Waiting for the Miracle by Anna McPartlin

Waiting for the Miracle by Anna McPartlin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 397

Publisher - Zaffre

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

2010

Caroline has hit rock bottom. After years of trying, it's clear she can't have children, and the pain has driven her and her husband apart. She isn't pregnant, her husband is gone and her beloved dog is dead.

The other women at her infertility support group have their own problems, too. Natalie's girlfriend is much less excited about having children than her. Janet's husband might be having an affair. And then there's Ronnie, intriguing, mysterious Ronnie, who won't tell anyone her story.

1976

Catherine is sixteen and pregnant. Her boyfriend wants nothing to do with her, and her parents are ashamed. When she's sent away to a convent for pregnant girls, she is desperate not to be separated from her child. But she knows she might risk losing the baby forever.




My Review

Split over a duo timeline with multicharacters, 1976 we meet Catherine a girl who falls for sweet talk and ends up in a horrible position and sent to the nuns. Present day, well 2010 and we meet Caroline, desperate for children, attending group for women also finding it difficult to conceive. We flip between both timelines, a pregnancy with a young girl and in that time the stigma and struggles that come with it. To Caroline and the group of unlikely friends all going through their own struggles, all very different.

The book packs an emotional punch, we feel for poor Catherine who gets heartache and disappointment again and again with very much there but the grace of God go I vibes. Then the obsession, heartache, trials and tribulations of trying to get pregnant, loss, relationship impact, devastation ooft it is heartbreaking. Whilst all that sounds so dark and it is very emotive it also has lightness, joy, irish humour, love, friendship, strength and determination, so so very much determination for all of the issues these women face.

McPartlin has a way of writing characters that you can't help but investing in and or relating to. Drawing a wealth of emotions and reactions as we experience everything the ladies are as we have reveals and more exposures to their daily lives and getting back up again when they go through some of the lowest times and battles a woman can face. 4.5/5 for me, I have read McPartlin before and sure I have one or two others on my tbrm.

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A Savage Generation by David Tallerman

A Savage Generation by David Tallerman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Sickness is ravaging America, driving the infected to savagery. Petty criminal Ben Silensky is determined to get his girlfriend Carlita and son Kyle free of the quarantined city they live in, enough so to risk a foolhardy crime and then to team up with Carlita's equally desperate cop cousin Nando. Once they're out, Nando is certain they'll find a place in the open prison where his uncle works, unbeknownst to him already become a survivalist colony named Funland under the management of entrepreneurial convict Plan John. In Funland itself, guard Doyle Johnson is shocked when his ex-wife abandons his son Austin into his care. Fearing the vulnerable position he's been placed in, he recruits the help of Katherine Aaronovich, the former prison's doctor. But Aaronovich's traumatic past has left her with vulnerabilities of her own, along with radical theories on the nature of the epidemic that will place all their lives in jeopardy. As the last vestiges of civilisation crumble, Funland may prove to be the safest or the most dangerous of places, depending on who comes out on top - and what can't be held together will inevitably be torn apart. FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.


My Review

A city under quarentine, the "sickies" are people who have became infected, becoming aggressive and little more than animals at certain stages. Ben wants out with his kid and girlfriend and he knows exactly where to go, "Funland" previously a prison. There are still prisoners and guards but there is an understanding and Ben and co figure it has to be safer in there than it is out here.

So it is giving 28 days later meets the walking dead vibes, the infected are still human but they beat/murder/destroy and are highly contagious. The majority is set in the prison so that is what was giving me echoes of the walking dead along with the power struggles. There is a female doctor and one of the guards is a really good guy who is tough and respected, he helps smuggle Carlita in because it is still a male's prison and her being discovered would be devastating.

I liked the idea of this but did love a lot of it. I felt the atmosphere was well portrayed and I absolutely wanted to know where it was going. When I read it I felt maybe this was book one and setting up for the second yet it isn't, it is a standalone which again left me a bit meh. Like so much of what they went through and did almost seemed pointless at times, like really all that for that?

That being said am sure many will love it, it gives you glimpses of some of the pathetic and bad sides to humanity, Ben ugh I had very little respect for him. Like it was as if he didn't really know who he was or who he wanted to be, he was, to me, a weak guy, I just couldn't with him by the end of the book.

I liked the doctor and would have liked to have had more exploration on what she was doing/looking into. I felt like so much of the story had unanswered or only briefly touched on issues/themes so I think it would be good if the author did go back to this and make more, maybe a series?

It is quite dark at times, I found the more we learned about this sickies, as the story went on the more I wanted to know about them. How they progressed, the ones we met in the book, I would have loved more of there stories, before, during and after but also the meat/origins of the outbreak. For all of that 3/5 for me, tense, dark, horrible characters with a very small mix of decent ones, it is worth a read because I do think many will love it, I am just a fussy potatoe!

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A Mother's Struggle by Kitty Neale

A Mother's Struggle by Kitty Neale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 378

Publisher - Avon books

Source - RAK/fairy

Blurb from Goodreads

When Pearl's ex-husband Kevin was sent to prison she left her old life in Battersea behind, determined to protect her son from the truth about his father. But when her dear friend Bessie dies, she is forced to return to the one place she'd rather forget.

While Pearl makes plans to take over Bessie's shop, Kevin is released from jail and begins to swindle his parents for money. Once he gets what he wants, he'll soon be after his child.

Pearl will do whatever it takes to keep her boy out of his father's reach - but will it be enough?



