Thursday, May 27, 2021

Don’t Let Him In by Howard Linskey

Eriston is a small town.

It's the kind of place where everyone knows your name - and your secrets.


Rebecca hasn't been back in years, but she grew up in the shadow of the dark local legend. There have always been deaths in Eriston - more than can easily be explained. People dying in their houses, behind locked doors.


Her father Sean had always warned her of the dangers. Don't let him in.


When Rebecca returns, she discovers that her father wasn't willing to let the legend lie. He was on the verge of uncovering the town's darkest truth.


He thought he was on the trail of a killer.

Sean knew too much. Now he's dead.


Rebecca could accept her father's death.

Or she could risk her life by carrying on his work . . .




I received a copy of this book from the publisher Penguin Michael Joseph in return for an honest review.


I got right into this book. I loved the fact that it’s set up North near my home town of Newcastle, and it mentions loads of places I know. It’s actually set in the fictional (I think) town of Ericsson, just outside of Newcastle on the coast. 


Rebecca’s dad dies, and she returns home to sort out his funeral etc. But gets more than she bargained for when she finds what he’s been up to. 


I really enjoyed this. It grabs your attention and makes you wonder who the killer is. There are a few choices and I didn’t guess correctly. I liked the way the book moves between the story and letters from the killer to Rebecca, that put an interesting spin on it. The book also stays in the present with no chapters moving to the past. I did like the little nods back to when Rebecca was younger though.


I would definitely recommend this book, and I would read more of the authors work. A good thriller, fast paced and gripping.


Thanks again to Penguin Michael Joseph for my e-arc.




Wednesday, May 26, 2021

WWW Wednesday 26.5.21

 Today we have another WWW Wednesday. I haven’t read much lately at all so this one won’t be very different from last weeks.


WWW is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Worlds and asks 3 questions. What are you currently reading? What have you recently finished reading? What do you think you’ll read next?


What are you currently reading?

I currently have one book on the go and that is still Summer at Skylark Farm by Heidi Swain. I’m really enjoying it I just haven’t read much this last week.

What have you recently finished?

I finished out Tsundoku Squad May book of Lace by Shirley Conran. It was a strange one, look out for my review next week!

What do you think you’ll read next?

Next I will stay the same with The Twenty Seven Club by Lucy Nichol, Famished by Anna Vaught, and have added The Tattoo Thief by Alison Belsham as that is Tsundoku Squads June book.


Thanks for stopping by, hopefully I will get more reading done this week! 

 

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

WWW Wednesday 19.5.21

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done a WWW Wednesday post, so this one will be for the last 3 Wednesdays!

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Worlds and asks 3 questions:

What are you currently reading? What have you recently finished? What do you think you’ll read next?


What are you currently reading? 

I’m reading 2 book at the minute. Our book group are reading Lace this month by Shirley Conrad, and so far we have read 3 parts (we split it into 5 this time as it’s so big), and it’s causing quite a stir. Lots of controversial topics and we are having good discussions about it. I’m also reading Heidi Swains Summer at Skylark Farm and loving it.  She is getting to be my new favourite author.



What have you recently finished?

Since this is for the last few weeks, I have finished 4 books. I read The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain, The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, The Murderess by Ivan Jenson and Don’t let Him in by Howard Linskey. The first 3 were blog tour books.



What do you think you’ll read next?

I think next I will move onto The Twenty Seven Cub by Lucy Nichol which is a Netgalley read, and Famished by Anna Vaught which is a collection of short stories.




Thanks for stopping by, sorry it’s been so long!! Until next time :)






Monday, May 17, 2021

Summer Reading Challenges

 This year I’m taking part in a lot of challenges , 21 in 2021 x 2, 12 friends 12 books, A-Z 2021. But I’ve decided to add 2 more into the mix! I was pointed towards these on Twitter and they look fab. See below for details and where to find them, and how to join in of course! I’m crossing them over a little and adding some of the Netgalley ones to the Books of Summer challenge, kill two birds with one stone!



20 Books of Summer
hosted by Cathy Brown over at https://746books.com/

You can find her on Twitter at @cathy746book and Instagram at @cathy_746books

The rules are simple, read and share! There are photo logos for 10/15/20 books of summer. The challenge runs from 1st June to 31st September.

Check it all out and sign up here:

https://746books.com/2021/05/08/20-books-of-summer-21-share-your-sign-up-posts/

Here is my 20 books of Summer list!

☀ Victoria Park by Gemma Reeves

☀ Big Girl Small Town by Michelle Gallen

☀To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

☀ Because Of You by Dawn French

☀ The Push by Ashley Audrain

☀Ghosts by Dolly Alderton

☀ Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market by Heidi Swain

☀ The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury

☀ The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

☀ The Island Home by Libby Page

☀ Dog Days by Ericka Waller

☀ A Girl Made of Air by Nydia Hetherington

☀ The Young Team by Graeme Armstrong

☀ The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Rofley

☀ The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird

☀ Hostage by Clare Mackintosh

☀ The Puppet Show by M.W Craven

☀ Meet Me In Another Life by Catriona Silvey

☀ The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain

☀ Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie






2021 Summer Netgalley Challenge 

hosted by Bookstacks and Golden Moms over at https://bookstacksngoldenmoms.com/

Find them on Twitter at @BookstacksMoms and Instagram at @bookstacksngoldenmoms

The goal is to get through as much of your Netgalley shelf as you can, and lower that ratio!! The challenge runs from June 1st - Aug 31st. Check out the post here:

https://bookstacksngoldenmoms.com/summer-netgalley-challenge/

And remember to use the hashtag #bookstacksnetgalleysummer21 


Here is my 2021 Summer Netgalley Challenge list!



☀ The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

☀ The Long Long Afternoon by Inga Vesper

☀ The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox

☀ Dog Days by Ericka Waller

☀ The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson

☀ The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain

☀ The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird

☀ The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Davila Harris


☀ The Last Goodbye by Fiona Lucas

☀ Lie Beside Me by Gytha Lodge

☀ The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr

☀ The Spiral by Iain Ryan

☀ Tall Bones by Anna Bailey

☀ Where We Belong by Anstey Harris

☀ Madam by Phoebe Wynne

☀ Dear Child by only Hausmann

☀ The Thing Place by C.D. Major

☀ Ruthless Women by Melanie Blake

☀ The Wild Girls by Phoebe Morgan

☀ The Coffin Makers Garden by Stuart Macbride

☀ Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey

☀ Hostage by Clare Mackintosh 

☀ Five Strangers by E.V. Adamson

☀ The Blood Divide by A.A Dhan

☀ The Pasenger by Daniel Hurst

☀ Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie

☀ The Island Home by Libby Page

☀ Unbreak Your Heart by Kate Marsh

☀ Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian

☀ This Fragile Earth by Susannah Wise


Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Blog Tour!! The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain

 


He jumped to his death in front of witnesses. Now his wife is charged with murder.

Five years ago, Erin Kennedy moved to New York following a family tragedy. She now lives happily with her detective husband in the scenic seaside town of Newport, Long Island. When Erin answers the door to Danny's police colleagues one morning, it's the start of an ordinary day. But behind her, Danny walks to the window of their fourth-floor apartment and jumps to his death.


Eighteen months later, Erin is in court, charged with her husband's murder. Over that year and a half, Erin has learned things about Danny she could never have imagined. She thought he was perfect. She thought their life was perfect.


But it was all built on the perfect lie.





I was happy to join on the blog tour for this one!


I read the book over maybe 4 days. The good thing is this book keeps you guessing, right until the end. There was so many confusing moments which had me baffled, but it all comes right at the end with a few things I never seen.


I liked Erin’s character, but not many of the others made a massive impression on me. Actually, I liked Erins lawyer, she seemed quite the bad ass! But yeah Erin was a well written character and was someone you think you could get to know in real life. 


The book was good, I gave it 3.5/4 stars as the husband death storyline was the main thing that kept me interested, the background stories I wasn’t too invested in. But like I said it did keep me reading as I needed to know what happened!


Thanks to Quercus books for my advanced Ebook for review.





BLOG TOUR! The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave


IT WAS THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME: PROTECT HER

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle a note to his new wife, Hannah: protect her. Hannah knows exactly who Owen needs her to protect - his sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. And who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As her increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, his boss is arrested for fraud and the police start questioning her, Hannah realises that her husband isn't who he said he was. And that Bailey might hold the key to discovering Owen's true identity, and why he disappeared. Together they set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen's past, they soon realise that their lives will never be the same again…


I was very happy to join in the blog tour for this!!!

