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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Medusa by Rosie Hewlett

Medusa by Rosie Hewlett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 272

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

GORGON. KILLER. MONSTER.
VICTIM. SURVIVOR. PROTECTOR.

You know her name, you know her story. Just not the right one.

Within the depths of the Underworld the formidable snake-haired Gorgon has finally had enough. Tired of being eternally and unjustly brandished a villain, Medusa has found the courage to face her tragic past and speak out. Determined to expose the centuries of lies surrounding her name, Medusa gives unparalleled insight into her cursed life, from her earliest memories and abandonment at birth, right through to her tragic and untimely death at the hands of the hero Perseus. Through telling her story, Medusa finally reveals the lost truth behind antiquity’s most infamous monster.

MEDUSA breathes new life into an ancient story and echoes the battle that women throughout millennia have continued to wage – the opportunity to simply be heard.


My Review

Guys! I have been loving these retellings! Medusa I vaguely remember from stories and games as a kid, that she was a monster with snakes for hair and turned anyone who looked at her to stone. I didn't know how she came to be like that, her backstory or how she actually met her end.

This one is told diary like almost, she is talking to you, the reader as if she is sitting across from you, speaking from her voice, her words, her story. If you haven't read this story there are many potential triggers, the Gods do as they please and take what they want especially from attractive young female humans. Abused, violated, cast aside, unfairly judged and cursed then hunted down, honestly I felt so heart sorry for her.

If you are familiar with Medusa's story I think you will still enjoy this because it is coming from her point of view, her feelings as these things were forced upon her. Imagine serving a God, praising her, leaving gifts and caring for her most holy place and then that God unfairly judging you after you were hurt/wronged/violated. Ugh it is such a shame and anger educing, she deserved so so much better. Gripping, sad, anger provoking, unfair, unjust but also family, friendship, personal journey, motherhood, survival and love. Medusa deserved so so much better, 4.5/5 for me!

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Quicksilver by Callie Hart

Quicksilver by Callie Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 624

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember. In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water. But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her. Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

Be careful of the deals you make, dear child. The devil is in the details... Now with an embossed cover, silver foiling, and an updated interior design.


My Review

Saeris lives in a place ruled by the undying queen, their land is dirt poor, disease and poverty is rife, Saeris survives by her wit and quick light fingers. She steals and sells anything she can and steals water from the royal reserves because the rations aren't nearly enough for survival. When Saeris robs from a guard and her brother once again gets them into trouble Saeris is arrested and certainly will be put to death. When she accidentally opens a portal she ends up taken by "Death" and into a different land. One where the beings have long been told of, killers, evil, worse than the undying queen or are they? As Saeris navigates through this new and strange place, dressed up like a girly (Saeris is all trousers and fighting) as expected to behave and do as she is told, two things Saeris will not do. What lies ahead is questioning of everything she knew, as much food and drink as she could dream of and the expectation to create what is needed for this land is going through war, vampires and more.

This is such a good fantasy book and I absolutely need to get book two, danger, mythical beings, war torn countries, portals, vampires, family, friendship, loyalty and spicy scenes. Saeris is desperate to get back home, in order to get there she needs to learn and master what is expected of her in this new place, alchemy ooft. There is danger galore but she knows the undying queen will punish her whole land if she doesn't get back. She is pulled towards Kingfisher (the guy she thought was death), he is a fierce warrior, the attraction is undeniable but she is raging and refuses to admit to it. Plus he is a bit of a tool, arrogant and busts her chops so they are very competitive to each other.

I really liked this, couldn't wait to see where it was heading. Whilst there was a lot of people and places the book has a book map I could follow it fine, even with brain fog. There is a lot of catty fiery attitude which I love, violence, war, battles and Saeris despite being a human is pretty handy looking after herself, we love a strong female! 4/5 for me, this is my first time reading this author, it won't be my last.

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Death Comes To Marlow by Robert Thorogood

Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 366

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

It’s been an enjoyable and murder-free time for Judith, Suzie and Becks – AKA the Marlow Murder Club – since the events of last year. The most exciting thing on the horizon is the upcoming wedding of Marlow grandee, Sir Peter Bailey, to his nurse, Jenny Page. Sir Peter is having a party at his grand mansion on the river Thames the day before the wedding, and Judith and Co. are looking forward to a bit of free champagne.

But during the soiree, there’s a crash from inside the house, and when the Marlow Murder Club rush to investigate, they are shocked to find the groom-to-be crushed to death in his study.

The study was locked from the inside, so the police don’t consider the death suspicious. But Judith disagrees. As far as she's concerned, Peter was murdered! And it’s up to the Marlow Murder Club to find the killer before he or she strikes again…



My Review

So this is book two, if you haven't read the first you absolutely should because Judith is absolutely hilarious! Judith (and co) solved a murder in the last book and the village was all ooooh but things have now settled. Judith is in her 80s, sharp as a tack and often in the mix of everything. She gets a call from Sir Peter, invited to the pre wedding drinks but something he says on the phone perks Judith's interest, she heads there with Suzie and Becks. Not too long into it they hear a loud noise and Sir Peter is dead, seemingly an accident within a locked room. Not much gets passed Judith and she is sure there is more to it than meets the eye, it is time to dig and investigate!

Honestly Judith is the type of character I don't think I could ever tire of reading, she is wild and gets into some situations. Becks is married to the victor and has a secret and Suzie has a new radio show and dog sits so they all have stuff going on as well as helping Judith investigate and dig into what happened. Oh on a separate note Judith does crosswords (the clues, I could never, my brain just won't) but she ends up on a side quest related to the crosswords she does and trying to find out someone's identity!

