Book Synopsis:

Light and dark – this is the destiny placed upon Natasha and Clara, the birthright bestowed on them by their godfather, the mysterious sorcerer Drosselmeyer. Clara, the favourite, grows into beauty and ease, while Natasha is cursed to live in her sister’s shadow. But one fateful Christmas Eve, Natasha gets her chance at revenge. For Drosselmeyer has returned and brought with him the Nutcracker, an enchanted present which offers entry to a deceptively beautiful world: the Kingdom of Sweets.

In this land of snow and sugar, Natasha is presented with a power far greater than Drosselmeyer: the Sugar Plum Fairy, who is also a giver of gifts . . . and a maker of dread-filled bargains. As Natasha uncovers the dark destiny laid before her birth, she must reckon with powers both earthly and magical . . . and decide to which world she truly belongs.

My Review:

The Kingdom of Sweets is a fantastically dark, gripping re-telling of The Nutcracker which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The story is told from the point of view of Natasha and follows two twins who have been given an unusual curse at birth. One, Clara, has been given light which means she gets everything she wants in life and everyone loves her. The other, Natasha, was given dark meaning she is essentially sidelined for her more popular twin. I ended up liking both sisters though initially felt sympathy only for Natasha as I felt she’d been handed an unfair hand. It was interesting to learn most about the sisters and to understand more about how events had effected both of them.

I really liked the setting and enjoyed exploring it alongside the characters. It’s a world that seems familiar with balls, dance cards and a women’s role seemingly only to be to marry well. It was especially interesting to see real life historical events and characters included in the story too with the author touching on the start of The Russian Revolution. I especially loved the fabulous descriptions of the Kingdom Of Sweets when they first visit as I thought it was incredibly clever to see how the author had created things with sweets.

I thought this story had a great pace to it and I was soon absorbed into the story, unable to put the book down as I wanted to find out what an earth happened next. The story does get very dark in the second half and some of the explanation as to why the twins had been separated went over my head but I feel that’s just a small niggle as I still really loved the story.

Huge thanks to Chloe from Transworld for sending me a copy of this book. Highly recommended by me.

About The Author:

ERIKA JOHANSEN grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She went to Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania before attending the celebrated Iowa Writers Workshop, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. She eventually became an attorney but she never stopped writing. Her debut was the international bestseller, The Queen of the Tearling – the first novel in a remarkable sequence. This was followed by the acclaimed The Invasion of the Tearling, The Fate of the Tearling and a prequel, Beneath the Keep. Erika now lives in England.

Good morning everyone today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two re-tellings that are on my tbr list.

Once Upon A Frosted Star is a re-telling of Swan Lake and Fair Rosaline a re-telling of Romeo and Juliet. I started Upon A Frosted Star a while ago but had to put it down for a blog tour so I’m excited to read it soon. Romeo And Juliet is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays so I can’t wait to read Fair Rosaline.

Today I’m working this morning and then I’m going into my kids’school to hear the children read.

Do you like re-tellings? What’s your favourite?

Upon A Frosted Star by M. A Kuzniar

When the snow falls, she will be free…

The invitations always arrive the same way – without warning, appearing around the city on the first snowfall of the year, simply inscribed with ‘Tonight.’

When struggling artist, Forster, finds an invitation, he’s bewitched by the magic of the evening, swept up in the glamour of this notorious annual party and intrigued as to who is behind them.

Determined to find out more about the mysterious host, Forster discovers an abandoned manor house silent with secrets and a cursed woman who is desparate to be free…

From the bestselling author of Midnight in Everwood, comes another spellbinding literary fairy tale that’s The Great Gatsby meets Swan Lake.

Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomon

One of the most anticipated novels of the year – the captivating and powerful untelling of Romeo & Juliet . . .

The first time Romeo Montague sees young Rosaline Capulet he falls instantly in love. Rosaline, headstrong and independent, is unsure of Romeo’s attentions but with her father determined that she join a convent, this handsome and charming stranger offers her the chance of a different life.

Soon though, Rosaline begins to doubt all that Romeo has told her. She breaks off the match, only for Romeo’s gaze to turn towards her cousin, thirteen-year-old Juliet. Gradually Rosaline realises that it is not only Juliet’s reputation at stake, but her life.

With only hours remaining before she will be banished behind the nunnery walls, will Rosaline save Juliet from her Romeo? Or can this story only ever end one way?