My Review

We have read a fair few of Neale's books so I could have sworn I recognised the characters and maybe they do pop up in the other books as passing characters. I checked and according to Fantasticfiction it is a standalone and previously published under another name. Anyways, Pearl left Battersea after things had gone wrong for her and it is a small town and scandal tends to follow you forever, noone forgets. When circumstances mean Pearl, her husband and kid have to go back she knows she can't keep the past from her child, much as she wants to protect him. Especially when his biological father, Kevin, a wrong yin, is getting out of jail and towns folk gossip. Kevin protrays himself as a man of God now, changed and willing to mend his ways but not only has Kevin not changed but he has plans that will forever change all of their lives.

Ooooh guys, the things with these books are we get characters who, love or hate them, you can't stop reading. Kevin's mum has issues with her mental health and she is also quite a devious woman whose no.1 priority is her angel of a son. The things that she will say and do is nothing short of wicked and she isn't the only one who is shady. We also meet some violent men who have money, muscle, weapons and will do what they need to to protect what they feel is theirs.

Violence, death, threats, secrets, lies, poisoned tongued people ooft it is a mixed bag or questionable morals, aggression and choices that affect not just the people making them. We also see the good side of people and I think that is why it is so easy to loose yourself in this type of book. You have the mundane every day issues/things/small town setting/gossip but then the darker side, manipulation, threats, aggression, violence etc. We have read a few of Neale's and have some more on our TBRM and will eventually get the whole back catalogue, 4/5 for us this time.

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End Of Story by Louise Swanson

End of Story by Louise Swanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 320

Publisher - Hodder Books

Source - Netgalley & bought a treebook copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Once upon a time, there was a writer named Fern.

She was a bestseller. An award-winner. Loved by readers and critics alike. With her words, she changed the world.

Until her story took a turn.

Now Fern is a cleaner in a hospital. Condemned to anonymity. Because reading books is now a crime.

Only, Fern doesn't plan on going down without a fight. She'll keep writing, no matter the consequences. She will make her voice heard.

Because Fern's story is only beginning.

But can you guess how it will end?


My Review

Imagine a world where fiction is banned, authors have had their books/awards removed from them, gains from said books taken, the government isn't here to play. Meet Fern, Fern had only just really got into her stride as an author, published books, best sellers, events, signings, money rolling in, everything was looking up especially after everything she had been through. Now present day she is merely existing, doing a job she hates, not allowed contact with any other fiction writers, living in a home that gets period checks to make sure she is behaving and not writing. Fern isn't ready to give up and slowly finds herself rebelling.

What a wild ride and I wasn't sure what all was going on or where it was going which kept me on edge. Fern works as a cleaner at a hospital, had an aversion to the smell of milk and tries to stay off the radar. Whilst working she hears some really shady stuff, stuff similar to the out there fiction she created and the people from the government become increasingly more threatening and intrusive to her life/space.

I think whilst the initial idea you would be like oh that would never happen, recent years I think has showed us just how insane the world can get/be at times. Government included. The story is told with Fern writing diary entries so we get the chat directly from her as she tries to process her feelings and thoughts as she goes.

I really liked the tea guy, he isn't a huge character by any means but seems a tiny glimpse of normality, almost a lifeline for Fern as she is so lonely and untrusting of everyone. It is an interesting concept and when you think you know where the book is going or what is coming, you don't. To be fair I am terrible trying to work out who the bad guy is or what is coming but even those good at it I don't think you will with this one because it is such a different idea/theme and as I was reading, I didn't trust anyone lol. This is the first book I have read by Louise Swanson (I have read under her other/original pen name) and it won't be my last. I have at least one more on my tbrm (Beech) and will get the others, 4/5 from us. It is certainly different so if you are looking for something of a change that also looks at shady government behaviours, unscrupulous behaviours in the NHS/healthcare, friendship, mental health, grief, shady characters and a world where fiction is banned, then this is for you!

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The War of The Worlds by H G Wells

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 6 days

Pages - 192

Publisher - 451 Flame Tree

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Cylinders land on Earth ans the invaders, from Mars, with heir huge, round bodies with tentacles, start to vaporize people on earth. Houses, towns ans cities are soon destroyed in a spiral of violence, creating civil panic ans mass evacuations before a foul black smoke is released by the agressive alien force. But the fightback must begin, and it comes from an unexpected quarter. H. G. Wells' classic tale of invasion has stirred our imagination for over a hundred years. Its intense mix of realism and fantasy continues to prick at anyone interested in a great adventure story by a master storyteller.


My Review

I don't think there is many, if any, who aren't familiar with The War of the Worlds, be it book or movies(s), I have seen some of the films but never read the book. Told in first person point of view we follow the main character, middle aged/older gentleman who lives near the first crash landing. From the initial speculation, group gathering, sightings to the realisation of the threat to all out war against humans.

With this guy we go through each stage, speculation, intrigue, fear to running for your life, survival and trying to keep ahead of the aliens, their weapons and the uglier dangerous side of humanity/survivors.

Absolute survivalism and we get to see a few sides to humanity and how people deal with it, tackle it and get through it (or not). The advancement of the aliens, how quickly they overcome us and how utterly helpless we are against their attack and different weapons. At one point he likens us to ants and or how humans treat animals as food and now we are on the receiving end of an unstoppable predator(s) and slaughter.

I absolutely will be rewatching the movies I think, I do enjoy a good alien read/film and enjoyed reading this one, I also think I will rewatch the one Stephen King done. Everytime I read of the red material covering stuff in my head all I kept saying was Ripley :P, if you know you know, 4/5 for me this time.

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August/September giveaway

Apologies how long it has took to sort this, we have put up a wee giveaway on our Insta already so not completely behind.

So for this month's giveaway what do we have?

A bloody handprints book protector as shown

One phone holder, as shown

And last but not least a wee pin badge, again as shown in the photo.

The usual, it is as in the pictures, the winner gets the bundle in the picture, no exchanges and as we are posting this out it is open worldwide.

To enter, just use the Rafflecopter below, the more entries completed the more your times your name goes in, good luck, competition will run until the end of next month.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunshine on Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith

Sunshine on Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days (in and out)

Pages -

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

With customary charm and deftness, Alexander McCall Smith gives us another instalment in this popular series, now running in its eighth season in The Scotsman. Will Big Lou find true love at last? Will Bertie's healthy snacks go down well at his school fair? And has Bruce Anderson really won the lottery? It s time to catch up with the delightful goings-on in 44 Scotland Street!



My Review

This is book eight in the series, you can get away reading it as a standalone but I doubt you would enjoy it as much. There is a group of characters and we follow their lives and dramas so it is better to know their back stories to enjoy their current predicaments. Bertie ah poor wee Bertie, I do hope his overbearing mother gets some sort of Karma, she is a horror. We see the narcissistic Bruce make a reappearance and things take a weird twist, I am looking forward to picking up with that again. The wedding of the year, big Lou and a few pop ups from some of our other characters in this one. Cyril (the dog) gets a good bit more time/scenes/action in this one and whilst it may not be to everyones liking I do enjoy his doggy musings/thoughts.

It is like Friends but mixed ages and folk living locally/close in Edinburgh, poking a bit of fun at classisms and from the young to the elderly all the drama's and happenings! For me these books are a nice wee escapism from your everyday life and a bit of being a nosey neighbour almost :D

Light, fun, nothing too deep or dark. I will continue reading the series and hoping wee Bertie gets a break away from his overbearing mother and maybe his da will come through for him, 4/5. This has probably been one of the ones of the series I enjoyed more.

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A Mother's Secret by Katie Flynn

A Mother's Secret by Katie Flynn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 426

Publisher -

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

The brand new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author

Though she may feel lost, she will never give up on finding the truth…

1941: Libby’s life on the sprawling farm at Hollybank is a far cry from the bustling streets of London where she grew up, but after the tragic death of her parents she moved to Liverpool to be closer to her long-lost aunt and uncle.

When she discovers they are far from the decent people they claimed to be and have spun a web of lies about her late mother, Libby’s world is shaken. But she is determined to set the story straight and embarks on a journey to unravel the devastating secret her mother kept until her dying day.

Can Libby separate the truth from the lies, and forge a brighter future for herself?


My Review

Set in 1941, war is ongoing (themed throughout the book but not the main focus), it is a saga, small town and some good characters and some real shady potatoes! Libby and co are our main characters Libby has discovered some old diaries of her mums and finds out some things that shake her to her core. We find a lot of exploitation going on, people taking advantage of people, pretending to be something their aren't and out to get what they can for themselves with zero moral compass.

The story I believe features characters from previous books and act as standalones but I kinda felt a bit out the loop for some of this. Like the importance of the diaries, did we meet her mum before or Libby and would that have had a bigger impact on the finding of these and exposure of lies?

I really liked the girls from the farms and the newest addition to their group, an animal makes everything better and that which is good it takes to great. Relationships, families, skulduggery, criminality, it has a wee bit of everything set in the timeline of world war 2. I liked it but didn't love it and I do enjoy this authors works I just felt a bit like maybe I had missed out on important back story, maybe its just me. I do intend of getting the other books and may make more of an effort to read in order of release, 3/5.

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The Last Resort by Susi Holliday

The Last Resort by Susi Holliday
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 2 days

Pages -

Publisher -

Source -

Blurb from Goodreads

Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One perfect crime.

When Amelia is invited to an all-expenses-paid retreat on a private island, the mysterious offer is too good to refuse. Along with six other strangers, she’s told they’re here to test a brand-new product for Timeo Technologies. But the guests’ excitement soon turns to terror when the real reason for their summons becomes clear.

Each guest has a guilty secret. And when they’re all forced to wear a memory-tracking device that reveals their dark and shameful deeds to their fellow guests, there’s no hiding from the past. This is no luxury retreat—it’s a trap they can’t get out of.

As the clock counts down to the lavish end-of-day party they’ve been promised, injuries and in-fighting split the group. But with no escape from the island—or the other guests’ most shocking secrets—Amelia begins to suspect that her only hope for survival is to be the last one standing. Can she confront her own dark past to uncover the truth—before it’s too late to get out?



My Review

A group (seven) of popular individuals, influencers, top gamer, celeb style individuals are invited to the island, a vip trip where they will be spoiled and try out the newest technology on offer. On the flight there the group suddenly find themselves not having the trip they expected and having to put on a device that gets into their memories. The thing being, they all have a secret they wish to protect, one that could ruin their lives if it got out. Stranded and their secrets slowly being exposed the group find themselves turning on each other and doing what they need to to survive.

I think I really liked how this started out, bunch of spoiled people who care about themselves and their over inflated opinions grating! Not very likeable characters bar Amelia, she seems ok but it takes us longer to find out what her chat is as her device is a wee bit different to the others.

The book gave me vibes of Lord of the Flies but with adults and not as in your face feralness with each other and echoes of a few others. You feel tension and know something is coming but not what, nothing is what it seems on the face of it and you question what is coming and what you are being told.

I didn't like a whole lot of them so was absolutely wanting them to get their comeuppance. I felt that last quarter of the book took a bit of a different feel so for me, overall 3/5. I think this was my first time reading this author, I would read her again.

