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Release date: July 1, 2017

Publisher: Orenda Books

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

When India falls to her death from a bridge over a railway, her sister Poppy returns home to Brighton for the first time in years. Unconvinced by official explanations, Poppy begins her own investigation into India’s death. But the deeper she digs, the closer she comes to uncovering deeply buried secrets. Could Matthew Temple, the boyfriend she abandoned, be involved? And what of his powerful and wealthy parents, and his twin sister, Ana? Enter the mysterious and ethereal Jenny: the girl Poppy discovers after hacking into India’s laptop. What is exactly is she hiding, and what did India find out about her? Taking the reader on a breathless ride through the winding lanes of Brighton, into its vibrant party scene and inside the homes of its well-heeled families, The Other Twin is a startling and up-to-the-minute thriller about the social-media world, where resentments and accusations are played out online, where identities are made and remade, and where there is no such thing as truth. 

I’m so pleased to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for The Other Twin!

Review: 

Oohhh The Other Twin was such an engrossing read, if you’re ever in the mood for a book that you can binge read in a weekend, this is it. It’s pacey, intricately plotted and really well written. 

Poppy returns home to Brighton for the first time in almost five years after her sister India dies. Even though the two were not on the best of terms, she just knows there is something off about India’s death and she starts to dig into her life, mainly her online presence. As it’s such a well plotted and complicated book, I fear discussing specific details will only spoil it. It’s on the shorter side and still manages to pack a mighty punch as Hay delivers on every level. Her writing is strong and sharp, the characterization is full of depth and substance and there is a sense of uneasiness throughout the text. 

Hay tackles some relevant social issues in such a sensitive and delicate manner, I was so impressed by the turns this one took. It’s extremely diverse but not just for the sake of being diverse, it only adds to the superb quality of the plot and makes the reader think in a profound way. She also examines the use of social media and how it effects people in both a positive and a negative way, I really appreciated this as most of the books I’ve read recently highlight the ugly side of social media without giving any credit to the great support it can lend to so many people, it was such an intelligent point. 

I’ve never read an Orenda book and not been able to highly recommend it to others and this is no exception. It’s an excellent psychological thriller from an extremely talented writer with a storyline that had me holding my breath, what more could you want?!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

About the Author: 

Lucy V. Hay is a novelist, script editor and blogger who helps writers via her Bang2write consultancy. She is the associate producer of Brit Thrillers Deviation (2012) and Assassin (2015), both starring Danny Dyer. Lucy is also head reader for the London Screenwriters’ Festival and has written two non-fiction books, Writing & Selling Thriller Screenplays, plus its follow-up Drama Screenplays. She lives in Devon with her husband, three children, six cats and five African Land Snails.

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Release date: July 6, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

The young woman standing on Lottie’s step was a stranger. She was clutching the hand of a young boy. ‘Help me,’ she said to Lottie. ‘Please help me.’ 

One Monday morning, the body of a young pregnant woman is found. The same day, a mother and her son visit the house of Detective Lottie Parker, begging for help to find a lost friend. 

Could this be the same girl? 

When a second victim is discovered by the same man, with the murder bearing all the same hallmarks as the first, Lottie needs to work fast to discover how else the two were linked. Then two more girls go missing.

Detective Lottie Parker is a woman on the edge, haunted by her tragic past and struggling to keep her family together through difficult times. Can she fight her own demons and catch the killer before he claims another victim? 

The Stolen Girls is a gripping and page-turning thriller that will leave you breathless. Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Karin Slaughter and Robert Dugoni.

I’m so excited to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for The Stolen Girls!

Review: 

I was totally blown away by Gibney’s debut,  The Missing Ones and really excited that it was the start of a new series featuring Lottie Parker. I’ve been dying to read this book since I finished the first and I’m so glad to be able to tell you that book two is just as amazing as the first one!

There is a lot going on here, plenty of cases running simultaneously and tons to keep Lottie on her toes. First, the body of a young pregnant girl is found and it shakes her to her core. Then, a young foreign girl and her son show up at Lottie’s door asking for help. On top of all of that, a young local girl vanishes and she’s a friend of Lottie’s daughter, Chloe. So plenty of different plot threads and Lottie is under an intense amount of pressure both at work and at home. If you’ve read the first book, you’ll know exactly what I mean. 

This is told mainly is present day and follows Lottie and Boyd as they try and untangle a dark web with not much to go on. There are also brief chapters from an unknown child, (then eventually a man) living in Kosovo in the nineties and these were really heartbreaking. I love that this series is a lot more dense than it’s counterparts, it really allows the author to develop the lead characters in a deep manner. Lottie is still a hotheaded mess and I’m still waiting to see what happens between her and Boyd, but their chemistry is great. They both wind up having a personal connection to the cases and the pressure reaches an all time high. 