I really enjoyed this book, the story kept me interested, and I really wanted to know what happened to Owen. I felt really bad for Hannah and Owen’s daughter Bailey. I can’t imagine waking up to find your husband is gone, with no other explanation except a note saying ‘Protect Her’. This had me intrigued as to why he would leave his wife and daughter, unless he was in serious trouble. And what did he mean by protect her? Protect her from what? Or who?

We see and feel how Bailey feels about Hannah, and it’s understandable when a new woman comes along and takes away the only parent you have. I felt for her, I really did. But it was lovely to see the relationship between step mother and step daughter grow, and yet still have it’s problems.

The book passes between now, and Hannah and Owens past, where we see how they met and how their married life started. We get small clues as to what May have happened in the past, and why Owen has hidden things from his wife. 

A great book with a great storyline, I was hooked to the end. I’d definitely recommend this one. 4 - 4.5 stars for me!

Thank you to Viper books for my advanced ebook for review




 Reviews:

 

'I adored this beautifully written thriller' - JO SPAIN

'A massive page-turner, really gripping' - LAURA MARSHALL

'Exactly what you want from a thriller' - C.J. SKUSE

'It literally grabs hold of you and runs' - EMMA CURTIS

'Dizzying suspense and gorgeous prose' - RILEY SAGER

 


Author Bio:

Laura Dave is the national and international bestselling author of Eight Hundred Grapes and other novels. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times; O, Oprah Magazine; Ladies' Home Journal; Glamour; Redbook; Self; and the New York Observer. She resides with her family in Santa Monica.

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

April Wrap Up!

 I forgot to post my April wrap up here!I did post to my Instagram though but I wanted to do a blog post too.

I read 11 books in April which I was very impressed with. Here they are:

The Iron Man by Ted Hughes ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

All Girl by Emily Layden ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Forget Me Not by Alex Garin ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This Is How We Are Human by Louise Beech ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth MacNeal ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Many Different Kinds of Love by Michael Rosen ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Cockfight by Maria Ampuero Garcia ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Boys Don’t Cry by Fiona Scarlett ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

The Cherry Tree Cafe by Heidi Swain ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐


Have you read any of these? What did you think of them? Thanks for stopping by!








Monday, May 3, 2021

The Cherry Tree Cafe by Heidi Swain

Cupcakes, crafting and love at The Cherry Tree Cafe... Perfect feel-good summer reading for fans of Great British Bake-Off 

Lizzie Dixon's life feels as though it's fallen apart. Instead of the marriage proposal she was hoping for from her boyfriend, she is unceremoniously dumped, and her job is about to go the same way. So, there's only one option: to go back home to the village she grew up in and to try to start again.


Her best friend Jemma is delighted Lizzie has come back home as she has just bought a little cafe and Lizzie's sewing skills are just what she needs to help get it ready for the grand opening.


With a new venture and a new home, things are looking much brighter for Lizzie. But can she get over her broken heart, and will an old flame reignite a love from long ago...?





Seeing as I absolutely adored Heidi’s latest book (A Taste of Home), which I read an advanced copy of on Netgalley, I thought I should go to the start and read her books properly. Boy I’m glad I did. The Cherry Tree Cafe is Heidi’s first story and is set in the lovely town of Wynbridge. Lizzie lives in London with her very rich and well known beau, who surprisingly dumps her to marry his ex!! Yeah he’s a bit of an ass. Lizzie makes the choice to go back home to Wynbridge and stay with her lifelong friend Jemma, Jemma’s husband Tom and their young daughter Ella. 


You are pulled into the quiet and homeliness of Wynbridge, and especially when we start to visit the cafe, being done up ready for opening. Lizzie seems right at home helping with the sewing at the cafe, starting to teach people. I can imagine the bunting all over town, pastel colours, very spring and summery. I loved Lizzie. Did I think she was sometimes going with her heart rather than her head? Yes. But did I get it? Indeed I did. I really liked Lizzie and Jemmas friendship, the kind that blossoms from being young kids, to being there whenever one needs the other as adults. 


It’s just such a lovely story, with a few heartaches along the way, but plenty of smiles and laughs. It will warm your heart, and make you feel like you’ve found a new home and new friends.


I can’t wait to get stuck into book 2!!




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The Unmumsy Mum Diary by Sarah Turner