It is a busy book, skulduggery, murder, families, love, lies and some humour, it is a fab series and I need to get book three for sure. If you fancy some quirky characters with a dash of murder and exposing secrets, dudes this one is absolutely for you, 4/5.

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Slasher Summer E.L. Chen

You can pre order the book HERE from Amazon, it is out on the 13th of August.


Slasher Summer by E.L. Chen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 304

Publisher - Michael Joseph books

Source - ARC (out August 13th)

Blurb from Goodreads

In this campy love letter to the slasher films of the 1980s, seven friends reunite for a weekend of fun—only to be hunted down by a cold-blooded killer. But the real horror is not being able to escape who you were in high school...

The sleepy town of Cedar Lake Falls is best known as the shooting location of the campy ’80s horror flick Slasher. In high school, preppy Patrick, jock Jason, cheerleader Tiffany, stoner Freddy, goth Jennifer, and nerdy Michael had played the cast of Slasher during midnight showings, with virginal Carrie as the Final Girl, of course.

Years later, the friends reunite at the remote cabin where Slasher was filmed. They've changed since high school—Patrick came out, Mikey bulked up, and, well, Freddy's still stoned—and they're looking forward to a weekend to catch up. But when night falls, and the eponymous masked killer is spotted, the reunion takes a deadly turn. The friends discover their tires deflated and the phone line disconnected, and soon they’re being stalked by a mysterious assailant. Is someone trying to make their Slasher experience as authentic as possible?

One thing is for sure. Before the night is over, they each will have to take on the role they thought they'd left behind.


My Review

I absolutely love horror movies, I grew up on them at an age when I really shouldn't have been watching. Same goes for books, I was eight when I read my first Stephen King so yeah it is a life long enjoyment of the genre. This book gives nods to many of the movies/stories I grew up with, enjoyed as an adult and many of the tropes throughout the genre. It pokes fun at itself too which I think adds to the enjoyment, like look at the cast, the preppy guy, the jock, a cheerleader, the innocent, a stoner, a goth/lgb and the nerd like tick tick tick.

These guys used to have a club "The Jumpscare society" - horror movies and hanging out, something happened with Carrie (the good girl) and she left in disgrace. Now the group are having a reunion in the cabin where a horror movie was filmed, four years later. There is still some unresolved feelings and they are staying over in the cabin what could go wrong lol.

I love the cheesy poking fun not taking itself too seriously, the tropes, nods to the some of the classics that have gone before this one. We have lgb representation, the hot vacuous cheerleader, we have the relationship issues, sexuality questioning, wanting the one you never get oh and muuuuuuurder. A masked killer from the movie is picking them off one by one, creepy, the oh for Gods sake WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT you always question when characters do X action/plan in the genre.

The chapters are pretty short which is always a bonus but especially since the characters get their own pov's and each chapter is titled with their name so it is easy to follow. I think this would transfer really good to the big screen, to be honest I could get behind any horror being made to a movie. The tension, the masked killer going after their prey, the forest and water scene(s) I mean kudos because you can't help but think of those horror movies with these types of scenes, 4/5 for me this time. This is my first time reading this author, I would absolutely read them again and will check out their other books!

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Competition time

I can't even say April comp because it is the 20th lol! I will get a wee extra up on our Insta or Facebook, bear with.

So up for grabs is x1 £10 Amazon voucher, as Amazon doesn't allow you to gift outside your own country this is UK ONLY. Good luck if entering, please use the Gleam below to enter.

X1 £10 Amazon Voucher

Alien The Cold Forge by Alex White

Alien: The Cold Forge by Alex White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 432

Publisher - Titan books

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

A dramatic new Alien novel, as Weyland-Yutani seeks to recover from the failure of Hadley's Hope, and successfully weaponize the Xenomorphs.

With the failure of the Hadley's Hope, Weyland-Yutani has suffered a devastating defeat--the loss of the Aliens. Yet there's a reason the company rose to the top, and they have a redundancy already in place. Remote station RB-323 abruptly becomes their greatest hope for weaponizing the Xenomorph, but there's a spy aboard--someone who doesn't necessarily act in the company's best interests. If discovered, this person may have no choice but to destroy RB-323... and everyone on board. That is, if the Xenomorphs don't do the job first.



My Review

Guys you know I love an alien book and this one has all manners of shady horrible characters, often there is always at least one. Dudes you can have your pick however there is one company guy who gives Carter J Burke a run for his money. His main job is to save the company money and he sees himself as the ultimate Alpha male so he enjoys toying with people, manipulating, gaslighting and generally anything that will entertain him as well as benefit the company. He gets sent to a station to investigate, they know someone isn't doing what they should be (company first). The station has xenomorphs and eggs at their disposal and are experimenting with animals and crossing many unethical lines.

There are a few scenes that animal lovers will find difficult, there is a new type of abuse of an android we haven't seen before. Some spice scenes/references which you don't see much in these types of books.

The other big difference in this one is there aren't colonists, this is purely research, scientists and shady/bad people. Self serving and pretty much no morals, almost everyone has their own agenda, one of the scientists has a degenerating health condition and manages to use an android to get around physically and do her bidding/work. That flings a new thread into the franchise too which was interesting both from her point of view and the androids. A refreshing take on a franchise that has so much attached to it, there isn't a book or movie on them I wouldn't read, 4.5/5 for me.

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The Shark by Emma Styles

The Shark by Emma Styles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 311

Publisher - Sphere

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

At the height of Australian summer, a serial killer dubbed The Shark stalks a beachside suburb, targeting young female swimmers whose bodies are later found on the shoreline.