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Swimming to Lundy by Amanda Prowse

Swimming to Lundy by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 408

Publisher - Lake Union

Source - Arc

Blurb from Goodreads

A poignant and inspiring story from million-copy bestselling author Amanda Prowse about how it’s never too late to follow your dreams and find your way back to happiness.

Tawrie Gunn feels stuck. She’s spent her whole life in the same seaside town with her beloved Nana and grief-stricken mum, all of them still reeling in different ways from the tragic loss of Tawrie’s dad at sea. Desperate for a change, she challenges herself to take up wild swimming—every morning, no excuses, from March till September.

Daring to take the plunge with the ‘Peacock Swimmers’, Tawrie feels alive in a way she’s never known. Suddenly it seems she might be able to step outside her comfort zone after all and let life surprise her—perhaps even dream of a future beyond the shores of Ilfracombe? Especially when, one day, she spots a man in a pink linen shirt who seems as eager for a new start as she does.

But it turns out taking risks on land is a little different from wading into the sea. Can Tawrie face her fears head-on and find her way to happiness? She knows it’s never too late to pursue your hopes and dreams, but it might be easier said than done…



My Review

Two timelines, two main character threads. Tawrie, present day (well 2023) and Harriet 2002, we go back and forth between the two, very different ladies. Tawrie is stuck inher small town, with her gran and mum, mum is an alcoholic, she works for her cousin in a cafe and remains the solid in her little world. She takes up wild swimming and meets a fabulous older couple and a new person who makes her feel things she has never felt and opens up her life, heart, mind and to possibilities outside her tiny patch/routine with some life changing consequences. Harriet and her family have moved to escape that which turned their world upside down, slowly with each chapter we find out what that is and how Harriet will cope, did she make the right decision and can you ever outrun your problems?

The story has huge family themes, Tawrie is the only child and completely locked to her routine/family. Harriet is completely family orientated and struggling to come to terms with a revelation that rocked her family. Both timelines feature similar themes, love, family, sacrifice, putting your family first, their needs before yours and infidelity pops up too. Tawrie is on a journey, taking up wild swimming and finding a freedom she hasn't had before but also bringing her "closer" to her dad. Harriet takes solace in writing a diary to try and work through her thoughts/feelings and steps to getting through that which has threatened her family life and happiness.

Prowse has a way of creating characters you find yourself either drawn to or empathising with, they have the same issues we do or loved ones have went through. Alcoholism, loss, feelings of being trapped but wanting to be there for your family and do what is right. Personal growth, achievements, small town life, scandal, struggles within every day life. FYI even though the cover has shark fins I can confirm there are no sharks in the book lol. Pages turning, relatively short chapters which you know I love, drama, scandal, love, hope, family bonds, it has a bit of something for everyone. This isn't my first dance with this author, I have quite a few on my tbrm and more I need to buy. When you want to step out of your own life and into others for a wee bit Prowse is always a good shout, 4/5 for me.

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The Mercy Chair by M W Craven

The Mercy Chair by M.W. Craven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 485

Publisher - Constable

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin . . .

Washington Poe has a story to tell.

And he needs you to listen.

You'll hear how it started with the robber birds. Crows. Dozens of them. Enough for a murder . . .

He'll tell you about a man who was tied to a tree and stoned to death, a man who had tattooed himself with a code so obscure, even the gifted analyst Tilly Bradshaw struggled to break it. He'll tell you how the man's murder was connected to a tragedy that happened fifteen years earlier when a young girl massacred her entire family.

And finally, he'll tell you about the mercy chair. And why people would rather kill themselves than talk about it . . .
Poe hopes you've been paying attention. Because in this story, nothing is as it seems . . .



My Review

Book six in the Tilly and Poe series, we open with Poe talking to a mental health professional after he has had a traumatic case. Whilst Poe takes us back to before, during and after the incident, in between reliving it and back and forth to the doctors office. A religious fanatic/leader is found murdered, tied to a tree and stoned to death. Poe has to figure out who targeted him and why kill him in such a way. Someone new is assigned to the team and following Poe and co as they delve into the case, Poe is untrusting as is his way and actually quite funny (and rude) to the new guy.

I love Tilly and Poe, no secret at all they are polar opposites and work so so well together. Now on the case they have to look into the past and the dead mans community/followers - secrets, shady behaviours galore so walls flung up at every corner.

Some of the backstory and things Poe discovers is pretty shocking, hate filled, bile, horrific like I can't go into it without spoilers but absolutely shocking hate/violence/torture/homophobia. As usual Craven is really good at weaving a twisty tale but prepared to be angry/outraged. 4/5 from me this time, not sure where Craven is going to take the story next but we look forward to it!

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First born by Will Dean

First Born by Will Dean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 368

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

From the acclaimed author of The Last Thing to Burn, a psychological thriller about the dark secrets that emerge when a woman’s twin sister is murdered, with his signature “intense, gripping, taut, terrifying, moving, and brilliant” (Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author) prose.

Sisters. Soulmates. Strangers.

Molly Raven lives a quiet, structured life in London, finding comfort in security and routine. Her identical twin Katie, living in New York, is the exact opposite: outgoing, spontaneous, and adventurous.

But when Molly hears that Katie has died, possibly murdered, she is thrown into unfamiliar territory. As terrifying as it is, she knows she must travel across the ocean and find out what happened. But as she tracks her twin’s final movements, cracks begin to emerge, and she slowly realizes her sister was not who she thought she was and there’s a dangerous web of deceit surrounding the two of them.



