Tuesday 13 December 2016

Review of One Dark Lie by Clare Chase - 5**


Blurb:

The truth can hurt, and sometimes it leads to murder …

After becoming embroiled in a murder investigation, Nate Bastable and Ruby Fawcett have decided to opt for the quiet life. But crime has a habit of following them around.

When her work dries up, Ruby finds herself accepting a job researching and writing about Diana Patrick-John, a colourful and enigmatic Cambridge academic. Simple enough. But then there’s the small fact that Diana was found dead in suspicious circumstances in her home – the very place where Ruby has now been invited to stay.

As she begins to uncover Diana’s secret life, Ruby’s sleuthing instinct kicks in, leaving her open to danger and retribution. But can she rely on Nate to support her? Especially when his behaviour has become increasingly distant and strange, almost as though he had something to hide …

From Death by Choc Lit – gripping edge of your seat reads.







Review:

This is the 3rd book in the London & Cambridge Mysteries series. It follows on from A Stranger's House (which is also brilliant) but can be read as a standalone. 

Ruby takes a job writing about Diana, a member of the Cambridge elite. Diana's brother asks her to do it and sets some very stringent guidelines. However, Ruby being Ruby, follows her nose into the mystery of Diana's suspicious death.

In the meantime, Nate is closing in on the gangster whom he suspects killed his sister - but he is still working out whether it was him or his sister that was the target. 

I LOVE Clare's books! And this one was just as good as the others. She keeps you guessing right to the end and a couple of red herrings in this one really confused me - in a good way!

The characters are believable and I love Ruby's dogged determination. The plot is complicated enough to keep your interest all the way through and the flashes of humour certainly help to relieve the tension.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.



Saturday 10 December 2016

And now for something a little different......

I reviewed Little Girl Lost by Janet Gover a while ago when the Kindle edition was released. Well, the paperback is now out so I'm celebrating that with an extract focussing on one of the characters - Sarah Travers.

Enjoy!





Meet a character: Little Girl Lost by Janet Gover 
Janet Gover’s new Coorah Creek novel is now available to purchase in paperback. To celebrate we’ll be introducing you to characters from the book. Today on Annie’s Book Corner, you can ‘meet’ Sarah Travers.

Sarah is a shopkeeper’s daughter who grew up in Coorah Creek and she’s just returned home after finishing her college degree. There’s bad news waiting for her, and as she struggles with her father’s failing health, part of her longs for a simpler, happier time.

Sarah started sorting the contents of some half empty boxes, setting aside new stock to go on the shelves, and stacking the rest for later use. As she did, she noticed a small cardboard box pushed to the back of a high shelf. The sides of the box were battered and stained and very dusty. That box had not moved in a long time. Sarah stood on a wooden crate and reached to retrieve it. She smiled as she realised it was the box that had once contained her first pair of heeled shoes: some sandals she had been given for her twelfth birthday.
            Deeply curious, she sat on the crate and placed the shoebox on her lap. Trying not to create a dust cloud, she opened it. Inside she found the sort of accumulated nearly-useful things most people put into small boxes and then forget. There was a key ring with a couple of keys, although Sarah had no idea what they might open. There were a couple of old pens, which would obviously no longer work. A pile of rubber bands had more or less melted together and lay on top of an envelope that was old and brittle and yellow and empty.
            Sarah reached into the box and retrieved the keys. She’d show them to her father before she threw them away. Nothing else in the box looked like it was worth salvaging. She shuffled the contents around a little, and the corner of an old photo appeared underneath the envelope. She removed it and turned it to catch the light streaming through the storeroom window.
            The colours had faded over the years, and the edges of the paper were curling, but the photograph clearly showed a girl of about ten sitting behind the wheel of a big prime mover. Her small hands gripped the big steering wheel tightly, but her feet were far too short to reach the pedals. She was grinning widely as she strained to see through the windscreen. Sitting beside her, his arm protectively around her shoulders was a handsome young man. His hair was long and dark and slightly wavy. He was smiling in a slightly bemused way.
Memories of that day came flooding back, bringing a smile to her face. She’d had a terrible crush on that driver. Pete, his name was. It was a moment of such excitement to be lifted up by him and placed gently in the driver’s seat of his truck. How far up she had felt. How very grown up. And how wonderful it had felt to have Pete’s arm around her. To have his approval. Her father had ducked back into the house and grabbed his cheap little camera to capture the moment. They had kept the photograph on a corkboard at the back of the shop for a while, before it got lost among the receipts and orders and notes. Strange that it had ended up here.
            It would have been different for Pete, of course. To him it had no doubt been a little act of kindness to a lonely girl in an isolated store at a tiny truck stop on his road. She doubted that he would remember it now. She had forgotten all about it, until she saw the photo. Briefly she wondered where Pete was. Was he still driving this same route? Maybe he was the one who had stacked the boxes for her parents? If so, it just went to show that he was – if not a knight in shining armour – a good Samaritan at the very least. He was probably married now with a house full of kids. As for her; she had an education and a degree that could take her away from here. If she wanted to go. And right now, she didn’t. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t leave her father. If she did, she might never …
            She caught herself. No. She’d promised her mother she wouldn’t say it. She wouldn’t even think the words.
There were no knights in shining armour, but a positive attitude could make all the difference to her father’s treatment. At least, that’s what people said. She hoped they were right.

