Book Synopsis:

At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots – neighbours who can’t reverse a trailer properly, joggers, shop assistants who talk in code, and the perpetrators of the vicious coup d’etat that ousted him as Chairman of the Residents’ Association. He will persist in making his daily inspection rounds of the local streets.

But isn’t it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so?

In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible…

My Review:

A Man Called Ove is a beautiful, touching and heartwarming book that I really enjoyed.

It did take me a few chapters to get into the book but I soon found myself absorbed in the story and in Ove’s life. The story is told from Ove’s point of view in the present day with flash backs from important moments from Ove’s past.

I absolutely loved Ove and enjoyed following him throughout the book. His grumpiness annoyed me at first but as I got to understand him more his behaviour became more endearing. Beneath all the grumpiness there lurked a heart of gold as he helped all of his neighbours and became closer to them. His relationship with his cat was hilarious to follow, particularly the thoughts Ove pretends the cat has.

There’s lots going on in this book which made it hard to put down. Some parts of the book were incredibly sad and very heart wrenching, whereas other parts where hilarious and had me laughing out loud, especially some of his interactions with his neighbours. It was great to see how much Ove changes and how different his life is at the end than at the beginning.

The ending was beautiful and perfectly summed up the book completely. I found myself crying but smiling at the same time. I loved that the story seemed to come full circle at the end too.

Huge thanks to Tandem Collective for inviting me onto the read-along and Hodder for my copy of this book. Highly recommended!

About The Author:

Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, and two novellas, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer and The Deal of a Lifetime, as well as one work of nonfiction, Things My Son Needs to Know About the World. His books are published in more than forty countries. His next novel, Anxious People, will be published in September 2020. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children.

Book Synopsis:

How well do you know the people closest to you?

It’s not just secrets buried in the garden next door…

Jane doesn’t know her new neighbours very well.

She thought they were nice. She thought they were happy.

She was wrong.

First there’s the explosive rows. Then she catches one of them digging a grave-shaped trench in the garden.

When the truth emerges, someone would kill to cover their tracks…

My Review:

The Wife Next Door is a gripping, twisty and thought provoking read that I really enjoyed. It’s a book that’s going to be difficult to review as I really don’t want to give anything away.

The story is told mainly from the point of view of Jane but we sometimes hear from the wife next door and have flashbacks to Jane’s childhood. I liked Jane who came across as a smart, confident woman. She had a very difficult childhood which has had a long lasting effect on her. I felt very sorry for her and the descriptions of everything she went through broke my heart. I wasn’t too sure about some of the decisions she made in the book though and often found myself cringing or wanting to shout at her as she tries to investigate what is happening next door.

The first half of the book is a bit slower than the second half as the author introduces us to the characters but I still found it very interesting and wanted to find out more about what was going on. The second half is very fast paced with lots of twists and revelations that made it hard to put down. The chapters are fairly short which makes it easy to promise yourself just one more chapter and then read way too late into the night. As mentioned above there are a few scenes that are hard to read so do check trigger warnings before you read.

The ending was brilliant and very unexpected which I always love. It has made me want to re-read the book again to see if I could have guessed earlier.

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:

Amanda Brooke is an internationally bestselling author. Her debut novel, Yesterday’s Sun, was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and since then she has written eleven further books which regularly make the bestseller charts. Amanda lives in Merseyside with a cat called Spider, a dog called Mouse, and a laptop within easy reach.

Book Synopsis:

Best friend or boyfriend, who would you believe?

Zara has always felt a little ordinary next to her spirited best friend Ivy. Even her dreams seem mundane: a boyfriend, marriage, children… Besides, who would pick her when they could choose Ivy?

So when Zara meets Henry and there’s an instant spark, she can’t believe her luck. A wealthy CEO who wants to settle down? He’s perfect… until Ivy insists he’s too good to be true.

As Henry and Ivy repeatedly clash, doubts creep into Zara’s mind. Could it be that Ivy just doesn’t want to share her best friend with anyone else? Or does Henry have a hidden agenda? Zara is caught in the middle, constantly trying to prove who she loves more.

Then someone winds up dead, and Zara realises there’s more to this than jealousy…

From the bestselling author of One Small Mistake comes an addictive new thriller, perfect for fans of BA Paris, Erin Kelly and Lucy Foley.

My Review:

I was a huge fan of this author debut, One Small Mistake, so I was very excited to learn she had a new one book out.

This book drew me in straight away with the rather intriguing prologue that I kept thinking about as I read. There are some fantastic, relatable characters in this book as well as a few toxic ones who I loved to hate . I found myself very glad I wasn’t Zara and was just an observer so I didn’t have to deal with the constant toxicity from Henry and Ivy. It was a bit uncomfortable to witness at times as each character tries to manipulate Zara against the other one. The author has a great way of writing so I often felt I was inside the character’s head and privy to their innermost thoughts and feelings.

This was a very fast paced, gripping read which I found very difficult to put down once I started I flew through it in a few days, with my kindle going everywhere with me just in case I could squeeze in a few more pages. Some of the things covered in this book are hard to read about at times and helped contribute to the claustrophobic atmosphere in the book as Zara struggles to find out the truth. There are lots of twist that kept me guessing and that ending was absolutely amazing!

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Dandy Smith lives in the Somerset market town of Frome with her fiancé and cocker spaniel. She has an undergraduate and master’s degree in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University and enjoys all things aerial fitness, true-crime and chocolate orange.

Book Synopsis:

One minute Lou is happily employed, with a perfect flat. The next, her home and job have gone. Suddenly she has to start over.

The last thing Lou wants is to move to a tiny Cotswolds village. She certainly doesn’t intend to work for curmudgeonly eighty-year-old Edgar Allsopp. But Edgar is about to make her the kind of promise nobody could ignore. In return, she secretly vows to help him fall in love with life again.

Foxwell is also home to Remy, whose charm and charisma are proving hard to ignore. But Lou hasn’t recovered from the last time she fell for a charmer. She needs a distraction – and luckily one’s about to turn up.

Secrets never stay hidden for long in Foxwell, nor are promises always kept. And no one could guess what lies ahead…

My Review:

Firstly I’m a huge fan of this author so you can imagine how excited I was to be invited onto the blog tour for this her latest book. There’s something lovely about a new Jill Mansell book. You already know you’re going to love it so it means you can just relax and enjoy the story.

Firstly I absolutely loved the characters and enjoyed following them throughout the book. Lou was a very kind, caring lady and I loved watching her settle into her new village. Her relationship with the grumpy Edgar was hilarious to follow and it was great fun watching it develop.

The village setting in the book was lovely, especially the great community vibe it had. Everyone seemed to look out for each other and it was nice to see how quickly they included Lou into their community. There were a few moments in the book where everyone seemed to know each others business which made me laugh out loud.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I absolutely loved this book. The plot seemed to have a bit of everything in it, some drama, romance, emotional moments and some dodgy characters who I loved to hate. There were a surprising amount of twists that kept me guessing and meant I was unable to guess which way the story was going next.

The ending was great and, although I was sad to say goodbye to the characters, I loved the way it ended. I’m really hoping this isn’t the last we see of Lou and the lovely brothers.

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:

Jill Mansell’s books are full of love, life and friendship and have been bringing joy to readers for twenty-five years. She started writing fiction while working in the NHS, after joining a local creative writing class. She has since written over twenty Sunday Times bestsellers, including MAYBE THIS TIME, THIS COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING and YOU AND ME, ALWAYS, and her books have sold over 11 million copies around the world.

Jill’s hobbies include buying stationery, particularly magical new colours of ink for the fountain pen she uses to write all her books – Jill is one of the few authors who still write their books by hand. Jill also loves people-watching and finding new characters to put in her novels. So when you’re out, make sure to always be on your best behaviour. And beware of beady-eyed authors carrying notebooks . . .

Jill keeps in touch with her readers on Twitter – @JillMansell – and Facebook – /OfficialJillMansell.

Eek it’s finally here! I’ve been so excited about this book ever since I heard it was coming out that it was an immediate pre-order for me. Janice has quickly become one of my favourite authors and as I’ve also been hearing lots of great things from my fellow bookstagrammer’s I can’t wait to read this soon!

Who are your favourite authors?

Book Synopsis:

Open the safe deposit box.
Inside you will find research material for a true crime book.
You must read the documents, then make a decision.
Will you destroy them? Or will you take them to the police?

Everyone knows the sad story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl and convinced her that her newborn baby was the anti-Christ. Believing they had a divine mission to kill the infant, they were only stopped when the girl came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than stand trial, while mother and baby disappeared into the care system.

Nearly two decades later, true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed; if Amanda can find them, it will be the true-crime scoop of the year, and will save her flagging career. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and is also on the baby’s trail.

