A lifelong friendship

Childhood friends Milly and Nicole had always been more like sisters so Milly never understood why Nicole dropped out of contact all those months ago. Milly buried that hurt and moved on with her life.

A call for help

Now, suddenly, Nicole is begging for Milly’s help. She needs somewhere private to hide, and the only safe place she can think of is Milly’s holiday home business in the Lake District. Milly knows she should tell Nicole no, but she can’t ignore the desperation in her old friend’s voice so, despite her misgivings, she agrees to let Nicole stay.

A summer to reconnect

Over a summer of tentative conversations, the two women begin to reconnect, and there’s a potential new romance for Milly too. But then the biggest bombshell of all lands and their delicate friendship is put to the test once more …

Can the friends come together in this time of need, or will this summer break their bond forever?

My Thoughts:

Sarah Morgan is one of my go to authors, I don’t even need to read the blurb to know how much I am going to enjoy it, and I do every time. Nicole and Milly were best friends growing up but as adults when there were things going on in Milly’s life that she needed support with, Nicole dropped off the face of the earth and Milly never heard from her again until now. Nicole needs Milly’s help now more than ever but is Milly willing to forgive and forget and why now? they both have the whole summer to find out about each other again but will their friendship be tested again? As soon as I started reading it, I started to feel relaxed and full of warmth, this is what Sarah’s books do to me, it was a great summer read set in the stunning Lake District which is one of my favourite places to go to on holiday. I liked seeing the connection between the two women evolve over time and to hear each of their stories. I just loved it.

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

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As kids, outcasts Rebecca, Bobby, Spencer, and Ernie were inseparable friends in the idyllic town of Maple Grove. Three left to pursue lofty dreams―and achieved them. Only Ernie never left. When he falls into a coma, his three amigos feel an urgent need to return home. Don’t they remember people lapsing into comas back then? And those people always awoke…didn’t they?

After two decades, not a lot has changed in Maple Grove, especially Ernie’s obnoxious, scary mother. But Rebecca, Bobby, and Spencer begin to remember a hulking, murderous figure and weirdness piled on mystery that they were made to forget. As Ernie sinks deeper into darkness, something strange awaits any friend who tries to save him.

For Rebecca, Bobby, and Spencer, time is running out to remember the terrors of the past in a perfect town where nothing is what it seems. For Maple Grove, it’s a chance to have the “four amigos,” as they once called themselves, back in its grasp.

My Thoughts:

Four young friends have the best childhood together, but as adults three left and one remained. When the one that they left behind falls into a coma, all three return, but something has happened and something is not right at all? should they have left? so many questions need answering and is the past going to come back and haunt them? This is my second book by Dean Koontz and I would love to read more of his books. It is a slow burner but there is a lot of detail to the story. It was interesting to read the past and the present aspect of the story, what really happened when they were kids and to how everything changes now they are adults. It was a good story to follow along with. I really enjoyed it.

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

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A brutal murder. A deadly secret. A killer who’s done this before . . .

DCI Rob Miller is called to a murder scene in the early hours of the morning. A young woman’s body has been discovered under Putney Bridge.

There are clear signs this was a brutal attack. The crime scene is especially unnerving for DCI Miller. It mirrors the victims of the Surrey Stalker — a sadistic predator Miller took down five years ago.

But the Surrey Stalker is dead.

This killer isn’t just copying the past — They know things only the original murderer could have known. They know police secrets and crime scene details that were withheld from the press.

With the media circling and a mole inside the force leaking information, Miller must untangle a deadly web of deception before the killer strikes again.

But as the body count rises and the noose tightens, one question haunts him:

Did he catch the wrong man all those years ago?

My Thoughts:

When a woman’s body is found under Putney Bridge, DCI Rob Miller is called into investigate. But for him it reminds him of a case he investigated years ago, it mirrors the one back then but the killer is dead so who did this? they need to find out before more woman die. I found it quite fast paced to begin with then it seemed to slow down. I liked the fact that I knew the area, that always peaks my interest in a book. The details of the places were spot on and the characters really worked well for the book. I would be intrigued to read another one of Biba’s books. I found this one did not hold my attention as much as I would of liked.

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

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Seventeen-year-old Anna is not having a good summer. She’s pretty sure she’s flunked her exams and to make matters worse, her boyfriend, Max, has unceremoniously dumped her. All her friends have incredible summers lined up, while her diary is looking worryingly empty. So when her aunt invites her to stay at her bookshop by the sea for the summer, she reluctantly takes her up on her offer. If nothing else, at least she can hide out there and ignore the fact her real life is quickly going down the drain. What Anna didn’t factor into her summer plans was the oh so irritating but distractingly good looking local surfer, Jacob, who keeps crossing her path and who she finds herself inexplicably drawn to… When disaster strikes the bookshop, Anna has to work with Jacob if she’s to save the bookshop’s end of summer party. Along the way she might just discover that real life can be a whole lot sweeter than fiction…

My Thoughts:

I loved this book so much, anything set in a bookshop with a little romance on the side is my cup of tea and I loved it. Gracie is a new author and I can tell she is going to be a big hit with readers like me. A cute summer rom com that you wont want to put down. The cover is gorgeous too, very summery. Anna is not having a great summer so far, everything seems to be going wrong until her Aunt invited her to stay with her. But what she didn’t realise is how bad the bookshop her aunt owns is going down hill rapidly. When her aunt has an accident, it is up to Anna to save the day and pull the bookshop out of deep water. With a few other people to help including hot Jacob, could Anna have a little romance going on here too? Gracie has done a great job on detailing how a bookshop is run and I really found that side of things interesting, also they are a few funny parts too. It was a great and uplifting summer read. I cannot wait to see what Gracie writes about next.

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

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LA Publicist Hannah is ready to put her broken heart behind her and start afresh. So when a celebrity client offers to lend her a luxury penthouse apartment in New York City, Hannah jumps at the chance.

But it turns out that balancing a new job and new neighbours is harder than Hannah imagined. With a troublesome – yet undeniably attractive – client making headlines for all the wrong reasons, and the secretive curmudgeon next door seemingly on a mission to get her out, Hannah has her hands full.

It’s going to take all her best PR tricks to win over each of these cynics. But it isn’t only their walls that begin breaking down. And as Hannah starts to open her own heart to all the possibilities the city has to offer, a chance at love might be closer than she thinks.

This is New York, after all.

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Melissa and I cannot wait to read more of her books. I loved the sound of the plot, and I love a book that has my name as the main character too. Hannah needs a fresh start, things have gone wrong in her life and she needs to get away for a bit so when a chance encounter leads to her spending her days in New York in a very expensive penthouse Hannah jumps at the chance to live there. But things don’t stay great and Hannah is struggling to balance a new job and new neighbours. And a handsome client thrown in there too. There is lots going on but I feel a fast paced read for this book was the right one as Hannah always seems busy and on the go. I love how it is set in New York as I have never been there so I felt as though from Melissa describing the place that I got a sense of what it is like. A really great read to follow along with. I really did feel for Hannah at different points in this book but I saw the potential she had. A warm and funny read that readers will fall in love with.

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

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When British Arab and ‘Southerner’, Dr Ahmed Handy, suddenly found himself working as a junior doctor in the Midlands, a part of the country with which he was wholly unfamiliar… and which was equally unfamiliar with people like him, he was faced with something of a culture shock.

But that was only the beginning of his bizarre junior doctor experience.

Through this humorous and heartfelt memoir, Dr Handy imparts his extensive collection of bonkers stories about the various quirky doctors and nurses he worked alongside, ranging from the mildly eccentric to the overtly sociopathic. From a Gynaecologist so petty he copyrighted his own consent forms, to an anally retentive Orthopaedic surgeon with practices so bewildering that the accompanying doctor simply wrote a question mark in the patient’s notes, Quacks is a memoir full of characters and experiences so outrageous they will make you gasp in shock and laugh out loud in equal measure.

My Thoughts:

I love a book when it is written by a Dr, so you get the full experience of what it is like to be a Dr and get the behind the scenes too. Dr Ahmed Handy is very kind to relay his experiences as a Dr in the Midlands, he faces some very peculiar experiences from both patient and Dr. This is more about the behind the scenes of the Dr and Nurses that Dr Ahmed Handy has met along the way of his career, but some of the things he experiences was eye opening. There are also some funny parts to this story too, You would not believe some of the things you will read in this book they are just jaw dropping stuff. It would be good if Dr Ahmed Handy would write his next book about the different patients he has seen. It was a really interesting and gripping hands on experience for one Dr. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

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

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For Jo Jenkins, life has always been about putting others first. But with her children grown and her ex-husband as rotten as ever, she knows it’s time to put herself at the heart of the story. So, when she inherits a beautiful beachside cottage in Cornwall, she grabs the chance to start over.

The crumbling old cottage needs a little love, but so does Jo. And with the help of her new friends – a kind-hearted jeweller, a no-nonsense businesswoman, and a local Jack of all trades with a past of his own – Jo begins to rebuild more than just bricks and mortar.

But tucked away inside the cottage is a secret that could change everything. As the waves roll in and the sea air clears her mind, Jo must decide if she’s ready to let go of the past. Will she finally learn to embrace the life she truly deserves?

My Thoughts:

This is my first read by Kim, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. When Jo inherits a cottage, it is at the perfect time in her life as her life is falling apart, even though it is a big project Jo knows with some of the friendly locals that she can make this work and have the life she wants and deserves. The descriptions of the place sounded wonderful, I felt as though I could hear the waves of the sea and smell the sea air. It has made me want to go to Cornwall now. It was an enjoyable and hopeful read. I loved it.

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

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June cleans houses. Ray is a janitor at the public tennis courts in Dun Laoghaire. After lives spent picking up the pieces, he’s not romantic material, and she’s not even friend material. When it comes to learning how to be with other people at the age of 70 plus, they are unlikely companions, even more unlikely friends. Ray looks a bit like Willie Nelson, June looks a bit like Chrissie Hynde. They’ve never fitted in before and they don’t fit in now. They are just regular folk for whom the path towards love has been closed off. As understanding blossoms into friendship, June and Ray find themselves slowly rediscovering the joy that’s been missing from their lives for so long. The right person at the right time. June and Ray, this is your moment.

My Thoughts:

What a wonderful read, I was blown away about how much I loved this book about two people in their 70’s becoming the best of friends. It is all about how the two of them navigate their life. I loved how the story flowed and the joy it gave me that they found each other. It was a beautifully story about the bond that these two share and the agreement they have between each other. It is a heart warming and emotional story. I loved it.

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

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Be Patient is a warm, darkly comic account of Tilly’s desperate search for a diagnosis, against the backdrop of a hilariously funny, heartfelt and, at times, shocking insight into patient life.

A ‘medical mystery’ for over 20 years, Tilly has spent a lifetime navigating GP waiting rooms, A&E departments and hospital wards. She has been given a front row seat watching humanity at its worst (or its best, depending on how you look at it). Along the way, she has become highly qualified at two things: being a patient and being very patient.

Now, she is shining a bright hospital strip light onto a space that none of us want to occupy but one we know, with some certainty, that we will. Complete with ‘survival tips’ and fuelled with humour (the best medicine of all), Be Patient is an extraordinary memoir on resilience, hope and finding strength in the face of adversity.

My Thoughts:

As soon as I saw this book I knew I had to read it. I have been in and out of hospitals for a long time now, having multiple conditions I am always sat in a hospital or doctors waiting room. So I get where Tilly is coming from. Also I like the fact that this a personal account of Tilly’s so I thank Tilly for sharing her story. Even though Tilly and I do not share the same conditions I could totally see where Tilly was coming from and I agreed with her on so many things. I really felt for her multiple times throughout the story and felt frustrated and angry alongside her. The story is about how Tilly copes with being a medical mystery, being passed from pillar to post with the majority of doctors not wanting to get involved in her case. There are funny parts to this story too but it is a honest and raw account of a woman who was let down by the NHS many times and I am so sorry for that Tilly. The survival tips at the end of each chapter were informative too. I think if you have a loved one that is unwell than reading this might make you see it through their eyes what they have to go through. I have been through so many things Tilly went through so I totally get it. It was a read that I will remember and I really hope it brings to light that just because you look fine on the outside it does not mean you are ok on the inside, you should never imagine someone is just fine. Also if you are not happy with something in the medical world as for a second opinion, you really have to fight for what you need but never give up.

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

Summer is in full swing when Daisy drives back into Wynmouth in her almost-clapped-out car, having left both her most recent job and the man her parents thought she was going to marry. Coming home could be just what she needs to move her life on.  

At Wynbrook Manor, things are in disarray. Owner Algy isn’t getting any younger, and Daisy’s mum Janet, housekeeper at the manor, spends her days running around after him, while Daisy’s dad Robin, the gardener, has been let down by the person he had lined up to take care of the new cut-flower garden.

As Daisy tries to find her place at Wynbrook and in the village, she’s drawn to summer visitor Josh. But when he turns out to be not the person he appears to be, will the spark between them fizzle out? And with it, the chances of this turning into the best summer ever?

My Thoughts:

Reading this when it was still cold outside was perfect as it really did make me feel warmer inside. The cover is vibrant and looks like the perfect beach read. Daisy is returning to her old home as things were not going right in her old life. But things at home as she soon realises are not all what they seem and Daisy feels she needs a place in her new life but does not know how to take that step just yet maybe she needs some guidance from someone. It was a easy and enjoyable read. I liked Daisy from the start, I felt as though there were a lot of secrets being hidden but was hoping they would eventually come out. I liked reading about the garden side of things as I am a keen gardener, it was such a feel good read and I was sad when I had read the last page.

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

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