Innocent Guilt by Remi Kone

Innocent Guilt by Remi Kone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 5 days

Pages - 424

Publisher - Quercus

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

'A startling new crime writing talent!' Peter James
'Impossible to put down' Patricia Cornwell

Victim or murderer . . .
Can she discover the truth?

On a misty autumn afternoon, a woman covered in blood clutching a baseball bat walks silently into a London police station. The two officers assigned to her case are DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle.

But the woman refuses to speak. She is not injured and the blood on the bat is not hers. What has she done? Is she the victim or the perpetrator? As Leah and Randle start their inquiry, a man is found battered to death in a nearby park. Journalist Odie Reid receives a tip off and is determined to solve the case first, trying to link this death to the woman held in custody.

Leah and Odie have history and very quickly their cat and mouse game becomes personal, leading them both to the very darkest corners of their pasts.


My Review

Opening chapter with Leah, clearly just having suffered a loss when she heads to work, she is a copper, a DI to be precise. As she gets to work, the station, a woman appears, covered in blood, clearly in shock, holding a bloody baseball bat. When she is checked over, she is uninjured so whose blood is it and where are they because it is A LOT of blood. We then get a chapter with a victim and then we meet Odie, a journalist who is enemy to Leah, why? They used to be work together, now in different careers they still have a very strained relationship. Odie is like a bloodhound, she gets a sniff of a story and nothing will get in her way.

The book is pretty good, the blood covered self presenting to the police station was a great pull, the damaged female detective dealing with a recent loss and with that of course comes family drama/trauma. Then the very tense "relationship" between Leah and Odie although to be fair Leah is very closed off to everyone and you get her back story, slowly unravelled so you do understand a bit better why she is the way she is. I really liked her partner, DS Randle, he is so understanding, patient and a real nice all rounder.

It is a busy book, the victims, the investigation, Odie investigating, Odie's family dynamics, Leah as the officer, Leah's personal life and following the aftermath of her loved ones death the opens another vein of story. A good start to a series, this is a debut from what I can see, so if it goes onto a series I will absolutely read more. Be interesting to see what else is in store for these guys and where the writer goes next, 4/5.

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Love At First Sight by Laura Jane Williams

Love at First Sight by Laura Jane Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Penguin

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

She’s found the one. He’s just not the one for her.

Jessie doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Until one sunny Saturday in London, a fire alarm in Whole Foods throws her into a stranger's arms. Cal is charming and funny: their chemistry is instant.

Quick-fire flirting turns into the most romantic day of Jessie’s life. But that evening they're forced apart before swapping numbers. Jessie is devastated – has she just lost the one?

After weeks of searching, Cal turns up on her doorstop holding two dozen red roses. It feels like fate.

The only thing is, they’re not for her…


My Review

Ah Jessie, shopping when she meets Cal, both are shopping, fire alarm goes off and they end up chatting and having a pretty magical date/evening. When Cal is a hero their night is cut short, they hadn't gotten each others details and the love that could have been is cut short Jessie can't believe it. So imagine her surprise, x amount of time later Cal appears with flowers but they aren't for her and Jessie can't say anything without upturning her life.

Ooft talk about nightmare, poor Jessie cannot catch a break, her dad is dating someone her age and she isn't the nicest at all. Her would be dream man disappeared and now she wishes he had stayed gone but she can't deny she is attracted to him still but actions and consequences. Her local butcher is a dish but he is a bit of a ladies man and she can't bring herself to take him seriously. Her boss is famous, high maintenance but also mostly friendly and Jessie dotes on her wee boy but even that aspect of her life isn't clear cut and issues are at every corner.

Jessie is nice but she also ripped my knitting a fair few times, some of her choices, behaviours, actions I was like really gurl come on! Her dad I wanted to slap more than a few times too, her employer, Cal, more than half the playing cast at times lol but I am also the first to admit I am beyond irritated the now so things that may have irked me now enrage lol.

Enjoyable poolside ride or just a wee wanting to dodge your own reality for 5 minutes, that being said it does have themes of infidelity, toxic behaviours, coercion, bitching, game play, emotional blackmail, a few doosies, 3/5 for us this time.

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Close To Death by Anthony Horowitz

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 419

Publisher - Random House UK

Source - Review copy & bought

Blurb from Goodreads

In New York Times–bestselling author Anthony Horowitz’s ingenious fifth literary whodunit in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case—a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects abound

Riverside Close is a picture-perfect community. The six exclusive and attractive houses are tucked far away from the noise and grime of city life, allowing the residents to enjoy beautiful gardens, pleasant birdsong and tranquility from behind the security of a locked gate.

It is the perfect idyll until the Kentworthy family arrives, with their four giant, gas-guzzling cars, a gaggle of shrieking children and plans for a garish swimming pool in the backyard. Obvious outsiders, the Kentworthys do not belong in Riverside Close, and they quickly offend every last one of their neighbours.

When Giles Kentworthy is found dead on his own doorstep, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his chest, Detective Hawthorne is the only investigator that can be called on to solve the case.

Because how do you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect?


My Review

So first thing to note, this is book five in the series, I didn't know this and as a result I had some questions. Once finished I did a bit of reading up and have since ordered book one, will read the previous books before this one and then re read this.

A small gated community, new neighbours move in, a family who are loud, not team players and things start to go wrong. Destruction of peoples property, heads butting, block peoples cars in, a missing dog ooft tensions galore. When the trouble makers are invited to a neighbours meet and they don't show tensions run higher and before we know what happens Giles Kentworthy (dad/new neighbour) is found brutally murdered. Everyone is a suspect, everyone has a motive and the police call in Detective Hawthorne for assistance. He is a unique guy who has some trouble and clouds following him but he is very very good at what he does.

So in between the murder and investigation the book then jumps to the author who is writing about the murder case (so the timeline also jumps) and is meeting some walls and resistance in collating information. At this point the reader knows Mr Kentworthy was killed and the method but not the who. It is clear the author is party to information we don't have and he wants to write the novel and see it through to completion but some people do not. The book then bounces between that and then back to the investigation, murder and everything that transpires.

I did find myself spinning a wee bit trying to keep up, Anthony the fictional author in the book is a bit clueless like us but Hawthorne is sharp as a tack. Anthony is writing the new book which is based on the gated community murder of Mr Kentworthy, Hawthorne is his partner but seems a tad reluctant on this one. They aren't together, Hawthorne is a bit elusive when Anthony is trying to get him and then we timeline jump too.

I think by going back and reading book 1-4 I will probably get a better feel for everything so I fully admit picking this up 5 books in wasn't the best move on my part. However I did love the sound of this and I am glad I picked it up as I think it will be a great series. Hawthorne is so sharp and perceptive, he also gets folks backs up but he is brilliant which is a good mix, 3.5/5 for me. I have ordered book one so will get to that when able.

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A Mother's Secret by Katie Flynn

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

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 426

Publisher -

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

The brand new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author

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

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

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

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


My Review

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

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

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

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Hidden Depths by J H Mann

Today is my stop on the blog tour for "Hidden Depths" by author J H Mann. This is a Rachels Random resources blog tour, for my stop I have my review. The book is available to buy now, ebook and treebook, on Amazon UK.


About the author:

Jason Mann is an award-winning journalist and writer living in the South West of England with Nicola, his wife, and their lively whippet, Patch. He is also a shore-based volunteer for the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution). Jason says: ‘Many of my stories are set in the wonderful county of Cornwall where truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction. I have swum and surfed there much of my life. It has been a special place for me with its legends, soaring cliffs, rugged moors and wild seas. The landscape has a raw, mystical magic. My father and mother’s recollections of rescues and tragedies on the North coast are often the inspiration for my stories. My father became one of the county’s early lifeguards after his predecessor was killed by a strike of lightning while standing in waist-deep water during a rescue.’

Social Media Links

Jason's Twitter

His Facebook

His website

and lastly Instagram

Hidden Depths by J.H. Mann
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 318

Publisher - Dark Spider Books

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

On a wild Cornish headland, Catherine Carlyon takes a decision that will change her life forever. She is facing the bleak prospect of years in prison after being sucked into a fraud by a man she thought loved her. Catherine has found a possible way out – to disappear. But disappearing comes at a price. She must abandon her family and everything she holds dear. The greatest challenge of her life is looming, an epic adventure in the North Atlantic which will take her to her limits and beyond…Praise for Hidden 'A conventional middle-aged woman has a passionate affair, becomes embroiled in fraud and makes the desperate decision to risk all in the hope of disappearing. J.H.Mann has lovingly evoked the Cornish landscape, from the wild Atlantic coast to the bleak and threatening moors, as the setting for a gripping thriller. I loved it’ – Debi Alper, author of the Nirvana series of thrillers. ‘The real essence of the challenge of open water swimming has been woven into a finely crafted suspense novel’ – Mark Richards, long distance swimmer, one of the few people to have successfully completed the 28-mile swim between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves's Shetland and Vera Stanhope mysteries and novels by Lucy Foley and Alice Feeney. Dive into Hidden Depths today!



My Review

Meet Catherine, she is having a bad time of it, her husband has been laid off and is struggling to find another job. Sinking further into booze responsibility falls to Catherine to cover the bills, keep them afloat as he sinks deeper into a funk/booze. Her son is a typical teen and Catherine is going through the motions, until she makes a decision that brings some fun into her life, passion, challenges her morals/values and finds her sinking deeper and deeper to a dark place where danger looms on every corner.

A passionate affair, challenges to her moral code, decisions that change/challenger her as a person and falling deeper and deeper into a web of lies, deceit, criminality and even threats to her life. The book does a great job of taking a normal housewife, upstanding, good strong morals and then one choice, one affair just upends EVERYTHING and takes you on a wild rollercoaster showing how easily one could fall.

Making the main character someone you can relate to is always a good shout because it makes everything more believable therefore more shocking when it all gets so dark. The tension keeps throughout the book, knowing all she has to loose and every decision takes her another step into chaos and risks.


The mundanity of the good housewife/trusted employee just adds to how shocking it is when she does the things she does and the choices she makes. Read almost in one sitting as I just wanted to see what was coming next. Everyone has different takes on how they enjoy their books being wrapped up and it will be interesting to see how everyone take this.

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Vile Stars by Sera Milano

Vile Stars by Sera Milano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 384

Publisher - Electric Monkey

Source - Vine & then bought copy

Blurb from Goodreads

(TRUE) LOVE
(TOXIC) LOVE
(LOST) LOVE

This is a different kind of love story.

17-year-old Luka isn't looking for love. She's trying to piece her life back together after a heartbreaking loss. But when she meets the gorgeous and charismatic Cosmo under a meteor shower at the Greenwich Observatory, it feels like destiny has played a hand. Surely theirs is a love written in the stars.

But Cosmo isn't what he seems, using Luka's love for him to slowly take control of her life. As the pandemic starts to make headlines and lockdown sets in, she is trapped emotionally and physically in a coercive relationship. Luka's friends and brother can see what's happening, but struggle to reach her. Something will have to be sacrificed so Luka can set herself free - but what will be left of her when she does?

Luka's story is told from many points of view: through her letters, and through the voices of her brother, Alec, his boyfriend Theo and Luka's best friend, Roisin. Each of them holds a fragment of the story - it's time to put it all together.


My Review

I don't know what I was expecting with this one, when I first got it and seen the trigger warnings I was looking after my dad so put it aside. The parental loss isn't a huge central theme but relevant to the characters and there are many emotive issues. The characters are young, taking exams age and a tight group, best friends Luka (main character) & Roisin, Luka's brother Alec and his boyfriend Theo. Luka and Alec lost their mother & live with their step dad and wee sister, Cosmo is lost, writing letters to her mum and leaving them at the grave. Enter Cosmo, a chance encounter and he sweeps Luka off her feet and that folks is when everything starts to change and become dark.

So I think this may be my first book with pronouns and a trans character and whilst Luka is central Theo and the issues surrounding them is hugely important and relevant. Cosmo is a piece of work, I haven't loathed a character like this in a while. Luka is in the flows of grief and dealing with loss, heartache and trying to find herself so when Cosmo comes along we see red flags and vile traits that Luka is blinded to.

Despite the characters being young the amount of adult themes and issues are relatable across the board. The toxicity of the relationship was really uncomfortable to read but so important and well done, homophobia, transphobic, isolation, coercion and you have friendships, relationships, grief, loss, coping or rather trying to.

This is my first time reading this author, I will absolutely check out their other works, 4/5 for me.

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The Chosen by J R Ward

The Chosen by J.R. Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 544

Publisher - Piatkus

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Xcor, leader of the Band of Bastards, convicted of treason against the Blind King, is facing a brutal interrogation and torturous death at the hands of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Yet after a life marked by cruelty and evil deeds, he accepts his soldier’s fate, his sole regret the loss of a sacred female who was never his: the Chosen Layla.

Layla alone knows the truth that will save Xcor’s life. But revealing his sacrifice and his hidden heritage will expose them both and destroy everything Layla holds dear—even her role of mother to her precious young. Torn between love and loyalty, she must summon the courage to stand up against the only family she has for the only man she will ever love. Yet even if Xcor is somehow granted a reprieve, he and Layla would have to confront a graver challenge: bridging the chasm that divides their worlds without paving the way for a future of even greater war, desolation, and death.

As a dangerous old enemy returns to Caldwell, and the identity of a new deity is revealed, nothing is certain or safe in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, not even true love... or destinies that have long seemed set in stone.



My Review

So I missed this book and read the one after so was going back however the books focus on certain characters and the one I read didn't have any impact from missing this. Book 15, we know Layla and Xcor's history was going to come crashing down at some point, we knew it would be fiery, I don't think anyone appreciated just how implosive it would be.

There is so much history between The Blackdagger Brotherhood & Xcor's band so I don't think anyone could have foreseen where it was headed. Now these books are always adult themed and have erotica with graphic scenes and body fluids galore. However this book actually, I felt, had much more focus on storyline, development of the characters, a lot of things I had been looking for closure or development from previous books/threads came to fruition. There is still romance, erotica and all that jazz but much more action this book round and sometimes I think you need it especially with so many characters. 4/5 for me this time, I have the next few of the series so hoping it won't be long before I get to the next installment.

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What I Hid From You by Heleen Kist Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for "What I Hid From You" by author Heleen Kist. For my stop I have my review, non spoiler as always AND if you are in the UK you can win x1 ecopy of the book. Head to our Twitter, Follow us and RT the pinned tweet CLICK HERE to be taken straight to the tweet to be entered, good luck.

This is a LOVEBOOKSTOURS blog tour organised by Kelly.

Blurb for the book

A DEATH
AN ACCIDENT
A STUPID MISTAKE

Traumatised by the death of a patient in her chair, Glaswegian dentist Radha Bakshi succumbs to an addiction to Valium she can’t acknowledge – even to herself.
The pills take the edge off trying to be a consummate professional, a perfect daughter, a devoted wife and a not-too-embarrassing mother to her teenage son.
When increased scrutiny of her work forces her to find a new source of supply, she stumbles into the menacing clutches of blackmailing drug dealers.
A mistake that could cost her everything.
Author Bio

Heleen Kist is a Dutch, formerly globetrotting career woman who fell in love with a Scotsman and his country, and now writes about its (sometimes scary) people from her garden office in Glasgow. What I Hid From You is her third novel.

She was chosen as an up-and-coming new author at the international crime festival Bloody Scotland 2018. Her debut, ‘In Servitude’ won the silver medal for Best European Fiction at the Independent Publishers Book Awards in the USA and was shortlisted for The Selfies awarded at London Book Fair. Her feminist thriller ‘Stay Mad, Sweetheart’ was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and won third place in the inaugural Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year award 2020

Buy links Waterstones & Book Depository

What I Hid From You by Heleen Kist
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - as able over a few days

Pages - 366

Publisher -

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

A DEATH - AN ACCIDENT - A STUPID MISTAKE

Traumatised by the death of a patient, and crippled with anxiety, Glaswegian dentist Radha Bakshi succumbs to an addiction to Valium she can’t acknowledge, even to herself.

In truth, she relies on the pills to juggle being the consummate professional, perfect daughter, devoted wife and a not-too-embarrassing mother to her teenage son.

When increased scrutiny of her work forces her to find a new source of supply, she stumbles into the clutches of blackmailing drug dealers.

A mistake that could cost her everything.


My review

If you are any kind of medical professional, at the start, the letter from the GDC, ooft heart in my mouth. This was like a page or two in, we know very little of the character at this point but again if you know these type of professional bodies your heart skips a beat. Radha Bakshi had a massive shock when a patient dies. Trying to cope with that, the pending investigation and her normal life pressures.

I have bought Kist books before but this is my actual first one I read. Radha is such a good cautionary tale, but for the grace of god go I, here we have a business woman, family business passed over and one instant changed everything. How easy addiction can take hold, how quickly things can escalate, down the rabbit hole and everything that follows!

Tense, shocking, a cautionary tale and whilst this is a work of fiction many people can absolutely relate to how easy it can be to fall into. We also have small chapters with Radha's father and between the two get the feeling of just how important they and family are.

The book takes a few dark turns and from the beginning the reader is hooked into how this respectable professional, wife, mother, pillar of the community can fall into addiction and make so many bad decisions. We see very human emotion and behaviours in this one and I just wanted to see where we were going next. A few times going No No No Radha don't, girl what are you thinking! 4/5 for me this time and hopefully not be too long before I get to the others!

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On A Night Like This by Lindsey Kelk

On a Night Like This by Lindsey Kelk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 342

Publisher - Harper Collins

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Within days of wishing she could change her life, Fran Cooper is acting assistant to a celebrity, on a yacht in the Mediterranean, and en route to a tiny Italian island and the glittering Crystal Ball, along with the world’s rich and famous.


When she – quite literally – bumps into a handsome American called Evan, a man able to keep his cool in the face of chaos, the magic really begins.


Evan makes her a promise: no last names, no life stories, just one unforgettable night. Yet Evan belongs at the Crystal Ball and Fran is a gatecrasher. They may be soulmates, but their homes are an ocean apart, and their lives a world apart. They’ll never meet again – unless, on a night like this, everything can change forever…



My Review

Guys I have been struggling to read both in terms of time and concentration, I have read Kelk before and do enjoy her books. In this one we meet Fran, engaged and been with her partner Stew for 12 years, everything is centred around ease/routine of his life. When Fran is offered an interview for a job, assistant type, with little information on the who and all top secret hush hush she goes for it. Kicking off a whirlwind with looking after a high maintenance celebrity, off on a high class super rich yatch and away from Stew, pals, routine, incommunicado effectively.

So if you want to ditch your current life and bounce into one of babysitting a brat celeb, secrecy, money, madness then put your device down and grab this book. Fran is super relatable because she is like your average everyday type person. A bit of a people pleaser but has drive, loves to do a good job but also very human which finds her getting into a few hilarious and mortifying scrapes.

The celeb lifestyle aspects of the story are very believable, we watch Tiktok, we read the stories/news and Kelk spins it we can absorb and eat up every word and enjoy the ride and riddies as poor Fran scrapes through one disaster to the next. Even at the start when we didn't have much info/contact with Stew I wanted to pan his melt in, I just didn't like the way he was with Fran, I found myself eh RED FLAG RED FLAG MATE but Fran has been living it for 12 years whilst a bit selfish and maybe annoying she accepts things as is. Until she takes the job, she knows he won't be happy but she goes for it anyway *air punch* yas, good for you Fran. I did find myself cheering her on at points, others cringing going oh no no no girl don't do/say that, eeek.

I think that is why Kelk books are so popular, you can sink in, leave your own nonsense behind and soak into someone else's. In this one we get transported to the rich and how the other half live but as Fran is staff it makes it more accessible/relatable for the reader. Humour, disaster, romance, celeb, relationships, friendships - it has a bit of everything and so good to just switch everything off to, 4.5/5 for me.

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Elektra by Jennifer Saint

Elektra by Jennifer Saint
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 304

Publisher - Wildfire

Source - Sent by a friend

Blurb from Goodreads

The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods.

Clytemnestra
The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon - her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them, and determines to win, whatever the cost.

Cassandra
Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.

Elektra
The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But, can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?


My review

So apparently a lot of this is very well known but I am not up on my Greek myths and legends. We hear from three Clytemnestra, Cassandra and Elektra (Clytemmnestra's youngest), Clytemnestra is Helen's sister and Cassandra is Princess of Troy. The story goes between the three and has some pretty tragic heart breaking emotive moments.

I love reading about these type of legends and the retellings, certainly J Saint does it ina way that is very engaging and pulls you in. In actual fact we watched Troy for the first time the other night and the way a movie goes and you watch it - that was the imagery the book/descriptions provoke.

There are many tragedies and a few topics will be triggering for some, murder, sacrifice, infidelity, abuse honestly so much action/horrific and shocking moments. If you are familiar with the legend(s) then it won't hold a ton of surprises for you but for me it did and did it pretty well. I always find after reading these I want to sink my teeth into more, 4/5 for me and looking forward to her next offerings.

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Nobody But Us by Laure Van Rensburg

Nobody But Us by Laure Van Rensburg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - Michael Joseph Books

Source - Friend

Blurb from Goodreads

In this locked room, high‑concept thriller that's part The Guest List, part The Girl Before, a couple's romantic weekend‑getaway is not what it seems.

When Ellie and her boyfriend Steven take their first trip together, what starts as an idyllic weekend soon takes a darker turn, as it quickly becomes apparent that each of them harbors secrets—and that one of those secrets is deadly.

Ellie is an NYU grad student, timid but fiercely intelligent, and eager for the perfect weekend away with her boyfriend. Steven is a wealthy and privileged teacher at an elite Manhattan school. His and Ellie's relationship has stirred up envy among the teachers in his academic circle.

When they head out for their romantic break, they're both excited to get to know each other better away from prying eyes. But when a snowstorm strands them in the house, they begin to realize that neither of them is quite who they say they are—and that one of them won't escape the weekend alive.


My Review

Ooooh the opening chapter definitely draws you in with intrigue as the police enter a scene of mayhem, blood, broken carnage around the house, what happened? We flip between chapters titled Ellie, Steven and dates were a story starts to emerge. Ellie and Steven are going on holiday to this far out deserted house, just the two of them, romantic time. They become stranded and both of them are not quite what they seem and the readers get to know a bit more about each as the chapters tease out the details. And things turn dark!

Steven is a college teacher and Ellie is his student and girlfriend of six months, Steve is an unlikeable controlling older man. Ellie is the younger girlfriend, innocent, quiet, meek and manipulated by Steven, he likes his girls a certain way, type, behaviour, his ideals, beliefs and very questionable behaviour.

The tag line was "introducing 2022's most f*cked up couple" and they weren't wrong. The pace isn't neck breaking but you are engaged from the prologue and wanting to know what they are hiding. Toxic is one way of putting it and I was intrigued to the dated diary style entries - clearly damaged, devastated and in love but who is the writer?

Some of the details/passages are pretty horrific, if you have ever been in a toxic relationship the book is likely to stir some hard hitting emotions. #Metoo movement has strongly influenced this story and we get a unique view point of a perpetrator, a victim and a survivor but with a unique spin to it.

Creepy, shocking, stomach turning, tense - a psychological thriller that turns in ways the reader won't predict, well I didn't and aghast at what was happening but unable to put it down long because I needed to know where it was going next, 4/5 for me!

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The Story of Silence by Alex Myers

The Story of Silence by Alex Myers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - as able over 10 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Harper

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

A knightly fairy tale of royalty and dragons, of midwives with secrets and dashing strangers in dark inns. Taking the original French legend as his starting point, The Story of Silence is a rich, multilayered new story for today’s world – sure to delight fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale.

There was once, long ago, a foolish king who decreed that women should not, and would not, inherit. Thus when a girl-child was born to Lord Cador – Merlin-enchanted fighter of dragons and Earl of Cornwall – he secreted her away: to be raised a boy so that the family land and honour would remain intact.

That child’s name was Silence.

Silence must find their own place in a medieval world that is determined to place the many restrictions of gender and class upon them. With dreams of knighthood and a lonely heart to answer, Silence sets out to define themselves.

Soon their silence will be ended.



My Review

Silence, born a girl, raised a boy. The laws of the land that only males could inherit therefore Silence MUST be a boy. I had never heard of this medieval poem so this retelling was shiny brand new to me from all angles. We open in an old tavern with a bard telling the story of Silence and we go back to Silence's birth, why the law came into play that only males can inherit and Silence's life.

This is brilliant, different, unique (I felt) going back to a time when there is war, inheriting through marriage, birth, titles, land. Being raised as a boy, knowing you are different but not exactly why and living your life a lie, trying to constantly prove your worth. It is emotive in places, I really felt for Silence. Nothing was good enough, just wanting approval, only wanting to be a knight. Silence is such a good person, kind, honest and it is almost constantly used against them.

I don't generally read books like this and I am glad I got a chance to, historical fiction (I am coming more around and enjoying this genre), fantasy, gender vs sex, adventure, friendship, relationships, deceit, betrayal and even a wizard! There is just so much and for me it was fresh, different, new. I read a lot of books across genres but this was really different. I plan to hunt down the poem and have a read at it. When reading this I did find myself pondering life/situations for Silence then and for those in the LGBTQIA community now. I don't know if that was one of the authors goals in writing this but it certainly left me deep in thought. Sometimes you don't realise how much you take for granted purely because of how you were born/raised. 4.5/5 for me this time, this was my first time reading this author, I will be looking at their other work and other books in this kind of vein. It is thought provoking read and I think I will be thinking about this long after I put it down.

