The Act of Love By Carol Drinkwater

26 May , 202126 May , 2021 by Hannah ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

France, 1943.

Forced to flee war ravaged Poland, Sara and her parents are offered refuge in a beautiful but dilapidated house in the French Alps. It seems the perfect hideaway, despite haunting traces of the previous occupants who left in haste.

But shadows soon fall over Sara’s blissful summer, and her blossoming romance with local villager Alain. As the Nazis close in, the family is forced to make a harrowing choice that could drive them apart forever, while Sara’s own bid for freedom risks several lives . . .

Will her family make it through the summer together?
And can she hold onto the love she has found with Alain?

My Thoughts:

I like reading Carol’s books, they are always intriguing and her writing is very descriptive, this story is about Sara and her parents who have had to run away from Poland to France. It is set in 1943 and there is a war going on in Poland that forces them to run. In France they stay in a run down house tucked away in the Alps. In the Summer Sara even have a little romance going on with a local, but things don’t always fall in to place and the Nazis are closing in, will the family be able to stay together or will they have to make an unbearable choice? I found this story a little slow but I liked how the story was told and the ending was good.

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

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I am part of the blog tour for this book, if you want to check out what other bloggers think of this book, check out the blog tour poster below:

The Thursday Murder Club By Richard Osman

20 May , 202120 May , 2021 by Hannah ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?

My Thoughts:

I loved the sound of the plot for this book, it sounded right up my street. In a retirement village four friends meet up to investigate unsolved murders. There are quite a few funny moments as you can imagine, they each have their own stories and they are the ones that I soon came to care about. Even though they are old they don’t let that stop them from working out the unsolved murders. But is time on their hands? can they solve the murders before it is too late? I am intrigued to see what the second book brings.

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

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Sew on the Go By Mary Jane Baxter

19 May , 202118 May , 2021 by Hannah ♥ 2 Comments

In 2016, Mary Jane Baxter did what many people dream of: she quit her job at the BBC, rented out her flat and headed for the hills. Her home for the next few months was an upcycled 1986 Bedford Bambi campervan with a top speed of 60mph. She raided skips for vintage wallpaper and scoured second-hand emporiums to source stylish vintage accessories, creating her own travelling craft studio, packed with everything necessary for crafting on the road.

She then set off around Europe searching for inspiration, travelling from Belgium right down to the Cinque Terre in Italy then around France and up to Scotland. Armed with her trusty hand-cranked Singer, she spent a summer sewing on the go, foraging in flea markets, meeting artists and hosting pop-up events to help fund her trip. Like creatives the world over she decided to see where her travels would lead her and returned with a head full of new projects.

Fortunately, there s no need for you to give up your job, wave goodbye to your family and rent out your house in order to re-ignite your own creativity; Mary Jane has done all the hard work for you. Sew on the Go is her guide to carving out more creative space in your life. From decorating your own budget-conscious bolthole to achievable projects including clothes and fashion accessories, beautiful gift ideas and child-friendly makes, this book is the ideal companion for those who dream of devoting more time to their craft.

My Thoughts:

I love how this book is set out as a travel memoir that shares everything, when travelling alone you are going to have good and bad days and here we see Mary’s experience in all this. I haven’t really read any book like this book and I certainly will in the future, Mary gives a lot of information and advice if you were to take off on an adventure of your own. Mary goes off on her travels in her little van and shows us how to make do and mend with pretty much anything she can get her hands on. Also I liked the step by step crafts she demonstrates I even feel as though I could make some of the things she has made. There is all different types to choose from too, I just love how the book is laid out, it will really inspire people to get crafting. If you need inspiration or you want to learn to do crafts, I would highly recommend reading this book.

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

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Don’t Let Him in By Howard Linskey

18 May , 202118 May , 2021 by Hannah ♥ 2 Comments

Eriston is a small town.

It’s the kind of place where everyone knows your name – and your secrets.

Rebecca hasn’t been back in years, but she grew up in the shadow of the dark local legend. There have always been deaths in Eriston – more than can easily be explained. People dying in their houses, behind locked doors.

Her father Sean had always warned her of the dangers. Don’t let him in.

When Rebecca returns, she discovers that her father wasn’t willing to let the legend lie. He was on the verge of uncovering the town’s darkest truth.

He thought he was on the trail of a killer.
Sean knew too much. Now he’s dead.

Rebecca could accept her father’s death

Or she could risk her life by carrying on his work . . .

My Thoughts:

When Rebecca has to return to her home town, she is not looking forward to it, it is a small town where everyone knows everybody else’s business. That is why she moved and hadn’t returned. But now she is back and eerie things are happening, her father was on the brink of discovering a big secret until something happened to him. But what was it? and if Rebecca goes on the hunt to unravel it will she end up the same way her father did? It was a tense, chilling and dark read that made me feel on edge the whole time reading it. I was worried for Rebecca but wanted to find out if her father was right or not. This would be great if it was turned into a film.

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

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The House Guest By Charlotte Northedge

17 May , 202117 May , 2021 by Hannah ♥ 1 Comment

Kate trusts Della, and Della trusts Kate.
Their downfall is each other.

When Kate moves to London after the disappearance of her sister, she’s in need of a friend. A chance meeting leads Kate to Della, a life coach who runs support groups for young women, dubbed by Kate as ‘the Janes.’

Della takes a special interest in Kate, and Kate soon finds herself entangled in Della’s life – her house, her family, and her husband. It’s only when she realises that she’s in too deep that Della’s veneer begins to crumble, and the warnings from ‘the Janes’ begin to come true.

Why is Della so keen to keep Kate by her side? What does Kate have that Della might want? And what really lies beneath the surface of their friendship?

My Thoughts:

This for me was a slow burner thriller, it started of as quite a slow story but got more intense the further I got through the book. I found it dark with twists and turns, some of which I guessed before they came, all the characters are compelling with their own stories to tell, We as readers are lead to explore loss, betrayal and motherhood which comes with an intensity. I found Della quite creepy and unsettling, I wouldn’t want to meet her. It is written well for a thriller.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for sending me a copy.

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The Final Twist: Book 3 ( Colter Shaw Thriller) By Jeffery Deaver

14 May , 2021 by Hannah ♥ 1 Comment

Twist left.

Unique Investigator Colter Shaw is searching for the answer to his father’s final, posthumous riddle. It will lead him to evidence that will topple the secretive espionage company, BlackBridge.

Twist right.

He believes BlackBridge to be responsible for his father’s murder and brother’s disappearance. They can outmanoeuvre anyone, as the long trail of bodies behind them can confirm.
But they haven’t yet met Colter Shaw.

Don’t slip up.

This time the stakes are huge – the fate of a nation is in Colter’s hands. He must find the solution as to why his father died – but to do that he needs to stay alive…

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Jeffery Deaver and it will not be my last. This is the third book in the Colter Shaw thriller series, I would recommend reading the first two first, I love reading a book where the main character takes on cases and has to uncover a mystery. I could feel the tension start to rise from the beginning as Colter is taking on a personal mission this time, but will he be able to find the answers he desperately needs? I liked how it was fast paced and grabbed my attention from the first page. I found the story was full of action and there were often twists that I would never of believed would happen. I am so glad I have finally read a Jeffery Deaver book and I look forward to reading all of his other books.

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

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You Had it Coming By B.M.Carroll

14 May , 202114 May , 2021 by Hannah ♥ 1 Comment

WOULD YOU SAVE THE MAN
WHO DESTROYED YOUR LIFE?

When paramedic Megan Lowe is called to the scene of an attempted murder, all she can do is try to save the victim. But as the man is lifted onto a stretcher, she realises she knows him. She despises him. Why should she save his life when he destroyed hers?

Jess Foster is on her way home when she receives a text from Megan. Once best friends, the two women haven’t been close for years, not since the night when they were just the teenage girls whom no-one believed; whose reputations were ruined. All Jess can think is, you had it coming.

Now Megan and Jess are at the centre of a murder investigation. But what secrets are they hiding? Can they trust one another? And who really is the victim?

My Thoughts:

I was looking forward to reading this book as I don’t think I have read a book involving a paramedic and it is a job I find fascinating. Megan is the paramedic and whilst on call, she and her work mate get called to a job where she tries her best to save the victim, it is only when they lift him and she sees him more clearly that she realizes she knows him. What happened in the past to make her not want to help him? we then see the whole story unravel and spiral out of control. What happened back then? what is going to happen now that everything is dragged up again? A intriguing story that you are just unsure of how it is going to play out but the author does it brilliantly. After each chapter I just wanted to read more.

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

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When They Find Her By Lia Middleton

13 May , 202129 March , 2021 by Hannah ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

NAOMI ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A MOTHER.

But three years ago, her husband left, taking their child with him.

Now, her daughter has come to stay, and Naomi knows it’s her one chance to re-build her family.

But the night ends in a terrible accident.

And Naomi has no memory of what happened.

Panicking, desperate, Naomi finds herself telling a lie:

‘My daughter is missing.’

NOW SHE CAN NEVER TAKE IT BACK.

My Thoughts:

When I had finished this story, I couldn’t believe that it was a debut novel, it was superb. It shook me up to the point that I felt breathless, I needed to know how the story was going to finish but was not prepared for what was going to happen. Naomi’s husband left a few years ago taking their daughter with him, now she has come to stay with Naomi, can Naomi put everything right again with her? tragedy strikes and Naomi has no recollection of what actually happened, but will anyone believe her? will she be bale to find out what really happened to her daughter before it is too late? I found it a tense and gripping story, one that I didn’t want to put down for a second. It is the stuff of nightmares reading it.

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

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ADELIA By Dan Barron

13 May , 2021 by Hannah ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

With his wife dead, his world crushed by guilt, Jack Landen struggles with his alcohol addiction and the inability to take back the mistakes that ultimately led to his wife’s suicide. Desperate for redemption, a drunken wish sends him back in time five years before they met. Adelia, now at the prime of her career in Rome, is about to marry her fiancé and move to the United States where she will live many long years in the suffocating chains of her jealous first husband who sabotages her career. Realizing the opportunity to save her fate and the fate of their lives together, Jack must find a way to quickly court his future wife and convince her of their undying love while avoiding the inescapable wrath of Nico, her uncle and head of the Italian mafia.

My Thoughts:

I love it when a book makes you feel as though you are there in the thick of it and this is exactly what this book does. Jack is the male lead in this book which I found refreshing and original, he is struggling with a number of things but wants to change. I enjoyed the twist and how believable the story was, I found the story deals with a number of things including love, death and destruction, which is written into a book that you wont want to put down. I look forward to reading my next book by Dan.

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

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The Perfect Lie By Jo Spain

13 May , 202113 May , 2021 by Hannah ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

He jumped to his death in front of witnesses. Now his wife is charged with murder.

Five years ago, Erin Kennedy moved to New York following a family tragedy. She now lives happily with her detective husband in the scenic seaside town of Newport, Long Island. When Erin answers the door to Danny’s police colleagues one morning, it’s the start of an ordinary day. But behind her, Danny walks to the window of their fourth-floor apartment and jumps to his death.

Eighteen months later, Erin is in court, charged with her husband’s murder. Over that year and a half, Erin has learned things about Danny she could never have imagined. She thought he was perfect. She thought their life was perfect.

My Thoughts:

I liked the idea of this story and it was written well, but for me I found the middle a little slow. The story is about Erin and her husband Danny, they live a happy and normal life together until one day he walks to the window in their apartment and jumps to his death. Why? We follow the story when a little later on, Erin is charged with his murder but was it her? She can’t imagine why he would of done what he did so she goes on to find out why and what he was involved in. I liked the idea of the story and the beginning and ending was good and suspenseful.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus.

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