From the lush green Berkshire’s polo fields, through the ardours of military helicopter training, to the white heat of flying combat missions in the Middle East, Charles’s journey is a riveting tale of privilege, peril and profound personal transformation.

Raised amidst the traditions of English upper-class society, Charles’s life takes an unexpected turn when he embarks on a forbidden, intoxicating affair. This passionate relationship not only challenges societal norms but also ignites a deeply personal awakening that defines his transition into manhood.

Then as a combat helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force, Charles faces the brutal realities of war and harrowing experiences that still live with him to this day.

Trigger warning: This book contains game bird shooting and fox hunting content, references to suicide, PTSD, and explicit sexual content.

My Thoughts:

When reading this book I didn’t know what to expect. I had seen that this is a true story of a Englishman who has written about his wealthy life but I could never imagined what he had gone through. Going from playing polo to flying in a military helicopter, this man sure is a busy. I particularly enjoyed the parts where we learn about military helicopter training as I knew very little about what was involved and found it riveting. When he starts flying for the Royal Air Force I could not believe what this man and other men in the same boat went through no wonder he has PTSD now. It was a rollercoaster journey I went on reading this book and there are some trigger warnings to this book but do not be put off as it is a very compelling and honest read. One I will never forget. Thank you for writing this book and sharing your experiences.

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

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In Argus, North Dakota, a fraught wedding is taking place.

Gary Geist, a terrified young man set to inherit two farms, is desperate to marry Kismet Poe. Gary thinks Kismet is the answer to all of his problems; Kismet can’t even imagine her future, let alone the kind of future Gary might offer. During a clumsy proposal, Kismet misses her chance to say ‘no’ and so the die is cast.

Hugo has been in love with Kismet for years. He has been her friend, confidante and occasionally her lover – and now she is marrying Gary, Hugo is determined to steal her back.

Meanwhile Kismet’s mother, Crystal, hauls sugar beets for Gary’s family, and on her nightly truck drives along the highway from the farm to the factories, she tunes in to the darkness of late-night radio, sees visions of guardian angels, and worries for the future – both her daughter’s and her own.

My Thoughts:

This story is set in North Dakota where Gary is in love with Kismet, he wants his future with her as he has become the owner of two farms and knows he and her could make a decent life together. But there is someone else who is in love with Kismet and he wants her all to himself but who’s heart will Kismet break? It was a slow paced read that is long, there are real people with real life situations. I did not feel as though I took to any of the characters, it was an ok read.

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

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Cornwall, 1934.

Violet Ellis is living in the shadows of her father’s ruined reputation. So, when wealthy widower James Atherton offers her employment, she immediately begins the treacherous journey to his home on the remote Cornish island of Aoife’s Bay – despite the bone-chilling allegations surrounding his late wife Elizabeth’s death.

In James’s company, Violet begins to feel the love that has been missing all her life. But when anonymous letters start to plague the bay’s residents, threatening to expose what really happened to Elizabeth, Violet feels the hostility towards her grow. She has an unsettling sense of being watched in her new home, and as the mysteries of the island draw her in, she starts to fear she might never find a way out …

My Thoughts:

I have to say how much I love the cover of this book, it is so atmospheric and the colours are beautiful. The book is set in the 1900’s and Violet is wanting to break free from her father. When she meets James she can see a brighter future, but is there more to James than meets the eye, is this really a life Violet wants to live? Violet starts to feel uneasy in her new home and does not know what to do for the best. It was a good read, a steady pace that builds up throughout, the setting for this book is Cornwall and you can almost imagine being able to smell the saltiness of the air. It was a good mystery that I enjoyed reading. Well rounded characters throughout too.

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

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Elena Zoric is murdered, her body concealed beside a stream in North London. Her phone lies nearby, the last number dialled was to the woman who had rescued her from sex trafficking: Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector Grace Archer.

Archer desperately wants to lead the murder investigation but her new boss, Chief Inspector Les Fletcher, makes it very clear its out of her jurisdiction.

Then the thirty-year-old remains of a woman are found in the attic of an abandoned house, the victim dying in similar circumstances to Elena Zoric.

But Archer’s North London colleagues have bigger priorities than the murder of ‘a drugged-up prostitute.’

Archer needs answers. Who killed Elena? Why did she call Archer moments from her death? And what rules must she break to stop a killer in his tracks?

My Thoughts:

When a woman’s body is discovered in North London, Detective Inspector Grace Archer wants to lead the investigation but her new boss is not so keen for her to lead but why? When another body is found not long after in similar circumstances, the team know they need to be quick to find out who the killer is and why they are doing it. But will it be safe for Archer and her team or will this killer get the better of them? It was a captivating story from the first chapter. It pulled me in with the tense and heart pounding story. You want Grace and her team to find the killer before they kill another person. But the Killer made me feel very on edge and chilled. It was a tense and gritty thriller that I would highly recommend.

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

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When Jennie Whitmore arrives at her school reunion, she immediately regrets her decision. Why would she choose to surround herself with people who were never nice to her? Who still aren’t, even now she’s a police officer? The only person who truly looked out for her all those years ago was charming, beautiful Hannah. Until the day she disappeared.

Jennie is ready to finally put White Cross Academy behind her, the old school building demolished the morning after the party. But with the demolition comes a call: a teenage girl’s remains have been found on the grounds.

The instant drop in Jennie’s gut tells her that the remains might be Hannah’s, but when she’s called in to examine them, the truth becomes undeniable. Hannah didn’t run away and abandon Jennie thirty years ago; in fact, she never left White Cross at all.

Suddenly, Jennie has a murder to solve. The murder of her best friend. But can she do so before her colleagues discover just how closely connected she is to the victim? Before a mystery stalker makes good on his threats to silence her for good?

