Caroline

This is my third book by Author Anna Stuart and I must say that her books never fail to disappoint. Her topics and concepts are well researched, her characters are strong, powerful and lovable.

The Bletchley girls is a story of three amazing young girls Steffie, Fran and Ailsa who leave home to begin their selective work at Bletchley Park, during world war 2. The book being based on a true story just did not stop at Bletchley park but also takes us around a few war hit countries like Malta and Egypt, and showed the struggle caused due to the war.

I liked that the book was divided into three parts, but found the third part to be the most interesting. The book also tells us the changing perceptive of women during world war 2. The book not doubt began on a slow note but was enough to keep the reader engaged. I also loved the love story between Ailsa and Ned, I thought it was cute and no doubt the relationship and friendship between the 3 girls were also amazing.

Thanks to netgalley, the publisher at Bookouture and author Anna Stuart for this Arc.

Maya makes money is a lovely and very educative book for middle aged children who are learning the value of and idea of saving and spend money. It's a book through which children can learn how to be more financial independent, specially in today world. The book teaches some very good concepts like bargaining, borrowing, paying back debts with interest, saving, difficulty faced while starting a business, etc.

I liked that the book conveys the message, that things don't come easy in life and that everyone have to go through struggles and failures in life.

The only let down for me was that being a children book, I found it to be a bit too lengthy.

This book have beautifully illustrations and is written in a comic type of fashion, which takes it even more interesting to read.

Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and the author Diya Garg for this Arc.

This book was sitting on the bottom of my tbr for a very long long time and to be honest I don't know what made me pick it up but anyways, I'm glad I did finally! Because as soon as I picked it up I was totally hooked on to it. I just couldn't bring myself to put it down. The mystery was for sure a tough one to crack but to be very honest the end did not blow my mind that much also, (as per all the hype) somewhere throughout book I could join to dots and figure out where the plot was going, the only thing left to be seen was, how it would pan out.

The Author has done a fantastic job on the plot and the character were also well thought off. The writing was easy to understand, though there were a bit of grammatical error which made it seem a bit rushed.(But that can be overlooked) Multiple perspectives and short chapters also added a charm to the book. I also enjoyed that some chapters were written in form of a dairy.

All in all this was a fantastic read with a lot of twist and turns. Will I recommend it? Heck! I sure will.

TBDC is an book written by Harini Nagendra & is 1st in its series.

Stars: 3.5/5

The locked away life by Author Drew Davies is a heartwarming story about a budding friendship between an lonely octogenarian and an teenager trying to figure out life, while struggling with other issues in life.

The story mainly focuses on Bruno, who is trying to led a normal teenage life amidst his struggle to discover his sexuality. On the other hand, Esther is an 80 year old who is living a reclusive life ever since she found herself caught in a scandal. The two meet when Bruno applies to teach Esther how to use the internet and thereafter help each other discover life and deal with past events of life.

The characters in the book are mostly loving and felt like a huge hug at times. The book starts off on an enjoyable note, but later lacked consistency in the chapter i.e some were too long and some were just a page making the book a slow burner. While the characters were wise and matured, the story of Esther past felt half cooked.

Though, the author has managed to do a good job by touching important subjects like friendship, menlth health, guilt, abandonment, sexuality, family, relationships etc. The book also tells us that how people get attached to each other even in a short span of time and how a bond of friendship can be formed irrespective of one's age and circumstances.

Overall, the book was heartwarming along with being heartbreaking at the same time.

This book is my first ever self help book that I was able to complete. Yaaayyy!
This book is beautifully written and the author does tap right into the heart of a man and a woman. I felt this book to be very inspiring and i read it when I was going through a low time in my life, which gave this book all the more meaning. The book has some good teaching and good quotes. Every man and woman should read this book at once, if they want to beautiful love relationship. Although, I know some men would not agree with the entire book and some may call it biased.

Overall, a well recommended book to read and reflect on..

Ever since I finished reading this book, I'm unable to wrap my head around it, as to whether I seriously loved it as much as all the positive reviews I have read. There are a lot of things that I loved about this book and then there is things that just didn't work for me in the book.

It's been sometime now that I had requested and been approved an ARC of this book. But I always found reason to put off reading it, now with it expiry date near I was a bit apprehensive whether I should read it or no and I am super glad I did. Though horror is not my usual comfort zone, I was completely hooked on to the plot, the twist and the turns.

