Book Synopsis:

Collide is the first book in the Off the Ice series
The second novel, Spiral, is out now and the third, Revolve, will be out in October. You can pre-order Revolve now.

‘Equal parts spicy and sweet’ Peyton Corinne, author of Unsteady

When Summer Preston’s professor issues her with an ultimatum, she finds herself on an unexpected collision course with hockey captain, Aiden Crawford.

Summer hates everything about hockey, for good reason, but she isn’t going to let that stand in the way of her becoming a sports psychologist.

Aiden loves being the hockey captain, except when his team’s reckless mistakes risk jeopardizing their entire season. When coach puts him forward for a research paper as punishment, he has no choice but to accept.

Summer can’t stand his blasé approach to life, and Aiden doesn’t understand her uptight, scheduled one. They are off to a rocky start, and provoking each other – it turns out – is what they do best.

But losing isn’t something either of them does well. Maybe there’s a way for both of them to win?

Now with a never-before-seen bonus scene from Summer and Aiden’s love story as well as an extract from the next book in the Off the Ice series. Find out which of your favourite characters from Collide will be featured next!

My Review:

Collide is a fun, gripping romance that helped get me out of a massive reading slump.  

The story is told from the dual point of view of hockey captain Aiden and grumpy, workaholic Summer.  Out of the two main characters I did prefer Aiden as I thought he was very sweet and deserved a medal for putting up with Summer at times. He seemed a very sweet character and I loved how he cared for everyone, often beyond what he was expected to as a captain.  Summer on the other hand took me a little while to warm to as I found her very unlikeable at the beginning.  She’s a very prickly character and I really couldn’t understand why she was being so difficult at times.  It was interesting to see the two slowly grow closer and how they helped each other through some difficult situations.  

I thought the book was very fast paced and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. Even in the quieter moments I was just happy hanging out with Aiden, Summer and their brilliant group of friends whose antics always made me smile.  This book has been compared to Icebreaker and while there are similarities I thought it was also an unique story in its own right.  There are some very spicy scenes in this book which wouldn’t be suitable for anyone below 18 as well as some hard hitting subjects mentioned which might not be to everyone’s taste.  

The ending was really heartwarming and I liked that the author continued the story on a bit so that the reader can see what happens next for the characters.  This is the first book in a trilogy and I quickly brought the second book in the series after a few chapters of this one as I knew I’d be wanting to read more.  

About The Author:

Bal is a Canadian writer, romance enthusiast, and book lover. Before she decided to jump into the romance pool, she spent her time gushing about books on social media. When inspiration strikes, she is found filling her notes app with ideas for romance novels. Like her heroine Summer, Bal has been woven into the fabric of two cultures and finds herself creating characters that represent the beauty of both. Whether it’s through language, a box of her favorite sweets, or a cup of chai, we can find hints of her South Asian roots throughout her writing. She loves reading about love, watching movies about love, and now, writing about it herself. There really isn’t much else that gets her heart fluttering the way HEAs do. She fell in love with writing and hopes to continue living out her romance author dreams.

Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. There’s a challenge going around Instagram at the moment to show how your Instagram has changed over the years and I thought it might be interesting to do it for my blog too.

Starting Out

I starting blogging nearly ten years ago as something for me to do for me after having my eldest kid. At the beginning I was purely a Netgalley reviewer and joined after hearing about it on a Facebook page. I can still remember the excitement of getting approved for my first book after stupidly checking my phone in the middle of the night and then being unable to sleep.

I would post my reviews to Goodreads and then post the link to Twitter which drew the attention of the lovely Lorraine from The Book Review Cafe who took me on as a guest reviewer and ultimately persuaded me to start my own blog.

I’d just lots my second son Christopher and I wanted to name my blog in his memory. I have a thing about Robins, especially with the belief that Robins are people from heaven saying hello. I almost called my blog Robin Reviews but thought it would confuse people into thinking my name was Robin.

First Blog Posts

My First blog post were very basic and I remember feeling very nervous posting them. At the beginning I mainly posted reviews or book spotlights for blog tours only, using pictures given to me by the organisers or taken from Amazon.

I slowly started to increase my confidence in posting on Twitter (which I still find nerve wracking at times) and commenting on twitter posts from publishers offering proofs. I’ll forever be grateful to the lovely Alison, Hannah, Rachel and Rosie from Penguin for taking a chance on a new blogger as well as the lovely Anne Cater for letting me onto her blog tours.

To Present Day

My content has definitely changed over the years and I feel I post much more variety now. I’ve grown in confidence and feel happy posting shorter posts or challenges when I wouldn’t have before. My time on Instagram has also made me more confident in creating my own pictures so I tend to use photo’s I’ve taken on my blog now rather than generic ones.

I don’t do as many blog tours anymore as with the kids and work I find it difficult to stick to a schedule.

I’ve also become braver at posting pictures of myself in here and doing write ups of events I’ve been to. I’m slightly dyslexic so I find writing difficult sometimes and worry it doesn’t make sense but people still seem to like the posts so I’ll keep going!

The Future

I’m definitely planning on continuing to blog for many years to come. I really enjoy it and I feel that I’ve made some lovely blogger friends on here. I’m going to continue posting a variety of different content as I like sharing different things. I’m not going to stress myself out by trying to post everyday but rather I’m going to post when I’ve got something good to share!

One thing that has definitely changed since I’ve started blogging is my taste in books. I have definitely branched out and read much more variety now. I’ve got into fantasy and romance books more which I’m really enjoying reading.

Good morning everyone and happy Saturday . I’m taking inspiration from the lovely @nothing.beats.a.good.book for this post as I’ve actually managed to finish a book in half term!

I’ve just finished Little Red Death which I really enjoyed. It was a lot darker than I expected and that twist at the end?! So good! Full review coming soon but highly recommended by me.

I’m starting The Sirens tonight which I’m really excited about. I’ve heard lots of good things about it and I absolutely loved her previous book so I’ve been looking forward to reading it.

Huge thanks to the tagged publishers for sending!

What book are you reading this weekend?

Little Red Death by AK Benedict

ONCE UPON A TIME LIKE YOU’VE NEVER READ IT BEFORE . . .
 
DI Lyla Rondell is on the case of a lifetime. Tasked with investigating a series of perplexing deaths, the only lead she has is that each appears to be based on a different classic fairy tale. Far from the stuff of bedtime stories, the press is having a field day with what they have named the Grimm Ripper Murders.
 
But as the bodies stack up, Lyla’s whole world is about to flip on its head. Because the killer’s bloody trail stretches deep into her own origin story, and when she discovers the truth, nothing will ever be the same again.
 
Faced with the fact that everything she knows is fiction, Lyla will have to take a little creative license of her own if she’s going to turn the final page on the killings . . . 

The Sirens by Emilia Hart

Lucy is running from what she’s done – and what someone did to her.

There’s only one person who might understand: her sister Jess. But when Lucy arrives at her sister’s desolate cliff-top house, Jess is gone.

Lucy is now alone, in a strange town steeped in rumour. Stories of men disappearing without a trace. A foundling discovered in a sea-swept cave. And women’s voices murmuring on the waves…

As Lucy searches for her sister, those voices get ever louder. They tell of two sisters, two centuries ago, bound and transported across the world. A world where men always get their way. A world that is at once distant, and achingly familiar.

Are these voices luring Lucy closer to her sister? Or will the secrets of the past pull them both under?

Good morning everyone and happy Friday. Here are six books I’m hoping to read soon!

❤️The New Year by Claire Douglas
🧡 Spiral by Bal Khabra
💛Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven
💚The Sirens by Emilia Hart
💙 Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
💜The Woman In The Wallpaper by Lora Jones

I’m a huge mood reader and often change my mind about what I’m going to read next. I’m aware I’ve put The Sirens and The New Neighbours in a few of these but I’m determined to read them both too. I actually had at least six more I was thinking of when I was doing this so I might have cursed these books to never be read at this point.

My eldest is still poorly so we’re taking him to the doctor’s today. He has a blood test booked already for the continual headaches so we’re combining it with a doctor’s appointment too. I’m then hoping to finally do some housework and finish my book which I’ve been trying to do all week. I actually thought I’d have more time to read as the kids are normal happy going on their gadgets but it’s turned out to be a hectic week. I’m going back to work tomorrow for a rest!

I’ve tagged a few people who might want to join in and share six books soon but, as always, no pressure.

Do you stick to a schedule when reading or are you a mood reader too?

Good afternoon everyone and happy Thursday. Here are two fabulous books books I’ve been lucky enough to receive recently!

🖤 The Quiet by Barnaby Martin

💙 Some Of Us Are Liars by Fiona Cummins

Fiona is one of my favourite thriller authors and I’ve been hearing lots of great things about The Quiet so I’m very excited to read both of these.

Huge thanks to the lovely Chloe from Pan Macmillan for sending these to me it’s really appreciated.

The Quiet is out on the 15th May 2025 and Some Of Us Are Liars Island out on the 19th June 2025.

Find out more about the books below ⬇️

Are these on your radar?

The Quiet by Barnaby Martin

A mother’s love can be deafening . . .

Isaac is Hannah’s entire world. She knows that her son is gifted, and that those gifts make him vulnerable. To keep him safe, she spends every waking moment by his side. If she lets her guard down, lets him out of her sight, lets him show what he’s capable of, he will be taken from her.

When the Soundfield arrived twenty years ago, the world changed with it. Now, people are forced to live at night due to the deadly heat of the day, food and water are scarce, and everyday life is punctuated by the constant and disconcerting hum from the Field. A brilliant scientist, Hannah spent her early career working on the enigma of the Soundfield, looking for answers; now, resigned, she has focussed all her energies on keeping Isaac living, not just alive.

To do so, she will have to lie to the people she knows and hope she can trust the ones she doesn’t. Because the only thing more dangerous than her lies, is the truth of what she has done.

Some Of Us Are Liars by Fiona Cummins

There’s your side. My side. And the truth.

Lisa Jewell meets Jodi Picoult in a story of betrayal and deception in the aftermath of family tragedy.

She must face justice. As her sister it kills me to say it. As his mother I demand it.

When Jen Miller entrusts her youngest child to the care of her beloved sisters, she has no idea of the devastating tragedy that is about to unfold.

To celebrate her sister’s wedding, global superstar Winter Kellaway throws the party of the decade at her luxurious beachside estate. The decorations are flawless. The champagne is on ice. The guests have arrived. But one misstep will have heartbreaking consequences that will rock this close-knit family to their core.

With her life in pieces, how can Jen ever begin to forgive?

Saul Anguish, a brilliant but tormented young detective, is called in to investigate and uncovers a long-buried and shocking family secret. As the trail takes a dramatic turn, they must now all face the truth that you can never truly leave the past behind . . .

Good afternoon everyone I hope you’re having a good Wednesday. I was absolutely thrilled to receive The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater through the post today. It sounds absolutely fantastic, historical fiction set in ww2 with a touch of supernatural atmosphere? Yes please!

Huge thanks to the lovely Rosie from Headline Books for sending this to me I can’t wait to read it.

The Listeners is out on the 3rd of June and you can find out more about the book below ⬇️

Q: Would you like to live in a haunted/ magic house?
A: Yes if it was a house like Starling House 🥰

Book Synopsis:

The extraordinary, genre-defying debut adult novel by the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

AT THE AVALLON, REAL POWER COMES TO THOSE WHO WATCH AND LISTEN…

High in the Appalachian mountains is a place quite unlike any other. The Avallon Hotel and its enigmatic General Manager, June Hudson, are famed for offering unrivalled luxury, season after season, to those who come from far and wide to indulge in its beautiful hot springs and take the healing waters. Everything is perfect. Perhaps too perfect.

So when the Avallon is called upon to help the war effort – to oust its guests and host three hundred diplomats and Nazi sympathisers – June’s priority is business as usual. But as dark alliances and unexpected attractions crack the polished veneer of the hotel, she is forced to reckon with the true price of luxury.

After all, only June knows the sacrifice required to keep everyone happy – her staff, the FBI and, above all, the tumultuous sweetwater running through the heart of the hotel.

The Listeners is a story of love, lies, secrets and betrayal, based on real events and steeped with eerie Appalachian magic – and brought to life by a truly unforgettable ensemble cast of characters.

About The Author:

Maggie Stiefvater is the New York Times bestselling author of the Shiver trilogy, the Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races, among dozens of other YA fantasy novels. Her books have sold over five million copies around the world. She lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband and their two children.

Good morning everyone and happy Wednesday. I’ve received a few red and pink books recently so wanted to share a stack with a few of them in.

🩷 Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell
❤️ Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey
🩷Love & Other Paradoxes by Catriona Silvey
❤️ Let’s Make A Scene by Laura Wood
🩷The Midnight Clock by Jamie Costello
❤️One In A Million by Beverley Kendall
🩷 Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
❤️The Cleaner by Mary Watson
🩷Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth
❤️The Queen Of Fives by Alex Hay
🩷 Docile by Hyeseung Song

This stack was actually inspired by my daughter as we couldn’t decide what colour one of the books were though it looks definitely red in this stack. All of these are tbr though I’m half way through Queen Of Fives and The Cleaner.

I’m off for half term this week and we have a busy day today. My daughter has gymnastics club all day, my youngest is going to his best friend’s house and my eldest wants to go to the golf range. My mum is then coming over later before a doctor’s appointment and hockey club tonight. I’m hoping to fit in a few pages of my book too though that might be wishful thinking.

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

What’s your favourite colour?

Good morning everyone and happy Tuesday. I was lucky enough to receive these three fantastic looking books recently. I’m a huge fan of all three of these authors so there may have been squealing when I opened this book mail.

I’m on the blog tour for Let’s Make A Scene and Book Boyfriend so I’ll be posting my reviews for them nearer to publication but I’m looking forward to reading One In A Million soon.

Huge thanks to the lovely Sara-Jade and Simon and schuster for sending these to me as well as the love hearts which are one of my favourite sweets.

Book Boyfriend is out on the 19th June 2025, Let’s Make A Scene is out in July and One In A Million is out now. Find out more about the books below ⬇️

What are your favourite sweets?

One In A Million by Beverley Kendall

A fun, spicy romcom with the poignancy of Abby Jimenez and a modern twist on “surprise baby” for fans of Jasmine Guillory.

Megastar Whitney “Sahara” Richardson has everything planned – including when she’ll have kids. But a medical mix-up makes her the biological mother of a child she didn’t carry and whose father she’s never met. 

World-famous Whitney “Sahara” Richardson is at the top of her game. With four Grammys, an Oscar nod, and a half-billion-dollar clothing line, her career is skyrocketing. Even her headline-grabbing dating life is looking up. And if everything goes as planned, marriage and children are just a few years away. However, a mix-up at the fertility clinic where her eggs are stored puts the cart before the horse, and Sahara suddenly has a daughter… whose biological father is reluctant to share.

Book Boyfriend by Lucy Vine

Jemma has lived a thousand lives through books. The only life she isn’t living is her own.
 
That is, until the day she finds a note from a stranger in her favourite library book. When she replies, the pair begin a longhand conversation about their love of novels that sees Jemma finally coming out of her shell. Is she ready to fall in love for the first time – with someone she’s never met?
 
Clara has always run away from her problems, but this might finally be one she can’t escape.
 
Everyone wants to know what happened to Clara in America – but Clara isn’t talking. Instead she’s focusing all her energy obsessing over a hot new actor, starring in the TV adaptation of her twin Jemma’s favourite book. Soon, Clara is reading every interview, trawling his social media, and following him to showbiz parties in the hopes he’ll notice she’s The One.
 
As the sisters fall hard for two men they’ve never met, it’s time to ask the question: Can either relationship survive the real world?

Let’s Make A Scene by Lucy Wood

Their story might be scripted, but the chemistry is real.

When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, starring in a small British movie, she is over the moon. There’s only one problem . . . Cynthie’s arrogant and annoyingly handsome co-star Jack hates her, and the feeling is definitely mutual. While they may be at war behind the scenes, their on-screen chemistry is palpable, and the studio sees an opportunity – have the two young stars fake a romance that will charm fans and draw crowds.

Thirteen years later, Cynthie and Jack have successfully kept their promise to stay far away from one another, until a surprising offer comes to make a sequel to the cult classic that launched their careers. But there’s a catch: they must also rekindle their pretend relationship . . . and this time there’s a documentary crew following their every move.

Cynthie and Jack both desperately need this film to work, but can two ex-rivals ever really trust each other? And what happens when the roles they’re playing start to feel all too real?

Good evening everyone I hope you’ve had a good Monday! I was very excited to get a copy of This Love by Lotte Jeffs this week. I loved One Day so I’m very intrigued by the comparison to this book,plus it looks like it’s been recommended by the lovely Nina from Prima so I know it’s going to be a good read.

Huge thanks to Dialogue Publishing for sending this to me it’s really appreciated.

This Love is out now in all formats and is actually only 99p on kindle at the moment. You can find out more about the book below ⬇️

Q: What have you been up to today?
A: I’ve had a quiet one with the kids at home and have spent most of the day reading!

Book Synopsis:

When Mae and Ari meet their final year at the University of Leeds, their connection is magnetic. Mae, whilst stubborn and no stranger to breaking hearts, needs Ari’s bright light to guide her out of her self-centred ways; Ari, vibrant, charming and reeling in the aftermath of a scandal in New York, clings to Mae as his grounding anchor.

As the years sweep by, the two traverse the tumult of life: toxic partners and hidden secrets, the heavy weight of grief, and a complicated, unignorable desire to start a family . . . If they can hold onto one another in the face of the relentless past and the inevitable future, they might discover how to build something beautiful out of their expansive, boundary-breaking love.

Spanning ten years of extraordinary friendship, This Love is a vivid and epic tale of finding your soulmates, building an unconventional family, and the limitless, ever-changing forms love can take – perfect for fans of Talking at Night, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and One Day.

About The Author:

Lotte Jeffs is an award-winning journalist and former acting Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor of ELLE Magazine. She writes for The Times, The Guardian and The Telegraph among other publications and is the host of the LGBTQ+ Parenting Podcast Some Families. She lives in london with her magic wife and daughter. 

Good morning everyone and happy Monday. If you saw my post on Twitter the other day you’ll already know that one of the book lists I created for Rossiter Books has made the front page of the Bookshop .org website which is really exciting!

The list I created were books I recommend reading if you liked Onyx Storm or any of the books in that series.

The books on the list are:

🐲 Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan

🐉The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccarelli

🐲 When The Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker

🐉Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

🐲Iron & Embers by Helen Scheverer

🐉Babel by RF Kuang

🐲The Priory Of The Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

🐉The Serpent And The Wings Of Night by Carissa Broadbent

🐲Faebound by El Arifi

🐉 Blood Of Hercules by Jasmine Mas

🐲Dragonfall by L. R. Lam

🐉The Baby Dragon Cafe by A T Qureshi

🐲A Language Of Dragons by S F Williamson

You can access the list via the link below and do consider buying through bookshop.org as it helps support your local Indie bookstore.

https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/books-to-read-if-you-liked-onyx-storm

Most of the books on the list were from Indie Thinking Book brea, Panmacmillan, Harper Voyager and Tor Books so I’d like to say a huge thanks to them all for sending the proofs to me.

Have you read any of these books or are any on your list?