I have seen an increasing number of posts on twitter for the last few months of our local bookshops struggling to ends meet. People are just not buying from their local bookshops anymore, which I feel is a real shame. The people that run these bookshops are putting so much effort and time into running the bookshop and completing online orders. YES online orders, if you didn’t know most of them have a website where you can purchase the books online. But I don’t know about you, but there is always something so lovely about going into the bookshop and perusing the shelves yourself. It is a cosy environment and the smell is amazing. Every bookshop owner will help you choose the book you are after or leave you be, but they are always the friendliest of people and cannot help enough. They are very knowledgeable and you can be having a natter about books which has certainly helped my mental health at times.

Why you should support your local bookshop:

cosy atmosphere

knowledgeable and friendly staff

You will be helping to support a local business

If you go in, you are more likely to pick a book that you would of never picked before.

Local bookshops also run events. Which could be author signings or author readings.

Great way to meet new people.

Here are two small business bookshops that I think your going to love:

https://www.foxlanebooks.co.uk

This is a great website and very easy to navigate, there is also a sale on at the moment so grab your bargains whilst you can. If you are after a gift for a book lover I recommend checking out their gifts section, there is literally something for everyone in there. I have placed my first order with them and the process was so easy. I treated myself to a few books and a really nice tote bag, will post a picture once they arrive. Very excited.

https://www.book-ish.co.uk/shop

This is another great website which offers something a little different. On here not only can you purchase books but there are different subscriptions to choose from, here is an example:

choose a type of book, ie: fiction, non fiction, crime etc

pick how long for a subscription, 1 month up to 12 months.

You will get sent the book every month and they may even thrown in some goodies too. This is a great idea for yourself but also for the book lover in your life.

Another cool idea that they do is blind date with a book, you pick which description you like the sound of and they will send you a book you know nothing about straight to your door. I love the sound of this and it must be exciting not knowing what book you will receive. They also do lots of lovely gifts for book lovers. If you decide to visit Book-ish they have a lovely café which serves delicious cakes and other food. I think it is a win win, food and books and great chat. If you go, you must leave me a comment and let me know what it is like.

If you like what you see, need a present for a book lover or just want to treat yourself, please remember these two small businesses as every little help and they would be made up to receive an order for whatever you would like.

Just remember Support your local Bookshops. Happy Reading

Valdin is still in love with his ex-boyfriend Xabi, who left the country because he thought he was making Valdin sad. Greta is in love with fellow English tutor Holly, who only seems to be using her for admin support. But perhaps all is not lost. Valdin is coming to realize that he might not be so unlovable, and Greta, that she might be worth more than the papers she can mark.

Helping the siblings navigate queerness, multiracial identity, and the tendency of their love interests to either leave the country or not love them back, is the whole Vladisavljevic family: Maori-Russian-Catalonian, and as passionate and loving as they are eccentric and over-emotional.

My Thoughts:

This is a story of love and family. Greta and Valdin are siblings who each have their own personal lives. They have a big family and to help navigate the big wide world, their family is on hand to show them the way. I think everyone is going to love both of these siblings and I just loved the whole family as one. It was heart warming to see what the family do in the situations that Greta and Valdin get themselves up to. It was a great story to encounter and I look forward to more of Rebecca’s books

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

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For Geeta, life as a widow is more peaceful than life as a wife…

Until the other women in her village decide they want to be widows, too.

Geeta is believed to have killed her vanished husband – a rumour she hasn’t bothered trying to correct, because a reputation like that can keep a single woman safe in rural India. But when she’s approached for help in ridding another wife of her abusive drunk of a husband, her reluctant agreement sets in motion a chain of events that will change the lives of all the women in the village….

My Thoughts:

When Geeta is accused of a terrible crime, but she is not about to correct these people as her reputation can keep her safe in India. When she is asked to do the unspeakable, will she agree to it, will she be able to help the other women in her village? It was a great read full of unexpected twists, I laughed out loud so many times. It was a thrilling and adventurous story that really made me chuckle. I look forward to reading more by this author.

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

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On a small private Greek island, former movie star Lana Farrar – an old friend – invites a select group of us to stay.

It’ll be hot, sunny, perfect. A chance to relax and reconnect – and maybe for a few hidden truths to come out.

Because nothing on this island is quite what it seems.

Not Lana. Not her guests.

Certainly not the murderer – furiously plotting their crime . . .

But who am I?

My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.

My Thoughts:

A select bunch of friends are invited to stay on a private Island, this is going to be a chance to relax and enjoy themselves but the island has other ideas for them and when something dreadful happens, who is to blame? the story is narrated by Elliot who is one of the select bunch and we hear it from his perspective what went on. But there is more to Elliot than meets the eye, it was intriguing reading it from Elliot’s point of view but it also confused me a little. They are all intriguing in their own rights. But who is the murderer? It was a good read but I find that this kind of story with an island and a murderer same to previous books I have read. They feel a little overdone now.

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

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As soon as Kat Jenson set foot in the idyllic French village of Kirchhoffen, she knew she’d found her home. Now she has a dreamy boyfriend, a delightful dog and the perfect job managing a bustling book café in the vibrant Parc Lemmel. ‘

But when she learns her boyfriend isn’t all he seems, it’s the start of a difficult summer for Kat. Vindictive troublemakers, work woes and family heartache follow, and the clear blue sky that was her life suddenly seems full of clouds.

Then she gets to know the mysterious Noah, and her sun begins to shine brighter than ever. But Noah has problems of his own – ones that could scupper their new-found happiness. Together, can they overcome their many obstacles, and find love again?

My Thoughts:

Kat has the perfect life living in France, with her boyfriend and their dog. She has a book café that is always busy and full of life and she is living the dream until she finds out something about her boyfriend that she never expected. With family problems and work issues can Kat ever find a happy medium again? It was a great pick up and put down read, I felt as though I didn’t really have to concentrate too much which was nice. I wanted to read something set in the summer so I could imagine the warmth of the sun on my back and this book did that for me. I enjoyed it. It was perfect light relief.

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At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence with her best friend Gabby. Shortly after, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent story lines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? Is there such a thing as a soul mate? Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she’s found him.

My Thoughts:

I cannot get enough of Taylor’s books at the minute, this one was just so good. It is about Hannah and how her life changes when she goes back to her hometown, she is not happy where she is living so decides to go and live back home with her best mate. One night when they go out, Hannah sees her boyfriend from when she was at school, but is this fate and what does this mean for the future? Next we see two completely different storylines for Hannah’s future that run alongside each other. It was a very clever idea for a story and it worked really well. I enjoyed seeing what path Hannah could take for her future happiness. It was a really interesting concept and I really enjoyed reading it.

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Five old friends.
One glamping weekend.
A storm that will change everything.

Max and Annie Kingsley have left the London rat race to set up a glamping site in the wilds of Cornwall. They invite old university friends – TV star Dominic, doctor and new mum Kira, and free-spirited Jim and Suze – and their children for a trial weekend but the reunion quickly veers off-course.
First, there’s The Incident around the campfire on the first night. The following afternoon, a storm quickly develops off the rugged North Coast. When one of their group goes missing, all hell breaks loose. And as the winds batter the bell-tents, emotions run high and tension mounts for all the characters.
Who is lying in hospital, who has gone missing and who is the body on the beach below the cliffs . . .?

My Thoughts:

Five friends go glamping but will they all go home at the end of the weekend? All the friends have their own lives and when they get together everything seems fine to start with and then something dreadful happens. They all have their own secrets and you can almost feel the tension between them. I could never of imagined what the outcome would be. It is a fast paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat. This was such a great thriller and one I would recommend. I will be looking out for more of Hannah’s books in the future now.

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

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Benny Catspaw’s perpetually sunny disposition is tested when he loses his job, his reputation, his fiancée, and his favorite chair. He’s not paranoid. Someone is out to get him. He just doesn’t know who or why. Then Benny receives an inheritance from an uncle he’s never heard of: a giant crate and a video message. All will be well in time.