The plot is simple, Mallory Quinn is a recovering drug addict/junkee now clean for around 18 months and has now landed herself the job to baby sit the Maxwell's Son Teddy Maxwell after they moved to spring Brook, New Jersey. Mallory instantly loves her job and quickly bonds with Teddy. On the other hand, 5 year old Teddy loves to sketch and is rarely seen without his sketchpad. Teddy artwork usually consist of trees, animals, stick figures but as days pass his drawings become more and more complex and beyond the ability of a 5 year old. In the mean while Mallory learns stories of a murder linked to the cottage, she lives in next to the Maxwell's main house and quickly suspects that where is a link between Teddy's complex drawing's and the murder and that there is some supernatural force lingering in the forest behind the Maxwell's house and who is using Teddy as communication to reveal her story. With Teddy's parents not willing to believe Mallory and her superstitious ghost story, Mallory is all set to uncover the story hidden behind the pictures and save Teddy's life.

Ever since I finished reading this book , I have been debating whether to rate this book an  5  or 4 stars because though this book had a great plot with some good twist, turns, easy writing with short chapters and well developed and thought over characters with an ending that was hard to predict, this book completely fell short for me on the horror element. Claiming to be a horror story with paranormal activity, this book completely failed to scare the sh*t out of me. The illustrations in the book were also mere beautiful drawing's telling you the events leading upto and revealing a murder mystery rather than being creepy or spooky.

So if I have to rate this book entirely as a thriller, I would surely give it a happy 5 stars but since it a horror story it a 3.5 - 4 from me.

This book is recommended if you like a mild horror story  and I also highly recommend readers to read the book rather then listen to its audiobook because the story lies entirely on the illustrations for better understanding.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for this ARC.

Four minutes to save a life is a very easy, quick to read book with a simple and an well written plot. The story tells us about Charlie who is a supermarket delivery driver and who has 4 minutes to deliver and who is told repeatedly by his boss that he is a delivery driver not a social worker. But when Charlie is assigned Hope Row Street, he knows that he is the only contact during the week, to a few of his regular  customers like Vik, Greg and Ruth who are lonely and battling with the events of their past life. And charlie who is struggling to overcome his own past is unable to abandon these residents of Hope street and is all out to help them with a plan that will bring them together and which in return will help them overcome their guilt.

This book is so easy to read yet so heartwarming. The book shows us that four minutes and an simple plan is just enough to bring people together and save a life.  The characters are depressed but still so loving and warm that all you can do is love them back. The story touches upon aspect such as friendship, guilt, acceptance and forgiveness. Another strong message that the book gives us is that we shouldn't blame ourselves for things that happen in and around our lives or to a loved one.

According to me, this book is Anna Stuart most underrated book till now and I simple don't know why? I just loved very aspect of this book from the plot to the characters to the writing. But if I have to be true to this review, I would say the only negative I found was that the end for me was a bit chaotic but saying this it still kept me hooked on.

Overall, this was a feel good read and a well recommended one too.

Content warning: Suicide and Death.

My trip to the fair is a very well written children's book with vibrant illustrations that will definitely attract a child eye. I choose to read this book because it mentioned an Indian fair and being an Indian, I have visited such fairs as a child, unlike these days where children love visiting malls and buying branded toys and stuff. The author have used this book to educate a child on how an artisan works day in and day out to make the handicrafts they produce. The author captures the atmosphere of an Indian fair to the tee with the popcorn smell, etc. The book made me remember the fair i visited recently in my city. She also explains the different handicrafts used in book at the end of the book which is an added bonus.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Bookbuzz and the author Mallika Arpana for this ARC.

I love reading historical fiction books because i feel it helps me learn about the history of the world & the midwife of Auschwitz is a well researched book on the brutality that went on the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenua.

Set in the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenua, The Midwife of Auschwitz is based on the true story of Stanisława Leszczyńska, a Polish Midwife played by Ana Kaminski the fictional name given by the author in the book & Ester, a Jewish nurse who were seperated from their families and who survived the brutality of the camp, bring new lives into this world during during the ww ll. The book speaks of the strength women showed in these camps against the barbaric treatment imposed on them by SS officers.

The author have done a fabulous job on the characters, each character is well researched & stands strong & are a mark of their bravery. I found the writing very easy, making it a very well written book. The third part of the book did bring a tear to my eye but i wish the end could be a bit different i.e i wish Ester and Filip reunion could be a bit different instead of bringing it on so sudden. Though, the ending did give me a thought to linger on, with Ester's child still to be found.

This heartbreaking story is a highly recommended book if you have read The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Thanks to Netgalley, the Publisher Bookouture and Author Anna Stuart for this ARC.

The illicit happiness of other people was a book that I came across as a suggestion on my Fb account & I totally agree that this book is definitely one of India's rare Contemporary young adults mystery/suspense reads. The story has a very simple plot where a seventeen year old boy commits suicide and his fathers struggle to find answers to the most obvious question as to “why his son did what he did”? Throughout the book you will come across a lot of characters and different stories as a build up to why the boy committed suicide.

The book is written very beautifully which keeps the reader guessing till the end. The author also portrays the emotions a father goes through while he listens to all the happenings in his sons life from different people. The book also gives you a glimpse of life in Madras.

Though the book is depressing yet very thought provoking which makes this book a highly recommended book.

“Two dudes meet. They fall for each other. They die.”

WOW! Yes you heard me right, some book just do not need long reviews to describe how you feel about it, just a simple WOW says it all. As the title suggest, you know that 2 people are going to die in the end but still you are hoping, praying and convincing yourself for a happy or different ending as you go deeper not just into the book but also deeper in the lives of the 2 characters Mateo and Rufus.

For me personally the end was something I totally did not see coming though I knew it was going to be sad but I still did not expect it to hit me right in the face when I wishing for something happy to happen. Author Adam Silvera sure is a clever writer. The end was there right through in front of my very eyes but yet so difficult to spot.

The book was also very thought provoking, it made me think of how I would love to spend my last day if I received such an alert?

Everyone should atleast read this book once.

Monday, floors and chores. Tuesday, deep cleaning to give meaning. Wednesday, bath and kitchen. Thursday, dust we must. Friday, wash-and-dry day. Saturday, wild card. Sunday, shop and chop.

I enjoyed this novel to all its honesty. The maid is Author Nita Prose's debut novel and being an editor herself, her choice of words are excellent and spot on. The book is a mystery thriller but has a comedy ring to it as well.

The Maid is the story of Molly Gray, also told to us by Molly herself. Molly is a Maid at the Grand Regency hotel, who's obsessive love for cleaning, orderly life and proper etiquettes, makes her an ideal fit for the job. But her orderly life is upended one day, when she finds Mr. Black, an wealthy businessman dead in his suite. Soon Molly find herself caught in a web of deception, when she is targeted to be one of the lead suspects. Will Molly be able to untangle herself from this mess and will she find who really killed Mr. Black before its too later...

The character of Molly the Maid is quite quirky and a bit of a weirdo, her colleagues call her all sorts names. Molly is a sort of character that struggles with social skill, sometimes she also comes across as childish. She sometimes doesn't understand the meaning of things too. But behind all this uniqueness, I bet Molly the Maid is one such character you can't fail to love and admire to its fullest. Throughout the book you will across other beautiful and interesting characters like Mr. Preston, Juan Manuel and Charlotte.

I also loved how the story is told to us over a period of a weeks time starting from Monday to Friday, narrating all the events happening on that day. Initially, I did feel that the book was a bit slow paced but mid ways I was totally hooked on because of the twist and the turns the book took.

A highly recommended heartwarming thriller with lot of twist and turns mixed with a bit of comedy.

Rock, Paper, Scissor is my first book by author Alice Feeney and the first thriller for the year 2022. The book was gripping till the very end. There were a lot of small things that I really like about Rock, Paper, Scissor but first little of the plot.

The plot is about a couple who are married 10 years but all is not right between them for a long time. So when the couple win a weekend getaway to Blackwater Chapel in Scotland, they take the chance to give their marriage a final shot. The couple exchange traditional gifts on their anniversary while the wife write she husband letters which she never let's him read. The letters are honest and hold a lot of secrets. But someone in their marriage is lying and don't want a happily ever after.