As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong. The truth is something much darker and stranger than they’d ever imagined. And the story of the Alperton Angels is far from over.

From the bestselling author of The Appeal and The Twyford Code comes a stunning new mystery for fans of Richard Osman and S.J. Bennett. The devil is in the detail…

About The Author:

Janice Hallett studied English at UCL, and spent several years as a magazine editor, winning two awards for journalism. After gaining an MA in Screenwriting at Royal Holloway, she co-wrote the feature film Retreat. The Appeal is inspired by her lifelong interest in amateur dramatics. Her second novel, The Twyford Code, will be published by Viper in 2022. When not indulging her passion for global adventure travel, she is based in West London.

Book Synopsis:

An unbelievably believable time travel escapade.

Casual antique dealer Jake Patch picks up an unusual object and can’t put it down. Literally. His find is a time travel device, and he hatches a bold plan to acquire objects from the past and sell them at modern day prices. But when the mysterious Infinity Glass leaves Patch stranded in a dangerous past, it falls to his teen daughter Cass to save him.

With hints of The Time Traveller’s Wife and Back to the Future and a smattering of Lovejoy, Patches through Time will send you spinning headlong into the past, then spit you back into the twenty-first century.

My review:

Patches Through Time is an entertaining, absorbing read that I really enjoyed.

The book drew me into the story from the first page and kept my interest throughout. It’s a fairly easy read but manages to pack a punch with some emotional moments as well as some very gripping ones as we see how Cass is going to complete her mission. It was interesting to follow her on her mission and see what she was willing to do for her family.

The author does a great job with her descriptions of the places Patch and Cass find themselves in so that I really felt I was there and able to picture them in my mind. The two main characters were fabulous creations who complement each other and seemed very real which made it easier to get behind them. The ending left lots of questions which I’m hoping means there’s a sequel on the way.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

I am a UK author based in East Sussex and am a long-standing member of Shorelink Writers. My first two novels were historical fiction stories, but I now write magical realism/speculative fiction (contemporary novels with a paranormal/supernatural element).

Book Synopsis:

The Sunday Times bestselling book of comfort and timeless wisdom from former forest monk, Björn Natthiko Lindeblad

We like to think we can determine the path our life takes, but events rarely unfold the way we plan for or expect. In this international bestseller, former forest monk Björn Natthiko Lindeblad draws on his humbling journey towards navigating uncertainty – helping you, with kindness and good humour, to:

– Let go of the small stuff
– Accept the things you cannot control
– Manage difficult emotions
– Find stillness at busy times
– Face yourself – and others – without judgment

Infusing the everyday with heart and grace, this is a wise and soothing handbook for dealing with life’s challenges.

My Review::

Wow this book! I don’t think I’ve ever read such a powerful, inspiring and thought provoking book before.

Firstly I loved all the wonderful details describing Björn’s life as a forest monk. I’ve always been intrigued by this lifestyle and found it fascinating to discover what their daily routine was in the monastery. I loved that it wasn’t just focused on the religious aspects but there was also time put aside to develop your own skills and to get involved in the local community too. Björn moves between monasteries throughout his life as a monk and it was interesting to see how they were all so different.

Interspersed with his descriptions of his life as a monk, Björn shares the wisdoms that he has learned. I found all of these so inspiring and very thought provoking. Maybe I just read this book at a low moment when I needed it but I often felt that the book was talking directly at me, helping me with areas that I was struggling with. I’ve never felt particularly compelled to annotate books but I found myself highlighting lots of passages in this book so I could refer to them later.

The last part of this book was very emotional and I liked how honest Björn was about his struggles with returning to ‘normal’ life. I was also sad to discover that Björn had died last year as he’s definitely someone I would have liked to read more from. This is a book I’ll be recommending to everyone as it’s been such an outstanding, inspiring read for me. I also plan to buy this as a present to a few friends.

Huge thanks to Tandem Collective for letting me join your read-along and all the lovely fellow blogger’s for all the great discussions.

About The Author:

Björn Natthiko Lindeblad (1961-2022) was a Swedish public speaker, meditation teacher and former Buddhist monk. In his mid-twenties Björn swapped his career as a business executive for life as a forest monk in the jungles of Thailand. There he was given the name Natthiko, meaning ‘one who grows in wisdom’. After seventeen years as a monk he returned to Swedish society and, in 2018, was diagnosed with the incurable disease ALS. I May Be Wrong was an instant Sunday Times bestseller and a number one bestseller in Sweden. It is being translated into twenty-nine languages.