Don't Fall in Love With Me by Paige Toon

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

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 368

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Arc and bought a copy

Blurb from Goodreads

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

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

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

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

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

Will learning the truth finally set her heart free?

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


My Review

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

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

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

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

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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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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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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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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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This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

Happy publication day, the book is available to buy NOW, from Amazon hardback, ebook and audio I think.

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days (in and out as able)

Pages - 416

Publisher - Penguin Viking

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

Twelve stories. Twelve months. Once chance to heal her heart...

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her fiancé waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. Mainly because Joe died five months ago…
The gift is simple – twelve carefully-chosen books from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.
Tilly sets out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to vlog her journey, her story becomes more than her own. With help from Alfie, the bookshop owner, her budding new following and her friends and family, can Tilly’s year of books show her how to love again?


My Review

Tilly is navigating life without her husband Joe, after a sudden illness robbed their future Tilly is doing what she needs to to get through an hour, a day, a week. Very much still in the throes of grief she gets a call from a small local book shop owner, a book for her. She naturally says there must be a mistake, she hasn't ordered anything then her world turns on its axis, it is from Joe. Once she gets over the shock, Tilly discovers that Joe has left her the most thoughtful gift, a book every month with a note from him. Each book is chosen by Joe to challenge her, make her take new adventures, push herself and start living again. When she thought her life and new memories with Joe was over he had planned ahead and every month (for 12 months) she gets a little gift in the form of a book and love to help her in the hardest time of her life.

AHHHHHHHH you guys! This very much gave me echoes of P.S I Love You, offt. Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things but losing your husband before you really get a chance to do the things you planned. And we are all book lovers so this is just *chef's kiss* of an idea. The book store owner, Alfie, is a wee bit awkward but so so nice and I love his work colleagues, guys there is a cat in the shop like WHAAAAAAAT, love love love it.

So without giving spoilers cos we don't do that here, Joe spent a lot of time and thought into the books and gifts. Picking things that would push Tilly out her comfort zone, challenge her, make her enjoy new experiences and of course all whilst dealing with raw grief.

We learn about their relationship, how they met, Tilly being a total bookworm and a wee bit unique and the slow building friendship between her and Alfie. Whilst we mostly follow Tilly and her months leading up to and following the new book surprise we also get to met Alfie, his history, work colleagues and why the shop means so much and what he is hiding and trying to protect his workies from.

Emotive, sweet, navigating grief, work and Tilly's journey of personal growth and healing as she tries to get through every day of life without Joe. The book idea is just so lovely because well hello books, you know I LOVE LOVE LOVE books but picking out of her comfort zone, why, the accompanying letters and how he is helping her heal from beyond the grave. This was my first book of Page's it won't be my last, 4/5.

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His Truth Her Truth by Noelle Holten

His Truth Her Truth by Noelle Holten
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 415

Publisher - One More Chapter

Source - Arc and bought a treebook copy

Blurb from Goodreads

An anonymous call raises the alarm. Two bodies found as a result of a home invasion. Then the police see the knives.One in his hand.

One in hers.

Joe and Beth appeared to have the perfect marriage. But there are two sides to every story.

His truth. Her truth. And the actual truth.

In this marriage of lies, only one person can be telling the truth, can’t they?


My Review

Opening chapter, prologue, they are lying in a pool of blood, knives in hand is how the police find them after an anonymous call. We then flip back X period of time before the incident and go between chapters from Joe and Beth. Partners, getting ready to marry, Beth loses her father and we see cracks starting to form in the relationship. Joe has his own issues going on but is trying to look after Beth. Beth is devastated, grief stricken and battling her inner demons. Going between his point of view and hers we watch as things crumble, getting darker and their relationship and implodes taking us to that fateful day the police find them and everything after.

Ooft strap in lads because it is about to get bumpy! Relatively short chapters which I love so even with a reading block/slump I could sink right in. Mental health and addiction feature quit heavily especially as we get further into it. When you have a character going through such a hard time they can be a bit of a difficult narrator, the way this is written you can see Beth's descension as it happens. Backed up by seeing Joe's point of view and responses to what he sees/finds as well as getting insight into what he is up to and going through. As the reader we get the context between the actions and seeing what the other person is missing.

Some of the characters are so unlikeable, like the cop, I can't even remember his name but like what was his damage, his partner seemed nice so not sure if it was emphasising good cop bad cop. Beth's mum I would not tire of slapping, she is just not a likeable person and every time she appeared I would puff or sigh. Some of us sadly have relatives like that who are just so self absorbed and horrible, yeah I really hated her. Beth cuts a sad character and whilst she also irritated me at times I did fell heart sorry for her because grief is awful and soul destroying but sadly it almost consumes her as does her "coping mechanism". The characters are quite real to life, well most of them, in their behaviours, actions, reactions, focuses with maybe one or two catching me off guard because I didn't forsee or catch what was headed my way. I think flawed characters can be difficult to capture and sometimes feel forced, with Beth I feel she was really well done and authentic because sadly we have had loved ones like that. So deep in their own hole, pushing folk away, becoming vulnerable in ways you/they didn't expect, 4/5.

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The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros

The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 426

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Beckett,

If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have.

I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride.

My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair.

And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help.

So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family.

Please don’t make her go through it alone.

Ryan


My Review

So I seen this one all over book tok and obviously I had FOMO (fear of missing out) and had to buy it. That and most of the videos/reviews were saying the book had them in tears and heartbroken, challenge accepted. I normally had a swinging brick but recently gal has had the emotionals so it is the perfect time to find out what I was missing. The book starts with a letter, yes letter format from Ella to Choas and it has the letter number (this is good because they aren't all in order). It is super easy to follow as it has the chapter/persons pov and then who the letter is from and to. Once you read the letter the person it is written to it is their surroundings and what is happening from when they put the letter down. So we get to hear from Ella in letter and meet Chaos, her brothers pal she agreed to write to. She is strong, stubborn, living in a small town with two twins she had to raise alone because the father (trust fund baby) is a complete rat! Then we get a reply letter to Ella from Chaos and then meet her and her life. Oh and we meet Chaos dog, a working dog cos he is special ops, the dog is called Havoc and we LOVE HER.

So when you read the blurb you know Ella's brother basically tells Beckett he needs to do what he can't and go look after his sister. She will be against it as she is fiercely independent but also been hurt and abandoned and or let down by the men in her life so no easy feat. Beckett didn't immediately go causing a bit of an issue and makes a huge mistake because the one thing Ella can't and won't stand for is lies, even if it comes from kindness. Beckett comes to town and regardless of what Ella says she will be there for her. Oh did I mention Beckett is also hot, mysterious, brooding and a good guy. When one of the weans becomes unwell Beckett steps up to help and together they all try to get through some of the most trying times. Strap in folks, it is an emotive rollercoaster.

So we don't do spoiler reviews and it can be a bit difficult to review without giving stuff away. So let me say this, I knew folk said it was sad, wrecked them but I went into it like, well page 4 we met the dog and I was like NOTHING BETTER HAPPEN TO THE DOG! Yes I am one of them lol. There were a few minutes when I had a lump in my throat but overall, 3 quarters through I was like yeah I am fine, sad but no tears. Then it was like the author said here hold my pint, she gripped my heart and then ripped my heart. I was up til 6am reading it to finish. I was telling my o/h about it, he really doesn't care for my nonsense and I got teary and emotional just telling it again lmao. Well played Yarros, well played, 5/5 I thought I knew it all when I was in fact Jon Snow and I knew nothing and then emotional damage. Get your munchies, tissues and a blanket or thick cardigan to wrap yourself in cos you are going to need them!

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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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Forgotten Child by Katie Flynn

Forgotten Child by Katie Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over two days

Pages - 395

Publisher - Penguin books

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

From Sunday Times bestselling author Katie Flynn, Forgotten Child is a heartbreaking, uplifting and totally transporting novel to curl up with by the fire.

Scotland, 1940: Isla Donaghue is just sixteen when her mother dies, and her idyllic life comes to an abrupt end. Unable to cope, Isla’s father sends her to the poorhouse when he joins the merchant navy.

Horrified at the harsh conditions of the poorhouse, Isla is determined to escape. Enlisting the help of her newfound friends Meg and Sophie, she devises a plan to flee to Liverpool.

Despite the difficulties of her new life and the dangers of the Luftwaffe, Isla falls in love for the first time. But her beau is not all that he seems… Will true love prevail or will secrets from the past put an end to their happiness?

Why readers love Katie Flynn...

'Takes you on a journey of heartbreak and joy'
'Hard to put down'
'Her characters are like old friends'
'Heartwarming romance'


My Review

Poor wee Isla, Scotland 1940 and she has had heartbreak (of the family loss kind) and now her da is taking her to a poor house. Isla is in for some cruelty and coldness but Isla is a plucky wee thing and makes a daring plan to break free. This is set during the war and as the girls leave one perilous environment they have to face the threats of war and matters of the heart.

Scotland and Liverpool, could you ask for two better places! Now this is a standalone and I have read a few of Flynn's books and I recognised a name or two from a previous book, I LOVE crossovers. It makes me want to buy up all the back ones and read them in order and of course hope she keeps the next one(s) in the same vein.

We find love, friendship, loss, betrayal and see the story of strength, personal growth, a splash of romance and the past catching up with the present. Skulduggery and shady characters as well as folk with hearts of gold and courage/strength. I think with these books the reason they are so good, not just how they are written obviously but you can slip from your own reality into theirs. Drama, abuse of power, harm to others and I do love a headstrong character who looks out for others, Isla is a fave for sure, 4/5 from us this time, roll on the next please!

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Taste Of Blood by Lynda La Plante

Taste of Blood by Lynda La Plante
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days (in and out as able)

Pages - 403

Publisher - Zaffre

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Detective Jane Tennison made a bad choice.

She was the one who put in a transfer to the quiet, local police station in Bromley, keen to escape the relentless pressure of her former West End department.

Now she regrets her decision. The tedium of petty crime investigations even makes her question remaining in the force.

But then a complicated domestic assault case lands on her desk - one that might still result in a murder charge if the victim dies of his injuries.

The warring neighbours who witnessed the assault intrigue Jane. The case has a sinister underbelly, she can sense it. And when Jane discovers a handsome young boy had recently disappeared after the tragic death of his girlfriend, every family in the private close becomes a suspect.

As Tennison hunts for the link between the crimes, she uncovers a truth more shocking than she could have contemplated. One that will either make her career - or break it.


My Review

Jane has transferred to a smaller/quieter station, really what was she thinking, we all know she loves to be in the thick of it. The new place mostly investigates small crimes - not a long more than petty squabbles in some cases and it isn't long before Jane questions her choice. An ongoing feud with neighbours turns into an assault with one landing in hospital, badly injured. Jane and co have to investigate and as is with Jane's track record there may be more to the incident and squabbles than first thought. Neighbours can often have secrets and some darker than others, could that explain the erratic behaviours by some of the residents?

So whilst this book looks at an assault and then ?a missing person (older case) we find Jane doing what she does best, digging where folk don't want her to until she gets her answers. We also get a lot more of the person side with Jane, family, relationships and touching on loss and issues that often come hand in hand. She is a bit more tetchy and feisty in this book, she has found her feet and her voice and is a strong character who doesn't suffer fools gladly.

At one point I wanted to hug her, I also went through a few irritational moments with her. This book has a very domestic feel to it both in the investigation and her private life. I like that, this is book nine, we have been with Tennison from the start so it is nice to get a bit more meat from the characters as well as the police stuff. 4/5 for me this time, a few themes that will be emotive to some people. Huge fans of La Plante and really enjoying the Tennison series, looking forward to the next book and seeing what is next for oor Jane.

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Taste of Blood by Lynda La Plante

Today is my review as part of the #TeamTennison project, enjoy.

Taste of Blood by Lynda La Plante
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days (in and out as able)

Pages - 403

Publisher - Zaffre

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Detective Jane Tennison made a bad choice.

She was the one who put in a transfer to the quiet, local police station in Bromley, keen to escape the relentless pressure of her former West End department.

Now she regrets her decision. The tedium of petty crime investigations even makes her question remaining in the force.

But then a complicated domestic assault case lands on her desk - one that might still result in a murder charge if the victim dies of his injuries.

The warring neighbours who witnessed the assault intrigue Jane. The case has a sinister underbelly, she can sense it. And when Jane discovers a handsome young boy had recently disappeared after the tragic death of his girlfriend, every family in the private close becomes a suspect.

As Tennison hunts for the link between the crimes, she uncovers a truth more shocking than she could have contemplated. One that will either make her career - or break it.


My Review

Jane has transferred to a smaller/quieter station, really what was she thinking, we all know she loves to be in the thick of it. The new place mostly investigates small crimes - not a long more than petty squabbles in some cases and it isn't long before Jane questions her choice. An ongoing feud with neighbours turns into an assault with one landing in hospital, badly injured. Jane and co have to investigate and as is with Jane's track record there may be more to the incident and squabbles than first thought. Neighbours can often have secrets and some darker than others, could that explain the erratic behaviours by some of the residents?

So whilst this book looks at an assault and then ?a missing person (older case) we find Jane doing what she does best, digging where folk don't want her to until she gets her answers. We also get a lot more of the person side with Jane, family, relationships and touching on loss and issues that often come hand in hand. She is a bit more tetchy and feisty in this book, she has found her feet and her voice and is a strong character who doesn't suffer fools gladly.

At one point I wanted to hug her, I also went through a few irritational moments with her. This book has a very domestic feel to it both in the investigation and her private life. I like that, this is book nine, we have been with Tennison from the start so it is nice to get a bit more meat from the characters as well as the police stuff. 4/5 for me this time, a few themes that will be emotive to some people. Huge fans of La Plante and really enjoying the Tennison series, looking forward to the next book and seeing what is next for oor Jane.

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In The Blink Of An Eye by Jo Callaghan

In the Blink of An Eye by Jo Callaghan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 416

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - gifted (I think)

Blurb from Goodreads

In the UK, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds.
Just gone. Vanished. In the blink of an eye.

DCS Kat Frank knows all about loss. A widowed single mother, Kat is a cop who trusts her instincts. Picked to lead a pilot programme that has her paired with AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock, Kat's instincts come up against Lock's logic. But when the two missing person's cold cases they are reviewing suddenly become active, Lock is the only one who can help Kat when the case gets personal.

AI versus human experience.
Logic versus instinct.
With lives on the line can the pair work together before someone else becomes another statistic?

In the Blink of an Eye is a dazzling debut from an exciting new voice and asks us what we think it means to be human.



My Review

Debut novel and a pretty new fresh idea/spin on police investigation. DCS Kat Frank is just back at work after being off, she has had a lot to deal with and now windowed and mum to a teenage boy. Work is rolling out a new AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) - trialling an AI "detective" Locke (he is a programme that generates a learning interactive hologram that can be present or removed and interacting via a wrist strap). Locke can process and access hundred of thousands, millions even, items of information in a fraction of the time human detectives can. So what could go wrong? Well Locke may be learning as it/he goes but he interacts in real time so makes a few faux pas with the human side of interaction. Kat being so angry at the reliance upon machines makes her the perfect person to pair/pilot this system with. They are looking at cold cases which may not be quite as cold as you think, dun dun dun.

So for Locke, think a bit like Sheldon Cooper of the big bang theory, he misses certain social ques and assesses everything clinically, I mean he is a machine. However because of his uniqueness he processes and learns as he goes so that is pretty interested to read as it develops. The fact that Kat is so against/distrustful gives a great contrast especially with how Locke reacts to her compared to the team.

Missing youngsters, interviews with families, suspicion of self harm/termination is considered and the interviews with the parents of those from the cold cases is a tad emotional. I smirked a little at bits and laughed out loud at others, some of Locke's behaviour/commentary, ooft - but I also felt for those in the book and Kat as we learn more about her and her adjusting after a period off work.

The book is fresh, different, dark in areas but also laced with humour, I am absolutely looking forward to book two and seeing where the story heads next. I am hoping this is going to be a series because I think this has great potential and breathing a breath of fresh air into - book two is out this month and we absolutely will be buying it, 4/5.

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All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time take to read - 5 days

Pages - 305

Publisher - Simon and Schuster

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Colleen Hoover delivers a tour de force novel about a troubled marriage and the one old forgotten promise that might be able to save it.

Quinn and Graham’s perfect love is threatened by their imperfect marriage. The memories, mistakes, and secrets that they have built up over the years are now tearing them apart. The one thing that could save them might also be the very thing that pushes their marriage beyond the point of repair.

All Your Perfects is a profound novel about a damaged couple whose potential future hinges on promises made in the past. This is a heartbreaking page-turner that asks: Can a resounding love with a perfect beginning survive a lifetime between two imperfect people?



My Review

What an opener, we see an infidelity busted and the book then goes from present day back to the time the infidelity was discovered and everything that transpires afterward. Quinn and Graham met under not the best circumstances but fate tends to have better plans for them. Present day and their perfect marriage is suffering, inability to talk about it, game face on and the longer the elephant in the room doesn't get discussed the bigger the rift between them becomes.

This book will have a lot of triggers for many, infidelity, relationship issues, conceiving, issues around it, it is very relationship centric. You know something is between Quinn and Graham but not what and we bounce back and forth past and present. It shows just how huge the issues are between them with stark almost side to side comparison, loves young dream, fresh in the throes of love to present day and struggling to be honest/close.

It is hard to go into it without giving spoilers which we don't do but it covers some heartbreak, some big issues within relationships, fertility and everything that comes with it. I think there are some actions/reactions that will annoy/enrage some readers. I think Hoover is a bit marmite, some folk love her stuff, some not so much. Regardless I think she creates characters/situations that whilst you may not always like them I think you can tune into or relate to, 3/5 for me this time. I have a fair few others of hers on the tbrm and I think they all are pretty different, lied but didn't love.

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Deception by Lesley Pearse

Deception by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages -

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

What happens when the person closest to you has led a life of deception?

After the funeral of her mother, Sally, Alice Kent is approached by a man named Angus Tweedy. He claims to be her father and tells her that he served time in prison for marrying Sally bigamously.

What does he hope to gain by telling her this now, thirty years on?
How can her adored dad Ralph not be her true father?
And why did her mother betray her so badly?

She had accepted Sally's many faults, and her reluctance to ever speak of the past. But faced with this staggering deception, Alice knows she must uncover the whole truth about her mother.

Whatever the cost.

As Alice journeys into the past she discovers her mother may never have been the woman she claimed to be . . .



My Review

When Sallys mum died getting to the funeral is the priority, being a little bit late she clocks a car tailing her and thinks nothing of it. Once the funeral is passed she meets a man who tells her something that will turn her whole world upside down. Did Sally ever really know her mother? Now she is determined to do some digging and get answers about her mother, who she really was and her past.

The book flips between present day and back to Sally's mums youth and the years leading up to meeting Sally's dad. Back and forth we learn the impact of secrets of Sally's mum, what made her the way she was and of course the ripple effects it has on Sally.

As we delve into the past we deal with some pretty horrific encounters, abuse, manipulation, pregnancy (and things surrounding it of that time period), adoption, death/loss. You know what Pearse's books bring especially those set in the time period, women being abused, unwanted pregnancy etc. Emotive at times as is the author's signature, 4/5 from us.

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A Wife's Courage by Kitty Neale

A Wife's Courage by Kitty Neale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 404

Publisher - Orion books

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Can she choose between her husband and her family? London, 1944. With bombs raining over London, keeping the Battersea Tavern open is no easy feat for owner Winnie Berry - but the community need the warmth and familiarity of the pub more than ever. After marriage, Maureen Fanning had moved out to Wandsworth with her bad-tempered husband Brancher. But when he loses both his job and their lodgings, the only people who will take them in are her kindly grandparents, Len and Renee. Getting a cleaning job at the Battersea Tavern is the least she can do to pay them back. It would all be fine... if it weren't for Brancher. Winnie is determined to take timid Maureen under her wing. But when tragedy strikes, it will be up to Maureen to find the strength she didn't know she possessed...Praise for A WIFE'S COURAGE'A fantastic emotional book to the end' 'What a lovely read once again from Kitty Neale.'


My Review

This is listed on FantasticFiction as a standalone however there are characters in this from previous books so I think I will need to go back and buy the others. To be fair I do have a few of hers on my tbrm and read a few anyway. Set in 1940s, world war two is under way and bombs are dropping quite often without warning. Winnie and her pub are still there, offering support where needed within their small community. Maureen I don't remember from the books I have read but she is married to Brancher, ugh he is an utter scumbag. We know early on he is a bully to Maureen, eroding her self confidence and even sense of self but you have no idea just how bad he is.

In this one we see some familiar faces, some new ones and how the community is coping with their own issues/families/dramas and the ever present threat of death from the bombs. It has been a while since I sank a book in a day and Neale takes you to a place where you can just log out of reality and lose yourself in the community that is Battersea.

The book has friendship, love, loss, abuse (emotional/violent/threats of violence), death, racism, attitudes and values of the times. Maureen's character really got under my skin, I think when you have lived with or loved someone who has been in a coercive relationship and seen just how badly they can be made to be and worthless to feel, it is enraging.

This is the latest release from Neale and I look forward to her next, I have many from her back catalogue I haven't read so will be getting them. This was a bargain buy and I got another copy for the BDWB's for my workies as I knew it would be a good one, 4.5/5 for me.

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One Moment by Becky Hunter

One Moment by Becky Hunter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 306

Publisher - Corvus

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

An emotional, heart-wrenching and uplifting story about friendship, love and sacrifice, perfect for fans of David Nicholls and Holly Miller.

One moment in time can change everything...

The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life. It doesn't feel fair that she'll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams. And now, she's still ... here - wherever here is - watching the ripple effect of her death on the lives of those she loved the most.

Evie cannot contemplate her life without Scarlett, and she certainly cannot forgive Nate, the man she blames for her best friend's death. But Nate keeps popping up when she least expects him to, catapulting Evie's life in directions she'd never let herself imagine possible. Ways, perhaps, even those closest to her had long since given up on.

If you could go back, knowing everything that happens after, everything that happens because of that one moment in time, would you change the course of history or would you do it all again?



My Review

So as always no spoilers and the death is mentioned in the blurb and happens opening chapters so no spoilers guys don't worry. Evie and Scarlett are besties, they are polar opposites and we know early on Evie has some struggles but we don't know exactly what. The morning it happens the girls are awkward with each other but Scarlett has to rush off and they will make it up with she gets home. Sadly Scarlett won't get home, an accident will see her ripped out of Evie's life and Nate will be brought in. Evie can't bear to look at him and yet he has answers and Nate want's to help so fate has flung them together. Evie needs to navigate through her health issues/personal problems and Nate wants to be there for her. Between the two of them and Scarlett's ghost hanging around overseeing all we follow them from before the accident, to the accident and the ripples and aftermath of what follows.

Yeah we have a ghost in the book, taking us back in the past to her and Evie, following around from the accident and thereafter. Evie's personal journey through loss, grief, anger pretty much all the stages of grief but with the addition of the ghost of her pal (no one can see nor hear her it is just us readers who know of her presence and how she processes her sudden death).

The book is a bit bittersweet, Scarlett is such a force of life and Evie is so recluse, has issues and that is before the sudden devastating loss of her bestie. It is a journey of personal growth, acceptance and all the things we see and feel after such a huge and unexpected loss. The book gives sadness, loss, hurt, hope, joy even humour in some parts, it is a bit of a rollercoaster. I think depending on your own experiences and where you are at in life will see how you gel with the book. 3.5/5 from us this time, this is my first time reading this author and would read her again for sure.

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Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh

We were lucky enough to get a wee arc of this book, you KNOW we are big Cavanagh fans here especially the Eddie Flynn series. This is a standalone, new charaters (not Eddie Flynn). And today is publication day, you can buy your copy NOW, here is the link for AMAZON UK


Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time Taken to Read - In and out over 3 days (as able)

Pages - 416

Publisher - Headline

Source - Arc

Blurb from Goodreads

The twisting new thriller from the award-winning, top ten bestseller...

SHE WILL KILL YOUR WORST ENEMY. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS KILL HERS.

One dark evening in New York City, two strangers meet by chance.
Over drinks, Amanda and Wendy realise they have so much in common.

They both feel alone. They both drink alone.
And they both desperately want revenge against the two men who destroyed their families.

Together, they have the perfect plan.
If you kill for me, I'll kill for you...


My Review

Imagine losing the one person you love the most, your life/family torn apart and the person who killed them is walking around free. That is what it is like for Amanda & now she finds herself in trouble with the law as the bad guy is using them to punish her for "stalking him". Amanda finds herself in a group of people who have experienced loss like hers and that is where she meets Wendy, Wendy has also had her child brutally ripped from life and the perp is also walking around free, untouchable. When a few drinks and bonding turns to some serious chat........If you kill for me I will kill for you. It is the perfect plan, neither know the others bad guy, neither is associated with each other (the group is anonymous) so what could go wrong? If you had your whole world ripped from you, your only child - would you not take the steps to avenge them?

Guys, I am always a bit apprehensive reading a new creation of an author I really enjoy because it is a step away from characters I love and if they are really good is this the book that won't be? Needless worry for nothing, you are pulled in quickly, get to know the characters and what drives them and you can't not feel sorry for them. Whilst this is fiction we know from real life how many injustices actually happen, murderers getting a slap on the wrist or a few years or a lesser charge whilst the families get a life sentence so to speak, suffering, loss and no or little justice.

The book looks at how far people will go, what happens when your world is ripped apart by crime/loss/attack/murder. The devastating ripples it has and also the after affects of those left behind. It is shocking, riveting, weaved with parts to pull the rug out from under you - sure even those reader who guess everything will be hard pushed to know what is coming. You read along with the characters as they plot/plan and carry out their much needed revenge and yet the author still manages to surprise, engage and keep you hooked from the start to finish. 5/5 from us, whilst it isn't Eddie Flynn (yes yes we are a tad obsessed but he is pure dead brilliant, who doesn't love a goody guy with a wee bit of shade but heart of gold) but it is new characters, skulduggery and a whole lot of what ifs, how far would you go and how far can a person be pushed/put through! It is great, go get it, it is out today, Happy Pub day to the author.

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Where Winter Finds You by J R Ward

Where Winter Finds You by J.R. Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages -

Publisher -

Source -

Blurb from Goodreads

When Trez lost his beloved to a tragic death (The Shadows, Black Dagger Brotherhood #13), his soul was crushed and his destiny seemed relegated to suffering. But when he meets a mysterious female, he becomes convinced his true love has been reincarnated. Is he right? Or has his grief created a disastrous delusion?

Therese has come to Caldwell to escape a rift with her bloodline. The revelation that she was adopted and not born into her family shakes the foundations of her identity, and she is determined to make it on her own. Her attraction to Trez is not what she’s looking for, except the sexy Shadow proves to be undeniable.

Has fate provided a grieving widower with a second chance...or is Trez too blinded by the past to see the present for what it really is? In this sensual, arresting book full of the themes of redemption and self-discovery, two lost souls find themselves at a crossroads where the heart is the only compass that can be trusted...but that may require a courage that neither of them possesses.



My Review

If you are a fan of the Trez and Selena story then you will enjoy this book as we follow Trez whilst he is still wallowing in his grief and his meeting of Therese. She looks so much like Selena, they both feel a connection and we go from there. Therese popped up briefly at the end of one of the other books am sure and this is picking up from there. She has her own history and wanting to stand on her own two feet, Trez is a pull that she cannot ignore and it is absolutely mutual. She has no idea of his past and he is doing his best to deal with the attraction and grief.

The book may be a little tough in places if you have lost someone as you can feel the grief part hitting the emotionals. As with Ward's books there is of course erotic scenes of a graphic nature or as someone recently taught me the term after talking about this, gothic porn lmao.

Some of our faves from the Brotherhood appear, just little parts as the whole thing revolves around Trez and Therese, if you like the series you will enjoy this one too, 4/5 for me.

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Together Again by Milly Johnson

Together, Again by Milly Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages -

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Sisters, Jolene, Marsha and Annis have convened at their childhood home the huge and beautiful Fox House following the death of their mother, the cold and impenetrable Eleanor Vamplew, to arrange the funeral and sell up. Born seven years apart, the women have never bonded and are more strangers than sisters.

Jolene, the eldest, is a successful romantic novelist who writes templates of beautiful relationships even though her marriage to the handsome and charming Warren is a barren wasteland.

Marsha, the neglected middle child has put every bit of her energy into her work hoping money would plug up the massive gap in her life left by the man who broke her young heart, only to find it never has. And now he has been forced back into her life.

Annis is the renegade, who left home aged sixteen and never returned, not even for the death of their beloved father Julian, until now. It is therefore a surprise to all of them to discover that Eleanor recently changed her will to leave everything to the daughter she considered a wretched accident.

Together, Again is the story of truths uncovered and lies exposed, of secrets told - and kept. It is a novel about sister helping sister to heal from childhood scars, and of finding, in each other, the love they have all been deprived of. Together, Again is about vulnerability and strength, acceptance and family.




My Review


A family of sisters brought together by the death of their mum. One sister has been awol for a while and isn't how they remember her. Jolene is a well known author with her own problems, Marsha is your classic middle child syndrome and Annis the runaway aloof youngest who has changed so much and surrounded in mystery. Their mother was cold, aloof, keeping up appearances and everything was about her love for her husband. As the girls try to work their way through sorting mothers affairs as well as their own unexpecting feelings/issues.

Families, they can be rough as, there is no doubting the siblings all have their own form of issues from how they were treated and raised. The mother is a cold fish and whilst her passing is what kick starts the novel we do hear from her a little and get some insight as the book goes on.

Johnson creates characters you love, characters you hate, characters you pity and or want to hear more about. The book delves into secrets, lies, relationships, personal growth, love and trying to overcome the long reaches the past has on you. Whilst she looks at relationships of different varieties she touches on some darker and shocking themes, coercive control, gaslighting, manipulation, abuse but also brighter and happier aspects too. Using many of the true issues and hardships and or battles some of us face in real life so evokes emotional responses from the reader or just grasps them whilst she creates her characters worlds and draws you in.

It is no surprise I loved this, I am a big fan of Johnson's books, having a slump - read a Johnson, want to lose yourself in dramas that isn't your own, Johnson! 5/5 for me, I have read most of her books but do need to check Goodreads and Fantasticfiction to see what all I have missed.

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