Tony Redmond is one of the few truly good people you will ever meet.

His is a story of tireless hard work and astonishing bravery across wars, refugee crises, air crashes, earthquakes, typhoons, volcanoes, and disease outbreaks for over thirty years. Featuring stories of hope and redemption, as well as untold suffering and mismanagement, this unique account could only have been written one who has for decades performed incredible feats of altruism.

His raw, honest book takes the reader from the wards of Manchester’s Nightingale hospital to Kosovo, from Sierra Leone’s Ebola outbreak to Kashmir, and from Haiti to the Philippines, finding its author risking life and limb to help those affected by events beyond their control.

But while humanitarian work and medicine require an innate goodness, not all those involved have benign motives. And saving lives requires difficult choices: between the desire to relieve suffering and the need to weigh up the context. Too often medical aid is found wanting, doing more harm than good.

How are life-or-death choices made in the heat of the moment? What are the consequences of your action, or inaction? Is it better at times to do nothing? How do you live with yourself if you want to help but can’t? This is a frank account of the personal toll – physical, mental and social – frontline medicine levies on those who choose to do it. But ultimately, it offers a tale of optimism, persistence and triumph over adversity, speaking to the resilience and fortitude of those who help and those whose lives they save.

My Thoughts:

I found this a remarkable story about such an inspiring man. From this story we get a rare and eye opening insight into what the world knows very little about. The compassion and dedication is remarkable the whole way through this book. I felt as though I have learnt a great deal about things that I knew very little about. DR Tony Redmond is such an inspiration to the world and to me and I feel very honored to be able to shout out about his incredible work and life. There are parts to this book that are sad but that’s life and we have to deal with these things as they come along, but the incredible work DR Tony has done is awe inspiring. A book that will stay with me and I would recommend it to many people.

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

Get your copy here:

Tara Carver seems to have the perfect life. A loving mother and wife, and a business woman who runs her own company, she’s the sort of person you’d want to live next door to, who might even become your best friend.

But what sort of person is she really?

Because in one night of madness, on a work trip far from home, she puts all this at risk. And suddenly her dream life becomes a living nightmare when the married man she spent one night with tells her he wants a serious relationship with her. And that he won’t leave her or her precious family alone until she agrees.

There seems to be only one way out.
And it involves murder…

My Thoughts:

I don’t know how I feel about this book, I found it really had to write a review. I don’t know if the author had made the main character someone nobody would like, if yes then he succeeded. The first half of the story was good and I wanted to see if Tara would get her comeuppance after she slept with a man whilst her husband and kids are at home, this man now wants a lot more and she is in big trouble. I really didn’t like Tara at all, I felt as though the story was a little too long and drawn out but I liked how we get to hear both sides of the story and at the end we see what is going on ten years later. This is my first book by Tony Parsons and I would read another one of his books just to see what a different plot would be like.

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

Get your copy here:

When Emily smiled at Mrs Simpson on the way to school, she had no idea what would happen next…

Find out in The Smile that went a Mile, the warm and friendly book that shows how just one person being kind can make everyone’s day better.

My Thoughts:

This is a children’s book and I am an adult but I am so glad I have read it as it really did put a smile on my face. I just want to say as much as I loved the story, the illustrations are superb. They really took me back to my childhood of proper illustrations in children’s books, they are absolutely wonderful. It is a lovely story about Emily and how her smile is passed on and makes a lot of people’s day. I think it also will teach children to be kind and caring of other people. And how one smile can make a whole big difference to somebodies day. I think Amanda needs to write more children’s books especially if she works with Paul the illustrator. I think we can really help change children’s perspective on the world. I loved it and would happily read it again just for a smile.

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

Get your copy here:

It’s the following Thursday.

Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He’s made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life.

As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn’t that be a bonus?

But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can The Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them?

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Thursday Murder Club series and even though I enjoyed the first book I would say this one is so much better. We carry on from the first book into this book, and it is such a great read. I feel as though the characters are friends and couldn’t wait to see what they would get up to next. It really shows you what older people will and can get up to. It was funny too and captivated me through out. I like how each chapter is a different person so you get each of the characters perspective over things. A really enjoyable read that is seriously good. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone but you must read The Thursday Murder Club first as you get to know a bit about the wonderful characters that surround this book.

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

Get your copy here:

High-flying lawyer Jessica Wells has it all. A successful career, loving husband Tom and a family she adores. But one case – and one client – will put all that at risk.

Edward Blake. An ordinary life turned upside down – or a man who quietly watched television while his wife was murdered upstairs? With more questions than answers and a case too knotted to unravel, Jessica suspects he’s protecting someone.

Then she comes home one day and her husband utters the words no one ever wants to hear. Sit down … I have something to tell you

Now Jessica must fight not only for the man she defends, but for the man she thought she trusted with her life – her husband.

My Thoughts:

I was so excited to see another book by Susan out, and couldn’t wait to read it. I just love to style that Susan writes, it captures you in from the very first page and you don’t want to come up for air until the ending. You will be gripped from this terrifically woven tale about Jessica who is a lawyer and has a lovely family and husband. But one of her clients may put all that in jeopardy. Edward is Jessica’s client and one night when he was watching TV downstairs his wife was murdered upstairs, what really went on that day? did he do it? or is something more sinister at play here? we go on a journey with Jessica to uncover the real truth about what happened on that deadly night. Then just when things tense up her husband says to her I have something to tell you.. what could it be? twists and turns make this book engaging and gripping. I was sad when it came to the ending but by god that ending was superb. I wish one of Susan’s books was turned into a film as I feel as though it would be a major hit.

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

Get your copy here:

Frustrated that she spends all her time as either a mum to a football-obsessed teenager or a wife to a workaholic husband, Hannah wants something for herself. When the chance comes to take over the Post Office in Little Maudley, a charming Cotswold village, Hannah grabs it with both hands.

But village life is not so picture-perfect after all: Hannah finds herself an outsider in this tight-knit community where the height of your hedge is a gossip-worthy subject. Even her idea to introduce a small bookshop to the Post Office causes a stir. At least Ben seems to have found his place as he joins the local football team, coached by ex-professional Jake Lovatt. But a shocking secret from their past threatens to uproot the new life they’ve made for themselves, and has drastic consequences . . .

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Rachael, and I found it a nice easy pick me up read. It is written well and the story flows well throughout, I liked the sound of the storyline and wondered what Hannah would do with the post office, but how will the villagers react to her bringing her family to this small village where outsiders are under scrutiny. It is such a warm and kind hearted story that I now want to read all of Rachael’s other books. This story truly was everything and certainly didn’t disappoint.

Get your copy here:

On a cold, dark day in a tiny Dutch village, Saskia and her boyfriend Frans watch as Nazi soldiers force thousands of prisoners towards Amersfoort Concentration Camp. Their hearts break as they see the desperate faces of innocent men and women and realise that the war is closer to them than it’s ever been before…

Saskia’s father’s draper’s shop is raided when the guards suspect that he is Jewish, and Frans is soon forced to enter the concentration camp every day to collect scraps of food as it’s the only way to feed the animals on his family’s farm. But despite the growing fear the couple feel, when a prisoner begs Frans to send a letter to his beloved reassuring her he is alive, they know they must risk everything to help him. Right under the noses of the Nazi occupiers they smuggle his letter. And eventually they ferry hundreds of messages for prisoners, bringing them hope in the darkest moments of their lives.

But every letter Frans gets out of the camp puts him in even more danger.

And every reply Saskia manages to collect is a risk.

And then Saskia is led into Kamp Amersfoort and is forced to wear a yellow star.

Inside, she cannot ignore the pain of the other prisoners, and Frans knows she will be putting herself in more danger to help them – attracting the attention of the guards. The couple know they must act. Everyone says it’s impossible to escape the camp, but it’s the only option they have left. Their love has kept them together but is it enough to help them survive?

My Thoughts:

This book is a true story and is set in 1944 in Amersfoort Concentration Camp. It is a sad and emotional story about two young people in love who risk everything. Even just looking at the cover gave me a sense of dread of what these poor people had to go through. It literally gave me shivers reading about what happened in those Concentration camps is absolutely heartbreaking and devastating what they were put through. I found this book interesting and gripping and I have read a couple of books set in Concentration Camps but this one really got to me, I was in tears most of the way through. Imogen has a way when she writes that you feel as though you are there and want to help them, it is an story that is powerful and inspiring and one that will stay with me for a very long time, but one I would recommend.

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

Get your copy here:

A fantastic collection of funny, moving and outrageous confessions from people from all walks of life, chosen and introduced by popular digital creator and bestselling author Tova Leigh.

