They knew the end was coming. They saw it ten years back, when it was far enough away in space and time and meaning.
The changes were gradual, and then sudden.

For Mae and her friends, it means navigating a life where action and consequence are no longer related. Where the popular are both trophies and targets. And where petty grudges turn deadlier with each passing day. So, did Abi Manton jump off the cliff or was she pushed? Her death is just the beginning of the end.

With teachers losing control of their students and themselves, and the end rushing toward all of them, it leaves everyone facing the answer to one, simple question…

What would you do if you could get away with anything?

My Thoughts:

I found this a thought provoking read, with the question being what would you do if you could get away with anything? Mae and her friends knew the end was coming but didn’t know it would be so soon, why did a student jump of a cliff or was it something more sinister? Asteroid Selena is coming for them and no one will get away from it when it does hit, attempts have been made to re direct it but all these attempts have failed. So several teenagers take their lives in their own hands. We experience the best and worst of people. It is interesting to think if you had only a limited amount of time what you would do? I don’t really read many YA novels but this one was really good. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading more books by Chris.

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

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Decisions define us. Decisions have consequences. Who lives… And who dies.

In Beachbrook, on the south coast of England, Andrew had a choice to make. Save his daughter, or save her friend. A decision no parent should have to face, but one that sets in motion a tragic series of events.

With the decision came a dark secret, one that Andrew thought he could keep hidden from his family, his friends and the police.

Two families collide as grief-fuelled recriminations expose the human flaws that haunt us all. The protection of self, the security of family and the fear of losing it all.

My Thoughts:

Wow what a book. This is a very well written debut novel that is very good, as soon as you read that first page I knew I would enjoy it. It was a brilliant page turner that had me guessing the whole way through. It is a dark and harrowing read, a one point I felt like I was being pushed to one side and then to the other. You can really feel the emotions that go on through out this incredible read. The ending shocked me to the core. This is an author that I will certainly be reading more of.

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

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Robin Lyons is back in her hometown of Birmingham and now a DCI with Force Homicide, working directly under Samir, the man who broke her heart almost twenty years ago.

When a woman is found stabbed to death in a derelict factory and no one comes forward to identify the body, Robin and her team must not only hunt for the murderer, but also solve the mystery of who their victim might be.

As Robin and Samir come under pressure from their superiors, from the media and from far-right nationalists with a dangerous agenda, tensions in Robin’s own family threaten to reach breaking point. And when a cold case from decades ago begins to smoulder and another woman is found dead in similar circumstances, rumours of a serial killer begin to spread.

In order to get to the truth Robin will need to discover where loyalty ends and duty begins. But before she can trust, she is going to have to forgive – and that means grappling with some painful home truths.

My Thoughts:

Just from reading the first chapter you know it is going to be good. I haven’t read many of Lucie’s books before but I certainly will be catching up on them. This book was brilliant, you never really knew what was going to happen in the next chapter. The characters were great and engaging. There are some very clever twists and turns that make the story even more dramatic. I felt as though I was on a rollercoaster and didn’t want to get off, it was just too good. Robin works for the police and is back in her hometown, unfortunately now she has to work under her ex who broke her heart a long time ago. There is a lot going on with a number of interesting cases but can Robin work it all out before it is too late? What will happen? you will just have to read the book to find out.

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

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At first it’s the lie that hurts.

A voicemail from her husband tells Sara he’s arrived at the holiday cabin. Then a call from his friend confirms he never did.

She tries to carry on as normal, teasing out her clients’ deepest fears, but as the hours stretch out, her own begin to surface. And when the police finally take an interest, they want to know why Sara deleted that voicemail.

To get to the root of Sigurd’s disappearance, Sara must question everything she knows about her relationship.

Could the truth about what happened be inside her head?

My Thoughts:

As soon as I finished this book I was like OMG! I cannot believe what had happened at the end. Sara’s husband Sigurd is leaving to go to a holiday cabin with a couple of his mates, when she receives a voicemail to say he has arrived, she is happy and gets on with her day, but when a phonecall comes from his friend to say Sigurd never turned up, Sara’s world comes crashing down on her, where is he? and what has happened to him? Everyone has secrets but who is going to tell theirs first? Will Sara ever be reunited with her husband ever again or has something more sinister happened to him? You won’t believe the ending, very dramatic, tense and makes you question things. I loved it.

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

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The Fair is the only good thing that happens every year. And Fiona Larson is the only person in town who’s never been.

She’s pretended to go – but she’s never been allowed. Because, before Fiona was even born, her sister died there.

This year, everything will be different.

Fiona is about to turn twelve – older than her sister was. This summer, Fiona will save some money, make new friends, and finally have some fun at The Fair.

My Thoughts:

I use to love going to the fair as a child, all the different sites and smells, I remember candy floss and hot dog smells wafting through the air, any child is going to love it, Except for Fiona as she has never been allowed to go, there is a reason why her parents won’t let her go and it involves something that happened to her sister when she went to the fair. The book is a count down to the day she finally gets to go, she is twelve years old and I enjoyed reading about what goes through a child that ages mind. Fiona is going to make some money and go to the fair and have fun, but will things go according to her plan? a funny and interesting read that made me want to go to a fair.

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

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George and Martha have things they’d rather keep hidden from each other: private thoughts, desires and secrets which, if discovered, could cause untold shame. But to an outsider they appear to have a happy, contented and conventional family life.

At their twins’ Fred and Delilah’s twenty-first birthday party events conspire to uncover disturbing emotional connections, and threaten to reveal a past that has long been concealed.

Soon after, a holiday designed to repair the damage exposes further rifts that could spread beyond the family and possibly change their futures forever. As a GP, Martha is used to helping her patients mend physically and mentally, but can she do the same for her husband and children, or will the ensuing damage leave wounds that will never heal?

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Elizabeth and it will not be my last as I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It was a little slow to start with but it had me gripped the whole way through. The story is about a married couple called George and Martha, they both have kept secrets from each other amongst other things. When their twins have a party for their twenty first, events spiral out of control and secrets are uncovered. What secrets will be revealed? will it break up the family for good or is there a way of building bridges once again? The thing with this book is you never really know what goes on behind closed doors or behind their eyes. They may seem happy but underneath there is betrayals and all sorts of things going on. I didn’t particularly warm to any of the characters, but that is not saying I didn’t like the book because I really did. I wanted to know what had happened in the past for them to be the way they are today and I sure found out. The twists were brilliant and I look forward to reading my next book by Elizabeth Forbes.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you to Anne Cater for sending me a copy.

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THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS HAYES CAMPBELL.

To the media, he’s the enigmatic front-man of a record-breaking boyband.

To his fans, he’s the boy of their dreams.

To his label, he’s gold-dust.

And to Solène Marchand, he’s the pretty face that’s plastered over her teenage daughter’s bedroom wall.

Until a chance meeting throws Hayes and Solène together . . .

The attraction is instant. The chemistry is electric. The affair is Solène’s secret.

But can it really stay that way forever?

My Thoughts:

This is an addictive read, it is a fresh and original story that is packed with lots of sexiness and a love affair. Hayes Campbell is a artist in a boy band, he is very successful and has many girls swooning over him. But when he meets Solene, who is a single mum whose daughter is hung up on the band especially Hayes, he is smitten with Solene. Is this a good idea to start something with a young guy who is in a boy band, can she keep this love affair secret from her daughter? especially when the media are all over the band. It is a sexy, sultry love affair story that will keep you reading till all hours.

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

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I drove myself out of New York City where a man shot himself in front of me. He was a gluttonous man and when his blood came out it looked like the blood of a pig.

That’s a cruel thing to think, I know. He did it in a restaurant where I was having dinner with another man, another married man.

Do you see how this is going? But I wasn’t always that way.

I am depraved. I hope you like me.

My Thoughts:

When I saw this book was out, I wanted to read it for myself and gather my own opinions on what I thought of this book. I found it quite an uncomfortable read, I found it hard to warm to Joan, she is broken and hurt and has put barriers up around herself to try and protect herself. I never really knew what was coming and some of the things that happen are truly shocking. However I wanted to read on and learn more about Joan and I am glad I did as it made me think. I think this book is a little like marmite you will ever like it or not. I am somewhere in between but I am grateful to have read it.

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

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A shift in the nature of light reveals an eighth colour in the visible spectrum. A boy befriends the last tree in the natural world. A single mother finds help at the darkest point of her life. A young man finds himself trapped in a university overrun by crows.

These stories and more form In Other Words, an anthology as diverse as the writers themselves. Some cover trauma, societal issues and stigma; others offer fragments of hope and light. Some reach back in time while others transport us to another dimension altogether. There is heartbreak, wit, humour, poignancy and above all a mastery of the imagination.

What these transcendent stories share is that they were created by autistic writers, people often dismissed as unimaginative or incapable of creativity a myth that has persisted for generations. This collection hopes to shatter those stereotypes, those misconceptions and misunderstandings, and the perception that one must be neurotypical to be afforded a voice in the arts.

My Thoughts:

I liked the fact that all the stories are written by autistic writers, I feel as though a lot of the time they don’t get to share their stories and I feel as though this is a good thing that needs to be read. So there is eight different stories in this book, they all seem to cover different things like trauma, different issues and stigma’s, there seems to be every emotion in each read too. I read each story slowly and really took the words in, and I enjoyed it. I hope this book helps other autistic writers to never give up on their dreams and also gives people an understanding what it is like for an autistic person living in the real world today. I now have more of an understanding from reading this wonderful book that I think everyone should shout about.

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

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Haileybrook, a beautiful village in the peaceful Cotswolds countryside, is most people’s idea of heaven on earth.

Born and raised in this small slice of paradise, Elle Bea can’t wait to leave.

It should be easy, but every time she packs her bags for exotic adventures, old loves and loyalties pull her back.

Will Elle be forced to forget her dreams of far-flung places and epic romance, or can she grab one last chance to have it all?

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book, I have read Claire’s previous book called Art and Soul and liked it. Claire’s descriptions makes it feel as though you want to be right there in Haileybrook where the book is set. It sounds wonderful and I would love to go to the Cotswolds one day. Elle lives there but cannot wait to leave, but why? something is always pulling her back, we see old flames pop up, and also she has firm roots and loyalties that she can’t just leave. Will she ever be able to detach from Haileybrook and live her own life or will she have to make do with the Cotswolds once and for all. I can understand why she wanted to leave but where she lives seems like a lovely place, I know I wouldn’t want to leave. I loved all the characters we meet in this book, there are some amusing parts and I felt as though it was an uplifting read , one I would recommend to everyone.

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

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