Nobody But Us by Laure Van Rensburg

 

Steven Harding is a handsome, well-respected professor. Ellie Masterson is a wide-eyed young college student. Together, they are driving south from New York, for their first holiday: three days in an isolated cabin, far from the city.

Ahead of them, the promise of long, dark nights - and the chance to explore one another's bodies, away from disapproving eyes. It should be a perfect, romantic trip for two.

Except that he's not who he says he is. But then again, neither is she…

I was really excited to be on the tour for this one, I went into it not knowing much about the book, or the storyline really, and I’m glad I did! 

This book was, as I described it immediately after finishing, bat-shit crazy. I don’t even want to go into too much about it here as to spoil anything for anyone, but the twists and turns this one takes is mental. Two liars, a remote cabin, no phone signal, no neighbors, and a lot of secrets… what could go wrong!

If you like psychological thrillers with a bit of blood and gore too, I would recommend you check this one out!

Thanks so much to Penguin Random House for my gifted physical copy of this book, and for asking me to be on the tour. 

BLOG TOUR - Wild Fires by Sophie Jai

Grief is like an inside joke: you have to have been there to really get it.

The only things Cassandra knows about her family are the stories she's heard in snatches over the years: about the aunt and cousin she never got to meet, about the man from the folded-up photograph in one of her aunt's drawers, and of course about her cousin Chevy, and why he never speaks - but no one utters a word about them any more.

When a call from one of her sisters brings Cassandra news of Chevy's death, she has to return home for the funeral. To Toronto and the big house on Florence Street, where her sisters are hiding more than themselves in their rooms, where the tension brewing between her mother and aunts has been decades in the making, and where sooner or later every secret, unspoken word and painful memory will find its way out into the open.

Moving between Toronto and Trinidad, Wild Fires is a vivid and compelling story exploring the ways we mourn and why we avoid the very things that can save us.

I was very excited to be on the tour for Wild Fires, and love the beautiful physical copy HarperCollins sent me.

Wild Fires is a story of grief, it delves so deep into how grief and death effect everyone differently. I loved the character Cass, and I loved her mother. What a character her mother was! I did laugh out loud at a couple of phrases she used, I could picture her perfectly in my head. Big, headstrong, no nonsense woman, who wouldn’t be afraid to smack you round the head if you were cheeky.

Cassandra’s family seemed so shrouded in mystery and secrets, and I loved figuring things out from the past. I particularly enjoyed the parts which went back to the past, to Trinidad, when the aunts were young, getting jobs, meeting boys etc. The sound of the fresh food in the store, the colours and the heat. Made me want to be there. 

I think you’d like this book, it stays with you for a while after. Try it. 

Thanks again to HarperCollins for letting me join the tour, and the book. And of course to Sophie Jai for writing it.

BLOG TOUR! The Housemaid by Sarah Denzil

It seems like the perfect job. Great wages, accommodation provided, and all located within the walls of Highwood Hall, a stunning stately home owned by the Howard family. Not many little girls dream of becoming a maid, but this is an opportunity for me to get back on my feet. And for me to revisit my past...

But I soon realise I’ve made a mistake. The strict housekeeper, Mrs Huxley, watches my every move, emerging from the shadows when least expected. Lord Howard’s son, Alex, takes an interest in me, and as a former addict, I find myself drawn to him because I know he’s bad for me. There’s a general atmosphere of unease at Highwood Hall, from the narrow tunnels laced throughout the sprawling house, to the abandoned north wing, rumoured to be haunted. It’s easy to imagine the secrets hidden within these walls, like the secrets I hold close.

On my first day, I receive a mysterious package. I open up the pretty gift box to find a miniature doll version of me trapped inside a dollhouse. In this scene I’m dead, lying in a pool of red paint at the bottom of the perfectly recreated staircase. Someone sent this threatening diorama to me, but who even knows I work at the hall? And what do they want?

I know only one truth: my perfect job is turning into my perfect nightmare.

Thanks to Instabooktours for including me on the tour and my e-arc, and thank to Sarah Denzil for my gorgeous signed book. I was really up for reading and reviewing this book when I found out there was to be a tour. 

This book is brilliant. It’s totally not what I expected. I’m not sure how much I’m going to be able to say without giving anything away!! So we start seeing the housemaid on her way to Highwood Hall for an interview. Mrs Huxley the housekeeper, immediately seems to take a dislike to her, but she has no idea why. 

Mrs Huxley reminded me of the housekeeper from Downton Abbey, Mrs Hughes, so I couldn’t get her voice out of my head while reading it! But she was a great character I thought, very grumpy, stern and proper, but I loved it! I loved the secrets and hush-hush stuff that was obviously known by certain people, and I was guessing left right and centre as to what was going on. By the end I realised I hadn’t a clue and was left reeling with the shock of it all!

The housemaid lets us know little things about her life, we read pieces of letters from her mother to her father, and learn things about her past and why she wants to be at Highwood Hall so bad. I liked her, I liked her character and her voice. Alex, I wasn’t sure what to think. He seemed very domineering, a man with a Christian Grey demeanour, ‘do what I say or else’ kind of thing.

It’s a great read, I devoured most of it in one day. I would definitely recommend this if you like thriller/mysteries with a little difference.

Thanks again to Instabooktours and Sarah Denzil.

Blog tour: Damage by Caitlin Wahrer

 

Tony has always looked out for his younger brother, Nick. So when he is called to a hospital bed where Nick is lying buttered and bruised after a violent sexual assault, his protective instincts flare and a white-hot rage begins to build.

As a small-town New England lawyer, Tony’s wife, Julia, has cases involving kids all the time. When Detective Rice gets assigned to this one, Julia feels Nick is in good hands. Especially because she senses that Rice, too, understands how things can quickly get complicated. Very complicated.

 

After all, one moment Nick was having a drink with a handsome stranger; the next, he was at the center of an investigation threatening to tear not only him but his entire family apart. And now his attacker, out on bail, is disputing Nick’s version of what happened.

As Julia tries to help her brother-in-law, she sees Tony’s desire for revenge—to fix things for Nick—getting out of control. Tony is starting to scare her. And before long, she finds herself asking: Does she really know what her husband is capable of?  Or of what she herself is?

I was so happy to be asked to be on the blog tour for Caitlin’s book. I read this book a little while back on Netgalley and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for my e-arc and my gorgeous physical proof! Make sure o check out the last few blogs on the tour!! 

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure where it was going to go and it took a few turns before it got to the end, this was a good thing as it kept me guessing for a while! 

The story is told from a few different points of view. There is Nick, Tony, Julia and Detective Rice. I really felt for Nick the whole way through the story. The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the male sexual assault storyline, it’s not something I think I remember reading in a book before. So this piqued my interest. Poor Nick, the trauma he endured and was going through afterwards was awful and my heart really went out to him.

Julia I liked, she is a strong woman and knows what she wants. She is Tony’s wife, and Nicks sister in law. Tony was a strange one. I liked his character and the caring nature behind him, but he was easy to snap. I can’t imagine I wouldn’t feel the same though, so I understand his anger and frustration. Detective Rice was one to figure out too, he seems sneaky and underhanded. 

The story has so much hurt in it, sadness and love. It digs deep into relationships with marriage and family. I’d definitely read more from his author.

Thank again to Penguin Michael Joseph, and Caitlin Wahrer for my early copy of the book!

Blog Tour! In Other Words by Mainspring Arts

 

I was happy to be included on the blog tour for this book, especially since stories written about or by people with Autism intrigue me a lot. I have 2 children who have Autism and I love being in their world and seeing jus how great they do. I’m only half way through this book, there are 8 stories and I have read 4 so far. The stories ar good though, well written, and have underlying meanings which you feel coming through.

I wish this book and the authors all the best success! Thanks to Random Things Tours for including me and my fab gifted proof.

In Other Words by Mainspring Arts

– Features a foreword by David Mitchell (Bone Clocks, Cloud Atlas) and an introduction by Joanne Limburg (Small Pieces).

– Highlights remarkable works of fiction by autistic writers and addresses the gap in their representation – and in doing so blurs the border between the imagination, creativity and neuro-atypicality.

– For fans of The Reason I Jump, Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 (Naoki Higashida, tr. David Mitchell).

A shift in the nature of light reveals an eighth colour in the visible spectrum. A boy befriends the last tree in the natural world. A single mother finds help at the darkest point of her life. A young man finds himself trapped in a university overrun by crows.

These stories and more form In Other Words, an anthology as diverse as the writers themselves. Some cover trauma, societal issues and stigma; others offer fragments of hope and light. Some reach back in time while others transport us to another dimension altogether. There is heartbreak, wit, humour, poignancy and above all a mastery of the imagination.