Disempowered and angry at the failures of the police to protect them, two young women are hell-bent on revenge. Raych has lost someone and will go to any length to discover what happened to her, while Carmen suspects her own disturbing connection to the killer.

Together they form an uneasy alliance and, in a moment that changes the trajectory of their lives, Carmen and Raych abduct and imprison the prime suspect. Do they think they can save the day, or are there intentions darker? Can they trust one another's agenda? And when another young woman goes missing, what stops them from going to the police?

A dark and voice-led serial killer thriller that subverts the tropes of crime fiction at every turn, The Shark is an unforgettably propulsive novel about victimhood, power and autonomy from Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize-winner Emma Styles.


My Review

I loved the idea of this one, anything with sharks for me is a win let alone flinging a serial killer into the mix. The book chapters, so the first and opening is a male kidnapped by two females and then the chapters are split and alternate between Raych and Carmen. Raych talks about how it starts with her and Carmen and how they "met" not counting the three days they spent together in a mental health facility. They have both been stalking the same guy, the killer, Raych lost someone she loved, her bestie and the police have let them down, all of the victims. Carmen has her own reasons for wanting him and together they both fall together and end up unlikely allies.

So the book really took me a bit to settle to, both the girls have their own issues, mental health, home life but they have the same goal. Finding the person responsible for the deaths of local girls who are star swimmers, the girls have the same goal.

It is chaotic, choppy, disorganised and I think it adds weight to how troubled both girls are for different reasons but it did make things a struggle for me. There is a lot of ground covered in the book, we flip flop about to what they girls experienced, their time together in a mental health care facility, their issues. For Raych her sexuality and her encounter with her bestie right before she disappeared so there is a lot of emotion and unresolved questions let alone what actually happened to her. Is the killer stashing her somewhere. The plan is simple, kidnap the bad guy and do what is needed to get the answers they seek whilst avoiding the cops and if able, find and save Raych's best friend Piper.

The first three quarters was a bit of a rough ride for me. I did want to know more about the girls, why is Carmen's sister such a horror. What did happen to Piper, will Raych find her friend, will the killer admit to everything? I also was expecting there to be more sharks but I always want more when it comes to sharks lol. It was just a bit all over the place for me until the last quarter and then I really felt it came into itself, evened out and got a grip on what was happening. This was my first time reading this author, I would read her again but hoping the narrators are a wee bit more reliable, 3/5 for me.

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Family Lies by Karen Rose

Family Lies by Karen Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out as able over 5 days

Pages - 513

Publisher - Headline

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

The fourth nerve-shattering installment of the San Diego Case Files from New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose sees Kit McKittrick’s sister caught in a maelstrom of deadly family secrets.

As an infant, Kit McKittrick’s foster sister Akiko was abandoned at a firehouse. Now 32, Akiko has received an unsettling phone call from a woman who says that she knew her birth mother but refuses to divulge any details except in person. Akiko is nervous but also thrilled at the prospect of finally learning about her blood relations.

Kit has a bad feeling about this and insists on accompanying Akiko to meet the woman. Sure enough, as they stand on Mary Sherman’s doorstep, shots are fired and Kit is hit...and inside the house is a corpse: Mary Sherman herself.

Although she’s on medical leave and forbidden to work the case, Kit cannot rest. With police psychologist Sam Reeves, she undertakes a covert investigation into the mysterious Mary Sherman. Was she Akiko’s birth mother? Why did she reach out after all these years? And who had a motive to kill her?

As more bodies pile up, Kit starts to put together the pieces of the frightening puzzle that is Akiko’s birth family, and she’ll come to wonder whether some secrets should stay buried after all.


My Review

This is book four in the San Diego case files, I haven't read the previous three but that doesn't ever stop me. The books are great you can pick them up and read as standalones, this one features Akiko - she has always wanted to know more about her bio family. She has Kit, her foster sister who was also taken in by the same loving family and has her own issues. She is a cop so when Akiko gets a call from someone who says they knew her bio mum Akiko needs to go. Kim insists on going too along with her boyfriend (police psychologist), when they arrive at the callers house they are shot at and it all kicks off from there.

Kim is hurt in the shooting so on medical leave and when more danger arrives Kit is furious when the cop assigned to the case is one who is not just lazy but has a grudge against Kit. Despite threats to her safety and threats from work about consequences if she doesn't let the police do their job Kit won't leave her sister nor stop digging to see who wants her hurt.

The book has loads of threads, characters and secrets which we LOVE, we know Akiko is in the dark, imagine this has been a theme through the previous books. We also learn about how the girls came to meet and be fostered with the family so it is fine we haven't read the previous three. There is danger on every corner, no one seems to be safe and we have no idea where the thread is coming from or why which hooks you and keeps you turning the pages. 4/5 for me this time and I have went back and bought book one of the series and will catch up on those I missed.

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The Forever Home by Erica James

The Forever Home by Erica James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 455

Publisher - HQ Stories

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads


Once a grand country house, Hope Hall is now beautiful luxury apartments and when Cassie and Nina become new neighbours, they soon become firm friends. But as perfect as life in the Cambridgeshire countryside seems, both have heartaches of their own.

Cassie is blissfully in love with Ben, but shadows from her first marriage loom large, threatening her happiness.

Nina, a widow, must confront a painful decision that will shatter her mother-in-law’s dreams.

Into their lives comes Venetia, a lively seventy-nine-year-old with a penchant for secrets – one of which is close to her heart, concealed in her handbag… As Venetia recalls her own bittersweet history with Hope Hall, the bonds between the three women are forged, revealing the strength found in friendship and the courage to confront the past.



My Review

Hope Hall is the main setting, it used to be a big giant posh house but not it is expensive upmarket apartments. The story focuses on three main characters, Cassie lives there with Ben, love of her life and her teen daughter is off to see her father. The guy who was MIA for almost all of her life but now with his new young Instagram wife and son has decided he wants to get to know her. Money, glam all so alluring for Emily, when life throws a curveball Cassie finds herself playing host to Emily and two unexpected guests who turn her life upside down. Next is Nina, still grieving the loss of her husband, keeping the art galley going and navigating daily life and her mother in laws expectations and standards, her friendship with Cassie keeps her going. Last but not least is Venetia, seventy nine years young who has just moved into Hope Hall and smuggled her cute wee dog Bon-Bon she fast makes friends with Cassie and Nina. All three have their own struggles in life and some things go from bad to worse but at least they have each other right?

Cassie is so nice but a bit of a door mat, like I get it she loves her daughter and wants to support her but the situation she finds herself in, I would absolutely kick off. Ben is super sweet and supportive and just wants to help Cassie do and sort everything and anything. Nina is also a wee bit of a doormat, she is eaten up by grief and her loss so that is why her mother in law gets away with a lot of what she does. Venetia has a past with the old house and we go back in time to reveal some of it, secrets slowly unravelling as we go.

The book covers many topics, secrets, relationships, grief, friendship, loss, love, harm to animals :/ gaslighting, manipulation, CA, recovery, personal growth. James weaves a world where even if you don't like or love certain characters you absolutely want to keep turning the pages to see where we are going next and what is coming. I had bad readers block so it took me a few days more than I normally would to read. I do enjoy James character building and the dilemmas she throws at you, I really disliked some of the characters and would have loved karma to feature more but I still enjoyed it, 3/5.

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The Fightback by Alex Kane

The Fightback by Alex Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 379

Publisher - Hera books

Source - arc

Blurb from Goodreads

You can try and hide. But this gangland boss will get their revenge no matter how long it takes

Lifelong friends Lori Graham and Stephanie Lyle are sitting on the balcony of Lori's flat in Glasgow, chatting, drinking, enjoying the summer's warmth.

Until the peace is shattered by the sound of gunshots from a drive-by shooting.

Running to investigate, the women find both their worlds shattered. One of their sons is the shooter, and one is the victim.

As Lori and Stephanie try and pick through the pieces, they discover that they themselves hold the key to why their boys have turned each other.

A deadly secret from their teenage years has come back to haunt them, and now a face from the past is back for vengeance, using the one thing that will hurt Lori and Stephanie the most their children.


My Review

Lori and Stephanie are bet friends and more family than their blood relatives. Lori's family is wrapped in addiction, her parents, her older brother and she is the only one really looking out for her wee sister. Addiction claims them and danger and death is everywhere. When drugs take their final price it leave Lori with just Steph and with a horrific incident that bonds them forever they remain on the estate. We jump forward and both are parents, still fighting to survive and booze has become solace, when their boys start working for a local kingpin their secret is threatened to come to the light and putting not just them but their boys and both will do anything to protect them.

Ooft, set in Glasgow, Blackhill court, an estate, rough as and now we have this Billy big balls coming in, buying up everything, face of respectability but he is a dodgy biscuit, violent, aggressive but the show of being Mr Goodguy.

The book deals in a lot of dark topics, drugs, addiction, abuse, violence, endangerment and murder to name a few. It is has strong loyalty, bonds, making amends, friendship, bravery, recovery so it is a mixed bag which is always the making for a great read.

Short chapters which we always love and a bit or personal growth, redemption and my absolute favourite when karma comes a calling to bad people, oh yes, actions and consequences darling, 4.5/5 for us this time.

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Missing by Shelley MacKenney

Missing by Shelley MacKenney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 304

Publisher - Penguin

Source - bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Missing is Shelley MacKenney's remarkable story of life as a 'missing person'. An inspirational tale of her journey through extreme personal crisis. "You can run, but you can't hide from yourself." Abandoned by her mother as a young child and with a father constantly on the run, Shelley's life was never normal. Her family's involvement with South London's criminal underworld left her isolated, vulnerable and lonely. Falling deeper and deeper into depression and despair - she snapped. Shelley got on the first coach out of London with only the clothes she stood up in and £30 in her pocket. She didn't care where she was going, as long as she could disappear completely from her oppressive life. For years, she lived anonymously in refuges, hostels and on the streets. It would take something remarkable to bring her back to the real world.



My Review

Shelley is very sheltered in a family who are constantly involved with the wrong side of the law. Shelley tends to be the exception to the family, she gets an education, she has a respectable job, she is escorted and shielded constantly by someone in the family, usually her nana. She wants to take care of them and before long finds herself getting into debt and pressuring herself to the point where she makes some decisions that have lasting impacts. With it all too much Shelley takes off and runs away. This is her story about the before, during and after, leaving behind the safety of her family and into a new life of never knowing where the next bed/meal is coming from and a constant stream of people looking to take advantage.

It is a gritty raw real telling of life on the streets, going from one help facility to another, trying to make ends meet and facing down all kinds of danger. The amount of people who look to take advantage of people down on their luck, struggling with money and or homeless is actually quite frightening. Even females coming from a place of "safety" males would hang around and threaten and or try their luck.

The thing in this one I would say is how let down Shelley was in regards to her mental health and so many opportunities for support to be provided and yet missed. As a result she ostracised herself from everything she knew, did some risky behaviours and actions and would fall into relationships/friendships that weren't healthy.

A stark look at what drives someone to going missing and a rare look at coming out the other side, a honest personal journey that examines cause and effect and trying to pick up the pieces, reconnect with family after a sudden enforced silence and X years gone by. She talked about her nana a lot, a lady who was tough as nails, in and out of trouble with the law and took no snash from anyone. She actually wrote a book too which is referenced a couple of times in this so of course I had to buy it, hopefully get to it soon, 3.5/5.

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The Spark by Holly Miller

The Spark by Holly Miller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 355

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - BDWAB

Blurb from Goodreads

"People kept telling me it was impossible that, aged eighteen, I'd found the person I wanted to spend my life with. And yet, here we were." Childhood sweethearts Neve and Jamie are inseparable from the moment they meet. Everyone knows they'll be together forever - that is, until tragedy strikes, and Jamie is torn from Neve's life. One street away, Ash is hit by lightning. As he recovers, family members notice a drastic change in Ash, almost as though he is a different person. "My whole life, there's only been one other person who's looked at me like that." Years later, chance brings Neve and Ash together- and she is struck by his familiarity. He shares so many traits with Jamie, as if their souls are entwined. Neve must ask herself whether she can love for a second time in the face of her grief. Is she ready for what life has to offer? And can lightning really strike twice?



My Review

I LOVED the premise for this one. In love, committed, against odds and distance, love trumps all doesn't it? Well what happens when you lose your one true love and then meet someone who reminds you of them. It isn't just they remind you, they are so similar and then you find something out that makes you question, could this be the man you lost, somehow his soul in anothers body, like whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!

So Neve and Jamie are THEN and NOW is present day and Neve meets Ash and by God does Ash remind her of Jamie, like eerily so. Their jobs/interests and as they get to know each other even things like touch, writing. It is crazy though, it can't be be they were forever right? And when Neve finds out Ash was hit with lightning and technically died the same night Jamie died, that and other details convinces her that Ash is somehow Jamie or Jamie's soul.

Some of this I loved so so much and others I wanted to scream at Neve gurl what are you doing! With the book jumping back and forth we learn more about Jamie and Neve's relationship and then present day we get to know Ash along with Neve and see the similarities and even goose bump raising stuff because it is eerie and spooky how similar they are. Then fling into that she bumps into her bestie Lara who she hasn't spoke to in years, since Jamie died. We don't know what happened and the reunion is very strained and tentative because Neve doesn't want to discuss "it" whatever happened. We slowly get the secrets as the book goes on, between the two timelines revealing deets as we go. Well I really wanted to know where it was going, how it all played out and what happened back them to not just Jamie but also her and bestie Lara. It was good and I did enjoy it but sometimes I wanted to share Neve and shout COME ON. So 3.5/5 for me, I did like the writing and premise and will look for more by this author as this was our first dance.

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The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse

The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 317

Publisher - Lake Union

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

When her loving, free-spirited grandmother Primrose passes away, Victoria is bereft, yet resilient—she has survived tragedy before. But even her strength is tested when a mysterious woman attends Prim’s funeral and claims to be the mother Victoria thought was dead.

As the two women get to know each other and Victoria begins to learn more about her past, it becomes clear that her beloved grandmother had been keeping life-changing secrets from her. Desperate for answers, she still struggles to trust anyone to tell her the truth.


My Review

Victoria has lived with her grandma as long as she can remember, her mum died of a drug overdose when she was just a baby. Any time Victoria tried to ask about her mum the conversation was closed down quickly. When Primrose (granny) dies suddenly and a strange lady comes to the funeral and says she is Victoria's mum, Victoria finds her world turned upside down. Grieving, disbelieving, angry and the boy she has always liked seems to be the only shoulder available (she has had a fall out with her bestie) poor Victoria doesn't know whether she is coming or going!

Prowse has a way of creating characters that whether you love or hate them you are absolutely enthralled. I really liked Primrose when we met her, feisty, eccentric and fabulous but as the book goes on we realised that guuuuuurl had some secrets!!! Victoria, I cut some slack because she is a teenager, a bit naïve, grieving but some of the things she does I wanted to shake her!

The book kinda has two halves almost, the initial opening, sudden grief and trying to find her way through it and then the aftermath of the shock that actually her mum is alive and why had everyone lied to her. The book deals with difficult topics as always, grief, addiction, sudden loss, manipulative people, secrets, lies and personal growth which is always a huge part of the stories Prowse tells which is why I think so many people can relate regardless of what the topic(s) are, 4/5.

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Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 352

Publisher - MichaelJoseph

Source - Arc Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

How far would you go to rescue your child? A mother races against the clock—and finds herself on the wrong side of the law—in a desperate fight to save her teenage daughter in this pulse-pounding thriller from the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time.

There is nothing that Simone won’t do for her daughter, Lucy. The two have always been close, and with Lucy about to leave home for university, they depart the UK for a vacation to Texas to spend some quality time together. But when Simone awakens on their first morning in the desert, Lucy is gone, missing from their rental cabin. In her place is a cell phone, and a voice on the other line issues a shocking ransom demand. Don’t tell the police. Come to this location. And be prepared to do a deal…

Though Simone’s husband urges her to bring in the authorities for help, she knows she can’t take any chances. The kidnappers might kill Lucy if she tells anyone. No mother would take that risk. Instead, that night, she drives to the isolated meet-up.

What she finds there changes everything. The mysterious kidnapper doesn’t want money. They want Simone to do something. The unthinkable.

A catastrophic chain of events is set in motion, with chilling consequences that extend beyond Simone and her family. What follows is a heart-pounding journey through the small towns and punishing deserts of remote Texas, in which Simone’s courage—and morality—is pushed to the brink as she discovers what it truly means to be a mother.



My Review


Mother and daughter are back together after Lucy (daughter) has been away to a wee retreat style and now mum and daughter are doing a cabin/camping trip together before she heads to university. The trip is in USA, Texas and they are from the UK, after travel they finally meet and get to the cabin have a snack and go to bed. When Simone wakes it doesn't take long to notice Lucy is missing and a phone starts ringing, it isn't hers, it isn't Lucy's and Simone's world falls apart. Someone has kidnapped Lucy and Simone will do whatever it takes to get her back and the kidnapper has indeed offered a way to get her daughter back.

Oooft - it kicks off quite quickly and Simone is just a normal mum, maybe a bit more distrust of authority due to her upbringing with an addict parent and social work involvement. Her husband wants to go to the police, he is a lawyer and fixer but Simone will take no chances with her daughters life and is going to do exactly what she is told.

The book is kinda in two halves, the kidnap and Simone trying to follow the kidnappers instructions and what happens when she gets to the "end game" and everything that follows thereafter. There are a few scenes that are really tense and you totally feel for Simone. Some of her behaviours/attitudes and Lucy's did irritate and or annoy me but it is a highly charged sleep deprived state and trauma responses so you need to give a bit of leeway but still.

It has tense moments, some moments you are like oh no why why why and others I was like really?!?!?!? It absolutely kept me engaged and I wanted to know how it was all going to play out, I read it in one day which considering how my readers block has been is no mean feat, 4/5.

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The Family Friend by Claire Douglas

The Family Friend by Claire Douglas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Michael Joseph books

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

When Imogen is told she’s inherited a country house near Bath, she thinks it must be a mistake. She last saw its owner, reclusive artist Dorothea Roe, sixteen years ago, during a tragic summer which changed her life for ever.
Now, with partner Josh in tow, it’s a chance for a fresh start.
But after discovering an old box with her name on it in Dorothea’s abandoned study, Imogen starts to believe the woman was trying to send her a secret message.
And when rumours begin to swirl that Dorothea was murdered, she starts to suspect that this gift might not be the life-line she thought it was.
Who would want to kill Dorothea?
Could it be tangled up in Imogen’s own dark family history?
And what if Imogen is now the one in danger?


My Review

The book flips between two characters, Dorothea, initially the incident that kicks everything off and then when we go to her chapters back through the years. And Imogen, Imogen met Dorothea years ago when her and her mum escaped DV from her father. Dorothea is an artist, eccentric, famous, rich and has more than a few secrets. Imogen's mum was a cleaner for Dorothea but they became friends and when they needed help, Dorothea offered her home. For four months a young Imogen flourishes and blooms but then her mum goes back to her dad and everything goes to pot. That was years ago, now Imogen has been left with everything and Dorothea's passing is looking like foul play. Is Imogen in danger and who is hanging around Dorothea's, well now Imogen's home.

There is so so much going on in this book! Like an onion, layers are revealed as we plough through, Dorothea has secrets, Imogen has a lot in her past and is off work pending investigation. Now out of the blue everything is changing, her journalist inquisitiveness is kicking off and Imogen thinks maybe that is why Dorothea done what she has done, she knew what Imogen would be like. So whilst Imogen is digging and exploring the house she has such fond memories of as a kid her boyfriend is along for the journey. The boyfriend!!!!! I didn't like him very quickly and as the book goes on oh my God I HATED him, he is such a tool and his behaviour and attitude I absolutely wanted Imogen to go full throtto on him. You know me I LOVE karma and people getting their comeuppance.

My last book before this I enjoyed but took me I think a week as I had a bit of readers block, this I read in less than 24 hours! Douglas has a way of drawing you in, one I am nosey so I wanted to know exactly what was going on, what happened, what was Dorothea hiding, what things does Imogine not like about her boyfriend, oh who is that, oh why did that happen, like there was so many twists and things thrown up! Hooked, absolutely hooked and more mysteries or secrets were coming and I love when a book does that. Sometimes when there is a fair few characters or a lot going on and or different timelines it can be really distracting especially when you have readers block but I was completely tuned in. That is always a testament to the authors writing, I have read this author before in the past but I absolutely need to check out her back catalogue. Thanks so much to the publisher for sending me an arc, helping me over my reading blip and reminding me how much I enjoy this authors writing, 4.5/5 for me. The book is out on the 12th of March but you can pre order now, its a belter!

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Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 8 days

Pages - 584

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night takes Diana and Matthew on a trip through time to Elizabethan London, where they are plunged into a world of spies, magic, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the School of Night. As the search for Ashmole 782 deepens and Diana seeks out a witch to tutor her in magic, the net of Matthew’s past tightens around them, and they embark on a very different—and vastly more dangerous—journey.


My Review

This is book two in the book series "A Discovery of Witches" - I often read books out of sequence or as standalones but I would advise reading book one. This picks up where book one left off, it was a long gap between reading that and this one. Diana and Matthew have fled to the past to try and find the Ashmole 782 which may help solve all their problems. You know, he is a vamp, she is a witch, the two aren't allowed to "fraternise" and these two have fallen in love and causing all manners of threats and death to be brought upon them. Convinced the Ashmole 782 will end all their and their species issues and may finally bring peace.

I would say the majority of the book is set back in the past, we do have wee tiny trips back to the present but to be honest not a whole lot happens in those chapters it is all the stuff set in the past. Jumping from the danger of present day and going back in time to when witches are being hunted, burnt, persecuted, Diana has trouble in abundance. Whilst Diana navigates the very different life and times of the time period they are also trying to find someone who can help Diana with her magic or lack of it. She is experiencing little flutters and sparks but is it just the magic of travelling back in time or could it be her powers are finally starting to come to the fort?

The book looks at the difficulties of their relationship, the fact they haven't consummated, how their relationship is, the dangers just being together has brought and even how dangerous it is being themselves where they have landed.

Meeting Mathews family and friends brings its own trials and tribulations, the time period, the literal witch hunts, love, loss, betrayal, magic - it is a mixed bag, 3.5/5. I did like it and enjoyed seeing more of their story, I also have book three to read but I did find it a wee bit slow in places.

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Taming 7 by Chloe Walsh

Taming 7 by Chloe Walsh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 464

Publisher - Piatkus

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

My Review

Taming 7 is an epic and unforgettable love story in the international bestselling and TikTok-phenomenon The Boys of Tommen series, from Chloe Walsh.

She's the quintessential sunshine girl. He's the lovable class clown. But storm clouds are rolling in, and this Tommen boy is about to get serious.

Tommen's cheekiest lad, Gerard 'Gibsie' Gibson, has always been a comedian, but most people don't see what lurks beneath the surface. He is haunted by events of the past and he uses humor to cope, hiding his true self from the world.

Claire Biggs, the epitome of sunshine, has always loved Gibsie, her brother's friend and her favorite neighbor. She has always seen a side to him that no one else seems to notice. She becomes determined to tame her wild-at-heart childhood best friend.

When lines are crossed, it becomes unclear whether Gibsie and Claire's friendship will survive. Will it blossom into something more, or will they lose themselves in the wild?

Following characters that readers have grown to adore, Taming 7 will only expand your love for the Boys of Tommen universe.


My Review

This is book 5 in the boys of Tommen series, this book focuses centrally around Gibsie and Claire, Gibsie has been a big character since the series started. He is fiercely loyal, big mouth, a womaniser however he has always had a soft spot for Claire and Claire has always loved Gibsie. She see's Gerard, the soft kind thoughtful sensitive boy under all the filth, banter and nonsense. Claire's brother is teammate and pals with Gibsie but absolutely doesn't want him near his wee sister, understandably so. The book we get to see more of Gerard and the build up and turn in the friendship/relationship between Claire and Gibsie.

So these books have always been YA and the main characters teens but I felt books 1-4 were always more mature and depth, like the characters just seemed older. Probably because of the issues they were dealing with and how mature they were and had to be. This one absolutely had more of the YA feel, the teen angst, the attraction between the two that was acknowledged but never crossing the line. Lizzie, Claire's pal absolutely hates and I mean HATES Gibsie and whilst she is and has always been barbed and cutting this book she really got worse. As the book goes on and reveals it's secrets you get more of an understanding of why Gibsie takes so much of her crap and why Lizzie is so emotionally damaged and as Claire says, hurt people hurt people. I found Lizzie really difficult to stomach at times, her behaviour and Claire was so doormat at times and I get it it is how she is and she does get pushed to a limit but I would have snapped. Conversations would have been had and I did think oh Claire nooooo don't do that a fair few times but then need to remember that these ARE young adults, emotions and hormones are high and they don't always do the sensible thing.

I am looking forward to the next book, much as I am not a fan of Lizzie's at all I think we will hopefully get more depth into her and her behaviours. The books are mostly around the same(ish) time so I would read the previous books before this one, if nothing else they are so good and you get a better understanding for the characters/dynamics.

There is humour, daftness, annoyances, romance, teen exploration and dark dark themes, Walsh does give trigger warnings so check yours. I did enjoy this book but it just wasn't the same level as the previous four for me, so for that it is 3.5/5 for me this time. Very much looking forward to the next and I am sure we have more to come from the author.

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A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 183

Publisher - Puffin

Source - I honestly can't remember (been on the shelve for years)

Blurb from Goodreads

Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth.

Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.



My Review

So this is my first time reading this author and I can't actually remember where I got the book but I finally picked it up. Ged, this is his story, apparently the best sorcerer ever (in Earthsea) so the book takes us across his lifetime. As a kid, learning magic and seemingly having a clear talent, he outgrows his initial teacher and gets an opportunity to train so of course he takes it (that part gave me a hint of Harry Potter style vibes). Whilst there is no denying he has a talent he also has pride and anger which gets him into scrapes and one particular blow up will follow him and danger is always afoot.

I LOVED the wee creature that befriended him, I liked that he had opportunities to train and develop but I think because the book is so thin we do go quickly past things that could have done with more depth.

There is jealousy (power rather than romantic, there isn't any romanceyness in this) its all magic, power and male pride. There is death and animal casualty which ALWAYS ruins a part of enjoyment of any story. Not graphic but it doesn't matter.

I did find it interesting but I would have liked more depth, it has hints of Lord of the Rings with a smidge of Harry Potterish but on a far lesser level. This is book one so it will be interesting to see what the other(s) do/cover, I won't be rushing out to buy them but I will read them if I come across them. A bit on the fence so a 3/5 for me this time.

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Five Years From Now by Paige Toon

Five Years From Now by Paige Toon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages -

Publisher -

Source -

Blurb from Goodreads

'Tender, heartbreaking and magical . . . I went from feeling warm and fuzzy to shock, delight before, finally, well – you'll just have to read it!'
GIOVANNA FLETCHER

What if you met the right person at the wrong time?

Nell and Van meet as children when their parents fall in love, but soon they are forced worlds apart.

Five years later, they find each other. Their bond is rekindled and new feelings take hold, but once again they must separate.

For the next two decades, fate brings Nell and Van together every five years, as life and circumstance continue to divide them. Will they ever find true happiness? And will it be together?

‘One day, maybe five years from now, you’ll look back and understand why this happened…’



My Review

Forty is present day (the chapters are labelled with the age of our main character Nell), we open at forty (prologue) and then head to the past Five. This is when Nell first meets her soon to be step brother, Van, sitting on her bed, how rude. We then jump in blocks of five years (the whole theme going by her dads old you might look back five years from now and see things differently etc. In between the five year jumps we sometimes come back to "forty" which is present day and Nell's current life.

We see from the moment Nell and Van meet, reluctant but stuck together and eventually becoming friends and growing up until tragedy hits the family and everything changes. Over the years, pretty much every five years Nell and Van are brought together and unresolved issues and feelings flare.

The book goes through and explores themes of blended families, love, loss, friendship, attraction and a love that burns so brightly and deeply but fate and circumstances keeping them apart. I do enjoy Toon's books and even if I have a bit of a reader block I tend to find I can sink into these books, 4/5 for me this time, I have to bump my others up the tbrm!

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Adrift by Will Dean

Adrift by Will Dean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - less than a day

Pages - 352

Publisher -

Source - ARC copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Peggy and Drew, both aspiring writers, move to an isolated canal boat with their fourteen-year-old son. Peggy is the glue that holds their family together, even as their son is bullied relentlessly for his physique and his family’s lack of money. But when Drew becomes frustrated by his wife’s sudden writing success, he moves their boat further and further from civilization.

With their increasing isolation, personal challenges become harder to ignore, even as they desperately try to break toxic generational patterns. But when Drew’s gaslighting becomes too much for Peggy to take, it sets off a catastrophic series of events.



My Review

Oooft prepare yourselves to be sucked into a tense, impending doom, claustrophobic and almost struggling to breathe and times, buckled up dudes. Living on a boat, a relatively small boat considering a family of three are living in it. Drew - husband, Peggy - wife and their son who is a teenager Samson are pretty cramped quarters. Drew is a bully, he rules with tone, threats, coercion, gaslighting, abuse honestly he is abhorrent. Peggy is the one that holds them all together, the peacekeeper, the glue, she brings a wee bit of money in through her library job. Drew and her both write, Drew once got an award and now (for years) has been focusing on his next big brilliant wordy masterpiece, Peggy keeps her writing relatively quiet because she knows how it would be met. And wee Samson, typical teen but because money is tight the wean doesn't have the best of gear and gets bullied horrifically at school (as well as at home) for everything from his red hair, clothes, how he walks, where he lives.

Peggy would love to leave but she knows she can't, not just because of Samson but she knows exactly what Drew is capable of, we the reader feel the threat of danger but Peggy knows exactly how deadly Drew is because he told her. I felt a knot of tension in my chest a lot reading certain passages/chapters - Drew is a master manipulator, he controls all the money, he controls the noise allowed in the house, nothing is done without his ok. Peggy and even Samson to begin with are walking on egg shells, something happens and mental health becomes a big theme within the book, yet another sword for Drew to wield and manipulate with.

I think even if you come from a background without any of this stuff you will still feel the weight of it all and threats. If you have ever had a Drew in your life it packs a pretty hefty punch, even thinking back to the story whilst doing this review I feel a stone in the put of my stomach. He is such a vile character and it is done so so well because his abuse hasn't come from his fist, he has utmost control over every aspect of his wife and kids life by having the threat there or other punishments. It is hard to describe too much without spoilers and we don't do spoilers but it is written so well and you are screaming for Peggy and Samson to get out but totally get why they can't.

It is not an easy read, not because it isn't good it absolutely is but because we have a person who is a horror, a bully, a manipulator, vile and it is done in such confined space and with people he is meant to love and protect. I struggled to put it down, I just wanted more comeuppance for all the bad things done and the horrible people which as we know isn't always how it goes in real life but we love a bit of karma and or accountability, 4.5/5 for me.

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His and Hers by Alice Feeney

His & Hers by Alice Feeney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 304

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

There are two sides to every story: yours and mine, ours and theirs, His & Hers. Which means someone is always lying.

When a woman is murdered in Blackdown, a quintessentially British village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Detective Jack Harper is suspicious of her involvement, until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation. Someone isn’t telling the truth, and some secrets are worth killing to keep.

His & Hers is a twisty, smart, psychological thriller. A gripping tale of suspense, told by expertly-drawn narrators that will keep readers guessing until the very end.


My Review

So this is a show on Netflix, I figured I would grab the book before we check it out. The chapters alternate between his pov (Jack, detective, ex husband of Anna) her pov (Anna, reporter, ex wife oh Jack) and the pov of the killer. A dead body if found in the small town Anna left where Jack still lives, it is a muuuuuuurder and when Anna loses her regular main presenting feature she has to come back to the wee town to cover it. Anna has many reasons for not wanting to go back and when she realises she knows the victim things get weirder and it is only just beginning.

So apart from the different pov's we also go back in time to when Anna was young, her relationship with the dead girl, her past with her now ex husband. It is an intricate dodgy woven web and the bodies keep coming.

There are a lot of themes within the book, murder obvs, relationships breakdown, secrets, lies, bullying, there is mention of animal harm so fyi, child death, dementia, ill health, coercion, manipulation and that is just scratching the surface.

I was convinced I knew who the baddy was about ten times, I never do, honestly at this point I am just constantly Jon Snow and I know nothing. I could have screamed at some of the cops choices like Jack COME ON what are you doing ya mad man that isn't going to end well lol.

It is shocking, shady and I didn't want to put it down to see well who the baddy is and also where it is going, I have I think one or two more of her books to catch up on, other than checking your triggers (as with most books), I recommend and will be watching the tv show, 4/5 for us!

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