Tuesday, April 23, 2024

My Review for Compass Points by Jillian Witt read by Kasi Hollowell

April 23, 2024  , , , ,  No comments


Over the last few months, I have been enjoying more and more fantasy books, usually listening to them as an audiobook. When the opportunity arose for me to listen to Compass Points on audio, I leapt at the chance. Slow to begin with as we are immersed into the world in which Rose lives, the story soon picks up as I become familiar with the characters and their purpose in the fae world. 

Compass Lake is the home of the four Compass Points, north, south, east and west. Each worships a different God and each has their own magic. I really enjoyed this one. Rose is one bad-ass-bitch who is determined not to take any shit from anyone. Even when Luc happens upon her in the market, looking for the weapons master, she tries her hardest to remain aloof and independent.

Hats off to Jillian Witt for a great debut novel with loveable characters, fascinating world-building and a truly great story. I loved listening to Kari Hollowell read this. She totally throws herself into each character and I quickly found I knew who was speaking, simply from the voice she was using. Arie, especially, was my favourite. I’m still not sure if he’s a demon, a familiar or simply a shape-shifter, but he has Rose’s back - always - and for that he was the character I was always rooting for. Book 2 in the series is out soon and I can’t wait to see how Rose and Luc’s story progresses.

Thank you to Jillian Witt and Literary Media Tours for the opportunity to listen to and review Compass Points.

About the Book

A magical weapons master might be the key to saving the continent; if only she didn’t have to fake date a dangerous fae leader to do it.

Rose ran from the fae courts to a reclusive life in a northern village. When the encroaching mist hits too close to home and she learns her weapons can help, she can no longer avoid her past.

The striking fae sent to investigate her skills is more dangerous than he appears. Deadly and determined, Luc is on a mission from the courts to stop the plague of mists. Rose must decide if he's her enemy, ally, or more as he threatens to uncover the secrets she's kept long buried.

About Jillian

Jillian Witt reads more romantic fantasy than is strictly necessary and writes books she would love to read. Her stories unleash powerful women into fantasy worlds, usually turn enemies into lovers, and always offer an escape from reality.

When not reading or writing, she’s enjoying all four seasons in Michigan with her partner and their dog, Loki.





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Sunday, April 21, 2024

My Review for Retribution for the Fallen by Madeline Vaughn

April 21, 2024  , , , ,  No comments


I’ve been waiting to read this since Madeline announced when the last book in the Emily Fallon series was coming out! It’s definitely been worth the wait and we pick up exactly where we left Emily, Xander, Maverick and Uncle Paul in the second book - in the throes of trying to bring the head of the US Navy to justice. 

Once again, Madeline Vaughn has written a fast-paced story with an intriguing and thrilling plot. It gripped me from the start. There were loads of ‘WTF’ and ‘no-way’ moments and I was totally gobsmacked at how some things played out! No spoilers from me, but I really didn’t see what was going to happen and part of me thought a miracle might occur!

This definitely needs to be read as part of the series, so get out and there and buy all three now!

Once again, thank you to Madeline for including me in her ARC Street Team. I’m looking forward to the next book she writes.

About the Book

Her opposition's reach is unparalleled. Who will be left standing?

In the gripping finale of the Emily Fallon trilogy, we follow Emily as she embarks on her most important mission; taking down her biggest adversary yet. 

With each truth exposed, the danger mounts and Emily must answer her own questions.

Will she bring all the conspiracies and cavernous corridors of secrets to the surface? What is she willing to sacrifice for the retribution that’s owed for the fallen? Will this rival take Emily and her loved ones out before they can drag the dark soul of this enemy into the light? Will they fall victim to their wrath?

About Madeline

Madeline has always been passionate about writing and storytelling. She would describe herself as a curious author who loves exploring different themes and motifs. As part of her writing process, she loves to immerse myself into her projects—dive headfirst into the research, production, and fine-tuning of the stories that she feels are the most worthy of telling.​






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Friday, April 19, 2024

My Review for Hard Times for the East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride

April 19, 2024  , , , , , ,  No comments


The second in the East End Library Girls series and a welcome return to Cordelia, Jane and Mavis. Since Cordelia arrived at the library, the three have become firm friends. This book continues where the first one left off and we follow the lives of the three women and how they are surviving the war. Houses are bombed, children are evacuated and soldiers are injured, but the three are resilient and manage to cope with whatever is thrown at them.

