No Regret by Martina Cole and Jacqui Rose

No Regret: the gripping Sunday Times bestselling thriller from the iconic queen of crime by Martina Cole
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 404

Publisher - Headline

Source from Goodreads

Soho 1962.

When Rory Sheehan decides he wants Maggie Riley as his own, her fate is sealed.

Luca Romano knows all too well that what Rory wants, Rory gets. And the violence that erupts between their rival gangs is just the start of it.

Thomas Johnson owes Rory big time, and he must deny his feelings for Maggie to protect her. Faced with no alternative, Maggie throws herself on Rory's mercy, unaware of the brutality that she will face.

But Maggie Riley is a survivor. And the secret she's hiding could be her best weapon . . .


My Review

Oooft talk about dark! This is the third I think I have read of these two authors together. Maggie has it rough, her mother is a cold fish, her father is a drunk and abusive, her friendship with Thomas faces resistance because racism is high where they are. It is also set in the 1960s in England so it is brutal both in its attitudes to anyone not white English male. When Maggie attracts the eye of not just one but two very bad men she is essentially jumping from the frying pan and into the fire.

You know Cole's books always feature bad people, bad actions, the worst of humanity, drugs, selling people, murder, racism, abuse, sa, dv, ca, violence, drug addiction, prostitution honestly it is dark dark stuff and hardly a redeeming person in the whole thing.

Actions, consequences, death, betrayal, murder, you name it it is in it. Short chapters which we love, page turning because you want to see where it is going and if we are going to get retribution. 3.5/5 stars for me this time, I need a genre switch and something lighter because dear lord this was a dark yin, prepare yourselves!

View all my reviews

The Divorce by Frieda McFadden

The Divorce by Freida McFadden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 368

Publisher - Poisened Press Pen

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

What is a happily ever after really worth?

Naomi was living the quintessential love story. Boy meets girl. They fall in love, get married, buy a dream house, start a family…

Then―he kicks her out, hires the city’s best divorce lawyers, drains their accounts, and takes up with a 20-something.

It’s a brutal end to the story. Naomi should accept defeat: move into a dingy apartment, get back into the workforce, and piece together the shattered remains of her life.

Except, why should she?

Instead, Naomi fixates on her husband’s new girlfriend. What begins as cynical curiosity soon twists into obsession―and then into something far darker. As Naomi uncovers secrets she never imagined, she realizes her own life may be in danger.

But if it keeps her perfect family intact, isn’t it worth it?

In The Divorce, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author Freida McFadden delivers a razor-sharp, subversive thriller where love curdles into vengeance, and survival becomes the most dangerous game of all.


My Review

Naomi and Jeremy are married, have a wee boy, Jeremy is the bread winner, Naomi gave up her career to raise their little one. When Jeremy pulls the rug right from under Naomi and turns their life upside down, a younger woman, pulling dirty tricks and Naomi has to face facts that Jeremy doesn't want her and if she doesn't accept that soon she could lose everything.

Oooft Jeremy is not a nice guy, blind sighting Naomi with divorce AND he has a new woman who of course is younger. He fights dirty and Naomi can't bring herself to believe it, it is just a phase, they belong together and noone, not some young slim beautiful woman is going to change that. As things get more desperate and Naomi starts to realise she needs to fight back things go from bad to worse to dangerous. How far would you go to save your marriage, your family especially when the walls are closing in and you have nothing.

Some really bad behaviour, bad people and very bad choices. Honestly I really hated Jeremy and Naomi I was like WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOOOOOOO. Short chapters which we love and I wanted to know where this was going because ooft. Unhinged, shocking, shady, some topics that may trigger folk, the author has put trigger warnings on her website so you can check that out prior to reading if that is something you need, 4/5 for me!

View all my reviews

Body Of Lies by Jo Callaghan

Body of Lies by Jo Callaghan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 448

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

The brand-new thriller featuring DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock from the award-winning and Sunday Times bestselling author of In the Blink of an Eye .

Human suspicion. AI manipulation.
Who can you trust when truth has no meaning?

DCS Kat Frank returns to work at the Future Policing Unit after a tragic loss, only to find herself thrust into a new high-profile case. On the night of Halloween a local MP is found murdered, with a taunting message written in binary code that seems to target Kat Catch me if you can.

The victim’s anti-AI sentiments suggest a political motive, and as Kat investigates with her partner AIDE Lock – the world’s first AI detective – she finds herself once again battling her own prejudices about the technological future he represents. But when a cyberattack takes out the National Grid, Kat and Lock have to race against the clock to track down the hacker before thousands die.

Tangled in a web of suspicion and deception, Kat must choose who and what to believe when the truth seems to defy both instinct and logic.

Can she set aside her old doubts and put her faith in her AI partner one last time?
Or will this case send Lock down a path she just can’t follow – a path that will leave humanity behind for good?


My Review

Book four and the final book in the series, I am gutted, I wanted more! I often say you can pick up a book and just start reading but I would say to go and read the previous ones so you get the full story/impact/connection. I think from the previous book I was kinda looking a bit side eye at Lock, this book I was a bit all over the place.

A politician is found dead, publicly posed, well known for being against AI and keep in mind Kat has come around a fair bit to Lock but still has issues and reserves about AI. When a cyber attack hits and those in charge are held to ransom, realising just how heavily reliable we have become on technology and AI. Lives, thousands of innocent lives hang in the balance but the powers that be do not ever negotiate with terrorists do they?

This one had me suspicious and as Kat got more suspicious so did I but then I am totally murder she wrote with most crime fiction and side eye everyone lol. This one has threat to life especially featuring young/vulnerable in society, investigation of the murder of a outspoken MP plus the clock counting down quick to a shocking threat if demands aren't met. Gutted this is the last book but think the author done well to keep us interested for the four books and question AI use, grief, love, friendship, integrity, police work and family!

View all my reviews

Bad Publicity by Bianca Gillam

Bad Publicity by Bianca Gillam
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 336

Publisher - Penguin books

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

A sparkling rom-com in which an unexpected reunion could lead to a career-ending catastrophe or a second-chance romance . . .

When Andie lands her dream job as a senior book publicist, she’s ready to take the world of New York publishing by storm.

Until her first day, when she discovers that her biggest author is Jack Carlson—the same Jack who ruined her life at university. Whom she hasn’t spoken to in five years. Who is not only still infuriatingly hot but also incredibly successful. And whose campaign she definitely cannot mess up, if she wants to keep her job.

To make matters even worse, the central part of this career-defining campaign is a book tour. For a month, Andie will have to travel across Europe with the man whom, if she were being totally honest, she’d like to hit with her car.

But she will not lose this opportunity, especially not because of him. One month on tour with Jack Carlson, visiting some of the most romantic spots in Europe. Deep breath. She can do this.



My Review

Andie is finally living her dream, she has just bagged a new job as a senior book publicist, things are looking up. However when her first big project is an extended book promotion and the author is non other than her scumbag ex Andie is in a quandary. She wants to success so bad, she is in a new country, this NEEDS to work. She is just going to be professional and do what needs done then move on. It is difficult to be professional and keep your feelings hidden when your ex hurt you so bad and you never got closure. Jack tries to speak to Andie but she shuts him down, she hasn't had anything from him in five years, she doesn't want it now. They will have a professional relationship for the sake of the tour and that is that but it never really is, is it?

Ugh Andie really ripped my knitting a lot in this. We know Jack did something bad, it ruined their relationship and had a lasting effect on her. It is referred to and hinted at throughout the book but we don't actually get to know what actually happened until the last maybe quarter of the book. We bounce back and fourth in time from present day to back then but still heehaw so I went from intrigued to annoyed to JUST TELL ME ALREADY!

Andie is also grieving her dad who passed after everything with Jack and despite the book because a romance it actually is more about her grief and the impact it has on her. We deal with her absolutely despising Jack and struggling to hide it and being pretty unprofessional a lot of the time, Jack lets it go because clearly he feels guilty for whatever it was that happened. So essentially it is unresolved feelings but forced proximity and we know how close hate can be to other emotions. Defo a slow burn and Andie is so prickly that her friendship and relationship with her mum (also grieving) and bestie is impacted. So many people don't deal with grief and this shows just how much it can eat into your life and have long lasting consequences.

I was wanting to find out how it all played out and sank into it easy enough, I didn't love the character Andie but was invested to see what the big secret was. Bless her wee mum, a very small side character but a wee scone, 3/5 for me this time. This is my first time reading this author, I would read her again.

View all my reviews

June giveaway

Sorry it is late guys, we do have a wee giveaway up on our Instagram that is open worldwide and up for grabs is X1 book protector book bag (it has a zipper along the top and a front pocket) and the winner picks x1 bendy man light, choose between pink or blue.

So our giveaway for here is UK only (Amazon doesn't allow me to gift outside my own country) and it is x1 £10 Amazon voucher. To enter, use the Gleam below, good luck guys.

Also, Luna is ready for the world cup, we are playing at 2am and I will be in bed for work but we are rooting for our country, moan Scotland, p.s how cute is Luna!


X1 £10 Amazon Voucher

If I Can't Have You by Charlotte Levin

If I Can’t Have You by Charlotte Levin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days as able

Pages - 416

Publisher - Pan

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Samuel, the day we met I knew I’d finally found what I’ve been waiting for.

You.

Happiness, at last.

Then you left me.

And now I am alone.

Everyone I love leaves in the end.

But not this time.

I’m not giving up on us.

I’m not giving up on you.

When you love someone, you never let them go.

That’s why for me, this is just beginning.


My Review

Oh this is a dark yin! Our main character is full of secrets, a bit all over the place and I couldn't decide how I felt about her. The book is a bit of a slow burn, teasing out and revealing information about out main character Constance. She works in a doctors surgery, her guy room mate is a bit much and full on at times, Constance is a bit quiet, a people pleaser and actually really complex. She lost her mum, her dad bounced when she was younger and she has so much unresolved issues and emotions. When Samuel joins the surgery Constance notices him quickly and soon things get very tangled, very mixed and very dodgy and dark, strap in guys!

There is so many dark issues, triggering for some and toxic toxic behaviours and people! Obsession, gaslighting, manipulation, grief, stalking, mental health, sa, honestly it is wild but very very dark. Cause and effect, how one persons perception can be so different, how manipulation of people can lead down some dark paths. It is very much an example of play with fire and you will get burnt.

I did struggle with some of this, not because it isn't well done or badly written, more because the people and behaviours are so shocking. It is car crash tv, like you don't want to read or look but you absolutely cannot look away because you HAVE TO KNOW. It is really good but just prepare yourself for a dark shady ride and if you have a shady muppet ex I think you will sympathise with Constance at some points and oooft girl what are you thinking at others, 4.5/5. Wild that this is a debut, it is really well done, total creepy, cringe and breath holding at points but it is a slow burn for a fair bit, prepare!

View all my reviews

Inside Wakefield Prison Life Behind Bars in the Monster Mansion by Jonathan Levi and Emma French

Inside Wakefield Prison: Life Behind Bars in the Monster Mansion by Jonathan Levi and Emma French
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 270

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

HMP Wakefield. 'Monster Mansion'. Hell to be inside. Almost impossible to escape. This prison has seen some of the most infamous prisoners of all time pass through its cells - from Levi Bellfield to Harold Shipman, Ian Huntley and Charles Bronson.

Jonathan Levi and Emma French are the perfect authors to give chilling insight into all the terrible men who have served time there. After detailing the shocking truth of life in Britain's most high-profile psychiatric hospital in their bestselling book Inside Broadmoor, now they will take readers behind bars in this the UK's most notorious prison.

Inside Wakefield Prison will trace its long and intriguing history, from when it was first built in 1594 all the way up to the present day. Today, just over 750 of the country's most dangerous offenders are kept there, including 'Hannibal the Cannibal' Robert Maudsley, notorious killer Jeremy Bamber and former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins.

Featuring all the sinister and truly horrifying stories that have emerged from the prison, as well as new unheard tales, this book will fascinate and shock readers on every page. Told with the help of interviews with staff, experts - and even in the words of the prisoners themselves - this is a no-holds-barred journey into the dark.


My Review

This is the third book of the series by these authors, Broadmoor, Belmarsh and now Wakefield prison, I think they have other books but I need to check. These books are a bit different from the other jail type books, usually a heavy focus on the inmates, their crimes and lives. Whilst this book does look at some of the famous inmates and their behaviors we also get to hear about the establishment. Its history, how it runs, the ins and outs, we get to hear from not just the stories of the inmates crimes but from those who lived/jailed in Wakefield, those worked in there past and present.

Not everyone will enjoy these because some people just want all the criminal stuff, stories, captures etc where as this one is very rounded. It does go over some of the high profile inmates and interactions folk have had with them. It goes through what a day in there looks like, what the security and routines are like. Some of the horrific episodes of violence, things the staff have seen and survived.

I think these books are so interesting because they don't just give the crime/criminals but also a look at those who keep the wheels turning, the routines, the happenings, the history of the establishment. I know it won't be for everyone but I find them really interesting, 4/5 for me.

View all my reviews

The Asylum by Karen Coles

The Asylum by Karen Coles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 5 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Welbeck

Source - Bought/gift

Blurb from Goodreads

1906: Being a woman is dangerous, being different is deadly.

Maud Lovell has been at Angelton Lunatic Asylum for five years. She is not sure how she came to be there and knows nothing beyond its four walls. She is hysterical, distressed, untrustworthy. Badly unstable and prone to violence. Or so she has been told.

When a new doctor arrives, keen to experiment with the revolutionary practice of medical hypnosis, Maud's lack of history makes her the perfect case study. But as Doctor Dimmond delves deeper into the past, it becomes clear that confinement and high doses are there to keep her silent.

When Maud finally remembers what has been done to her, and by whom, her mind turns to her past and to revenge.


My Review

Check your triggers, set in the early 1900s's Maud is in an Asylum, not a good place for anyone and the time for a woman, absolutely not. There is a new doctor in and Maud is the perfect candidate for his research. As he tries to get Maud to open up and trust he takes her back to her past and we flip between the two. As He digs deeper and Maud starts to remember it is clear there is someone who doesn't want her to and Maud's safety is at risk.

The before and memories are a bit slow burn to get to what we want, whatever caused Maud to block our her memories. The treatment she gets in the asylum, I use the word treatment loosely absolutely diabolical, brutal, evil and really unsettling. What she endures, how she is treated and the fact she is in a medical establishment, it is nothing short of abuse and I always think when it is vulnerable people it is even more horrific and by people who are meant to care for them and in a position of power. Absolutely enraging and upsetting and really brutal at points because historically we know things like that happened, I know this is fiction but still.

The book teases out the story, who is Maud, why is she there and why does it seem like she is being deliberately given the short end of the straw every single time. I can't give much in the way of triggers and themes because we don't do spoilers. I would say go into this with open eyes and prepare for themes that centre around abuse types that have been historically documented in asylums. 3/5 for me this time, I felt it slow at times, shocking at others but I was kept interested and wanting to see what was in Maud's past and what future, if any was ahead for her. I would read this author again.

View all my reviews

The Blood Doctor by Barbara Vine

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

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 369

Publisher - Penguin books

Source - Given by a friend

Blurb from Goodreads

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

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

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


My Review

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

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

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

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

View all my reviews

Don't Fall in Love With Me by Paige Toon

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

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 368

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Arc and bought a copy

Blurb from Goodreads

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

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

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

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

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

Will learning the truth finally set her heart free?

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


My Review

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

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

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

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

View all my reviews

Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen

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

Time taken to read - over 3 days

Pages - 608

Publisher - Requited

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

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

CROWNED BY DESTINY. CONSUMED BY VENGEANCE.

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

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

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

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

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


My Review


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

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

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

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

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

View all my reviews

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

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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!

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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!

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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!

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews