‘The train doesn’t slow. We aren’t stopping. We are going to burn past, leaving her behind in a swirl of leaves and dust. I blink. And then men are there, two of them. They lift the squirming girl to her feet, haul her towards the van… and then we are past.’

I am the girl on the platform.
When new mother Bridget catches her train home from London, she witnesses something terrible: a young girl is taken from the platform, right before her eyes. 
No one knows where I am.
But no one is reported missing and with Bridget the only witness, she is written off as an attention seeker. Nobody believes her – not even her own husband.
Can you find me? 
But Bridget knows what she saw, and becomes consumed with finding the little girl. Only she can save the child’s life… but could delving into the mystery cost Bridget her own?

My Thoughts:

This is a great read if you like something dark and intense. Bridget witnesses a child being kidnapped on her way home, no one else sees it happening or do they? Bridget knows what she saw but why wont anyone believe her? so she goes on a quest to find out who the little was and why she was taken from the platform. We also delve more into Bridget’s background which unearths some very interesting things. I feel as though we really get into Bridget’s head on how she is feeling and what she is really thinking. I really enjoyed this read and I reckon it would be great if it was made into a film.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Avon for sending me a copy.

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Helen has it all…

Daniel is the perfect husband.
Rory is the perfect brother.
Serena is the perfect sister-in-law.

And Rachel? Rachel is the perfect nightmare.

When Helen, finally pregnant after years of tragedy, attends her first antenatal class, she is expecting her loving architect husband to arrive soon after, along with her confident, charming brother Rory and his pregnant wife, the effortlessly beautiful Serena. What she is not expecting is Rachel.

Extroverted, brash, unsettling single mother-to-be Rachel, who just wants to be Helen’s friend. Who just wants to get know Helen and her friends and her family. Who just wants to know everything about them. Every little secret.

My Thoughts:

I found this a very dark read, you never know what is around the corner. It is full of twists and the characters are all believable, but what really happened to Rachel, I feel as though this book is going to be a huge hit. A psychological thriller at it’s best. The ending was sublime.

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

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In the form of several journeys, beginning in January 2019, Neil Ansell returns for solitary walks to the New Forest in Hampshire, close to where he was born. With beautiful sightings and observations of birds, trees, butterflies, insects and landscape, this is also a reflective memoir on childhood, on the history of one of the most ancient and important natural habitats in the United Kingdom, and on the Gypsies who lived there for centuries – and were subsequently expelled to neighbouring cities. It is also part polemic on our collective and individual responsibility for the land and world in which we live, and how we care for it.

My Thoughts:

What a delightful read, and the cover of this book is simply stunning. Neil Ansell is an award winning television journalist with the BBC and a long standing newspaper journalist. He has written a couple of other books that I want to read next. This book is all about his walks to the New Forest. The New Forest has a special place in my heart as I use to go there alot when I was younger. I love driving through the New Forest too as you get to see all different wildlife. It made me feel calm when reading this book, hearing about all the different wildlife and birds and also the landscape gave me a fresh perspective on what you might be able to see if you go there. Neil is a great naturalist who is inquisitive and sensible and describes such a precious place in such great detail, one could almost imagine walking in his footsteps. I look forward to reading more of Neil’s books in the future.

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

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Baking fanatic, Charlie Quilter, inherits a vintage bus in her late uncle’s will and is keen to give it a new lease of life. Charlie thinks it will be the perfect mobile café for afternoon tea, so she heads to the picturesque Cornish village of Porthgolow, hoping for a new start. However, Daniel Harper, the owner of the posh spa up on the hill isn’t very pleased that her bus is parked outside his lovely hotel. Has Charlie’s Cornish dream developed a soggy bottom? Or can she convince Daniel that her bus could take them somewhere wonderful?

My Thoughts:

I love a book that is set in one of my favourite places Cornwall. It just makes me want to go there. This is the first book in the series and I look forward to read the others and following Charlie’s story. She inherits a bus and to give it a new lease of life decides to make it in to a mobile café to serve afternoon teas. After deciding that a little village in Cornwall would be the perfect spot, she heads off there but only to discover people that live there may not be keen on her pulling up and taking their business. Can she win them around or will she have to move on and shatter her dreams? It is a fun read, though don’t read on an empty stomach as the sounds of all the culinary delights will leave you feeling rather hungry. There is quite a lot going on in this book with lots of unique characters. There is always going to be a romance but you have to expect that. I loved it.

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Thirty-year-old Tessa Archer is an emotional eater who is full of self-loathing and lacking confidence – she’s a woman who is desperate to change if only she had the nerve.

Her cause isn’t helped by her family whose all-round lack of regard, belief and simple love make her life a whole lot harder. Unable to match up to her ‘perfect’ siblings, a brutal family dinner pushes Tessa to take the first tentative steps towards transformation. Inventing a girls’ weekend away, she plans a short break in Cornwall – alone. It’s a place where she hopes she can feel reinvigorated about life, even if she’s terrified of the prospect. This is a last-ditch attempt to prove to her family that she isn’t the scared, useless ‘lump’ they think she is.

Once in St. Ives, with no expectations or standards to uphold, Tessa finally feels as though she can breathe, and not just because the air is cleaner. She pushes herself to meet new people and finally concentrate on her own life. With the help of the Coastal Cahoots Club, a group of crazy elderly ladies, led by the indomitable Winnie, a new Tessa emerges. There’s even the possibility of love with Winnie’s sexy grandson Ben – if only he was willing to open up his heart.
Who knew a group of old aged pensioners, a sexy bar owner, a militant seamstress and a beautiful Cornish coastal town could bring such magic to a person’s life.

My Thoughts:

When reading the blurb on the back of this book, I knew it was a story I would enjoy and I did. Tessa is thirty and likes to eat, she is not really happy with her life and lacks confidence. She is desperate for a change so whilst on a short break in Cornwall she encounters Winnie who is an elderly lady, she shows her how to be more confident and gives her a job opportunity which she can’t refuse. Add in Winnie’s elderly friends who are just as crazy as Winnie, and Winnie’s very handsome grandson and you are in for a real treat. It does tackle some personal situations but the topic is dealt with sensitively. Tessa grew on me and I really hoped she found her confidence and it was wonderful to see her coming out of herself. I look forward to the next book by Victoria.

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

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COULD THE WORST DAY OF SALLY PARKER’S LIFE BE THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO HER..?

Sally Parker had a morbid fear of big social events and it was for this reason that she was crouching down low in the shoe section of her wardrobe…

Sally Parker is struggling to find the hero inside herself.
All she wants to do is lie down.
Her husband Frank has lost his business, their home and their savings, in one fell swoop. Their bank cards are being declined. The children have gone feral. And now the bailiffs are at the door.
What does an ordinary woman do when the bottom falls out?
Sally Parker is about to surprise everybody.
Most of all herself.

My Thoughts:

I love a book that points out familiar places, throughout this book places are mentioned like Fetcham, Epsom, and leatherhead that are all near to me, I feel as though it makes the book more special when you know the place. I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining read. I can almost see this as being made into a sitcom, I am sure it would have high ratings. The characters especially Sally are all wonderful, you can understand her and I really did feel for her on some occasions. I found it a really easy book to get on with and I hope to enjoy more of Mel’s books in the future.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for sending me the book.

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