Can she put right the secrets of the past?

London, 1939. Winnie Berry has been the landlady of the Battersea Tavern for nearly twenty-five years, and the pub is like home to her – a place of tears and laughter, full of customers that feel like family. A place where she’s learned to avoid the quick fists of her husband, and where she’s raised her beloved son, David.

He’s inherited his father’s lazy streak and can’t seem to hold down a job, but when war is declared Winnie is determined to keep her son safe. She’s still haunted by the choice she made years ago as a desperate young woman, and she won’t make the same mistake of letting her family be taken from her…

But when a young woman crosses her path, the secrets of Winnie’s past threaten to turn her world upside down. There’s nothing stronger than a mother’s love – but can it ever have a second chance?

My Thoughts:

This is book one in the Battersea Tavern Series and I cannot wait for the next one as book one was really good. I liked how the story flowed and you felt as though you were there in the thick of it. It’s set in 1939 and the Second World War has just been declared, we meet the Berry family who own the Battersea Tavern, Winnie is the mother and wife who looks after everything especially her nasty piece of work husband and her son is not really any better, they both take advantage of her in such cruel ways but she does it because she loves them. She has a secret she has been hiding from the both of them, but when a stranger comes into the pub will Winnie have to unlock the secret that has been kept hidden for a very long time? I loved all the characters apart from Winnie’s husband and Son, they were both so horrible to Winnie and I wanted to look after her and tell her to leave them both to it. It was interesting to see what life was like then and also life in that era working in a pub, I found it very interesting and the story was engaging. I have never read any of Kitty Neale’s books but I will definitely be reading more in the future and I look forward to the second book in this series in great anticipation.

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

Get your copy here:

I have compiled a list of Christmas books that are going to be released this year, I have included dates they are out as they might be out before Christmas but you can pre-order them now if you want to. There are some brilliant books here and I cannot wait to read them all. Enjoy.

1. The Christmas Bookshop By Jenny Colgan – out 28th October 2021

Carmen needs a change of job so when her sister suggests working in a bookshop, Carmen jumps at the chance but when she gets there it is not what she is expecting at all, can she help turn it around before Christmas?

2. Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop By Rebecca Raisin – out 28th October 2021

3. The Christmas Escape By Sarah Morgan – out 21st October 2021

4. The Merry Christmas Project By Cathy Bramley – out 14th October 2021

5. Every Day in December By Kitty Wilson – out 2nd September 2021

Belle loves Christmas and everything about, she believes at this time of year magical things will happen, Rory hates Christmas, something in his past has made him hate this time of the month. But what? When back in his home town he has a chance meeting with Belle but can she find a way to make him see the magic of Christmas and will she get her Christmas wish?

6. Christmas Carols and a Cornish Cream Tea By Cressida McClaughlin – out 25th November 2021

Hope you enjoyed this blog post, some of the books at the time of writing this post are on offer on pre-order so get them whilst you can.

I know it is a little early but some of these books will be out very soon.

Happy Reading everyone

‘Something’s not right here.’
I was aware of Mr Booth’s eyes on me, and he seemed to hold his breath. ‘What do you mean?’
‘In the house. With the family.’

West Yorkshire, 1904. When newly graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there’s something not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs England.

Distant and withdrawn, Lilian shows little interest in her children or charming husband, and is far from the ‘angel of the house’ Ruby was expecting. As the warm, vivacious Charles welcomes Ruby into the family, a series of strange events forces her to question everything she thought she knew. Ostracised by the servants and feeling increasingly uneasy, Ruby must face her demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself. After all, there’s no such thing as the perfect family – and she should know.

My Thoughts:

This is a little different to my usual reads but for some reason I wanted to read it and it sounded good. After reading it I will be looking out for more of Stacey’s books in the future. I loved the writing in this, it is set in 1904 and is all about a nurse that looks after children. To read about what a nurse (though these days we call them a nanny or child minder) use to have to do and how different it was back then to what it is like today was very interesting. Ruby May is the new nanny to the four children of Mr and Mrs England. It is hard at first but once Ruby starts getting involved she can’t think of being anywhere else. Though she starts to wonder why Mrs England doesn’t show much interest in her children or her husband for that matter, but when she finds out why both her and the reader will be in shock. It is not easy being a nurse looking after four children and other struggles but Ruby is tough and can face whatever life throws at her, she is a very determined girl and I liked her for that. I just loved how the story flowed through out, it was a gentle and eye opening story.

Get your copy here:

North Devon is enjoying a rare hot summer with tourists flocking to its coastline. Detective Matthew Venn is called out to a rural crime scene at the home of a group of artists. What he finds is an elaborately staged murder – Dr Nigel Yeo has been fatally stabbed. His daughter Eve is a glassblower, and the murder weapon is a shard of one of her broken vases.

Dr Yeo seems an unlikely murder victim. He’s a good man, a public servant, beloved by his daughter. Matthew is unnerved, though, to find that she is a close friend of Jonathan, his husband.

Then another body is found – killed in a similar way. Matthew finds himself treading carefully through the lies that fester at the heart of his community and a case that is dangerously close to home . . .

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Two Rivers crime series which I didn’t realise but you can read these books as a standalone. Though after reading this book, I will be purchasing the first book as it was a really good read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I liked how the story built up, it is a bit graphic when they talk about the murders but I was ok with that as I expected it. It was an engaging read and fast paced, I didn’t want to put it down. The story follows Detective Matthew Venn as he is put on the case of finding out who murdered Dr Nigel Yeo, the murder weapon is a piece of glass that is made by none other than his own daughter but who did it? then another body is found and they have been killed in a similar way, can Matthew piece it all together and catch the killer before they strike again. I couldn’t work out who the killer was, I like the way there are some red herrings thrown into the mix. The ending was superb and wraps up nicely.

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

Get your copy here:

Beth Belmont runs every day, hard and fast on the trail near home. She knows every turn, every bump in the road. So when she spots something out of place – a slip of white paper at the base of a tree – she’s drawn to it.

On the paper are five names. The third is her own.

Beth can’t shake off the unease the list brings. Why is she on it? And what ties her to the other four strangers?

Then she discovers that the first two are dead.

Is she next?

My Thoughts:

I liked the sound of this book but for me it was not as good as I hoped. The first part was good but the middle was very slow going and nothing much happened, the ending didn’t seem to wrap anything up either. Beth has a nice life with her boyfriend but at night the nightmares come about what happened in her past. Whilst on her run Beth finds a list but one that has her name on it. Who is behind it? and do they know about her past? The story is broken down into each chapter being either Beth, the person who write the list and a young Beth, so we get a real sense that something bad happened in her past. It had everything to be a good thriller but it was a bit of a let down.

Get copy here:

Vicky Turnbull has never regretted giving up her career for family life in the suburbs. And apart from being outstandingly good at paintball, no one would ever know that in a past life she was an undercover spy and has been trained to kill a man with her bare hands. Not even her husband, and certainly not the other mums at the school gate.

But beneath the school runs and bake sales, Vicky had never quite said goodbye to the past. So, when a newcomer on the PTA sets alarms bells ringing and MI5 comes calling, she’s determined to prove that despite her expanding waistline and love of pink gin, she’s still every bit the cold-eyed special operative.

When the assignment gets uncomfortably close to home, Vicky must decide if she has got what the job takes after all, and if home is really where her heart is…

My Thoughts:

If you are after a funny read, then this is the book for you, you don’t even have to be a parent to read it. I enjoyed this book so much and I can see why Faye has won Comedy Women in Print Prize, as this book is just hilarious. It is all about Vicky who is a wife and mother but what they don’t know is that she use to work for MI5, and now they want her back but can she factor the job into her life now that she is a mum and especially when her husband has no clue what she is up too. From the first couple of pages I knew this book was going to be good, when a story gets up laughing right away, that is good. I really enjoyed this book and want to read more from this author. It was a great pick me up.

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

Get your copy here:

1914: Young Anton Heideck has arrived in Vienna, eager to make his name as a journalist. While working part-time as a private tutor, he encounters Delphine, a woman who mixes startling candour with deep reserve. Entranced by the light of first love, Anton feels himself blessed. Until his country declares war on hers.

1927: For Lena, life with a drunken mother in a small town has been impoverished and cold. She is convinced she can amount to nothing until a young lawyer, Rudolf Plischke, spirits her away to Vienna. But the capital proves unforgiving. Lena leaves her metropolitan dream behind to take a menial job at the snow-bound sanatorium, the Schloss Seeblick.
1933: Still struggling to come terms with the loss of so many friends on the Eastern Front, Anton, now an established writer, is commissioned by a magazine to visit the mysterious Schloss Seeblick. In this place of healing, on the banks of a silvery lake, where the depths of human suffering and the chances of redemption are explored, two people will see each other as if for the first time.

My Thoughts:

I found this book captivating and engaging. It starts back on 1914 and when a young lad called Anton arrives in Vienna, he is desperate to become a journalist, whilst doing this, part time he is a private tutor and comes across Delphine, he hopelessly falls in love with her but at what cost? when her country goes to war with his what must he do? Then we go to 1927 and through to 1933 where we see Anton again and how his life has been since 1914. It was an interesting read and to learn all about what happened in that era blew me away. I felt for Anton when he was falling in love, but can’t be with Delphine as both their countries were going to war with each other. The ending made me cry it was just beautiful. This is my first book by Sebastian Faulks and it certainly will not be my last.

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

Get your copy here:

Till death do us part . . .

Lucy has dreamt of her wedding day for as long as she can remember.

And now the day is almost here. Her nearest and dearest are gathered on an idyllic Greek island and she just knows it’s going to be perfect. It has to be.

But even the best-laid plans can go horribly wrong. Why are her parents behaving so strangely? Why won’t the rather odd lady from the airport stop hanging around? Who is the silent stranger her sister brought as a plus-1?

And then they find the body.

It’s going to be a day to remember.

My Thoughts:

I loved the sound of the plot for this book, what more could you want with a thriller a bride, a groom and a body, but who’s body is it? everyone seems suspicious but who is the killer? It is a well thought out plot and with some well balanced characters. I didn’t have a clue what was going to happen through this story which made me want to keep reading it. Great description of the place they are, perfect for reading on the beach, I have never read any of Tammy’s books before so I didn’t know what to expect but I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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

Get your copy here: