Category: Book reviews

Blog Tour: Gilding the Lily by Justine John @JustineCJohn

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Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: November 2016

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

A gripping mystery of jealousy, murder and lies.

An invitation to her estranged, wealthy father’s surprise 75th birthday party in New York sees London-based Amelia and her husband, Jack, set off across the pond to meet a whole new world of family politics.

Amelia, now a successful businesswoman, has guiltily never liked her father’s women, but does her upmost to give his new socialite partner, Evelyn, the benefit of the doubt. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could just all get along? But there’s something very dark, determined and dangerous about her…

When Amelia’s father, Roger, becomes ill, Jack grows suspicious that there is more to it. Amelia understands why, but no one else will believe them. They travel back to America to piece together the puzzle, but when Roger goes missing, the couple are driven to their wit’s end. It takes a DEA officer and a secret assassin to bring them any answers. The ruthless truth is something no one expected…

This fast-paced psychological debut will keep you guessing until the very end.

I’m so pleased to be the stop on the blog tour for Gilding the Lily today!

Review:

Don’t you just love it when you read a book and it’s like nothing you would’ve expected but yet it’s almost exactly what you needed? That’s what happened for me here, this was an unusual psychological thriller, more emphasis on the psychological parts than the thrills, but it was still a captivating read and one that I raced through in a few hours.

This is told from several viewpoints, but the bulk is relayed via Amelia and Jack, a lovely couple and then there are a handful of chapters from some interesting characters that I can’t name, it would ruin the fun. Roger is Amelia’s father and Evelyn is his girlfriend and you know right from the start there is something off about this cold, calculating woman. As much as I despised Evelyn I adored Amelia and Jack, both together and separately. They were so supportive of each other and while this had a domestic suspense feeling it was nice to read something where the husband and wife aren’t at odds but instead working together as a team.

Despite the chilling opening to this book, it isn’t as fast paced as I would’ve assumed it would be, but the intensity gradually increased the further along you get. Maybe fast paced isn’t the right description, it’s still a page turner and there weren’t any boring parts but I guess what I mean is that by the end things were more pulse pounding. It kept me on my toes and had some revelations that I was not expecting and the ending was great.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

Review: The Wake Up by Catherine Ryan Hyde

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Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: December 5, 2017

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Blurb:

Something has been asleep in forty-year-old cattle rancher Aiden Delacorte for a long time. It all comes back in a rush during a hunting trip, when he’s suddenly attuned to the animals around him, feeling their pain and fear as if it were his own. But the newfound sensitivity of Aiden’s “wake up” has its price. He can no longer sleepwalk through life, holding everyone at arm’s length. As he struggles to cope with a trait he’s buried since childhood, Aiden falls in love with Gwen, a single mother whose young son bears a burden of his own.

Sullen and broken from his experiences with an abusive father, Milo has turned to acting out in violent and rebellious ways. Aiden can feel the boy’s pain, as well as that of his victims. Now he and Milo must sift through their pasts to find empathy with the innocent as well as the guilty, to come to terms with their deepest fears, and to finally discover the compassionate heart of a family.

Review:

There is a certain type of magic in every single Catherine Ryan Hyde book that I’ve read, an underlying feeling of hope that always restores my faith in humanity and leaves me feeling good about the world. It’s odd too, because she’s not afraid to tackle some tough issues that on the surface would seem dark, but the way she handles these issues makes you think, but also leaves you feeling sated.

Aiden is an empath, in case you’re like me and don’t know exactly what that means, it’s that he feels deeper than people normally do and in his extreme case, he actually takes on the feelings of animals. It all starts when he’s forty, he’s hunting as he’s done a hundred times before, but this time he can feel the deers pain, anxiety and fear exactly as if it’s his pain, anxiety and fear. He’s an highly complex character and the “Wake Up” that he experiences is tender, insightful and just so beautiful.

I always say the authors books are effortless reads and I’m going to have to say that again now because there truly isn’t another appropriate way to describe it. They’re more than a page turner, you feel like a dear friend is chatting to you, there’s an intimate quality to her writing style that really speaks to me. This was emotional without leaving you feeling emotionally drained which I think is a tricky thing to master.

I want to mention that there is some animal abuse, more accurately the mistreatment of animals here. But you need to know that the author is a huge animal lover and they always play a role in her books so there is nothing highly graphic and I promise you that it is really important to the storyline and totally necessary.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

November Wrap Up

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Can you believe it’s already December?! Insanity! I had a great month, I managed 28 books and read some really great ones, discovered some new authors as well which is always exciting! My favorite read this month was actually a 2018 release, The Wife Between Us. Stay tuned because I’ll be hosting a giveaway for THREE copies on Instagram later this month!

