Tuesday 19 September 2017

My turn for another exciting Blog Tour!!

Review of The Secrets You Keep by Kate White - 4**




Blurb:


You’ve lost your memory. A woman has been murdered. Your husband is keeping secrets. How do you know who to trust?

Months after a being involved in a terrible car crash, Bryn Harper is physically healed but her emotional scars remain raw. She has no memory of the accident and is plagued with bad dreams.
When Bryn and her husband, Guy, host a dinner party Bryn swears money has been stolen while Guy seems unfazed. Bryn confronts the caterer that night and is horrified to discover the woman’s brutally slain body the next day.
As the case is investigated, Bryn is dragged into a fresh nightmare and learns that Guy is keeping things from her. Another murder occurs and Bryn realises the danger is getting ever closer to home. How well does Bryn really know the man she loves?
For fans of psychological suspense and compulsive mysteries, don’t miss this tense and page-turning novel. Before I Go to Sleep meets The Husband’s Secret.





Review:

This book kept me guessing from beginning to end! You have no idea who the bad guys are - you have no real idea who the good guys are either!

It is an excellent psychological thriller. The characters are all very believable and I found myself saying, "Is it her? Is it him?" several times throughout the book! 

And, incredibly, Kate manages to make us doubt Bryn - the central character. Is she just making things up? Why does nobody believe her?

A very enjoyable (if that's the right word) read and I shall definitely look for more by Kate White.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.



Monday 18 September 2017

My review of Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles: The Driftwood Inn (The Little Cornish Isles, Book 1) - 5**

(Points for longest title lol!)

Blurb:

Christmas has arrived on the Cornish Isles of Scilly, bringing mistletoe, surprises and more than a sprinkle of romance . . . Fans of Poldark and Carole Matthews will love this brand-new festive read from the author of the bestselling Cornish CafĂ© series.
For Maisie Samson, this Christmas is going to be different. After years working in a busy Cornish pub, she’s moved back to quiet Gull Island where she grew up, to help her parents run the family inn.
But even though she can’t wait for the festive season to arrive, Maisie cannot shake the memories of what happened to her last Christmas – the day she lost everything. She keeps herself busy, setting up the tree and hanging mistletoe ready for her first proper family Christmas in years.
Until a new arrival to the island walks into her bar and changes everything. Australian backpacker Patrick is looking for a job for the low season. When Maisie takes him on, she doesn’t expect him to last the week, but to her surprise Patrick is the perfect fit. Charming and handsome, could Maisie allow herself to hope that she and Patrick could be more than just colleagues?
As Christmas approaches, Maisie finds herself dreading the spring, when Patrick is due to leave. With the help of a little Christmas magic, can Maisie get the happily ever after she always dreamed of?
Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles is the first in a stunning new series from Phillipa Ashley. The perfect book to snuggle up with this Christmas.





Review:

You'd be "Scilly" not to read this!

Phillipa - if you ever decide to change genres - you'd make a great travel book writer! The descriptions of the Gull Island and the Scilly Islands in general, made me want to hop straight on a plane/boat! It is now definitely a bucket-list destination.

Maisie runs the pub and is hard-working, determined and susceptible. Aussie backpacker Patrick arrives and stays, working in the pub. The attraction is enormous but they both have baggage - Patrick a lot more than Maisie! There are a couple of twists to the story that I wasn't expecting, although hints had been given, had I noticed them!

This is the first of a series and I am really looking forward to the next ones. For personal reasons, I shall be following Patrick's story closely but look forward to seeing how the other characters' destinies are fulfilled.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.





Tuesday 12 September 2017

Sound the Trumpets!!!

A Very Special Cover Reveal!


The Captain's Daughter (Choc Lit) (Cornish Tales Book 2) by Victoria Cornwall



Isn't it gorgeous?? Here's the blurb:



Beware the strength of a quiet woman

After a family tragedy, Janey Carhart was forced from her comfortable middle-class life as a captain’s daughter into domestic servitude. Determined to make something of herself, Janey eventually finds work as a lady’s maid at the imposing Bosvenna Manor on the edge of Bodmin Moor, but is soon caught between the two worlds of upstairs and downstairs, and accepted by neither, as she cares for her blind mistress.

Desperately lonely, Janey catches the attention of two men – James Brockenshaw and Daniel Kellow. James is heir to the Bosvenna estate, a man whose eloquent letters to his mother warm Janey’s heart and whose attentions to her when he returns home set her pulse racing. Daniel Kellow is a neighbouring farmer with a dark past and a brooding nature, yet with a magnetism that disturbs Janey. Two men. Who should she choose? Or will fate decide?

About the author:

Victoria Cornwall can trace her Cornish roots as far back as the 18th century. This background and heritage has given her an understanding and knowledge of Cornish rural life, which is the inspiration for her writing.
Following a fulfilling twenty-five year career as a nurse, a change in profession finally allowed her time to write in her favourite genre - historical romance.

She is married with two grown up children.The Captain’s Daughter is the second novel in her Cornish Tales series. 

My review for her previous novel, The Thief's Daughter

What a wonderful debut novel from Victoria Cornwall! I'm not usually an historic romance fan but I was swept up in the story and the beautiful scenery descriptions.
Jenna and Jack's relationship has highs, lows and strong arguments! I love a relationship that isn't black and white and this one is very colourful! I also enjoyed Jenna's attempt to escape her past and not be painted with the same brush as her family.
As my readers know, I am a great fan of Choc Lit and this is yet another book worthy of them. I look forward to Victoria's next book.

Here are the links to pre-order:





Tuesday 5 September 2017

Review of Deadly Intent by Sheryl Browne - 5 huge **


Blurb:

Tormented to the edge of sanity …
 
Just when DI Matthew Adams thinks he’s left the past behind him, it comes back to haunt him once again; this time in the form of the Conner family.


Like Matthew, the Conners have lost a child in tragic circumstances – and they’ve also found themselves in the hands of one of the most depraved criminals to walk the streets: ‘Dead-eyed’ Charlie Roberts, a drug addicted low-life with a penchant for extreme violence.
Matthew’s greatest affinity lies with Daniel Conner, the brooding father who still blames himself for his youngest child’s death. 

But when Daniel’s wife and daughter are tortured and tormented by Roberts, can Matthew prevent him from completely ruining his own life for an act of revenge particularly when, once upon a time, that’s exactly what Matthew would have done too?





Review:

Have you any idea how hard it is to read a book when you're holding your breath the whole way through? I'm surprised I survived the experience!

Sheryl is the mistress of the thriller. Her D I Adams' series is absolutely terrifying and this has to be the scariest yet. Daniel Conner is a tormented soul but when the chips are down, he is one of the most amazing heroes. The tension builds, and builds, and builds....... Matthew Adams is on the trail but it seems to take him forever to trace the whereabouts of scum Charlie Roberts and the Conner family. The psychological abuse Charlie inflicts on the Conners is awful and how they rise above it is astonishing.

Now I'm breathing again, I can recommend this book with absolutely no hesitation. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.