This is action packed and very dark, gritty and disturbing. There are several scenes with violence and rape, some horrifying subject matter that really gets under your skin. Once again, there are several suspects to choose from so it’s downright impossible to guess whodunnit before the author reveals all. This was an excellent addition to what’s quickly becoming one of my favorite new series and I’ll be eagerly awaiting book 3!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Patricia yearned to be a writer after reading Enid Blyton and Carolyn Keene and even wanted to be Nancy Drew when grew up. She has now grown up (she thinks) but the closest she’s come to Nancy Drew is writing crime!
In 2009, after her husband died, she retired from my job and started writing seriously. Fascinated by people and their quirky characteristics, she always carries a notebook to scribble down observations.
Patricia also loves to paint in watercolour and live in the Irish midlands with her children. 

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Release date: June 29, 2017

Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

Blurb: 

Can you ever bury the past? 

She’d recognised in him something of herself: that sense of not belonging, of secrets fiercely kept . . .

Five friends, newly graduated, travel together to the Lake District. Young and ambitious, they little imagine the events that will overtake them that fateful summer, tearing their fragile group apart.

Twenty years later, they return to the same spot, summoned by a mysterious bequest. It’s not long before old friendships – and old romances – are re-kindled. But soon, too, rivalries begin to re-emerge and wounds are painfully reopened . . .

How long does it take for past sins to be forgiven? And can the things they destroy ever really be recovered?

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Every Secret Thing. 

Review: 

From reading the blurb then judging by the cover art, I assumed that this would be a fairly light read, more women’s fiction than something with more depth. To my pleasant surprise it actually had a literary feel, it was pretty profound and intelligent. 

It’s told in two main timelines, first the summer of 1995 when five friends head to their mentors house in the Lake District and then it switches to 2015. There are several perspectives here as each one of them narrates and it did take me a little bit to have all the characters straight. There are also a few chapters sporadically in the twenty year gap in between that filled in some holes in the characters lives and answered some questions that had been in the back of my mind. 

The characterization is very deep, it’s almost like a character study or a dissection of a group of people and how their interactions, both past and present shaped them. The writing style is smart and full of depth and the setting was really brought to life through the authors use of descriptive imagery. The complexity of their interpersonal relationships was really quite interesting and there was a surprising twist that I wasn’t expecting, it was well played. I think this would appeal to women’s fictiona fans looking for a book with a literary bent. 

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to Bookollective for my review copy. 

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Release date: June 29, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Psychological Thriller 

Blurb: 

One split second can destroy your life forever.

Single mother Jen Cornish is just trying to hold things together for the sake of her seven-year-old son Charlie. Until the day when she does an impulsive good deed to help a neighbour, setting off a terrifying chain of events that quickly spirals out of control…

When she is arrested for a crime she didn’t commit, Jen quickly starts to wonder if someone is playing a cruel game with her – or is she losing her mind?

Desperate to clear her name with the police, she must first untangle a chilling web of lies. But someone is watching her every move – and it isn’t just Jen who is in danger.

They’re watching her child as well.

An unputdownable psychological thriller with plenty of twists that will keep you hooked until the very last page…

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Each Little Lie!

Review: 

I absolutely love the premise for this book, the idea that one small act can have life alternating consequences is both fascinating and terrifying! Jen is an average woman trying to do her best by her son Charlie and when she tries to do something kind for a stranger one day, she sets of a devastating chain of events. I warmed to her straightaway, she was very relatable even if sometimes the choices she made made me want to scream at her. But that’s the thing, you never truly know how you will react to certain situations unless you’re in the situation yourself, so I couldn’t judge her. That all sounds vague, but when you’re reading a Bale book it really is best if you don’t know too much about the plot. 

Bale has an effortless writing style that always hooks me instantly, he really draws the reader in and doesn’t let go until the end. Each Little Lie wasn’t quite as fast paced as his previous books but it was still a thrilling read. The ending was action packed and gave me that adrenaline rush that I’ve come to expect from his books and there was the sense of something sinister lurking under the surface throughout. This is a book full of manipulation, deceit, betrayals and also had that fantastic underlying sense of paranoia, especially as Jen started to unravel at the seams, much as her entire life did. Fans of the author will not be disappointed, this was an engrossing read full of twists and turns. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Tom Bale is the author of eight books, including the bestsellers SEE HOW THEY RUN and ALL FALL DOWN. He has been writing since the age of seven, and completed his first novel at fifteen. After twenty years and hundreds of rejection slips, his first novel SINS OF THE FATHER was published under his real name, David Harrison. With his next book, SKIN AND BONES, he acquired an agent, a pseudonym and a book deal that enabled him to write full time. He lives in Brighton with his family. Visit his website at http://www.tombale.net, follow him on Facebook, or on Twitter: @t0mbale 

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Release date: June 27, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Romantic Comedy/Chick Lit

Blurb: 

Dani’s on a mission to get her life back on track by the end of the Summer. Running, rowing, aerobics and more, but perhaps all she needs are sweet treats and a second chance? 

Twenty years ago, Dani fled Appledore with a broken-heart and a suitcase full of shattered dreams. Only now is she brave enough to put her past behind her and return for a summer selling homemade ice-cream and getting fit by doing sit-ups by the sea. 

