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Release date: October 25, 2016

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Crime Fiction 

Goodreads blurb: 

Some secrets are better left undiscovered.

When a nine-year-old girl goes missing in Harwood Forest, the search for her brings back memories of an unsolved double murder some forty years earlier. Could the key to Erin Jackson’s disappearance lie in the bloody fate of Elijah and Joanna Ingham, bludgeoned to death while their young daughters slept? Were the Inghams really the victims of opportunistic burglars—or a more sinister fate?

The woods are combed for signs of the child, but Erin’s brother, Jake, mounts his own investigation, uncovering evidence that puts the Inghams’ daughters—vanished Rachel and ‘crazy’ Mary—in the frame. Meanwhile, Erin’s father suspects that the ragtag army of eco-warriors besieging his quarry development may have something to hide.

As devastating secrets and betrayals are revealed, the Jackson family is brought to a breaking point. But time is running out. Erin is still missing and Jake’s unorthodox enquiries have left him dangerously exposed. They must find Erin and lay the past to rest—before they become its latest victims.

Review: 

Anytime I read a blurb that talks about a missing persons case I’m immediately interested. It never fails to grab my attention, and if the missing person is a child I’m even more intrigued. Maybe it’s because I’m a parent and I know I will be able to relate to the parents in the book or maybe it’s because I’m a bit weird, but the combination of a missing young girl that’s possibly tied to a cold case screamed READ ME NOW to me. 

The book begins on the morning of Erin Jackson’s disappearance. She’s out on a walk in the woods with her mom, Amanda and she just vanishes into thin air. As the small community unites to search for Erin, secrets and long buried betrayal begin to come to light. How in the world is the murder of a local couple in 1972 linked to her disappearance? What secret is Amanda hiding? And is this secret part of the reason Erin is gone? Tons of questions like this and more come up during the investigation.

I’m smack dab in the middle of my rating scale here with this one, there were things that really worked for me, then there were other things that didn’t work at all. I liked the pacing and structure of this one. Each chapter is time stamped and the bulk is told over forty eight hours. As the book progresses, the chapters get shorter and snappier which was great as it really ramped up the tension. It had a bit of a domestic suspense vibe to it, and that’s been one of my favorite genres as of late. Not enough to categorize it that way, but enough that I felt the need to mention it. Besides the characters of the Jackson family which includes Amanda, her husband Tom, son Jake and Amanda’s parents Henry and Cathy, there was Seth. He’s a mysterious out of towner who inserts himself into the investigation and I was really curious about how he would fit into everything.

What didn’t work so well for me? Well the mystery was just ok. I knew who the “bad guy” was, it felt rather obvious to me as Cheetham used a red herring that was just way too obvious to fall for. Another issue was that it was labeled as crime fiction and there wasn’t enough of the police officers perspective for me. In fact, there wasn’t anything from their POV at all. Yes, they were present in the story, but not really relevant and to me crime fiction always has a heavy presence of cops. Though I was pretty sure I knew how it would end, it played out slightly differently than I anticipated. Mostly because the ending reached a fever pitch rather quickly and things came off feeling very frantic and harried. It just didn’t sit well with me.

I feel like this may be my most confusing review to date! I didn’t love or hate this one, it was just ok. As I said before smack dab in the middle and unfortunately one I don’t think I’ll remember after I finish writing this review. I will say I would definitely give this author another chance as his writing was solid and the overall concept and plot was decent, I just can’t give this one my endorsement.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to Thomas and Merced for providing my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: October 21, 2016

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance 

Goodreads blurb: 

A gorgeous country house hotel, a liberal dusting of snow, a cosy weekend away…what more could Lizzie ask for at Christmas? 

Every Christmas Lizzie promises herself that things will change and she will leap into the new year a new woman. And yet here she is again, at the beginning of December and nothing is different. Her girls have grown up and left home, her husband Henry is slumped in front of the TV and she is alone in the kitchen, seeking refuge in the cooking sherry and talking to her Gary Barlow calendar. She’s also been very diverted by handsome new neighbour Marcus and she knows she shouldn’t be … 

So when best friend Ann suggests a weekend away in the country, Lizzie jumps at the chance. Will this Christmas escape give Lizzie some much needed perspective and allow her to mend her marriage? Or will Marcus prove to be too much of a distraction? 

