After successful ad exec Alan Anderson bombs the biggest pitch of his career, he has an epiphany. His entire career has been about making people buy stuff that they don’t need so they feel perpetually unsatisfied and less-than. After a lifetime of striving for capitalism, Alan is opting out.

He retires to the ridiculously extravagant playhouse in his family’s suburban Connecticut garden (a classic example of something the Andersons didn’t need), gives up showering, shoe-wearing, and purchases of all kinds. He might even read a book! This is all very upsetting for his wife Vivian, who is on the verge of being accepted into the insanely elite Queen’s Anne Club – guaranteed to make all her insecurities disappear and her children popular.

But maybe everyone will want to buy what Alan’s not selling? And, in losing his ambition, might he find what we’re all looking for?

My Thoughts:

This book was not what I was expecting at all. I found the first half of the book very slow but after halfway it gets better. The characters are hard to like straight away and I did find I liked Alan more when he had opted out. There are some funny parts and some parts made me laugh out loud. It’s one of those books that would of been great if the first half had not of been so slow.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Five years ago, Zennor’s perfect Cornish wedding fell apart in the most spectacular style – thanks to Matt Veryan, the man who crashed the celebrations and shattered her happily ever after.

Now a successful business owner in St Ives, Zennor is shocked to discover Matt is not only back in her life- he’s also her new landlord.

As old feelings resurface and long-buried secrets come to light, Zennor must face the truth about her past, her marriage . . . and the man she never truly forgot.

But can Zennor ever forgive Matt? And if she does, could it lead her to a love greater than she ever dared dream possible?

My Thoughts:

Phillipa is one of my go to authors, I don’t need to read the blurb to know it will be just as good as her previous books. This one is about Zennor who had her heart shattered many years ago, and now has her life back on track until the person that hurt her back then comes back into her life. But can she forgive and forget? it was a read that people may be able to relate to, it is also a thought provoking read as in what would you do if you were in Zennor’s shoes? I zoomed through this read as I just felt as though I needed to know if Zennor was going to be alright in the end. It was a great read with a great bunch of characters.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

A new adventure is on the menu . . .

Juliet has learnt that life is too short not to chase your dreams. But when she buys an old watermill in France, her tranquil new start is quickly kneaded into something far more ambitious when the local mayor offers her a deal she can’t refuse: reopen the village’s derelict boulangerie.

With a formidable rival – the owner of the local bread vending machine – determined to crush her, Juliet faces disgruntled villagers, her own lack of baking skills, and hidden secrets within the mill itself.

But with help from her outspoken neighbour and the charming Tabac owner, Juliet battles to bring back the aroma of freshly baked bread – and with it, the heart of the community.

Can she prove that even the biggest dreams start with just a little pinch of courage?

My Thoughts:

When Juliet’s life does not go to plan she decides to step out of her comfort zone and go and chase her dreams. She has always wanted to run her own bakery and moving to France and buying an old watermill is just what the doctor ordered. But she soon realises there is more to renovating and even staying in France but she is a determined woman even if the locals are not happy she is there, they don’t like an outsider coming in and trying to change the norm. But gradually Juliet finds people to help her but can she make a success of the bakery or will she leave with her tail between her legs? It was another great read from Jo which I flew through as I just loved reading it. Jo is one of my comfort go to authors. I cannot get enough of her satisfying writing and delicious sounding food. Don’t read this book on an empty stomach as you will regret it. My mouth was watering reading the description of the baguettes. Yum. This is going to be very popular when it comes out.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Jessie Dunhour has a checklist for her life and a plan for everything. At almost twenty-eight, she’s mostly on track: her dream promotion within reach, a house under contract and the chance to finally prove that hard work and staying the course pays off. Sure, her relationship timeline hasn’t unfolded the way she expected, but that’s something she’ll figure out once her career is firmly in place.

There’s just one complication. The path to promotion comes with a mandatory year-long relocation to Dublin, Ireland. Jessie doesn’t even have a passport, let alone a desire to upend her carefully curated life.

Thrown into a world of brightly colored Georgian doors, relentless rain and coworkers who actually take lunch breaks, Jessie struggles to find her footing—until she meets Aidan. Charming, spontaneous and well-travelled, he is everything she isn’t. As her assignment ticks away, he pulls her further from her comfort zone and into a life she never imagined: one filled with adventure and a future that doesn’t fit neatly into a spreadsheet.

