Book Synopsis:

Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
While Rachel Butler likes her life in a pretty Dublin coastal village, her heart lies in Hawke’s Bay, where she grew up. Visiting for the first time since tragedy tore her family apart, she and her stepchildren fall for its beauty and outdoor lifestyle.

Malahide, Ireland
As Rachel picks up the threads of her life as a single parent, she can’t shake off the memories of her loving family in New Zealand – and her dream house, the villa on the bay. But it’s time to move forwards with their life in Ireland, close to the children’s grandparents, amid the familiar surroundings they all know well.

Until the children’s grandmother, still grieving, starts to interfere, questioning Rachel’s position as stepmother.

Until Rachel’s attempts to strengthen the family she loves so dearly backfires, pitting everyone against each other.

And until her late husband’s parents mend the rift that has existed as long as she’s been married – bringing with them an explosive secret . . .

My Review:

A Mother’s Heart is a beautifully written book about love, loss and family that I didn’t want to end.

Firstly I quickly fell in love with the beautiful characters in this book and the wonderful family. I liked that despite their current differences there is obviously a lot of love in this family, especially for the children which was lovely to see. I especially liked Rachel and how much she obviously cared for her step children. It was nice to see a step mother portrayed in a positive way in a book for once.

There was lots of important topics covered in this book which were surprisingly gritty at times. I thought the author described these beautifully and they were covered in a sensitive way. I especially liked the way the author focuses on the rights or grandparents and step parents as it was something I hadn’t thought about before.

Overall I loved this book and can’t wait to read more from this author in the future. I was quickly drawn into the story and into the lives of the family. It was a real joy to be able to follow the characters and witness every moment alongside them. This is definitely a roller coaster read where I was laughing one moment and then crying the next. I felt sad to finish the book and leave all the characters behind.

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

About The Author:

USA Today bestseller Carmel Harrington lives in Wexford with her family & rescue dog, George Bailey. Her ninth novel, The Moon Over Kilmore Quay became an instant bestseller in Ireland and USA. Carmel’s trademark is to write warm, uplifting stories with humour, heart and hope within complex, twisting plots. Carmel’s novels have been shortlisted twice for an Irish Book Award and her debut Beyond Grace’s Rainbow won Kindle Book of the Year and Romantic eBook of the Year in 2013.

Book Synopsis:

Two families divided by hate
A love that will not die.

Sylvie and Donna travel on the same train to work each day but have never spoken. Their families are on different sides of the bitter Brexit divide, although the tensions and arguments at home give them much in common.

What they don’t know is that their eldest children, Rachid and Jodie, are about to meet for the first time and fall in love. Aware that neither family will approve, the teenagers vow to keep their romance a secret.

But as Sylvie’s family feel increasingly unwelcome in England, a desire for a better life threatens Rachid and Jodie’s relationship. Can their love unite their families – or will it end in tragedy?

My Review:

In Little Stars is a heartbreaking, gripping and though provoking book that will have you reaching for the tissues.

Linda Green has long been one of my favourite authors and I love the way she describes issues in her book. She’s very good at just exploring a situation without seeming overly forceful and letting the reader come to their own conclusions. Sadly racial hate and discrimination is all to common in the UK and it made me very sad to realise how frequently and casually it can happen.

The story is told from the point of view of Jodie, Rachid and their mother’s. I found I liked all four main characters and found it interesting to follow them throughout the story. I found it heartbreaking to see how the couple felt they had to hide their romance from their family and horrifying to see the racial hate Rachid experiences, especially from Jodie’s brother who is only 15. It made me realise how vulnerable teenagers are from picking up other people’s views. The two mum’s were particular favourites of mine and I admired how they tried to keep their families together whilst also having problems themselves.

I found this book incredibly gripping, quickly becoming absorbed into the story and growing fond of the characters. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to the couple, but with a growing sense of dread as the story went on and I began to realise the story might not have a happy ending. The ending was brilliant and I admired both Donna’s strength and her willingness to try and make a difference.

