It is 1997, and Amber Young has received a life-changing call. It’s a chance thousands of girls would die for: the opportunity to join girl group Cloud9 in Los Angeles and escape her small town. She quickly finds herself in the orbits of fellow rising stars Gwen Morris, a driven singer-dancer, and Wes Kingston, a member of the biggest boy band in the world, ETA.

As Amber embarks on her solo career and her fame intensifies, she increasingly finds herself reduced to a body, a voice, an object. Surrounded by the wrong kind of people and driven by a desire for recognition and success, for love and sex, for agency and connection, Amber comes of age at a time when the kaleidoscope of public opinion can distort everything, and one mistake can shatter a career.

My Thoughts:

The book is set in the 90’s and features a young women called Amber, not only has she received the biggest phone call of her life but she gets to move away from her old life too. She is fame hungry, so when she gets the call to become a singer she cannot believe her luck. Though for Amber it does not last long, she struggles to connect with the people around her and they are the wrong kind of crowd that you definitely should not get involved with but being fame hungry Amber will do anything to get to the top. It was eye opening to see what potentially could happen in the music industry. Drama, lies and consequences are brought together in this debut novel.

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

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Have you ever been so obsessed with someone that you start to lose yourself?

Wren and Lark are rivals first and sisters second, so when mysterious music producer, Adam, and his DJ prodigy, Spinner, come to their small town, the game is on to impress.

Lark is soon taken under Adam’s wing, but as she’s pulled deeper into his web, distancing herself from friends and family, Wren starts to suspect that there’s a more sinister side to Adam. And when the sisters get a chance to perform at Enrapture the most talked-about festival of the summer, suddenly there is a lot to lose…

Can Wren put her own ambitions aside to save her sisters life?

One thing’s for sure: after this summer, nothing will ever be the same again.

My Thoughts:

The story is set around music and two sisters who are rivals. When music producer Adam comes into their lives, both sisters are keen to impress him but who is he more interested in? the sister he chooses her life is about to change but will it be for the better or worse. A major gig is set for the sisters to perform at but can they reunite and put their grievances aside. I kind of felt as though I was at Glastonbury reading this story but it was a slightly dark thriller that set me on edge. You didn’t really trust anyone and I was suspicious of Adam. It was a good and well told story.

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

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When the body of a man is found in the countryside outside Dundee with a gun in his hand, DI Dania Gorska dismisses suicide in favour of murder. Italian voice coach, Luca Terranova, in the city to search for his missing twin brother Piero – a fashion designer whose clothes are on display at the V&A there – confirms that the dead man is indeed Piero.

Searching for a motive for the murder, Dania’s investigation leads her to Alderwood Manor Maze with its famous moving statues and hedges. Who was the person Piero was seen shouting at in the Maze? Could this be his killer? The McGarry family, who live at the manor harbour secrets of their own, and the more Dania delves into the case, the more she finds herself trapped in a maze of lies.

But it is when Marek, Dania’s investigative journalist brother, takes a trip to Italy and uncovers the history of the Terranova family that Dania learns the shocking truth – a truth that will put her in mortal danger . . .

My Thoughts:

This is the sixth book in the DI Dania Gorska thriller series and my first book to read. DI Dania Gorska is on the next case where a body is found but Dania does not think it is a plain sailing case of suicide, the thinking of murder is the right way forward in this case. The investigation leads Dania to a maze but is Dania safe or is the case going to spiral out of control, Dania needs to be quick before it is too late. It was one of those reads that when you put it down, you are thinking about it. The story is a slow one and the pace is slow too, but I am glad I read it as it was a pretty intriguing story. The ending was an almighty twist and I could not believe it. It is well worth a read.

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

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Set in London in 1968, A CURTAIN TWITCHER’S BOOK OF MURDER follows the lives of the inhabitants of a suburban London street. But this is no ordinary road.

“Ask anyone on Atbara Avenue how well they know their neighbours, and they’ll answer ‘well’. After all, they see each other across the vast distance afforded by close proximity, and that is probably for the best…”.

For the best, because Atbara Avenue is a street where, all too often, murder feels like the solution.

My Thoughts:

I was not sure what to expect from this book, it is indeed very quirky but works so well. It is a collection of short stories but in a interesting way where the characters from each story turn up in the other stories, they are all connected in some way or another. What happens in Atbara Avenue stays in Atbara Avenue. As the reader you really fell as though you are the curtain twitcher which I found utterly fascinating and compelling. The characters are all relatable and dark and you don’t know who is up to no good and who is just good. It makes for such a compelling read that I will never stop recommending.

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

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October 1933

With a population of five hundred souls, isolated Sark has a reputation for being ‘the island where nothing ever happens’. Until, one day, the neatly folded clothes of an unknown man and woman are discovered abandoned at a coastal beauty spot. As the search for the missing couple catches the attention of first the local and then national newspapers, Sark finds itself front-page news.

When young islander Phyllis Carey returns to Sark from England she throws herself into solving the mystery. As Phyll digs through swirls of gossip, ghost stories and dark rumours in search of the truth, she crosses paths with Everard Hyde, a surprise visitor from her past. As press coverage builds to fever pitch, long-suppressed secrets from Phyll’s and Everard’s shared, shadowy history begin to surface.

My Thoughts:

This story is set in 1933 on the Island of Sark. With it being an isolated island no one expects to find clothes belonging to strangers on the beach with no bodies in them. The islanders search for the missing people but to no avail. Who they need is Phyllis who after going back to Sark makes it her mission to find out what really happened to these mysterious strangers and find out why they were really there. It was a great engaging story right from the first chapter, I felt mystified about where the story would lead. Apparently the story is based on a real life crime that remains unsolved to this date. It was cleverly written and I really enjoyed reading it.

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

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Do you ever feel like you have no idea what you’re doing in life – and wonder if you just didn’t get the memo?

Jenny Green is dreading her Class of 2007 reunion. While her friends are killing it, Jenny’s promising career as an artisanal baker went up in flames (literally) and her deadbeat, commitment-phobe boyfriend is cheating on her with their swishy-ponytailed neighbour. She feels like she didn’t get the memo… As it turns out, she didn’t.

Begrudgingly back at university, she receives a text from an unlisted number: Jenny Green – please collect your memo. Hidden on her old campus is a secret female-led organisation providing memos to select students; blueprints for success.

The first time around, Jenny didn’t receive hers. Now she’s being given a second chance – the opportunity to rewrite her past, undo her worst mistakes and fix her mess of a life. But at what price?

My Thoughts:

When Jenny goes to her Class reunion, it was not what she expected. Everyone she knew back then has done really well for themselves, good jobs, marriage and kids but she feels embarrassed that her life is not what it should be. She is real life and what people go through each day. The story centres around The Memo that she never received all those years ago but could it of really changed her life back then to where she is now or would rather not be? It was a different kind of concept to this story and one I think worked well, I really felt for Jenny and all her mishaps she has gone through. It had a good pace to it and was quirky, I really enjoyed this read.

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

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We all have that friend – the one who doesn’t quite belong. Dinah Marshall is that person and knows it. After someone drops out, she’s invited to spend the weekend at a luxury holiday home with women she’s known since university. However, the gulf between them has widened since then, and Dinah is conscious of being the only one with no money, career, partner or children. Feeling like an outsider, she takes to snooping around the house. She’s fascinated by its owners, Sarah and Isaac Rivers – and when she discovers she can secretly stay an extra night, that fascination quickly spirals into obsession.

When Isaac Rivers meets ‘Diana Malone’ at an exclusive members club, he introduces her to his wife and friends, and she’s soon welcomed into the group. She seems to be trying a little too hard, however, and as her somewhat intense behaviour starts to raise both eyebrows and questions, one of her new acquaintances begins to suspect she isn’t who she says she is. For Diana – or is it Dinah? -this is a disaster: she’s worked hard to get where she has, and these suspicions threaten everything. But Diana isn’t the only one with secrets, and if she’s going down, then she might just take everyone else with her . . .

My Thoughts:

Dinah is one of those people that has friends but does not quite fit in with them. So when she is given a rare opportunity to spend a weekend with them, she goes for it. Having nothing like these women have in their life, she realises she is very different to them all. Sarah and Isaac are the couple that have invited Dinah into their home and Dinah becomes quietly obsessed with them both. But this is going to have dire consequences not just for Dinah but everyone around her. How will this story play out in the end? It was a well paced story that grew and grew. The characters were a mixed bunch but altogether very intriguing. I was not sure how the story was going to pan out and was pleasantly surprised by the ending. Full of drama, lies and betrayals. A great read.

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

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It’s hard to find an employer who doesn’t ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want.

It’s almost perfect. But I still haven’t met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I’m sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I’m doing laundry. And one day I can’t help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything….

That’s when I make a promise. After all, I’ve done this before. I can protect Mrs. Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe.

Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It’s simply a question of how far I’m willing to go….

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Housemaid’s Series but can be read as a standalone, though if you want more of the back story I would suggest reading The Housemaid first. Millie is a housemaid and finds a job working for the Garricks but all is not as it seems and when Millie hears crying and finds evidence that not all as it seems she decides to investigate further but Millie has a track record and she has to be very careful she does not end up in prison again. Secrets, lies and betrayals weave their way through the exciting and intense thriller. Hold on to your hat as this book is about to take you on a rollercoaster ride. The twists are genius and the story is engaging, I did not want to put this book down. I look forward to reading the next book in the Series called The Housemaid is watching.

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WIFE. HUSBAND. BEST FRIEND. What if your two favourite people hated each other with a passion?

A nice house, a carefree life, a doting husband, a best friend who never leaves your side. You couldn’t ask for more. There’s just one problem: your husband and best friend love you, but they hate each other.

Over a single day, wife, husband and best friend Temi toe the lines of compromise and betrayal. Slowly, their lives begin to unravel, until a startling discovery throws everyone’s integrity into question…

My Thoughts:

What would you do if your best friend hated your husband? would you just ignore it and hope they can get on for the sake of you, or would you have to make a gut wrenching decision? that is the question that is considered in this story. The story is told by all three of them and you get their different perspectives of the situation that they are in. I did not like Temi who is the best friend, some of the things that she did I did not agree with and I felt that the story was a little slow for my liking. It is quite a short read but it was more than enough. I felt as though the book came to an abrupt ending and did not really clear anything up.

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

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