Here’s everything I read in November, links to the reviews in case you missed any.

Lilac Lane was such a sweet romance.

Beartown was an amazing book.


Christmas at the Falling-Down Guesthouse was a delightful read.


The Boyfriend Swap was an adorable read.


Whiteout was another hauntingly poetic read from Jonasson, loved it!


The Good Samaritan was a great thriller!


Bad Sister was a fast paced exciting read.


See What I Have Done was a really unique historical retelling.


Perfectly Undone was a nice easy read with some meat.


Hell to Pay is a part of a fantastic series!


The Secret Mother was a tangled twisty story, really liked it.

The Wife Between Us was fantastic, it’s going to be huge next year!

A Season to Lie is the second in a series that I’m really enjoying.

Bridges was super uplifting and all about that girl power!

Written in Blood was a really cool police procedural with a literary bend.

I listened to the audio version of Let’s Just Be Friends and what a fun, flirty book!

Beneath the Skin was a slow building book with gorgeous writing.

Left to Chance was a heartfelt story about Teddi who goes back home again.

The Silent Fountain was a really beautiful, evocative read.

I loved Sweet Tea and Sympathy SO much!

Love Warrior was an insightful and heart wrenching memoir.

Sugarplum Way was a delightful holiday read!

Here We Lie was a character driven, slow burning suspense.

Mother had a bit of a slow start but was definitely worth the wait!

Now You See Me was a great serial killer thriller.

The Liar’s Promise was a dark, chilling read.

Ronaldo was an adorable children’s book.

The Dry was outstanding.

How was November for you? Link me to your wrap ups in the comments!

Review: Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughn

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Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: December 5, 2017

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

An astonishingly incisive and suspenseful novel about a scandal amongst Britain’s privileged elite and the women caught up in its wake.

Sophie’s husband James is a loving father, a handsome man, a charismatic and successful public figure. And yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to rip them apart.

Kate is the lawyer hired to prosecute the case: an experienced professional who knows that the law is all about winning the argument. And yet Kate seeks the truth at all times. She is certain James is guilty and is determined he will pay for his crimes.

Who is right about James? Sophie or Kate? And is either of them informed by anything more than instinct and personal experience? Despite her privileged upbringing, Sophie is well aware that her beautiful life is not inviolable. She has known it since she and James were first lovers, at Oxford, and she witnessed how easily pleasure could tip into tragedy.

Most people would prefer not to try to understand what passes between a man and a woman when they are alone: alone in bed, alone in an embrace, alone in an elevator… Or alone in the moonlit courtyard of an Oxford college, where a girl once stood before a boy, heart pounding with excitement, then fear. Sophie never understood why her tutorial partner Holly left Oxford so abruptly. What would she think, if she knew the truth?

Review:

This has been one of my most anticipated reads for months, from the minute I saw the title/cover I was interested, scandals, betrayals, lies, and a dash of courtroom drama? Yes please! But while there were many aspects of this one that worked for me, I did have some minor issues that will prevent me from fully endorsing Anatomy of a Scandal.

This is told through multiple perspectives, that of James, his wife Sophie and Kate, the prosecuting attorney and it also flashes back and forth from today to back when they were in college. The plot could’ve been ripped from current headlines, how many times do you watch the news and see a new political sex scandal, too often, right? I definitely liked the juicy storyline and the back and forth wondering if James was guilty or innocent, but for me as much as I enjoyed this at first, I felt like it became pretty long and drawn out by the end. It was also pretty slow as far as pacing goes, which is fine but in the middle I did struggle a bit to stay attentive. The ending wasn’t as resolved as I would’ve liked it to be either so it felt a bit like waiting forever for something that didn’t quite pay off in the end.

While this wasn’t the perfect book for me, it did have many strong points. It was really intelligently written and I liked that it dealt with the issue of consent and how exactly that’s defined. That’s such an important issue and anytime an author is brave enough to tackle something so tricky I have to give them credit. I also have to say that while I found it slow, the fact that it didn’t solely rely on a super fast pacing and crazy plot twists was refreshing. My advice? If the blurb intrigues you, give this a try because you may enjoy it more than I did.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Throwback Thursday: The Dry by Jane Harper #TBT

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Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: January 10, 2017

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

WHO REALLY KILLED THE HADLER FAMILY?