A subversive, powerful untelling of Shakespeare’s best-known tale, narrated by a fierce, forgotten voice: this is Rosaline’s story.

Hamnet meets My Dark Vanessa in this fierce, feminist, intensely gripping novel; captivating and chillingly relevant, FAIR ROSALINE takes everything you thought you knew about Romeo and Juliet and turns it on its head . . .

Book Synopsis:

The brand-new gripping thriller in Will Shindler’s acclaimed DI Alex Finn series – available to pre-order now!

Years ago someone got away with murder… But time’s up.

2009
During a summer heatwave, teenagers are going missing. Junior officer Alex Finn takes the case and fears that the disappearances are linked. In a race against the clock to find and rescue the children alive, Finn and his team are only partially successful. Two of the children are saved, but they were too late for Oliver.
And the killer got away.
2023
DI Alex Finn is still tormented by the cases of his youth – none more than so than the 2009 kidnappings. And it seems someone else has not forgotten either. They want answers after all this time, and with a gun in their pocket and their sights set on Alex, they’ll do anything to get what they’re after…

Highly original and utterly compelling, THE COLD CASE is Will Shindler’s biggest book yet and is perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Mick Herron.

My Review:

Wow Will Shindler definitely knows how to write a thriller. This was another dark, gripping read that I really enjoyed.

It was great to be back with Alex and Mattie, following them on another murder investigation. This one feels a bit more personal though as it seems connected to a case Alex investigated years earlier. Throughout the book we learn more about Alex’s past and therefore more about the person he really is. I found it very interesting learning more about his past, how he joined the police and how he met his wife both of which had an impact on the man he is now.

The Story is told in two timelines , one following the current day investigation and one flashing back to the old investigation Alex was involved in. I found this very interesting and it was great to watch both timelines unfold, especially when something was revealed in the past which hadn’t been discovered in the present day timeline. It soon becomes obvious how much this case has affected Alex throughout his career and I liked how determined he was to find answers this time.

I thought the book was quite fast paced and there always seemed a be something happening to keep my attention. It is very dark in places and while the descriptions aren’t overly graphic, it still packs an emotional punch as you realise what the killer is capable of. I did guess one of the twists but I felt it was quite obvious so maybe you were meant to guess it. The ending was brilliant and I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.

Huge thanks to Alainna from Hodder and Stoughton for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Will Shindler has been a Broadcast Journalist for the BBC for over twenty-five years, spending a decade working in television drama as a scriptwriter on Born and Bred, The Bill and Doctors. His time on these leading prime time dramas has given him a rich grounding in authentic police procedure, powerful character development and gripping narratives. He currently combines reading the news on BBC Radio London with writing crime novels and has previously worked as a television presenter for HTV, a sports reporter for BBC Radio Five Live, and one of the stadium presenters at the London Olympics. The Burning Men is his first novel.

Good evening everyone I thought I’d do a little reading update tonight:

❤️Last – The Kingdom Of Sweets by Erika Johansen

I’ve just finished The Kingdom Of Sweets and absolutely loved it! Review coming soon but I highly recommend.

🧡Now- Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor

I received a copy of Whale Fall yesterday and immediately started reading it. I’m really enjoying it so far and I’m finding it fascinating to learn more about life on the remote island. It’s reminding me a bit of The Last Summer by Karen Swan which I loved too.

💛Next- The Escape by Ruth Kelly

I’m the going to read The Escape for my spot on the blog tour. I loved her last book so I’m very excited to read this one.

Huge thanks to the tagged publishers for my copy of these books.

What are you currently reading?

Good morning everyone and happy Saturday! I thought I’d start a challenge today featuring books that I’ve bought after reading and loving another book.

I recently read and reviewed You Don’t Have To Be Mad To Work Here by Dr Benji Waterhouse which you can read on my grid. I found it fascinating to learn more about psychiatry and the mental health problems people can have.

Therefore when I saw The Devil You Know: Encounters In Forensic Psychiatry by Dr Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne at the shop I was immediately intrigued. This book follows Dr Gwen Adshead as she treats criminals in her role as a forensic psychiatrist and discusses whether rehabilitation rather than revenge would be better.

It sounds fascinating and I’m very excited to read it soon.

I’ve tagged a few people on Instagram who might want to join in but, as always, no pressure.

What are your Saturday plans?

You Don’t Have To Be Mad To Work Here by Dr Benji Waterhouse

A woman with bipolar flies from America in a wedding dress to marry Harry Styles.
A lorry driver with schizophrenia believes he’s got a cure for coronavirus.
A depressed psychiatrist hides his profession from his GP due to stigma.

Most of the characters in this book are his patients. Some of them are family. One of them is him.

Unlocking the doors to the psych ward, NHS psychiatrist Dr Benji Waterhouse provides a fly-on-the-padded-wall account of medicine’s most mysterious and controversial speciality.

Why would anyone in their right mind choose to be a psychiatrist? Are the solutions to people’s messy lives really within medical school textbooks? And how can vulnerable patients receive the care they need when psychiatry lacks staff, hospital beds and any actual cures?

You Don’t Have to Be Mad to Work Here explores these complicated questions from both sides of the doctor’s desk.

This is the perfect read for fans of This Is Going to Hurt, Unnatural Causes and The Prison Doctor.

The Devil You Know: Encounters In Forensic Psychiatry by Dr Gwen Adshead & Eileen Horne

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

A SUNDAY TIMES, NEW STATESMAN & IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CRIME WRITERS ASSOCIATION GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION

A perspective-shattering work into the minds of violent criminals that reveals profound consequences for human nature and society at large.

Dr Gwen Adshead is one of Britain’s leading forensic psychiatrists. She treats serial killers, arsonists, stalkers, gang members and other individuals who are usually labelled ‘monsters’. Whatever their crime, she listens to their stories and helps them to better understand their terrible acts of violence. Here Adshead invites the reader to step with her into the room to meet twelve patients and discover how minds can change. These men and women are revealed in all their complexity and shared humanity. Their stories make a powerful case for rehabilitation over revenge, compassion over condemnation. The Devil You Know will challenge everything you thought you knew about human nature.

Good evening everyone I was lucky enough to get a copy of this fabulous looking proof recently. I love a thriller, especially one involving a character with a shady past so I love the sound of this one!

Huge thanks to @bethwright26
and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk
for my copy of this book.

Out 06th February 2024.

Book Synopsis:

Nine years ago, Charlie Colbert’s life changed for ever.

On Christmas Eve, as the snow fell, her elite graduate school was the site of a chilling attack. Several of her classmates died. Charlie survived.

Years later, Charlie has the life she always wanted at her fingertips: she’s editor-in-chief of a major magazine and engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry.

But when a film adaptation of that fateful night goes into production, Charlie’s dark past threatens to crash into her shiny present.

Charlie was named a ‘witness’ in the police reports. Yet she knows she was much more than that.

The truth about that night will shatter everything she’s worked for. Just how far will she go to protect it?

About The Author:

Jenny Hollander is a writer and editor from London. A graduate of Leeds University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, her work has been published in ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Bustle, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. She spent ten years in New York, where she worked as a senior editor for Bustle and the deputy editor at Marie Claire. Now the digital director for Marie Claire, she lives in London with her husband and their rescue dog, Captain. She’s a fierce advocate for dyspraxia, which she was diagnosed with when she was nine.

Good morning everyone and happy Friday. It’s a new month and it’s finally December!

Here are some of the books I’d like to read this month:

❤️That Festive Feeling by Heidi Swain

🧡A December To Remember by Jenny Bayliss

💛Who Killed Father Christmas (various)

💚A Murder On The Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict

💙The Christmas Wish by Lesley Kelk

🩵Clairmont by Lesley McDowell

💜Maude Horton’s Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook

🩷 Piglet by Lottie Hazel

🤎The Guest by Nita Prose

🖤 Good Material by Dolly Alberton

🩶Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

🤍The Square Of Sevens by Laura Shepherd -Robinson

💟The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict

💕The 12 Days Of Murder by Andreina Cordani

I’m a bit of a mood reader and with three very excited children I’m definitely not reading all of these- but it’s good to have options! There’s also a book I’m waiting for that I’ll be bumping straight up my list when I get it.

What book are you most looking forward to reading this month?

Book Synopsis:

She’s good at avoiding things that make her uncomfortable, she’s chasing a big promotion at work, and she’s marrying a man whose five-year plan aligns perfectly with her own.

Children do not come into the mix.

This all changes, however, when a stranger in an airport asks Loretta to keep an eye on her sleeping six-year-old, Phoebe. The stranger never comes back.

