1967: Judie Zingerman is rising to stardom as one half of folk duo the Singer Sisters.

As she and her sister Sylvia tour coast to coast, crowds can’t get enough of Judie’s confessional lyrics. Everyone can see they’re heading for new heights. Yet something is about to push them off course…

1996: Alt-rocker Emma Cantor is playing the festival circuit, with her sights on a record deal. Emma has never understood why her mother, folk icon Judie Zingerman, gave up music at the height of her success.

But as Emma is catapulted into the spotlight as an MTV darling and LA It girl, fame brings its own heartache. Could discovering her mother’s long-kept secrets help Emma find her path again?

My Thoughts:

This book is split into two parts, one is set in 1967 and the other is set in 1996. Judie is in a band called the Singer Sisters, her and her sister are doing well for themselves but is it all going to come crashing down on them. Emma Cantor is playing festivals and hopes to be able to make it big with a deal, but is fame and fortune all it’s cracked up to be? If you like stories about music then this is the book for you, it is a family drama with the need to create music. It is a whirlwind of a story, I liked how it was set in different eras so you could see how different it was in both eras. However I am not a big fan of stories that follow musicians, but that is just me.

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

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Everyone needs a hobby…

Things haven’t been going well for Beth. Her husband has left her for one of her friends. Her fellow school mums judge her for swearing too much and not shifting the baby weight. And now she’s stuck in A&E after her son fell off the climbing wall on the first day of school.

In fact, things haven’t been going well for Beth since Charlotte died – her best friend, a favourite at the school pick-ups and the only person to ever run an interesting PTA meeting. But after being hit by a car while on an ill-timed evening jog, Charlotte is no longer there to help Beth pick up the pieces of her increasingly difficult life.

That is, until Beth discovers that Charlotte left her toddler alone in the house during that fatal run. The Charlotte she knew would never do something so irresponsible, and suddenly Beth is questioning whether Charlotte’s death was really an accident. With a newfound purpose and a glass of wine in hand, it’s time for Beth to uncover what really happened to her best friend. And what better place to start than the circle of chatty school mums, who can’t be as perfect as they pretend. But which of them is hiding something? Beth’s determined to find out. Once she’s put the kids to bed, of course…

My Thoughts:

I had high hopes for this read. Charlotte goes into a alcoholic spiral after her best friend dies. Nothing seems to be going right for her and she does not know how to rebuild her life. After hearing something about the day her best friend died, Beth knows something is not quite right about the way Charlotte died and she sets out on a mission to find out what really happened and to get justice for her friend. It started off ok, though I did find the story slightly boring to start with, it did pick up and the ending was good. The characters are not really likeable but that is what you need in this sort of story. It felt a little too mum friendly too me. Not really sure this book was for me.

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Something bad happened last night. My best friend Posey is dead. The police think it was a tragic accident. I know she was murdered.

I’ve woken up with the hangover from hell, a stranger in my bed, and I’ve gone viral for the worst reasons.

There’s only one thing stopping me from dying of shame. I need to find a killer.

But after last night, I can’t remember a thing…

My Thoughts:

This is my second book by Katy and I wanted to give another one a try to see if I would like it. Molly’s best friend is dead but the police are palming it off as a accident but Molly knows that there is more to this than meets the eye. Molly sets out to find out who killed her best mate. Another story where you think there may be amusing parts but there really wasn’t. The story is slow and does not really go anywhere. A real shame. Not for me unfortunately.

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Meet Kitty Collins.

FRIEND. LOVER. KILLER.

He was following me. That guy from the nightclub who wouldn’t leave me alone.

I hadn’t intended to kill him of course. But I wasn’t displeased when I did and, despite the mess I made, I appeared to get away with it.

That’s where my addiction started…

I’ve got a taste for revenge and quite frankly, I’m killing it.

My Thoughts:

This is my first by Katy Brent, the story line sounded intriguing. Kitty Collins life changes when a guy starts following her. When she kills him, she does not feel a thing and quite likes the thrill of it all. This is when the story comes into full force and Kitty has to choose her next victim. The story is a simple one but one I did not really enjoy as much as I thought I would. It gets a bit boring half way through. I would be interested to read another of Katy’s books to see if I feel any different.

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Miss Cassidy is no ordinary governess. She can tutor the most wayward child, tell stories in multiple languages and fix any household crisis. But she also deals with problems of a far more dark and dangerous kind.

Arriving in 1890s Singapore, this formidable, flame-haired Scotswoman soon finds herself (among other things) ridding a house of a bloodthirsty demon and raising a spirit from the dead. But when she is hired by the wealthy Chinese widower Mr Kay, whose family is suffering from a terrible curse, she must battle forces far more ancient and powerful than any she has encountered – not to mention the unexpected impulses of her own heart… An irresistible brew of magic, romance and mystery The Formidable Miss Cassidy invites you to embark on a thrilling supernatural adventure alongside an unforgettable heroine.

My Thoughts:

This is not my usual read but something about the story line intrigued me. Miss Cassidy is ready to change the lives of people around her. I felt as though she was a bit like Mary Poppins, I thought Miss Cassidy of a wonderful woman who would do anything for anyone and help the best way that she can, it was full of adventure and mystery that it kind of makes you spell bound. It was definitely a unique and quirky read but one I am glad I picked up.

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

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Nesta Archeron has always been prickly – proud, swift to anger and slow to forgive. And since the war – since being made High Fae against her will – she’s struggled to forget the horrors she endured and find a place for herself within the strange and deadly Night Court.

The person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred, winged warrior who is there at Nesta’s every turn. But her temper isn’t the only thing Cassian ignites. And when they are forced to train in battle together, sparks become flame.

As the threat of war casts its shadow over them once again, Nesta and Cassian must fight monsters from within and without if they are to stand a chance of halting the enemies of their court. But the ultimate risk will be searching for acceptance – and healing – in each other’s arms.

My Thoughts:

The last book in the Series and I feel bereft. It really has been a Series that I did not think I would like. But as soon as I started the first book I knew I was in for a real treat. I have not ever had a Series like this that I have totally fallen for. This is more of Nesta and Cassian’s relationship but we do hear from other characters too. I was not sure if I liked Nesta to begin with but the more I read about her the more I liked her. It was such an enchanting and magical story that you can’t help but get swept along with. I don’t think I will be able to love a Series as much as I have loved this one. Now off to find more of Sarah’s books.

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In this companion tale to the bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series, Feyre, Rhys and their friends are working to rebuild the Night Court and the vastly changed world beyond after the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin.

But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it a hard-earned reprieve. Yet even the festive atmosphere can’t keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated – scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.

My Thoughts:

This is the fourth book in the ACOTAR Series and the one book that is the shortest from the rest. After reading such chunky books this was a light relief on the hands. The story is a much lighter one than the previous books, you get to see the characters move on from what happened in the previous book. You kind of get more back story into the characters in this book which I liked because it helps with understand their actions in the next book. For me this book made me excited to read the last book and also sad because I do not want this series to be over.

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“All boats are sinking, Hannah, just at different rates.”

After a break-up, some hit the gym; some cut their hair; others have a one-night stand. In the aftermath of her break-up, Hannah bought a narrowboat.

Newly single and plunged into life on the water, Hannah had to learn quickly how to grapple with exploding toilets, disappearing hulls, and the curious glances and questions from pedestrians on the towpath. But when career burn-out, a global pandemic and an ill-advised rebound relationship threatened to sink her, Hannah felt the need to escape. In a bid to let go of the past and restore her sense of self-worth, she embarked on a narrowboat odyssey which took her from the bustling streets of London to the tranquil yet dramatic waterways of West Yorkshire.

Suffering from an apparent magnetism to drama but buoyed by her brilliant friends, Hannah tells of the challenges of off-grid life as a single 30-something on the water. All this as she tries to balance the tension between owning her singledom and giving in to a deep desire to find love.

Peppered with lists, recipes, maps, footnotes and diagrams, and spanning hundreds of miles of the British waterways, it’s an uplifting and often hilarious story of adventure and personal growth, and of a woman trying to keep her boat and life afloat. And to answer that perennial question: yes, it’s cold on the boat in winter.

My Thoughts:

After things go wrong in Hannah’s life, she puts her best foot forward and buys a narrowboat. What Hannah does not realise is that narrowboats need a lot of work doing to them to keep them stay afloat basically like what she is doing. She is determined to view places in England she has never seen before but she faces new challenges along the way. I have to say it was not a book I thought I would enjoy but I really got to know Hannah through out this story and really felt as though she was a friend at the end. My knowledge on narrowboats is barely existent so it was wonderful to read about and learn something new. It is a mixed emotion bag where one minute you feel sorry for Hannah and then the next you are laughing along with her. A must read for anyone who is thinking about navigating their life on a different path.

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

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It started with a boy, of course. Seeking solace from the pain of heartbreak and her father’s illness, Laura Coffey embarks on what was meant to be a simple holiday. But her newfound fascination with ancient Greek myths transforms her trip into a six-month odyssey, around tiny archipelagos and mystical Mediterranean islands thought to be the setting of Odysseus’s epic journey. As she chases one of the most conflicted, flawed and yet beloved heroes through his fantastical sea-kingdoms, looking for the places where geography and mythology collide, she discovers the wild beauty of the islands, and the redemptive powers of travel and nature, cold-water swimming, long hikes up mountains, and luminous star-lit skies.

But her quest to find happiness, safety and the true meaning of home is overshadowed by the deepening illness of her father. Returning as he’s dying, forced to confront the very things she was running from, Laura reflects on what she has lost, how to live between story and reality, and the way we craft our own mythologies. Slipping between the mythical realm and the real world, she finds enchantment and healing in the magic of both.

My Thoughts:

Laura has a lot on her shoulders and to try and cope with everything that is going on she decides to embark on a solo journey to help her find herself again. I assumed this would be a travel journal type of story but it is so much more than that. The descriptions of the places sound wonderful but it really feels as though you are on that journey with Laura. Everything that Laura has been through and going through there are people out there that will be able to relate to what she is going through. It is a story that you can switch off from the outside world and focus your attention to Laura and her life. I would recommend reading this great book.

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

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Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s manoeuvrings and the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit – and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords and hunt for allies in unexpected places. And her heart will face the ultimate test as she and her mate are forced to question whether they can truly trust each other.

My Thoughts:

This is the third book in the ACOTAR Series and one I had been warned about, that is it war heavy. But I did not find that, yes there is a little bit more war in it than the last two books but I would not say war heavy. Feyre has come back to the place she never thought she would return to but this time it is with deceit in mind. Feyre hopes she can trick Tamlin to give her some inside about what is going to happen very soon in the world they live. But is this a good idea or will it all back fire for her? This series for me has become addictive, I am thinking about it when not reading it and when I am I don’t want to stop reading. I love all the characters and the way they are described. It is truly one of my favourite series of all time.

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