I just can’t understand how someone like him could do something like that.

Amid the worst drought to ravage Australia in a century, it hasn’t rained in small country town Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are brutally murdered. Everyone thinks Luke Hadler, who committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son, is guilty.

Policeman Aaron Falk returns to the town of his youth for the funeral of his childhood best friend, and is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. As questions mount and suspicion spreads through the town, Falk is forced to confront the community that rejected him twenty years earlier. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret, one which Luke’s death threatens to unearth. And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, secrets from his past and why he left home bubble to the surface as he questions the truth of his friend’s crime.

Review:

I’m joining in again with Throwback Thursday which was created by my good friend Renee at It’s Book Talk . She started this weekly feature as a way to highlight old favorites and read books that have already been published. I have so many older books on my TBR that get ignored in favor of review copies and I figure participating in Throwback Thursday will help me to read at a least one older title a week!

The Dry was one of those super hyped books that I resisted reading, why? Who knows, sometimes I’m stubborn just for the sake of being stubborn, but when I realized the second book in this series was being released soon I figured that is was beyond time for me to grab this off of mount TBR and get reading. I’m extremely glad I did as it now has a firm spot in my favorite reads from this year, and though I’ve seen mixed reviews for book two I’ll definitely be reading it ASAP.

What can I really say about this stunning debut that hasn’t already been said? Probably nothing new so I’ll keep this brief. This follows Falk who returns to his small hometown after his childhood friend Luke and most of his family die in an awful tragedy. I can’t not mention the outstanding setting of Kiewarra, there is such a strong sense of place, Harper really brought this bitter, angry, stifling hot town to life. The plot was twisty but not just for the sake of throwing twists in for the hell of it, it was intricate and extremely smart and I truly had no idea what would happen next. Falk was the type of lead that I can easily see being able to carry a successful series and I can’t wait to learn more about him. If for some reason you haven’t read this one and are a fan of mysteries you really must, it’s excellent and Harper is a gifted writer, one that I’ll be following closely.

Overall rating: 5/5

Review: Ronaldo: The Reindeer Flying Academy by Maxine Sylvester @flyingronaldo #GuestReview

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Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: December 16, 2015

Genre: Children’s

Blurb:

Ronaldo is the top flying cadet at the prestigious Reindeer Flying Academy. He dreams of getting his flying license, just like his hero, Vixen.

In this first exciting chapter in the ‘Ronaldo’ series, our hero is faced with his toughest flying test ever – The Endurance Challenge!

Can Ronaldo triumph over mean bully, Dasher, and win the ‘Golden Wings’ medal? Spurred on by Rudi, his quirky, loyal best friend and with a belly full of his favourite carrot pancakes, Ronaldo takes on the challenge of his life!

Review:

I have something a little bit different today as I normally don’t review children’s books on my blog, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t read them! For those of you that don’t know, I have three kiddos, Reagan is nine, Addison is six and Jackson is three. We read as a family every single night before bed and it’s one of my favorite parts of the day. When Maxine contacted me about a possible review of Ronaldo I figured I would have my kids help me with the actual review for something fun!

Reagan’s thoughts:

It was pretty funny and I laughed a lot, especially when the flying instructor farted in front of everyone! I was sad when the other reindeers were being mean to Ronaldo because she was really nice, but I like how happy he was by the end. It wasn’t boring at all and went by super quick, I would read more about Ronaldo.

Rating: 4/5

Addie’sthoughts:

My favorite part was when that lady teacher reindeer farted. My worst part was when that mean reindeer was picking on Ronaldo. I loved the pictures, the reindeer were so cute and Cupid was a pretty girl reindeer.

Rating: 5/5

I’m sensing a theme with farts being funny, but I can’t lie I laughed too 😂 This was an adorable read, we read it over Thanksgiving weekend and it was perfect to get us into a holiday mood even though technically it’s not a Christmas book. It does have a few Santa references though and it was cute that the reindeer had classic reindeer names. There were some solid lessons that weren’t too in your face, just nice messages to take away. Super fun and I would definitely recommend it to the five to ten year old crowd, boys and girls alike will love it! < strong>Overall rating: 5/5 (Addie and I both rated five so majority rules here!)

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

Blog Tour: The Liar’s Promise by Mark Tilbury @MTilburyauthor @bloodhoundbook

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Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK

Release date: November 28, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

How does a mother protect her child from the unknown?


During a visit to a local theatre, four-year-old Chloe Hollis becomes hysterical. But her mother, Mel, doesn’t realise that this is just the beginning of the nightmare. In the coming weeks, Chloe talks of The Tall Man – Of death. 


At her wits end, Mel confides in Charles Honeywell, the headmaster at the school where she works. But what Mel doesn’t know is that Charles is linked to what is happening to her daughter. 


Will Mel learn the terrible truth? And can she overcome her own tragic past and save her daughter before it’s too late? 


The Liar’s Promise is a story of past lives and future torment.

I’m so pleased to be helping to kick off the blog tour for The Liar’s Promise today!


Review:

I’m not usually drawn to books with supernatural elements, but after being totally blown away by Tilbury’s The Abattoir of Dreams I knew I had to read this one, and let me tell you, I am so glad that I did! It has the authors trademark dark humor which brings some much needed levity to an extremely menacing story, a lightening fast pace and a villain that made my skin crawl.

Imagine one day your sweet, innocent four year old child starts acting strange, and by strange I mean downright scary, saying things they have no way of knowing, talk of death, despair and destruction. Creepy, isn’t it? That’s exactly what happens to Mel when her daughter Chloe has a massive freak out after they visit a local theater. Things go from bad to worse as it seems Chloe is a reincarnation of a murder victim, just typing that sends chills down my spine! Poor Mel has no idea who to turn to, who can help when you can’t even truly explain what’s actually going on?! I sure felt for her, it’s an impossible situation and there are literally no answers, but the answers that Tilbury came up with were shocking and truly entertaining.

I’m going to stop discussing the plot here and just say that if you’re already a fan of the authors then you’ll definitely enjoy this book. If you’ve not read him before but like a supernatural twist in your thrillers this is a must read. Be warned though, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart, it’s gruesome, sick, and twisted and takes a peek at the very dark depths of humanity, but if you can handle some gore, don’t miss out!

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

About the Author:


Mark lives in a small village in the lovely county of Cumbria, although his books are set in Oxfordshire where he was born and raised.
After serving in the Royal Navy and raising his two daughters after being widowed, Mark finally took the plunge and self-published two books on Amazon, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused.
He’s always had a keen interest in writing, and is extremely proud to have his fourth novel, The Liar’s Promise, along with The Abattoir of Dreams, published, and The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused re-launched, by Bloodhound Books.
When he’s not writing, Mark can be found trying and failing to master blues guitar, and taking walks around the beautiful county of Cumbria.

Website|Facebook|Twitter

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #imwayr

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly post to share what you recently finished reading, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan on reading this week. It’s hosted by Kathryn at Bookdate.

What I Read Last Week:

Left to Chance was a really great read about a woman who returns to her small hometown against her better judgement.

The Silent Fountain was a really atmospheric, haunting historical fiction that I loved! Today’s the last day to enter my giveaway on Instagram.

Sweet Tea and Sympathy was SO good, I enjoyed it more than I anticipated.

My TBT was Love Warrior a raw, honest and emotional memoir.

Sugarplum Way was an adorable holiday read.

Here We Lie was a slow burning, mesmerizing tale.

Currently Reading:

Finally reading this, loving it so far!

Up Next:

I have a busy few weeks coming up!

How was your week? For my friends that celebrate, how was your Thanksgiving? Mine was good, my amazing inlaws took my kids for two days so we had some awesome quality time AND we just about finished Christmas shopping! Good think because we’re finally getting ready to move so I need to start packing, which I hate!! I swear I’m never moving again hahaha.

Review: Now You See Me by Kierney Scott @Kierney_S @bookouture

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Release date: November 27, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

As she saw his face for the first time, she knew he was going to kill her. She just didn’t know when.

When the dismembered body of Lydia Steiner is found washed up in the waters of a blisteringly hot Louisiana swamp, Detective Jess Bishop knows for certain this isn’t the murderer’s first kill.

Three other dismembered bodies have been found, all bearing the same marks. Marks that strike fear into Jess’s heart. They are identical to those from a case she’s spent her entire career trying to forget.

As Jess and her team try to link the victims, another body is discovered and they fear the serial killer is taunting them. They know it’s only a matter of time before he kills again.

As the body count rises, and the hunt goes cold, Jess knows she has to confront her past in order to catch the killer, even if that means making herself the bait…

Now You See Me is a gripping and heart-stopping thriller full of twists and perfect for fans of Robert Dugoni, Karin Slaughter, Robert Bryndza and Lisa Gardner.

I’m so excited to be one of the stops on the blog blitz for Now You See Me today!

Review:

We’ve all established that I have a morbid fascination with serial killer thrillers by now, right? I’m always on the hunt for a new book, or even better a series to follow featuring a kick ass detective or FBI agent and I’m SO excited that Now You See Me is the start of a new series following Jess Bishop, an agent with flaws galore and the kind of backstory that can take several books to unravel.

Jess is not the most likable woman, but as much as she tried to be that way, I liked her anyways. She’s completely closed off, she keeps her inner circle super tight and she comes across as cold and unfeeling, but she’s actually anything but. She takes her job and the responsibility that comes along with it very seriously and is so hyper focused when she’s working a case trying to talk to her is like speaking to a brick wall. Her current partner is Chan and they work alright together but her old partner, Jamison is truly her right hand man. The chemistry between Jess and Jamison was great, there’s so much underlying tension based on several old happenings and there is so much to explore with these two.

Scott has a graphic writing style, she’s not afraid to write extremely detailed descriptions of the victims of the sadistic killer and the crime scenes. The guy Jess and team are tracking is clever and is clearly loving taunting law enforcement making for an interesting read, edge of your seat read. This was one hell of a roller coaster ride with a ton of red herrings, I swear I changed my mind every few pages and had no idea who to trust! This was exciting, intense with plenty of heart pounding moments and an ending that while resolved left plenty open for the next book, I can’t wait!!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

About the Author:

Originally from California, Kierney Scott lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with her husband and their daughter.

In her spare time she likes to read and invent new recipes. Her stuffed peppers are particularly popular with her family, as are her grain-free chocolate chip cookies. In an effort to convert her family to the joys of pumpkin, she created the Great Pumpkin Challenge. For the ten weeks before Thanksgiving, they tried a new pumpkin recipe every week. Pumpkin arancini and pumpkin queso were a big hit. She has promised her daughter to never again roast pumpkin and call them chips.

She loves hearing from readers. If you would like to get in touch, you can email her at KierneyScott@gmail.com or follow her on twitter @Kierney_S

Author Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kierney.scott

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kierneyscott/

Twitter:     https://twitter.com/Kierney_S

Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK

Review: Mother by S.E. Lynes @SELynesauthor @bookouture

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Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK

Release date: November 22, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

How far would you go for the perfect family?

When Christopher Harris climbs into his family’s dusty attic, he finds a battered old suitcase containing a letter. Inside the letter is a secret; a secret about his mother that changes everything.

Every mother loves their child. Every child deserves to be loved. But Christopher has grown up so lonely it hurts.

Finally, Christopher thinks he has a chance at happiness. A happiness he will do anything to protect, whatever the cost…

An unputdownable thriller about the lies we tell and the secrets we keep, Mother will hold you breathless until the very last page and leave you reeling. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, The Sister and Apple Tree Yard.

I’m thrilled to be one of the stops on the blog tour for Mother today!

Review:

Mother was the type of book where you never know quite where it’s heading and even when you think you have things figured out, you’re probably not totally right. This was a chilling story of deception, betrayal and obsession that I throughly enjoyed.

This was a slow burning thriller, the kind that takes a bit to gain momentum but be patient because when things come to a head it’s all worthwhile. It centers on Christopher, a young man who has felt like an outsider in his own family so when he finds out he was adopted as a baby, it’s not altogether surprising for him. I did sympathize with him, he’s sort of odd but he just wants to belong and everyone really longs for that I think. There are also chapters from an unknown narrator as well as a few from a man named Benjamin who lives in the US. I struggled to see how these separate threads would connect and when they did converge I was shocked!

This wound up being quite emotional for a psychological thriller, especially towards the end. I found myself sadder than I had expected to be and there was something dark and melancholy about how things were left in the end. Strong characterization, a well thought out plot and fantastic writing made for a really distinctive, sinister read.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

About the Author:

After graduating from Leeds University, S E Lynes lived in London before moving to Aberdeen to be with her husband. In Aberdeen, she worked as a producer at BBC Radio Scotland before moving with her husband and two young children to Rome. There, she began to write while her children attended nursery. After the birth of her third child and upon her return to the UK, she gained an MA in Creative Writing from Kingston University. She now combines writing with lecturing at Richmond Adult Community College and bringing up her three children. She lives in Teddington. Her first novel, Valentina, published by Blackbird Digital Books, came out in July 2016. Her follow up novel, Mother, is published by Bookouture.