Let me tell you a story…

When Chloe Hooper’s partner is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive illness, she has to find a way to tell their two young sons.

By instinct, she turns to the bookshelf. Can the news be broken as a bedtime tale? Is there a perfect book to prepare children for loss? Hooper embarks on a quest to find what practical lessons children’s literature—with its innocent orphans and evil adults, magic, monsters and anthropomorphic animals—can teach about grief and resilience in real life.

As she discovers, ‘the right words are an incantation, a spell of hope for the future.’ From the Brothers Grimm to Frances Hodgson Burnett and Tolkien and Dahl—all of whom suffered childhood bereavements—she follows the breadcrumbs of the world’s favourite authors, searching for the deep wisdom in their books and lives.

My Thoughts:

I spent a long time trying to decide what to write about this book, I felt as though I needed a moment until I could collect my thoughts to write a review, a book has never done that to me before and I have read many books. This book is about Chloe who’s partner has been diagnosed leukaemia and Chloe has to find a way to tell their two sons. It is a memoir but so much more, I could never imagine being in the position Chloe is in and I am sure other parents that are in similar situations will find comfort and also help in this read. I found it very emotional reading it but I absolutely loved how it was written. There are illustrations through out the book that just wonderful and so relatable. It is a book that I think will help parents and also anyone struggling with death and grief to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel and you are not alone.

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

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Transform your relationship with yourself! This is the ultimate guide to embracing self-love and living a life with more self-compassion

We all know the value of treating other people with kindness – so why do we often forget to extend the same courtesy to ourselves?

Learn a radical new approach to self-love with this beautiful handbook. Through a combination of practical tips and actionable advice, Self-Kindness will help you to deepen your self-love and grow your happiness.

You will learn how to:

Find peace within yourself and nurture a more positive mindset

Look after your mind and body to develop greater self-confidence

Enrich your overall health and well-being with diet and exercise

Tap into the uplifting power of affirmations

Whether you’re at the beginning of your journey to self-acceptance, or you’re a seasoned self-love advocate, let this guide celebrate and support you as you continue on the path to self-kindness, joy and well-being.

My Thoughts:

This is such a brilliant and handy book to have. I am going through some things at the moment and I have felt myself struggling a little bit. This book came at the perfect time for me and I now wont be anywhere without it. It is the perfect small size to be able to have in your handbag when you are out and about and need it. Each page is a different self kindness, even the colours on the pages make me feel calmer. It helps put you into a better mindset and shows you how to love you for you with practical tips and quotes. I like flicking to a different page and it really helps to set me up for the day. I love it. It is really helping me to learn to love myself.

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

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The Little Love Book is a heart-warming collection of uplifting quotes and practical exercises that capture the nature of love. This beautifully inspiring book is a celebration of love in all its forms, revealing pieces of wisdom, not just on love, but the messy business of affection.

My Thoughts:

This book cover is so simple yet so stunning with the gold foil. It is a handy sized small book that would be great as a gift for Valentines day or to show someone how much you love them. It is so much more than just beautiful love quotes, it shows you things to do together, different tips, it basically shows you how to bring you and your loved one together and how to really mean it. It is a wonderful book.

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

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A beautiful, heartfelt collection of romantic words and powerful affirmations of love – the perfect gift, whatever the occasion, for the one who has captured your heart

You are my everything

For the person you can’t live without – the one who puts butterflies in your stomach and a smile in your heart; your best friend and closest confidant all in one – this book will show that special someone how much they mean to you.

Writers and poets have long looked for the perfect way to say “I love you”. This charming book brings together some of the most soul-stirring expressions of passion, from lovers old and new – from Sappho and Rumi to modern-day romantics like Kahlil Gibran and Sally Rooney.

My Thoughts:

This is such a lovely little book, it would make the perfect gift for Valentines of just to show someone how much they mean to you. It is a collection of different quotes and words for your loved one. It is a good size to keep handy when you want to tell someone one of the quotes. Reading through them all it made me feel really happy and made me realise how much I love my husband. I am now going to be reading him one at bedtime so he knows how much he is loved.

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

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Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon – and simultaneously his novel – be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak? 

My Thoughts:

Another great book By Colleen. When Fallon meets Ben, their attraction is there from the get go, but Fallon has to leave soon but they cannot deny their attraction for each other. I love a love story when nothing is plain and simple and they both have things going on in their lives. Every year they decide to meet but then Fallon learns something about Ben that could put their whole relationship in jeopardy. This is a story that will pull at your heart and made me think what I would do in her situation. I would highly recommend.

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After a childhood filled with poverty and neglect, Beyah Grim finally has her hard-earned ticket out of Kentucky with a full ride to Penn State. But two months before she’s finally free to change her life for the better, an unexpected death leaves her homeless and forced to spend the remainder of her summer in Texas with a father she barely knows.

Devastated and anxious for the summer to go by quickly, Beyah has no time or patience for Samson, the wealthy, brooding guy next door. Yet, the connection between them is too intense to ignore. But with their upcoming futures sending them to opposite ends of the country, the two decide to maintain only a casual summer fling. Too bad neither has any idea that a rip current is about to drag both their hearts out to sea.

My Thoughts:

I knew when I saw Colleen had got another book out I had to get it. Colleen is definitely one of my go to authors now. I cannot get enough of her books. Beyah is the main character and she has not had the best life so far, many things contribute to that factor but when something unexpected happens she moves to Texas. This is where she meets Samson, they are both different people but they are very similar. I think that is why they connect so well. I love reading about how their relationship blossoms and also wanted to see if they could help each other. But is Samson hiding something? the descriptions of the places Colleen uses makes you feel as though you are there. The characters are all believable and Colleen writes certain topics with sensitivity. I loved curling up with this book.

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After an eight-hundred-year slumber, the volcanoes in Iceland’s most populated region are showing signs of life. Earthquakes dominate the headlines. Echoes of the devastating eruptions in the past stir unease in the people.

Volcanologist Anna Arnardóttir has spent her entire life studying the volcanic powers under the earth’s crust, but even she cannot fathom the catastrophe at hand.

As a series of eruptions threaten most of Iceland’s population, she’s caught off her rational guard by the most terrible natural disaster of all—love. The world as she knows it is about to fall apart, and so is her heart.

Caught between the safety of a nation and her feelings for her children, her lover, and her past, Anna embarks on a dangerous journey to save the lives of the people she loves—and her soul.

My Thoughts:

I was so intrigued when I read the plot what the outcome of this book would be. It sounded different but in a good way. The story is about Anna who is a volcanologist and when the eruptions from the volcano start happening in Iceland and cause so much devastation she is torn on what to do. The story is about Anna and her life, the mistakes she has made and how her life is now, I did feel was a little too slow for me. The author has clearly done so much research into volcano’s as there is lots of science parts to it and diagrams. I didn’t really know what any of it means but anyone that loves volcano’s should read this book. It was not the book I was hoping for but it was ok.

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

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A novella about the search for happily ever after.

A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love has conditions: they agree it will last only one hour, and it will be only make-believe. When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them seemed perfect only because they were pretending it was.

Moments like that happen only in fairy. One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in love-at-first-sight is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Unfortunately for Daniel, finding true love doesn’t guarantee a happily ever after . . . it only further threatens it. Will an unbearable secret from the past jeopardize Daniel and Six’s only chance at saving each other?

My Thoughts:

This is a story about Daniel and Six, as teenagers they stumble across each other and instantly hit it off but it can’t last and Six rushes off just like Cinderella. Daniel cannot think about anything other than Six, fast forward a year and when with his friends he meets Six, could this be his Cinderella? can they both help to save one another? Even though this is a short story so much is packed into it. I read it in half a day. It is such a real story and Colleen once again has worked her magic by making it relatable and being sensitive. It was predictable but it was still a joy to read.

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The constant threat of terrorism has left London under round-the-clock surveillance and in the tightening grip of privatised security firms. Journalist Antonia Conti suspects one such organisation—GRM—not only of being behind several women’s disappearances, but of financing the widespread violence it claims to fight.

When a gang of hitmen use rampant state surveillance to track Antonia down, she narrowly escapes with her life. But then one of them turns up dead—covered in her DNA—and Antonia finds herself the prime suspect in his murder.

DS Russell Chapman needs to bring her in. But evidence that Antonia has been framed quickly stacks up and when a personal grudge between her and GRM’s shadowy head of security is revealed, he begins an uncomfortable partnership with her.

Together, the pair delve beneath the surface of the corporate machine and soon find themselves embroiled in a dark and violent underworld even they had barely dared imagine. Will they find the evidence to bring GRM down? And can they keep Antonia’s name off the list of missing women?

My Thoughts:

This is the first book in the Antonia Conti thriller Series, and was absolutely brilliant. It is a fast paced thriller that will keep you hooked until the very last page. Antonia Conti is the main character but we also get to meet some other characters that are all interesting. I loved the way the story flows and how much research David the author must of put into it is incredible. I had no clue what the outcome of this story was and was shocked by the ending. It is a heart stopping and engrossing thriller and one that I cannot wait to read more of.

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

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1989. The world is on the brink of revolution and journalist Allie Burns is a woman on a mission. When she discovers a lead about the exploitation of society’s most vulnerable, Allie is determined to investigate and give voice to the silenced.

Elsewhere, a ticking clock begins the countdown to a murder. As Allie begins to connect the dots and edges closer to exposing the truth, it is more shocking than she ever imagined. There’s nothing like a killer story, and to tell it, Allie must risk her freedom and her life . . .

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Allie Burns series, it can be read as a standalone but if you want more of the background of the characters I would recommend reading the other book first. It is all about Allie who is always on a mission, her job as a journalist is to hunt down the truth and she will get the truth come hell or high water. Allie is one determined and strong woman and she takes it upon herself to find out the truth, but can she do it without coming to any harm? The story flowed well, it was a little slow and I didn’t find I had a connection with any of the characters but it was ok and I finished it.

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

Thank you to lovereading for sending me a copy.

https://www.lovereading.co.uk/

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