But when her time abroad runs out, Jessie faces the most important choice of her life—return to the path she always planned, or take a chance on the one she never saw coming?

My Thoughts:

Jessica has a life long plan but when her company decide to relocate her to Ireland, she is not over the moon to begin with. She had a dream and this dream could be potentially ruined. But when she meets the handsome Aidan she thinks everything is starting to look up but is it really. It was an ok read, easy to follow along with. A bit boring in parts and predictable. I am not sure if I would read this author again.

Some secrets are better left buried…

Rebecca finally lives the peaceful life in Nevada that she’s always dreamed of with her perfect husband Tom and two adorable boys. Most importantly, Rebecca’s past is safely behind her – where she left it.

Until one morning an old friend shows up out of the blue. Tom’s making pancakes and the boys are playing nicely . . . This should be a happy reunion. But Rebecca’s heart stops when she sees who’s standing on her doorstep.

Danny disappeared the night of their high school prom. Now she’s back. Where has she been all these years? And how did she find me?

Danny is nothing but a reminder of everything Rebecca escaped – and all the secrets she’s kept hidden from Tom…

Danny claims she’s just stopping by. Rebecca can’t tell the truth from the lies. The only thing she can be sure of: Danny’s arrival is going to ruin everything she’s worked for – and she won’t let that happen.

My Thoughts:

Rebecca is happily married with her two gorgeous boys but no one knows about her past and what happened back then until one fateful day when a blast from the past turns up on her doorstep. But can Rebecca hide her secret from her family or is this stranger going to watch everything come tumbling down? it was an on the edge of your seat kind of read, I was hooked from the first chapter in this tense thriller. I flew through this book as I needed to find out what Rebecca did in the past and how this person turning up was going to shake things up for Rebecca and her family. It was totally immersive and thrilling read. I loved it.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

This perfect house on a quiet street was supposed to be my sanctuary, a place to recover. But everything changed the moment I saw that woman in the charity shop. She triggered something dark, buried deep within my memory…

Now I’ve started forgetting small things, like locking the front door.

And bigger things, like remembering to pick my little girl up from nursery.

I feel terrified every time I pass through a particular spot in our living room.

And sometimes, when I’m alone, I’m sure I can hear a baby crying…

I think the woman knows what happened to me. But if I can’t trust myself to believe she’s real, who else will believe me?

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Valerie and I found it good. It is a twisty thriller that pulls you in and you wonder what is really going on in her head. Everything changes when she first spots the woman and it brings back memories that she tried to hide many years ago. Bad things happened then and she does not want to relive them a minute longer. But then other things start to happen and she can feel herself spiralling out of control. I liked the story but I did feel as though it was a little repetitive and the characters did not really hold my attention, however I did want to know the outcome as I had many ideas but was unsure if they would be the right one. I did feel the ending let the story down though.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Five passengers. Five minutes until the next train … five minutes until someone dies.

Someone will die here this morning, at this suburban train station. It will happen in the next five minutes when the 7:06 to London Victoria arrives.

On a train platform, five strangers unknowingly face a chilling countdown: one of them will die in five minutes.

In this gripping tale narrated with a sharp tongue, the five main characters – a child, a mother, a businessman, an old woman, and a gambler – will draw you in with their stories of fate, sacrifice, and the relationships we build and those we break.

As the clock ticks down, we look away from the demonic child Gideon. We judge his mother Emma who must surely be to blame. We are curiously compelled by the successful yet damaged businessman Liam. We pity the furious old Mrs Worth who grew up in a macabre household and failed at being a mother. And we fall in love with the beautiful Sonny who is on the verge of gambling his life away.

My Thoughts:

This story is set at at a train station and includes five different people. No one knows what will happen when the next train arrives but someone’s life will get caught short. As we follow the story along we get to know each of the five people, and see which one the reader thinks could be the one. But not everything is as it seems as the train starts to arrive who will be the victim? you will go through every emotion reading this book, it is a tense, edge of the seat stuff and you won’t be disappointed. I found it a thought provoking read.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here: