Ali Doyle, a thirty-two-year-old engineer, discovers her boyfriend – who is also the legal counsel at the suburban Philadelphia software company where she works – has no intention of marrying her. After an uncharacteristically emotional confrontation, Ali ends this two-year relationship. However, the fear of seeing her ex at work and losing all control causes her to feign an illness, self-isolating in her apartment. At first, she’s fine with the solitude, but when Ali tries to leave, she’s incapable of venturing outside.

Yet, while feeling lost and hopeless in this self-quarantined state, Ali discovers solace to her loneliness by watching dog walkers from her front window. In an effort to find human connection, she creates imaginative back stories for these strangers and their pets. Ultimately, it’s her concern for an elderly gentleman and his Golden Retriever, as well as advice from an unexpected voice inside of her head, that give her the strength to leave her apartment building and begin her journey to wellness.

As Ali reemerges from her isolated state, she meets several of the dog walkers, learning their real names and true identities. Through this process, she forms friendships, finds guidance, and eventually falls in love. But most importantly, Ali recovers the missing pieces of herself that she had given away as she confidently learns to release boundaries, surrender control, and establish trust.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book so much, it was a little different but in a good way, I always look at dog walkers and wonder what their story is so this was certainly a book I enjoyed reading. This is Ali’s story, she is not happy in her relationship so decides to end it but when lockdown happens it makes her feel lost and helpless. Whilst being alone she decides to watch the dog walkers come and go and wonders about their lives and what stories they have. In the first steps of getting back on track she decides to go and speak to some of them and she finds happiness in forming friendships and just having someone to talk to can be a real help. It was such a beautiful tale, which I think so many people will be able to relate too and I know that in lockdown it was very hard on so many people so I hope this book shows them that they are not alone but also shows other people how hard people were affected by it.

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

Get your copy here:

Little Jamey, 2½ years old, is placed with experienced foster carer, Cathy Glass, as an emergency.

The police and social services had no choice after a neighbour reported Jamey had been left alone all night while his mother went out partying. Scared, hungry and withdrawn, Jamey has spent so much time in his cot that his leg muscles haven’t developed, and he can barely walk. He is craving affection, and Cathy and her family find him very easy to love. However, as Jamey begins to settle in and make progress a new threat emerges. Coronavirus and lockdown changes everything.

My Thoughts:

I have read all of Cathy’s books to date and they never fail to disappoint. This one was just as good as all of her other books. This story focuses on Jamey’s story and also how the pandemic affected Cathy and her family. Little Jamey is such a sweet little boy and I was grateful to Cathy for taking him in and all the things she does for him is wonderful, it was wonderful to see how much he develops just within the time he is with Cathy. I found it interesting to see how Cathy and her family cope during the pandemic and how much it had hit foster carers is eye opening. I look forward to Cathy’s next book now.

Get your copy here:

The invites went out weeks ago, and tonight, at a lavish manor house surrounded by friends and family, Kaitlin couldn’t be happier. But as the champagne corks pop, her dream party becomes her worst nightmare…

Staring at the stunning diamond solitaire on her finger, Kaitlin is finally getting the chance to introduce her best friend Zoe to her perfect fiancé. She hasn’t known Greg long, but he looks after her, and he loves playing dad to her young daughter. How could she say no when he’s already planned their elopement?

As guests arrive, why is Greg acting so shifty? And is that a flicker of recognition on Zoe’s face? And why does she look terrified every time her phone rings?

Kaitlin watches as Zoe knocks back her white wine and makes a beeline for Greg. After a heated conversation, Zoe stumbles towards the door and flees the party without looking back.

Days later, the police knock at Kaitlin’s door – Zoe is missing.

Kaitlin wants to believe her loving fiancé is not to blame, but she knows what she saw the night of the party. And when he lies to the police, can she trust the man she’s marrying? Could Kaitlin and her precious daughter’s life now be in danger too?

My Thoughts:

I have not read one of Sheryl’s books for ages and now feel compelled to pick them all up as this was so good. I read it in a couple of hours and didn’t want it to end. It was an addictive read, my hairs on my arms were up the whole time reading it, it is a compulsive and such a rollercoaster of a ride story that it left me breathless when I did finish it. The whole way through I didn’t know what was going to happen and when things did happen it shocked me. I love Sheryl’s writing and the way she can put a spin on a story is incredible. I need more of Sheryl’s books in my life now. A must read.

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

Get your copy here:

Who do you trust when everyone is lying?

My name is Tess Parker.

Two days ago, I was in a car accident with my sister-in-law, Torrie. Before she slipped into a coma, she asked my husband and me to care for her four-month-old son, Levi.

Yesterday, a woman claiming to be Torrie’s estranged sister knocked on our door. But Torrie has no siblings . . . or so she said. She and my brother were only together a short time before he left, and Torrie has clearly been keeping secrets.

Today, another of Torrie’s “sisters” has come to town. Both say the other is lying about who they are.

Neither of them is telling the truth.

Both of them want Levi.

My Thoughts:

This is book two in the Harlow series and even though I really enjoyed the first book, this was even better. So I am really looking forward to book three. It is a very unique story line where Tess has been in a car accident with her sister in law and had asked Tess and her husband to look after her young son before the doctors have to put her into a coma. But little does Tess really know about her sister in law, when someone comes knocking on their door claiming to be an estranged sister, Tori has obviously been keeping stuff from Tess, but what do they want? and can she protect the most important person from all this the young son? I liked the way the story unfolds, it is at a good pace so makes you want to read on, it is full of secrets, lies and betrayals, I felt for Tess and her husband as they are only trying to do what is best by the kid and then they get wrapped up in a whole lot of stuff that Tori has brought to their door. I thought the ending wrapped up everything nicely. A great read, I can imagine this as a good film.

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

Get your copy here:

When your heart belongs in two places, can you ever truly find home?

Brooklyn, New York,
Bea has grown up in the heart of the Irish community, always hearing stories of home. When she discovers a letter from her younger self, written years before, it sends her deep into her own family history.

Kilmore Quay, Ireland.
Years earlier, Lucy Mernagh leaves her much-loved home and family in search of the New York dream. The Big Apple is a world away from the quiet village she grew up in, and the longing for home aches within her.

When Bea uncovers a shocking secret, it takes her back across the water to Kilmore Quay, where – finally – long-buried truths will come to light. But fate has one last twist in store…

My Thoughts:

This was such a great read with a fantastic plot line, the characters to me felt as though I knew them and they were believable. I was hooked from the first chapter and when I was not reading it, I was thinking about the story and the characters. It was such a moving story that you will need some tissues especially for the last few chapters. This is my first book by Carmel and it certainly will not be my last. I loved it. A book that will stay with you for a very long time.

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

Get your copy here:

A Double Murder
The naked corpses of Aylmer and Mary Younis are discovered in their home. The only clues are a note written in blood and an eerie report of two spectral figures departing the crime scene. Officer Jill Ferriter is charged with investigating the murders while her colleague Alex Cupidi is on leave, recovering from post-traumatic stress.

AN ELABORATE SCAM

The dead couple had made investments in a green reforestry scheme in Guatemala, resulting in the loss of all their savings. What is more disturbing is that Cupidi and Ferriter’s disgraced former colleague and friend Bill South is also on the list of investors and the Younis’s were not the only losers.

AN UNLIKELY KILLER

Despite being in counselling and receiving official warnings to stay away from police work Cupidi finds herself dragged into the case and begins to trawl among the secrets and lies that are held in the fishing community of Folkestone. Desperate to exonerate South she finds herself murderously compromised when personal relationships cloud her judgement.

My Thoughts:

This is the fourth book in the DS Alexandra Cupidi Investigations and all of these books can be read as a standalone, I am going to be read the other books in this series though so I can get to know the characters better. It had a great pace that kept me hooked the whole way through, it was thrilling with all the twists that came out of nowhere, the story was a good one and I enjoyed reading about the background topic. I look forward to reading the other books now.

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

Get your copy here:

Flowers and chocolates are all very well, but nothing could possibly mean more to your beloved than telling them, in a language they’ll understand: YOU’RE MY LOBSTER.

With prompts to fill out, this personalisable gift book gives you the space to reminisce about: your first meeting and impressions, all the quirks you’ve grown to love, the things you have in common and your greatest differences, and much more. Complete with the best romantic quotes from your favourite films and TV shows, it is the ultimate gift for your soulmate.

