The Blood Doctor by Barbara Vine

The Blood Doctor by Barbara Vine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 369

Publisher - Penguin books

Source - Given by a friend

Blurb from Goodreads

When Martin Nanther, Hereditary Peer in the House of Lords, is choosing the subject of his next biography, he becomes intrigued by the life of his own great-grandfather, Henry Nanther. So grateful was Queen Victoria for Henry’s services as physician to the royal family that she granted him a peerage, making him a lord, the first doctor ever to be so honored. Henry had been especially attentive to hemophiliacs in the royal family, for he was obsessed with blood. As he recounted in his diary, “Red is my favorite color. To me a splash of blood is beautiful, and I profoundly lack understanding of those who flinch or even faint at the sight of it.”

As his research deepens, Martin begins to uncover hints that his great-grandfather’s fascination with blood may have had its darker side. The murder of Henry’s fiancée, the death of his young son, the remarkable number of relatives and friends who died mysteriously—could all these have been mere coincidence? Martin scours England and America for relatives whose attics or memories might hold clues, until finally the tragic truth stands revealed.

Drawing from the dark themes of obsession and murder that drive so many of Barbara Vine’s extraordinary novels, The Blood Doctor is also enriched by domestic intimacies familiar to readers of Ruth Rendell’s beloved Inspector Wexford novels and by details of Dame Rendell’s own experience as a Life Peer in the House of Lords. Once again we have a masterful work from a storyteller of the highest order.


My Review

Guys, I went back and fourth between a two and three stars, I have put three stars rounded up but I think really, for me, it is a 2.5. So Martin Nanther is writing a book about his ancestor his great great great grandfather (I think, maybe add another great) Henry Nanther. Basically he was a doctor, physician to the Royal family so they gave him a title, his focus was on blood disorders especially Haemophilia. The book flips between our author Martin and what is happening in his life, what he finds out about his Great Grandfather through notebooks, diaries, families who had correspondence either with him or him being mentioned. As Martin researches he isn't quite prepared for all he is about to find out.

So my issues is it was a whole lot of meh. Like that seems so unfair, I absolutely was interested in the medical side, what Henry thought he knew about Haemophilia and his own research and publishing's. However I don't feel there was so much, like a lot of it was about his personal life and not really all relevant to anything really and or it took an age to get to a point.

Martin is involved in politics as he is Henry's descendent as a Lord so we get some political stuff too but even that I was a bit meh. I mean I am not huge into politics however I have read a book before that was heavy on the side of political themes and I actually found it interesting and informative. I think the problem for me is the book is chopped up into Henry's past but again we hear from folk who are relatives of people related to him or knowing him and their chat. The political settings and stuff, Martin's research, what he finds, his own issues with his partner struggling to carry a baby to term, the losses, how he feels. He has an adult son with his ex so he is a bit torn about having another baby but knows how important it is to his wife.

So there is three kinda main focuses and one would take away from another to the point I was distracted, struggling to not just keep up but actually care. I think Henry's story would have been interesting if we followed it in "real time" but for me it was just a bit too much jumping around and nothing really had me invested. Well the blood condition(s) absolutely did which is probably why I stuck through with it and it has sparked my interest to read more about blood conditions but that really is it. So yeah 2.5 really, would I read this author again? Yeah absolutely, I just think for me there was too much going on and noting really with teeth so to speak, many people have loved it though so absolutely check it out for yourself. I am also a bit of a mood reader and been a bit crabby and irritable the last few days so that probably impacted too. Like I read this for over 6 hours in the car, normally I can read a full paperback in that time, I read just over 140 odd pages which is not a lot for me at all. So I think in this instance it absolutely is a case of it isn't you it is me!

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Don't Fall in Love With Me by Paige Toon

Don't Fall in Love With Me by Paige Toon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 368

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Arc and bought a copy

Blurb from Goodreads

What if the person you love the most is the one you can’t have?

Grace has loved Jackson since she was fifteen – when they spent every childhood summer exploring France's breathtaking Ardèche region together. They were best friends, until life took its course and Jackson married someone else.

Years later, Jackson re-enters Grace’s life with an irresistible her dream job in the very town where their story began. And he’s newly single.

As memories from those idyllic summers flood back, Grace encounters an old friend Étienne, who proposes a plan to help make Jackson jealous. But as their scheme unfolds, Grace finds herself questioning if the sparks between them might not be so pretend after all…

Unbeknownst to Grace, Étienne is harbouring a secret that could shatter her world.

Will learning the truth finally set her heart free?

Or is this the beginning of a love story bigger than she ever imagined?


My Review

Grace has loved her bestie guy pal Jackson since she was a teenager, their summers together so precious and she always looked forward to. Her feelings growing ever stronger but nothing ever happening. Heartbroken when Jackson got married Grace moved on but Jackson was always her special someone. Now she has a chance to go back, working for Jackson, her dream job AND Jackson is now single, could this finally be her time? Etienne is still there, Grace's friend who seen her unrequited love and was there for her then and is again now. He see's what Grace doesn't and knows that making Jackson jealous may just be the push he needs to realise just how great Grace is. As the pair flirt, Grace does see herself looking at the situation between both, her long time crush and her pal and questioning her feelings and all she has ever wanted, will she get it?

Ah Grace, we have all been there, wanting that one person, in this case her bestie and never getting her moment. Over the years there has been almost moments, moments when Grace felt she might finally get that kiss, that moment they cross the friendship line. We do geta feel for how they are and what their relationship was then and is now, it flows fine going back and forth so you don't get pulled out of the story. As we get to know Jackson and how he interacts with Grace, how he sees her - we the reader see what Grace seemingly can't. Especially when Etienne and her put into place the flirting in front of Jackson. There is no denying Jackson loves having Grace in his life, she is the grounded, adoring always supporting and stroking his ego. I think we clock on quickly that Jackson dangles the carrot just enough, enough that Grace has hope that she may get a chance with Jackson.

I love Etienne, he has been through so much and there of course is an undercurrent to him wanting to help Grace. Etienne's family are so nice and Jackson's Grandad but his mum, like his fiance/wife/ex wife are horror bags. It is quite a mixed dynamic, we have the old love triangle but with the twist of fake flirting, provoking jealousy, mingled with friendship, business and small town.

There is some humour, sadness, heartache, it is a slow burner but giving us the past and present so we understand the history and dynamics between the families, friends and just how complicated love, emotions, feelings and relationships can be. I do enjoy Toon's books and I love a messy will they won't they, the question - did Grace get her man? Well you will need to read it to find out, the book is out now, 4/5.

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Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen

Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - over 3 days

Pages - 608

Publisher - Requited

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Revenge demands sacrifice. Don’t miss this action-packed, jaw-dropping, dark and romantic sequel to Dire Bound.

CROWNED BY DESTINY. CONSUMED BY VENGEANCE.

Against all odds, Meryn Cooper has inherited the crown—and a deadly war. As the Kingdom of Nocturna splinters under the weight of generations of lies, it is up to Meryn, her bonded direwolf Anassa, and their allies to bring the country back from the brink.

But the commoners, the Bonded, and the nobles are distrustful of their new queen and Meryn is caught in a deadly game of politics. Meanwhile, Meryn’s beloved younger sister, Saela, is more at risk than ever.

Confusingly, the one person Meryn can trust is Stark Therion—the dark, dangerous Alpha she thought hated her as much as she loathed him. Yet, his loyalty is unshakeable. His presence is intoxicating. And with his guidance, Meryn can seize an unthinkable level of power.

With enemies closing in and shadows stirring in her dreams, Meryn stands to lose her kingdom—and her heart.

Blood will spill. Bonds will break. Fate will be tested


My Review


This is book two of the Wolves of Ruin, if you haven't read book one I would absolutely recommend doing so. One because spoilers, like even the blurb so yeah stop here and go read book one if you haven't already. So we left book one with Meryn finding out a terrible betrayal and shocking truth, now she has claimed her birthright and has so many hills to climb, obstacles to overcome and dangers headed her way.

Oooft so book one we seen death galore between the "tributes" and even the poor dire wolves. Well this one is no different and you best prepare yourself. Meryn is still reeling from all the revelations in the last book, learning her place, the expected behaviors, hierarchy, war, threats to life ooft.

I feel like the pace of this one is so different from the first and yeah it would be because it is heading on, Meryn is in a new phase and stage. That being said, so much of the issue was about her biggest adversary, the enemy who always seemed ten steps ahead and yet when the crux of it all came it was so fast and like a secondary thought. Now we are focused on "the mission" soz no spoilers here so the book took a really different turn and feel for me, like it could have been a different storyline. And I did really enjoy that offset of the story, there were so many veins of storylines though. The chapters split between Meryn and Stark, again I feel we get a very different Stark in this book and we get to hear directly from him. Their spicy scenes, I don't know it kind of felt so samey to what she went through with Killian, I cringed at them too and don't get me started on Kitten and how Stark's behaviour after it meh.

That seems like so many complaints lol, I did enjoy it and want to see where it went but girl, Meryn did rip my knittin and I get it she has been through so so much but I just feel she was so different from book one Meryn. I suppose that is a reflection of everything she has went through but yeah I was so irked at some of it and also how some people behaved, 4/5.