”I was living with a nasty boyfriend who complained I didn’t put enough pepper in his egg sandwich. So I dried out some hamster poop and chopped it into tiny pieces. He said it was delicious. Revenge is sweet!’‘

Have you ever wondered what other people get up to when they think no one’s looking? Do you have a mortifying secret of your own you’ve never dared share? Whatever scandalous incidents lie hidden in your past, don’t worry: this wonderful collection of funny, sexy, hair-raising and heart-warming confessions will reassure you that you’re by no means alone.

These confessions have all been curated by bestselling author and digital creator Tova Leigh, who explains just why we should stop being ashamed of our secrets, and instead have the courage to make ourselves vulnerable, speak out and connect. In this ultimate page-turner, there are parenting confessions, sex confessions, workplace confessions, revenge confessions … not forgetting the all-important bodily fluids confessions! You need never feel embarrassed by your own slip-ups and misdemeanours again.

”So I was married for nine years and after the divorce, when I was ready to sleep with other men, I signed up on Tinder. After a few dates I was thinking … why do I give it for free, when men will pay for it? So I became an escort! I did it for about five months and I must say I had the best time ever … made a lot of money and met some really nice interesting people.”

My Thoughts:

I could not wait to read this book, it sounded brilliant and it lived up to expectations. It is a collection of funny, moving and brilliant confessions that will have you laughing at one and then crying at another. This book had my emotions all over the place. But it is a nice pick me up read that is quite interesting. I’ve never read a book all about confessions and it was a real eye opener. But you feel as though you are not alone and hopefully this will help people out there to know that. There are always struggles in everyday life and this book confirms that everyone can go through similar things.

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

Get your copy here:

What if you left your child alone, and something terrible happened?

Anna James is an anxious mother. So when she has to leave eleven-year-old Harrie home alone one evening, she can’t stop worrying about her daughter. But nothing bad ever happens in the sleepy village of Barton St Martin.

Except something goes wrong that night, and Anna returns to find Harrie with bruises she won’t explain. The next morning a local businessman is reported missing and the village is sparking with gossip.

Anna is convinced there’s a connection and that Harrie is in trouble. But how can she protect her daughter if she doesn’t know where the danger is coming from?

My Thoughts:

This story is about Anna who is a mother to three girls, she is a very anxious mother and wont let them do things other mothers say is fine. When she has to leave one f her daughters home alone, she can’t stop worrying but something does go wrong that night and her daughter wont talk about it. Can Anne find out what happened that night to her daughter? I liked the idea of this story I found it had a good pace to it that kept me engaged, I liked the story and how it flowed, I liked how the story is set out, different chapters with different names so you find out what they are thinking and how it affects them. The ending was ok.

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

Get your copy here:

Can she put right the secrets of the past?

London, 1939. Winnie Berry has been the landlady of the Battersea Tavern for nearly twenty-five years, and the pub is like home to her – a place of tears and laughter, full of customers that feel like family. A place where she’s learned to avoid the quick fists of her husband, and where she’s raised her beloved son, David.

He’s inherited his father’s lazy streak and can’t seem to hold down a job, but when war is declared Winnie is determined to keep her son safe. She’s still haunted by the choice she made years ago as a desperate young woman, and she won’t make the same mistake of letting her family be taken from her…

But when a young woman crosses her path, the secrets of Winnie’s past threaten to turn her world upside down. There’s nothing stronger than a mother’s love – but can it ever have a second chance?

My Thoughts:

This is book one in the Battersea Tavern Series and I cannot wait for the next one as book one was really good. I liked how the story flowed and you felt as though you were there in the thick of it. It’s set in 1939 and the Second World War has just been declared, we meet the Berry family who own the Battersea Tavern, Winnie is the mother and wife who looks after everything especially her nasty piece of work husband and her son is not really any better, they both take advantage of her in such cruel ways but she does it because she loves them. She has a secret she has been hiding from the both of them, but when a stranger comes into the pub will Winnie have to unlock the secret that has been kept hidden for a very long time? I loved all the characters apart from Winnie’s husband and Son, they were both so horrible to Winnie and I wanted to look after her and tell her to leave them both to it. It was interesting to see what life was like then and also life in that era working in a pub, I found it very interesting and the story was engaging. I have never read any of Kitty Neale’s books but I will definitely be reading more in the future and I look forward to the second book in this series in great anticipation.

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

Get your copy here: