Loyalty by Martina Cole and Jacqui Rose

Loyalty: The brand new novel from the bestselling author by Jacqui Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 624

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Amazon

Dara Tailor and Grace Perry couldn't be more different. But both had to grow up fast when their circumstances led them to Holly Brookes Children's Home.

There, the two girls unite in the face of horrific abuse and form an unbreakable bond.

But when their loyalty is put to the ultimate test, can they rely on each other to do the right thing?

Friendship - it's all about trust.


Don't miss the explosive new novel from the queen of crime Martina Cole.


My Review

Guys this is a really dark book, perverts attacking, abusing kids, like they have like minded pals some in very high positions so they have access to vulnerable kids so warning warning warning. Cole's books often take us to the darkest sides of humanity, abusers, murder, low to no morales, depravity and really unsettling at times.

Dara and Grace come together in a childrens home, Dara has grown up with her mothers addiction, neglect, trying to provide for her siblings but she is a wean herself. Grace is different, lost her dad and now it is just her and her mum, she is loved, cared for and very innocent. When fate gives a heartbreaking blow Grace finds herself in the children's home and Dara and her have an unlikely friendship.

The book takes place over X time, we meet Dara and Grace as innocent children who are subjected to some of the most horrific abuse/treatment. It takes us up until adulthood, reconnections and more drama and heartache. There are other characters involved, vile baddies, perverts one of which has a wife and her behaviours, the things she does to protect her husband will make you want to scream, zero morality. Substances, abuse, betrayal, depravity, CA, SA, domestic violence, toxic family, toxic relationships, survival, strength of character, ooft it is a mixed bag, 4/5 but approach with caution it is a dark dark book.

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Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh

Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 937

Publisher - Piatkus

Source - bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Falling in love was the easy part. What comes next is the test . . .

Johnny Kavanagh has been living a different life since his injury sidelined him. He's never known life without his beloved number 13 jersey, and he feels lost. Luckily for him, there is a mysterious girl who is now taking up most of his thoughts.

Shannon Lynch has always been good at keeping secrets. She has realized that evil men aren't only in stories. They are very real. After her traumatizing trip to Dublin, she is trying to find a way to protect her little brothers above all else. She is beginning to revert to her old self, hiding away so that she can try to contain the few scraps of her future she has left.

There's only one boy who can pull her out of the shadows into which she is retreating. The boy who owns her heart. But what she doesn't know is that secrets are about to be revealed that could change lives forever. Will Johnny and Shannon's love survive?

Following the beloved characters from Binding 13, Keeping 13 will cement your love for the Boys of Tommen universe. This book is perfect for readers looking for:

New adult/YA crossover Irish romance
Dual POVs
Friends-to-lovers
TikTok books
Sports romance


My Review

If you haven't read Binding 13 then DO NOT read this one first, I often read books out of sequence however book one is an absolute before this one. It goes through how they met, everything about Shannon's home life, how they got to where they are but most importantly, this book opens where Binding 13 stopped.

So we know from book one this isn't just a YA romance there are some really deep dark topics visited. I said in my previous review if the author hasn't had first hand experience with this then she has done very in depth research, if you have ever lived through any of this you know, I actually wasn't expecting the level of emotion some of those scenes evoked. The alcoholic abusive violent father, the way the mother behaved it really did pull the rug a bit but if you read book one you know all this and are prepared. Whilst we visit all of that Shannon and Johnny are a couple , Shannon still has some issues from Johnny's bunny boiler ex, I really really wanted karma to get her good. We see more of Shannon's family, siblings, Johnny's parents and pals and Johnny's injury, rehab and focus for his career and future.

There is so much emotion in this one too, we know of Shannon's struggles but I feel we get more than a glimpse into Joey, aw Joey I just wanted to hug him. Domestic violence has such a long reach in the impact it has, far beyond the physical side of it. There is just so much to process, I loved the development in Shannon and Johnny's relationship, Gibsie and Claire get a bit more glimpses in this one. I haven't read the blurbs for the upcoming books but I am hoping Gibsie gets one.

With a lot of the main character(s) being teens there is a lot of sex type talk, banter, words/phrases that some may find offensive but it lends authenticity to the group/age of the characters. I don't have the next in the series, I do have two of the books in the series but I think one is that last and the other may be the fourth so I need to buy them. They are thick chunky books and I have been having readers block but I sank this, 900 odd pages in 3 days. They absolutely grab you, pull you in and I think if you come from that type of background you get emotionally wrought, ooft, 4.5/5.

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The Girl With The Suitcase by Lesley Pearse

The Girl with the Suitcase: A captivating historical novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 391

Publisher - Michael Joseph

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

The enthralling new novel from the 10-million-copy, No. 1 bestselling author is available to PRE-ORDER now!

London, 1941

When Mary meets a glamorous stranger named Elizabeth she realises their lives couldn’t be more different. Elizbeth is beautiful and charming, about to set off on a dazzling adventure to Ireland where she’s inherited a grand house. Mary, shy and meek, has nothing to look forward to but the dreary life of a maid in Hampstead.

But when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground Mary’s life is suddenly changed forever. After waking up in hospital, injured but alive, the nurse mistakes her for Elizabeth and hands over her suitcase with Elizabeth’s money and tickets to Ireland inside.

This is Mary’s chance to escape the hardship of her life and start afresh.

Will she take it and what could go wrong?



My Review

Mary has known poverty and cruelty her whole life, it is wartime and she is desperate to escape her job as housekeeper, cleaner and general dogsbody. When she meets the beautiful Elizabeth who offers her a chance at a new life, she has just came into a fabulous house in Ireland, inheritance from an estranged aunt. A bomb hits, the girls are in an underground shelter when everything goes dark. Mary wakes injured but alive, she is misidentified and finally has a chance to live, really live but can she do it?

Aw Mary, what a poor soul and hard going "upbringing" she had. We find out more about Mary and why she is the way she is by going from present to past. As always Pearse's books feature some of the darker side of humanity, abuse, SA, child endangerment, substance abuse, stolen identity. You get reeled in because you are rooting for Mary aka Beth but you do question some of her decisions and behaviours. I think that is one of her gifts, she gives you characters who aren't wholly whiter than white (Mary), and some downright horror bags the "stepfather".

When Mary goes to Ireland we meet a whole cast of people, sweet, nosey, hearing about the aunt, ooft she was a character in herself. We see how world war 2 affected different parts of the world, meat rationing, families, love, loss. It is a busy book as is Pearse's way but she does it so well the story flows and envelopes you. Lots of characters/happenings, some time and place jumps but all done effortlessly.

Even when I have a reading block I can still inhale one of her books, 4.5/5 from us, I need to check her backlist and see what I have missed (we have read loads but she has published loads) and catch up on any missed. She is a fab writer, pulls you emotively and allows you to escape your own life and merge into a world full of love, loss, sadness, friendship, family, she ticks the boxes.

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