January 2023 wrap-up!

Hey, everyone! I’m sharing my January wrap-up with you today and I wish I could say that I’ve had a great start to the year but that is sadly not the case. I’ve had a lot going on in my personal life that’s prevented me from reading as much, so I only read three books in January and I’ve already had my first DNF. The positive side is that I mostly liked the books I read so I guess it was successful in terms of enjoyment. Here’s what I read:

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman: I’ve had a copy of this since the paperback was released and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read it. I thought it was a really fun read and the characters were still just as loveable. The mystery was even better than the first book and I loved that we got to find out more about Elizabeth and her mysterious past. The only thing that annoyed me was Joyce’s diary entries. I noticed that when a particular scene happened, for example, all the characters are gathered together discussing their theories, Joyce’s diary would then repeat everything that happened in that scene. It really annoyed me. When I eventually get round to reading the third book, I think I’ll take a break before reading her diary entries and treat them as a recap of what’s just happened. Hopefully that will avoid me getting annoyed with Joyce because I do really like her quirky personality.

BLOG TOUR: The Beast Hunters Dark Sovereign by Christer Lende

Title: The Beast Hunters Dark Sovereign by Christer Lende
Published by: Independently Published
Publication date: 15th November 2022
Genre: Fantasy
Amazon UK – Amazon US

Synopsis:

A mysterious corpse, beastly assassins, and a basement full of cadavers dissolving in acid lead the beast hunters towards an enigmatic candidate, favourite to claim the throne of Ashbourn.

Despite not wanting to get involved in the coming coronation, Ara and the two beast hunters cannot deny the beastly nature of the clues they discover. Ara must adopt fake personas, infiltrate political galas, and pursue shadowy assassins. Still, the candidate’s monstrous nature eludes her. With the future of Ashbourn at stake, Ara has to solve the mystery before the new king is crowned.

Strangely, Ara’s abilities from Cornstead seem connected with the incidents that transpire during their investigation. Whispers in her mind foretell of sinister events, which she slowly sees come to life. The venom that grants her powers, seems to intertwine her fate with the dark creature threatening to be crowned king.

The second book in The Beast Hunter of Ashbourn series, Dark Sovereign offers a grand conspiracy, building on the events from the first book. Can Ara escape her connection to the ominous entity manipulating the Capital?

Favourite Books of 2022!

Hey, everyone! It’s a little late but I’m sharing my favourite books of 2022 today and I’m so excited to share these amazing books with you. I discovered a lot of these through book tours or being sent an ARC and I’m so grateful to the authors and publishers for gifting me these copies as I’ve discovered some fantastic authors because of it! Here’s my picks for 2022:

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson: Easily the best thriller I’ve read this year. There’s so many thrillers now that are very similar but this is on a whole new level. A country singer on the run from her dark past? Actual songs written into the story and then a real album to go with it? Give it to me! I loved the plot, the characters and the music they create together. AnnieLee, Ethan and Ruthanna breathe so much life into this story and develop so much by the end of the story. I also really enjoyed the insight into the music industry and the sobering reality that it’s not as glamarous as it appears. It’s a very compelling and thought-provoking story.

November and December 2022 wrap-up!

Hi everyone! Apologies for my lack of positing but I’ve been in a horrible reading and blogging slump. I’m hoping I can get back into it this year and I’m starting with sharing my November and December wrap-up. My reading was pretty rubbish in November but I managed to pick it up again in December. Here’s what I read:

November wrap-up

The Child Left in the Dark by J.M. Briscoe: This is such a great sequel and really builds on the characters. You find out a lot more about Bella and her past when she fled the ARC. It also delves deeper into Ariana, her emotional state and how she’s coping with everything that has happened. It’s a very thrilling read and I can’t wait to find out how this trilogy ends!

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber: I did enjoy this and thought it was a magical read, however, it’s not captured my attention as much as the Caraval trilogy did. I expect Jacks and Evangeline will end up together by the end of the series but I just can’t root for them. Jacks treats Evangeline so horribly and it felt abusive at times. Evangeline deserves so much better. I’ll still read the third book but, sadly, this is not one of my favourites.

REVIEW: The Child Left in the Dark by J.M. Briscoe

Title: The Child Left in the Dark by J.M. Briscoe
Published by: Bad Press Ink
Publication date: 5th November 2022
Genre: Science Fiction
Amazon UK

Synopsis:

It has been six months since Bella and her daughter Ariana were driven into a desperate flight across the country, and the explosive events at the Futura Laboratory changed their lives forever. Bella made an impulsive decision in the autumn, one that she must live with, even if the consequences are monstrous. Ariana is all that matters to Bella and she will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. But as events unfold Bella wonders – does Ariana pose the greatest danger to herself? Does Ariana need protecting from herself?

Ariana, meanwhile, cannot escape the nightmares filled with the terrifying creatures she saw at the laboratory. Struggling with the reality of a life out of the shadows, Ariana feels more alone than ever. Except for the voices, of course. The whispers of a creeping darkness growing within her. Everyone tells her she is normal. Everyone is lying.

Books I’ve Read Recently!

Hey, everyone! Sorry for disappearing for a couple of months. I felt like I needed a break from blogging and reviewing because I was feeling a bit burnt out from it all. I have actually been reading though, so I’ll just go through everything I’ve read over the past few months. Hope you enjoy!

July wrap-up

The Binding Room by Nadine Matheson: What an incredible sequel! The murders in this story were even more chilling than the ones in The Jigsaw Man and made for a very disturbing read. The urgency of the case and the race against the clock to catch the killer had me on the edge of my seat throughout. Matheson is a fantastic writer and I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series.

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber: I’m sad to say that I didn’t love this as much as the Caraval trilogy but I still fell in love with the world and the characters. Garber writes beautifully and I was completely swept away by the magic. Also, I was actually surprised by how much I liked Jacks because I wasn’t a fan of his in Caraval. It kind of ends on a cliffhanger, so I’ll definitely be picking up the second book as I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

ARC REVIEW: Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published by: Penguin
Publication date: 30th August 2022
Genre: Literary Fiction
Amazon UK

Synopsis:

Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.

By the time Carrie retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Slam titles. And if you ask her, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father as her coach.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning, British player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked the ‘Battle-Axe’ anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season.

BLOG TOUR: Urban Scarecrows by Jim Chambers

Title: Urban Scarecrows by Jim Chambers
Published by: SilverWood Books
Genre: Political Thriller
Amazon UK

Synopsis:

The Labour Party election victory of 2019 ushers into power a radical socialist government which swiftly mutates to a British form of totalitarian Marxism in its quest for social justice and equality. Dominic Green, a Labour Party activist and celebrity chef, is caught up in the economic and social crisis as the country lurches towards civil war.

Taunted by the jibes of his volatile Spanish wife, Rosa, he moves from denial to acceptance to opposition and becomes a totemic media figure in the struggles. His marriage is in terminal decline; Rosa cannot forgive his philandering or his support of the government. His family falls apart as Rosa leaves him and one son is incarcerated, whilst the other attempts to liberate his sibling. Labelled a turncoat terrorist he is hunted by the brutal SNPS state police whose attempts to subjugate the population includes ‘urban scarecrowing’.

Who can he trust as he goes on the run whilst assisting the resistance movement? Will Rosa forgive him as she tracks his public pronouncements and his efforts to free their son? Will Dominic escape the clutches of the SNPS as the net closes? Will international outrage translate into military intervention as sections of the armed forces rebel? And can Dominic survive and recover his relationship with Rosa and their surviving son?

ARC REVIEW: The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell

Title: The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell
Published by: Century
Publication date: 21st July 2022
Genre: Crime & Thriller
Amazon UK

Synopsis:

LONDON. Early morning, June 2019: on the foreshore of the river Thames, a bag of bones is discovered. Human bones.

DCI Samuel Owusu is called to the scene and quickly sends the bag for forensic examination. The bones are those of a young woman, killed by a blow to the head many years ago.

Also inside the bag is a trail of clues, in particular the seeds of a rare tree which lead DCI Owusu back to a mansion in Chelsea where, nearly thirty years previously, three people lay dead in a kitchen, and a baby waited upstairs for someone to pick her up.

The clues point forward too to a brother and sister in Chicago searching for the only person who can make sense of their pasts.

Four deaths. An unsolved mystery. A family whose secrets can’t stay buried for ever …