A funny feel good festive read about rediscovering the magic of Christmas – just the thing to curl up with on a cold winters night. 

Review: 

Most of you know by now that I’m a sucker for a pretty cover and this may be one of my favorite covers ever! Stunning. What’s inside is just as gorgeous and this is much more than just a Christmas novel. It wasn’t even close to what I expected, but I don’t mean that in a negative way. I assumed that it would mostly revolve around Lizzie having some sort of crazy adventure but instead it was a lovely story about strong friendships, family, marriage woes, and the trials of an average life. 

Lizzie is stuck in a monotonous cycle in her life and has been for years. Her two daughters are grown and off at university and her husband Henry couldn’t be more disinterested in her life. She does have her best friend, Ann and the two are as thick as thieves. Lizzie was such a fantastic character, the kind that I would want as a friend for myself. She’s experiencing a midlife slump and isn’t sure about anything in her life anymore. She’s lonely and just wants to feel loved and appreciated again. I found her to be wholly relatable and altogether utterly delightful. Her friendship with Ann was beautiful, the two supported each other no matter what. They were also so funny and their conversations had me cracking up. 

Marcus is Lizzie’s new next door neighbor and the two have an immediate connection. Lizzie is feeling rejuvenated and dazzled by simply spending time with Marcus, but she’s not the type to step out on Henry. Can she just be friends with him without jeopardizing her marriage? Does she still even want to be married to Henry? A weekend away with Ann may be just what she needs to figure everything out. But she may get way more than she bargained for…

There were several twists and turns that I was not expecting at all and things didn’t turn out the way I thought they would either, but I was absolutely not disappointed in the end. There were moments of laughter and joy, but there were also moments were I was teary eyed and emotional. I love a book that can bring out a variety of emotions within me and this one certainly did. It was a feel good, warm and cozy read that I was sad to see come to a close, I felt like I was saying goodbye to a dear friend when my time with Lizzie came to and end.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am so happy to be able to help celebrate the Release Week Blitz for Tracie Banister’s latest release Mixing It Up. Read on for more information about the book, my review and a fun giveaway! 

Release date: October 19, 2016

Genre: Chick Lit

Buy it here
Blurb: 

Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Manhattan upper-cruster Cecily Sinclair now uses that pricey utensil to dish up fancy French fare on her cooking show, Serving Romance. When there’s an executive shake-up at the network, she’s not worried. Not much anyway. Her show’s a hit after all. Why would the new CEO want to mess with success?

The driving force behind several buzzed-about networks, Devlin Hayes is considered to be a wunderkind in the television industry. Although his plans to rebrand CuisineTV and make Serving Romance more Millennial-friendly don’t thrill Cecily, her charming, blue-eyed boss is a hard man to say “no” to and she really wants to keep her job—even if that means sharing screen time with a loathsome blast from her past.  

Mercurial Italian chef Dante Marchetti a.k.a. “Il Duce” was once Cecily’s boss, and she has the PTSD to prove it. Now the owner of one of the hottest restaurants in town, Dante’s egomania knows no bounds and his constant attempts to provoke and upstage Cecily make her want to conk him on the head with a sauté pan. She thinks they’re toxic together, but viewers love their chemistry and clamor for more.

As Cecily battles to maintain the integrity of her show, she finds herself scheming and manipulating right along with Dante and Devlin. Is she fighting a lost cause? Does she really belong on TV, or would her culinary talent be better served elsewhere? And could one of the men who makes Cecily’s blood boil ignite a passion in her for something other than food?

Review: 

Cooking shows are always something I enjoy watching and I like to think I’m a bit of a foodie, so when I saw that Tracie Banister’s latest book centered around a chef, I just knew I had to read it! I was thrilled when Tracie sent me an ARC and I’m so happy to report that I LOVED every minute of my time spent with the characters in Mixing It Up. 

Let’s talk characters first, because this one is full of entertaining and hilarious people. Cecily is a classically trained chef and her passion for French cuisine is apparent from page one. She’s elegant, refined and classy, and though she’s part of the upper crust society in NYC there is so much more to her than meets the eye. She may always look polished but seeing her inner monologue revealed some really endearing qualities. One of my favorite things about her was her tendency to drift off while thinking about food and recipes she wants to tweak. I could totally picture her eyes glazing over as she thought about the best techniques and flavor combinations to use and I found myself dazing off right along with her. Dina is her cousin and though the two couldn’t be more opposite, they have a unique and honest bond. She’s eccentric and a bit wacky and some of the stunts she pulled made me snort laugh. (I know, super attractive) Paige is Cecily’s friend and coworker and she was just a sweet and cute character. Jessica is a producer on her show and she can be downright awful but her scenes with Cecily were so entertaining to read.

Did you think I skipped the men? Never! They just need their own paragraph. Dante is Cecily’s nemesis, they have a history and she is not happy that he’s back in her life. He’s egotistical and self serving, but man is he charming! You can’t stop yourself from liking him. Devlin is Cecily’s new boss and she can’t quite figure him out. He’s handsome and charismatic but she can’t seem to get on equal footing when they’re together. Cecily has fantastic chemistry with both men, though her relationship with Dante is definitely more volatile. Will she cross the line from coworkers to more with one of them? Or will she focus on her career and forgo romance?

This book was witty, hilarious, and smart which added up to being a highly amusing read.Do not pick this up if you’re hungry, I swear the descriptions of the food are drool worthy. Banister did a fabulous job researching both French and Italian food and I’ve never before had a craving for duck in my life but now I do! The behind the scenes action of a cooking show was hip and fresh and such a great setting. I really can’t say enough good things about this one, so I’ll close by saying that I haven’t had so much good old fun while reading a book in awhile and I’m crossing my fingers for a sequel?!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks so much to the author for my copy, this review is my thank you.

About the Author: 

An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett O’Hara. Her work was first seen on the stage of her elementary school, where her 4th grade class performed an original holiday play she penned. (Like all good divas-in-the-making, she also starred in and tried to direct the production.)

Tracie’s dreams of authorial success were put on the backburner when she reached adulthood and discovered that she needed a “real” job in order to pay her bills. Her career as personal assistant to a local entrepreneur lasted for 12 years. When it ended, she decided to follow her bliss and dedicate herself to writing full-time. Mixing It Up is her fourth Chick Lit release, and in it Tracie finally got to live out her fantasy of being a Cordon Bleu-trained chef.

Connect with Tracie: 

Banister Buzz Newsletter|Blog|Twitter

Facebook|Instagram|Goodreads
Giveaway! 

Purchase a copy of Mixing It Up between October 19th, 2016 and October 25th, 2016 and you could win this fantastic prize pack inspired by the book’s heroine and her love of French food!

 

This prize pack includes: 

Garnier-Thiebaut Oh, La La, Chéri French-themed 4-piece Kitchen Linens Set

(Apron, kitchen towel, pot holder, and oven mitt.)

 

Kate Spade Deco Dot Recipe Box with 8 tabbed dividers and 40 recipe cards

 

The French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook by Mireille Guiliano

 

To enter this giveaway, simply e-mail the author at traciebanister@gmail.com with your proof of purchase. Entries will be accepted until midnight on October 26th, 2016 when a winner will be selected via random drawing. This is an international giveaway, so anyone who buys Mixing It Up within the allotted time frame is eligible to win. Good luck!

Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: October 19, 2016

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance 

Goodreads blurb: 

Step inside a beautiful winter wonderland where love, laughter and cosy nights by the fire will make this Christmas one to remember. 

Neve Whitaker loves managing the Stardust Lake hotel. She gets to work alongside her wonderful family and she’s spending Christmas on the most enchanting, snow-covered island in Scotland. So why is her heart so heavy this festive season? 

It might have something to do with the gorgeous actor Oakley Rey, the man she finished with before he left for California and the man she loves more than anything. With Oakley’s career in Hollywood soaring, Neve is convinced she’d only hold him back. She had to end it with him – at least that’s what she keeps telling herself. 

But now she has a secret she’s struggling to keep, and when Oakley arrives on Juniper Island determined to win her back, Neve is thrown off balance. Will Neve’s fear of having her heart broken again push Oakley away for good, or is it time for her to take a leap of faith? 

Get swept away by this deliciously sweet and heartwarming tale, and spend an unforgettable Christmas on Juniper Island. 

Review: 

I confessed in my review of the first book in this series, Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky that I’m a Christmas junkie and I couldn’t wait to revisit this lovely and enchanting town again! I may have even liked this one a bit better than the first though they’re equally charming and romantic, this book just has a bit more drama and secrecy than the first.

This book picks up right where the first one left off, Neve is shocked by the sudden, unannounced appearance of her ex boyfriend, Oakley who also happens to be a huge Hollywood movie star. Things between them are immediately complicated and muddled up though it’s clear they’re still madly in love with each other. While the first book focused mostly on the love story between Gabe and Piper love is in the air for many of the residents of Juniper Island this time around. Adam, the new assistant manager of the hotel begins a tentative relationship with one of the shop workers Ivy, and we are even shown brief glimpses of Luke (Neve and Gabe’s brother) and Andrea as they fall in love. All of them must sort through various problems and issues as they take a chance on love. And one of my favorites little Wren is back and she’s just as unabashedly honest and hilarious as she was in the first book.

No one writes a Christmas book quite as beautifully as Martin does, she captures the magic of Christmas and she made me feel like a young child again, I was so enraptured by this extraordinary town. I’m going to go ahead and dub her the Queen of the Romantic Christmas novel! Just look at that cover, doesn’t it make you want to crawl right inside? I’m actually trying to talk myself out of decorating my house for Christmas because if I actually do that in October my husband may think I’ve finally gone and lost my mind! Pick this one up for a feel good, funny, warm and cozy read that will make you sigh with happiness and contentment by the end.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: October 20, 2016

Publisher: Avon UK

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Goodreads blurb:

The Queen of Grip-lit is back…

‘A terrific story, originally told. All hail the new Queen of Crime!’ HEAT

‘A web of a plot that twists and turns and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. This formidable debut is a page-turner, but don’t read it before bed if you’re easily spooked!’ SUN

EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW IS A LIE…

Can you keep a secret? Your life depends on it…

Bridget Reid has a secret, one that could get her killed… If she can escape the man who is keeping her locked in a basement bedroom.

DS Imogen Grey is good at keeping secrets – truths she’d never reveal to her colleagues at Exeter Police. She worked hard to get where she is – she nearly died for it. Now her past is catching up with her…

As DS Grey and her partner DS Adrian Miles search for Bridget, they uncover a terrifying web of abuse, betrayal and murder. And they realise that some secrets are better left buried… 

Review: 

I have to start this review by admitting that I didn’t read the first book in this series, The Teacher. In the past, I would never read a series out of order, but within the past few months, I’ve stopped caring. I feel like I would miss out on too many great books if I skipped book four in a series because I didn’t read the first three. It’s been working out pretty well for me so far, but I think this time I may have screwed up by not reading book one first. Whoops.

It all begins with Bridget Reid, a woman who has found herself in a terrifying situation. She’s been abducted by a man and she’s being held captive. Nothing makes sense to her though, she’s pretty well taken care of, but why can’t she remember anything day to day? And is everything she is witnessing real or is she cracking up? 

Imogen Grey and Adrian Miles are the officers assigned to Bridget’s case. Portions of the book are told from Bridget’s point of view and there are also sections told from both Grey’s and Miles perspectives. I really liked the two of them as partners, they’re jaded and struggle with their own morality which made them relatable and interesting. There are flashbacks to Grey’s life two years ago when she worked in Plymouth and she’s now in Exeter. At first, I had no idea why we were being told about old events, but soon it all makes sense and things converge beautifully. There are also parts told from a young unknown boy that added a real chill to the story. His chapters were told in such a dispassionate and cold manner that I actually got goosebumps a few times!

This was so close to being a five star read for me, it had so many aspects I loved. There were gory and gruesome crime scenes, secrets and betrayals, well written characters, and plenty of mystery. The problem I had here was that the middle dragged for me. With so many viewpoints and timeframes, I found myself a little confused. I kept mixing up details about the case from two years prior and the current one. For those of you who read The Teacher, do you think I would’ve been less confused if I started there? I’m really wondering if it was just me?

I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of mysteries and thrillers. Diamond really did an excellent job merging all the various storylines and plotted them all together tidily. The ending was left wide open, I can only assume that there will be a third book in the series and I will definitely be checking it out. I really think maybe I need to find time to go back and read book one, maybe I can bump my rating up? 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Avon UK for my copy, this review is my thanks to them.

Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: October 20, 2016

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Crime Fiction/Mystery/Thriller

Goodreads blurb: 

Beneath the water the body sank rapidly. She would lie still and undisturbed for many years but above her on dry land, the nightmare was just beginning. 

When Detective Erika Foster receives a tip-off that key evidence for a major narcotics case was stashed in a disused quarry on the outskirts of London, she orders for it to be searched. From the thick sludge the drugs are recovered, but so is the skeleton of a young child. 

The remains are quickly identified as seven-year-old Jessica Collins. The missing girl who made headline news twenty-six years ago. 

As Erika tries to piece together new evidence with the old, she must dig deeper and find out more about the fractured Collins family and the original detective, Amanda Baker. A woman plagued by her failure to find Jessica. Erika soon realises this is going to be one of the most complex and demanding cases she has ever taken on. 

Is the suspect someone close to home? Someone is keeping secrets. Someone who doesn’t want this case solved. And they’ll do anything to stop Erika from finding the truth. 

From the million-copy bestselling author of The Girl in the Ice and The Night Stalker, comes the third heart-stopping book in the Detective Erika Foster series.

Review:

I have to start by saying that for everyone that has been anxiously awaiting the newest book in Bryndza’s Detective Erika Foster series, the wait has been well worth it. He’s done it again folks,this one has everything fans crave and more. The only question that I have now is, when is book four coming? Fingers crossed for early 2017!

Jessica Collins disappeared twenty six years ago when she was just seven years old. My daughter is the same age and imagining what her poor parents went through when she went missing broke my heart. And then to still not have any answers all these years later? Unfathomable. But now DCI Foster has fought to lead the investigation and she is tenacious and determined to finally solve Jessica’s case and bring some peace to her family.

This case is beyond cold, and with very little in the way of leads, Foster has her work cut out for her. It’s soon apparent that someone is trying to thwart the investigation at any cost. But who could this person possibly be? And why are they willing to take such extreme measures to ensure that old secrets stay buried? Trust me when I say that these measures are extreme and chilling.

Jessica’s family was completely shattered by her disappearance. Her mother is barely hanging on by a thread, her father is oblivious, her older sister is skittish and fragile, and her younger brother barely remembers Jessica and is the sole member of the family who has remained relatively unscathed. Someone is playing a deadly game with the Collins family and DCI Foster and the clock is ticking.

This book had a slow and simmering burn feeling to it although the chapters are brief and the pacing is spot on. Part of why I love crime fiction is that you get a behind the scenes look as to how police officers begin to untangle a case, and this one is a whopper. Seeing Erika interact with both parts of her old team and new members was a treat and I liked seeing her next to her family as well. It showed a different side to her other than her work personality which is often bristly, abrasive and sometimes downright bitchy. 

The twists here are well thought out and there are plenty diversionary tactics used to keep the reader on their toes. When all was revealed, I was totally gut punched. The truth is heartbreaking and emotional in a way that knocked me off of my feet. In many ways this was a senseless tragedy that managed to change and effect the lives of so many people. I must stop there before I go and reveal major plot points, but this one was a winner and  one that I feel will stay with me for quite some time.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my copy in exchange for an honest review.