Seven friends gather at a castle in the Scottish Borders. One last weekend before Georgie’s wedding. Near the castle, through a path in the woods, is a loch. After a few drinks, they head down to the water to take photos. The loch is wild, lonely, and stunningly beautiful. They set their camera to self-timer and take some group shots. Later, looking back at the pictures, they see something impossible.

Behind them, eyes wide, a small, drenched boy emerges from the water.

But none of them saw him, and nobody knows where he went. They’re miles from the nearest town. How did he get there? Where did he go?

As the weekend unravels and terrible secrets come to light, it soon becomes clear that their perfect weekend is turning into a perfect nightmare. They’re desperate to leave – but someone won’t let them.

My Thoughts:

When I read the plot for this book I thought it sounded brilliant. It is mysterious and creepy, when seven friends meet at a castle in Scotland for the weekend, just before one of them get’s married, they go down to the Loch to take pictures, after looking back at the pictures at a later date they realise they were not alone. Elle has described the place so well that I had goosebumps on my arms and I felt a chill in the air. With the story you never really know what will come next, the weekend continues but things start to happen that is beyond any bodies control. Will they be able to cut loose and get away? The story is hauntingly beautiful. I won’t be forgetting this book in a hurry, it still gives me the chills.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you to Anne Cater and Wildfire books for sending me a copy.

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When she is given the opportunity to move to a remote tidal island off the Cornish Coast, Marisa Rossi decides some peace and quiet might be just what she needs.

Since the death of her beloved grandfather back in Italy, she’s been struggling to find a way out of her grief. Perhaps this will be the perfect place for her to recuperate.

But Mount Polbearne is a far cry from the sleepy little place she was imagining. Between her noisy piano-teaching Russian neighbour and the hustle and bustle of a busy community, Marisa finds solitude is not so easy to come by. Especially when she finds herself somehow involved with a tiny local bakery desperately in need of some new zest to save it . .

My Thoughts:

This is book four in the Little Beach Street Bakery series and was just as lovely as the other three. It was lovely to return to Polbearne and see all the characters again including Neil who is a puffin. It was nice to meet the two newcomers too and to see how they would integrate into the island’s community. It was interesting to see how different the two neighbours are, they each have personal issues that they need to overcome. I like the way Jenny has used real life situations into this story, so people don’t feel alone. Any of these books will put a smile on your face when you read about a rather portly puffin that is a bit cheeky. I loved it but wonder if we will ever return to Polbearne.

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Lorna’s world is small but safe.

She loves her daughter, and the two of them is all that matters. But after nearly twenty years, she and Ella are suddenly leaving London for the Isle of Kip, the tiny remote Scottish island where Lorna grew up.

Alice’s world is tiny but full.

She loves the community on Kip, her yoga classes drawing women across the tiny island together. Now Lorna’s arrival might help their family finally mend itself – even if forgiveness means returning to the past…

So with two decades, hundreds of miles and a lifetime’s worth of secrets between Lorna and the island, can coming home mean starting again?

My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed this fun packed adventure about the Isle of Kip which is on a small remote Scottish Island. You can just imagine how close knit the islanders that live there are. Lorna and her daughter Ella are heading that way after nearly twenty years Lorna is returning to the island where she grew up, Her brother wants to know whey she left so suddenly and is not happy with how she left things with him. All Lorna wants to do is reconnect with her brother and his family and leave the past behind but there are secrets to tell and it is only a matter of time before they come pouring out. This is a wonderful captivating read that is very hard to put down, I so want to go to the Isle of Kip and experience it for myself, it sounds wonderful the way Libby describes it.

I received an ARC copy for an honest review.

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Sarah always thought of herself and her husband, Tom, as good people. But that was before their son Freddy came home saying he’d done something terrible. Begging them not to tell the police.

Soon Sarah and Tom must find out just how far they are willing to push themselves, and their marriage, to protect their only child . . .

As the lies build up and Sarah is presented with the perfect opportunity to get Freddy off the hook, she is faced with a terrifying decision . . .

My Thoughts:

I enjoy reading books that leaves the question what would you do in that situation? it means when your not reading the book you are thinking about it. I liked how we find something out early on but then go back in past to see how we have come to being where we are in the present. Sarah and Tom are married and have a son Freddy but when Freddy comes home one night saying he has done a really bad thing, the parents are in two minds of what to do. How far will they be pushed, will it save their marriage or will everything come crumbling down on them all. I liked the idea of this story but for me I found it quite heavy going and I just wanted to know how the story was going to be wrapped up.

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

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How far would you run to escape your past?

Venice Beach, Los Angeles. A paradise on earth.

Tourists flock to the golden coast and the promise of Hollywood.

But for eight strangers at a beach front hostel, there is far more on their mind than an extended vacation.

All of them are running from something. And they all have secrets they’d kill to keep…

My Thoughts:

I’ve read a couple of John’s books now but I certainly need to read all his other books as they are just brilliant. I think this is my favourite by far, it is set in Los Angeles on Venice Beach, John writes well so that you can imagine that you are there being able to hear the waves crashing against the rocks and the sand between your toes, life is idyllic. The story is about the eight people that are staying at one of the hostels, are they really here for the beach and the surf or are they here for something else? There are is a lot packed into this book but I found it easy to follow who is who. They each have their own story to tell and Venice Beach seems like the best place for it. The story flowed well for me, I didn’t want to put the book down after each chapter, a very good twisty thriller.

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

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Rose Vernon is headed to a quiet Cornish village – to find the man who saved her life. 
 
For Rose, every day is a gift. She narrowly survived a life-threatening illness and owes everything to her anonymous donor. Determined to thank him, Rose follows a trail of clues that lead her to the little Cornish fishing village of Falford. 
 
But things become complicated when Rose is drawn into local life, becoming involved in the legendary Falford Regatta and meeting the handsome Morvah brothers – one of whom might just be the man she’s looking for. But which one? 
 
Can Rose find the answer she’s searching for, or will she lose her heart before the summer is over?

My Thoughts:

I am a big fan of Phillipa’s books and they just seem to get better and better. I always feel as I can lose myself in one of her books. I liked this story about Rose, she has a life threatening illness, I feel as though many books now a days don’t really delve into many an illness unless it is the big C, I feel as though these other illnesses should be made aware of. Rose knows someone was her donor and her clues lead her to a little Cornish village where she gets more than she bargained for when she discovers who her donor is. A perfect escape to a wonderfully scenic part of the world. Reading Phillipa’s books make me crave Cornwall so much. I loved it.

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

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Chrissie knows how to steal sweets from the shop without getting caught, the best hiding place for hide-and-seek, the perfect wall for handstands.

Now she has a new secret. It gives her a fizzing, sherbet feeling in her belly. She doesn’t get to feel power like this at home, where food is scarce and attention scarcer.

Fifteen years later, Julia is trying to mother her five-year-old daughter, Molly. She is always worried – about affording food and school shoes, about what the other mothers think of her. Most of all she worries that the social services are about to take Molly away.

That’s when the phone calls begin, which Julia is too afraid to answer, because it’s clear the caller knows the truth about what happened all those years ago.

And it’s time to face the truth: is forgiveness and redemption ever possible for someone who has killed?

My Thoughts:

I found this a creepy and tense thriller read, the story flits to past and present. Chrissie is a young girl who can stand up for herself and usually does, she has a secret and likes to hold power over everyone, but will she let slip her secret? stories that involve young kids creep me out especially this story. It is a story of neglect and cruelty which in some parts I found it hard to read. Then years later we meet Julia who has a young daughter, but who is Julia really? Then Julia gets a phone call and her life is turned upside down. What will happen to her and her young daughter? I found this story a dark and harrowing read that is creepy.

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

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Around the world, twenty-two people have been murdered.

The victims fit no profile, the circumstances vary wildly, but one thing links them all:

In every case the victim is branded with a number.

With police around the globe floundering, CIA Analyst Quinn Mitchell is called in to investigate.

Before long, Quinn is on the trail of an ice-hearted assassin with seemingly limitless resources – but she’s prepared for that.

What she isn’t prepared for is the person pulling the strings . . .

My Thoughts:

I love a cat and mouse thriller that is fast pacing and I just want to devour the whole book right away. This was brilliant and I can see it being turned into a film, it would be brilliant. I am not really a fan of science fiction but this was sublime. The characters are all unique and complicated with their own motives. There are all different types of gadgets that interested me but for me it was not really about them it was how well the story was written and how it held my attention. A unique and original cat and mouse thriller.

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

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