The book though a bit slow paced still kept me hooked on because all the major twist and turned came in end. The book sometime felt creepy and eerie and will give you goosebumps. The characters in the book are easily relatable.The book is written in terms, that there were a lot of interesting line that I felt was so true and if you are the one to learn new words then this book does contain 13 new words that you will learn along with its meaning.

Overall the book is a must read if your someone who is into thrillers.

I like reading historical fiction novels specially if they are based on the true stories of the WW2. I feel it very educating to know the brutality that went on in the Nazi era.

The German Wife by Debbie Rix is just another such historical book, that focuses on the brutality of the WW2 amid a love story between a Russian prisoner and the wife of a doctor working at Dachau camp and powers of an influential Nazi family.

The story is told by Anneliese, the wife of Hans a doctor, who is forced to work at Dachau laboratory camp. The book is beautifully written and well researched. The ending of the book was the most touching according to me with a beautiful and happy ending.

On the character front, I felt the character of Annalise was the strongest and one is sure to adored her. Overall, the book was a heart warming story.

A well recommended book if you love reading historical fiction novels.

Thanks to @netgalley @Bookouture and the author Debbie Rix for this ARC.

The lives of Diamond Bessie is a inspired true story of Annie Moore also known as Diamond Bessie, who was pregnant out of wedlock at sixteen year of age and was sent to a convent for fallen women. When her daughter is taken away from her by the nun's, Annie is forced to escape and make a life for herself, so she can reunite with her daughter. But due to less job opportunities given to women in the 1860's Annie is forced into prostitution to survive with a dream to live a respectable life with her daughter one day.

The lives of Diamond bessie is a well written book by debutant author Jody Hadlock and one can relate to it easily as it is a story that one must have heard and read before because I strongly believe that such stories even exist today. This is a well researched book and the author has tried to keep the story as real as possible.

I believe that one should go into reading this book blind to enjoy it to its fullest as I never saw the twist coming. Though the second half of the book is all the more interesting than the first half as I really liked how the author continued to tell the story through Bessie eyes rather than through a third person. This was sure hard to put down and kept me hooked till the end. I will surely recommend this book and I would also love to see this book made into a movie in the near future.

Thanks to Netgalley, sparkpress and author Jody Hadlock for the ARC.

Awwww...that ending just brought a tear to my eye...Do all happy families have such surprises for each other...

We live next door by Laura Wolfe is the story of Jessica and Mark who moved into Jessica childhood home after they buy the home from Jessica's mom, who now rents a condo and who visits her granddaughter Isabella frequently and unannounced. As Jessica starts settling in and feels safe in her neighbourhood, Barbara Draper, a woman, she knew from small is found dead in her bathtub. The neighbours as well as the police believe that the woman drowned in her tub but Jessica believes there is more to her neighbours death, when she begin receiving strange messages on the Neighbour list app. Is Jessica's neighbourhood really safe for her and her family or is something more sinister lurking around?

The book has a very good plot and kept me hooked on throughout. It was very difficult for me to put an finger on who the real murderer  was and the motive behind the murder or if it was just Jessica's imagination. In my eyes every character was a potential suspect which I really like about this book. The end was a total twist which I honestly did not see coming. The book was also a quick read though somewhere in the middle of the book Jessica's unwanted amateur investigation got a bit out of hand.

Overall a good thriller with a happy ending!

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookoutour and the Laura Wolfe from this ARC.

I'm not the one for audiobooks as well as this type of genre, but somebody loves you by Mona Arshi did work for me. I liked that the book was narrated by the author herself. She does have the power to pull her audience in. The narration was soothing to the ear and clear as well.

The book is a collection of vignettes of a girl named Rudy who gives up talking at a very young age. Sparkling and heartbreaking with a wry humour the stories are a emotional riot.

A sure recommended book if you are someone who loves poetry and prose.

Thanks to the Netgalley, the publishers Saga Egmont Audio and Author Mona Arshi for this Arc.

The perfect daughter by Alex Stone is the story of Jessica Harper and her manipulative mother Abigail. Whatever Jessica does is first approved by her mother, even the boys she dates. But when Jessica meets Adam, her mum refuses to acknowledge their relationship and try to protect Jessica from getting hurt..

On the other hand, Adam can see that Abigail has an strong constant hold on Jessica's life and encourages her to break free from the manipulation of her mother. Will Jessica break free or will a new can of worm open up, when Adam suddenly goes missing and Jess becomes the police's prime suspect...

When I requested this book on Netgalley, the plot sounded very intriguing, which it was but I personally enjoyed only the last 15 to 16 chapters. To me the story progressed in these last chapters. The initial part of the book was too repetitive and slow paced.
I liked that the chapters alternated between two time lines but it was the mind talking (which there was a lot) that made it a bit confusing. The characters also were not strong enough to stand up for themselves.

In my view, there should have been lesser chapters, lesser mind talking and a little more of action and manipulation. Other then this the author had nailed it plot wise.

Thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood books and the Author Alex Stone for this ARC.

If you have read “The Henna Artist” by Alka Joshi and if you fell in love with Aunty bosses charming, obedient and faithful helper Malik, then “The secret keeper of Jaipur” is the book you should read next.

Set in the backdrop of Shimla and Jaipur, the secret keeper of Jaipur revolves around 20 year old Malik, who leaves his life and love (which he finds in a girl named Nimma in shimla) to apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema. But when a balcony at the cinema collapses and the blame is directed towards manu, Malik along with Lakshmi is all set to uncover truth.

The secret keeper of Jaipur is as well written as Alka Joshi The Henna Artist. Through this book, Alka Joshi has also highlighted the gold laws of India as well as how it was smuggled into the country at that time. The plot of the story is very easy to figure out, which makes it an easy read. The characters are all familiar except for Nimma (Malik's lady love) and her 2 children.

A book I recommend if you loved The Henna Artist.

Though beautifully written, His loving wife is a slow paced psychological thriller.

A year ago, Kate's ex boyfriend Paul broke into her home one night with the aim of causing harm to her family. However, they survived but the tragedy has left Kate and her family in fear forever. Now a year later, Kate's husband has planned a beach house vacation, so he can protect his family from Paul, who has been released and also to spend some time together as a family without fear. Will Andrew be able to protect his family and will Kate be able to relax? Or will this holiday give rise to more dangers,fears and loss?

Had the author focused on one story, this book would have had more potential. For me, the starting chapters of the story did not connect with the climax of the story. The latter half could have been a entirely different book with a potentially greater topic where Andrew was dealing with his mental health issue in which he was unable to protect his family. The characters also felt a bit weak. I would have liked to see more of Paul's involvement in this story. The book alternate between present day and a year age which was okay.

Will I recommend this book?
Why not! It's a nice book except for the fact that it did not work for me much.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and author Miranda Smith for this ARC.

Moon cakes and Milk Bread is a excellent book which exposed me to the world of Chinese baking. The recipes are well explained and are accompanied by a background story. I'm sure to try out these recipes in future.

Thanks to netgalley , the publisher and the author for this ARC!

This book has the cutest 15 little crochet critters to make! The book has easy to follow step by step patterns. The patterns are quite beginner friendly too. I like the way the author has provided very clean and clear live size pictures, which just makes you want to try them all. The project that I'm sure to start first with is Cole the Penguin. The book also comes with tips, tricks and techniques and a good glossary guide. The only thing that the author should have been more specific was the skill level. All the patterns are skilled at an easy level which according to me shouldn't do much justice to a person who has just began to make Amigurumi's. All in All a good book for crocheters like me who love making Amigurumis

Thanks to netgalley, publisher and the author Kristi Simpsom for this ARC.

I have always loved reading books which has an mixture of history, culture, heritage, love, lust, hardships and struggle told to us through a story of one strong character and to me The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi is surely that book this has it all.

Set in the backdrop of post indian independence era, in the pink city of Jaipur is the story of Lakshmi Shastri the most requested Henna artist. The storyline is simple and easy to figure out but I still wanted to get through to the end, as the book apart from Lakshmi's struggle with life throws emphasis on the caste system in India )which is very much prevalent even today in certain parts of India), the usage, power and healing properties of the application of Henna and how people of those days preferred herbs and home remedies than lab produced medicines. The book also gave me a tour of the city and the lifestyle of the people of Jaipur.

The author has dedicated this book to her mother from whose life she drew inspiration to pen this book so beautifully. The book holds a lot of strong and loveable characters for instance Malik, I liked his character and his faithfulness towards Lakshmi. Even the Parakeet (Bird) was very charming.

Will recommend this book if you are someone who love history and getting to know the rich heritage and culture of India.