But the new-look cafe is filled with old memories of Jude, her teenage sweetheart-turned-sour. She thinks of him every time she swirls warm sauce onto a “chocolate-bockaglory” and even with the help of Chris, her gorgeous personal trainer, the urge to break her diet is everywhere she turns. 

When Jude makes an appearance at the cafe on the eve of Dani’s birthday party, history threatens to repeat itself. Is Dani strong enough to say no? And is the love she’s been longing for much closer than she thinks? 

A truly delicious, laugh out loud beach read that’s guaranteed to melt your heart. Perfect for fans of Lucy Diamond, Jenny Colgan and Debbie Johnson.

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Curves, Kisses and Chocolate Ice Cream! 

Review: 

This is the second book in a series, I loved Ella’s Ice Cream Summer and was really excited I didn’t have to wait very long for the second book. This one was just as wickedly funny as the first and had just as much heart and warmth, I LOVED it! 

Dani was such a fun heroine, she’s sassy and has a super funny self deprecating sense of humor and she’s always struggled with her weight. She’s so relatable, what woman hasn’t had the same issues with weight and body image? I just adored Dani and her attitude was amazing, when she finally decides to take getting into shape seriously, she does it wholeheartedly and she maintained a positive attitude throughout, she was truly inspirational. 

The humor is one of my favorite parts of any Sue Watson book, so I have to highlight some of the funniest moments. Every chapter is not only hilariously titled, they begin with a paragraph or so detailing one of Dani’s many failed diets. She’s tried some crazy ones in the past and they had me giggling like a maniac. Checking in with Ella and the gang was another treat and that meant seeing Sue again! Her malapropisms are also back and one of my favorites was when she asked if someone wanted ordinary coffee or decapitated. Oh gosh it has me cracking up again!!

This is the ideal series for summer, you have an idyllic location in Appledore along with the even sweeter setting of the ice cream shop, I dare you to read this without eating some! It’s impossible I think. On top of all that, you have a side of romance as Dani’s ex, Jude is back in town and her new personal trainer is hunky and charming. What more could you want?! For me, absolutely nothing this was a wonderful, feel good, funny read with a fantastic heroine. And ice cream. Enough said. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Sue Watson was a journalist on women’s magazines and national newspapers before leaving it all behind for a career in TV. As a producer with the BBC she worked on garden makeovers, kitchen takeovers and daytime sofas – all the time making copious notes so that one day she might escape to the country and turn it all into a book.

After much deliberation and copious consumption of cake, Sue eventually left her life in TV to write. After a very successful debut novel, Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes Sue signed with Bookouture.

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Title: Single-Minded
Author: Lisa Daily
Release Date: June 27th, 2017
Tour Dates: June 27th – July 4th, 2017
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction

Alex has planned and executed her life with laser focus since she first met her future husband at the play-doh table on the first day of kindergarten. They have a terrific life, a gorgeous house on the bay, and fantastic careers they love. There’s only one problem: Alex’s husband Michael is gay, a fact he neglected to mention in the 23 years since they first met.

Now, Alex’s perfectly planned life has completely fallen apart, her biological clock is starting to feel like the timer on a nuclear device, and she finds herself drooling over her completely-dreamy-but-definitely-off-limits client, a star chef opening a hot new restaurant. Armed with dating guidance from her oddball collection of advisers—including her gay ex-husband, a foul-mouthed political consultant, a perkily masochistic yogi, and a pot-smoking octogenarian—Alex navigates the booby-trapped world of modern dating, in her search for a second chance at love.

Buy the Book:

AmazonUS | AmazonUK | AmazonAU | AmazonCA

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Single-Minded! Happy publication day to Lisa, I wish you so much success. 

Review: 

Poor Alex, I warmed to her character right away, how could you not?! She just found out her husband is gay and her entire world has crumbled. After the initial few chapters detailing their breakup, things fast forward to five months later which was a decision that I really liked. Instead of outlining Alex moping about and eating ice cream straight from the carton for weeks, you catch up with her again after she’s started the healing process. Her two best friends are insisting that she gets back to dating, especially since she’s only slept with one man before. Since he’s gay, they determine it doesn’t really count and implore her to lose her gay husband virginity. How? Online dating. Thankfully, I was married well before dating apps were a thing because I’ve heard some horror stories about them, but living vicariously through Alex was hugely entertaining. Some of them men she meets where a walking nightmare! Fun to witness for sure, but it made me extremely grateful for my husband. 

Daily is a great writer, her prose is smooth and light and infused with so much humor. There were countless scenes that made me giggle and plenty of conversations that had me in stitches. The characters were realistic and relatable and Alex is the type of friend I would want to have in real life. There was a sweet romance and I so badly wanted Alex to find happiness with a man worthy of all she has to offer.  This is an ideal book to pick up this summer, super light and easy going but with enough heart and substance to keep you engrossed. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

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