Gemma
Mia captures your heart in this fast pace, well written YA novel.
Mia has a hard life, living with her alcoholic mother and the many boyfriends that pass through Mia's front door. Mia has to fend for herself as well as become a carer when her mum comes home worse for wear on many occasions. Topped with the emotional abuse of unkind words spat to her by her mother Mia is in desperate need of escaping her unhappy reality. It is when Mia spots Flynn, a handsome stranger that Mia's life starts to change. Kitty weaves so many issues carefully into this novel; heartache, feeling of loss, terror, abuse, humour, body image, love, sex, alcoholism, inner strength and belonging. The story is full of action and mystery: who is the wolf and will he finally capture Mia?
Thank you to Gertrude. T. Kitty for a copy of your wonderful book, it was an absolute pleasure to read in return for my honest opinion. I will treasure my copy and urge all YA fans to grab a copy of this book.
This was a really quick read which would be the perfect holiday book. Essentially it is about a group of friends who meet up every 10 years for a high school reunion. During this year's reunion a body is found with three shot wounds in various places. Five are arrested for the murder. The murder weapon: an antique gun which was identified as the murder weapon when Christy, aged 17, died at a party. The second connecting factor the victim: Christy's uncle; location: the same house where Christy died all those years ago.
Can Cullen and his girlfriend Lori get to the bottom of this case and rescue his friends from the accusations or will one or more of them end up in jail?
An intriguing read, a host of colourful characters, covering issues of growing up, love, lust and accepting who you are.
Thank you to Acorn Publishing LLC for a copy of the book in return for an honest review and to Mike Murphey for an enjoyable read.
Two innocent children growing up alongside one another then divided by family conflict and trauma.
Peter and Kate's life couldn't be more different, the only things they have in common are the place where they live and their fathers' job. As the pair get older a tragedy occurs and the two soul mates find themselves separated. In the coming years they seek comfort in one another and are reunited but can the past stay in the past and can forgiveness and peace be made?
This was an interesting read delving into the themes of mental health, alcoholism, neglect, forgiveness, family and love. It was well written with credible characters. I loved the way Keane developed each of the characters and by the end made you question who were in fact the victims. I also loved how the title was revealed towards the end, this was a real ‘ahh' moment for me.
This would be a great book club book as it would spark lots of discussion, especially about the role each character had to play in the novel and the themes presented.
If you are a fan of the novel ‘Big, Little Lies' then you will love this. It's a story of female comradery, motherhood, power and fighting for justice.
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It begins with a death. Three witness statements reveal that an unknown person has jumped off of a building during the busy lunch rush. Chapter One then takes you back to two months prior to ‘The Day it began'. The CEO Desmond Bankhole is found dead one morning due to a heart attack. There is talk that Ames Garrett may take over the role of CEO. Although Ames is a married man, it is rumoured that he is a sexual predator and is placed on the BAD list (a list of male co workers to avoid). The novel follows four powerful, strong women as they try to fight for their right within the work place and protect others from the sexual harassment of the males surrounding them. ⠀⠀⠀
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There was a lot going on in this novel. Very up to date with lots of topical issues from the Me Too movement through to postpartum depression and gender equality. It was fast paced, cleverly written and oozing with ‘girl power'!
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A great book club choice 👍
Thank you to @netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for my copy in return for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book. A historical thriller with lots of Gothic elements. Two time spans connected by one family and a house: The Bridge.
It begins with a silent Mrs Bainbridge in an asylum, branded by others as a murderess. Her new doctor, Dr. Shepherd gives her writing material in order for her to communicate her story so that he can help her.
And so the story unfolds.
We see a recently widowed Mrs Bainbridge, pregnant and arriving in Fayford, a rundown village. Elsie is to reside at The Bridge, a home belonging to the Bainbridge family, along with her husband's cousin, Sarah and the handful of staff that work there. Strange noises and occurrences happen within the many rooms of The Bridge causing alarming events to take place. Haunted by the silent companions (cardboard life-sized cut outs) Elsie and Sarah know they must come to understand what they want. They are convinced the answers lie in Anne Bainbridge's diary who lived in the house in 1635.
The novel had a ghostly element to it which I loved. It reminded me of the novels Rebecca and The Woman in Black, both books I really enjoyed. The different time periods, Elsie Bainbridge 1865 and Anne Bainbridge 1635, gave the book a really intriguing feel and kept me hooked. I was desperate to find links between the two women and what had occurred to cast a shadow over the house. I was not disappointed when the stories unfolded. My predictions were wrong on several occasions which added to my enjoyment of the novel. I must say the ending confused me and left me wanting to ask lots of questions. This would be a perfect book club book which could lead to lots of discussion.
A 5 star book.
I love a good crime book and for me The Body in the Mist was exactly that.
Detective Inspector Jan Talantire is called out to an unlit country lane where a body has been found lying face down in the ditch. When sealing off the crime scene she finds human remains further up the road by the phone box and smeared on the tarmac; indications of a hit and run. With no ID on the body and a disfigured face, trying to identify the victim becomes a laborious task. DSI Craig Gillard receives a call from his two aunts in Barnstable asking for help, the car involved in the hit and run belongs to Barbara, one of the sister. There unfolds a web of deceit, family secrets and a cold case that needs solving.
Whist this is the third book in the DSI Craig Gillard series it can be read as a stand alone novel. I was hooked from the beginning. With alternating chapters, a host of colourful characters and two murders needing to be solved it kept you guessing till the end. And what an ending!
On a personal level I loved the setting. Having lived in Surrey most of my life and then moving to the West Country I really appreciated all the references to both locations, it brought the book alive for me and added to my enjoyment. I could really see this as part of a television crime drama. I will be recommending this book to others as well as reading the previous books in the series. Thank you to NetGallery and Canelo for my copy of this book.
Wow, this book silently takes you on a journey and then explodes with a loud bang when the realisation kicks in.
I did wonder what all the hype was around this book and I knew there was a shocking twist towards the end. But nothing could prepare me for it.
The book starts off with a murder and a conviction. The murderer is sentenced to a psychiatric unit and although remains silent is seen by Theo Faber, a psychotherapist. His main goal is to get her to talk.
I did wonder several times where the book was heading and what the significance was of all the people Theo interviewed in order to find out more about Alicia. Once the penny drops and you realise what happened on that fateful night you easily forget all the other elements within the book and just let those events consume your mind.
I do have loads of unanswered questions that I feel I need to discuss. This would be a perfect book club book.
Anna is the driver involved in an accident that kills two of her passengers and paralyses the third. Although it is not her fault she blames herself. And so it seems does someone else who starts leaving disturbing message for her.
Anna decides she needs to get away and moves to a remote part of Scotland. Unbeknownst to her her stalker follows...
An easy, engaging read which kept me guessing until the very end. I enjoyed the mixture of chapters which alternate between Anna, Mo (the other passenger who survives), Alex (Anna's ex boyfriend), Steve (the parents of one of the passengers that didn't survive) and the stalker.
Overall a good fast paced read. 👍
I found this book very disturbing at first. I hated the idea of women and girls being subjected to this kind of torture. My heart went out to the mothers who were helpless raising their girls.
I also got mad with the eldest son and the way he was behaving. I loved the fact that there was a secret society of men rebelling in secret with their triple blinks and thank goodness for them.
To be fair I got a bit bored during the last section of the novel when they were in the lab and it became clear there were three teams working on different serums. And why oh why kill Patrick??? By getting rid of him it made Jean's decision to leave all the more easier, a bit too convenient of an ending for me.
Definitely a different sort of novel and very impressive the author to think up something quite so harrowing, fair play to her.
An interesting story about a group of friends growing up in the eighties. A few tragedies in their childhood still haunt them in their adult lives. After decades memories are stirred up and the friends start to uncover the secrets from their past.
An enjoyable read which flits from present day to the past. Lots of suspense, twists and turns along the way.
A great read, highlighting the prejudices in society and the changes that have taken place. I really enjoyed this book and following the main character through his life, through all the heartaches, loves, losses and joyous moment. Lots of humour within the book helped to break up the seriousness of the subject matter. Would definitely recommend.
Joe is a happily married man and father to William until the fateful day that he discovers his wife driving into a hotel car park when she should be at work. Confused and intrigued he follows her and his whole life falls apart around him. Joe finds himself in a web of deceit and being accused of a crime he hasn't committed.
This psychological thriller was a page-turner. The story line was good with a few twists along the way. Although I was frustrated with the main character for his gullibility it was refreshing to see a male in this predicament rather than the stereotypical female which are in so many books. On the whole a good read. One I will recommend to others.
Found the opening pages easy to read and it grabbed my attention however subject matter I found disturbing and difficult. Got a bit bored by part 1, found it predictable and likened to a chick flick. Part 2 engaged me again and after getting over the initial confusion really got into the book. A page-turner. Although there were a few surprises along the way I would still only give this book 3 stars. Think I found the subject matter difficult and kept thinking about the mother.