My child has been taken. And I’ve been given a choice…
Kill a patient on the operating table. Or never see my son again.

The man lies on the table in front of me.
As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him.
As a mother, I know I must kill him.
You might think that I’m a monster.
But there really is only one choice.
I must get away with murder.
Or I will never see my son again.

I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES.

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Jack and it certainly will not be my last. I loved the sound of the plot and it didn’t disappoint, my level of intrigue about what would happen made me want to finish the book quickly but not so quickly that I would miss anything. I love how it made my pulse race and the tension that intertwined through the pages was brilliant. We follow Anna who is a heart surgeon and has to make an impossible dilemma but which one will she pick and will it be the right decision? It is a terrifying tale which made me feel as though I was in the room with her, I feel as though my heart was in my mouth many times. I look forward to reading more of Jack’s books in the future.

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

Get your copy here:

Lucinda Green knows something is missing from her life. But what? Her catering business is enjoying modest success and she loves her cosy house, even if she does have to share it with her irritating ex-fiancé.

Whatever’s making her unsettled and edgy, Lucinda’s certain that a lack of romance isn’t the problem. How could it be when she doesn’t believe in true love?

But Lucinda’s beliefs are shaken by a series of electric encounters with Alex Fraser, a newly notorious actor who gradually proves himself to be infuriatingly funny and smart, as well as handsome.

Not that any of that matters. Because Lucinda doesn’t believe in all that ‘The One’ nonsense. That’s the rule.

But doesn’t every rule have an exception?

My Thoughts:
I love Book one in this series, if you haven’t read it, I would definitely recommend it, you can read this one as a standalone but the first book was really good and this one is even better. We follow Lucinda and Alex through this story, Lucinda has a comfortable life with a good career and a lovely home unfortunately for her she feels something is missing from her life until she meets Alex. Lucinda does not believe in The One but could Alex change her mind? A sweet romantic story that is believable. I found parts of this book very funny to say the least, Claire writes with passion and an understanding of the subject matter. I found this such an uplifting and full of romance story that I cannot wait to read book three.

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

Get your copy here:

Horrifying, heartbreaking and eye-opening, these are the stories, the patients and the cases that have characterised a career spent being a doctor behind bars.

Violence. Drugs. Suicide. Welcome to the world of a Prison Doctor.

Dr Amanda Brown has treated inmates in the UK’s most infamous prisons – first in young offenders’ institutions, then at the notorious Wormwood Scrubs and finally at Europe’s largest women-only prison in Europe, Bronzefield.

From miraculous pregnancies to dirty protests, and from violent attacks on prisoners to heartbreaking acts of self-harm, she has witnessed it all.

In this eye-opening, inspirational memoir, Amanda reveals the stories, the patients and the cases that have shaped a career helping those most of us would rather forget.

Despite their crimes, she is still their doctor.

My Thoughts:

I do love a different kind of read from my usual reads and when I saw this it piqued my interest. I really enjoyed this fascinating true story about a GP who works at some of the most Notorious prisons in Britain. We get an insight into what Dr Amanda Brown’s job entails and we hear the stories about some of the inmates and what life is like in these prisons. It is quite hard hitting stuff and very eye opening to read about. But it is a down to earth account of what Dr Amanda Brown has experienced so we know we are getting the real details. I found this a really good read and I have now ordered her next two books so I hope they are just as good as this one.

Get your copy here:

It only takes one…

A murder

A resident of small-town Visberg is found decapitated

A festival

A grim celebration in a cultish hilltop community after the apple harvest

A race against time

As Visberg closes ranks to keep its deadly secrets, there could not be a worse time for Tuva Moodyson to arrive as deputy editor of the local newspaper. Powerful forces are at play and no one dares speak out. But Tuva senses the story of her career, unaware that perhaps she is the story…

My Thoughts:

This is book four in the Tuva series and even though I have not read many of them in this series, the two I have read have been good. I liked the fact that there are some very highly suspicious characters throughout the story and some that are a bit creepy. Tuva is a journalist in a small town in Sweden and we really get to see Tuva put to work and investigating many different things. Will the author is so good at descriptions and bringing the book to life with his words, it is a bit like a horror story that you will find gripping, the ending was not something I could of foreseen though.

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

Get your copy here:

Auschwitz, 1943: As I held the tiny baby in my arms, my fingers traced the black tattoo etched across her little thigh. And I prayed that one day this set of numbers, identical to her mother’s, would have the power to reunite a family torn apart by war…

Inspired by an incredible true story, this poignant novel tells of one woman’s fight for love, life and hope during a time of unimaginable darkness.

Ana Kaminski is pushed through the iron gates of Auschwitz beside her frightened young friend Ester Pasternak. As they reach the front of the line, Ana steps forward and quietly declares herself a midwife – and Ester her assistant. Their arms are tattooed and they’re ordered to the maternity hut. Holding an innocent new-born baby, Ana knows the fate of so many are in her hands, and vows to do everything she can to save them.

When two guards in their chilling SS uniforms march in and snatch a blond-haired baby from its mother it’s almost too much for Ana to bear. Consoling the distraught woman, Ana realises amidst the terrible heartache there is a glimmer of hope. The guards are taking the healthiest babies and placing them with German families, so they will survive. And there are whispers the war is nearly over… Ana and Ester begin to secretly tattoo little ones with their mother’s numbers, praying one day they might be reunited.

Then, early one morning, Ana notices the small bump under Ester’s thin striped clothing…

My Thoughts:

This is a must read, one of books of this year for sure. It is such a heart breaking story to find out what went on in 1943 in Auschwitz. You will need plenty of tissues to get through this real life story. Anna the author has a way with her words that makes you feel as though you are pulled into the story and don’t want to stop reading. The emotions I went through reading this book were unbelievable, these poor women, I just wish I could do something for them. It was interesting to learn about being a midwife in that era too as I haven’t read anything about their job role and such forth. This is historical fiction done brilliantly well. I loved it.

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

Get your copy here:

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies explores the raw and tender places where Black women and girls dare to follow their desires, and pursue a momentary reprieve from being good.

There is fourteen-year-old Jael, who nurses a crush on the preacher’s wife; the mother who bakes a sublime peach cobbler every Monday for her date with the married Pastor; and Eula and Caroletta, single childhood friends who seek solace in each other’s arms every New Year’s Eve.

With their secret longings, new love, and forbidden affairs, these church ladies are as seductive as they want to be, as vulnerable as they need to be, as unfaithful and unrepentant as they care to be – and as free as they deserve to be.

My Thoughts:
This is a great read packed full of stories of what life is like to live in the USA as a church goer black woman. We follow a selection of very different women and see how their lives are affected. I found the characters believable and I felt their difficulties and struggles with life, we see many subjects touched upon including finding love, friendship and finding acceptance, with some form of connection to the Church. I found it a captivating read and one I will remember for a long time.

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

Get your copy here:

Ex-detective Kamil Rahman is embroiled in a case that might just change his life – for better or for worse . . .

Disgraced detective Kamil Rahman moves from Kolkata to London to start afresh as a waiter in an Indian restaurant. But the peace of his new life is soon shattered. The day Kamil caters an extravagant party, the powerful host, Rakesh, is found dead in his swimming pool.

Suspicion falls on Rakesh’s young and glamorous new wife, and Kamil is called to investigate for the family. Kamil and Anjoli, his boss’s daughter, prove a winning team – yet as the case progresses, and their relationship grows, the events of Kamil’s past threaten to catch up with him . . .

My Thoughts:

This is the first book in the Detective Kamil Rahman series and I cannot wait to read the next book. This one was fast paced and tense and you never really knew what twists and turns were going to surprise you with next. When a body of a well know person is found dead, Kamil is suspicious of everyone as you would be. Can he work out who the killer or will his past catch up with him before it is too late? I look forward to reading the next book in this series as this one I just didn’t want to put down. I liked getting to know Kamil, I felt as though he was very likeable and a friendly guy and I liked seeing where the story is going to go.

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

Get your copy here:

Ben is a young painter from the crowded, turbulent city. For six months his fiancée Cara has been living on the remote island of Sanctuary Rock, the property of millionaire philanthropist Sir John Pemberley. Now she has decided to break off their engagement and stay there for good.

Ben resolves to travel to the island to win Cara back. But the journey there is a harsh and challenging one, and when he does arrive, a terrible shock awaits him.

As Ben begins to find his way around Pemberley’s perfect island, he knows he must also discover – what has made Cara so determined to throw her old life away? And is Sanctuary Rock truly a second Eden, as the mysterious Sir John claims – or a prospect of hell?

My Thoughts:

The story is about Ben and his life, his fiancée has been living on a remote island and she has decided to break of their engagement and stay there for good. But Ben doesn’t want that and tries to get to her on a perilous journey to discover a tragedy. Ben decides to try and work out what is going on here on this island and it is not what it seems. I thought I would enjoy this book, but unfortunately I didn’t, I found it very slow and repetitive and I didn’t feel as though I cared for any of the characters. The story for me didn’t really capture my attention either. It could of been a good read but really lacked something.

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

Get your copy here:

IF YOU SEE HIS REFLECTION
IT’S ALREADY TOO LATE . . .

Five years ago, Jenny Lind was abducted on her way home from school.

Now her lifeless body is found hanging in a playground. But there is no evidence and only one witness – a man who cannot remember what he saw.

With Detective Joona Linna and the police scrambling to find a lead, another girl goes missing. And as they close in on the killer, they discover that the Mirror Man’s crimes are more shocking than they ever could have imagined . . .

My Thoughts:

This is book eight in the Joona Linna series and even though I have not read any of the others, I feel as though these books can be read as a standalone. I thought the plot sounded interesting and I was looking forward to finding out all about Detective Joona Linna, but for me it did not hold my attention enough, it is quite a sizeable read, which I normally would relish but I just wanted to get through it and finish it. I did like Detective Joona Linna and how he is on the hunt for a elusive serial killer, he definitely takes a lot of risks that come with consequences. Some parts of the story tell some horrific and disturbing scenes that really got to me. Unfortunately not a series I would continue with.

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

Get your copy here:

A marriage in the spotlight
Joanna Whitman’s high-profile marriage held more secrets than she cares to remember, so when her ex-husband dies, she doesn’t know what to feel. But when she discovers that he’s left behind a pregnant young woman, Joanna is forced to act. She knows exactly how brutal the spotlight on them both will be…unless she can find a way for them to disappear.

A beach house hideaway
Ashley Blake is amazed when Joanna suggests they lie low at her beach house in her sleepy Californian hometown. Joanna should be hating her, not helping her. But alone and pregnant, Ashley needs all the support she can find.

A summer of new beginnings
Joanna’s only goal for the summer is privacy. All Ashley wants is space to plan for her and her baby’s future. But when an old flame reappears, and secrets spill out under the hot summer sun, this unlikely friendship is put to the test…

My Thoughts:

Sarah Morgan is one of those authors where I don’t even need to read the blurb to know how much I will enjoy the book, they are the perfect escapism. You will always find one character that is relatable and all Sarah’s characters have real life problems and they are believable. Sarah has a way that when she writes about a sensitive topic, she does it with compassion and sensitivity which I like. This story follows three completely different women who all have their own stories but they intertwine in a very clever way, the story will really make you smile which is full of friendship, love and a little drama. A perfect five star read.

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

Get your copy here: