Croydon, 1964. Art therapist Helen Hansford is working in a psychiatric hospital, where she has been having passionate but precarious affair with her married colleague, the charismatic Dr Gil Rudden.

Helen’s structured life is upended when William Tapping – a silent, thirty-seven-year-old man with a beard down to his waist – arrives at the hospital. As Helen helps William express himself through art, she becomes increasingly entangled in his mysterious past.

Inspired by a true story, Shy Creatures is a life-affirming exploration of loneliness, love and the quiet forces that shape our lives, reminding us that freedom can come in unexpected forms.

My Thoughts:

Helen works in a psychiatric hospital where she helps the patients to express themselves through art form. When William arrives at the hospital she knows she must do everything to help this man, art is a big help to him and he seems very good at it. I liked how Clare writes and with such passion too. I also liked how it is set in Croydon, and parts of London that I know already. I loved the way Clare has brought the characters to life and I enjoyed seeing where this story was going to go. I found it fascinating reading about working and being in a psychiatric hospital in the 1960’s.

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When Harper sees an ad for what must surely be the most idyllic job in the world, she’s almost tempted. But she can’t possibly leave her bookshop job in London, or her burgeoning career as a successful Bookstagram influencer… That is, until a casual remark about a debut author lands her in deep trouble.

So she applies. After all, now she’s got nothing to lose. Except maybe her heart, she realises, as she lands on the beautiful island of Ésperé in the Seychelles and finds herself seemingly surrounded by beautiful men. Including the hotel owner, moody but heartbreakingly-handsome Xavier.

But inter-staff relations are strictly forbidden. And Harper has enough on her plate, with a member of staff missing and a wily band of expats to contend with. Plus, she’s determined to make the bookshop and new start the success they deserve to be… Even if – under the blazing sunshine – the romance novel superfan in her can’t help but hope the boss of the hotel might not be quite the grump he seems…

My Thoughts:
As soon as I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. This would be my dream job and I felt almost jealous of Harper, when she finds an ad for the job, she applies even though she is happy with how she is living now, wouldn’t it be nice to be a bookseller in the sunshine, and when she gets the job, she cannot believe it and starts living her life to the fullest. She meets Xavier but sadly he cannot be hers, so she plunges herself into being the best bookseller there is and it has it benefits too. I loved this story so much, it made me so happy and warm inside. It is a perfect pick me up read, little to worry about and pure escapism.

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

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Julian Rousseaux has a problem. He’s single, and for the world’s wealthiest vampires, the social season is about to begin. Julian would rather stake himself than get married. But as the eldest, eligible Rousseaux he has no choice but to find a wife before the season ends – whether he likes it or not.

When cellist Thea literally stumbles into his life at a gala, she’s the last person Julian could ever fall in love with. She’s too innocent, too kind and way too human. But now that she knows about his world, she’s also a walking target.

She needs protection; he needs a fake girlfriend to discourage overzealous vampire matchmaking… But with each moment they share, new dangers emerge: a desire as forbidden as their stolen touches, an awakening of a long-dead heart, and secrets that could tear them both apart…

My Thoughts:

This was a bit different read for me. I don’t usually read books about vampires but I thought I would give it a go. I am glad I did, it was an easy story to follow along with. Julian is a vampire and when he goes to a gala dinner her meets Thea and he cannot seem to stay away from her even though she is human and this could be bad news for the both of them, but the attraction is strong between them and neither of them can stay away from each other. There are some spicy scenes in this story but it was ok, it kind of fitted with the story. The only thing I was not keen on was he kept on calling her pet and that bugged me a little. I know there are other books to follow on from this book, which I may read at some point but I would not be racing out to get them. Overall a good read.

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HIS MISTRESS IS DEAD. HIS WIFE IS HIS ONLY HOPE.

Sarah Morgan is one of the best criminal defence attorneys in Washington, DC. With a perfect case record and having made named partner before the age of thirty-five, her life is going exactly as she planned.

However, the same cannot be said for her husband, Adam, a failed author, who’s grown to resent his wife’s meteoric success as he feels it’s come at the expense of their relationship.

For almost two years, Adam has kept his affair with Kelly Summers a secret, but everything changes when her body is discovered at the couple’s lake house and Adam is arrested on suspicion of murder.

Sarah now finds herself facing her most challenging case yet when she vows to defend her husband–a man accused of murdering his mistress.

While Adam is certainly guilty of sleeping with Kelly, the question remains: Is he guilty of killing her too?

My Thoughts:

I did not know what to expect with this book, the storyline sounded so good. It is all about Sarah who is a defence attorney and the best in the business and her husband who is a writer. But when he gets accused of murder, Sarah knows she needs to be his defence lawyer and take things in to her own hands, but how is she feeling about everything, her whole world has just come crashing down on her but she vows to help him at his worst. I liked the writing style and how each chapter was a different person so you got a feel of how each character was feeling. It was an addictive and compelling read, the twists shocked me and so did the ending. I am looking forward to reading the next book now. There was a lot of oh my god’s in the story. I could not believe how the story turned out. So good.

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Sometimes, enough is enough…

Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighbourly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction.

Or at least, she did.

These days, Debbie’s life seems to be spiralling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie’s done being the bigger person. She’s done being reasonable and practical. It’s time to take her own advice.

And now it’s time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most.

My Thoughts:

Why are Frieda’s books so addictive? that is what I want to know. As soon as she has a new book out I am there and have to purchase it. Debbie writes for a column and she has to give her advice to people that write in. Debbie has heard it all and is fed up of hearing the dame things over and over again but for her column she must give the best advice and direct them to the best way of dealing with the situation. But when she loses her job and things start to go down hill for Debbie she decides enough is enough and takes payback on all the people who have been not on her side. But how she does it, is genius and nothing can stop her now. I loved the build up through out the book and the twists, it is very rare to guess what is coming next with Frieda’s books. It was an unusual storyline but one that worked really well.

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Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike.

Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.

With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.

While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.

My Thoughts:

Another great Colleen Hoover read. This is about Morgan and her teenage daughter Clara. They both find it hard to exist around each other but Morgan does not want her to end up how she did at her age, but what sixteen year old girl will listen to her mothers advice as she did not when she was that young. When tragedy strikes the family, Clara blames her mum but when Morgan finds out something that could shatter her daughter’s world she decides not to tell her. They both go through the grieving process but will they be able to connect once again? Morgan seeks comfort in someone close by and it’s how Clara will respond to that. It was a good read and storyline, I think readers will be able to relate somewhere in this story. It makes you think what you would do in Morgan’s situation. They were great well rounded characters and you go through different emotions reading the story. I raced through this book and loved it. A great read.

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When Rosie inherits No.13 Arundel Crescent from the birth parents she never knew, the large house in London’s upmarket Notting Hill feels like a dream come true, at first…

But dreams can become nightmares.

The house is crumbling around her and has conditions attached. She can’t sell it on, and before long, she’s forced to take in lodgers, just to pay the bills.

Meanwhile the truth about what happened to her parents is about to surface. And someone – who will stop at nothing – has a dark plan to take everything that belongs to Rosie, and more

My Thoughts:

I needed a good twisty thriller to read and this book caught my attention. I liked the sound of the plot. A woman inherits the house her biological parents had before they died. She wants to find out more about herself as she was adopted when young. But when a woman wants to come and clean for her she doesn’t realise what she is letting herself in for. Things start to go wrong and no one is as they seem. Things start spiralling out of control for her and she doesn’t know when they will stop. Lots of lies, betrayals and family issues make for such a thrilling read. It will grab hold of you and won’t let you breathe until the end. A punchy thriller of a read.

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

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Ten years after fleeing Sandy Harbor Island, Josie’s hometown is the last place she wants to be. But she’s maid of honor for her sister Madeline and determined to give her the beachside wedding of her dreams.

Josie hadn’t reckoned on the best man: Ian. One look in his sky-blue eyes and she’s back to the summer she turned eighteen, waitressing at the sailing club. She never expected the son of the island’s wealthiest property developer to notice her. But sun-kissed days out on the water showed Josie that Ian had the kindest heart and biggest dreams.

Their future had only just begun when Josie’s life was torn apart. She can never tell Ian why she ran away. She’ll just avoid him all week and leave as soon as the wedding is over.

But Ian’s oceanside cottage is the only place to stay, and wedding events throw them together in all kinds of ways. It’s clear from every lingering glance and accidental brush of hands that neither of them ever forgot that fleeting, magical summer…

But the harder Josie falls, the more danger she’s in of revealing her secret. Ian is the one person who can never, ever know what she did on that life-shattering day a decade ago. But if Josie runs away—forever this time—will she break her own heart all over again?

My Thoughts:

Josie has come back to her hometown for her sister’s wedding, many years ago Josie and her family fled this place and for very good reasons she never wanted to return until now. But when you are maid of honour and the best man is someone you ran away from, things are going to get a little awkward. Ian and Josie know there is still a connection between the two of them even after all this time, he wants to know why she fled. When it all comes tumbling out, Josie is in for a shock she never saw coming. Plenty of twists and turns in this story, I liked how each chapter was Josie or Ian recalling what happened back then and also the present day. I guessed early on what had happened back then but not what the twist would be. It was a great story that held my attention till the end. I need to read more of this authors books now.

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

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As the weather warms up, everyone in Starr’s Fall has one thing on their minds… ice cream. And Zoe Wilkinson is the person to help them out. Running the town’s only ice cream shop—The Latest Scoop—she should be the most popular person in town, at least every day that the sun’s shining.

But, in spite of growing up in Starr’s Fall, Zoe has reached the age of twenty-eight without letting anyone deeply into her life. Her wild teenage years seem to be all anyone remembers, perhaps not helped by her spiky pink hair, and sometimes even spikier attitude.

That is, until fourteen-year-old Sophie comes into her store, and tries to steal something. Zoe calls her out, only to attract the ire of Sophie’s furious father, Dan Bryant –a surprisingly sexy middle-aged dad who Zoe would probably develop a huge crush on, if he wasn’t busy defending his daughter.

When she gets home to realise Sophie and Dan are in fact also her new neighbors, she knows she has to make nice. Besides, she can’t help but see a bit of her own teenage tearaway self in sulky Sophie.

But, as the summer sun blazes overhead, will letting a lost teenage girl and a man who gives her butterflies into her life be enough to warm up Zoe’s frozen, frightened heart?

My Thoughts:

This is book three in the Starr’s Fall Series and it can be read as a standalone as I have done. Zoe is the owner of the local ice cream shop and she is happy in life but knows there is something missing. When a dad and daughter move in to town Zoe gets more than she bargained for when his daughter steals something from her shop and when she finds out they are neighbours it blows her mind, how can she concentrate when there is a hot guy living next door. But Zoe has home life stuff going on and does not know if she should commit. It was a lovely story to escape with. I liked the characters and even though I have not read the previous two books I don’t feel as though I am missing out on anything. It was a really good well rounded read.

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

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