My Thoughts:

This is such a fun and sweet book where you can keep both your memories from your first kiss to your fist date and so forth. It is a nice compacted size and the illustrations are just wonderful. So it is a great gift for Valentines or an anniversary, you can fill it out or you both could do it together. It is a truly magical way of showing your partner how much you care. It also has funny quotes in it too, ones that will make you smile or laugh. I love it and I cannot wait to start filling mine in. A wonderful gift for someone you love very much.

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

Get your copy here:

When Olivia Tennyson – or Ollie to her friends – was sixteen, she wrote a Dream List of all the things she wanted for her life, including a happy marriage and a family. But at twenty-nine, Ollie is single, living at home with her over-protective and manipulative mother, and is feeling like her dreams are getting further out of reach.

It’s time for a change. 

It’s time to take matters into her own hands. 

Without telling her mum, or more importantly, asking her permission, Ollie finds the perfect place to start her new life. End Cottage has a duck-egg blue front door, a garden that leads to acres of forest, and definitely counts as her dream home.

Now all Ollie has to do is complete the rest of her list and find out who she really is, before she can imagine any romance coming into her life. After all, how is she going to find her dream man in the middle of a forest… 

My Thoughts:

This was the perfect read for me, it had everything I wanted in it, great characters, a fantastic and uplifting and moving story line. Ollie is a teenager when she writes her Dream List of what she wants to have and do with her life when she is older, fast forward several years later and she is unhappy. She has no one to come home to apart from her way too protective parents that just do her head in. She wants to break free so she decides to go for it and change her life for the better. Once she has grabbed the bull by the horns she decides to complete her Dream List but will the other things fall in to place and will see find her happy ever after? I really felt a connection with Ollie and wanted her to achieve her dreams, I was rooting for her all the way. It was such a joy to read and I would rate it higher than five stars, and recommend it to everyone.

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

Get your copy here:

At the age of twenty-three, teaching assistant Blair Coal knows there’s more to love than her last emotionally toxic relationship. This becomes more evident each time she sees firefighter Tyler Stoan.

It sounds like the beginning of a fairy tale romance, right?

The only problem is—both Blair and Tyler are in a coma, and they’ve only met in their dreams.

When Blair wakes with a vivid recollection of the man she’s infatuated with, she begins her search to find him against the advice of those closest to her.

Will Blair find Tyler? And if she does, who will she discover?

As relationships unfold, Blair’s past and present collide, adding tension to her already perplexed mind, and she finds herself at a crossroad.

Though true love seems within reach for Blair, fate may have something else in store for her.

After all, life hardly ever turns out the way we think it will.

My Thoughts:

This book is in my top ten favourite books of this year, it was an incredible story that takes you on a journey into two people’s lives that have only met in a dream, sounds strange but by god does it work in this book. Blair was in a coma after being in an accident, when she wakes she remembers this guy in her dreams and knows she must find him, but will his family get in the way of her finding out if this is true love or not? she can still hear things that he says to her now and she knows she must find a way to be with him and help him, as he is still in a coma. There are parts where I had tears in my eyes for Blair and one where you wont want to put it down. I read this book in a day and still feeling the after effects of it. A superb story with raw emotion.

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

Get your copy here:

Etta Wilson has vowed to make a change. At five foot three and a size twenty, she’s had enough. Honestly, this has absolutely nothing to do with seeing her ex, Robert Ward, strolling around town, smitten with a new slim girlfriend.

So, Etta’s chucked the calorific cakes, thrown the takeaway in the bin and committed to cardio. She’s got nothing to lose – well apart from a lot of weight – but how hard can that be?

Nearly impossible, it turns out. Etta soon realises she can’t do this alone. Thanks to her colleagues at the Elm Lodge Care Home, she won’t have to. With their help, will Etta reach her goals? Or does a moment on the lips really mean a lifetime on the hips?

My Thoughts:

This was such a nice story that will have you in stitches, it is definitely the best medicine if you are feeling down. I could empathise and relate to the characters, who were all great by the way. There are lots of one liners that hade me roaring with laughter. Many people struggle with their weight and I am one of them, so I feel as though this book proves that you are not alone on this journey of self discovery, it has made me feel motivated to get myself some help and prove to myself I can do this. I really hope it helps other people that are struggling. I found it such a heart warming story that I would highly recommend.

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

Get your copy here: