Blog Tour: The Wreckage by Robin Morgan-Bentley

February 10, 2020

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

the wreckage by robin morgan bentley - Blog Tour: The Wreckage by Robin Morgan-Bentley

The Wreckage by Robin Morgan-Bentley
on February 6, 2020
ISBN: 9781409194170
Genres: Psychological Thriller
Pages: 336
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

four stars - Blog Tour: The Wreckage by Robin Morgan-Bentley

'Immersive, compulsive and gripping' C. L. Taylor
'Clever and compelling' Fiona Barton
Things will never be the same again...
Ben is driving on the motorway, on his usual commute to the school where he works.
A day like any other, except for Adam, who in a last despairing act jumps in front of Ben's car, and in killing himself, turns the teacher's world upside down.
Wracked with guilt and desperate to clear his conscience, Ben develops a friendship with Alice, Adam's widow, and her 7-year-old son Max.
But as he tries to escape the trauma of the wreckage, could Ben go too far in trying to make amends?
Gripping and sinister, The Wreckage is guaranteed to keep you up all night...

The Wreckage– it’s clear from the offset the tone this story is going to take. A car wreck. Speeding towards an end goal that destroys lives. Whiplash that leaves you feeling pained and distraught. It’s a real play on the title and the deeper meaning behind it is poetic brilliance. This book hits you in the feels like a ten-tonne truck to the chest. You need to escape from the wrecked car, you’re injured, your disorientated and you have to drag yourself to safety. It’s pitch black and your senses have left you. You need to stumble from one event to the other – this book is the direct correlation to this.

As a debut I didn’t know what to expect. Let me tell you this – rarely have I read such a fully immersive, compelling and eye popping read such as The Wreckage. Robin Morgan-Bentley knows just how to lead his readers down a maze, blindfolded and panicky. A Suicide. A Grieving family. A driver left with an incredible responsibility. A mysterious note.

In mere hours Alice’s world is turned upside down. A stay at home mother to her cherished son, Max. she loves a wine or two but tell me what mother doesn’t? Was she expecting the news on that fateful day? What would drive someone to make the decision to throw themselves in front of a moving car on the motorway? I was in my element reading the alternating POV’s in The Wreckage – both Alice’s and Ben’s narrative was emotive and heart-wrenching. It left me with an extreme sense of urgency and it was compelling to have the POV of someone that had been driving the car as opposed to the usual fallout from the victim’s family.

Both Alice and Ben were victims. It was as clear as the nose on your face. Ben really struggled with the feelings of guilt and seemed to only want to do right for his perceived wrong. Alice was left to raise an eight-year-old boy who had his father and her husband wrenched from their lives. There was secrets, lies and a sense of foreboding that kept creeping into my peripheral vision. They are both trying to navigate their own versions of the highway to hell.

I found Ben to be the more interesting character. The Inspectorates proclaimed country’s best school teacher. He has a solid routine that he sticks to, doesn’t drive recklessly, the patience of a saint – the accident hits him very hard. It is also the catalyst that sends him down a destructive and obsessive path. Imagine dominoes – once that first one gets sent on its way, there is no stopping the wave of destruction. This book gave me such an addictive need to find out what happens next – I raced to the finish. The author gave me such a need to work out why Ben, Alice and Adam behaved in the way they did.

In all honesty, I really struggled with Alice. Yes, she was struggling with the death of her husband, but she presented as a bit reckless and irresponsible. She seemed to be so focussed and lost in her own grief that she seemed to lose sight of the most important person – Max. she drank too much and couldn’t acknowledge help when offered. You can tell that her world has turned grey, but she has to be strong for her son. I think the author wrote the character in such a way that you feel conflicted in how she behaves and her motives. Is wrong vs. right so obvious in this story?

The Wreckage is a tightly weaved plot that could cut your oxygen. The story left me guessing right until the end. I doubted every character and felt conflicted around every corner. Be prepared to be catapulted onto a lake of ice, you will need to navigate the thin ice without falling into the cold depths below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robin Morgan Bentley BW cropped for website 300x300 1 - Blog Tour: The Wreckage by Robin Morgan-Bentley

After graduating from Cambridge with a First Class degree in Modern and Medieval Languages, Robin Morgan-Bentley worked for five years at Google.

Since 2014, he has been the Senior Editorial Manager at Audible, responsible for deciding which audiobooks they promote to their customers and how. He also runs their podcast, Audible Sessions, and has interviewed multiple authors including Fiona Barton, Clare Mackintosh, Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Anthony Horowitz and Jeffery Deaver to name a few. His conversations with them are what inspired him to start writing.

Check out Robin’s website here.
www.robinmorganbentley.com

Blog Tour: I Could Be You by Shelia Bugler

January 29, 2020

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

48671519. SY475 - Blog Tour: I Could Be You by Shelia Bugler

I Could Be You by Shelia Bugler
Published by Canelo on January 23rd 2020
Genres: Psychological Thriller
Pages: 384
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four stars - Blog Tour: I Could Be You by Shelia Bugler

four stars - Blog Tour: I Could Be You by Shelia Bugler

A life has been taken. But whose life is it?
On a stifling hot day, former journalist Dee Doran finds the crumpled body of her friend at the roadside. Katie and her little boy, Jake, have been a light in Dee’s otherwise desolate life – now a woman is dead and a child is missing.

Katie has been keeping secrets for a long time. Years earlier, she fell for the wrong person. But he was in love with someone else; who he couldn’t have but couldn’t keep away from. When jealousy and desire spilled over into murder Katie hid the truth, and has been pretending ever since.

As Dee assists the police with their enquiries she’s compelled to investigate too. She realises Katie wasn’t who she claimed to be. Lies are catching up. Stories are unravelling. Revenge is demanded and someone must pay the price. The question is: who?

Don’t miss this explosive crime thriller perfect for fans for Alex Marwood and Fiona Barton.

The impact a child can have on your life can be profound and everlasting. Even if that child isn’t yours. A child can lighten up the darkest of lives. They have an infectious way of melting even the coldest of personas. A child and their impact have a way of shaping your life, usually for the better. Family isn’t always determined by blood, it is the connection that we make with a kindred soul. What happens when that tie is severed? It feels like we are literally missing a part of ourselves. It’s an irrevocable wrenching of the heart. I instantly signed up for this blog tour for its intense cover and a synopsis that is dripping in mysterious intrigue.

Reading I could be you can be described as looking into the mirror and for the first time being able to see something more than just you. All your flaws, past mistakes and your vision for the future are suddenly flashing before your eyes. There’s a figure in the background threatening to be revealed in all its glorious technicolour but what exactly will revealed? It fogs your mind, makes you forget. Your memories feel like a freezing fog, keeping you in the now and happy to keep you oblivious.

The opening is a friend’s, or family members worst nightmare. That is exactly where it should stay. Seeing someone you care about is harmed and no-one felt the need to stop and help. A crushed buggy and no sign of the precious little 2-year-old boy that you doted over, you babysat and most important of all, you loved, as if he were her own. It’s poignant, heart-breaking and left me imagining my own pain if it were one of my own boys. The impact of what has just happened finally enters my foggy brain and I’m left feeling bereft just like Dee. Her pain is apparent, and she starts losing her direction.

I was unable to prise this book from my hands and Sheila Berger knows just how to punch you in the feels. She forces you to dip your foot into the water and she sends you swimming from one raw emotion to another. It leaves you feeling wrecked and disorientated, but you know the only way is forward.

I could Be You deals with difficult tropes, but they are handled with dignity and tact. The grief of a missing child is a wrought cage of emotion. We see this nearly every day in the newspapers. Press releases. Emotional reaching out. Trauma lingering. Sheila Bulger gives this type of grief a form – it’s ugly but realistic and it inflicts a severe whiplash with its intensity.

Dee’s young friend is found on the side of the road apparently being ran over in a hit and run. The buggy is beside her and it’s empty. Her friend, Kate, would have had her son with her, wouldn’t she? Just where has the little boy gone? The police are called, and they start gathering evidence and information and it is quickly discovered that nothing is as it seems. It becomes very twisty and my head needed to be straightened several times during my read of I Could Be You.

When Dee discovers some mistruths surrounding her death she sets out to rebirth the Journalist in her. She gets help from her cousin, Louise who is still a Journo. Together they plot to get to the bottom of Katie’s past and any missing links to where the little boy could be. The story is told in the present and we have flashbacks to Katie’s past which strengthens the plot.

I Could Be You was brilliantly eerie. It was a true psychological thriller that has tons of pace and atmospheric brilliance. You need to push forward to decipher the twists.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

sheila bugler 200x300 1 - Blog Tour: I Could Be You by Shelia Bugler

My new crime series launches in January 2020. The series features jaded journalist Dee Doran and the books are all set in my adopted home town, Eastbourne. I Could Be You is the first in the series, and it’s available now for pre-order from Amazon, Kobo, and Apple Books.

‘Imagine a collaboration between Anne Tyler and AM Homes.’ Ken Bruen.

‘One of the rising stars of Irish literature.’ Clare People.

‘Propulsive action and stirring plot twists abound in this compelling thriller… one of those books you’ll read in one sitting. Thoroughly entertaining!’ Wendy Walker, Sunday Times Bestselling author.

‘A beautifully written and atmospheric page-turner that is also a totally absorbing read… I loved it.’ Abbie Frost, author of The Guesthouse.

‘A brilliant read – twisted, cleverly plotted and one hell of a page-turner.’ M J Lee, author of Where the Truth Lies.

Sheila Bugler website

Book Review: Single by K.L. Slater

January 19, 2020

Single by K.L. Slater
Published by Bookouture on October 25th 2019
ISBN: 9781786819277
Genres: Fiction, Crime, Thrillers, Suspense, Psychological, General
Pages: 362
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Publisher, NetGalley
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

three stars - Book Review: Single by K.L. Slater

‘I keep feeling like I’m being watched – dropping the boys off at school, choosing wine at the supermarket – but when I turn around there’s nobody there…’

When single mother Darcy’s son falls from a rope bridge at a local playground, life stands still. She clutches his small, limp body, frozen, until a pair of strong hands push her aside, and she watches as George, a local doctor, saves her son’s life.

George is a single parent too, and with his twinkling hazel eyes, easy charm, and lack of wedding band is almost too good to be true, but coffee becomes lunch, lunch becomes dinner, and soon they can’t go an evening without seeing each other. When he invites her to move into his beautiful home with its sprawling garden for her boys, Darcy doesn’t hesitate.

But as Darcy is settling in, she receives a bunch of flowers with a chilling message. George says they’re from an obsessed ex-girlfriend, Opal, and days later Opal turns up at Darcy’s son’s football match. She claims to have shocking information that could threaten George’s custody of his daughter.

Darcy doesn’t know who to trust, but she’s starting to suspect that, whatever the truth, she might have put her beloved boys into terrible danger …

From the million-copy-bestselling author K.L. Slater this utterly gripping psychological thriller will make you gasp out loud as you race towards the unforgettable twist. If you loved The Girl on the Train and The Wife Between Us this book is for you.

What everyone is saying about Single:

‘I would liken reading 'Single' to being strapped into a car with a broken axle on the Tilt-A-Whirl carnival ride. You're gonna get tossed around until you don't know which way is up. Yet, in the end, you can't deny that it was one helluva ride. All superlatives aside, this book stands out in its cleverness and execution. K.L. Slater knocked it out of the park. 5+ stars.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Another stunning novel from KL Slater. .Loved every twist and turn. The only negative is what to read next as it won’t live up to KL Slater, fingers crossed her next novel won’t take long!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow, I LOVED this book!!! 5 stars easy!! This is my first novel by K.L. Slater and most certainly will not be my last. …This is the kind of book you cannot put down or stop thinking about. I often had chills and felt like I experiencing this story as the main character. There is no way you will be able to guess the ending.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘WOW WOW WOW!!! What a fantastic book!! I couldn't put this one down. Just when i thought i knew what was going on , I changed my mind, and yet again. Twists twists and more twists. i love this author but this book blew me away best yet from her!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Well a great big enormous WOW this was such a brilliant read, totally compulsive and everything you want in a psychological thriller !! ‘ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book kept me awake until the early hours, promising myself time and again that I would only read one more chapter until I was too far into the story to stop. All in all it's a really great read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘K L Slater is a master of the psychological thriller genre and Single is yet another example of this. I read this book in just a few hours, not ready to put it down and determined to work out how it would end. Every scenario I came up with was wrong, and to me that is a sign of a great story. This one was so twisty and believable - fantastic. If you have not read anything by Slater before what are you waiting for? Seriously, you will not regret it.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What would you do if everything you knew was essentially a lie? We all have different ways of dealing and coping but it isn’t out of the realms of possibility to believe that some people would sink into depression. That’s what Darcy’s situation in Single has been like for the past four years. Her husband is dead, a fight with an illness took him quickly. But, whilst navigating the heavy, murky waters of grief, she discovers that her husband had been unfaithful. He hadn’t just had an affair, but he essentially was living a double life. He spent half the week with another woman. Her psyche broke and all that while trying to support her two sons who obviously no longer had their dad.

The story is principally told in the perspectives of Darcy and that of handsome, personable Urology Consultant, George Mortimer. He is also a single dad to Romy. Her mum also having passed away. They have so much in common. Two lives that seem ready to move forward, together, after having being dealt a really rubbish set of cards in life. As they become closer you can see that George has more than one skeleton in his closet. The story develops, and it becomes more twisty.

The secondary characters in Single were extremely unlikeable. I know that was the author’s intention but at times I felt like they should have been genuine and caring and they would have got a lot further in their needs and wants. Take Darcy’s sister-in-law for example, she professed to being her best friend and having her best interests at heart, but her actions are in complete conflict with that. Who on earth tells their friend that considering dating again after four years is too soon? It’s just manipulative and controlling to the highest extremes.

Darcy had so much on her plate. When the five of them went to Yorkshire to stay in a lodge at Christmas it really started gaining traction. Odd occurrences, the feeling of being watched, letters, flowers being delivered, photos obviously being taken. George talks about a past girlfriend and Darcy wonders if it could be someone from her past? George’s explanation has the warning bells thumping a deathening beat. What is he hiding?

I did struggle to fully be taken in with the twists in Single and I really wanted to be. I wanted it to be more menacing, more shocking, a complete gasp moment when all was revealed. One incident happened, and I couldn’t help but think if it happened to me, I probably wouldn’t have given it two thoughts. I really wanted more tension, a feeling of balancing on a knifes edge that I just didn’t experience with this story. I enjoyed the story and wouldn’t hesitate on giving K.L. Slaters other books a try.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

kl slater 1024x511 1 - Book Review: Single by K.L. Slater

After years of trying to get published and never getting further than the slush pile, I went back to university at the age of 40 where I gained a first-class honours degree in English & Creative Writing and an MA in Creative Writing with distinction.

Although I also had a day job during the five years I studied at university, the courses gave me the time and space to try different writing and increased my confidence and belief in my writing. Before I graduated from my MA, I had secured representation at the Darley Anderson Literacy, TV and Film Agency who got me my first book deal. My literary agent is Camilla Bolton.

My first adult psychological thriller for Bookouture, ‘Safe with Me’, actually started life as my dissertation on my English & Creative Writing degree in 2010.

The creepy voice of Anna came to me strong and insistent . . . she wanted to be written, she wouldn’t go away. I’m so glad I listened!

Please take a look at my ‘Books’ page for the full list of my titles.

I first became published writing Young Adult fiction for Macmillan Children’s Books under the name Kim Slater. My award-winning YA debut, SMART, started life as a short story for my MA in Creative Writing in 2012.

I am now a full-time writer. I have a daughter and two stepsons and live with my husband in Nottingham and Yorkshire.

Website

ARC Book Review: Inside by D.M. Siciliano

December 24, 2019

Inside by D.M. Siciliano
Published by The Parliament House via PublishDrive on October 15, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Supernatural, Suspense, Psychological
Pages: 350
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

four stars - ARC Book Review: Inside by D.M. Siciliano

“Inside is a gripping, page-turning novel from a promising new horror writer.” -April A Taylor, award-winning author of The Haunting of Cabin Green and Sinkhole

1987 “Does it burn in the dark?”Reid is a bully, but he’s still Alex’s best friend. When Reid pushes Alex and their friends into invading a historically haunted Massachusetts house, Alex knows it’s a terrible idea, but indulges his friend. What could go wrong?Inside, a mysterious Shadow looms in the darkness. The door to the house vanishes, leaving them trapped. The group flees through the tiny, one-roomed house that defies logic, constantly shifting, presenting them with new doors, hallways, and rooms that seem to be plucked from their memories and fears. One by one, the Shadow hunts them, intent on burning them all from within.Is there any way to escape? Or will they be burned from the inside out?

I hope you are all ready to sit in the corner and rock your way through this review. Inside, looked like the poster for the latest horror movie – this apt title hides the deeper meaning to the story. Huge revelations, relationships pulled so taut that they threaten to snap. This book has you standing on the precipice of hell, the flames threatening to lick at your heels, the heat seducing you within. A house is just bricks and mortar, right? Ha! the house was built with the devils’ hands, each brick more evil than the last. The house embodies a threatening shadow using your fears to destroy and weaken you. Don’t rely on your Nike’ because you can’t outrun hell.

Reid one of our five protagonists has the bright idea of breaking into a haunted house. He bullies his friends into joining him. The whole town know the house is evil, they don’t know what haunts it or why – they just know its hell personified. The premise of the house emitting an extreme heat – like hells own personal gateway. The awful truth of what lies within had me scared right from the start. The reader doesn’t have time to ponder the what’s before it all goes sideways. The evil and the fear instantly make itself known like being thrown into the eye of the storm. Can they weather it?

Not one of the protagonists wants to back out. They want to prove their worth, their courage and Reid uses all the bully-boy tactics in the book. It becomes very clear that they aren’t going to get out of this easily. They are faced with shifting walls and windows and the main exit disappearing. Interesting premise, right? The house becomes a living and breathing entity. Fear and loathing become king. These initial scenes gave me such a palpable sense of dread, the words came to life and threatened to choke the life out of me.

The Protagonists have no clue to what lurks in the dark but boy oh boy does the author know! This made me check my shoulder and windows whilst I was reading. My chest felt like it had been pumped full of icy cold dread and I was completely here for it. The story encapsulates teenager’s innocence and stamping all over it.

How long can five friends stay strong for one another? The evil picks apart their psyche, taps into their biggest fears and it plays them off against each other. Its creeping presence hunts the characters one by one and breaks them down so that their mind is broken, but also with the intention of breaking their physical form too. Would anyone survive the ordeal?

The narrative was explosive. The book, from the very first page was pulse pounding – to the point I thought my skin was going to tear and blood spurting from within. Childhood was forever destroyed but the author also brought to the forefront the dark and deep nature of traumatised upbringings. The storytelling was irresistible to the horror lovers. The author has brought together two frightening narratives spanning the evil within the house and deep nature of childhood. This is a book that runs parallel with the essence of childhood – some don’t make it out alive.

The moment I closed this book it has been haunting me…it reminds so much of Stephen King’s earlier work. It was so gripping; the tension was ratcheted up with a cold dread that had me questioning whether I needed to turn the heating up. If this is a debut…well the author is going to have a very successful career ahead of her.

Review: This Little Dark Place by A.S. Hatch

August 19, 2019

This Little Dark Place by A. S. HATCH
Published by Serpent's Tail Limited on April 2, 2020
ISBN: 9781788162043
Genres: Psychological Thriller, Horror
Pages: 288
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

four stars - Review: This Little Dark Place by A.S. Hatch

How well do you know your girlfriend?How well do you know your lover? How well do you know yourself?Daniel and Victoria are together. They're trying for a baby. Ruby is in prison, convicted of assault on an abusive partner.But when Daniel joins a pen pal program for prisoners, he and Ruby make contact. At first the messages are polite, neutral - but soon they find themselves revealing more and more about themselves. Their deepest fears, their darkest desires. And then, one day, Ruby comes to find Daniel. And now he must decide who to choose - and who to trust.

I’m very excited to be reviewing This Little Dark Place by A.S. Hatch. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review – all thoughts are my own. My initial summary of this book for you all is – buckle up bitches, you’re in for a ride. I had so many emotions while reading it – this usually consisted of worry, hate and not without a sprinkling of angst. So, if you’re sitting comfortably I’ll just delve straight in – band aid clean off.

Straight off we are getting the impression that Daniel has done something terrible. He’s writing a story to a girl named Lucy, who wants to get his side of the story. Intriguing. He tells the story of Victoria, his girlfriend and Ruby his pen pal. Ruby interestingly is in prison for assaulting her ex-partner, Lee. The first chapter packs a punch and sets up the premise of the story perfectly. My initial thoughts on Daniel starting up a friendship with Ruby was quite frankly NO WAY. Okay so that person could be completely innocent, but I’d constantly have that niggle in the back of my mind that they could cause me harm if they were ever to be released and wanted to find me.

A.S. Hatch has is goal in mind but sets up little Easter eggs within each character’s arcs. Daniel’s childhood was referred to multiple times and the author refers to violence and hatred in childhood. Can a childhood experience alter and defect a brain? Is rationality at home or is it a stranger? Daniel is a reasonable human being and Ruby ever so slightly crazy, yeah? His characterisations are complex and highlights the effect of isolation and trauma on the human mind. Dan’s childhood tainted by a vulnerable mother, an abusive religious fanatic who displays behaviours regarding sex that is deeply disturbing and with no doubt affected Dan’s perceptions of relationships and sex. I felt for Dan – he had it hard, but he also frustrated me at different points too. I wanted to find out why this trio were interconnected together, what was going to be the tipping point? I’m not ashamed to say that I couldn’t focus on anything else while reading their story.

Victoria is clearly a woman with issues herself. She seems deeply insecure and unsure what she should be doing with her life. Victoria is a character a lot of women can relate to whether we want to admit it or not. A lot happens between Daniel and Vic- failed pregnancy attempts, IVF, fears of infidelity, the death of their baby boy and the death of Daniel’s mother, the final nail in the proverbial coffin. Their relationship is doomed. Too much has happened, too much to forget.

The author has managed to balance the fine thread of strong characterisation with an absolutely insane plot with head spinning twists along the way. The strongest dynamics come between Ruby and Dan. They share secrets, fears, hopes but underlying is mistrust, anger and a realisation that – do you ever know someone? Can life in a virtual world be replicated in the real world? Ruby on paper has had it hard. A bad relationship with her father, she only has her twin to guide her through life, gets too attached to her clients and then she met Lee. An abusive partner who broke and grinded her down, enough was enough, her sister was going to help her escape. However, things go wrong and Lee ends up critically injured. Ruby is convicted which brings us full circle to her being in prison communicating with Dan. She’s quite obviously innocent, Isn’t she? I immensely enjoyed the way the author added complex layers to his characters to deepen and enrich the storyline, it was mesmerising.

Dan and Vic move further apart. Things from this point get cray cray. The last quarter of the book is most definitely my favourite. Things sky rocket out of control. Ruby’s character has seriously questionable issues. Who can you trust? Are things as they appear? The characterisation-sublime, the plot – out of control, the atmosphere – tangible. Even the house seems to be adding to the sense of mistrust and fear. Be prepared to go through a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s a good un.

This Little Dark Place is a story of epic proportions. Fear, deniability, and desire make a potent mix. The author has nailed the psychological thriller. Hold on to the edge of your seat, it’s brutal.

Million Dollar Marriage (Million Dollar #2) by Katy Evans

July 29, 2019

Million Dollar Marriage by Katy Evans
Published by Amazon Publishing on July 23, 2019
ISBN: 9781542007252
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Billionaires, Workplace
Pages: 272
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

four stars - Million Dollar Marriage (Million Dollar #2) by Katy Evans

From New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans comes a hot romance about two strangers and their race to fall in love.
If someone had bet Nell a million dollars that she would be saying "I do" to a complete stranger on national television, she'd have called them crazy, but with her crushing student loan payments sending her deep into the red, she's out of options. This should be nothing more than a business transaction--until she sets eyes on her groom, and everything changes.
The game is on the instant Luke spots Penelope "Nell" Carpenter. He's out for the money, yes, but getting a little dirty with Nell doesn't sound too bad either. Everyone knows he's not the marrying kind, so it's a good thing it's just for show. God knows he's the worst guy his pretty wife should pick for real.
They have nothing in common, but if they want the grand prize, they'll have to beat out eight other couples. Proving that total opposites attract should be easy enough...as long as they don't fall in love in the process.

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

When I saw a Katy Evans book up on Netgalley for review my trigger finger just couldn’t resist (even though I was getting so much closer to that Nirvana point of 85%). Katy Evans always produces the best romance stories and the best heroes. This is my second adventure with her books- the first being REAL. The title really had my attention – who doesn’t love the thought of A Million Dollars and in this day and age she has capitalised on the reality TV concept…Genius.

Nell -the beautiful but intelligent girl that prefers her own company to that of others. Socially awkward and with more brains than most of us have in our little fingers, she exudes class and poise. Meet Luke, our hero, drop dead gorgeous and the confidence that just falls from him in waves. Both have one thing in common and that is their lack of money. Nell’s father refused to support her through college if she chose not to go to Harvard. Therefore, she has accumulated 500k in student fees. Luke owns his family’s bar – it was his grandfathers’ baby. However, there is several mortgages out on the bar and it has also accumulated a serious amount of debt. Both of them hear about this reality tv show and get through – only one catch….why is it called Million Dollar Marriage. The book is told in dual POV and it reads and flows beautifully. It’s interesting hearing Nells awkward and scared thoughts against contrasting Luke’s uber confidence.

Can the duo complete all the tasks and walk away with the Million dollars? The money is needed by both of them -can they get past their differences and make the short experience work? Will they develop feelings for one another and make a real marriage or will they annul as soon as they possibly can.

I loved both the characters and their arcs were completely perfect. I enjoyed the yang and Yang component of the main characters. Sometimes life throws you a lemon but sometimes darling, you have to make the most fabulous lemonade from next to nothing. You don’t get a dress rehearsal in life, so you just got to lace that fucker up and go with it. Million Dollar Marriage is a fierce romance story with beautifully written broken characters. Your heart beats fast, your stomach clenches. Katy Evans is the master of the Alpha Male. Tack sharp writing as per.

Review: I Hold Your Heart by Karen Gregory

July 17, 2019

I Hold Your Heart by Karen Gregory
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing on July 11, 2019
ISBN: 9781526609175
Genres: Young Adult, Love & Romance, Family, General
Pages: 320
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

five stars - Review: I Hold Your Heart by Karen Gregory

The tense, tender must-read book of the summer – perfect for fans of Louise O'Neill and Sara Barnard
'You make me feel like there's something good in the world I can hold on to,' Aaron says. He kisses me again, draws me so close it's almost hard to breathe. 'I love you, Gem. And I promise I'll hold your heart forever.'
When Gemma meets Aaron, she feels truly seen for the first time. Their love story is the intense kind. The written-in-the-stars, excluding-all-others kind. The kind you write songs about.
But little by little their relationship takes over Gemma's life. What happens when being seen becomes being watched, and care becomes control?
Told in both Gemma's and Aaron's words, this is a raw, moving exploration of gaslighting in teenage relationships that skewers our ideas of what love looks like.

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

It is always a welcome surprise when you receive a book especially in the YA category that blows you away both for the storytelling and the absolute importance that story carries. Where on earth was this story when I was an impressionable 17-year-old girl? This is the story I needed but I’m so very grateful that young adults have this. If you’re a parent of a teenage girl BUY THIS BOOK NOW for them. I hold your heart is the first novel of Karen Gregory’s that I have read and boy it didn’t disappoint. This piece of work is an important work of fiction, stunningly flawed and bursting with hope and pain.

When I started this book (literally only 10 hours ago) I knew that it would grip me, but I also knew it would be hard going and extremely close to the bone for me personally. The author sang to my soul. I can’t emphasise just how much this book touched me. I had confidence early on that this author was going to nail this one home and boy did she ever.

Domestic Abuse, Gaslighting and the naivety of youth – all very harrowing themes but handled with care and respect. Now, I’ve read some books that have tried but failed in highlighting the importance of these issues and but never quite hit home just how important it is that the youth of today realise the signs and get out of that situation and accept all the help that is given to them- family, friends and the authorities. There was no sweeping this under the rug from the author- Domestic Abuse isn’t the big bad evil that is easy to spot. Domestic Abuse is the kind eyes, sweet words and the reeling you in with beautiful gestures. Domestic Abuse is all around us…your family or your friends are enduring this right now. That person beside you on the tube, on the bus is suffering. Know the signs, end the suffering.

Gemma is an aspiring singer with mind-blowing talent, she’s a sister, a daughter and a friend. She doesn’t have the perfect life – she feels like she plays second fiddle to her brother, the super talented football player with a bright future. Their lives revolve around football – spending weekends at football matches, washing her brothers’ dishes, washing her brothers kit and eating specialised meals that benefit her brother, did anyone care to ask about her? What did she want to do? Karen really started the seeds just within that family setting. How easily Gemma just went along with the situation, was she susceptible to the attentions of Aaron? More likely he preyed on it but still it made for interesting thoughts. This book was so close to my own experience of being 17 it was actually quite frightening. The events are near enough the same to matter and it just connected with me on such a deep and meaningful level. This novel was a door to my past, but I walked through it all the same.

I really felt for Gemma. On one hand she is a naive girl who is trying to find her place in the world but one who ultimately has the confidence knocked from her every being. Getting knocked down so far you do seriously start to question everything around you. A girl that carries on through pain and suffering but still believes in love and destiny.

This brings me front and centre with Aaron. He appears on the surface to overly sensitive but caring and extremely loving to Gemma. He starts off being a likeable male protagonist and you’re almost willing to look past his odd behaviours because on the surface he seems to really like Gemma but there is a fine line between love and obsession. However, from early on you get this feeling that you can’t shake that something is majorly wrong with this boy. He loves all the things Gemma does, turns up where she is (even though she hasn’t told him), and his experience with his ex Cherine just sets all kinds of alarm bells going off – the seriously ear-splitting type. You are sucked into the story and it is horrifying to witness just how systematically he operates – planting seeds of doubt about her family not needing or loving her quite like her brother. It didn’t take much for this to take hold and its heart-breaking to watch. Everyone could see how he was changing her – to an extent even she knew it, but nothing is quite as blind as love. Everything suffers in her life – her friendships, her family, college and most painful of all – her love of music.

The story was told mostly in Gemma’s perspective, but Aaron had some chapters and boy let me tell you it gave a much darker insight in his psyche and gave a deeper dimension into the story. The insight it brought us really made us understand that he was not of a sane mind but one that was Obsessive, controlling, disturbed and broken.

The one question that was all on the tip of my tongue was….Will she actually leave him though? Well you’ll need to read that for yourself to find out.

I’m not ashamed to say that I cried during parts of this book. The plot is just so utterly horrifying but not like in horror books but the pure fear that this is actually happening all around us and we wouldn’t even know. I received an e-copy of this book but upon finishing it I purchased a paperback of it.

I hold your heart is deeply compelling. The most important YA read of 2019 and one that every parent of a YA should read. Emotions hang in the balance, fear runs rampant. Relationships in tatters. Karen Gregory has smashed the boundaries and brought us the novel we all need.

Review : One Little Secret by Cate Holahan

July 15, 2019

One Little Secret by Cate Holahan
Published by Crooked Lane Books on July 9, 2019
ISBN: 9781683319733
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Psychological, General
Pages: 320
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

four stars - Review : One Little Secret by Cate Holahan

USA TODAY BESTSELLER
Good Morning America: “A psychological thriller that will keep you up all night...Get ready.”CrimeReads: "The Most Anticipated Crime Books of Summer”TrulyBookish.com: Five Stars. “If you are a fan of Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies, then this book is for you!”Booklist: “Well-drawn characters... [an] absorbing page-turner.”Library Journal: “A great beach read for those with a penchant for scandalous secrets and gossipy suspenseful mysteries.”Bustle: "New Books Set At the Beach To Read When You Can’t Be There Yourself"Publisher’s Weekly: “Solidly plotted...Holahan does a fine job portraying fraying marriages and artificial friendships.”Kirkus: “A domestic thriller that’s actually filled with lots of secrets. Some of them pretty big.”
Everyone has a secret. For some, it’s worth dying to protect. For others, it’s worth killing.
The glass beach house was supposed to be the getaway that Susan needed. Eager to help her transplanted family set down roots in their new town—and desperate for some kid-free conversation—she invites her new neighbors to join in on a week-long sublet with her and her workaholic husband.
Over the course of the first evening, liquor loosens inhibitions and lips. The three couples begin picking up on the others' marital tensions and work frustrations, as well as revealing their own. But someone says too much. And the next morning one of the women is discovered dead on the private beach.
Town detective Gabby Watkins must figure out who permanently silenced the deceased. As she investigates, she learns that everyone in the glass house was hiding something that could tie them to the murder, and that the biggest secrets of all are often in plain sight for anyone willing to look.
A taut, locked room mystery with an unforgettable cast of characters, One Little Secret promises to keep readers' eyes glued to the pages and debating the blinders that we all put on in the service of politeness.

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

One little secret is a tale of mystery, intrigue and the consequences of a secret told. It is the story of six neighbours (three couples) who rent a very expensive house on the eastern shore of Long Island. As the saying goes “nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors”. This is completely true for this story. When the individual doors close, the drama begins. The story will suck you in and spit you out.

The book is told in multiple POV’s and major clues are dropped from the very beginning. Each couple’s marriages are showing signs of major strain, some are dealing with domestic violence, children with additional needs, career responsibilities and cheating. The wine and booze is flowing but so are the lips. When one of the neighbours is discovered murdered it is very clear that any one of them is capable of the deed. I enjoy a good whodunnit and I’m happy to say this one did keep me engaged and hooked to the very end.

One refreshing part of this story was having the before, during and after aspects of the event. It provided some insight into the lead up to the murder and afterwards with flashbacks and information being passed up. It was a refreshing aspect to a whodunnit that I have yet to read elsewhere.

I don’t want to give anything significant away with this story but when I picked it up I had a terrible time trying to put it down (if I didn’t have kids that needed feeding, I probably would have devoured it in one sitting). The world building was realistic, the imagery was brilliant – I really felt I was there experiencing the story alongside the characters. I’m not ashamed to say that some characters emitted my hate, but some had me immediately taking sides with them – the sign of a very good author. Usually I have a bit of a love, hate relationship with novels that have multiple POV’s, but this just WORKED for me.

I rated it four stars and not five because of one niggly reason (it might just be me). The detective in the story was frustrating as hell. For me, I felt that Police Officer of that apparent calibre shouldn’t of fannied about as much as she did around interviews and clues. I felt she wasted too much time and should have been way more proactive in her approach of trying to get to the bottom of the mystery of who murdered the woman. I don’t think there was enough clarity at the end. Like I said just a niggly thing that I would have preferred to have been more neatly attended to. This was a quick and easy read and held my attention well. A superb mystery filled whodunnit.

ARC Review: The Seventh Life of Aline Lloyd by Robert Davies.

July 12, 2019

The Seventh Life of Aline Lloyd by Robert Davies
Published by BHC Press on July 11, 2019
ISBN: 9781947727946
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary, Romantic, General
Pages: 352
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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three stars - ARC Review: The Seventh Life of Aline Lloyd by Robert Davies.

From two-time IPPY-award-winning author Robert Davies comes a genre-defying tale of mind control and reincarnation.

When Evan Morgan’s brother dies, it sets off a chain of events that will alter his life forever…

Evan Morgan is an NTSB crash investigator living in northern Virginia. When he learns his elder brother, Damon, has died suddenly and left all assets and possessions to Evan and their sister Vienne, he’s shocked. Traveling to North Wales seems to be a formality: pick up and dispose of any valuables and head back home. But when Evan arrives in Denbighshire and meets his new neighbor, the alluring and mysterious Aline Lloyd, he dismisses the rumors she’s mentally unstable and decides to stay.

Aline has a secret, but it’s not as it seems. Her secret crosses centuries and requires no doctors or treatments. And when she shows Evan, it will change everything he knows…but not without cost.

The seventh Life of Aline Lloyd is a standalone novel from Robert Davies, who has penned several award-winning fantasy and Sci-Fi books. It takes place in the present day, but several different centuries span the entirety of the book.

Evan (our main character) has been contacted by his sister because their brother, Damon has died unexpectedly. He dies from natural causes, but his age makes you question the circumstances around his death. Damon’s solicitor is in contact with the sister and it is arranged that they both will attend the Will and Testament reading. During the reading they discover that Evan leaves an unexpected amount of wealth to Evan and his sister, one of which is an estate in North Wales to Evan. This is where the tale takes a twisted turn.

I was pleased to discover that the author included a map of the area at the beginning of the book. Personally, it is an absolute must in any fantasy tale to have a map in which to imagine the area the story is based upon. There were several Welsh place names included in the story and it helped greatly to picture where in the country they were as, well, I’m not native to Wales.

Anyway, back on course. The estate agent Evan deals with in Wales warns him about his neighbour, Aline. He must stay away, she apparently likes to keep herself to herself. He is informed about apparent troubles during her time in Scotland. She had an emotional breakdown and was committed to a mental institution until she was deemed fit enough for discharge.

Taking on board the estate agent’s advice he leaves his neighbour well along, but he meets her in the adjoining field. For all intents and purposes the estate agent seems wrong about her but she seems mysterious and seems to know a lot more than she’s letting on. “I am History.” She also seems to know Evan’s decisions before he is aware he has made them. Odd.

Aline is forced into admitting some things to Evan after a detective turns up in Wales from Belgium asking some very confusing questions. Evan understandably has questions of his own. Aline has done things that science can’t explain. Can she shed any light on the accusations? What does the future hold for Aline and Evan now that he knows some very uncomfortable secrets.

The world building was decent enough and was fit for purpose, but I would have liked the author to give us more in the way of history of Aline. I felt for such an apparently powerful character such as Aline we needed more strength portrayed in her character arc. I felt at different points she came across as quite wooden. Aspects of the story also seemed to be skimmed over but at the same time there just wasn’t enough action in the book. It was slow and just didn’t feel connected in the story.

Although it was an OK read it wasn’t a book I felt connected to and there wasn’t really a point where I thought “yes I need to keep reading”. I’ve actually struggled to rate this book, but I am going to stick with three stars. Although I didn’t dislike it, it really was just OK. I really enjoy the Fantasy Genre, but this just failed to hit the mark for me.

ARC Review: Sea of Bones by Deborah O’Donoghue

June 30, 2019

sea of bones an atmospheric psychological thriller with a compelling female lead by deborah odonoghue - ARC Review: Sea of Bones by Deborah O'Donoghue

Sea of Bones: an atmospheric psychological thriller with a compelling female lead by Deborah O'Donoghue
Published by Legend Press on July 1, 2019
ISBN: 9781789550030
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Psychological, Crime, Suspense, Mystery & Detective, General
Pages: 288
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

three stars - ARC Review: Sea of Bones by Deborah O'Donoghue

‘A stirring and evocative thriller that will have you on the edge of your chair gritting your teeth...’ T.F. Muir, author of the DCI Andy Gilchrist series
Juliet is used to wielding power and influence in her line of work, but when her beloved niece dies, she finds herself powerless in the face of her grief and has doubts over the coroner’s report of suicide.
She travels back to her family’s remote coastal home where Beth was found. As Juliet delves deeper into the investigation, her personal and professional lives collide and she unwittingly finds herself pitted against dangerous opposition who seem intent on silencing her.
In order to expose the truth behind her niece's death, Juliet must face the fact that nobody in her life is who she previously thought them to be – including herself.
What readers and reviewers say
‘It is an accomplished debut with evocatively described passages that create a wonderful sense of place. Deborah skilfully weaves love, politics and organised crime through a fast moving and convincing plot’ Julie Corbin, author of Her Watchful Eye
‘Sea of Bones is an addictively readable, all around terrific novel. It unwinds like an elaborately layered ball of yarn, perfectly paced, revealing its secrets at just the right moment. Part Jane Austen, part Raymond Chandler, part House of Cards, this book is for anyone who likes a gripping read from the first page to the last’ Matthew Spangler, Author of The Kite Runner stage play
'A simmering psychological thriller set against a backdrop of political intrigue that reels you in’ Kirsty Hutchison, Novel Delights
‘Elegant, chilling and beautifully written, Sea of Bones is a rare thing: a book that asks big questions while gripping the reader completely. A dazzling debut’ Rosie Walsh, author of The Man Who Didn’t Call

This novel is set between Inverness, Elgin and along the Moray coast. The author treats us to beautifully descriptive writing allowing us to visualise the Scottish coastline. We gain insight into what life is like in Inverness and Elgin in stark contrast to the characters main home in London. During our first introductions to Juliet (the main character) we someone who is struggling to come to terms with her nieces death. She is adamant that her niece wouldn’t commit suicide , not without talking to at least one member of her family. Everyone around her thinks she has become obsessive with her reasoning and she is slowly starting to question her own mental health. She is paranoid about it already, her twin sister has bipolar disorder and is aware of the statistics of twins being especially at risk.

Juliet is a wonderfully realistic character, she has strengths, weaknesses, personal quirks and flaws. This character is so different from others I have recently read, it was very refreshing. Juliet was in her 40’s and it was wonderful to have a more mature heroine, she had lived a successful life and had the benefit of life experience in tackling the event of her niece’s death.

I think the main influences in Juliet’s life were Beth, her niece and Fiona Goldman, her boss. She definetly became a better person when Beth came along and helped bring her up while her sister was ill with bipolar. Fiona spurs her on to be the best she can be in her career and has learned everything she knows from her. She was grounded and settled with both influences but now Beth’s dead and Fiona’s career is in tatters – can Juliet hold it all together?

In this heartbreaking story of loss and a woman’s journey from grief to uncovering a well buried secret. Juliet learns to be persistent, to follow your gut instinct and never giving up. When you feel something isn’t right it usually isn’t.

There were instances that the the story was very slow – probably up to around 60%. I struggled to get through it but after that point the story seemed to unfold more. The writing was good, with excellent eye to detail in her descriptions. For me personally, i didn’t think that the story connected very well between Beth’s death and the secret that was revealed towards the end. I found it a bit unrealistic, especially considering the location of the story and the nature of Beth.

I gave this 3 stars. It’s a decent read, just for me it didn’t work to it’s full potential. It was well written, I didn’t feel shocked at the twists and turns that the book provided.