What these transcendent stories share is that they were created by autistic writers, people often dismissed as unimaginative or incapable of creativity – a myth that has persisted for generations. This collection hopes to shatter those stereotypes, those misconceptions and misunderstandings, and the perception that one must be neurotypical to be afforded a voice in the arts.

EDITOR DETAILS

Mainspring Arts, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to making the arts inclusive, diverse, and accessible to all, was founded in 2015 by Katya Balen and Miranda Prag. They were frustrated by the lack of diversity in the arts, where neurotypical and non-disabled actors or writers frequently assume the roles or voices of neurodivergent people, or those with disabilities. Katya and Miranda believe those people should be able to tell their own stories, and Mainspring Arts exists to help them do it. @mainspring_arts

BLOG TOUR The Island Home by Libby Page

 

Lorna's world is small but safe.

She loves her daughter, and the two of them is all that matters. But after nearly twenty years, she and Ella are suddenly leaving London for the Isle of Kip, the tiny remote Scottish island where Lorna grew up.

Alice's world is tiny but full.

She loves the community on Kip, her yoga classes drawing women across the tiny island together. Now Lorna's arrival might help their family finally mend itself - even if forgiveness means returning to the past...

So with two decades, hundreds of miles and a lifetime's worth of secrets between Lorna and the island, can coming home mean starting again?

I was delighted when I was asked to be on the blog tour for this one, I’ve not read any of Libby’s work before but this one has been on my radar for a while. Thank you to Orion Books for my beautiful gifted copy.

So this book was just so good. I devoured it over a few days, reading pretty much the second half in one go. The book is old from two peoples perspectives: Lorna and Alice. Lorna and her daughter Ella live in London, they don’t have many friends, and no family so to speak. Lornas family all live on the Isle of Kip, and they haven’t spoken in around 20 years since she left. But a bereavement takes her and Ella to Kip for a trip and a funeral. Things are tense as she meets her brother again for the first time in years, meets his wife Alice and their daughter Molly for the first time ever. 

The island sounded amazing. It makes me want to pack up and move to a little island myself! The way Libby describes it made it so easy to picture in our mind while reading. The interchanging weather, they sound of the sea, the smell of the salty air. It just sounded beautiful. And the community there, they’re all so friendly, they all know each other and help out with whatever needs to be done! It just sounds ideal doesn’t it.

I loved both of the main characters, Lorna and Alice are so different, but fit together so well. Alice seems very sweet and eager to help out anyone, Lorna sounded quite level headed and knew when to make herself heard. I liked Jack,  Lornas brother and Alices husband. The relationship between the siblings was strained, and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with them, but there were little things throughout that showed the ways they did love each other, memories from being younger.

The book does go into detail of why Lorna left and never kept in touch with anyone, and I wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I will say no more as to not spoil it!

I loved this book, I do hope Libby writes. Sequel as I’d love to know what happens next and how the lives of both families move on.

WWW Wednesday 23.6.21

Welcome back!

Today I have another WWW Wednesday, it’s been 2 weeks since my last one so lets see what I’ve been reading. WWW is a meme hosted by Taking On A World of Worlds, and ask 3 questions: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading? 

I’m currently reading one book, I’ve only read the introduction so far. It’s called In Other Words and its by Mainspring Arts. It’s a collection of 8 short stories all written by people who have Autism. It looks really interesting. Look out for my blog tour stop on July 2nd.

What did you recently finish reading? 

Since last time I’ve finished 3 books. I finished our Tsundoku Squad June read, The Tattoo Thief by Alison Belasham. Look out for my review on Monday! I read A girl Made of air by Nydia Hetherington, which was amazing by the way. If you haven’t read it, and like books based on the circus, you really should grab yourself a copy. I also yesterday finished The Island Home by Libby Page for a blog tour stop on June 30th. It was just brilliant, you will love it I’m sure!

What do you think you’ll read next?

I think next I will maybe move to Heidi Swains next book on my list which is Mince pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market. I know it’s a Christmas book, but I don’t care haha. Also I have The Housemaid by Sarah Denzil for a blog tour on July 20th so I will get that read soon too and get my review written straight down. Sarah was kind enough to send me a signed copy of the book too so that’s very lovely.

Hope you enjoyed reading about my lates fortnight of reading, and hope there are some books here that take your fancy! If I’ve inspired you with anything let me know!

BLOG TOUR! The Murderess by Ivan Jenson

30% of murders in the US go unsolved.

Becca Garner hopes her lover's is one of them.

Because she found him.

He bequeathed her a million dollars.

She's married.

And so is he.

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher Dark Edge Press in return for an honest review and a spot on the blog tour! Thanks to Random Things Tours for inviting me!

This book is a good quick read. I enjoyed it, and was waiting to find out what happened to Becca’s lover! We see Becca quite blatantly sleeping with other men, with her husband and teenage daughters at home unaware of what she is doing. But when she finds her sugar daddy (or Grandad maybe, he’s old) dead in the hotel bath, and she can’t remember a thing from the night before, things have changed.

A good book of mystery and I was itching to know what happened. I’d recommend it and gave it 3 and half stars.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murderess-Ivan-Jenson-ebook/dp/B08Z475FVG/

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

Author Information at: www.ivanjenson.com

 

Twitter @IvanJenson

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.

The Fractured Globe by Angela Fish

 

Nature? Nurture? Or just plain luck?

Single mums, Tia and Kay, meet when their sons are born on the same day.

Tia is a product of the welfare system but wants a better life for her son. Her entrapment by her manipulative and controlling boyfriend in the world of drink, drugs, crime and enforced prostitution suggests otherwise. Is she a ‘born devil’ or can she change and break free?

Kay comes from a stable home but sacrifices it all, initially, to live her own kind of life.

Overshadowed by betrayals, mistakes, regrets, and the mystery of an abandoned child, their paths – and those of their families – run parallel or criss-cross over twenty-five years.

Can determination and the power of the snow globe offer a chance of happiness?

I was exited to be part of this blog tour and read The Fractured Globe. It is a different book to what I’ve read before, laid out over 25 years and each chapter is a different year. Each chapter is broken down into parts and each part is told from a different point of view. It’s full of close calls, near misses, and a lot of intertwined stories.

Tia and Kay are the main characters, I liked them both and felt so sorry for them for different reasons. Kay’s character was the more sensible of the 2, but still has had troubles and is struggling to find her feet living alone with a newborn baby. Tia has lived a life full of trouble, abuse and more. My heart went out to her massively, and poor baby Luke had no idea what a normal life and family was.

There is a strong storyline of physical, sexual and mental abuse, and drug and alcohol addiction in the book, so be warned before you read it if these are triggers. At times I did feel it was a bit much, but it added to how bad things can be and how easy it is for someone in that position to find themselves not being able to get out of it. 

It was strange to see the differences between the girls lives, as they grew up and the boys grew up, how one hing can turn your life around in either a good way or bad way. The story does pan 25 years so we see big changes in a small amount of words if that makes sense. I do think the book could have been a little longer and put more in, but it worked. It was nice to see the boys growing up and not only be focused on them as babies.

There was one thing which bugged me a little and that was how many times people saw someone but couldn’t place where they recognised them. Like one of the girls would see a family member down the street and not be able to place where they know them from. Apart from that I thought this was a really good story and I finished the last 70% in almost a day.

Thanks for asking me to join in on the tour and as always thank you for the advanced e-copy for review.

About Angela Fish: Angela worked in medical research, electronic and electrical engineering, and administration. In her mid-thirties, she decided to change direction and returned to university to study Humanities, specialising in Literature and Creative Writing. She then completed an MPhil (Literature) focussing on how women writers in Wales, between 1850 and 1950, portrayed their female characters. Following this, Angela joined the staff the University of Glamorgan where, in 2000, she set up and directed The Wales Centre for Intergenerational Practice. As well as providing training and advice, she worked with local schools and communities, over a period of ten years, to improve communication between the generations. She has been in demand, nationally and internationally, as a conference presenter and an invited speaker in her field.  

 

Her publications include non-fiction, short stories, poetry, and fiction for children. The Fractured Globe is her first full-length novel and explores the nature/nurture question through the lives of two single mums, their sons, and families, over twenty-five years. This debate, together with an interest in mythology and magic, has significantly influenced her writing.

 

Angela is a member of The Society of Authors [SoA], and the SoA Children's Writers and Illustrators Group.

 

She lives in south Wales.

 

 

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/angelaEfish

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AngelaFishAuthor

Website: www.angela-fish.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Angela-Fish/e/B01MPXRE8F?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14428605.Angela_Fish?from_search=true&from_srp=true

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/uthors/angela-fish

 

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/3iLhPRl

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/39Y9JAP

 

 

Publishing Information:

Published in paperback and digital formats by Darkstroke Books on 3rd December 2020

You can find Damp Pebbles on Twitter @damppebbles. Instagram @damppebbles, Facebook @damppebblesblogtours