Category: Book reviews

Blog Tour: The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea @CharlieDonlea @KensingtonBooks

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Release date: April 25, 2017

Publisher: Kensington 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

Charlie Donlea, one of the most original new voices in suspense, returns with a haunting novel, laden with twists and high tension, about two abducted girls one who returns, one who doesn’t and the forensics expert searching for answers. 


Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are both high school seniors in the small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. When they disappear from a beach party one warm summer night, police launch a massive search. No clues are found, and hope is almost lost until Megan miraculously surfaces after escaping from a bunker deep in the woods. 


A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has turned Megan from local hero to national celebrity. It s a triumphant, inspiring story, except for one inconvenient detail: Nicole is still missing. Nicole’s older sister Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole’s body will be found, and it will be up to someone like Livia to analyze the evidence and finally determine her sister’s fate. Instead, the first clue to Nicole’s disappearance comes from another body that shows up in Livia’s morgue that of a young man connected to Nicole’s past. Livia reaches out to Megan for help, hoping to learn more about the night the two were taken. Other girls have gone missing too, and Livia is increasingly certain the cases are connected. 


But Megan knows more than she revealed in her blockbuster book. Flashes of memory are coming together, pointing to something darker and more monstrous than her chilling memoir describes. And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you’ve been looking for. 

Review: 

Do you like to read books that may take a short time to warm up, but then when they do, things take off at a breathtaking pace? Or how about books that are intricately plotted with a cast of well drawn, realistic characters? What about books that skim the boundaries of genre labels and just do their own thing? If you found yourself nodding along while reading that, then I have the book for you! 

Stories that focus on the aftermath following an abduction are always quick to draw my attention and though this started off a tiny bit slow, I was still hooked rather quickly. The beginning focuses on Livia as she’s completing her residency in pathology and there is quite a bit of medical jargon used, but that type of thing interests me and Livia’s POV was a new one for me. It uses an alternating timeline from the weeks leading up to the abduction and then over a year after Megan escapes and Nicole is still missing. The chapters are short and extremely fast paced and as things flip back and forth, you slowly but surely find out what happened. Nicole’s flashbacks have crossover appeal as they had a YA feel to them, adding to the realistic writing throughout. 

There were a lot of hints dropped that mislead me and in no way did I have it all figured out, Donlea didn’t take the easy way out by going with the obvious answers, he executed some killer twists that left me gasping. I think this is one that will fool even the craftiest of readers, multiple times. At times it was dark as it explored some sick, odd obsessions but that made it all the more of a compulsive read for me. I also really liked the chapters where Megan was doing hypnotherapy sessions as it’s a subject that intrigues me. This was a fantastic, solid mystery that delivered on all levels. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

Blog Tour: Ella’s Ice Cream Summer by Sue Watson @suewatsonwriter @bookouture

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Release date: May 11, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Romantic Comedy 

Blurb: 

Ella’s life just hit rock-bottom, but can a summer by the sea mend her broken heart? When life gives you lemons… make ice-cream!


Life hasn’t always been easy for single mum Ella, but she has just hit an all-time low; she’s jobless, loveless, very nearly homeless and, to make matters worse, now the owner of a pocket-sized pooch with a better wardrobe than her.


Packing her bags (and a bigger one for the dog), Ella sets off for the seaside town of Appledore in Devon to re-live the magical summers of her youth and claim her portion of the family ice-cream business: a clapped-out ice-cream van and a complicated mess of secrets.


There she meets gorgeous and free-spirited solicitor, Ben, who sees things differently: with a little bit of TLC he has a plan to get the van – and Ella – back up and running in no time.


Ella’s Ice-Cream Summer is a heart-warming and hilarious romance that will scoop you off your feet and prove it’s never too late for a fresh start. The ideal holiday read for fans of Lucy Diamond, Abby Clements and Debbie Johnson.

I’m so excited to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for Ella’s Ice Cream Summer today! I’m sharing the day with my buddy Sam at Clues and Reviews so make sure you check in with her too. 


Review: 

Oh my gosh you guys this book had me literally laughing out loud during the first chapter! Before long I had tears streaming down my face, it was THAT funny. Let me give you just a few examples of what had me giggling uncontrollably. Ella’s mom, Roberta is inappropriately hilarious, she thinks sexting is regular old texting and there was something about a sexting a vicar, then there’s her best friend Sue who mixes up words all the time, she said erotic in place of erratic, and  THEN she gets saddled with her son’s girlfriends dog, Delilah, who is the definition of high maintenance and has more outfits than Kim Kardashian. Even the chapter titles were hilarious, one of my favorites was entitled, Strawberry Shakes and Sex on the Stairs. Are you convinced yet?!

Besides being wickedly funny, there was warmth and sweetness as well. Ella meets Ben when she heads to Appledore and I loved how their relationship was relatively easy and drama free yet far from perfect, it was realistic. Ben was a lovable goof, very clumsy but that made him so endearing to me. Things for Ella weren’t quite so drama free in terms of her working life, but I also appreciated that a fabulous opportunity at a new life wasn’t just handed to her, she had to struggle to get where she wanted to be. 

I just have a feeling that Sue is the type of person who would be fun to have a drink with, anyone who writes such warm, funny and charming books must be a blast to hang out with! She even included a scrumptious looking recipe for ice cream in the end that I’m absolutely dying to try. If you’re looking for a sweet escape this summer, look no further. This book was heartwarming, hip, colorful, sassy and sweet and even had a bit of family drama and secrets, what more could you want?!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bookouture 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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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: 


I loved The Promise of Provence it was such a fun read!


The Butlins Girls was a bit of a different read for me but I really enjoyed it.

Watching the Bodies was an awesome start to a new series.

The Fact of a Body was an extremely powerful read.

It’s Always the Husband was one I ended up really liking!

The Simplicity of Cider was just lovely. 
Currently Reading:


Up Next: 


My week was kind of crazy, my son was sick AGAIN and this time passed it to me. So my fun plans for Mother’s Day weekend went to hell and I was in bed all weekend. I didn’t even read much, I was that sick. I’m starting to feel better now so fingers crossed it stays that way!
How was your week? 

Review: The Honeymoon by Tina Seskis @tinaseskis

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Release date: June 1, 2017

Publisher: Penguin 

Genre: Psychological Thriller 

Blurb: 

There’s trouble in paradise. . .


For as long as she can remember, Jemma has been planning the perfect honeymoon. A fortnight’s retreat to a five-star resort in the Maldives, complete with luxury villas, personal butlers and absolute privacy. It should be paradise, but it’s turned into a nightmare.


Because the man Jemma married a week ago has just disappeared from the island without a trace. And now her perfect new life is vanishing just as quickly before her eyes. After everything they’ve been through together, how can this be happening? Is there anyone on the island who Jemma can trust? And above all – where has her husband gone? 

Review: 

I absolutely loved the premise for this, there seems to be a theme in psychological thrillers as of late where a husband disappears then the book focuses on the wife trying to uncover what really happened to them. Instead of being bored by this new trend,  I’m rather intrigued by it, especially when there’s a unique spin on it, and there is definitely a fresh perspective in The Honeymoon. 

This is broken into four parts and is told from Now and beginning seven and a half years previously when Jemma and her husband meet. Now is when he first goes missing and is so atmospheric, the suffocation of the humid island is portrayed perfectly and is shown not as paradise, but a hell on earth for Jemma. The flashbacks provide insight into the state of the couples relationship and of course nothing is as perfect as it first seems. Jemma narrates the bulk of the story, but some other key characters also get the chance to make their version of events heard, which I found a nice addition as Jemma isn’t especially likable.

This had everything I look for in a good psychological thriller, a great setting, untrustworthy characters, paranoia, fast pacing, and constant guesswork on my end. There was a twist very early on that surprised me, and then several more along the way. There weren’t too many just for the sake of having a bunch of shocking moments though, they all added something relevant to the plot. The big reveal towards the end was astonishing, I don’t know that anyone would be able to guess exactly what happened, it’s very disturbing and a bit out there, but was completely fascinating and satisfying to me. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy. 

Review: The Simplicity of Cider by Amy E. Reichert @aereichert

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Release date: May 16, 2017

Publisher: Gallery Books

Genre: Women’s Fiction 

Blurb: 

Fall in love with The Simplicity of Cider, the charming new novel about a prickly but gifted cider-maker whose quiet life is interrupted by the arrival of a handsome man and his young son at her family’s careworn orchard by the author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and Luck, Love & Lemon Pie.


Focused and unassuming fifth generation cider-maker Sanna Lund has one desire: to live a simple, quiet life on her family’s apple orchard in Door County, Wisconsin. Although her business is struggling, Sanna remains fiercely devoted to the orchard, despite her brother’s attempts to convince their aging father to sell the land.


Single dad Isaac Banks has spent years trying to shield his son Sebastian from his troubled mother. Fleeing heartbreak at home, Isaac packed up their lives and the two headed out on an adventure, driving across the country. Chance—or fate—led them straight to Sanna’s orchard.


Isaac’s helping hands are much appreciated at the apple farm, even more when Sanna’s father is injured in an accident. As Sanna’s formerly simple life becomes increasingly complicated, she finds solace in unexpected places—friendship with young Sebastian and something more deliciously complex with Isaac—until an outside threat infiltrates the farm.


From the warm and funny Amy E. Reichert, The Simplicity of Cider is a charming love story with a touch of magic, perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Gayle Forman.

Review: 

I have to start by giving credit to that cover, it’s gorgeous and something about it speaks to my soul! I also just realized how much I’m adoring books from the imprint of Gallery Books, they publish strong, fresh, unique novels and I’ve especially loved their women’s fiction. If you haven’t checked them out yet I can highly recommend this book and I haven’t read any books by them that I haven’t really enjoyed.

This was my first Reichert book, but it most certainly will not be my last! She combined a modern day, swoon worthy romance with an incredible setting and she totally captured my heart with her lovely writing style. Sanna has a simple, quiet life but she’s content. Her whole life revolves around her families orchard and she especially enjoys making cider. Issac and Bass show up at the farm looking for a place to spend the summer and she’s not exactly pleased when her father hires them. 

I loved Sanna’s cantankerous personality because I just knew underneath her prickly exterior there was a heart of gold. Isaac was hot AND an amazing father, this is where I swoon. His son, Bass is one of those kids that wiggle their way into your life whether you want them to or not and the blossoming relationship between him and Sanna was one of my favorite things about this book.

Besides the lovely romance you have an idyllic setting, it was so enchanting. Learning about cider making was surprisingly fascinating and had me wanting to book a trip to an orchard in the fall. There was also just a hint of magic to the plot that added something truly special, who doesn’t like a little magic in their everyday life? I recommend this one to anyone wanting to make an escape from reality and enter a charming, quaint new place.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

Review: It’s Always the Husband by Michele Campbell @MCampbellbooks

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Release date: May 16, 2017

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

Kate, Aubrey, and Jenny. They first met as college roommates and soon became inseparable, even though they are as different as three women can be. Twenty years later, one of them is standing at the edge of a bridge . . and someone else is urging her to jump. 


How did things come to this?


As the novel cuts back and forth between their college years and their adult years, you see the exact reasons why these women love and hate each other—but can feelings that strong lead to murder? Or will everyone assume, as is often the case, that it’s always the husband? 

Review: 

The title of this book is what initially grabbed my attention, isn’t it great?! Then, when I read the blurb I was even more intrigued and by the time I read the short prologue I was hooked! I do want to start by saying that this seems to be getting mixed early reviews and I think Chelsea at The Suspense is Thrilling Me nailed the reason why. I read her review right before I started this because I knew I could trust her not to spoil anything and I’m so glad I did because it allowed me to reset my expectations about what type of book this actually is. 

This isn’t a super fast paced thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It’s a slower buildup and the first half and second half read totally different from each other. The first is laying the foundation and follows the three women as they meet in college. The second half focuses more on present day which is twenty two years after college and things speed up and everything intensifies. If you can hang in through the slower beginning this is definitely worth the read. 

As I mentioned earlier the first half is a lot of backstory and character development about the women and their twisted, complicated relationships with each other. They call themselves friends, but are they really? There is tons of drama, secrets, lies, betrayals, and manipulations. It was extremely hard to pinpoint whodunnit when literally everyone is a suspect and has a solid motivation. I never mind a slower opening, especially if there’s a big payoff in the end and Campbell surely delivers, I did not see the twist in the end coming! 

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to BookSparks and St. Martin’s Press for my review copy. 

Review: The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich @FlatironBooks @alexandriaml

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Release date: May 16, 2017

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Genre: True Crime/Memoir

Blurb: 

Before Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich begins a summer job at a law firm in Louisiana, working to help defend men accused of murder, she thinks her position is clear. The child of two lawyers, she is staunchly anti-death penalty. But the moment convicted murderer Ricky Langley’s face flashes on the screen as she reviews old tapes―the moment she hears him speak of his crimes―she is overcome with the feeling of wanting him to die. Shocked by her reaction, she digs deeper and deeper into the case. Despite their vastly different circumstances, something in his story is unsettlingly, uncannily familiar.


Crime, even the darkest and most unsayable acts, can happen to any one of us. As Alexandria pores over the facts of the murder, she finds herself thrust into the complicated narrative of Ricky’s childhood. And by examining the details of Ricky’s case, she is forced to face her own story, to unearth long-buried family secrets, and reckon with a past that colors her view of Ricky’s crime.


But another surprise awaits: She wasn’t the only one who saw her life in Ricky’s.


An intellectual and emotional thriller that is also a different kind of murder mystery, The Fact Of a Body is a book not only about how the story of one crime was constructed―but about how we grapple with our own personal histories. Along the way it tackles questions about the nature of forgiveness, and if a single narrative can ever really contain something as definitive as the truth. This groundbreaking, heart-stopping work, ten years in the making, shows how the law is more personal than we would like to believe―and the truth more complicated, and powerful, than we could ever imagine.

Review: 

Though I read a ton of mystery/thrillers it’s been quite awhile since I’ve picked up a true crime book. I went through a phase in high school where I read many of them, but oftentimes I felt like they were dry and a little boring. But when I first read the blurb for The Fact of a Body I was immediately intrigued. How could a true crime book merge with a memoir when the author wasn’t directly involved in the case?! After reading this amazing book I can say that she manages to weave the two seemingly unrelated tales beautifully and seamlessly. 

The book alternates between various timeframes both from Ricky’s past and also the authors. At times it read like a legal thriller, at others it was like getting a harrowing look at the lives of both. Ricky did not have an easy upbringing and though the crimes he committed make me sick to my stomach, ML does a fantastic job of examining what shaped him. She describes her journey of self discovery as she revisits her own extremely painful past and explains why she was so drawn to and so connected to the case. 

Her writing style was outstanding, she’s truly gifted and had me simultaneously captivated and haunted by what she was saying. The truth is dissected and reexamined revealing that nothing about this story can be defined in black and white terms but that the truth lies somewhere in shades of gray. Knowing that this was based on true events made it all the more chilling and when I finished I went straight to Google. I read several news articles about the various trials and I watched videos, but not many as watching Ricky’s confession was about all I could handle. 

As much as I was impressed by this book I do want to warn people that there are many instances where abuse against children is discussed and though ML doesn’t sensationalize it at all, it’s still disturbing to read. If you can handle that, this is such a phenomenal read, very intelligent and written so sensitively. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Flatiron Books for my review copy. 

Blog Tour: Watching the Bodies by Graham Smith @GrahamSmith1972 @Bloodhoundbook

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Release date: April 18, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Blurb: 

When Jake Boulder is asked by his PI friend to help investigate the vicious murder of Kira Niemeyer, he soon finds himself tracking a serial killer who selects his next victim in a most unusual manner.


As the body count rises, Boulder has to work with the police to identify the heinous killer before more lives are taken. What ensues is a twisted game of cat and mouse, that only Boulder or the Watcher can survive. But who will it be? 

I’m so pleased to be closing down the North American leg of the Watching the Bodies tour! 


Review: 

I’ve seen Smith’s work highly praised by my U.K. blogger buddies many times in the past, so when I heard he was releasing the first book in a new series set in the US, I knew I had to get involved! Jake Boulder is one hell of a lead character and he has such a strong, distinct voice along with a unique viewpoint that really intrigues me. 

Jake isn’t a detective or a PI nor does he have any real connection to law enforcement, he’s a bouncer with a temper that he tries to control, try being the key word. His best friend is a PI and asks for his help when he’s hired by the father of a young woman who was murdered as he has little faith in the local police, which is totally justified. I always like a fresh POV in any crime novel and this provided that totally. It kind of reminded me of Owen Mullen’s Charlie Cameron series in a way. They both have an easy writing style that absorbs me, yet they still manage to create tension and pulse pounding moments. 

The case itself was so interesting, a serial killer is escalating and the bodies are piling up way faster than the incompetent detectives in town can handle. His methods and motivations are so complex, I wish I could say more, but half the fun of this book was discovering all the plot intricacies. Smith inserts chapters from the killers perspective and those never fail to chill me to the bone. I’m very impressed by the direction this series seems to be heading and I can’t wait for book two!

Overall rating: 4/5

About the Author: 


Graham Smith is married with a young son. A time served joiner he has built bridges, houses, dug drains and slated roofs to make ends meet. Since Christmas 2000 he has been manager of a busy hotel and wedding venue near Gretna Green, Scotland. 




An avid fan of crime fiction since being given one of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books at the age of eight, he has also been a regular reviewer and interviewer for the well-respected website Crimesquad.com since 2009




He is the author of four books featuring DI Harry Evans and the Cumbrian Major Crimes Team and one book, WATCHING THE BODIES in a new series featuring Utah doorman, Jake Boulder.

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Blog Tour: The Butlins Girls by Elaine Everest @ElaineEverest

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Release date: May 4, 2017

Publisher: Pan

Genre: Historical fiction 

Blurb: 

They escaped their pasts, for the adventure of a lifetime . . .


‘Molly Missons gazed around in awe. So this was Butlin’s. Whitewashed buildings, bordered by rhododendrons, gave a cheerful feeling to a world still recovering from six years of war. The Skegness holiday camp covered a vast area, much larger than Molly expected to see.’


Molly Missons hasn’t had the best of times recently. Having lost her parents, now some dubious long-lost family have darkened her door – attempting to steal her home and livelihood…


After a horrendous ordeal, Molly applies for a job as a Butlin’s Aunty. When she receives news that she has got the job, she immediately leaves her small home town – in search of a new life in Skegness.


Molly finds true friendship in Freda, Bunty and Plum. But the biggest shock is discovering that star of the silver screen, Johnny Johnson, is working at Butlin’s as head of the entertainment team. Johnny takes an instant liking to Molly and she begins to shed the shackles of her recent traumas. Will Johnny be just the distraction Molly needs – or is he too good be to be true?


I’m so pleased to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for The Butlins Girls. 


Review: 

I had no prior knowledge of holiday camps before reading this book so I had no idea exactly what to expect, but I’m so glad that I read this, it was such a delightful read. You know those books that just leave you feeling happy and warm when you’re done? This is that type of book, it was adorable. 

After discovering that Butlins holiday camps are  indeed real, (excuse me, my American is showing)  I spent some time doing good old Google research as I was reading because I was so taken with the concept. The first camp opened in 1936 and though they closed during the war, they are still running today! I had a blast looking through their website and am now trying to figure out how to convince my husband we need to take a vacation there. The book is set when Butlins opens after the war is over and Molly Missons gets a job there. 

The characterization is fantastic, Molly is such a dear, sweet, innocent girl, I took to her right away. Her parents passed away in a car accident and she has no family left. She does, however have some wonderful friends and that’s who she turns too when times are hard. When her friend, Freda encourages her to apply for a job at Butlins she takes a chance and meets some lifelong friends in her roommates Bunty and Plum, both of whom are also well drawn, though all three are vastly different. She also meets Johnny, a movie star who is in the entertainment part of the camp. 

This had a little something for everyone, it has a deep history, some light romance, and even some mystery, a cozy one at that. It was about friendship and family and had a saga feel to it with some drama added. Freda is apparently from Everest’s first novel, The Woolworths Girls and now I’m eager to go back and read more about her. I’m also holding out hope that maybe there will be a sequel to this book, it was such a truly lovely, warm read. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy. 

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: 


Crimes Against a Book Club was a super fun read.

Any Day Now was a sweet contemporary romance. 

Dead Souls was a fantastic addition to one of my favorite series.

Bad to the Bone was a solid beginning to a new crime series.

The Note was a chilling short story.

Into the Water left me feeling conflicted.

The Good Widow is the perfect summer read.

Block 46 blew me away, amazing book. 
Currently Reading: 


Up Next:


Another great week despite some craziness on the home front! I missed a couple of books that I had hoped to get to last week, hopefully this week I can squeeze them in. 

I’ve never been one that has to be in a certain mood to pick up a book, if it grabs me, genre doesn’t matter much, but I had a hard time with a couple of reads last week and had to put them down for now. It wasn’t that they were bad books, it just seemed like I couldn’t get into them so I’m guessing this is what people mean when they say they’re a mood reader? Are you like this? (Renee, I’m talking to you 😂)

I’m also finally almost done with my discussion post for the month and I’ll have some fun giveaways in the coming weeks. Next month is my big blogiversary celebration and I’m hoping to do either a week of giveaways on different social media platforms or one giant one, which would you guys prefer? I’m planning on having at least one being open internationally as I have so many readers from all over. I think that’s so cool, I love checking that part of my stats out. I also hit 1,000 WordPress followers over the weekend which blows my mind as well! Definitely cause for celebration/giveaways. 

What are you currently reading?