My Review

Katie (KT) and Molly are twins, close as close can be - they even had their own language and spoke only to each other at one point. The girls couldn't be more different as people, Molly takes no risks and is constantly evaluating risk and being very low key. KT left home, is away to college in New York and doing things Molly couldn't even contemplate. They speak every day/email and always in touch so when KT turns up dead in her own home Molly has no choice but to leave the comfort of her home and go meet her parents at New York, speak to the police and find out what happened. Who killed her sister, why and of course the balance needs to be redressed. Both their parents are shell shocked and Molly doesn't know where to start but she won't be going home until she finds out what happened to her twin!

The story slowly teases out what happened to KT as we follow the story through Molly and her interactions, getting to know her and the family. We know they are suspicious about KT's death but it takes a little time to get to it. We learn that Molly is a bit more quirky than we first thought and as we spend more time with her. She does her own digging to try and find out what happened and look into the people in her sisters lives. To be honest the boo focuses more on her investigation than the polices.

It is a bit out there at times and suspend reality for a few parts but still it makes for an interesting, different and twisty read. Some very shady characters, questionable actions/choices but iit certainly isn't boring - just a bit wild and out there, 4/5.

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The Younger Woman by Mandy Byatt

The Younger Woman by Mandy Byatt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon

Source - Netgalley (& bought treebook version)

Blurb from Goodreads

She knows him better than anyone.
She doesn’t know him at all…

Lottie and Nick once had a dream marriage, but a series of failed IVF attempts has left Lottie feeling insecure, and her paranoia is further stoked by the arrival of a new starter at Nick’s firm. Nuala is the spitting image of a younger, more attractive Lottie, and Nick is paying her a lot of attention…

But then Lottie discovers she’s pregnant. A surprise getaway to their country cottage to celebrate Nick’s birthday will provide the perfect backdrop to give him the news and start to heal the rifts in their relationship.

Then, on the eve of Nick’s birthday, Lottie goes into the cellar, and what she finds makes her question everything.
Because there, in the corner of the cellar, is the body of a young woman.
A young woman who looks just like Lottie…



My Review

Lottie and Nick are celebrating, it has been rough going, failed attempts at getting pregnant, infidelity, stress. Now they are heading to Nick's family cottage, secluded, it is almost Nick's birthday and Lottie has a surprise for him. When Nick nips out to get supplies Lottie finds the key to the cellar and discovers a body, a female who not only looks like Lottie but she recognises. Can you ever really know your other half and is Lottie safe, alone with Nick and a dead body!

The book jumps in time, from present day to Lottie/Nick and the shocking discovery to going back in the past (then) and between characters. Mainly we follow Lottie, Nick, the beautiful PA who wants Nick and will stop at nothing to get him and Ruth, family and worker of Nick. Oh what a twisted web we weave. Nick's PA is shocking, like her chapters she is very honest with us and herself about her intent, she sees Nick, she is love struck, she knows he is married and she will move heaven and earth to get him because she knows he wants he. So for people who hate infidelity, cheating, marital stuff this book is weaved with it, brace yourself. However karma they say is always around the corner so dun dun duuuuuuuh.

I did feel a wee bit out of sorts as there are so many view points and it took me a bit into each chapter to figure out who was who and what was going on. I would say when you have characters like that putting names headers on the top can be helpful however with so much twisty paced stuff I get why that would' exactly work with this one.

I was so annoyed with how shady one character was and how they played with peoples feelings, I was rooting for her comeuppance. I wasn't sure where it was going to go and play out on and I think books that keep you on your toes. Chapters are relatively short which always gets a thumbs up from us. A delvy dive into relationships, infidelity, ivf, marriages, the stress and strains of trying to get pregnant and struggling, work environment, family, blatant plays for married men, secrets, lies and more, it has a dark theme and shows some unsavoury aspects of humanity. It also has the reader questioning almost everyone and who they can trust, 4/5.

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Steel Girls at War by Michelle Rawlins

Steel Girls at War by Michelle Rawlins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 382

Publisher - H Q Stories

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

In their darkest days, they’ll find the courage to carry on… Summer 1940
The war is raging on but the Steel Girls are fighting their own battles closer to home. After patching things up with Archie, Patty is miffed when he appears to have forgotten all about her 18th birthday. New girl Hattie has a lot to deal with as she trades the counter at Woolworths for the Vickers factory floor. But is she keeping a secret and are things tougher at home than she’s been letting on? Meanwhile, Nancy is besides herself when she receives word that Bert is missing in action and is struggling to keep it together. As the Steel Girls come together to be there in Nancy’s hour of need, will life ever be the same again?



My Review

This is book four in the Steel Girls saga, I have read book two and now this one, I know I know, I will get the others and correct the order lol. So it is 1940, war is on and we centre around the lives of Hattie, Patty, Nancy and of course Betty. Hattie is joining the rest of the girls and coming to work in Vickers - jobs normally filled by men but war is on, female are filling many initially male roles and most people want to do their bit for the war. We see Pattie getting caught up in expectations for her 18th birthday, Hattie we learn more about her home life, Betty has some of her own past being known (as the book progresses) and Nancy - coping with the kids and her loved one away to war. Things go from bad to worse when word arrives that Bert (Nancy's husband) is MIA, Nancy tries to cope day to day and her friends rally because that is what communities do especially in these terrifying times of war.

The book of course centres around family, community, the horrors of living with the constant threat of bombs. Friendship is always at the heart of these books and covers everything from the mundane worries, ie Patty and her concerns re her special birthday being forgotten to rationings, after effects on survivor from world ward one & the ripples from that. Which brings me to the next part, and I suppose trigger warnings would go to this part, domestic violence/abuse within the marital home is mentioned. We also see the effects of one who is sent home from the war and the trauma/ptsd of what they seen/survived. It is quite dark and I think really well done because all of these things are important/authentic to that time period. Young girls would be caught up and fixating on something positive and happy to them (Patty) whilst we see the raw and physical affects of grief/worry for ones loved one MIA.

I think we get a wee bit more background on a few characters in this one whilst keeping the momentum going as sometimes in series things can get a bit stale, not so here. Betty, you know I love a Betty and I don't remember her being a huge character in the other books but certainly noticed her more in this one and wanted to hug her. A sense of community, love, loss, fear, friendship all within the context of ongoing war, enough horrors to keep it real but not overshadowing the actual story and characters, 4/5.

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Apologies from me

Sorry for the radio silence, delays in responses and you will have noticed (if you come here often) we haven't posted a review which isn't us. I am sick :/ but I usually have reviews prepped and ready to go. I thought I just had a chest infection and a bit run down as everything is so busy just now. Dudes, you know I never do anything by halves.

Still spiking temps but yesterday was the highest however we managed to get the docs and now have meds so hopefully with some rest (we slept less than 10 hours broke sleep since Sunday) and you know we can cope with most stuff but fling in lack of sleep :/

Luna has been adorable and my shadow, I am "sleeping" downstairs to try and save o/h getting sick. He has been awesome going to docs, pharmacy, shops for supplies.

Guys he even made homemade soup for me, potatoes, garlic and leek, when your throat is molten lava and even swallowing is agony, soup is just the bestest.

Apologies for not having sent out parcels that are awaited, we had everything planned for Monday but struck really unwell Sunday night. I think o/h may be enjoying the silence lol.

I think my biggest complaint, excluding brain fog, rigours, constant lurgyness, throat/ears feeling like a hot poker has been placed in them - for me is normally when you are unwell you still have the joy of books. You can read/escape into a book and take your mind off it. I think I have read about 50 pages total since Sunday, concentration is just terrible. A few folk had asked about the book (as you know I normally read a book within a day or can be 4-6 hours if I love it) - it is absolutely a me issue not the book. We LOVE Tilly and Poe and our current read is "The Mercy Chair" by M W Craven, short chapters which we love and is great when your brain is a bit mush but with everything - I am just feeling so ugh, struggling to concentrate. The book is fab (so far) so no the book is grand.

We have had a fair amount of post coming in too and behind on posts/unboxing,, I have put a wee post on today Insta and our TT to at least let the small businesses know they have arrived safely. Once we are feeling a bit more human and have our voice back we will catch up properly. Any outstanding prizes/parcels will be posted out once we are back fighting fit but just wanted to apologise/update, we are just toast and not the good kind.

We also got a new booklight for review, green, cute - I had it out briefly last night, we like it. To be fair I don't think we have met one yet we didn't like but these wee small light (in weight/size) ones. We will give it a proper checkout/review when we feel more human but it was out last night. Hope everyone is well and this finds you better than it leaves us.

The Institution by Helen Fields

The Institution by Helen Sarah Fields
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 422

Publisher - Avon

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

To beat them, she’ll have to join them…

On a locked ward in the world’s highest-security prison hospital for the criminally insane, a nurse has been murdered and her newborn baby kidnapped. A ransom must be paid, and the clock is ticking.

Forensic profiler Dr Connie Woolwine is renowned for her ability to get inside the mind of a murderer. Now she must go deep undercover among the most deranged and dangerous men on earth, and use her unique skills to find the baby – before it’s too late.

She has five days to catch the killer.

But with the walls of The Institution closing in on her, will her sanity last that long?


My Review

A few things, I didn't realise this was book two, I have book one up the stairs so you can read it as a standalone but may understand Connie a wee bit better if you have read book one first. Heading into the Institution under false pretences (to most of the staff and patients) to try and save a missing kid. Say what? What would a kid be doing in a secluded unit with some of the most dangerous killers/damaged mental health? Well her mum has been killed as she was literally ripped from her, now Connie the profiler is going in as the main carer for Patient B. By trying to profile the staff and patients she will try and locate the baby before it is too late.

Some of the most shocking/evil/deadly murderers and to be fair some of the staff aren't the nicest folk either and Connie doesn't know who she can trust. To the inmates and even some of the staff, the nurse has gone off on mat leave and Connie has to try and get through the barriers/games/delusions and complexities of each patient and analyze the staff too, tick tock.

So when I read the blurb I hadn't realised what they meant with missing child, the abduction of the kid is brutal (pregnant/forced removal) so heads up it is graphic. The bad guys have quite a bit of shady history hence them being in the Institution. A very dark book with some dark characters and Connie herself has been through it and has a history with mental health. We hear a bit of it and not sure if more is disclosed in book one which may account for some of her actions and behaviours. I was quite frustrated at times with some of her choices and even "NOOOO WHAT ARE YOU DOING" out loud. The book has a tense, doomy feeling throughout and you don't know what is around the corner or what is coming next, who you can trust. Really well written despite me being a wee bit frustrated at times with some choices but again maybe knowing Connie a bit more would likely explain it. Plus being trapped in a place cut off from everyone else (bad weather and remote) and add into that you are surrounded by some of the most scary and violent individuals plus a killer/kidnapper is or has been around. Ooft it is a mixed bag, 4/5.

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Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

Pre order available now, on Amazon UK, out to buy August 1st.

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 421

Publisher - Headline

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

Ruby Johnson is a nanny and maid to wealthy families in Manhattan's West 74th Street.
She knows their routines. Their secrets.
One night, on her way home, Ruby witnesses a neighbour's murder.

She knows the victim. She knows the killer.
She makes an anonymous call to the police and names the murderer.
But Ruby didn't tell the truth...
Because there's something wrong with Ruby Johnson.

Eddie Flynn, conman turned trial lawyer, must defend an innocent man accused of this terrible crime.
As Ruby's deadly game begins, one thing is certain.
It won't be the last murder this witness is involved in...


My Review

It is no secret I LOVE Eddie Flynn, if you are new to him do yourself a favour and go and read the previous books then this one. You absolutely can read this as a standalone but it is book 8 of an absolutely fantastic series so read the others if you haven't yet! Right, Eddie is a lawyer, previous conman (but not a bad guy like he never done anything to good people) now a lawyer who only represents innocent people. Having previously had a foot in the "underworld" he has an advantage over other lawyers and whilst they are often slimy/shady and some more crooked than the folks they represent - Eddie is a good guy with unconventional contacts at his disposal.

So Eddie is representing a guy accused of murdering someone in his neighbourhood, his posh affulent neighbourhood. Crème de la crème, he is a skilled rich surgeon and the victim is a rich wife who is known to have had many a dalliance with other married men. Someone witnessed the murder, they called it in anonymously and they have their own agenda, enter Ruby. Ruby is a nanny/maid to the rich and who knows all of their business and often secrets, how they operate because Ruby used to be one of them. Now instead of being a wealthy neighbour she works in the house she used to live in and the neighbouring houses. Ruby has fingered the wrong guy intentionally , Ruby has motives and reasons that only she knows. Ruby will have what she wants, she is master of a deadly game that noone but her knows they are playing.

Oooft talk about shady characters! The chapters jump between Ruby (the nanny) and Eddie and co as they try to work out a defense but when the prosecution have their killer and a seemingly bullet proof case Eddie and co sure have their work cut out. And in true Eddie fashion (trouble seems to follow him) they unknowingly shake up a hornets nest and soon they don't just have to look out for their clients!

Action packed but if you know the series this isn't a surprise, investigation and weeding through the facts and evidence of the case. Trying to prove the seemingly unprovable, odds stacked against them but Eddie's team are some of the best, sometimes not the most stable folks, some from the underworld and they work well together, often uphill battles.

Jaw dropping, frustrating characters, shocking behaviours, emotive, skulduggery characters, murder, bad guys and some very unstable people. Jumping between Eddie and Co and Ruby, the chapters flow seamlessly, when we were on Eddie I didn't want to leave, when we were on Ruby I didn't want to leave. Had work/life not gotten in the way I would have read this in one sitting. Gripping, keeping you on the edge of your seat, desperate to fly through it and see where it is going but not wanting it to end because it is just too fricken good!

I eagerly await the next Flynn book(s) with baited breath, I would LOVE to see him on screen (although someone asked me who I pictured when reading him and I am one of those who don't visual my characters as I go), I would need to think. I think what makes them such gripping reads/beloved is they aren't white as snow characters, they have flaws but they work together for the greater good. Eddie has often stood for the underdog and many a times we meet a pompous or read nasty character, often in the courtroom and Eddie brings them down a peg or two, I LOVE THAT. He is just a good dude, I could talk about him/this series all day, no surprises 5/5 for me this time. When you think you know where it is going - you just don't, for being on book 8 I do worry sometimes picking them up, will it have lost its magic? Absolutely not, fresh, page turning, fabulous and some scenes make you feel a bit Annie Wilkes lmao, if you know you know. I cannot recommend this book (and series) enough. Out to buy 1st of August but you can pre order now, moan Eddie, get them!

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JFK - The Conspiracy and Truth behind the assassinations by John Hughes - Wilson

JFK - The Conspiracy and Truth Behind the Assassination by John Hughes Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 5 days

Pages - 368

Publisher - JB

Source - The Works

Blurb from Goodreads

The killing of US President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, in November 1963, sent a shockwave around the world. The charismatic young Democrat was seen as a beacon of hope in the West, but his liberal reforming policies had made him many powerful enemies at home.

For sixty years, numerous theories have swirled around this key event in American - and world - history. Yet whatever the conclusions of the official Warren Report - that the President had been assassinated by a lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald - many people doubt that to be true. Indeed, President Nixon later admitted on tape that the report was 'a hoax committed on the American people.' John Hughes-Wilson, a former colonel in British Intelligence, has sifted through the millions of words and thousands of pieces of evidence, to put together an intelligence assessment of what really happened that dreadful high noon in Dallas in 1963.

Reading this astounding book, no one can be in any doubt that JFK's death was not at the hands of a lone deranged gunman, but a deadly plot to remove a President who threatened vested interests at home and abroad.


My Review

I think most of us have or had an interest in the JFK case, I certainly have since we learned about him/it in history. In this book the author has a look at everything that was reported, facts, speculation and some of his own opinions. He was a soldier so comments on the ability of the alleged weapon Lee Harvey Oswald apparently used as a lone gun man.

I think for me the biggest surprise was that JFK had so many enemies and was disliked/hated by men/organisations/people in power. The book goes over his fathers dodgy dealings and the family history (not in huge depth).

I didn't know the extent of corruption, he talks about the wounds/body being manipulated *gasp* I have seen s a few documentaries and the Kevin Costner movie (I am so going to rewatch it) and don't think I ever heard that. To be fair there was a few things in the book I hadn't heard about, the two coffins, the issues with witnesses. Threats galore and the author points out, even now (the bok was released only last year) that still a lot of information is not available to the public and lots that is has been heavily redacted.

