Book Synopsis:

She’s written the perfect romance . . . for someone else

Greetings card copywriter Phoebe Chapman knows a good romantic line or two – and it makes her a fantastic Cupid.

So when she lands in the Hollywood Hills – a place that proves film stars, golden beaches and secret waterfalls don’t just exist in the movies – she can’t resist playing matchmaker for her handsome neighbour, carpenter Ren.

But you can’t hide from love in La La Land.

And isn’t there something a little bit hot about Ren, her own leading man next door?

My Review:

Love Me Do is a fun, addictive read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Firstly I absolutely loved the characters in this book. They were all such fun, lovely creations and it was so nice to follow them throughout the book. The main character Phoebe was an absolutely fantastic character, who I fell in love with. She’s so funny and realistic that I instantly warmed to her and wished that I knew her in real life. Phoebe has a unique, yet hilarious way of describing things which often had me laughing out loud and I loved her ability to get herself into some interesting situations. It was great to see her grow more confident in herself as she settled into LA and made some great new friends.

Having never been LA, despite my sister living there for a few years, I enjoyed exploring it alongside the characters. It seems like a really interesting place to visit and I had never realised how diverse it could be having lots of access to nature rather than just a city. I especially loved the descriptions of the beautiful beaches and the graveyard where people had picnics seemed very interesting. It has definitely made me want to visit there soon.

Overall, as you can probably tell , I absolutely loved this book and I will definitely be recommending it to others. The author’s writing style just drew me in and I soon grew very fond of the characters, wanting to keep reading to find out what an earth would happen next. I managed to read this book over two days, which as a mother of three, rarely happens but I just absolutely loved this story and wanted to spend as much time with the characters as possible. This was the first book I’ve read by this author but I’m now very excited to read more from her in the future. I’m really hoping there might be a sequel in the future as I’d love to spend more time with Phoebe, Ren, Bel and the gang.

If you’re looking for a fun, easy and gripping read for your holiday this summer I highly recommend this one.

About The Author:

Lindsey Kelk is the internationally bestselling author of books including I Heart New York, On A Night Like This, The Christmas Wish, and One in a Million.

As well as writing books, Lindsey co-hosts Tights and Fights, a pro-wrestling podcast on the Maximum Fun network. She also hosts and produces the award-winning beauty podcast, Full Coverage.

Born and raised in South Yorkshire, Lindsey lived in Nottingham, London and New York before settling in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband and three very rude cats.

Good morning everyone. Today on Two For Tuesday I thought I’d highlight two of the fantastic sounding books I’m reading for bookclubs this month.

The Weather Woman by Sally Gardener is for the lovely @bestbookforward book club. I’ve heard great things about this one and the blurb really appeals to me so I’m looking forward to reading this one.

The Love Of My Life is for @the_book_taster online book club. I’ve been very intrigued by this book for a while so when I saw it was their book club pick this month I knew I had to join in. It’s doing very well at the book shop too so I’m excited to start it.

Do you belong to a bookclub? What are you reading this month?

The Love Of My Life by Rosie Walsh

I have held you every night for ten years and I didn’t even know your name. We have a child together. A dog, a house.

Who are you?

Emma loves her husband Leo and their young daughter Ruby: she’d do anything for them. But almost everything she’s told them about herself is a lie.

And she might just have got away with it, if it weren’t for her husband’s job. Leo is an obituary writer and Emma is a well-known marine biologist. So, when she suffers a serious illness, Leo copes by doing what he knows best: reading and writing about her life.

But as he starts to unravel her past, he discovers the woman he loves doesn’t really exist. Even her name is made-up.

When the very darkest moments of Emma’s past life finally emerge, she must somehow prove to Leo that she really is the woman he always thought she was. But first, she must tell him about the love of her other life . 

The Weather Woman by Sally Gardener

Neva is born into a world of trickery and illusion, where fortunes are won and lost on the turn of a card. But she is also born with an extraordinary gift: she can predict the weather. In Regency England, where the proper goal for a gentlewoman is marriage and only God can foretell the future, this is a dangerous power to possess.

In order to stand up to the men of science, Neva adopts a sophisticated male disguise, created by her brilliant clockmaker father. But what will happen when she falls in love with a charismatic young man?

Book Synopsis:

‘I am waiting for someone to kill me. Tonight would be a good night for it.’

Agent Seventeen, the most infamous hitman in the world, has quit. But whoever wants to become Assassin Eighteen must track him down and kill him first.

So when a bullet hits the glass inches from his face, he knows who fired it – doesn’t he?

But the sniper isn’t the hardened killer he was expecting. It’s Mireille – a mysterious, silent child, abandoned in the woods with instructions to pull the trigger.

Reuniting with his spiky lover, Kat, Seventeen must protect Mireille, and discover who sent her to kill him, and why.

But the road he must travel is littered with bodies. And the answer, when it comes, will blow apart everything Seventeen thought he knew.

My Review:

Assassin Eighteen is a fast paced, thrilling read which I really enjoyed. It’s going to be a difficult book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.

The book starts off with a bang and the pace never really lets off as we follow seventeen and his sidekick/ love interest kat. It was great fun To follow him on his mission, with some of the settings helping to bring the scene to life as they were so vivid. You can really tell the author is a film maker as some of the parts of the book were incredibly visual and action packed.

I thought the plot was fantastic and there always seemed to be something happening to keep me reading. It seemed very real which made the book even more exciting to read as I often felt like I was actually there watching everything unfold alongside the characters. There were lots of twists to keep me guessing and I absolutely loved the unexpected but fitting ending.

This is the second book in the series and I’m really hoping there will be more to come. It would be great to see this as a film as I’d love to see the fantastic scenes come to life.

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:

John Brownlow is a filmmaker, screenwriter and novelist. Born in Lincoln, UK, after studying maths and English at Oxford he produced and directed more than a dozen documentaries for British TV. In the early 2000s he turned to screenwriting, and wrote the film SYLVIA about Sylvia Plath, starring Gwynneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig. He also wrote the TV series FLEMING, about Ian Fleming’s work in wartime intelligence, and the TV adaptation of Jessie Burton’s best-selling novel THE MINIATURIST. His debut novel, SEVENTEEN, was published in 2022, and the sequel is due to be published in 2023.

John holds British and Canadian citizenship and lives in Ontario, Canada.

Good morning everyone. I thought I’d share a little reading update today.

Last: Love Me Do by Lindsey Kelk
Now: The Whispers by Ashley Audrain &
The Villa by Ruth Kelly
Next: The Housekeepers by Alex Hay

I’ve just finished reading Love Me Do which was absolutely brilliant and I raced through in a few days which is unheard of for me. I think I’m going to get a big book hangover from it as I’m missing all the fabulous characters! I’m currently reading The Whispers as a buddy read with the lovely @lous__library which we’re starting today and I want to start The Villa too as that book really appeals to me. After that I’m hoping to read The Housekeepers as it sounds brilliant and I’ve heard lots of great things.

What are you currently reading?

Last: Love Me Do by Lindsey Kelk

She’s written the perfect romance . . . for someone else

Greetings card copywriter Phoebe Chapman knows a good romantic line or two – and it makes her a fantastic Cupid.

So when she lands in the Hollywood Hills – a place that proves film stars, golden beaches and secret waterfalls don’t just exist in the movies – she can’t resist playing matchmaker for her handsome neighbour, carpenter Ren.

But you can’t hide from love in La La Land.

And isn’t there something a little bit hot about Ren, her own leading man next door?

Now: The Whispers by Ashley Audrain

The whispers started long before the accident on Harlow Street . . .
Was it at the party, when Whitney screamed blue murder at her son?
Or after neighbour Blair started prowling Whitney’s house, uninvited?
Or once Rebecca and Ben’s childlessness finally puts a crack in their marriage?
But on the terrible night of the accident, the whispers grow louder, more insistent.
Neighbours gather round. Questions are asked. Secrets are spilled. And the gloss on everything begins to rub off. Everyone is drawn into the darkness.
Because there’s no smoke without fire.
No friendship without envy.
And no lie that does not conceal a devastating truth . . .

Now: The Villa by Ruth Kelly

Death and mayhem erupt on an exclusive island as it plays host to a reality television show like no other . . . From bestselling author Ruth Kelly, The Villa is an electrifying summer read, perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Catherine Cooper.

A VILLA IN PARADISE
It’s destined to be the ultimate reality TV show. Ten contestants. A luxurious villa on a private island. Every moment streamed live to a global audience who have total control over those competing for the cash prize.

A JOURNALIST UNDERCOVER
Reporter Laura is told to get the inside scoop on her fellow contestants. But once the games begin, she soon finds herself at the mercy of a ruthless producer willing to do anything to increase viewer numbers.

A REALITY SHOW TO DIE FOR
There is more to every contestant than meets the eye, including Laura. They all have secrets they’d like to keep buried, and the pressure in paradise quickly reaches boiling point. How far will the contestants go to secure audience votes? And would somebody really kill to win?

Next: The Housekeepers by Alex Hay

UPSTAIRS, MADAM IS PLANNING THE PARTY OF THE SEASON.

DOWNSTAIRS, THE SERVANTS ARE PLOTTING THE HEIST OF THE CENTURY.

When Mrs King, housekeeper to the most illustrious home in Mayfair, is suddenly dismissed after years of loyal service, she knows just who to recruit to help her take revenge.

A black-market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs King’s predecessor, who has been keeping the dark secrets of Park Lane far too long.

Mrs King has an audacious plan in mind, one that will reunite her women in the depths of the house on the night of a magnificent ball – and play out right under the noses of her former employers…

THEY COME FROM NOTHING. BUT THEY’LL LEAVE WITH EVERYTHING.

Book Synopsis:

THE INTOXICATING NEW LANCASTER PREP NOVEL FROM THE TIKTOK SENSATION AND AUTHOR OF A MILLION KISSES IN YOUR LIFETIME

Weston Fontaine is the hottest senior at Lancaster Prep.

He could have any girl on campus, except for one.

Me.

I’m a Lancaster, meaning I’m basically untouchable – or so I thought. My family owns the school which I have to endure before I can return to what I love most: ballet.

West doesn’t make my time here easy. He’s arrogant. Crude. Insufferable. Yet he’s the only boy I’ve ever let touch me . . .

You see, West and I? We share a secret. In Paris, I revealed parts of myself to him I’ve never shown anyone else. And he did the same.

So what happens when you helplessly fall for the one person you know is bad for you? . . .

My Review:

I’ll Always Be With You is a heartwarming, addictive, rollercoaster read from a new author for me.

Firstly I thought that the author created the perfect setting in this slow burn romance and I enjoyed experiencing Lancaster Prep alongside the characters. A public school is the perfect pressure cooker type environment for lots of drama- emotional and otherwise. It’s an environment I remember well from my own school days and it made me very happy that I wasn’t there anymore.

The two main characters West and Caroline were interesting creations and I enjoyed following them throughout the book. I didn’t particularly warm to either of them as I felt West was too full of himself and Caroline was too standoffish. It was great to get to know the characters more and discover the hidden layers in their personalities which made them more likable. It was nice to see how they bought out the best in each other and to see them gradually grow closer.

Overall I thought the book had a great pace to it and there always seemed to be something happening to keep my attention. The book does start off a bit slowly but soon picks up and becomes quite addictive. My only slight niggle was I felt some of the scenes were a little drawn out but I don’t think I’m the target audience for this book so other people might think differently. This is the fourth book in the series but I think it could easily be read as a standalone like I have done.

Huge thanks to Jenny from tandem collective for inviting me onto the read-along and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere, along with their four cats and one crazy dog. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to sometimes putting her characters through tough, angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

Monica is also known as USA Today bestselling romance author Karen Erickson

Good morning everyone, it’s a little late but here are some of the books I’d like to read this month. I’m a bit of a mood reader so have included more than I can probably read so I have options 🤣.

Some of these are book club reads and The Whispers is for a buddy read I’m starting tomorrow with the lovely @lous__library. There are also a few books coming out this month that I really want to read so I might get tempted to read those instead.

Huge thanks to the lovely @libraryofchlo
for sending me The Villa and @lovedreadingthis for sending me her copies of The Housekeepers and Bellies.

I featured some of these books on my recent book haul posts but I’ve included more information about a few of the other books below.

Any of these on your radar? What book would you read first?

The Villa by Ruth Kelly

Death and mayhem erupt on an exclusive island as it plays host to a reality television show like no other . . . From bestselling author Ruth Kelly, The Villa is an electrifying summer read, perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Catherine Cooper.

A VILLA IN PARADISE
It’s destined to be the ultimate reality TV show. Ten contestants. A luxurious villa on a private island. Every moment streamed live to a global audience who have total control over those competing for the cash prize.

A JOURNALIST UNDERCOVER
Reporter Laura is told to get the inside scoop on her fellow contestants. But once the games begin, she soon finds herself at the mercy of a ruthless producer willing to do anything to increase viewer numbers.

A REALITY SHOW TO DIE FOR
There is more to every contestant than meets the eye, including Laura. They all have secrets they’d like to keep buried, and the pressure in paradise quickly reaches boiling point. How far will the contestants go to secure audience votes? And would somebody really kill to win?

The Housekeepers by Alex

UPSTAIRS, MADAM IS PLANNING THE PARTY OF THE SEASON.

DOWNSTAIRS, THE SERVANTS ARE PLOTTING THE HEIST OF THE CENTURY.

When Mrs King, housekeeper to the most illustrious home in Mayfair, is suddenly dismissed after years of loyal service, she knows just who to recruit to help her take revenge.

A black-market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs King’s predecessor, who has been keeping the dark secrets of Park Lane far too long.

Mrs King has an audacious plan in mind, one that will reunite her women in the depths of the house on the night of a magnificent ball – and play out right under the noses of her former employers…

THEY COME FROM NOTHING. BUT THEY’LL LEAVE WITH EVERYTHING.

Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney

Sometimes bad things happen to good people, so good people have to do bad things . . .

Twenty years after a baby is stolen from her push-chair, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth.

Edith may have been tricked into a nursing home, but at eighty-years-young, she’s planning her escape. Patience works there, cleaning up mess and bonding with Edith, a kindred spirit. But Patience is lying to Edith about almost everything.

Edith’s own daughter, Clio, won’t speak to her. And someone new is about to knock on Clio’s door . . . and their intentions aren’t good.

With every reason to distrust each other, the women must solve a mystery with three suspects, two murders, and one victim. If they do, they might just find out what happened to the baby who disappeared, the mother who lost her, and the connections that bind them.

The Queen of Twists, bestselling author of Daisy Darker and Rock Paper Scissors Alice Feeney, returns with another gripping mystery filled with drama and her trademark surprises in Good Bad Girl.

Talking At Night by Claire Daverley

Will and Rosie meet as teenagers.

They’re opposites in every way. She overthinks everything; he is her twin brother’s wild and unpredictable friend. But over secret walks home and late-night phone calls, they become closer – destined to be one another’s great love story.Until, one day, tragedy strikes, and their future together is shattered.But as the years roll on, Will and Rosie can’t help but find their way back to each other. Time and again, they come close to rekindling what might have been.

What do you do when the one person you should forget is the one you just can’t let go?

Bellies

It begins as your typical boy meets boy. While out with friends at a university drag night, Tom buys Ming a drink. Confident and witty, a charming young playwright, Ming is the perfect antidote to Tom’s awkward energy, and their connection is instant. Tom finds himself deeply and desperately drawn into Ming’s orbit, and on the cusp of graduation, he’s already mapped out their future together. But, shortly after they move to London to start their next chapter, Ming announces her intention to transition.

From London to Kuala Lumpur, New York to Cologne, we follow Tom and Ming as they face shifts in their relationship in the wake of Ming’s transition. Through a spiral of unforeseen crises – some personal, some professional, some life-altering – Tom and Ming are forced to confront the vastly different shapes their lives have taken since graduating, and each must answer the essential question: is it worth losing a part of yourself to become who you are?

Book Synopsis:

James Whitby, sentenced to death for the murder of prominent lawyer and former Quit India activist Fareed Mazumdar, is less than two weeks from a date with the gallows. In a last-ditch attempt to save his son, Whitby’s father forces a new investigation into the killing.

The investigation leads Inspector Persis Wadia of the Bombay Police to the old colonial capital of Calcutta, where, with the help of Scotland Yard criminalist Archie Blackfinch, she uncovers a possible link to a second case, the brutal murder of an African-American G.I. during the Calcutta Killings of 1946.

Are the cases connected? And if Whitby didn’t murder Mazumdar, then who did?

My Review:

Death Of A Lesser God is another brilliant, addictive and gripping addition to one of my favourite historical crime series.

Firstly I absolutely loved Persis and I really enjoyed following her throughout the story. She’s definitely a woman before her time which I loved, especially seeing how strong and determined she is when it comes to this case. It was interesting to see how she operated without the police force to back her up as I think it showed more clearly how her brain operated.

I loved all the fantastic historical details the author has included in this book which I think helped bring 1950 Calcutta to life. This is one of my favourite periods of history so I found it fascinating to learn more about the history of the country, especially how politics and religion affected things. I especially felt for Whitby and the difficult line he had to tread as, being a white Indian he wasn’t accepted by his own country or by others.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I absolutely loved this book and really look forward to reading more from this series in future. The story does start off a little slow as initially there isn’t much for Persis to work with but soon picks up and becomes very gripping indeed. I loved following Persis through all the highs and lows of the case, including a very memorable scrape with a tiger which I definitely wasn’t expecting. The author gradually increases the tension in the book until I found it very hard to put the book down, reading far too late at night as I had to discover how it all ended.

Huge thanks to Alainna from Hodder and Stoughton for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour. If you’re a fan of historical fiction I highly recommend this series!

About The Author:

Vaseem Khan is the author of two award-winning crime series set in India, the Baby Ganesh Agency series set in modern Mumbai, and the Malabar House historical crime novels set in 1950s Bombay. His first book, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 40 best crime novels published 2015-2020, and is translated into 16 languages. The second in the series won the Shamus Award in the US. In 2018, he was awarded the Eastern Eye Arts, Culture and Theatre Award for Literature. Vaseem was born in England, but spent a decade working in India. In 2021, Midnight at Malabar House won the Crime Writers Association Historical Dagger, the world’s premier award for historical crime fiction. His latest book is The Lost Man of Bombay.

For more information about the world of his books please visit vaseemkhan.com where you can also keep abreast of Vaseem’s latest goings-on, competitions, events, and extracts from upcoming books via his newsletter.

Good morning everyone I was lucky enough to receive a copy of He Who Drowned The World by Shelley Parker -Chan this week. I loved this author’s first book so I’m very excited to find out what happens next!

Huge thanks to Stephen from Black crow PR and Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book.

Today I’m hoping for a quiet morning so I can read a bit more of my book, we might try going for a walk later depending on the weather and then I’m working tomorrow!

What are your weekend plans?

Book Synopsis:

Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan – an epic queer historical fantasy of war and destiny set in an epic alternate China, and sequel to Sunday Times bestselling She Who Became the Sun.

What would you give to win the world?

Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her victory – one that tore southern China from its Mongol masters. Now she burns with a new desire: to seize the throne and crown herself emperor.

However, Zhu isn’t the only one with imperial aspirations. Courtesan Madam Zhang plots to steal the throne for her husband. But scorned scholar Wang Baoxiang is even closer to the throne. He’s maneuverered his way to the capital, where his courtly games threaten to bring the empire to its knees. For Baoxiang also desires revenge: to become the most degenerate Great Khan in history. In the process, he’d make a mockery of the warrior values his Mongol family loved more than him.

About The Author:

Shelley Parker-Chan is an Asian-Australian former diplomat and international development adviser who spent nearly a decade working on human rights, gender equality and LGBT rights in Southeast Asia. Named after the Romantic poet, she was raised on a steady diet of Greek myths, Arthurian legend and Chinese tales of suffering and tragic romance. Her debut novel She Who Became the Sun owes more than a little to all three. In 2017 she was awarded an Otherwise (Tiptree) Fellowship for a work of speculative narrative that expands our understanding of gender. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her family.

Book Synopsis:

He took you and you have been his for five years. But you have been careful. Waiting for him to mess up. It has to be now.

Aidan Thomas is a hardworking family man and a respected member of his community. He’s the kind of man who always lends a hand and has a good word for everyone. He’s also a kidnapper and serial killer who has murdered eight women. And there’s a ninth, a woman he calls Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed where she fears for her life.

When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his thirteen-year-old daughter, Cecilia, are forced to move. Aidan has no choice but to bring Rachel too, introducing her to Cecilia as a family friend who needs a place to stay. He knows that after five years of captivity, Rachel is too frightened of the consequences to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and a survivor. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself drawn into Rachel and Cecilia’s orbit, coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.

The Quiet Tenant explores the psychological impact of Aidan’s crimes on the women in his life through the voices of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily – and the bonds between those women that give them the strength to fight back. Both a searing thriller and an astute study of trauma, survival, and the dynamics of power, The Quiet Tenant is an electrifying debut by a major talent.

My Review:

The Quiet Tennant is a tense, absorbing and gripping read that was hard to put down.

The story is told from the point of view of the three women in Adrian’s life; his daughter, his lover and ‘Rachel’ the lady he kidnapped five years ago. I liked getting to know Aidan through the eyes of the three women and see how different he could be to each of them. The fact the reader knows about Rachel does make some of his interactions with the other ladies very intense as I wondered whether they would become another one of his victims. We also hear from Aidan’s other victim’s which I found quite chilling, especially the casual way key moments of his life are dropped into the description.

The psychological impact Aidan had on Rachel was heartbreaking to witness, especially as the reader becomes aware of how far reaching it was. I often found myself wishing I could jump into the book to give her a hug and support her in escaping. It made me so cross to realise how he played with her and I often found myself gasping out loud when this was revealed to her.

Overall I did enjoy this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who liked psychological thrillers. The book does go a bit slower in the middle and I did find myself skim reading a few pages but it soon picked up, with the ending being incredibly tense. I’m glad the author continues the story a bit longer than expected as it was good to see how everything ended for all the characters.

This is the author’s debut novel and I’m very excited to read more from her in the future. If you want a book that will steal your sleep and get inside your head than I highly recommend this one.

About The Author:

Clémence Michallon was born and raised near Paris. She studied journalism at City University of London, received a master’s in Journalism from Columbia University, and has written for The Independent since 2018. Her essays and features have covered true-crime, celebrity culture, and literature. She moved to New York City in 2014 and recently became a US citizen. She now divides her time between New York City and Rhinebeck, NY.

Good morning everyone and happy Friday. I saw this on the lovely Janet Emson ‘s page and thought I’d give it a go as I do love a book challenge!

❤️A number – One Good Thing by Alexander Potter
🧡 A Name – Joan by Katherine J Chen
💛Palace – Lovelight Farms by BK Borison
💚A colour – Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Ley
💙 An animal – The Snow Hare by Paula Lichtarowicz
💜 One word title – Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

I had great fun looking through my books to try and find these. I actually found a few options for all of them apart from colours and animals which I really struggled with. I’m not sure if crimson is technically a colour but it was the best I could do.

I’ve tagged a few people who might want to take part but, as always, no pressure.

Have a great Friday everyone!