but gods cannot be destroyed so easily – and neither can godkillers.

Reeling from the loss of Kissen, young noble Inara and her little god of white lies, Skedi, seek answers to the true nature of their bond. The secrets they uncover could determine the outcome of the war.

Meanwhile, Elogast, no longer a loyal knight of King Arren, has been charged with destroying the man he once called friend. The king vowed to eradicate all gods, but has now entered into an unholy pact with the most dangerous of them all.

The kingdom is on the brink of destruction. What will they each sacrifice to save it?

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner (Bk 1)

You are not welcome here, godkiller

Kissen’s family were killed by zealots of a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing gods, and enjoys it. That is until she finds a god she cannot kill: Skedi, a god of white lies, has somehow bound himself to a young noble, and they are both on the run from unknown assassins.

Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, they must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favour.

Pursued by demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning – something is rotting at the heart of their world, and only they can be the ones to stop it.

About The Author:

Hannah is the #1 Sunday Times Bestselling author of Godkiller.

She has her heart in Scotland and her roots in the north of England.

Godkiller is the first book in a trilogy which will be translated into Portuguese, Bulgarian, Croatian, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Spanish and Turkish.

Book Synopsis:

There were seven of us in all, trapped on the island.
One of us was a murderer . . .’

On a small private Greek island, former movie star Lana Farrar – an old friend – invites a select group of us to stay.

It’ll be hot, sunny, perfect. A chance to relax and reconnect – and maybe for a few hidden truths to come out.

Because nothing on this island is quite what it seems.

Not Lana. Not her guests.

Certainly not the murderer – furiously plotting their crime . . .

But who am I?

My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.

My Review:

The Fury was an intriguing, atmospheric thriller that I enjoyed reading.

Firstly I love books which feature a group of friends in an isolated setting so this book instantly appealed to me. I loved the authors vivid descriptions of the island that made me feel like I was actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters. There were some fascinating aspects the Island which I enjoyed exploring including the stage that was built on it and the legends that surround the island, along with the fierce wind that plagues the island causing havoc as it goes.

I don’t think I liked any of the characters but that made it more fun as I could just sit back and enjoy the story. They are a close group of friends who’ve got a lot of history with each other and secrets which are slowly revealed as the story goes on. Quite honestly I’m not sure why any of them are really friends as they all seemed to not like each other apart from Lana who everyone was borderline obsessed with for various reasons.

The story starts off slowly as the author sets the scene but starts getting very intriguing when the story flashes back and what we’d initially been told about the story is shown to be untrue. I found this utterly fascinating and couldn’t stop listening as the layers are gradually peeled back to reveal the truth of the situation. Things get quite dark in places and I couldn’t believe some of the nasty things the characters had done to each other. I did have an inkling who the murderer was fairly early on but wanted to keep listening to find out if I was right. The ending was interesting and while I had hoped for a slight different outcome I did enjoy watching everything slowly come together.

Huge thanks to Phoebe from Penguin for sending me a finished copy of this book.

About The Author:

Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide. The rights have been sold in a record-breaking 51 countries, and the book has been optioned for film by Plan B. His second novel, The Maidens, was an instant New York Times bestseller and has been optioned for television by Miramax Television and Stone Village.

Good morning everyone and happy Monday.  I’ve decided to take a leaf out of @janetemson and be a bit more vague about my reading schedule as i always get distracted.

Here are 7 books I’m hoping to read soon:

❤️A Tempest Of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
🧡The Book Of Doors by Gareth Brown
💛The List Of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey
💚 Nuclear Family by Kate Davies
💙 Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
💜 Frank And Red by Matt Coyne
🩷 Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner

I’m pretty sure I’ll read The Book Of Doors next as I’ve been wanting to read it for a while and I’m very keen to read Sunbringer as I absolutely loved Godkiller.  I’ve heard great things about all of these books though so I’m excited to get to them soon.

The kids are back at school today and I’m hoping for a quiet morning catching up on my reading as I didn’t get to read much during half term.  I’m then meeting my mum and auntie for a pub lunch which will be nice.

I’ve tagged a few people who might want to share their 6/7 Books soon but, as always no pressure.

What are you currently reading?

Good evening everyone I hope you’re having a good Sunday. I was lucky enough to get a copy of I Hope This Finds You Well by Sue Miller last week. I love books that feature socially awkward characters so this book instantly appealed. I’m very excited to read it soon.

Huge thanks for sending @indie_thinking it’s really appreciated!

Out May 2024

Book Synopsis:

Would you want to know what your colleagues say behind your back?

Jolene certainly doesn’t.

She’s riddled with anxiety, depressed, and hates her coworkers. The less she knows about them, the better.

So when a catastrophic IT f*ck up grants her access to all of their emails and private messages, she’s initially horrified. The last thing she wants is to be privy to their sad discussions about dying desk plants and marital troubles.

That’s until, with job cuts looming, she realises the power this new-found knowledge gives her.

But as she digs deeper and deeper into the private lives of her colleagues, Jolene uncovers a lot more than she bargained for… And the walls she’d so carefully built start crumbling down.

About The Author:

Natalie Sue is a Canadian author of Iranian and British descent. She spent her formative years moving around western Canada with a brief stint in Scotland, where she discovered her passion for storytelling as a means of connection and reading as a means of comfort. When she’s not writing, she enjoys bingeing great and terrible TV, attempting pottery, and procuring houseplants. She lives in Calgary with her husband, daughter, and dog. I Hope This Finds You Well is her debut novel.