It is wild just how much skulduggery was involved, how many potential people were involved in taking out a president and even after the fact how much manipulation/threats and deaths followed potential witnesses. I don't think we will ever fully know the truth about the assassination but there is no doubt it is fascinating, morbid, conspiracy theories galore, 4/5.

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Felicity's War by Jean Fullerton

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Felicity's War by Jean Fullerton, for my stop I have my review. This is a Rachels Random Resources blog tour. The book is available to buy now, Amazon link here.

About the author:

Author Bio – Born and bred in East London Jean was a District Nurse by trade working throughout East London. She had published twenty-three sagas, including the popular WW2 RATION BOOK, which like all her books is set in East London. Jean has also written her autobiography A Child of the East End, about growing up in post-war Stepney and Wapping. She is currently working on first book of her new four book WW2 series.


Felicity's War by Jean Fullerton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 383

Publisher - Corvus

Source - arc

Blurb from Goodreads

1941. Whilst London is battered by air raids, Felicity "Fliss" Carmichael has troubles of her own. Still reeling from catching her fiancé cheating, she flees to her childhood home at St. Winifred's Rectory, reuniting with her sister Prue and Hester Katz, a Jewish doctor sheltering there.

Though heartbroken, Fliss finds purpose again as a journalist. On assignment, she crosses paths with Detective Inspector Timothy Wallace, who shares her passion for truth and justice - though not her political beliefs. Despite their differences, an instant spark ignites between them.

But their love faces twists and turns ahead. While Fliss stumbles upon a crime and bravely intervenes, Tim's investigation into black market racketeering puts him in mortal danger...
In a city under siege, Fliss and Tim forge an unlikely bond. But can their blossoming romance endure the perils ahead?


My Review

So I have read book one of this, forgot about book two (it has a festive theme name so will buy and read closer to Christmas) but really liked the sound of this. Once I started reading I realised I recognised the characters but you can absolutely read as a standalone. Fliss is the daughter of a well to do priest, her mother has very high expectations and a touch of the Hyacinth Bouquet about her. Fliss is more interested in her career as a journalist and doing her bit for what is right, in this case, protesting against some shady practises of shop owners overcharging during war time and shortages. Throw into the mix a shady boyfriend, bombs are dropping and you will ALWAYS have some shady characters ready to take advantage at every corner!

I think the thing about these books are it takes you from your own time period to another, in this case, world war. It is mostly about the characters in a small town getting through the issues they face both in the things war throws at them, damage to buildings, loss, death, food shortages, plus everything of the times with the war being on the outer edges of the main story. Like it is relevant but doesn't deeply delve into the war itself but more the people living through it, reporting, surviving but also the domestic stuff and life that continues out with the war!

Be prepared to be annoyed, her mum ripped my knitting in book one and she is still a bit of a what will the neighbours say type person and yet she has a lovely husband and two good /caring about others daughter. Many emotions to be had and I like a book that gives you characters to love and hate! The book has a wee bit of everything - love, infidelity, theft, skulduggery of all kinds, loyalty, family, violence and dangers lurking, 4/5 from us. I will be going to get the book I missed and the others I haven't read of her other series as we do enjoy Fullerton's books, yet to read one we haven't!

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Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice

Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - In and out over 6 days

Pages - 451

Publisher - Knopf

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

At the novel's center: the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, hero, leader, inspirer, irresistible force, irrepressible spirit, battling (and ultimately reconciling with) a strange otherworldly form that has somehow taken possession of Lestat's undead body and soul. This ancient and mysterious power and unearthly spirit of vampire lore has all the force, history, and insidious reach of the unknowable Universe.

It is through this spirit, previously considered benign for thousands of vampire years and throughout the Vampire Chronicles, that we come to be told the hypnotic tale of a great sea power of ancient times; a mysterious heaven on earth situated on a boundless continent--and of how and why, and in what manner and with what far-reaching purpose, this force came to build and rule the great legendary empire of centuries ago that thrived in the Atlantic Ocean.

And as we learn of the mighty, far-reaching powers and perfections of this lost kingdom of Atalantaya, the lost realms of Atlantis, we come to understand its secrets, and how and why the vampire Lestat, indeed all the vampires, must reckon so many millennia later with the terrifying force of this ageless, all-powerful Atalantaya spirit.


My Review

I have read the previous books in the series over X amount of years, some I remember more clearly than others and Lestat has certainly been on a journey. This time we see him being the Prince of their people, leader/ruler and he has as an inner spirit hitchhiking in him Amel. When the counsel hear of a vampire being murdered and his brain eaten it brings to attention a new person(s) of interest and a threat to the vampires but they have no idea of just how unique these people are or their purpose!

I really struggled in parts with this one. Some of it was really interesting especially those who can harm vampires, I am purposely being vague here to avoid spoilers. Torture, spirits, higher beings there is a lot in this and a bit of past and present with stories of old being told and beings trying to work out their place amongst each other, both them and the vamps.

Lestat is very different from how I remember him, he is much more chill and wise but he has been through a hundred life times. Louis pops up again not really playing a huge part but then nor are really any of them excluding Amel, Lestat and the others. I almost felt this was a foundation laying book for what is to come, the next book but it was so very long, disjointed a bit and I kept getting pulled out of it. I just don't think it flowed as well as the previous books nor where the characters overly engaging. David popping up did make me think of The Mayfair Witches trilogy and I think I will re read them at some point as I loved them and the Talamasca group - I actually would have loved a book purely on them to be honest. Whilst it is nice to get a few tidbits/updates on previous book characters nothing was overly in depth if you exclude the others and folks from their story. 3/5 from me, of course I will read the next one which I believe is the last in the series but this wasn't my fave by any stretch.

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