A haunted hotel. A skeptical photographer. A deadly curse that could cost her everything.
Wren Mabry’s life is a disaster. Her last few years have been rife with tragedy and hardship. So when she’s offered a job at Moonseed Manor, a Gothic revival mansion that’s never welcomed visitors, it seems suspicious. Even so, this is her chance to finally turn her life around.
The gloom that hangs over Moonseed Manor is enhanced by its cold yet alluring owner, Mr. William Courtland Bennings. And the spooky tales of the flirtatious and sexy caretaker, Watt, play up that feeling.
Even though Wren doesn’t believe in ghosts or curses, she’s always had a flair for the darker side. And when she finds a handwritten book of poetry filled with longing, terror, and ghostly revenge, it reawakens her very soul—or rather the unknown poet does.
Love, death, secrets, and lies await in this gothic romance.
My Review:
The Curse Of Moonseed Manor is a captivating, atmosphere gothic romance which will be perfect for reading this spooky season.
Firstly I loved the setting in this book which was perfect for a ghost hunt. The author does a great job of describing the atmospheric manor so I felt like I was actually there exploring everything alongside the characters- though at times I was very glad I wasn’t. The house seemed to have a life of its own sometimes which I always loved and I found it really interesting getting to know a bit of its history as the story develops.
I loved the main character Wren who seemed like such a strong, relatable lady. It was interesting to learn more about her and to learn how she was trying to overcome things in her past . Her determination to solve this case was admirable and meant that I warmed to her quickly. The fact that she was a sceptic about all things supernatural helped add an intriguing element to the story and helped me feel safer in her company as I was sure she would solve the case. The inclusion of the mysterious Bennings and the sexy Watt was also very intriguing as I was very suspicious about what the two might be up to.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author. I thought the book had a great pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. The tension slowly grows as the story continues and we learn more about the mysterious manor. There were some quite scary moments at times but I felt these were evened out by other things so the book isn’t just a scary read. The ending was good and I liked how the different parts of the story came together, giving the reader all the answers they craved.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
D. Lieber has a wanderlust that would make a butterfly envious. When she isn’t planning her next physical adventure, she’s recklessly jumping from one fictional world to another. Her love of reading led her to earn a Bachelor’s in English from Wright State University.
Beyond her skeptic and slightly pessimistic mind, Lieber wants to believe. She has been many places—from Canada to England, France to Italy, Germany to Russia—believing that a better world comes from putting a face on “other.” She is a romantic idealist at heart, always fighting to keep her feet on the ground and her head in the clouds.
Lieber lives in Wisconsin with her husband (John) and cats (Yin and Nox).
When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.
Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor’s gossip at all costs. But Jeanie’s arrival disrupts Logan’s routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.
Will Jeanie’s happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won’t fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe is a cozy romantic mystery for fans of Gilmore Girls, with a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!
My Review:
I loved this book which is just perfect for cosying up with this autumn.
Firstly I absolutely loved the setting and would love to move to Dream Harbour straight away. The town sounds absolutely lovely and I enjoyed exploring it throughout the book. The author does a great job of describing the scene so I felt like I was actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters. I’d love to be able to stroll around the town, visit the bookstore, get a latte from the cafe and visit the wonderful sounding Autumn festival.
There are some wonderful characters in this book who I warmed to quickly and enjoyed getting to know as the story continued. They are a wonderfully eclectic group who I wish I knew in real life. I loved the mayor who relied on his dreams to decide what to do and I especially loved the book club which sounded like a right laugh. I think I’m going to have to set up a similar bookclub as it sounded such fun.
I thought the book had a great pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. Even when there wasn’t I was just happy hanging out with the wonderful characters. I did get a bit frustrated with Logan and Jeanie at times as they seemed to always find excuses not to be together. I wished I could go into the book and give them a talking to.
The ending was wonderful and I felt very sad to leave Dream Harbour and it’s inhabitants behind. I’m excited to learn there’s going to be a sequel featuring the same characters and based in the bookshop which is great as I always love a book set in a bookshop.
If you’re a fan of romance books, small town settings and grumpy/sunshine couples than you need to read this book.
About The Author:
Laurie Gilmore writes small-town romance. Her Dream Harbor series is filled with quirky townsfolk, cozy settings, and swoon-worthy romance. She loves finding books with the perfect balance of sweetness and spice and strives for that in her own writing. If you ever wished you lived in Stars Hollow (or that Luke and Lorelai would just get together already!) then her books are definitely for you.
Good morning everyone I’ve been lucky enough to receive some fabulous book post recently.
❤️King Of Greed by Ana Huang 🧡One Love by Matt Cain 💛My Brother’s Keeper by M. L Rose 💚Under The Tamarind Tree by Nigar Alam 💙Starling House by Alix E. Harrow* 🩵Hard By A Great Forest by Leo Vardiashvili * 💜The Last Murder At The End Of The World by Stuart Turton * 🩷The Fortunes Of Olivia Richmond by Louise Davidson 🩶The Nightingale’s Castle by Sonia Velton 🤍Sign Of Her Own by Sarah Marsh
King Of Greed and My Brother’s Keeper are for Tandem Collective Read-alongs. I’m a huge fan of Ana Huang ‘s books so I’m excited to read her new one. My Brother’s Keeper is a new writer for me which is always exciting. Under The Tamarind Tree is for a Random Things blog tour and the books with stars next to them are from work. The rest were kindly sent to me by some lovely publishers.
Huge thanks to all the lovely publishers and work colleagues for getting them for me. I’m so excited to read them all!
Have you read any of these? Which should I read first?
Good afternoon everyone I was excited to get a copy of this intriguing book through the post over the weekend. It sounds really good a coming of age story mixed with a little magic maybe?
I’m looking forward to reading this soon. Huge thanks to @suereedwrites for sending me a copy of her book.
Out now!
Book Synopsis:
It’s spring 2020 and fifteen-year-old Molly McFlynn is uprooted from town life by her mam to live with her bohemian grandparents in rural Northumberland. Molly is furious – her friends abandon her, the food is inedible and her grandmother is doing strange things in the garden at night.
Life takes a new direction when she meets a girl in the woods who appears to be on the run. Martha is from the seventeenth century, and a life lived on the edge of society. She is fleeing from the witch finder and the men who have hurled her mother, Ann Watson, into the dungeons in Newcastle. As Molly’s friendship with Martha grows, Molly reconciles with her true self, develops a love of nature and moves away from her consumerist lifestyle.
However, as Covid strikes, and a local witch hunt takes place, Martha’s is not the only life that is in danger. Molly must stand up for what is right, help heal family rifts and come to the rescue in a moment of peril.
About The Author:
Sue Reed lives in rural Northumberland, UK, with her husband, Tim where their love of wild places and nature can be realised. They have three grown-up children and two granddaughters who mean the world to them.
Born in Worthing, Sussex, Sue has migrated steadily north and has worn a variety of hats in her professional life from teacher, museum guide, upcycler of waste wool knitwear as The Woolly Pedlar to published author. It was in 2019 that she decided to go to Newcastle University to do an MA in Creative Writing, which is where the idea for the Molly McFlynn books fledged.
The Rewilding of Molly McFlynn is the first in a planned series, where Molly will become the Greta Thunberg of the northeast of England. In subsequent books, Molly will take on specific environmental causes, each with a time flip to days gone by, and each covering themes that challenge us day by day.
Sue has a loyal following on social media and can be found on Twitter and Instagram at @suereedwrites and Sue Reed Writes on Facebook.
She writes regularly about life’s ups and downs, and with news of her writing journey on her Substack newsletter http://www.suereed.substack.com
When not writing, Sue divides her time with her husband in the garden, travelling their converted campervan or looking after the grandchildren. They try to live as sustainably as possible, leading gentle lives in tune with the seasons, growing their own fruit and vegetables. Sue also writes about organic gardening, seasonal eating and foraging at The Bridge Cottage Way.
I’ve heard so many good things about The Travelling Cat Chronicles. I bought a copy of it a while ago and I’m hoping to read it soon. When a proof for the second book came in I grabbed it as it sounded equally good. I’ve read quite a bit of Japanese translated fiction recently and have loved all of them so I’m very intrigued by both of these.
The bookmark that came with it is very cute too!
Do you like reading translated fiction?
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
It’s not the journey that counts, but who’s at your side.
Nana is on a road trip, but he is not sure where he is going. All that matters is that he can sit beside his beloved owner Satoru in the front seat of his silver van.
Satoru is keen to visit three old friends from his youth, though Nana doesn’t know why and Satoru won’t say.
Set against the backdrop of Japan’s changing seasons and narrated with a rare gentleness and humour, Nana’s story explores the wonder and thrill of life’s unexpected detours. It is about the value of friendship and solitude, and knowing when to give and when to take.
At the heart of this book is a powerful message about the importance of kindness. It shows, above all, how acts of love, both great and small, can transform our lives.
The Goodbye Cat
Against changing seasons in Japan, seven cats weave their way through their owners’ lives.
– A needy kitten rescued from the recycling bin teaches a new father how to parent his own human baby – An elderly cat hatches a plan to pass into the next world as a spirit so that he and his owner may be together for ever – A colony of wild cats on a holiday island shows a young boy not to stand in nature’s way – A family is perplexed by their cat’s devotion to their charismatic but uncaring father – A woman curses how her cat constantly visits her at night
Bursting with empathy and love, THE GOODBYE CAT explores the unstoppable cycle of life as we see how the steadiness and devotion of a well-loved cat never lets us down.
A huge bestseller in Japan, every page is a joyous celebration of cats and how we cannot resist sharing our lives with them.
About The Author:
HIRO ARIKAWA is the million-copy bestselling author of THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES. Her brand new homage to cats, THE GOODBYE CAT, brings together seven cats as they weave their way through their owners’ lives. Featuring all the irresistible wit, wisdom and warmth that thousands of readers across the world love so much in her storytelling. THE GOODBYE CAT is published into multiple languages. Hiro Arikawa lives in the city of Takarazuka, Japan.
Good morning everyone and Happy Monday. I finally got my hands on this fantastic sounding book last week.
It is such a beautiful book! I love the slightly old fashioned looking map, the foil under the dust cover and the little boat that moves along the pages as the story progresses. I’ve been hearing lots of great things about it so I’m very excited to read it.
What new series have you started recently?
Book Synopsis:
All Talasyn has ever known are the Hurricane Wars. An orphan of the struggle, she uses the power of light to fight for her people against the Night Empire.
All Alaric has ever known is darkness. The son of the Night Emperor and their deadliest weapon, he wields terrifying shadow magic to crush the rebellion.
Then he sees Talasyn, his sworn enemy burning bright across the battlefield. The moment they clash their lives are changed forever.
Now a greater threat is rising and only they can stop it.
The coming storm threatens to destroy everything. If they don’t destroy each other first . . .
About The Author:
Thea is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author born and raised amidst the sprawling sugarcane fields of the Visayas, in the Philippines. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, with a specialization in International Politics and Peace Studies.
Aside from being a writer, she is an avid traveler, an enthusiastic fangirl, a Dungeon Master, and an iced coffee junkie. Villains have her whole heart, as do messy romances with happy endings. She currently resides in Metro Manila.
Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. Here’s some of the books I’ve bought recently. I’m trying not to buy so many books as it’s coming up to Christmas but I couldn’t resis these!
❤️ A Witch’s Guide To Fake Dating A Demon by Sarah Hawley
🧡The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
💛One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
💚 Anatomy by Dana Schwartz
💙 Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
💜A Haunting In The Arctic by C. J. Cooke
🩷 The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
I’m a huge fan of C. J Cooke so I’m excited to read her new book as it sounds great. I’ve been hearing lots of great things about The Hurricane Wars too so planning to read it asap. The rest are all recommendations from my fellow book lovers, which look perfect for reading this Halloween.
What was the last book you bought? Have you read any of these?
A Witch’s Guide To Fake Dating A Demon by Sarah Hawley
Mariel Spark knows not to trust a demon, especially one that wants her soul, but what’s a witch to do when he won’t leave her side – and she kind of doesn’t want him to?
Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon – one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain.
Ozroth the Ruthless is a legend among demons. Powerful and merciless, he drives hard bargains to collect mortal souls. But his reputation has suffered ever since a bargain went awry – if he can strike a deal with Mariel, he will earn back his deadly reputation. Ozroth can’t leave Mariel’s side until they complete a bargain, which she refuses to do (turns out some humans are attached to their souls).
But the witch is funny. And curvy. And disgustingly yet endearingly cheerful. Becoming awkward roommates quickly escalates when Mariel, terrified to confess the inadvertent summoning to her mother, blurts out that she’s dating Ozroth. As Ozroth and Mariel struggle to maintain a fake relationship, real attraction blooms between them. But Ozroth has a limited amount of time to strike the deal, and if Mariel gives up her soul, she’ll lose all her emotions – including love – which will only spell disaster for them both.
The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
She found magic in the most unlikely of places.
Mika Moon follows three rules: hide your magic, keep your head down, and stay away from other witches. Mika is good at being alone, and she doesn’t mind it . . . mostly.
But when an unexpected invitation arrives to teach three young witches at the mysterious Nowhere House, Mika jumps at the chance for a different life. As she comes to care for its quirky inhabitants – and Jamie, the handsome but prickly librarian – finally belonging somewhere feels like a real possibility.
But magic isn’t the only danger in the world – is it worth risking everything to protect the found family Mika didn’t know she was looking for?
A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a new family – and a new love – changes the course of her life.
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
ELSPETH NEEDS A MONSTER. THE MONSTER MIGHT BE HER.
An ancient, mercurial spirit is trapped inside Elspeth Spindle’s head – she calls him the Nightmare. He protects her. He keeps her secrets. But nothing comes for free, especially magic.
When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, she is thrust into a world of shadow and deception. Together, they embark on a dangerous quest to cure the town of Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. As the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.
For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a gothic fantasy romance about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom.
Anatomy by Dana Schwartz
Edinburgh, 1817.
Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.
Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.
When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, Beecham will allow her to continue her medical career. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need corpses to study. Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living.
But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets, and the dreaded Roman Fever, which wiped out thousands a few years ago, is back with a vengeance. Nobody important cares – until Hazel.
Now, Hazel and Jack must work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.
Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s moving Before the Coffee Gets Cold, translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot, explores the age-old question: what would you do if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?
In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a cafe which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.
In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the cafe’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by Alzheimer’s, see their sister one last time, and meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.
But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the cafe, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .
Continue the beautiful storytelling with Tales from the Cafe,Before Your Memory Fades, and Before We Say Goodbye.
A Haunting In The Arctic by C. J. Cooke
Something has walked the floors of the Ormen for over a century.
Something that craves revenge…
1901. On board the Ormen, a whaling ship battling through the unforgiving North Sea, Nicky Duthie awakes. Attacked and dragged there against her will, it’s just her and the crew – and they’re all owed something only she can give them.
1973. Decades later, when the ship is found still drifting across the ocean, it’s deserted. Just one body is left on board, his face and feet mutilated, his cabin locked from the inside. Everyone else has vanished.
Now, as urban explorer Dominique travels into the near-permanent darkness of the northernmost tip of Iceland, to the final resting place of the Ormen’s wreck, she’s determined to uncover the ship’s secrets.
But she’s not alone. Something is here with her. And it’s seeking revenge…
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
All Talasyn has ever known are the Hurricane Wars. An orphan of the struggle, she uses the power of light to fight for her people against the Night Empire.
All Alaric has ever known is darkness. The son of the Night Emperor and their deadliest weapon, he wields terrifying shadow magic to crush the rebellion.
Then he sees Talasyn, his sworn enemy burning bright across the battlefield. The moment they clash their lives are changed forever.
Now a greater threat is rising and only they can stop it.
The coming storm threatens to destroy everything. If they don’t destroy each other first . . .
Good morning everyone and happy Saturday! I’ve seen this challenge doing the rounds on Instagram so I thought I’d join in as I have quite a few books with split spines.
I try to organise my books into colours (when they’re not double stacked) and had to start a whole new section to accommodate them as I didn’t know where else to put them….
Today I’m looking forward to a quiet morning as my husband takes the two youngest to swimming and I’m hoping to read a bit more of my book. I’ve been really tired this week and sadly haven’t been able to read much so I’m hoping to catch up on a few read-alongs I’m taking part in this weekend. We’re then going to my mum’s for my son’s pre -birthday meal where he’s requested his favourite pudding – apple crumble!
I’ve tagged a few people on Instagram who might want to take part but, as always no pressure.
Good afternoon everyone I was lucky enough to go to the Cheltenham Literature Festival yesterday and I thought I’d share some of my highlights today!
The Grounds
I always enjoy looking around the grounds at the festival and seeing what features they have. This year was no exception with lots of fun things for people to do while they are waiting for their author events. I loved the book seating area which I thought was clever and the type writer keys which I thought would be great for photo opportunities. The grounds were even prettier at night with pretty lights on show!
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Meeting Sarah Winman
I absolutely love Sarah’s books so I had been very excited to hear her talk. It was very interesting to learn more about the inspiration behind her books and a bit about her writing process. I met her afterwards too and she was absolutely lovely.
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JoJo Moyes & Mike Gayle
When I saw that two of my favourite authors were doing an event together I bought two tickets straight away before I even knew who I could get to go with me. The talk itself was brilliant the two authors and the chair were old friends which made the conversation flew beautifully as well as some hilarious stories being told.
At the signing I got to talk to both authors who were both really lovely. I might have frightened Mike (sorry Mike) by saying I knew him from twitter though… JoJo was lovely and when I explained that my blog was called JoJo’s over the rainbow blog she kindly signed my book ‘To The Other JoJo” which made my day!
Good morning everyone and happy Friday! I was excited to receive a copy of this fabulous sounding book this week.
I love any books that involve vampires and magic so I’m incredibly excited to read this soon. This is actually a new author for me too which I always enjoy discovering.
Huge thanks to Indie Thinking for sending me a copy of this book.
Do you like vampire book? Any recommendations?
Book Synopsis:
A dark and thrilling vampire romance set in the world of the New York Times bestselling series Serpent & Dove!
Full of everything I love: a sparkling and fully-realized heroine, an intricate and deadly system of magic, and a searing romance that kept me reading long into the night. Sarah J Maas on Serpent & Dove
Six months have passed since Célie took her sacred vows and joined the ranks of the Chasseurs as their first huntswoman. With her fiancé, Jean Luc, as captain, she is determined to find her foothold in her new role and help protect Belterra. But whispers from her past still haunt her, and a new evil is rising―one that Célie herself must vanquish, unless she falls prey to the darkness.
About The Author:
Shelby Mahurin grew up on a small farm in rural Indiana, where sticks became wands and cows became dragons. Her rampant imagination didn’t fade with age, so she continues to play make-believe every day—with words now instead of cows. When not writing, Shelby watches the Office and reads voraciously. She still lives near that childhood farm with her very tall husband and semi-feral children.
Serpent & Dove is Shelby’s debut novel. You can visit her online at http://www.shelbymahurin.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @shelbymahurin.
Over The Rainbow Blog 