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Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls by Michelle Rawlins

Today is my turn and last stop on the blog tour for "Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls" by author Michelle Rawlins.

For my stop I have my review, enjoy!

Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls by Michelle Rawlins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - HQ

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

With the country at war, can they come together this winter?

Winter, 1939
As December draws nearer and with her family facing their first Christmas without Bert, Nancy is desperately trying to keep up her children’s spirits and her own.

Young Patty should be excited to be spending her first festive season with sweetheart Archie, but why does she worry he’s keeping something from her?

Betty is missing her beloved William as he continues his RAF training but she’s determined not to sit around wallowing. In the midst of the coldest winter on record and with the introduction of rationing, times are tougher than ever but Betty has an idea to make sure nobody goes without this winter.

And with our Steel Girls rallying around each other, can there still be hope this Christmas?

The second novel in the new heartwarming Steel Girls series following our feisty factory sister’s bravery and hope during wartime, perfect for fans of Nancy Revell and Elaine Everest.



My Review

so I didn't realise this was book two in a series but you can absolutely pick this up as a standalone. We have a Betty, I LOVE a Betty as you know so boxes being ticked already. 1939, winter and families are trying to adjust to their loved ones off to war. Positions changed, women were working in the steel factory to aid the cause and to make ends meet. Betty, Patty and Nancy - working together, surviving each day and looking forward to things being back to normal.

Aw you guys, a wee Betty and omg she is an actual scone. So kind, thinking of others, she is just a tonic to read. I have been reading horror for October reads and some of that was really dark and creepy. So to come into a book where the people are doing their bit, pulling together despite living through such horrible times. Loved ones away to war, rationing coming in and still people go over and above for each other, a sense of belonging and community.

We have the courting and relationships strengthening, families missing their loved ones, new relationships blossoming and an authentic feel for that time period. I actually liked it so much I bought the first book in the series when I finished this so I can read more on the characters and look forward to the next in the series. Survival, loved, relationships, hope in a time of darkness, community, love and strength. It is more about the people and them getting through each day than the darker aspects of or intricate details of the actual war, 4/5. This was my first dance with this author but it won't be my last.

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The Split by Laura Kay

The Split by Laura Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Quercus Books

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Wounded and betrayed, after being dumped by her girlfriend, Ally makes off to her dad’s in Sheffield with the one thing that might soothe the pain and force her ex to speak to her again: Emily's cat, Malcolm.

Back home and forced into a 'date' by their parents, Ally and her first ever beard, Jeremy, come up with a ridiculous plan to win their exes back... to revenge-run a half marathon. Given neither of them can run, they enlist the support of athletic, not to mention beautiful, Jo. But will she have them running for the hills... or will their ridiculous plan pay off...?


My Review

Ally and Emily have been together for seven years, their break up comes out of the blue for Ally. Heartbroken, shocked and upset she leaves their boat and takes Emily's cat Malcolm, heading back home to Sheffield to lick her wounds. She reconnects with her old friend Jeremy, also home, heartbroken after having split from his boyfriend. The two decide to help each other through it and train for a half marathon, show their exes what they are missing.

Whilst Ally tries to win back her ex (or manipulate depending on how you see it) we get to know her. She emails Emily updates, mopes about the house before starting to train for this marathon with Jeremy. At some point she has to start looking for a job but prior to that we see her enjoying lazing about, eating what she wants (her ex was vegan so Ally "had" to be to). At parts Ally really isn't a nice person, treatment of a particular person in the attempts to win back the ex.

Self discovery, focus, personal growth and at one part I felt very emotive -, I know it is fiction but so many kids going through such isolation, feeling like an outsider growing up and noone "like you". We need to do better.

I think this might be marmite for some, I liked it, splashes of humour, shadiness, relationships, breakups and the madness of being a couch potato training for a half marathon (I was rooting for them!) I know I couldn't do it. 4/5 for me this time, will definitely look for more by her. xxx

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Her Last Holiday by C L Taylor

Her Last Holiday by C.L. Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon books

Source - Netgalley/bought HB copy

Blurb from Goodreads

You come to the retreat to be healed. You don’t expect to die.



Two years ago, Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared on a wellness retreat in Gozo that went terribly wrong.


Tom Wade, the now infamous man behind Soul Shrink Retreats, has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for the deaths of two people. But he has never let on what happened to the third victim: Jenna.


Determined to find out the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat – the first since his release – and finds herself face to face with the man who might hold the key to her sister’s disappearance. The only question is, will she escape the retreat alive? Or does someone out there want Jenna’s secrets to stay hidden?



The master of suspense is back. Prepare yourself for the latest heart-in-mouth rollercoaster ride from the Sunday Times bestseller.



My Review

Split between timelines, then and now and characters Fran (Jenna's sister), Jenna who never came home after going to a retreat a few years previous and Kate - wife of the guru of the retreat Tom who is being released from jail after the scandal at the last retreat. The retreat Jenna attended and never came home from. Kate is picking up the pieces, rebuilding her and Tom's life/business. Fran attends as Geraldine, desperate to find out what happened to her sister. As we flip past and present we follow Jenna's journey up until her disappearance, present is "Geraldine" struggling to get information in the new retreat under the watchful eye of Kate, ooft Kate!

These type of stories can go wrong, duo timelines, multiple narrative perspective but Taylor draws you in and envelopes the reader with each of the characters. What happened to Jenna? Will Fran get answers and finally have closure, is Tom really the bad guy?

Even the small bit characters in the retreat setting, Fran's mum, you want to know more about them, why is Fran they way she is. The chapters are short and keep you hooked, when one chapter ended I didn't want to flip either timeline or person, over and over, Taylor has a gift! I read this in almost one sitting, the end came swiftly and as with a fair few authors you are left wanting more. I have read all of Taylor's books and cannot wait for her next offering, 4/5 for me this time.

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When I was Ten by Fiona Cummins

When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 367

Publisher - Macmillan

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

She had lived a lie for thirteen years, and the perfect life as she had known it was about to change forever.

Everyone remembered Sara and Shannon Carter, the little blonde haired sisters. Their Dad was the local GP and they lived in the beautiful house on the hill. Their best friend, Brinley Booth, lived next door. They would do anything for each other but everything shifted on that fateful day when Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela were stabbed fourteen times with a pair of scissors in what has become the most talked about double murder of the modern age.

The girls were aged ten and twelve at the time. One, nicknamed the Angel of Death, spent eight years in a children’s secure unit accused of the brutal killings. The other lived in foster care out of the limelight and prying questions. Now, on the anniversary of the trial, a documentary team has tracked down one of the sisters, persuading her to speak about the events of that night for the first time.

Her explosive interview sparks national headlines and Brinley Booth, now a journalist, is tasked with covering the news story which brings to light fresh evidence and triggers a chain of events which will have devastating consequences.



My Review

A child running from a horrific murder then present day - we flip from Catherine, mother to Honor and wife to Edward. She is everything you want to be, attentive, caring, worried about the change in her daughter who is becoming withdrawn, moody and night terrors, Edward is also behaving differently. Brinley is a reporter, never really sinking her teeth into anything worthwhile, dreaming of being with her colleague but noone looks at her like that nor takes her seriously. When a story comes about taking us back to a horrific family murder, Brinley has her chance to be involved in a real story but can she keep her past and present apart and how much will she risk to get what she wants?

Ooft this book has loads going on, as well as jumping from characters we also head back into the past, to the family of the murders. Two sisters living in what seems a perfect home, respected parents of the community - what would drive one of them to murder?

The book teases out the story as we go along, what does Catherine have to do with it and what is the deal with her husband, he is behaving cagey. The storyline that goes back to the siblings is hard reading in parts due to the subject matter. When we are in the present I want don't want to flip to the past and when I am in the past I don't want to flip to the present. It makes for compelling reading and keeps you guessing, where is this going, what does X have to do with Y?

This is my third book for this author and found there is another I have missed, now ordered and on route. For the people who work everything out I think you will enjoy this because it will keep you on your toes. For those who enjoy suspense/thriller/shocking then this is a book for you, 4.5/5 for me, looking forward to the one I missed and whatever she is working on next!

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Three Weddings and a Proposal by Sheila O'Flanagan

Three Weddings and a Proposal by Sheila O'Flanagan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages -

Publisher - Headline Review

Source - Vine copy

Blurb from Amazon

At the first wedding, there's a shock

The second wedding is unexpected

By the third, Delphie thinks nothing could surprise her. But she's wrong . . .

Delphie is enjoying her brother's wedding. Her surprise last-minute Plus One has stunned her family - and it's also stopped any of them asking again why she's still single. But when she sees all the missed calls that evening, she knows it can't be good news. And she's right.

Delphie has been living her best life, loving her job, her friends, her no-strings relationships and her dream house by the sea. Now she has to question everything she believed about who she is and what she wants. Is her mum right - is it time to settle down? Or does she want to keep on trying to have it all?

Each wedding of a glorious summer brings a new surprise. And as everything Delphie thought she had is threatened, she has the chance to reshape her future . . .



My Review

Delphie has a job she loves, she gets to experience the riches of life she can't afford, her boss is a great guy. What she lacks in her personal life she more than makes up for in her work achievements much to the Umbridge of her family. When tragedy strikes Delphie's life is turned upside down and she finds herself caught up in chaos, relationship dramas, feuds all whilst trying to sort her own life out.

I liked Delphie, strong, independent, career driven, focusing on what she wants despite everyone else pressuring her to settle down, marry a person instead of her job. I liked the dynamics between the characters, how different some of them are, bitchy, bridezilla and ugh the creeps at her work. I was spitting chips and some of the antics/attitudes. And one point I actually gasped out loud, I was raging!

Perfect book for a poolside read or just getting out of your own life to nip into someone elses, it has tons of drama to keep you hooked. Past love coming back into her life, marriages, scandal, families, job issues, a strong independent business woman - not just your typical love story. I liked it, sure I have read O'Flanagan before and I will read her again, 4/5 for me this time.

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The Recovery of Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

The Recovery of Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 402

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Rose Gold Watts believed she was sick for eighteen years.

Turned out her mother was a really good liar.

After five years in prison, Patty Watts is finally free. All she wants is to put old grievances behind her, reconcile with the daughter who testified against her - and care for her new infant grandson.

When Rose Gold agrees to have Patty move in, it seems their relationship is truly on the mend. And she has waited such a long time for her mother to come home.

But has Patty truly forgotten their past?

And is Rose Gold really able to forgive?

A gripping and electrifying tale that will make you question your allegiances until the very end . . .



My Review

Dear Lord what a twisted and shocking story, unbelievable it is a debut! Told between two POV Patty the mother and Rose Gold the daughter, Patty is in the jail after being found guilty of causing harm to her daughter, Rose Gold, for years. We open on release day, Patty is getting out and surprisingly enough Rose Gold is coming to get her. We flip between past and present, five years prior to Patty being release, Rose Gold is trying to adjust to life, freedom, not being sick. We learn each of their individual perspectives, how things came to a head with Patty being outed and Rose adjusting to life. The case was well publicized and poor Rose Gold has had a lot to overcome, so many years being abused, sick and yet totally doting on and dependent on her mother.

A psychological dark suspense, Munchausen by Proxy, recovery as the abused and the insight into the abuser and their very skewed outlook. The narrators are unreliable, shocking, damaged, unhinged as you would expect with everything that has happened. As you delve deeper you are shocked at the revelations, the actions, the thought process - it is one of those books you just don't know what is coming next. Families can be murder and then you have the Watts, ooft, unique isn't quite the right word but they sure are something else.

Dark, creepy, shocking, questionable and a really interesting insight into Munchausen by Proxy from both sides. I would be interested in knowing what research the author did as the book has an authentic feel throughout, fiction that could easily be fact, it reads so well. 4.5/5 for me this time I very much look forward to seeing what comes next from Wrobel!

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Letters from the Past by Erica James

Letters From the Past by Erica James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 508

Publisher - Orion

Source - Bought from Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

With its winding high street lined with a greengrocers, post office, pub and church, Melstead St Mary is the perfect English village. Neighbours look out for neighbours, and few things trouble the serene surface of the community.

But when residents start to receive anonymous letters containing secret information about their pasts - secrets that no one else is meant to know - life in Melstead St Mary is about to change, possibly forever...

My Review

In a small village everyone looks out for each other or do they? Families are close or are they? Melstead St Mary is a tightknit community and we have a handful of main characters we visit. Evelyn is sorting a big party for her wedding anniversary, Hope is a successful children's author, Julia has married into the family and noone really gets close to her. Romily is the glue that holds the family together, she is also an author and script writer. They all have busy lives and all have something in common, they have been targeted for poison pen letters.

The book took a wee bit to settle into just because there are so many characters and we flip between them and some of their past events. I did enjoy the characters, the stories, how interwoven they are and some belters of secrets some of them had, what family doesn't.

There are some heart warming moments, some shocking themes within the book, abuse, coercion, love, relationships, doubt. When the book flips to some of the past of the characters we learn more about who they are and how strong some of them are. I do love a strong female character and went back and forth on some of them. I liked it but didn't love it, I have read this author before and will read her again, 3.5/5 for me.

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Deadly Cry by Angela Marsons

Deadly Cry by Angela Marsons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 373

Publisher - Bookouture

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

You have to stop me from hurting anyone else. I don’t want to do these horrible things. Help me before I’m forced to do it again. And I will do it again because I have no choice. I’ve never had a choice.

In a busy shopping centre, a little girl clutches a teddy bear, clinging to it in the absence of her mother, Katrina. Hours later, Katrina’s body is discovered in an abandoned building. For Detective Kim Stone, it looks like a quick, functional murder. But Kim’s instincts tell her there’s more to this senseless murder than meets the eye. What was the motive for killing a young mother out shopping with her child?

Days later, a second victim is found in a local park, her neck broken just like Katrina’s and her six-year-old son missing.

But with her colleague, Detective Stacey Wood, working on another unsolved crime and a member of the team grieving the loss of a close relative, Kim is struggling to make inroads on what is fast becoming a complex case. And when a handwritten letter from the killer lands on Kim’s desk addressed to her, and pleading for help, she knows time is running out to bring the little boy home alive.


My Review

A little girl left abandoned in a shop, hours later her mother is found dead, no signs of torture or sexual components so why would someone kill her? Soon another victim is found and Stone knows this is someone who won't stop until they stop them. Fling in a rape case Stacey is looking into and things start to get hairy, when a case is closed noone appreciates an officer digging into them.

If you have read the previous books you know your characters, Stone is one of my faves, she isn't loveable, she is rough around the edges, standoffish but she is fantastic, loyal and her relationship with her dog/team, I just love it.

The book is a good pace, as with all the predecessors, there are a fair things going in, the murders, the rape cases. Also one of the team trying to get through grief and look out for his brother who is struggling with the recent bereavement. A bit of everything and Marson's has yet to let us down, fresh, emotive and characters you can empathize with or at least invest in. 4/5 for me this time, got the next one waiting to be read!

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