Huge thanks to Emily for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Quercus for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Linda Green is the bestselling author of ten novels, which have sold more than a million copies between them. Her latest novel, One Moment, was a Radio 2 Book Club selection, and her previous novel, The Last Thing She Told Me, was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and a Top 20 Sunday Times bestseller. She lives in West Yorkshire with her husband and son.

Book Synopsis:

BERLIN. JANUARY 1940.

After Germany’s invasion of Poland, the world is holding its breath and hoping for peace. At home, the Nazi Party’s hold on power is absolute.

One freezing night, an SS doctor and his wife return from an evening mingling with their fellow Nazis at the concert hall. By the time the sun rises, the doctor will be lying lifeless in a pool of blood.

Was it murder or suicide? Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is told that under no circumstances should he investigate. The doctor’s widow, however, is convinced her husband was the target of a hit. But why would anyone murder an apparently obscure doctor? Compelled to dig deeper, Schenke learns of the mysterious death of a child. The cases seem unconnected, but soon chilling links begin to emerge that point to a terrifying secret.

Even in times of war, under a ruthless regime, there are places in hell no man should ever enter. And Schenke fears he may not return alive . . .

My Review:

I was a huge fan of Blackout, the first book in this series, so I was very excited to read this book. Once again the author has written a fantastic gripping and absorbing book that I really enjoyed.

One of the things that always stands out about this author’s books is the incredible historical details he includes. I felt completely transported to Nazi Germany where I felt I could feel the fear and trepidation alongside the characters. I thought it was clever how the author includes descriptions of the horrors of the Nazi regime almost subtly into the story, like with Ruth who’s described as Jewish and in danger but the author doesn’t feel the need to explain why. I felt this made the story more realistic and the atmosphere more tense as I waited to see what happened next.

It was good to be back with Horst trying to solve a case alongside him. I found him a very likeable main character who is incredibly brave throwing himself into situations that others wouldn’t have dared gone. I felt that I got to know him and Ruth better in this book and I enjoyed learning more about them. I found myself starting to care about them which made for hard reading as the book goes on as I had to keep reading to make sure they’re ok.

This is an incredibly fast paced book and there always seemed to be something happening to keep my attention. There are numerous threads running through the story but it was easy to keep track of what was happening in each one. I was very intrigued to find out if any of them were connected as I couldn’t guess how they were. The tension in the book rises quickly and stays high throughout the book. There were moments when it became almost unbearable and I found myself sitting bolt upright at the edge of my seat as I read – until my husband had to ask me if I was ok. I’m really hoping there are going to be more books in the series as I’d love to read more of Horst and his adventures.

Huge thanks to Sophie from Ransom Pr for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Headline for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Simon Scarrow is a Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author. His books – which have sold over 5 million copies – include his Eagles of the Empire novels featuring Roman soldiers Macro and Cato, most recently DEATH TO THE EMPEROR, THE HONOUR OF ROME, THE EMPEROR’S EXILE and TRAITORS OF ROME, as well as BLACKOUT, the bestselling first novel in the Berlin Wartime Thriller series, and many more. He lives in Norfolk with his wife.

Good morning everyone here are the books I’m hoping to read in February.

⭐ Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

⭐The Daughter In-Law by Fanny Blake

⭐The Elopement by Tracy Rees

⭐ Twelve Secrets by Robert Gold

⭐ My (extra) Ordinary Life by Rebecca Ryan

⭐ When I First Held You by Anstey Harris

⭐ The Year Of Living Danishly by Helen Russell

⭐ The Garnett Girls by Georgina Moore

⭐ Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia Of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

⭐ My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor

⭐ Becoming Ted by Matt Cain

⭐Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover

⭐ Someone Else’s Shoes by JoJo Moyes

Sorry Bro, The Daughter In-Law, The Elopement and The Garnett Girls are for blog tours. The Year Of Living Danishly is the non fiction book I’m hoping to read this month and I’m hoping to fit in some of the other books too though they might change depending on mood and book purchases.

