The Gin O’Clock Club By Rosie Blake

The Gin O’Clock Club By Rosie Blake

by Hannah ♥ 1 Comment

Lottie is always in a hurry, rushing through her days ticking tasks off her to-do lists. Teddy is worried about his granddaughter – and he knows that his late wife, Lily, would have known exactly what to say to make things better. Now that Lily has gone, it’s up to Teddy to talk some sense into Lottie.

With the help of Arjun, Geoffrey and Howard, the elderly reprobates who make up his Gin O’Clock Club, Teddy makes a plan to help Lottie find her way back to the things that really matter – family, friendship and love. But as Lottie balances a high-powered job with her reluctant attendance at whist drives, ballroom dances and bingo, Teddy wonders if she’s really ready to open up her heart to the possibility of true happiness…

My Thoughts:

Reading about a grandfather’s bond with his granddaughter reminded me of my relationship with my grandad, disclose they are. There are some feisty and unforgettable characters in this book mainly the Grandad and his friends, it shows growing old doesn’t have to be boring. It was heart warming to read when her grandad want a her to spend more time with her boyfriend but does she have more time or will the relationship fizzle out? There are a few giggles in this story too.

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

Get your copy here:

Kindle edition

Paperback

Why Should You Read A Debut Novel?

Why Should You Read A Debut Novel?

by Hannah ♥ 6 Comments

You might think why should I bother reading a debut novel, Well I want to change your mind and get more people reading these cracking reads.

First off, What is a Debut Novel?

This is the author’s first ever book that has been allowed to be published.

It might be really awful?

Well authors have to make their first novel as brilliant as can be as it can affect whether the author will be able to publish books in the future.

How many books do authors have to publish in a year?

The author has to publish at least 3 books per year, if they maintain this with the same quality then that is really good.

Why I read debut novels?

I like to give the author’s a chance to wow me. I have only had a small percentage of debut novels to review that weren’t that great, but don’t be put off as there are many that are absolutely brilliant and you wouldn’t expect them to be debut novels. If a book is really good I am more likely to keep an eye out for their next books.

Here are some of my favourite debut novels that are coming out or are already out:

The Silent House By Nell Pattison- out now

Secrets of a Serial Killer By Rosie Walker – out 17th July 2020

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Serial-Killer-absolutely-gripping-ebook/dp/B083P3P6NZ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1591000326&sr=8-1

The Magnolia The Bloomed Unseen By Ray Smith – Out now

The Lonely Fajita By Abigail Mann – Out now on kindle

I hope you like a few of my choices, I have really enjoyed all of these books and will certainly be looking for them in the future.

I personally would give a debut author a chance and read a debut novel, you never know you may find your next favourite author.

Hope you enjoyed reading this.

Happy reading.

The Day Henry Died By Lynda Renham

The Day Henry Died By Lynda Renham

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Suppose you wake up one morning to find yourself dead. You can see yourself clearly in the mirror, and feel the same as you did the day before. But today is the day of your funeral. What do you do?

This was Henry’s dilemma. Henry decides he can’t possibly be dead, so he sets out to prove he is alive. Then, he discovers that Rita, a product demonstrator at the supermarket, can see him.

Even with the help of Rita, proving you’re not dead was harder than Henry imagined, but when Henry discovered that he was murdered, the question was why and by whom?

My Thoughts:

I have read most of Lynda’s books and have enjoyed them thoroughly. I thought I would give this one a go even though I don’t normally read supernatural reads and was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. The story centres around Henry who has died but is freaked out by the fact he can see himself and he feels exactly the same as if he were alive. He sets out on a quest to prove he is still alive. He then meets Rita who helps him in his quest. Henry discovers more about himself that he didn’t even know. Had he gone to far or will be let himself be at rest? This story really made me think and be thoughtful.  I look forward to the next book of Lynda’s.

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

Get your copy here:

Kindle edition

The Babysitter By Phoebe Morgan

The Babysitter By Phoebe Morgan

by Hannah ♥ 1 Comment

On the hottest day of the year, Caroline Harvey is found dead in Suffolk. Her body is left draped over a cot – but the baby she was looking after is missing.

Hundreds of miles away, Siobhan Dillon is on a luxurious family holiday in France when her husband, Callum, is arrested by French police on suspicion of murder.

As Siobhan’s perfect family is torn apart by the media in the nation’s frantic search for the missing baby, she desperately tries to piece together how Callum knew Caroline.

What happened that night? Was Caroline as innocent as she seemed – or was she hiding a secret of her own?

My Thoughts:

This was a great, intense read. It was creepy and dark with some twists that will leave you second guessing. Each chapter is a different person to get a perspective on the whole story, you see if from the wife, husband and also the police officers point of view. Makes very good reading, I read it in a day. I have now ordered Phoebe’s other two books.

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

Get your copy here:

Kindle edition

Paperback

The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen By Ray Smith

The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen By Ray Smith

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ray smith

“You’ve seen the woman in the photo. The woman screaming . . .” So begins the story of Molly Valle, who at forty-eight thinks she knows all that life has to offer a single, middle-aged woman—namely, men’s dismissal and disrespect.

But when handsome activist John Pressman arrives in her Mississippi hometown, he challenges her self-doubt along with nearly everything else in her world. Soon, Molly discovers a strength and beauty she never knew she had—and a love so powerful, it can overcome the most tragic of consequences.

The Magnolia That Bloomed Unseen is a love story, an adventure novel, and a self-realization journey. It reignites the truth that many women—and men—have unconsciously extinguished: you are special and worthy of love, and it’s never too late to make your dreams come true.

My Thoughts:

This is a story about love and self realization, growing up in the 1960’s seemed to be extremely hard for John (not going to say too much as don’t want to give away any spoilers). Reading this story you can tell the author Ray has done his research and as the story unfolds we get  more information about that era. I liked the way the story was set out about a boy called RC writing a memoir about Molly Vale, the story centres around her and her love for John, after meeting in a diner in Mississippi in 1961 just as the Civil Rights Act is coming into effect.

Unfortunately for them back in the day their relationship was dissaproved by so many people. As the story unfolds we learn what they had to do back then just to keep their relationship going. It would of been nice to learn a little more about what they had to do but their is just the right amount of information to kind of understand what they did. A novel that makes you think and one that will stay with me for a long time.

 

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

Get your copy here:

kindle edition

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnolia-That-Bloomed-Unseen-ebook/

paperback

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnolia-That-Bloomed-Unseen

Meet Me at Pebble Beach By Bella Osborne

Meet Me at Pebble Beach By Bella Osborne

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Regan is holding a winning lottery ticket.
Goodbye to the boyfriend who never had her back, and so long to the job she can’t stand!
Except it’s all a bit too good to be true…

When Regan gets pranked, she finds herself jobless, homeless and boyfriendless in one fell swoop.

Luckily her friendly seaside community provides a beacon of hope, proving to Regan that sometimes you really can rely on the kindness of others – and one local in particular, a handsome fireman called Charlie, helps Regan realise that this could be her chance for a fresh start.

Armed with a list of ways to change her life, Regan decides it’s time to step out of her comfort zone. Because – as Charlie knows all too well – life is for living . . .

My Thoughts:

You know when you read a book that you really like, this was the book for me, it made my heart sing. I had everything I wanted food, animals, romance. I really liked Regan as she was all about everyone else apart from herself. I saw myself in her a few times trying to do good for other people. I loved hearing about Elvis the dog, I think he was the star of the show, I can’t believe what he had gone through. But good job Regan was there. I think what this story has showed me is that never give up on your dreams. If there is a will, there is a way.

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

Get your copy here:

Kindle edition

 

Paperback

The Broccolis By J. C. Allen

The Broccolis By J. C. Allen

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Meet the Broccolis – your vegetable super hero family.

This is their first adventure together!

Next time,you will be able to continue the adventure at Barney ‘s Birthday. Keep an eye out for book two where their story continues.

My Thoughts:

I thought my readers would like a bit of light hearted entertainment from me. Yes this is a child’s book and no I don’t have any children and yes I decided to make my own family member of the Broccolis.

I liked the sound of this story and I love broccoli so decided to read this children’s book. I liked the bright coloured pictures and the style of font used both really seemed to bring the story to life. I’m not sure exactly what age this book is aimed at but I would say over fives would enjoy. But not being a parent i would not know. The ending shocked me.

 

I received an ARC copy for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Paperback

Kindle edition

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/broccolis-j-c-allan-ebook/dp/b087rs1jsc/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0_encoding=utf8qid=1590134069sr=8-1-fkmr0

IMG_20200502_105551_kindlephoto-3677039

 

 

Like a House on Fire By Caroline Hulse

Like a House on Fire By Caroline Hulse

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Things Stella and George have had blazing rows about:

– Misquoting Jurassic Park
– Leaving a Coke can on the side of the bath
– Fitting car seats for their hypothetical kids

In other news, they’re getting divorced.

But first, Stella’s mum is throwing a murder mystery party and – with her dad losing his job, her mum’s recent diagnosis, and some very odd behaviour from her sister – now is not the time to tell everyone.

All Stella and George have to do is make it through the day without their break-up being discovered – though it will soon turn out that having secrets runs in the family…Sent

My Thoughts:

I haven’t read any of Caroline’s books before so was looking forward to reading a new author. I think anyone will be able to relate to at least one of the characters in this book. It’s all about family and how they interact with one another. It reminded me of growing up in our family home with the bickering, the laughter and love that comes from being in a family. Caroline has nailed it with this story.

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

Get your copy here:

Kindle edition

 

Hardcover

The Lonely Fajita By Abigail Mann

The Lonely Fajita By Abigail Mann

by Hannah ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

It’s Elissa’s birthday, but her boyfriend hasn’t really noticed – and she’s accidentally scheduled herself a cervical smear instead of celebration drinks. Great.

Then there’s her borderline-psychotic boss, the fact she’s not making but losing money at work, and her sinking feeling she’s about to be dumped.

But Elissa will soon find out that being single doesn’t have to be lonely… And with a little help from her friends, even a girl with minus £1,000 in her account can have a lot of fun.

My Thoughts:

If you want a book to escape and have a laugh with, this is the book for you. The story is about Elissa and her life, she is fed up with her boyfriend, I really felt for her and can she why she was fed up with him. She finds herself homeless but decides to do something about it and her idea is pure genius. Wait till you meet her new residents. I  found some parts of the book quite funny and amusing, so much so I was upset when the book finished. I will be looking out for more of Abigail’s books. I would definitely recommend this book.

I received an Kindle copy for exchange for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Kindle edition

Paperback

The Minute I Saw You By Paige Toon

The Minute I Saw You By Paige Toon

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When Hannah meets Sonny, she’s irresistibly drawn to him: he’s sexy and confident, but only in town on holiday. That’s fine with Hannah – she doesn’t do long-term relationships. And luckily for her, neither does Sonny. But before they can even so much as kiss, Sonny receives some shocking news and commits to making serious life changes – ones that can’t and won’t include romance.

With even a short fling now off the cards, Hannah and Sonny settle for being friends. But as summer hots up and their chemistry shows no signs of cooling, they start to question their reasons for shutting each other out.

Are they both too broken to find love? And if they tear down the walls between them, will they still like what’s on the other side?

My Thoughts:

There is just something about a Paige Toon novel that warms the heart. I have read all of Paige’s books and I can’t get enough of them, they are just so good and keep getting better and better. Hannah is the main character in this story, any one with that name gets my seal of approval as it’s my name too. I wanted to read on quickly but also want to read it slowly to saviour it. This is what happens with Paige’s books. You just can’t get enough of them. I look forward to devouring the rest of this story.

I received a kindle copy of this book for an honest review.

Get your copy here:

Kindle edition

 

Paperback