Blurb:
When a little girl goes missing, an entire town comes together to find her ...
When Tia Walsh rides into the small town of Coorah Creek on a Harley-Davidson, Sergeant Max Delaney senses that everything about her spells trouble. But Tia's trouble is not all of her own making, and the dangerous past she tried to leave behind is hot on her heels.
Sarah Travers has returned home after three years of college to find that her parents have been keeping a devastating secret. Her childhood crush, Pete Rankin, is facing his own struggle with a harsh reality that will take him away from the girl and the life that he loves.
Tia, Max, Sarah and Pete are all trying to find their future, but when a little girl goes missing in the harsh outback, nothing else matters except finding her safe ...

You can now purchase Little Girl Lost in paperback. Click HERE for buying options.
For more on Janet, follow her on Twitter: @janet_gover
Visit her website:
www.janetgover.com



Tuesday 29 November 2016

It's time for the cover reveal for Morton S. Gray's lovely new book from Choc Lit

Isn't it gorgeous!!





Who is Harry Dixon?
When Ellie Golden meets Harry Dixon, she can’t help but feel she recognises him from somewhere. But when she finally realises who he is, she can’t believe it – because the man she met on the beach all those years before wasn’t called Harry Dixon. And, what’s more, that man is dead.

For a woman trying to outrun her troubled past and protect her son, Harry’s presence is deeply unsettling  – and even more disconcerting than coming face to face with a dead man, is the fact that Harry seems to have no recollection of ever having met Ellie before. At least that’s what he says …

But perhaps Harry isn’t the person Ellie should be worried about. Because there’s a far more dangerous figure from the past lurking just outside of the new life she has built for herself, biding his time, just waiting to strike.


The Girl on the Beach is published by Choc Lit and is now available to pre-order on iBooks! It will be officially released on 24th January 2017. 





Monday 28 November 2016

Review of The Camel's Dead by Timothy Conehead and Kathleen Phythian - Five **


Blurb:

This is a tale of a nine month old puppy who was discovered to be living in somebody's car as the owner could not control him. 
Timothy was taken on as an emergency foster by Kathleen who although had rescued many collies over the years has never had a puppy - until now! 
This is Timothy's Diary as he comes to live with her other collies Jack Laddie and Freya. His diaries are full of innuendo and he fondly talks about his 'sexy times' with Freya and anybody else who will entertain him. 
Life in Kathleen's House of correction is funny as the young boy manages to misunderstand almost everything he is told and he secretly posts his blogs on Facebook whenever he can.






Review:

This book proves that tears of sorrow and despair can turn into tears of laughter.

Timothy Conehead the Invincible tells us of his life before he was adopted by Mummy (Kathleen Phythian) and then his life after he moved in with her and her dogs.

Life was very strange - full of rules he didn't understand, behaviours that were beyond him, and, despite his desperate attempts to please Kathleen, Sir Lord Jack and the other dogs, his constant failures. Life was so complicated for a young pup - the others all had it sussed but, because he was so young, he just couldn't fathom it all out. This is the story of his successes (and the odd failure!)

He puts his confessions on his Facebook page and these have been collated into this book.

I loved reading about his sexy time, his misunderstanding of words, his descriptions of Sir Lord Jack, Laddie & Freya (especially Freya escaping into the fields!). I laughed and laughed, tears streaming down my cheeks.

He (and his mummy) have a wonderful way with words and his thoughts on being a typical young Border Collie are just wonderful.

I love you Timothy and am so glad you have such a fabulous life now (even with the scary see-saw).





Sunday 20 November 2016

My turn for the Blog Tour for Darcie Boleyn's A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas!

A wonderful story - Five **






Blurb:


Warm your heart with this perfectly festive romance!


Lucie Quigley hates Christmas. It’s the time of year when everything goes wrong in her life. So this year, when she’s asked to be a bridesmaid at her friend Petra’s Manhattan wedding, she jumps at the invitation to escape the festivities.
Dale Treharne has been best friends with Lucie for as long as he can remember. He’s used to looking out for his oldest friend and when she asks him to be her plus one, he can’t seem to find a reason to refuse. Instead, he sees it as a way to help Lucie get through what is, for her, the most miserable time of the year.
In New York, as the snow starts to fall, Lucie and Dale start to realise that their feelings run deeper than just friendship. But can they overcome their pasts, and make it a very merry Manhattan Christmas?






Review:



What's not to love? Christmas, snow and NYC! And the fact that I love Darcie's books could only ever add up to a successful formula!

Lucie hate Christmas, with good reason and she escapes to New York to attend the wedding of her friend. She takes her best friend Dale and as the magic of New York works its way into them, they realise their feelings are running deeper. But who will make the first move? And will changing their relationship spoil it?

On the surface, it seems like a typical Christmas romance set in Manhattan. But Lucie is a much deeper character than you would normally find in a book like this and Dale, well he is just about perfect - but in a nice way!

The fact that everyone around them gets the wrong end of the stick and thinks they are a couple adds to the story and makes for some very funny moments!

Lovely festive read - thank you to Canelo & NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


Information about the Book

Title: A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas
Author: Darcie Boleyn
Release Date: 7th November 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Canelo
Format: ebook


Author Information
C:\Users\saman\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCacheContent.Word\Darcie Boleyn 3.jpg

Darcie Boleyn has a huge heart and is a real softy. She never fails to cry at books and movies, whether the ending is happy or not. Darcie is in possession of an overactive imagination that often keeps her awake at night. Her childhood dream was to become a Jedi but she hasn’t yet found suitable transport to take her to a galaxy far, far away. She also has reservations about how she’d look in a gold bikini, as she rather enjoys red wine, cheese and loves anything with ginger or cherries in it – especially chocolate. Darcie fell in love in New York, got married in the snow, rescues uncoordinated greyhounds and can usually be found reading or typing away on her laptop.

Author Links



Tuesday 8 November 2016

Cover Reveal time! 

A fabulous new cover for Victoria Cornwall's new book!

Victoria is a debut author for Choc Lit. 







Hide from the thief-taker, for if he finds you, he will take you away …
Eighteenth-century Cornwall is crippled by debt and poverty, while the gibbet casts a shadow of fear over the land. Yet, when night falls, free traders swarm onto the beaches and smuggling prospers.
Terrified by a thief-taker’s warning as a child, Jenna has resolved to be good. When her brother, Silas, asks for her help to pay his creditors, Jenna feels unable to refuse and finds herself entering the dangerous world of the smuggling trade.
Jack Penhale hunts down the smuggling gangs in revenge for his father’s death. Drawn to Jenna at a hiring fayre, they discover their lives are more entangled than they first thought.
Trust and loyalty are tested to the limits, but can there ever be love, as Jenna is a thief’s daughter – where blood always runs thicker …


The Thief’s Daughter is published by Choc Lit and is now available to pre-order on iBooks! It will be officially released on 6th December 2016.


Tuesday 1 November 2016

Review of A Second Christmas Wish by Kathryn Freeman - Five **


Blurb:

For Melissa, Christmas has always been overrated. From her cold, distant parents to her manipulative ex-husband, Lawrence, she’s never experienced the warmth and contentment of the festive season with a big, happy family sitting around the table.

And Melissa has learned to live with it, but it breaks her heart that her seven-year-old son, William, has had to live with it too. Whilst most little boys wait with excitement for the big day, William finds it difficult to believe that Father Christmas even exists.


But then Daniel McCormick comes into their lives. And with his help, Melissa and William might just be able to find their festive spirit, and finally have a Christmas where all of their wishes come true …
 









Review:

This is a lovely, gentle love story. Melissa lives with her painfully shy son, William, after leaving her controlling and bullying ex husband.

In an attempt to get William some confidence, she signs him up for tennis coaching with Daniel, her best friend's brother. Daniel is an ex grand slam winner, who has retired from professional play due to an injury.

William very quickly bonds with Daniel and shares his secrets with him. The attraction between Daniel and Melissa grows slowly - and Melissa is very scared after her last experience.

Daniel shows great patience and tenderness - in direct contrast to her ex, who is an extremely unlikeable character.

The Wish refers to William's request to Santa Claus - and there are definite echoes of a well-known Christmas film there, but the book is deeper and shows the feelings - in fact very different! This would make a wonderful Christmas film as well!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Choc Lit for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
 






Sunday 30 October 2016

Review of A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate by Linn B Halton - Five **


Blurb:

When destiny calls, you need to pick up …

On the surface, Kristi Danielson has it all. She’s lifestyle coach to the rich and famous, has a bestselling book to her name and is described by her fans as “the veritable Queen of how to lead a fulfilling life”.

But the harsh truth is that Kristi has never practiced what she preaches. Her home life is a mess, her relationship with artist boyfriend, Tom, not much better – and now she has to redeem herself before all is lost.
At her wit’s end, Kristi is driven to seek out the help of Patrick Blakeslee, a tarot card reader and psychic medium, in an attempt to make sense of the mounting panic she’s feeling.

But Patrick’s visits have an unexpected effect on Kristi, leaving her with more questions than answers – and a life-changing decision to make.







Review:

What an unusual book! Kristi embarks on a life changing journey. As a public figure giving out advice for life improvement to everyone, she realises that her life needs to change - she is empty and has no time for herself.

This has a knock on effect on everyone in her life. Tom, her longterm boyfriend is forced to assess his life away from Kristi's nurturing. Her cleaner gets help for her husband's perceived mental problems and Kirsti's family benefit from her new way of thinking.

And then there is Patrick - the psychic that Kristi turns to for help. His feelings start to get in the way and prevent him for helping her as much as he could. But maybe the feelings will help more?

The chapters are written from the points of view of Kristi, Tom & Patrick so you get to know the characters in a lot of depth.

Lovely romance, twists and turns and makes you think about your own life and if you're where you want to be. Fabulous book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the wonderful Choc Lit in exchange for an honest review.





Thursday 27 October 2016

Another book, another Blog Tour! This is for Rosa Temples' lovely book Single by Christmas - 
Four**


Blurb:

You’ve heard the saying, ‘opposites attract’ haven’t you? Well meet 27 year old Alex Marshall, a party girl with a penchant for free flowing Prosecco, and her devilishly handsome scientist boyfriend, Charlie, who loves jazz and dinner for two.

Alex and Charlie are together for 11 blissful months until Alex goes out of town and does something she will later regret. Was she drunk? You bet. Does she want Charlie to know? Well what do you think?


With the couple about to spend their first Christmas together will Charlie be the forgiving kind or will Alex be Single by Christmas?


This is a feel good, Christmas novel with very few mince pies, not much snow and absolutely no mistletoe – just a couple of best friends, a sociopathic nemesis and a lot of drinking.








Review:

This is very cleverly written. We meet Alex on Christmas Eve, awaiting her boyfriend Charlie. Will he turn up, or won't he?

We then go back to a month previously and see the workings (or lack of) in their relationship and all the things that lead up to Alex sitting in the churchyard, waiting.

I felt so sorry for Charlie. Alex put everything and everyone before him and yet he remained patient and loving until the straw that broke the camel's back arrived. I felt like shaking Alex and telling her to sort herself out!!

As the December days pass, Alex becomes more and more unreliable and finally we arrive at the churchyard on Christmas Eve. But the story doesn't end there. Now Alex has to get her act together. and change her habits. Can she? 

Wonderful read - families and friends are all well created and contribute to the overall story in a believable way. And very funny too!

Great Christmas book :)

Thank you to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


Rosa's  Links

Blog – Rosa Temple Writes: http://rosatemplewrites.blogspot.co.uk/






Google+ : google.com/




And there is a chance to win one of five copies of the 

ebook!!








Wednesday 26 October 2016

And here I am, bringing up the rear on the Blog Tour for Sue Moorcroft's wonderful book!!

Review of The Christmas Promise by Sue Moorcroft - Five **


Blurb:


Countdown to Christmas with your new must-have author, as you step into the wonderful world of bespoke hat-maker Ava Bliss…
For Ava Bliss, it’s going to be a Christmas to remember…
On a snowy December evening, Sam Jermyn steps into the life of bespoke hat maker Ava. Sparks fly, and not necessarily the good ones.
Times are tough for Ava – she’s struggling to make ends meet, her ex-boyfriend is a bully, and worst of all, it’s nearly Christmas.
So when Sam commissions Ava to make a hat for someone special, she makes a promise that will change her life. She just doesn’t know it yet…
Curl up with this gorgeous, festive read – the perfect treat for fans of Katie Fforde, Carole Matthews and Trisha Ashley.







Review:

I always look forward to Sue's new books and this one is a real winner! Her research is meticulous and I learned so much about millinery, file sharing and, Revenge Porn - together with the laws around it.

Ava is a struggling couture milliner and lives with her best friend Izz. Izz works for a high tech promotion firm, together with Tod, the other friend of the trio. Christmas is looming and office parties are in full swing. Ava doesn't do Christmas as her parents were dedicated professionals who always worked over Christmas and had taught her to be self sufficient.

This backfires on her when she becomes incapable of asking for, or accepting help in any shape or form. Sam comes into the picture, but Izz has a huge crush on him, so Ava tried to ignore her increasing feelings towards him.

This is a book chock full of relationships - mother/son, father/daughter, friends and boy/girl. It's about learning about other people and helping them - even when they don't think they want their help. It's about betrayal, real and perceived - and forgiveness. Ava's ex is the villain of the piece and how all her friends - and her father - come together to help her is wonderfully heart-warming.

It left a smile on my face and a love for all the characters (except one!)

The perfect Christmas book!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.



Tuesday 25 October 2016

My turn for the Blog Tour for Sarah Morgan's new book!!!

Review of Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan - Five **


Blurb:


Sometimes love needs a Christmas Miracle…


Hopeless romantic Eva Jordan loves everything about Christmas. Even if she is spending it alone housesitting a spectacular Fifth Avenue apartment. What she didn’t expect was to find the penthouse still occupied by its gorgeous–and mysterious–owner.
Bestselling crime writer Lucas Blade is having the nightmare before Christmas. With a deadline and the anniversary of his wife’s death looming, he’s isolated himself in his penthouse with only his grief for company. But when the blizzard of the century leaves Eva snowbound in his apartment, Lucas starts to open up to the magic she brings…This Christmas, is Lucas finally ready to trust that happily-ever-afters do exist?






Review:

Oh how I love this series!! I thought Sarah couldn't better the Snow Crystal trilogy but I was wrong!! (If you haven't read those - what are you waiting for??)

This book is the story for the third friend Eva and her relationship with Lucas Blade the writer. Because they spend so much time alone, the characters are deeper in this book and we get to know them really well. It was a great idea to cast Eva as Lucas' muse!

Since it was a Sarah Morgan book, I guessed there would be a happy ending, but you're kept guessing almost to the end. The swings and roundabouts of their developing feelings are perfect. 

And then I discovered, to my joy, that there are more books coming in this series! Whoopee!! (And they can all be read as standalones).

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



Blog Tour: