Daniel is the perfect husband. Rory is the perfect brother. Serena is the perfect sister-in-law.
And Rachel? Rachel is the perfect nightmare.
When Helen, finally pregnant after years of tragedy, attends her first antenatal class, she is expecting her loving architect husband to arrive soon after, along with her confident, charming brother Rory and his pregnant wife, the effortlessly beautiful Serena. What she is not expecting is Rachel.
Extroverted, brash, unsettling single mother-to-be Rachel, who just wants to be Helen’s friend. Who just wants to get know Helen and her friends and her family. Who just wants to know everything about them. Every little secret.
My Thoughts:
I found this a very dark read, you never know what is around the corner. It is full of twists and the characters are all believable, but what really happened to Rachel, I feel as though this book is going to be a huge hit. A psychological thriller at it’s best. The ending was sublime.
I received a ARC copy of this book for an honest review.
Have you ever imagined running away from your life?
Well Birdy Finch didn’t just imagine it. She did it. Which might’ve been an error. And the life she’s run into? Her best friend, Heather’s.
The only problem is, she hasn’t told Heather. Actually there are a few other problems…
Can Birdy carry off a summer at a luxury Scottish hotel pretending to be her best friend (who incidentally is a world-class wine expert)?
And can she stop herself from falling for the first man she’s ever actually liked (but who thinks she’s someone else)
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this fresh and fun read. I loved Birdy from the get go and she seemed an easy person to get on with. It is a very funny and witty read that is so relatable, I love how engaged I felt throughout reading this book. There is lots of delicious food to salivate over and men too. You won’t stop laughing out loud, this is what everyone needs at the moment some light hearted entertainment. I am already looking forward to Lizzy’s next book with great anticipation.
I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.
In the form of several journeys, beginning in January 2019, Neil Ansell returns for solitary walks to the New Forest in Hampshire, close to where he was born. With beautiful sightings and observations of birds, trees, butterflies, insects and landscape, this is also a reflective memoir on childhood, on the history of one of the most ancient and important natural habitats in the United Kingdom, and on the Gypsies who lived there for centuries – and were subsequently expelled to neighbouring cities. It is also part polemic on our collective and individual responsibility for the land and world in which we live, and how we care for it.
My Thoughts:
What a delightful read, and the cover of this book is simply stunning. Neil Ansell is an award winning television journalist with the BBC and a long standing newspaper journalist. He has written a couple of other books that I want to read next. This book is all about his walks to the New Forest. The New Forest has a special place in my heart as I use to go there alot when I was younger. I love driving through the New Forest too as you get to see all different wildlife. It made me feel calm when reading this book, hearing about all the different wildlife and birds and also the landscape gave me a fresh perspective on what you might be able to see if you go there. Neil is a great naturalist who is inquisitive and sensible and describes such a precious place in such great detail, one could almost imagine walking in his footsteps. I look forward to reading more of Neil’s books in the future.
I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.
Baking fanatic, Charlie Quilter, inherits a vintage bus in her late uncle’s will and is keen to give it a new lease of life. Charlie thinks it will be the perfect mobile café for afternoon tea, so she heads to the picturesque Cornish village of Porthgolow, hoping for a new start. However, Daniel Harper, the owner of the posh spa up on the hill isn’t very pleased that her bus is parked outside his lovely hotel. Has Charlie’s Cornish dream developed a soggy bottom? Or can she convince Daniel that her bus could take them somewhere wonderful?
My Thoughts:
I love a book that is set in one of my favourite places Cornwall. It just makes me want to go there. This is the first book in the series and I look forward to read the others and following Charlie’s story. She inherits a bus and to give it a new lease of life decides to make it in to a mobile café to serve afternoon teas. After deciding that a little village in Cornwall would be the perfect spot, she heads off there but only to discover people that live there may not be keen on her pulling up and taking their business. Can she win them around or will she have to move on and shatter her dreams? It is a fun read, though don’t read on an empty stomach as the sounds of all the culinary delights will leave you feeling rather hungry. There is quite a lot going on in this book with lots of unique characters. There is always going to be a romance but you have to expect that. I loved it.
A beautiful book to connect us after such a challenging time.
‘Dark clouds were looming in the distance. We watched them gather, and we wondered… When will it come? How long will it last?’
A monumental storm brings huge and sudden change. We follow a man and his dog through the uncertainty that it brings to their lives. Through their eyes, we see the difficulties of being apart, the rollercoaster of emotions that we can all relate to, and the realisation that by pulling together we can move through difficult times with new perspective, hope and an appreciation of what matters most in life.
My Thoughts:
If there is one book to buy this year, this has to be it. It is a incredibly beautiful book with such poignant drawings. All of the sketches are detailed and absolutely beautiful, the words fit perfectly with what is happening in the sketches, you will want to take your time looking at the sketches as they are just lovely to look at. The story really portrays what is going on in the world at the moment and it gives us some hope that things will hopefully return to normal soon. I had a feeling that this book could help children and adults the world in which we are living in at the moment and give them some reassurance. A lovely book, one that I will treasure forever.
I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.
Thirty-year-old Tessa Archer is an emotional eater who is full of self-loathing and lacking confidence – she’s a woman who is desperate to change if only she had the nerve.
Her cause isn’t helped by her family whose all-round lack of regard, belief and simple love make her life a whole lot harder. Unable to match up to her ‘perfect’ siblings, a brutal family dinner pushes Tessa to take the first tentative steps towards transformation. Inventing a girls’ weekend away, she plans a short break in Cornwall – alone. It’s a place where she hopes she can feel reinvigorated about life, even if she’s terrified of the prospect. This is a last-ditch attempt to prove to her family that she isn’t the scared, useless ‘lump’ they think she is.
Once in St. Ives, with no expectations or standards to uphold, Tessa finally feels as though she can breathe, and not just because the air is cleaner. She pushes herself to meet new people and finally concentrate on her own life. With the help of the Coastal Cahoots Club, a group of crazy elderly ladies, led by the indomitable Winnie, a new Tessa emerges. There’s even the possibility of love with Winnie’s sexy grandson Ben – if only he was willing to open up his heart. Who knew a group of old aged pensioners, a sexy bar owner, a militant seamstress and a beautiful Cornish coastal town could bring such magic to a person’s life.
My Thoughts:
When reading the blurb on the back of this book, I knew it was a story I would enjoy and I did. Tessa is thirty and likes to eat, she is not really happy with her life and lacks confidence. She is desperate for a change so whilst on a short break in Cornwall she encounters Winnie who is an elderly lady, she shows her how to be more confident and gives her a job opportunity which she can’t refuse. Add in Winnie’s elderly friends who are just as crazy as Winnie, and Winnie’s very handsome grandson and you are in for a real treat. It does tackle some personal situations but the topic is dealt with sensitively. Tessa grew on me and I really hoped she found her confidence and it was wonderful to see her coming out of herself. I look forward to the next book by Victoria.
I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.
Sebastian James Murphy is twenty years, six months and two days old. He loves swimming, fried eggs and Billy Ocean. Sebastian is autistic. And lonely.
Veronica wants her son Sebastian to be happy … she wants the world to accept him for who he is. She is also thinking about paying a professional to give him what he desperately wants.
Violetta is a high-class escort, who steps out into the night thinking only of money. Of her nursing degree. Paying for her dad’s care. Getting through the dark.
When these three lives collide – intertwine in unexpected ways – everything changes. For everyone.
My Thoughts:
I found this a very moving story about a mother’s love for her son. How far would you go for your son’s needs? Sebastian is a twenty year old man who has autism, he loves to swim and listen to music but he is lonely. His mum only wants what’s best for her son and wishes the world would accept him for who he is. Then she meets Violetta who changes his world completely. But what would he think of his mum if she knew she was paying her? I think that the topic that is discussed is quite a topical one but I found it interesting to learn more about autism as I didn’t know much about it before reading this book. I feel it is a well written story which makes you think about what you would do if you were in that situation. There seems to have been a lot of research gone into the book too.
I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.
COULD THE WORST DAY OF SALLY PARKER’S LIFE BE THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO HER..?
Sally Parker had a morbid fear of big social events and it was for this reason that she was crouching down low in the shoe section of her wardrobe…
Sally Parker is struggling to find the hero inside herself. All she wants to do is lie down. Her husband Frank has lost his business, their home and their savings, in one fell swoop. Their bank cards are being declined. The children have gone feral. And now the bailiffs are at the door. What does an ordinary woman do when the bottom falls out? Sally Parker is about to surprise everybody. Most of all herself.
My Thoughts:
I love a book that points out familiar places, throughout this book places are mentioned like Fetcham, Epsom, and leatherhead that are all near to me, I feel as though it makes the book more special when you know the place. I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining read. I can almost see this as being made into a sitcom, I am sure it would have high ratings. The characters especially Sally are all wonderful, you can understand her and I really did feel for her on some occasions. I found it a really easy book to get on with and I hope to enjoy more of Mel’s books in the future.
I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for sending me the book.
A homemade bomb exploded mid-air, killing 214 people on board.
Thirteen people survived.
Sixteen years later one of the survivors is found brutally bludgeoned to death. It looks like a crime of passion but DC Lucy Davies knows something is wrong. They were trying to find the bombers.
Lucy’s search for the killer brings her into conflict with her long-lost father – who has his own secrets. Dangerous secrets which Lucy must expose so she can confront a vicious murderer with only one thing on their mind.
Keep on killing to stop the truth from being revealed.
My Thoughts:
This is the first book I have read from this author and it won’t be my last. At the beginning of the book we are transported to sixteen years ago, passengers that are on a plane suddenly realise that they are about to crash land but no one knows what has gone wrong. Then we fast forward to the present day where a woman has been murdered. How is it all connected? I found it a great paced thriller, full of suspense. I felt as though you really have to concentrate on this book as there is a lot going on and is packed with lots of characters. Even though this book is part of a series you can read it as a standalone which I did, but would be happy to read the others.
I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.
The lives of others have always fascinated newspaper archivist Chloe. And when she comes across a cutting of a little girl who went missing twenty-five years ago, she is moved by the unwavering devotion of the child’s parents and their belief that their daughter will one day return.
Meanwhile, news that her beloved Nan, the only family she has left, must move into a nursing home, leaves Chloe distraught and soon to be homeless. So when the missing girl’s parents advertise for a lodger, Chloe sees this as a sign – a new home and the perfect opportunity to investigate the case. But it’s not long until she realises the couple aren’t all they seem from the outside . . .
With everyone in the house hiding something, the question is – whose secrets are the most dangerous?
My Thoughts:
When a book makes your skin crawl and you hold your breath you know it is going to be a good one. I loved the sound of this thriller and couldn’t wait to start reading it. This story is about Chloe and how as she is working her job as a journalist she uncovers a story from back in the past about a little girl going missing and that the police could never find out what happened to her. Chloe decides to investigate into it. Chloe also has her nan that has Alzheimer so we see her heartbreaking decline and I really did feel for Chloe as it is very sad to see when a person has this very cruel disease. On the hunt for clues to find the missing girl Chloe unearths alot more than she could ever imagine and manages to wind her way into the lives of the missing girls parents. Who is telling the truth and who is lying? Will there be skeletons in the Chloe’s closet too? It was a unique story, one I have never read before with such anticipation as I never truly knew what would become whilst turning the page. Your in for a real treat with this debut novel. Will be looking out for this author again.
I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley for sending me this book.
Get your copy here:
Hardback ( change the link once cover is revealed)
Echoes In An Empty Room 