I did enjoy this one but not as much as book one, I am looking forward to book three.

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Nurse Kitty's Secret War by Maggie Campbell

Nurse Kitty's Secret War by Maggie Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 275

Publisher - Trapeze

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

A novel inspired by the brave nurses and doctors from the first NHS hospital, the Trafford General, opened after the end of World War II. An inspiring and romantic read for fans of Call the Midwife and The Nightingale Girls. It's May 1945 and at 3pm, nurse Kitty Longthorne listens, together with the other surgical staff at South Manchester's Park Hospital, to Winston Churchill's broadcast on the radio. Germany has signed a declaration of complete surrender. The war is over in Europe and that day is to be celebrated as VE Day. The mood in Park Hospital - still full of wounded American soldiers - is jubilant and hopeful, though Kitty is anything but. Her clandestine squeeze and the man she hopes to marry, James Williams has been giving her the cold shoulder for the last week, and she can't work out why. Furthermore, her twin brother, Ned, is still missing in action - his last known whereabouts point to him being in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. An uplifting, heart-wrenching novel based on the true story of the first ever NHS hospital, for fans of Donna Douglas and Nancy Revell.


My Review

We follow Kitty, our main character, nurse,, daughter, sister and love interest of a prominent doctor, war is coming to an end and the first NHS hospital is about to come into play. So the story is multifactorial, the war is on but it isn't the main theme although it is relevant. We follow Kitty through her life, her family situation, poverty, her work as a nurse and the hierarchy, her friend (I use that term quite loosely) and the difference between them. We also see some of the patients and their care within the hospital, including casualties from war.

Kitty seems like a nice enough girl but I did twitch and internal scream a few times like girl that friend is no friend of yours. She comes from wealth, Kitty's family are absolutely not and her "friend" shades so much and Kitty, she is nice but that girl needs a back bone. I know I know the times and women where much more demure but I rolled my eyes more than a few times and I was getting annoyed wanting her to stand up for herself. To be fair at one point I fist pumped but dang I wanted more.

We have the work hierarchy, old school (to be fair still going in some health care areas) and we see it very alive and prominent in this one. We see family values, friendship, love, addiction, run ins with the law, wealth vs poverty and the spawning of the first NHS hospital.

I do enjoy these books, stepping back into the past, Campbell weaves a tale infused with an authenticity for the times, 4/5 for me

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Alien: Isolation by Keith R A Decandido

Alien: Isolation by Keith R.A. DeCandido
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 2 days

Pages - 336

Publisher - Titan books

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

The product of a troubled and violent youth, Amanda Ripley is hell-bent on discovering what happened to her missing mother, Ellen Ripley. She joins a Weyland-Yutani team sent to retrieve the Nostromo flight recorder, only to find space station Sevastopol in chaos with a Xenomorph aboard. Flashbacks reveal Amanda’s history and events that forced her mother to take the assignment aboard the Nostromo.


My Review

So if you are a fan of the alien franchise we all know Ellen Ripley, well this one is her daughter Amanda. She has always wanted to find out what happened to her mum, we flip from present day (her time) to the past leading up to before Ripley left, the last message sent and her ship going missing. Amanda will follow leads, paths and eventually head towards what seems like an actual solid piece of information that will actually give her answers to what happened to her mum.

The bouncing back and forward in time did take you out of it a little but if you are a huge fan I think you can forgive it. We see snippets of Ripley the civilian and her home life and through Amanda's eyes what life was like having a mum missing a lot of the time.

After many exploitations Amanda has a lead and team mostly set on the same path which takes her to a station with the flight recorder from Ripley's ship, the Nostromo. What Amanda isn't expecting is to come face to face with the same entities we have met through the franchise. She has her mums kickass attitude and strength when it comes to facing dodgy people and then unimaginable monsters.

I hadn't realised this was a game although I do know there are alien games out there, the franchise is huge. Anything with aliens and or relating to Ripley I am willing to give a chance, I mean they are the ultimate killing machines, add to that a chance to know a wee bit more about Ripley, absolutely. I know this one won't be for everyone but I liked it, not quite as fast paced or action as previous books but still worth reading in my opinion, 4/5.

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Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen

Direbound by Sable Sorensen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 605

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials. She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them…

Meryn Cooper has never dreamed of being one of the Bonded, the King’s elite warriors who form mental links with massive, vicious direwolves. She’s made peace with her life scraping by in poverty in the shadows of the castle. But then her younger sister Saela is kidnapped, stolen across the border by the immortal monsters her country has spent centuries fighting.

And Meryn’s world falls apart.

Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army—only to discover that there are Bonding Trials this year, where all soldiers are forced to risk their lives in an attempt to connect with a direwolf. It’s too late to turn back; Meryn is thrown into the deadly competition against her will.

Now, she’ll need to survive the next four months of training at the castle if she wants a chance of finding Saela. Everything here is a test, from the brutal classes where one mistake means death, to the glittering court parties where every smile hides a knife.

To make things worse, Meryn is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her gorgeous instructor, Stark Therion, is as malicious as the wolves himself.

Everyone is out to get her—everyone but the dangerously handsome crown prince, Killian Valtiere. But if she loses her heart to him, she may also lose her life.

And the castle is hiding dark secrets…
My Review

Poverty is rife, kids are being taken for God knows what purpose, royalty come through the poverty stricken communities on their huge dire wolves, it sickens Meryn. She is fighting grown dangerous men for money to keep herself, sister and mother safe/fed. Meryn has always had that something and a local helped her hone and focus her anger and skills so she is a walking weapon. All she cares about is her family and her beau. When Meryns sister is kidnapped she has no choice but to go forward to try for the bonding trials, it is the only way she can try and get her sister back. Everything is against Meryn, she is poor, she is ill prepared, some of the richest and well trained kids are up for this, born for it. Even if you get through the process you still need to survive the journey to where the dire wolves are, there are hundreds of competitors and maybe one hundred ish wolves, they pick you. Meryn will stop at nothing to get her sister back, not fail at whatever is thrown at her, not bow down and she won't die because her sister is depending on her if it isn't already too late!

AHHHHHHH YOU GUYS so firstly, hello beautiful book map! Loads of characters and the book gives me vibes of Fourth Wing meets Game of Thrones meets The Hunger Games all smooshed together to give us Dire Bound. Absolutely raging I need to wait til May to get book two! I have had readers block on and off for ages, I sank this in almost one sitting!

The journey to the wolves is very echoy of Fourth Wing/hunger games, every man for himself, dirty tactics allowed, actually anything goes, as long as you make it. Meryn is a kick ass main character, she knows how to handle herself and can take down guys twice her size/weight. The trainors/mentors seem to have an issue with her because of her background and to be fair she has an attitude too. The dire wolves I LOVE, especially the sassy feral one that bounds to Meryn pah ha ha, there is attitudes all around.

There was some moments I wanted to shake Meryn, I get it, she is going through it but damn girl stop making a rod for your own back. I totally get why this isn't for everyone but I absolutely loved it. There is death, fighting, bonding, trials, murder, skulduggery, shady as people, loyalty, betrayal oh and spicy scenes too. The book has a whole lot of everything and some of the echos of the other series was a bit on the nose *cough Stark cough* but I really liked it, one of my fave reads this year guys, 5/5! Hurry up May for book two!

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Lover Unveiled by J R Ward

Lover Unveiled by J.R. Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 509

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Meet a powerful MMA fighter with a buried secret that could change the world of Caldwell forever...

Sahvage has been living under the radar for centuries-and he has every intention of staying 'dead and buried.' But when a civilian female sucks him into her dangerous battle with an evil as ancient as time, his protective side overrides his common sense.

Mae has lost everything, and desperation sets her on a collision course with fate. Determined to reverse a tragedy, she goes where mortals should fear to tread- and comes face to face with the Brotherhood's new enemy. She also discovers a love she never expected to find with Sahvage, but there can be no future for them.

Knowing they will part, the two band together to fight against what Mae unknowingly unleashed- as the Brotherhood closes in to reclaim one of their damned, and the evil vows to destroy them all...



My Review

Book nineteen of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, got to be honest it wasn't my fave of them all by far but I am working my way through the series and almost caught up. So this one centres around Sahvage and Mae. Sahvage is a brother but not part of our active clan, it has been ages since I started these books so can't remember how much we knew about him. Essentially he is a self isolated lone ranger type guy, he keeps himself to himself, goes to street fights and makes his coin there. I didn't really get this because he is up against humans so why even bother. As the book goes on we find out the brothers thing him dead (or they always did and I just don't remember) and when they go back to his place of rest and all that follows, I still didn't get his reasons for his choices, the how yes, the why not really. Mae and him cross paths, she has her own issues and is trying to save her brother (both vamps) and in doing so her path is taken down a search for dark horrific magic and Davina is back!

The "love" story between Sahvage and Mae was lack luster for me and a bit meh, I just didn't get the resistance. Normally the love story is huge in the books but this was more of a back story I feel, the search for the book and focus on her family was primary.

Davina is as always evil and shocking, the book needed this so we had something we could be invested in. Sahvage's cousin and throwback stuff I didn't really get, unless we are setting all that up for her having her own story maybe in an upcoming book? I have the next in the series to read, 3/5 for me for this one.

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