How strange―though it’s a blessing, his uncle promises. Stranger yet is what’s inside the crate. He’s a seven-foot-tall self-described “bad weather friend” named Spike whose mission is to help people who are just too good for this world. Spike will take care of it. He’ll find Benny’s enemies. He’ll deal with them. This might be satisfying if Spike wasn’t such a menacing presence with terrifying techniques of intimidation.

In the company of Spike and a fascinated young waitress-cum-PI-in-training named Harper, Benny plunges into a perilous high-speed adventure, the likes of which never would have crossed the mind of a decent guy like him.

My Thoughts:

Benny Catspaw is out of luck at the minute, he has lost his job and his fiancé and is just fed up with life right now. He knows there is someone out to get him and he cant shake off that feeling of being followed.
Benny’s luck changes when he inherits his uncles place but is it too good to be true? But when he finds a crate with his name on it, Benny could never of imagined what could be in there. Meet Spike, Benny’s new sidekick and together they will fight the world and go on great adventures together. I loved the name Benny Catspaw only because I have a cat called Benson and we call him Benny. It is my first book by Dean and I did find it hard to get into. The pace was steady to start with but does build up. It was a good strong read and I did love Spike.

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

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It’s set to be a perfect day – until the chauffeur is asked to keep driving the bride around the church. This wedding definitely isn’t going as planned.

Lottie is a guest at the wedding when she sees Max. No kiss has ever matched the last one they shared fifteen years ago. They were on the brink of a beautiful love story, until a shocking event tore them apart. Now here he is, still ridiculously good-looking, teasing Lottie in the old way – and that overwhelming electric attraction is back. But Max is way out of bounds.

Freya owes Cameron everything. But she doesn’t love him. Which is a shame, because they’re about to be married.

Ruby has been the perfect wife. When she discovers the truth about her husband, her response is reckless and delicious. But after that, nothing will ever be the same again.

My Thoughts:

Freya is about to get married to Cameron but is it the right thing to do when she is not in love with him anymore, Lottie is one of the guests and when she sees someone she has not seen for a long time, will they be able to rekindle the love they both had for one another in the past. Ruby finds something out about the person most closest to her and cannot believe it but decides to do something for herself for once. You cannot go wrong with a book by Jill, she is such a great story teller and you really feel invested in the characters when you are reading it. Each of the women’s stories can be relatable to someone reading this book, it should give that person hope that one day things will be ok. It was a great story to enjoy. I loved it.

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

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It’s the best night of her life. It’s the last night of her life.

Sixteen-year-old Jenna Harbough’s parents had finally given in, and there she was, at a New York club with her best friends, watching the legendary band Avenue A, carrying her demo in hopes of slipping it to the guitarist, Jake Kincade. Then, from the stage, Jake catches her eye, and smiles. It’s the best night of her life. It’s the last night of her life.

Minutes later, Jake’s in the alley getting some fresh air, and the girl from the dance floor comes stumbling out, sick and confused and deathly pale. He tries to help, but it’s no use. It’s time to call Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

Who could want this level-headed teen, passionate about her music, dead? Was she targeted or could she have been the victim of a random attack? And if she was, who’s next…..?

My Thoughts:

This is book 58 of 59 of the In Death Series, but can be read as a standalone. I have not read any of this authors books let alone any from this Series so I was going in blind. The story is centred around Jenna who is a sixteen year old girl who wants to make it in the music industry. So when her parents finally let her go to a club to watch one of her favourite bands, Jenna has other ideas and takes one of her demo tapes to give to one of the band members. It is the best night of her life until she is seen stumbling out of the club, looking very unwell. One of the band members Jake tries to help her but is of no use, so calls the police as something fishy is going on. And Eve Dallas is the one that is going to solve this mystery. It was a good well rounded story that has a level of intrigue to it, it is a great crime thriller with plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing. Even though I have not read any of the other series, I found that it didn’t matter and still enjoyed the story. I really like Eve Dallas, she is a strong independent woman who does not take any abuse from no one. I was like you go girl many times. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

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

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