Nasrin and Sabrina are two sisters, who on the face of things live successful and enviable lives in London and New York.  When their father, Shamsur suddenly dies, they rush to be with their mother at the family home and restaurant in Wales, but reluctantly step back into the stifling world of their childhood.

When Shamsur’s will is read, a devastating secret is revealed that challenges all that people thought and loved about him. It also profoundly changes the lives and identities of the sisters, and creates an irreparable family rift…

My Thoughts:

I just want to say how beautiful the cover of this book is, it really gives off those Summer vibes. I feel as though this book is going to be a big hit when it is released, and for it to be a debut novel too just blew me away. The writing is superb and really puts the reader at the heart of the story and pulls on their heart strings with the way the story unfolds. It is about two sisters who have a good life living in London and New York, until one day some dreadful happens to their father and they have to rush back to the their family home in Wales. But the sisters are reluctant to return and then things change when important documents come to light, can the sisters sort it all out? I found it an interesting and poignant story about family ties and belonging. I also thought about the story when I was not reading it and wondered what I would do if I was part of that family. Such a great read and I look forward to seeing what Nilopar the author writes about next.

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

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London E17, 2019. A yellow kitchen stands as a metaphor for the lifelong friendship between three women: Claude, the baker, goal-orientated Sophie and political Giulia. They have the best kind of friendship, chasing life and careers; dating, dreaming and consuming but always returning to be reunited in the yellow kitchen.

That is, until a trip to Lisbon unravels unexplored desires between Claude and Sophie. Having sex is one thing, waking up the day after is the beginning of something new.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this short read, we meet three friends who all different in their own right but make the perfect friendship together. They all have their own lives but they always meet up in the yellow kitchen which has become a hub of activities and secrets shared. The story explores friendship, love and food. They go to Lisbon together and things get steamy between Claude and Sophie but can it be the start of something or should friends never cross that line? It was a complex and engaging story and a perfect book to read in one sitting.

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

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One private island. Seven guests. One killer…

The perfect holiday. The perfect murder. The perfect beach read…

Get away from your problems.
Multimillionaire Robert Rathwell and his entourage arrive at their private Greek island. White sand, turquoise water, the perfect place to relax. But this is no ordinary family, and this holiday will be their last.

Get away from your life.
The next morning, a scream shatters their peaceful world. Someone has been murdered, his body arranged to make it look like suicide. Everyone has a motive and, under the burning sun, secrets quickly simmer to the surface.

Get away with murder.
Soon the guests see a darker, more violent side to paradise. Because the Rathwells don’t just own the island; they own the people on it. And they can do whatever they like – maybe even commit murder…

My Thoughts:

This will be a great beach read but for me it was a bit of a let down. It feels very samey to other books I have read. It is a locked room book and a who dun it? I didn’t gel with any of the characters and felt as though the story was a bit slow and drawn out. I did guess who the killer was fairly early on even with the red herrings and the twists. It is a shame as it could of been really good.

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

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Lies can be buried… Secrets always come to the surface

Amarante is paradise…
An uninhabited, unspoilt island somewhere in the Indian Ocean.
Only those who know it exists can find it.
 
But paradise comes with a price…
Virginie and Jake sail to Amarante for their honeymoon, but they are not alone.
They have to adjust to life on the island with five strangers.
 
And not everyone will live to tell the tale…
Dark secrets surface and their dream abruptly turns into a nightmare.
Removed from society, they find out what they’re truly capable of.

My Thoughts:

This is a debut thriller at it’s best, it is full of tension, suspicion and intrigue. When Virginie and Jake sail to a remote island they think they would have a relaxing time away but little did they know they would have to spend their days with five complete strangers. A web of lies, dark secrets and suspicious people make this such a gripping read that you won’t want to put down. You never truly know what you are going to discover in the next chapter. Some really interesting characters too added to the mix which made the book seem more alive. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing what Emma the author comes up with her next book.

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

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One last client

A week at a beautiful chateau in the south of France – it should be a straightforward final job for Dora. She’s a smart, stunning and discreet escort and Daniel has paid for her services before. This time, all she has to do is convince the assembled guests that she is his girlfriend. Dora is used to playing roles and being whatever men want her to be. It’s all about putting on a front.

One last chance

It will be a last, luxurious look at how the other half lives, before Dora turns her back on the escort world and all its dangers. She has found someone she loves and trusts. With him, she can escape the life she’s trapped in. But when Dora arrives at the chateau it quickly becomes obvious that nothing is what it seems…

One last secret

Dora finds herself face to face with a man she has never forgotten, the one man who really knows her. And as old secrets surface, it becomes terrifyingly apparent that one last secret could cost Dora her life…

My Thoughts:

What an absolutely gripping read from Adele, she always seems to make her books better and better. It was such a unique story about Dora who is an escort but is very good at her job until she meets Daniel. She thinks she can have a new life and get married but things turn sour and a face from the past threatens to haunt her yet again, can Dora escape before it is too late? such a gripping and engaging read, I worried for Dora and it is a story about an escort that many authors probably wouldn’t go there but Adele has pulled it out of the bag with this phenomenal masterpiece, I actually felt as though I learnt a little too. I enjoyed this book so much.

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

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Typhoid Mary: a selfish monster, or a hounded innocent?

They called her Typhoid Mary. They believed she was sick, that she was passing typhoid fever from her hands to the food that she served. They said she should have known.

But Mary wasn’t sick. She hadn’t done anything wrong.

She wasn’t arrested right away. There were warnings. Requests. And when she was finally taken, she did not go quietly. Branded a murderer and condemned by press and public alike, Mary continued to fight for her freedom, no matter the cost…

My Thoughts:

This sounded like a different kind of read to me, and an interesting one that is set in 1900’s, the first half of the book captured my attention and had me intrigued about where the story would go but the second half left me feeling restless and wanting the book to end. Mary is a hardworking woman from Ireland who goes to work as a cook in America, unfortunately for her, she is a carrier of typhoid, after reading this book you will feel a lot of sympathy for Mary and what she has to go through. I did find her a little irritating at times especially when she kept on returning to work after many that she had fed had died. The last half of the book I found monotonous and couldn’t wait to finish it.

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In a remote dale in a northern English county, a centuries-old rural community has survived into the mid-1930s almost unchanged. But then Jack Liggett drives in from the city, the spokesman for a Manchester waterworks company with designs on the landscape for a vast new reservoir. The dale must be evacuated, flooded, devastated; its water pumped to the Midlands and its community left in ruins.

Liggett further compounds the village’s problems when he begins a troubled affair with Janet Lightburn, a local woman of force and character who is driven to desperate measures in an attempt to save the valley.

My Thoughts:

I received this book as a gift from a fellow book lover and I have to say I was blown away with it. I found it such a powerful and so moving. This is the first book that I have read by Sarah and I cannot wait to read her others, I already have my eye on a few. After having a recent holiday in the Lake District I knew I would be pining when I got home so this was the perfect pick me up read to remind me of those beautiful days with all the gorgeous scenery. Sarah’s description of the scenery and everything around is perfect, even though the story is a sad one, It really captured the Lake District and I thought it was such a wonderful yet powerful story. I need another holiday to The Lakes now.

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When ex-marine Sarah French joins a luxury superyacht as on-board security, she’s excited to get her life – and career – back on track.

Surrounded by crystal waters, it seems like the perfect place to start over.

As they head into open water, though, tensions between the crew quickly build. And when someone goes missing, Sarah has a terrifying realisation.

One of them is a killer. All of them are suspects.

To protect the other passengers, Sarah needs to uncover the killer’s identity, and return the boat safely to shore.

But there’s a storm on the horizon – and not all of them will make it back alive . . .

My Thoughts:

I really liked the sound of this book, Sarah is ex marine and is not working as on board security for a super yacht. Then things start to go from bad to worse and Sarah uncovers something that is terrifying. Someone on board is a killer but who? many red herrings, you can cut the tension with a knife, the suspense gets to you as you just want to find out who the killer is and why. I liked this story but with so many characters I did feel as though I had to keep going back to remember who was who and also I found it a little long winded. But overall it was an ok read.

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

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Eliza has a full house! When her three children grew up and moved out, she downsized to a smaller property… but now they’re all back. Every room in the house is taken and Eliza finds herself sharing her bed with her eldest daughter and her daughter’s pug. Combined with the online course she’s trying to finish, plus her job to fit in, there just isn’t the peace and quiet that Eliza needs.

So when an ad pops up on her laptop saying ‘house-sitters wanted’, Eliza can’t resist the chance to escape. She ends up moving to a rural finca in southern Spain, looking after the owner’s Iberico pigs, learning about secret gastronomic societies… and finding a new zest for life and love along the way.

My Thoughts:

Jo Thomas is definitely one of my go to authors when I feel like I need cheering up. They are the perfect pick me up. Eliza is a mother who thought when her three grown up children moved out that she would be able to rest and relax in her own company, but unfortunately they had other ideas and have all moved back in. Eliza can’t get a any peace and quiet when everyone wants something from her and she has a job and an online course to finish. So when she sees house sitters wanted in rural Spain she decides to take a leap of faith and see if she can get the quiet time she craves and really needs. This trip really changes Eliza for the better and she realises she can do anything she wants. There are some amusing parts in this book, but it also feels as though I knew Eliza and I am sure many women will be able to relate to her situation which makes her more loveable. Also I love how Jo’s descriptions makes you want to be where ever she has set her books, and the food sounded utterly divine and sumptuous. I wish I was there to experience it all.

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

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KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE.
WHATEVER THE COST…

Jamie and Victoria are expecting their first baby.

With a few weeks to go, they head off for a final weekend break in a remote part of the North Pennines. The small and peaceful guesthouse is the ideal location to unwind together before becoming parents. Upon arrival, they are greeted by Barry and Fiona, the older couple who run the guesthouse. They cook them dinner and show them to their room before retreating to bed themselves.

The next morning, Jamie and Victoria wake to find the house deserted. Barry and Fiona are nowhere to be seen. All the doors are locked. Both their mobile phones and car keys have disappeared. Even though it’s a few weeks early, Victoria knows the contractions are starting.

The baby is coming, and there’s no way out.

My Thoughts:

This was a superb thriller that is full of twists and turns that kept me wanting to read on. It was thought provoking and I felt as though I needed to know what happened straight away so read it in one sitting. The main characters are Jamie and Victoria who decide to go for a weekend away to a remote part of the North Pennines, they are expecting a baby very soon so need a break but when things start to go wrong and Victoria starts having contractions will they all be ok? there is also a major twist in the story that was very unexpected but oh so good, I liked how we as the readers also find out what actually happened too, with the timeline that runs alongside the other story. Such a great read from Robin.

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

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