I’m impatiently waiting for my copies of Weyward and The Exiles to arrive as I know I really want to read those. Too many good books to read!

What’s your most anticipated book for February?

Book Synopsis:

In the UK, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds.
Just gone. Vanished. In the blink of an eye. 

DCS Kat Frank knows all about loss. A widowed single mother, Kat is a cop who trusts her instincts. Picked to lead a pilot programme that has her paired with AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock, Kat’s instincts come up against Lock’s logic. But when the two missing person’s cold cases they are reviewing suddenly become active, Lock is the only one who can help Kat when the case gets personal. 

AI versus human experience. 
Logic versus instinct.
With lives on the line can the pair work together before someone else becomes another statistic? 

In the Blink of an Eye is a dazzling debut from an exciting new voice and asks us what we think it means to be human. 

My Review:

I’d been hearing lots of great things about In The Blink Of An Eye so when I was approved to read it on netgalley I was naturally very excited, though nervous as to whether it would live up to the hype but it completely does. In fact I’d say that it’s one of the most original, gripping and thought provoking thrillers I’ve ever read!

Firstly I really liked the characters in this book who were on the whole a very likeable bunch and not your average stereotypical detectives. I like that they all seemed to actually like each other and it was good to see each of them bringing something different to the investigation. Kat was an interesting main character that I sympathised a lot with not least because I’m dreading the day my children are teenagers. I admired her for her strength and passion for her job but she also frustrated me at times with her absolute conviction she was right.

The AI part of the story was really fascinating and helped give the story an original feel to it. I found it interesting to explore it’s strengths and weaknesses in an investigation which made me wonder if we will see something similar in a real case soon. Some of the dialogue between Kat and Locke (the AI) was hysterical, making me laugh out loud as Locke tries to understand the nuances of human behaviour.

I found this book incredibly gripping and I sailed through it in a couple of days as I couldn’t put it down. The story is very fast paced and there always seemed to be new developments happening to keep me glued to the page. I kept trying to guess what had happened to the missing people but there’s no way I could have guessed that brilliant ending and how twisted it was. I can’t wait to read more from this author and am looking forward to reading the second book in the series.

Huge thanks to Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

 IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE is my crime debut and first UK published book.

As well as being an author, I hoover up books, so I love hearing from other readers. I spend a lot of time on twitter talking about the books and TV shows that I love, how the writing is going or just chatting about random stuff like the weather, kids, and food. I’ve recently joined TikTok and Instagram, but twitter is really where I hang out if you want to see what I’m up to and maybe hear a bit about book 2 in the series… See you there, and thanks again for taking a look at my book!

You can find me on twitter: @JoCallaghanKat or (less often) Instagram: @JoCallaghanKat or (even less often) TikTok @JoCallaghanAuthor

Jo works full-time as a senior strategist, where she has carried out research into the future impact of AI and genomics on the workforce. After losing her husband to cancer in 2019, she started writing In The Blink of An Eye. She lives with her two children in the Midlands, where she is currently writing the second novel in the series.

Good morning everyone today for Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two books by Adam Silvera. I haven’t actually read either of these yet but I’ve heard good things so want to get to them soon. Yes I did buy the sequel before reading the first book but I got tempted by the gorgeous special edition in the sale..😂

Have you read either of these?

The First To Die At The End

It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind…

Can Death-Cast actually predict death, or is it an elaborate hoax? Orion has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die, given his serious heart condition. Valentino has a long and promising future ahead of him and only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.

Orion and Valentino’s paths cross and they immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first End Day calls go out, their lives are changed for ever – one of them receives a call . . . the other doesn’t

They Both Die At The End

A love story with a difference – an unforgettable tale of life, loss and making each day count in the INTERNATIONAL NO. 1 BESTSELLING book of TIKTOK fame, clocking up 80 million views and counting! The First to Die at the End, the prequel to They Both Die at the End, is now available to pre-order in hardback, coming October 2022.

On September 5th, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: they’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: there’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure – to live a lifetime in a single day. 

Another beautiful, heartbreaking and life-affirming book from the brilliant Adam Silvera, author of More Happy Than Not, History Is All You Left Me, What If It’s Us, Here’s To Us and the Infinity Cycle series.

About The Author:

Adam Silvera is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END, MORE HAPPY THAN NOT, HISTORY IS ALL YOU LEFT ME, INFINITY SON and INFINITY REAPER. He has also co-written WHAT IF IT’S US and HERE’S TO US with Becky Albertalli. He was born and raised in the Bronx and now lives in Los Angeles. He is tall for no reason.

Good morning everyone! January has been a bit of a rubbish month so I’ve been distracting myself with books and reading.

Here are some of the books I’ve been tempted to buy this month and can’t wait to read them soon.

Have you bought any books recently? Have you read any of these?

The Drift by C. J Tudor

Survival can be murder . . .

Hannah awakens to carnage, all mangled metal and shattered glass. Evacuated from a secluded boarding school during a snowstorm, her coach careered off the road, trapping her with a handful of survivors.

Meg awakens to a gentle rocking. She’s in a cable car stranded high above snowy mountains, with five strangers and no memory of how they got on board.

Carter is gazing out of the window of an isolated ski chalet that he and his companions call home. As their generator begins to waver in the storm, the threat of something lurking in the chalet’s depths looms larger.

Outside, the storm rages. Inside each group, a killer lurks.

But who?

And will anyone make it out alive? . . .

Encyclopaedia Of Faeries by Emily Wilde

Enter the world of the hidden folk – and discover the most whimsical, enchanting and heart-warming tale you’ll read this year, featuring the intrepid Emily Wilde. . .

Emily Wilde is good at many things: she is the foremost expert on the study of faeries; she is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encylopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby

But as Emily gets closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones – the most elusive of all faeries – she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all – her own heart.

Bad Fruit by Ella King

LILY IS A GOOD DAUGHTER

Every evening she pours Mama a glass of perfectly spoilt orange juice. She arranges the teddy bears on Mama’s quilt, she puts on her matching pink clothes. Anything to help put out the fire of Mama’s rage.

MAMA IS A GOOD LIAR

But Mama is becoming unpredictable, dangerous. And as she starts to unravel, so do the memories that Lily has kept locked away for so long.
She only wanted to be good, to help piece Mama back together. But as home truths creep out of the shadows, Lily must recast everything: what if her house isn’t a home – but a prison? What if Mama isn’t a protector – but a monster . . .

From hot new talent, Ella King, comes an unforgettable story about a family gone bad . . .

Becoming Ted by Matt Cain

A charming, joyful and surprising story about love, friendship and learning to be true to yourself, Becoming Ted will steal your heart.

Ted Ainsworth has always worked at his family’s ice-cream business in the quiet Lancashire town of St Luke’s-on-Sea.

But the truth is, he’s never wanted to work for the family firm – he doesn’t even like ice-cream, though he’s never told his parents that. When Ted’s husband suddenly leaves him, the bottom falls out of his world.

But what if this could be an opportunity to put what he wants first? This could be the chance to finally follow his secret dream: something Ted has never told anyone …

The Snow Hare by Paula Lightarowicz

Lena has her life mapped out. While her sister obsesses about fortune-telling gypsies and marriage, Lena studies the way the heart works. She isn’t going to let being a girl stop her from becoming one of Poland’s first female doctors. But the world has other plans for Lena. Instead of university she finds herself a reluctant army wife, lonely and unmoored by the emotions of motherhood. And as she tries to accept a different future from the one she wanted, the threat of global war becomes reality. Lena must face just how unpredictable life can be.

Deemed Enemies of State by the invading Soviets, she and her family are exiled from their Polish village to a work camp in the freezing hell of Siberia. It’s here, despite the hunger and back-breaking work, Lena learns something remarkable; it is possible to fall in love even at the edge of life. And for that love, Lena must make a decision, the consequences of which will haunt her for ever.

Tender, brutal and passionate, The Snow Hare is about living with impossible choices and our incredible ability to cultivate hope in the darkest places.

Good morning everyone today I thought I’d share a Sunday Shelfie of all the special editions I have.

These are all very special to me and I often take them down just to look at them. My daughter always shows everyone who comes to our house mummy’s special books too. Look below to see what edges go with what book.

Today we’re off to a Chinese New Year celebration which includes dragon dancing and martial arts demonstration. There’s also rabbit painting which my daughter wants to do. I’m hoping to squeeze in a few more pages of The Stardust Thief too as I’m really enjoying it!

What are your Sunday plans?

Good morning everyone and happy Friday! I’m looking forward to spending the weekend curled up reading (if the kids let me). I thought I’d do a little reading update today to show you what I’ve been reading, what I’m currently reading and what I’m hoping to read next!

Have you read these? What are you currently reading?

Last: River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer

I’ve just finished the beautiful River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer which I reviewed on my blog yesterday. It’s a very emotional true story about the woman who, after slavery, went looking for their children.

Now: The Mysterious Case Of The Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

I’m a huge fan of this author and have been hearing lots of great things about this book so I had to buy myself a copy. I’m enjoying it so far, the story being told in the form of emails and WhatsApp messages threw me a little to start with but I think I’m getting used to it now.

Next: The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

This is a book I’ve been seeing all over Instagram. It sounds really good – filled with magic and hidden world that I was very intrigued. I decided to buy myself a copy and see what the fuss is about. I’m looking forward to reading it really soon!

Book Synopsis:

We whisper the names of the ones we love like the words of a song. That was the taste of freedom to us, those names on our lips.

Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy.

These are the names of her children. The five who survived, only to be sold to other plantations. The faces Rachel cannot forget.

It’s 1834, and the law says her people are now free. But for Rachel freedom means finding her children, even if the truth is more than she can bear.

With fear snapping at her heels, Rachel keeps moving. From sunrise to sunset, through the cane fields of Barbados to the forests of British Guiana and on to Trinidad, to the dangerous river and the open sea.

Only once she knows their stories can she rest. Only then can she finally find home.

Inspired by the women who, in the aftermath of slavery, went in search of their lost children.

My Review:

Wow this was a beautifully written, emotional story that will stay with me for a long time.

Firstly I loved the vivid descriptions in this book that made me feel I was actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters. The Caribbean seems like a beautiful place and I enjoyed seeing what flowers and animals they had there. The writing in the book has a lyrical style to it which helps draw the reader into the story. It sometimes felt like the river Rachel travels along was the narrator in the story because of this and it gave the book a kind of dream like quality to it.

Rachel was a strong lady who I thought was incredibly brave after all she’s gone through. As a mum myself I know I’d do anything to get my kids back in a similar situation so I really sympathised with her and wanted her to succeed in finding her children. I felt it took a while to get to know her properly though as the reader is thrown straight into the story and it takes a while for her background story to be explained.

Overall I really enjoyed this story which is hard to believe is the author’s debut. It’s a very emotional read and my heart broke reading about the hardship of life in the plantation and how awfully the slaves were treated. Rachel’s journey to find her children was definitely not an easy one and I found myself very invested in the story, wanting to keep reading to see if she finds her children. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

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

About The Author:

Eleanor Shearer is a mixed-race writer and the granddaughter of Windrush generation immigrants. She splits her time between London and Ramsgate so that she never has to go too long without seeing the sea. For her Master’s degree in Politics at the University of Oxford, Eleanor studied the legacy of slavery and the case for reparations. Her fieldwork was in St. Lucia and Barbados. The inspiration for River Sing Me Home came to Eleanor after she discovered a tiny footnote in an exhibition she was attending about the Windrush. Mothers in slavery in the British colonies lived in constant fear of their children being sold. When the Slavery Abolition Act came in in the 1830s, it didn’t mean freedom, so many mothers went in search of their lost children.