My Thoughts:

Being a big fan of M. J. Arlidge’s books I did not know what to expect with him writing a book with another author Steph. I have to say it was a total winner in my eyes. I thought it would feel a little disjointed but it really did not. Jennie is a police officer and when she goes to her school reunion it opens up a big case about her best friend Hannah that went missing all those years ago. Jennie wants to find out what really happened and cannot believe the shock she gets when they find Hannah’s remains but who really is the killer? Jennie sets out to uncover what secrets were hidden back then? everyone of her so called friends back then are under suspicions but I was not expecting the dramatic turn this book takes near the end. I thought I worked out who the killer was early on but I was so wrong. The story has been cleverly written in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat and you don’t want to put it down. Some parts gave me the chills and some parts were tense but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Such a good read. Would highly recommend.

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

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SHE’S MEANT TO SAVE LIVES. NOT DESTROY THEM.

Police officer Tia recently failed her exam to become a negotiator: her dream job. But when a peaceful climate change protest at a London museum escalates, and one of the radicalised members takes Tia and others hostage, she realises this is her chance to prove she has what it takes.

Only not everyone gets out of the siege alive.

Three years later, Asher is being released from prison for the part he played at the museum that day. He’s always maintained his innocence, but when someone starts threatening the survivors, leading one of them to take their own life, Tia isn’t convinced Asher is telling the whole truth. Refusing to have another death on her conscience, Tia begins to investigate.

But Tia was a hostage that day too… and now she’s a target.

My Thoughts:

Tia has always wanted to become a negotiator with her job in the police but that is a distant dream when she fails her exams. But when Tia is caught up in a siege she knows the only way out of this is to put her knowledge into practice and help herself and everyone around her. Then the story switches to the future where Asher who played a part in the siege is released from prison. The story is about two different people and how their actions played a part in what happened on that day back then. I liked both characters and felt as though the pace though a little slow was good. It really worked up to a great twist and a good ending.

I received this book for an honest review.

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Welcome to Samsara, a world-class spa nestled in the Indian Himalayas where all your wishes are only a gilded notecard away. Ro Krishna has just checked in. With his rakish charm, Oxford education, and perfect hair, he had it all – well, until he left his job under mysterious circumstances. It was super hectic, and Ro decides it’s time for some much-needed R&R. At Samsara, he’s free to explore the innumerable yoga classes, wellness treatments and guided-meditation sessions on offer alongside the rest of the exclusive hotel’s guests.

Until one of the guests – gorgeous, charismatic, well-connected, like most of them – is found dead. As everyone scrambles to figure out what happened, Ro is pulled into an investigation that endangers them all and threatens to spiral beyond the hotel walls. Because it turns out it’s not just heiresses and Bollywood stars-to-be that have checked in: cocktail hour is over, and death is on the prowl…

My Thoughts:

This is a thriller set in the Indian Himalayas at a spa hotel. When Ro checks in, he needs time to rest and relax after something bad happened back home, he has so much to do to unwind here at the spa that he cannot wait to take some time to himself. But when another guest is found dead, Ro does all he can to try to find out whodunit. But can he find the killer before it is too late? It was a good well paced thriller that kept me guessing with each chapter. I found Ro quite funny with his mannerisms and what he says sometimes. There were a lot of laugh out loud moments and the twists were good too. Hidden out of sight and then they get you. I would like to read more by this author now.

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

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Rowntrees Factory, York 1936

The aroma of chocolate was as familiar to Molly Freeman as the nose on her face. Living and schooling on Haxby Road alongside the Rowntrees Chocolate Factory, Molly watched the daily trudge of women employed there in their white uniforms as she sat at her school desk.

When Molly secures a job on the production line at the factory, she’s excited to become one of these women. As she labours hard at the factory, she meets Connie. Quickly the two form a close friendship, and Molly begins to see the world differently.

Living their lives to the fullest, loving the wrong men, working long hours, and sharing tears of friendship and heartbreak but always being known and being proud to be called The Rowntrees Chocolate Box Girls Molly and Connie make the most of their lives.

My Thoughts:
This book is set in 1936 and is all about Molly, when she leaves school she goes to work at the biggest chocolate company Rowntrees. She cannot wait to start being involved and earning some money. She becomes friends with Connie and the two get on really well. They live their best life together. It was such a lovely easy read. I always find reading about this kind of subject fascinating and I am always craving more information about that kind of era. I liked reading about the factory and the chocolate but also following Molly along and to see how her life changes after she leaves school. A very good and enjoyable read. Now I am off to find some chocolate.

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

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Sometimes the truth kills…

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. They think they’ve found it when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace years ago. But when a violent winter storm traps them at the estate, the house begins to lose its appeal.

Stuck inside and growing restless, Tricia stumbles on a collection of audio transcripts from Dr. Hale’s sessions with patients. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to the doctor’s mysterious disappearance.

With each tape, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and a web of lies slowly unravels. But by the time Tricia reaches the final cassette, the one that reveals the entire horrifying story, it will be too late…

My Thoughts:

Tricia and Ethan are searching for their new home, they visit a manor that has seen better days but is also very isolated from civilisation. They have not been together for that long and only recently got married, neither of them know much about each other really, both may be hiding deadly secrets. So when they get stuck out there, they have to fend for themselves but things start to come alight that neither of them is telling the truth but is this a game of cat and mouse or something more deadly? I did not enjoy this one as much as I thought I would, I felt the story line was a little slow and tedious. I did not feel much for the characters but the twists that come are huge, the chapters are different people so you can get a real sense of how everyone is feeling which I liked. It was ok.

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