Take Me Home By Alex Hart

Take Me Home By Alex Hart

When struggling journalist Harper returns a dress to the shop she bought it from that morning, she sees the same little girl sitting in the exact same place she saw her hours ago.

No one in the shop knows who the girl is.
No desperate parents have contacted mall security to say they’ve lost their daughter.
And the local police have no new reports of a missing child.

The girl says she misses her mother.
But why is nobody looking for her?
And what if finding her home is the worst thing you could do?

My Thoughts:

If you want a addictive, fast paced page turner this is the book for you. The writing is really descriptive and the characters are believable. The story is a fast paced one set by a little girl has lost her parents, Harper the lady that finds her, is set on a mission with a couple of her mates to help her find her parents, but is all as it seems? I liked the bond Harper has with the little girl and also the bond between TJ and the little girl is really lovely. The story shows how human kind can be kind but can also be very cruel. Would be great to be turned into a film. A very good read.

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

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The Winter Garden By Heidi Swain

The Winter Garden By Heidi Swain

Will love bloom this winter?
 
Freya Fuller is living her dream, working as a live-in gardener on a beautiful Suffolk estate. But when the owner dies, Freya finds herself forced out of her job and her home with nowhere to go. However, with luck on her side, she’s soon moving to Nightingale Square and helping to create a beautiful winter garden that will be open to the public in time for Christmas.
 
There’s a warm welcome from all in Nightingale Square, except from local artist Finn. No matter how hard the pair try, they just can’t get along, and working together to bring the winter garden to life quickly becomes a struggle for them both.
 
Will Freya and Finn be able to put their differences aside in time for Christmas? Or will the arrival of a face from Freya’s past send them all spiralling?

My Thoughts:

Heidi has done it again with this magical beautiful story. It is the perfect book for Christmas, in the perfect place with lots of lovely friendly people around to help out where ever possible. If you have read Heidi’s previous novels you will know they are all set in the same place, so there are mentions of previous characters which I liked, I loved the story and one that interests me as I am a keen gardener, it was nice to read something a little different too, I really like the way Heidi writes it makes you want more and I had to ration the last few pages as I just didn’t want the story to end.

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

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Coming Home to Glendale Hall By Victoria Walters

Coming Home to Glendale Hall By Victoria Walters

Beth Williams hasn’t been home for ten years. When she fell pregnant at just sixteen, knowing that her family would never approve, she ran away from the imposing Scottish estate that had been her home, building a new life for herself and her daughter hundreds of miles away.

But when her father begs her to return home to see her gravely ill grandmother, Beth is apprehensive at the thought of seeing her family again. With her daughter Isabelle, now a feisty ten-year-old, in tow, she plans to cut her visit as short as she can whilst fulfilling her duty.

Beth has worked hard to leave her past behind her, living in London with Isabelle and working hard to be the best single mother she can be. Returning to the Glendale Hall estate means facing her strict and unaffectionate mother, formidable grandmother, as well her teenage boyfriend, Drew, who broke her heart and doesn’t know that he has a daughter.

But Beth is about to discover that everyone has their own version of the past, and the true story she thought she knew for the last ten years might well be a very different one to the truth. Will Beth be able to find it in her heart to forgive her mother and grandmother (and herself) for what happened ten years ago? Or will she end up running away all over again?

My Thoughts:

I love snuggling up reading a festive read, this book truly made me excited for Christmas. The story is about Beth and Drew, they had a daughter but Drew knew nothing about her, he moved to America and never knew anything. When Beth and her daughter Isabelle return to the village little do they know that someone else has returned to. Lots of secrets and lies come out and families that are pulled apart but you are in for a real treat, it is full of the Christmas cheer.

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At the time of writing this, this book is currently free on kindle. So click below to get your copy, also you can purchase the paperback copy too. Click on the image below.

House of Correction By Nicci French

House of Correction By Nicci French

She’s a murderer.
 
Everyone knows she killed Stuart Rees – why else would his dead body be found in her shed?
So now Tabitha is in prison, awaiting trial.
 
Coming back to the remote coastal village where she grew up was a mistake. She didn’t fit in then, and she doesn’t fit in now.
 
That day is such a blur, she can’t remember clearly what happened. There is something she is missing, something important… She only knows one thing. She is not capable of murder.
 
And the only one she can trust to help her out of this situation is herself.
So she must fight. Against the odds.

My Thoughts:

I thought this was a good read, not having read any of Nicci French books before, I was intrigued to give this one a read. I liked the storyline, how Tabitha is in prison awaiting trial for a murder. She can’t remember what happened so asks for CCTV and all the files so that she can represent herself. It was interesting learning about the prison and the courtroom. The prison side did get a little boring but once she was in the courtroom it got more interesting. I found Tabitha a prickly character too. I would read more of Nicci French books.

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

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Nomit and Pickle go shopping By C.E Cameron

Nomit and Pickle go shopping By C.E Cameron

Friends Nomit and Pickle head off on an adventure to the shops.

My Thoughts:

This is a children’s book for children aged between 5 to 7 years old. I liked the illustrations in this book, I like the way there is illustrations on the side where the story is too. Makes it more interesting for the reader. The illustrations are nice and bright too. The story is a simple idea that will have children’s attention, it is always does when a story is about food. However I found that with the age range being between 5 to 7 years old would they really know some of the words that are in the book. ie: preoccupied, irritation, exasperated, compromising plus a few more. I like the fact it is a proper story rather than just a couple of sentences.

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

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The Iron Book of Tree Poetry

The Iron Book of Tree Poetry

The IRON Book of Tree Poetry contains more than 50 contemporary poems inspired by trees, selected from more than 500 submitted. Contributors include such well-known writers as Jacob Polley, Linda France, Robin Moss, Kitty Fitzgerald, S.J. Litherland, Peter Bennet and Debjani Chatterjee plus many new voices. The settings include forests, woods, city centres, rubbish tips  and theres even one poem set underwater. As well as celebrating the trees, the imaginative response of the authors emphasises  what a vital role they are now seen to play in the future of our fragile planet. The book is edited by Eileen Jones and Peter Mortimer with a foreword by Max Adams.

My Thoughts:

A thought provoking book that makes you take a moment, reflect inwards upon yourself and makes you appreciate the world around you in more ways than one. I really liked some of the poems in this book especially After the show By Bridget Gallagher, I like this poem because it is a short poem but it tells us it like it is, Autumn has finished and Winter is coming. Another poem I liked is called Love Conkers By Ellen Phethean because it reminds me of my childhood and going to the park to find Conkers and then playing Conkers with them trying to hit the other person’s conker, it was so much fun and lovely to reminisce. I also really liked Changes in Climate By Dominic Weston as it is shaped like a tree and I found it a very clever way to show a poem. At the back of the book it also tells you a little about the authors which I found useful. For a book that proudly claims that “if anything can save humankind from itself it is trees” it is disappointing that it is not printed recycled paper. If trees are to truly save humankind then humankind must first save the trees.

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

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Paperback

The Ops Room Girls By Vicki Beeby

The Ops Room Girls By Vicki Beeby

When Evie’s dreams come crashing down, she’s determined to still make something of herself in these trying times…

It is 1939 and working class Evie Bishop has received a scholarship to study mathematics at Oxford when tragedy turns her life upside down. Evie must seek a new future for herself and, inspired to contribute to the war effort, joins the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force as an Ops Room plotter.

Posted to a fighter station on the Sussex Coast, Evie befriends two other WAAFs shy, awkward May and flirty, glamorous Jess. Faced with earning the approval of strict officers and finding their way in a male dominated world, the three girls band together to overcome challenges, navigate new romances and keep their pilots safe in the skies.

But the German bombers seem to know more than they should about the base’s operations, and soon Evie, May and Jess are caught up in a world more dangerous than they ever imagined…

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. I like reading about what happened back in the day. This book is set in 1939 and is set around the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, which I found really interesting. Evie, May and Jess form a really lovely friendship when they all start work at a fighter station, they are all different women and we hear about their lives. I like reading about the war and I always seem to learn new information. Vicki writes well and has packed lots into this book. I look forward to reading Christmas with the Ops room Girls and catching up with the women to see what happens next.

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

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Light and Shade serious (and not so serious) poems By Kevin Morris

Light and Shade serious (and not so serious) poems By Kevin Morris

Life is full of light and shade. For to be human is to experience joy, beauty, love, pain and laughter. This collection reflects all facets of human experience. hence the title ‘Light and Shade; serious (and not so serious poems)’.

My Thoughts:

I am really getting into poem books now, I like the fact that this one is divided into sections, one section has thought provoking and serious poems and the other has amusing poems. I enjoyed the majority of the poems Vanity was probably my favourite. I like poems that make you think but I also like poems that are funny and make me smile, Kevin has got a good balance of both here. A really good poem book.

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

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About the Author:

If you would like to know more about Kevin and see what other books he has written, check out his website:

When I Know Your Name By Gemma M. Lawrence

When I Know Your Name By Gemma M. Lawrence

Elena Dumont is being watched. No one believes her, but she knows. She feels it. A kidnap, a betrayal and a choice soon alter her life forever. Will she make that choice?

Will she give up everything she knows to be with a man who should be her enemy? And will she find the person who wants her dead before they strike again?

My Thoughts:

This book is dangerous, once you have picked it up, nothing else will stand in it’s way and you wont want to put it down. It is a very good read with believable characters, I don’t think I have read a book with this type of story before, the fact that this is a debut novel just makes me even more happy as it is full of suspense and you never know what will happen next. I look forward to more books by Gemma in the future. This is definitely one I would recommend.

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

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Dragonflies at Night: More Than A Love Story By Anne Marie Bennett

Dragonflies at Night: More Than A Love Story By Anne Marie Bennett

A dragonfly brings a mother’s love to a grieving daughter.

Meet Savannah, the thirty-something owner of Life Celebrations, a party planning business. Despite losing both parents as a teenager, Savannah is creating a positive life for herself, surrounded by friends and co-workers who are now her family. But she also has a secret—as much as she wants to settle down and have children, she is afraid to, for fear of getting cancer and having to leave them without their mother, as she herself was left behind years ago.

Meet Deirdre Rose, Savannah’s mother. She continues to watch over Savannah, who feels deeply connected to her mother whenever she sees a dragonfly.

Now meet Ben, a thirty-something recording artist who is good-looking, talented, and a household name. Despite his fame, Ben is lonely. He trusts few people because it seems everyone wants something from him instead of getting to know who he really is.

Savannah and Ben cross paths when they meet at a yoga retreat in the Massachusetts Berkshires. They are drawn to each other’s creativity and outlook on life. She sees beyond his celebrity and he admires her strength in what she’s had to overcome.

What happens when the retreat ends and they go their separate ways? Will they be able to make a long distance relationship work? Can Savannah put aside her fears, and will Ben allow himself to be truly vulnerable?

Above all . . . what message do Deirdre Rose and Dragonfly have for both of them?

My Thoughts:

I like how this story has three main characters, Savannah, Deirdre Rose and Ben. Savannah is a young woman who has her own business, she has been through it and as a teenager has lost her parents, she has a secret and is afraid to tell anyone. Deirdre Rose is Savannah’s mum, she has a thing for dragonflies as they make her feel connected with her mum, and Ben is a guy who is handsome and successful but deep down he is lonely. When Savannah and Ben meet at a retreat, they are drawn to each other, will they tell each other their secrets or will they be wrapped up forever. I love the way the dragonflies play a major part in the story and from now on I will really appreciate them. I enjoyed this book.

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

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