Good afternoon everyone. I’m excited to be on the cover reveal for this fantastic sounding book.

The Sun And The Void is out on the 25th July and is the first book in the Warring God series.

Find out more about the book below or pre-order it using the links below.

Book Synopsis:

Enter a lush world inspired by the history and mythology of South America, where twisted family politics deceive, dark magics thrive, and fantastical creatures roam.

Reina is desperate.

Stuck living on the edges of society, her only salvation lies in an invitation from a grandmother she’s never known. But the journey is dangerous, and prayer can’t always avert disaster.

Attacked by creatures that stalk the region, Reina is on the verge of death until her grandmother, a dark sorceress, intervenes. Now dependent on the Doña’s magic for her life, Reina will do anything to earn―and keep―her favor. Even the bidding of an ancient god who whispers to her at night.

Eva Kesare is unwanted.

Illegitimate and of mixed heritage, Eva is her family’s shame. She tries her best to be perfect and to hide her oddities. But Eva is hiding a secret: magic calls to her.

Eva knows she should fight the temptation. Magic is the sign of the dark god, and using it is punishable by death. Yet, it’s hard to deny power when it has always been denied to you. Eva is walking a dangerous path, one that gets stranger every day. And, in the end, she’ll become something she never imagined.

About The Author:

Born and raised in Venezuela Gabriela Romero Lacruz now lives two thousand miles from home, in the land of bayous and astronauts.  She graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston and after a stint in Oil and Gas, decided to dedicate herself to the arts.  She writes young adult and adult fantasy stories set in places that remind her of home, so in her mind she’s never too far from the beaches and mountains of Venezuela.  She also scratches that ChemE itch with a science fiction or two.  She illustrates as The Moonborn.

Book Synopsis:

It would be unfair to blame the woman I met tonight for turning my life upside down.  She didn’t.

It was already upside down. I just didn’t know it.

Recently life has been good for Mallory Hansen: a great job, a lovely home, and a wonderful man, Nathan, to share it with.

But now she must ask herself: is it all built on lies?

A shocking accusation has been made against Nathan, and Mallory doesn’t know who to believe. He denies everything, but all the signs point to his guilt. She has learned to trust Nathan, but she also remembers the boy he used to be.

As teenagers, Mallory and Nathan were part of a close-knit group of six friends until a vicious argument drove them apart. Now, fifteen years later, they are back in touch – only to find themselves drawn into a web of mutual distrust, one by one…

The attacks on their lives are skilfully targeted, designed to hit them where they hurt the most, and when a young woman disappears and a baby is abducted, DCI Tom Douglas must try to unravel the past and discover who is the architect of their misery.

My Review:

No More Lies is another, amazing gripping read from one of my favourite authors. It’s going to be a hard book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.

Firstly it was lovely to see Tom back with the team again. I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed him until reading this one as he was always one of my favourites characters from previous books. It was great to follow him and his team through the investigation and to witness their banter again.

I always love books involving old friends as it’s very intriguing to find out about any secrets or past hurts that they might have lurking in their past. The story flashes back to the fatal night so that the reader can gradually piece together what happened and get an inkling about how it relates to events in the present day. I enjoyed seeing the various threads of the story come together and trying to guess what was going on.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this fabulous series in the future. I felt drawn into the story from the start with the fast paced story quickly becoming very difficult to put down. The many twist kept me guessing as just when I thought I’d figured everything out something would happen to send the story off in a completely difficult direction. The ending was brilliant, though rather heart stopping in places, and I loved the gradual reveal which took me by surprise which I always love!

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:

Rachel Abbott’s debut thriller, Only the Innocent, was an international bestseller, reaching the number one position in the Amazon charts both in the UK and US. This was followed by the number one bestselling novels The Back Road, Sleep Tight, Stranger Child, Nowhere Child (a short novel based on the characters from Stranger Child), Kill Me Again, The Sixth Window, Come a Little Closer, The Shape of Lies, Right Behind You and Close Your Eyes. The new thriller in the Tom Douglas series – No More Lies – was released in February 2023.

In 2018 Rachel released the first book in a new series – And So It Begins. This was followed by The Murder Game in 2020 (The Invitation in the US).

Rachel’s novels have now been translated into over 20 languages and have sold over 5 million copies.

In 2015 Amazon celebrated the first five years of the Kindle in the UK, and announced that Rachel was the number one bestselling independent author over the five-year period. She was also placed fourteenth in the chart of all authors. Stranger Child was the most borrowed novel for the Kindle in the first half of 2015.

Rachel now lives in Alderney – a beautiful island off the coast of France – where she devotes her time to her love of writing fiction. For more information, see Rachel’s website at http://www.rachel-abbott.com, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Good morning everyone I took part in the pretty book cover challenge on Instagram today. The challenge involves you showing off your favourite book covers in different colours and below are the books I chose. If you’d like to take part I’d love to see your prettiest covers too!

Which one is your favourite?

🖤The Cloisters by Katy Hays

💙The Unforgetting by Rose Black

🤍 Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia Of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

💛Bad Fruit by Ella King

❤️The Christie Affair by Nina De Gramont

💖The Daughter Of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

💜 Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

🤎 Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

💚 Wolfsong by T J Klune

Book Synopsis:

When Hope’s only son Paul met and married Edie, Hope was delighted that he had found love and was settling down to make his own family. Hope has loved bringing up her own child, and is happy to step in and help out now and again – but is always worried about overstepping the line between grandmother and mother.
 
Edie was hoping that having children with Paul would fulfil her as much as her busy job as a barrister has. But the reality is far from her dream. And with her mother-in-law Hope constantly poking her nose in where it’s not wanted, she finds herself frustrated and alone.
 
Both women could be each other’s greatest ally, but both have secrets that could ruin their relationship. Secrets neither wants Paul to uncover…

My Review:

The Daughter In-Law is an intriguing, thought provoking book about family drama and hidden secrets.

The story is told from the point of view of Hope and Edie, which gives the reader a chance to get to know the characters and find out what makes them tick. I found Edie quite an unlikeable character, who was quite selfish and tended to put her needs first. Her rocky relationship with Hope was interesting to read about but uncomfortable at times as I wasn’t sure Edie’s attitude towards Hope was really justified. Hope by contrast seemed a lovely, amenable lady who obviously loved her grandkids and was happy to help out when needed. It was very intriguing to learn more about the two of them, their relationship and the secrets both were hiding.

I quickly found myself drawn into the story and into the lives of the two women. I always enjoy books about family drama especially ones that give you a fly on the wall glimpse at it as it’s lovely knowing that nothing you do or say could affect anything. The gradual revealing of secrets was really well done and I enjoyed trying to work out what was going on alongside the characters. I must admit I guessed the ending but I enjoyed going on the journey of discovery and spending time with the characters, even the unlikeable ones.

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

About The Author:

Fanny Blake was a publisher for many years, editing both fiction and non-fiction before becoming a freelance journalist and writer. She has written various non-fiction titles, acted as ghost writer for a number of celebrities, and is a former books editor of Woman & Home magazine. She has been a judge of a number of literary prizes, including the Costa First Novel award, the Desmond Elliott Award, the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year award and the British Book Awards. She is also the commissioning editor for Quick Reads and a book reviewer. She has written seven novels, including Our Summer Together and An Italian Summer.

Book Synopsis:

Forbidden, passionate and all-encompassing, Margo and Richard’s love affair was the stuff of legend– but, ultimately, doomed.

When Richard walked out, Margo locked herself away, leaving her three daughters, Rachel, Imogen and Sasha, to run wild.

Years later, charismatic Margo entertains lovers and friends in her cottage on the Isle of Wight, refusing to ever speak of Richard and her painful past. But her silence is keeping each of the Garnett girls from finding true happiness.

Rachel is desperate to return to London, but is held hostage by responsibility for Sandcove, their beloved but crumbling family home.

Dreamy Imogen feels the pressure to marry her kind, considerate fiancé, even when life is taking an unexpected turn.

And wild, passionate Sasha, trapped between her fractured family and controlling husband, is weighed down by a secret that could shake the family to its core…

The Garnett Girls, the captivating debut from Georgina Moore, asks whether children can ever be free of the mistakes of their parents.

My Review:

The Garnett Girls is a beautifully written, compelling and emotional story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Firstly I loved the wonderful setting in this book. I’ve only visited the Isle Of Wight once for a festival but I remember it being a beautiful place. The author has a great way of describing the Island so I felt like I was actually there alongside the family and could almost feel the sand between my toes. I enjoyed learning a bit more about the Islands history through Imogen’s writing as I didn’t know anything about the Island before reading.

The Garnett Girls are fantastic creations that I enjoyed following throughout the book. I loved how different the three sisters are, each bringing different things to the story and the family. They all seemed very realistic which made them easy to warm to and I found myself wishing I could be a Garnett Girl too. It was especially nice to see an older woman character like Margo portrayed in such a positive way with her still living life to the full and aging ungracefully. Her famous parties were great to read about and I’d have loved to attend one.

This book does start of slowly as the author sets the scene but I soon found myself completely absorbed into the story. It was sad to see how much their father’s disappearance had affected the girls and how it still seemed to influence some of their decisions. The book is written in such a way that I felt connected to the sisters and all that they were feeling which made it quite an emotional read at times. The ending was brilliant and I closed the book sad to leave the lovely Garnett Girls behind.

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

About The Author:

Georgina Moore grew up in London and lives on a houseboat on the River Thames with her partner, two children and Bomber, the Border Terrier.   The Garnett Girls is her first novel and is set on the Isle of Wight, where Georgina and her family have a holiday houseboat called Sturdy.

Book Synopsis:

Tracy Rees’s latest novel The Elopement is an elaborately imagined historical novel full of delight and temptation, spanning the luxury and poverty of late Victorian England.

A wealthy heiress . . .
1897. Rowena Blythe is wealthy, entitled and beautiful. As her twenty-fourth birthday approaches, she’s expected to marry – and to marry well.

An unsuitable match . . .
Her parents commission a portrait of Rowena to help cement her reputation as a great society beauty. However, Bartek, the artist’s young assistant, is unlike any man Rowena has met before – wild, romantic and Bohemian. While society at large awaits the announcement of Rowena’s engagement, it is Bartek who captures Rowena’s heart along with her likeness.

A scandal in society . . .
Rowena knows her parents would never approve of Bartek, who in their eyes is nothing but a penniless foreigner. As her feelings grow, she has no-one to turn to. Dare she risk everything for love?

My Review:

The Elopement is a thoroughly absorbing, intriguing piece of historical fiction that I really enjoyed.

The story is told from the point of view of 3 very different woman Rowena, Pansy and Olive. Initially I didn’t actually like any of them as Rowena seemed so spoilt, Pansy so grumpy and Olive very self satisfied . However this opinion completely changed as the book went on and I grew very fond of them. Rowena and Pansy go on a fabulous journey of discovery as they learn more about themselves and what they are capable of.

I loved all the fantastic historical details in this book which really helps bring the story to life. It was interesting to learn more about life in late Victorian England though heart breaking to see the huge divide between the rich and the poor, especially in regards to how they live. They lived in such horrendous conditions and had so little opportunities to improve themselves. The rights of women, or lack of, was quite emotional to read about especially when you realised how helpless it made them. I therefore loved reading about Olive and the other women who were willing to stand against societal expectations with the restraints it put on women.

Overall I absolutely loved this book and look forward to reading more from the author in future. I felt immediately drawn into the story and quickly found the book hard to put down as there was always lots happening to keep my interest. I really enjoyed following the characters throughout the book and loved seeing how far they’d come by the end. My only slight niggle was I wished Verity has got her just deserts at the end but then maybe that wouldn’t have been very realistic.

Huge thanks to Chloe from Pan Macmillan for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Tracy Rees was the winner of the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition and the Love Stories Best Historical Read award and was shortlisted for the RNA Epic Romantic Novel of the Year. She is the author of five bestselling historical novels and her first contemporary novel is to be published in May 2021.

Tracy was born in Swansea. She studied languages at Jesus College, Cambridge, then moved to London where she worked in medical publishing for years. She then did a second degree, in psychology, at London Metropolitan University before training and working as a counsellor for people with cancer and their families. She has also been a waitress, bartender, shop assistant, estate agent, classroom assistant, university lecturer and workshop leader.

Tracy and her partner divide their time between the Gower Peninsula of Wales and London.

Visit Tracy on twitter at @AuthorTracyRees or on her website http://www.tracyrees.com

Good morning everyone and happy Friday! I love a good buddy read, there’s nothing more lovely then reading a book with someone and getting to discuss what’s happening in the book.

Ive got four buddy reads this February which I’m really looking forward to. The Do Over is with the lovely Reel Bookery on Instagram and My Policeman with the another lovely bookstagrammer Heidi and her books. Cecily is a buddy read with the lovely Bibliobeth which we were meant to start a while ago but my kids were ill so we put it back and finally The Magician’s Assistant which I’m reading for my real life bookclub.

Do you belong to any book clubs?

The Do Over by Lynn Painter (The Reel Bookery)

In this riotous young adult romp for fans of Recommended for You and A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, a teen girl has the worst Valentine’s Day ever—only to relive it over and over again.

After living through a dumpster fire of a Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby escapes to her grandmother’s house for some comfort and a consolation pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She passes out on the couch, but when she wakes up, she’s back home in her own bed—and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. And the next day? Another nightmare V-Day.

Emilie is stuck in some sort of time loop nightmare that she can’t wake up from as she re-watches her boyfriend, Josh, cheat on her day after day. In addition to Josh’s recurring infidelity, Emilie can’t get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into—sometimes literally—in unfortunate ways.

My Policeman by Bethany Roberts (Heidi and her books)

This love is all-consuming

It is in 1950s’ Brighton that Marion first catches sight of the handsome and enigmatic Tom. He teaches her to swim in the shadow of the pier and Marion is smitten – determined her love will be enough for them both.

A few years later in Brighton Museum Patrick meets Tom. Patrick is besotted with Tom and opens his eyes to a glamorous, sophisticated new world.

Tom is their policeman, and in this age it is safer for him to marry Marion. The two lovers must share him, until one of them breaks and three lives are destroyed.

Cecily by Annie Garthwaite (Bibliobeth)

1431 is a dangerous time for a woman to be defiant.

England has been fighting France for 100 years. At home, power-hungry men within a corrupt government manipulate a weak king – and name Cecily’s husband, York’s loyal duke, an enemy. As the king’s grasp on sanity weakens, plots to destroy York take root…

It will take all of Cecily’s courage and cunning to save her family. But when the will to survive becomes ambition for a crown, will she risk treason to secure it?

Inside closed bedchambers and upon bloody battlefields, CECILY portrays war as women fight it.

The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Pratchett (Real life bookclub)

Shortlisted for The Women’s Prize for Fiction.

From the bestselling author of The Dutch House, Commonwealth and Bel Canto, Winner of The Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Pen/Faulkner Award.

Sabine – twenty years a magician’s assistant to her handsome, charming husband – is suddenly a widow.

In the wake of his death, she finds he has left a final trick; a false identity and a family allegedly lost in a tragic accident but now revealed as very much alive and well.

Named as heirs in his will, they enter Sabine’s life and set her on an adventure of unravelling his secrets, from sunny Los Angeles to the windswept plains of Nebraska, that will work its own sort of magic on her.

Book Synopsis:

Have you ever wondered how normal you are? 
What if you were perfectly average? 
More than anyone else. 

For Emily – it’s true. When she watches a documentary on the average human she sees her life. Her job, her hair, her favourite food. All of her – plainly, horrifically average. Even her blood group. Right there and then, she decides she wants more. 

She’ll travel the world (i.e. venture out of her hometown)

She’ll become a vegan (it’s interesting to hate cheese, right?) 

She’ll do something daring (As long as it’s safety tested) 

Nothing will stand in the way of Emily living her best life. Not even Josh and his dimples. Because she absolutely can’t fall in love… that would be too ordinary. 

And from now on, Emily is going to be extraordinary.

My Review:

Oh my goodness I absolutely adored this book! It was so incredibly moreish and just so hilarious that I’ve had a huge book hangover since reading it.

Firstly I loved Emily, the main character, and wished that I knew her in real life. She’s such a warm, caring person that it was impossible not to like her. Her slight awkwardness made her very endearing and, while this often lead to some hilarious moments (who can forget the chimney sweep wink), it also made me wish I could jump into the book to give her a hug. It was great to follow her journey throughout the book as she tries to discover her true self.

The book is told from two points of view, one set in the present day following Emily on her quest and the other flashing back to 1999. It was interesting, though emotional at times, to read the flashbacks and discover the big event that had shaped Emily’s life. It soon becomes obvious why Emily is embarking on her journey and this made me even more protective of her. I had to keep reading to find out how everything ends for her.

I thought this book was very fast paced and there always seemed to me something happening to keep my interest. It was great fun to follow Emily throughout the book and on her, sometimes mad, attempts to be extraordinary. Her budding relationship with the lovely Josh was wonderful to read about and it was great to see them becoming closer. There are some very funny moments in the book that had me laughing out loud, much to my daughter’s amusement and ones that have continued to make me laugh long after reading. The ending was brilliant and I closed the book very sad to leave the fabulous characters behind. I’m really hoping there will be a sequel as I’d love to read more of Emily, Josh and the whole gang.

About The Author:

Rebecca Ryan lives in Bradford with her husband and three young children. Although she alwaysloved writing, it hadn’t really occurred to her thatshe could do it professionally. She currently splitsher time between writing and working as a historyteacher at a large comprehensive school. She enjoys walking in the countryside and takeaways(if that counts as a hobby), which it probably doesn’t.

Eek it finally arrived and it’s so pretty! I absolutely love this book, the cover is beautiful and the spredges 🥰. I haven’t put it properly on the book shelf yet as I keep wanting to look at it.

What’s your favourite witchy read?

Book Synopsis:

KATE, 2019
Kate flees London – abandoning everything – for Cumbria and Weyward Cottage, inherited from her great-aunt. There, a secret lurks in the bones of the house, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.

VIOLET, 1942
Violet is more interested in collecting insects and climbing trees than in becoming a proper young lady. Until a chain of shocking events changes her life forever.

ALTHA, 1619
Altha is on trial for witchcraft, accused of killing a local man. Known for her uncanny connection with nature and animals, she is a threat that must be eliminated.

But Weyward women belong to the wild. And they cannot be tamed…

Weaving together the stories of three women across five centuries, Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.

About The Author:

Emilia Hart is a British-Australian writer. She was born in Sydney and studied English Literature and Law at the University of New South Wales before working as a lawyer in Sydney and London. Emilia is a graduate of Curtis Brown Creative’s Three Month Online Novel Writing Course and was Highly Commended in the 2021 Caledonia Novel Award. Her short fiction has been published in Australia and the UK. She lives in London. You can follow Emilia on Twitter at @EmiliaHartBooks.

Good morning everyone I thought I’d post a little reading update today. I’m really enjoying my two current reads The Exiles and The Elopement, they’re from two of my favourite authors so I knew I’d love them. I’m hoping to read What July Knew next which I’m excited about as I’ve heard lots of great things – though a bit worried it will be too sad.

What are you currently reading?

Last: Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

From new best friend to girl of her dreams . . .

When Nar’s boyfriend gets down on one knee and proposes to her a San Francisco bar, she realises it’s time to find someone who shares her idea of romance.

Enter her mother who wants Nar to settle down with a nice Armenian boy. Armed with a spreadsheet of Facebook-stalked men, she convinces Nar to attend ‘Explore Armenia’, a month-long festival of events in the city. But it’s not the parentally-approved playboy doctor or wealthy engineer who catches her eye – it’s Erebuni, a cool and intriguing young woman fully intouch with her heritage. Suddenly, with Erebuni as her guide, the events feel like far less of a chore, and much more of an adventure.

Erebuni helps Nar see the beauty of their shared culture and makes her feel understood in a way she never has before. But there’s one teeny problem: Nar’s not exactly out as bisexual.

A funny, heartfelt and deeply relatable rom com about family, cultural identity, queer love, and the process of self-discovery that continues into adulthood as identities evolve, all in a fresh, humorous voice.

Now: The Exiles by Jane Harper

Critically acclaimed international bestseller Jane Harper returns.

A mother disappears from a busy festival on a warm spring night.

Her baby lies alone in the pram, her mother’s possessions surrounding her, waiting for a return which never comes.

A year later, Kim Gillespie’s absence still casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather to welcome a new addition to the family.

Joining the celebrations on a rare break from work is federal investigator Aaron Falk, who begins to suspect that all is not as it seems.

As he looks into Kim’s case, long-held secrets and resentments begin to come to the fore, secrets that show that her community is not as close as it appears.

Falk will have to tread carefully if he is to expose the dark fractures at its heart, but sometimes it takes an outsider to get to the truth. . .

An outstanding novel, a brilliant mystery and a heart-pounding read from the author of The Dry, Force of Nature, The Lost Man and The Survivors.

Now: The Elopement by Tracy Rees

Tracy Rees’s latest novel The Elopement is an elaborately imagined historical novel full of delight and temptation, spanning the luxury and poverty of late Victorian England.

A wealthy heiress . . .
1897. Rowena Blythe is wealthy, entitled and beautiful. As her twenty-fourth birthday approaches, she’s expected to marry – and to marry well.

An unsuitable match . . .
Her parents commission a portrait of Rowena to help cement her reputation as a great society beauty. However, Bartek, the artist’s young assistant, is unlike any man Rowena has met before – wild, romantic and Bohemian. While society at large awaits the announcement of Rowena’s engagement, it is Bartek who captures Rowena’s heart along with her likeness.

A scandal in society . . .
Rowena knows her parents would never approve of Bartek, who in their eyes is nothing but a penniless foreigner. As her feelings grow, she has no-one to turn to. Dare she risk everything for love?

Next: What Emily Knew by Emily Koch

JULY KNOWS 18 THINGS ABOUT HER MOTHER. BUT HER DEATH REMAINS A MYSTERY.

Like number thirteen: she loved dancing on the kitchen table. And number eight: she was covered in freckles.

And then there’s number two: she died after being hit by a car when July was small.

She keeps this list hidden in a drawer away from her father. Because they’re not allowed to talk about her mother. Ever.

But an anonymous note slipped into July’s bag on her tenth birthday is about to change everything she thinks she knows about her mum.

Determined to discover what really happened to her, July begins to investigate, cycling around the neighbourhood where her family used to live. There she meets someone who might finally have the answers.

July wants her family to stop lying to her, but will the truth be harder to face?