Loretta knows that Phoebe’s life will change forever from that moment. But so will hers.

This strange little person in fairy wings will turn Loretta’s world upside down and cause her to question everything she knows about herself.

Dive into Nicola Gill’s heart-warming and relatable journey into the power of a child’s love and its ability to transcend motherhood.

My Review:

Swimming For Beginners is a heartwarming, hilarious read that I didn’t want to end.

Firstly I absolutely loved the two main characters Loretta and Phoebe so I really enjoyed following them throughout the book. It was lovely to watch their relationship develop and to see them slowly growing closer to each other as they learn how to adapt to living together. Some of these attempts where very heartwarming while others were absolutely hilarious and made me laugh out loud as I read.

I thought this book had a lovely pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. Even when there wasn’t I found I just enjoyed hanging out with the characters. There are a few twists which kept me guessing, including a big one that I hadn’t seen coming. I loved the message in this book that it’s important to not take life too seriously and how love doesn’t have to be from blood relatives.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m very excited to read more from her soon.

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

About The Author:

Nicola Gill lives in London with her husband and two sons. At the age of five,
when all of the other little girls wanted to be ballet dancers, she decided she
wanted to be an author. Her ballet teacher was very relieved.
When she’s not at her desk, you can usually find Nicola reading, cooking up vast
vats of food for friends and family or watching box sets. Occasionally she even
leaves the house…

Book Synopsis:

A woman with bipolar flies from America in a wedding dress to marry Harry Styles.
A lorry driver with schizophrenia believes he’s got a cure for coronavirus.
A depressed psychiatrist hides his profession from his GP due to stigma.

Most of the characters in this book are his patients. Some of them are family. One of them is him.

Unlocking the doors to the psych ward, NHS psychiatrist Dr Benji Waterhouse provides a fly-on-the-padded-wall account of medicine’s most mysterious and controversial speciality.

Why would anyone in their right mind choose to be a psychiatrist? Are the solutions to people’s messy lives really within medical school textbooks? And how can vulnerable patients receive the care they need when psychiatry lacks staff, hospital beds and any actual cures?

You Don’t Have to Be Mad to Work Here explores these complicated questions from both sides of the doctor’s desk.

This is the perfect read for fans of This Is Going to Hurt, Unnatural Causes and The Prison Doctor.

Out 16th May 2024

My Review:

You Don’t Have To Be Mad To Work Here is a fascinating and insightful look into the life of a psychiatrist. It’s one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read and I’ll be urging everyone to read it.

Firstly I thought I knew a little bit about mental health as we touched on it whilst doing my degree but I was wrong, and really wrong. Throughout this book the author takes us on a journey with him through his professional life as a psychiatrist in various NHS settings. Through him we get to meet the patients he’s helped and learn a little bit more about the different mental health problems people can face. I found this utterly fascinating and I really enjoyed learning more about them especially when, through his own experience or case studies, Benji debunks a myth about mental health that is commonly believed.

Dr Waterhouse, or Benji as he likes to be called, comes across as a very warm and honest character that I enjoyed following throughout the book. I really liked that he includes his real experiences in the NHS and includes his mistakes in the story which makes him seem very human though these often had me laughing out loud as I read. He includes some of his personal struggles in the book too which made me realise how much being a doctor can impact on your personal life too.

I thought this book was easy to read and I soon found myself absorbed into Benji’s life. The book is divided into short chapters each detailing a different patient and a different part of Benji’s job. There always something interesting happening which made the book very hard to put down as I wanted to find out what would happen to him next. The author also lays bare what it’s like working for the NHS and the struggles that the NHS are having to keep up with the patient load.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I loved this book and will be recommending it to everyone. I think it would make a great book club read as I think there would be lots to discuss. I’m really hoping this isn’t the last we hear of Benji as I’d happily read another book from him.

Huge thanks to Mia from Vintage Books for sending me a copy of this book. If you’re after an insightful, entertaining memoir then you need to read this book.

About The Author:

Dr Benji Waterhouse is a front-line NHS doctor specialising in psychiatry. He is also an award-winning stand-up comedian who performs sell-out shows at the Edinburgh Festival. He has written for theGuardian and Independent,and was included in a list of ‘Inspiring Psychiatrists’ by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. You Don’t Have to Be Mad to Work Here is his first book.