I loved catching up with these three again. Despite the harrowing circumstances of war, the book has a lovely warm feeling. I enjoy reading about life during the war, the difficulties with housing, finding food and not knowing from one day to the next what will happen. It makes us appreciate everything we have today. The library helped bring the community together and for those who were lonely, I can only imagine that this must have been a godsend. 

Although the second in the series, this could be read as a standalone. However, the first one is so good, grab them both and enjoy the adventures of the East End girls. I hope this isn't the last we hear from Cordelia, Jane and Mavis.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review Hard Times for the East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride.

About the Book

As the war reaches London, they’ll band together… War strikes close to home for chief librarian Cordelia when her flat is bombed, and her beloved Robert is called up and sent abroad. Fortunately, her colleagues Mavis and Jane can help see her through hard times.

The three friends find purpose in making the Silvertown library a friendly sanctuary for their deprived and devastated community. But sinister forces, from callous bureaucrats to crafty criminals, still lurk among the stacks. Worse, Jane’s soldier husband is injured and suffers both physically and mentally.

With so many struggles Cordelia and her friends might need more than books to survive war's shadow. Can they find light in the darkness?


About Patricia

Patricia McBride is the author of the very popular Lily Baker historical saga series. She is now writing a new WW2 series for Boldwood, based in the East End of London during the Blitz, the first title of which, The Library Girls of the East End, will be published in November 2023.




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Tuesday, April 16, 2024

My Review for The Fury by Alex Michaelides

April 16, 2024  , , ,  No comments


Although I have The Silent Patient on my bookshelf, it remains unread, and therefore this is my first venture into Alex Michaelides’ world.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure about this one at the beginning. I don’t know how to describe the style of writing apart from that it’s narrated from the point of view of one of the characters. However, as I settled into the writing and read on, I understood more about what was happening and why it was being written such as it was, and I began to enjoy it - a lot.

The Fury is full of deception, lies and intrigue from beginning to end. I’m not sure I actually liked any of the characters very much, each having their own secrets and reasons for being who they want others to perceive them. Only an accomplished writer can portray their characters as such and hats off to Alex for achieving this.

I found the story to be full of twists and an ending I didn’t see coming. A Fury is a local Greek term for strong winds and storms and the fury in this case provided storms and an atmosphere in both plot and weather!

If you enjoy a story full of mystery, thrill and suspense, then I’d recommend that you read this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph at Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review The Fury by Alex Michaelides.

About the Book

This is a tale of murder.

Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?

Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island.

I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder.

We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered.

But who am I?

My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.


About Alex

Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide. The rights have been sold in a record-breaking 51 countries, and the book has been optioned for film by Plan B. His second novel, The Maidens, was an instant New York Times bestseller and has been optioned for television by Miramax Television and Stone Village.
















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Wednesday, April 10, 2024

My Review for Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin

April 10, 2024  , , , , , ,  No comments


Books, sunshine, cocktails, sea, beaches, dogs and handsome Greek men - what’s not to love?! Well, to be honest, Greek men are far too hairy for me but I’m sure others love them!!!

Evie has lost her job and joins her eccentric grandmother in Santorini, where she has married for the ninety-millionth time. I loved all the characters. Each had their own quirky ways and were delightful to read about. The dogs were all brilliant! Especially Houdini, who loves stealing wallets and hiding them from his owners!

Evie is trying not to fall for Georgios, Granny is trying not to get into anymore debt and Evie’s mum and sister are trying to find out all about what is actually happening in Santorini, but no one is telling them anything! In the meantime, Granny and Evie are running the bookshop and planning the opening of a cute evening cocktail bar.

Once you’ve read this, I guarantee you’ll want to jump on a plane and whisk yourself off to Santorini for your next holiday.

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin.


About the Book

A Greek island holiday. A fake-dating pact. A chance at true love?

After losing her job as a book scout, hopeless romantic Evie needs a fresh start. So when she hears that her eccentric grandmother has just taken on a small bookshop in Santorini, Evie jumps at the chance to visit her.

But life on the island is not as idyllic as it first seems. Gran has a tempestuous relationship with her landlord and he’s threatening to take the bookshop away from her. So when Gran asks Evie to fake a romance with her landlord’s Greek God of a grandson, Georgios, to keep the family on side, she reluctantly agrees.

As the sun sets on Evie’s Greek holiday, can she save the bookshop – and fake date her way to love?


About Rebecca

Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn, is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once in a lifetime love. Her bestselling novel Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned for film with MRC studios and Frolic Media.




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Tuesday, April 9, 2024

My Review for Timeslayers by Colin Sephton

April 09, 2024  , , , ,  No comments


“There are only two types of being with such power - those who have no vested interest in the contents contained within the artefact, completely ignorant of its contents, of its worth, a rare being indeed; and those born of the Elder God! So, which are you?”

The Book of Consciousness is the book that everyone seems to want to get their hands on, some to make their existence better, some to make others’ existence worse. Ignatius and Indigo are just a couple of humans who stumble upon the reality of demons, gods, dragons and super-beings, and that maybe there really is something beyond the world in which we live.

Once you get past the world-building, who is who and what is what, Timeslayers is a fascinating, thought-provoking read. I actually read it twice, almost immediately. The first time to figure it all out, and the second time to settle down and enjoy the story. In my head, Ignatius and Indigo are a couple of strange eccentrics who just don’t want to be the same as anyone else, and they’re not, they’re really not! Indigo, in particular, has no qualms about killing or maiming anyone who crosses her and her newfound allies. While Ignatius is trying to work out how the universe works!

“Shadows are like doors. Doors to dark prisons.... You should never play in the shadows, you never know who... or what... may be there waiting to cross the threshold of that particular door!”

If you’re a fan of Terry Pratchett or of what the world might consist of outside of our planet, then I would recommend Timeslayers, the debut novel from Colin Sephton. I can’t wait to discover what happens in the next book in the series.

Thank you to Cinnabar Moth Publishing and Colin Sephton for the opportunity to read and review Timeslayers which is published on 7 May 2024.

About the Book

In a Steampunk Oxford, Ignatius and Indigo are both agents for the Union Jacks, a secret organisation. The role of the Union is to protect the British Empire, which is at the height of its powers, and help in its technological advances. They have discovered the existence of the mystical Book of Consciousness written by the creator of the cosmos, the genderless Omnisoul. The book is the history of everything that is, that has been and that will be. The agents are aided by Skye, who accidentally calls forth seven merciless immortals called the Charon.

Known as the Beautiful and the Damned, the Charon are the Infernal Dukes of Hell, created to carry out the will of the Omisoul. But they are tired of their immortality and want to end their existence. Elsewhere, the sorcerer Ragnar of Roc has conjured a hole in spacetime, allowing the draconic Elder God Calabi Ya to re-enter the cosmos from the Ghost Worlds. He is as old as the Omnisoul and wants the book to learn his destiny. The two Union Jacks leave Oxford and are taken on a journey across the cosmos in the great ship Taraka, which sails through space and time. Ignatius and Indigo are mere pawns in the cosmic ocean of fate, carried to fabled places, witness to bloody massacres, and half-willing conspirators in the Charon's plot to thwart the Omnisoul's plan and defeat the protectors of the Well at the Centre of Time.



About Colin

Colin was born in Coventry and worked in the automotive industry for over twenty years before becoming an Engineering teacher. Obtaining his first library card at the age of thirteen, he became an avid reader of Fantasy and the mysteries of the Universe. He has an inbuilt curiosity for lost knowledge and ancient texts that may help to unlock the secrets of consciousness and the universe. Living in Oxford for many years, he has now moved back to his home county of Warwickshire where he enjoys creating and working with his wife on their garden in which he writes and entertains their two grandsons. He has always been an artist and writer and is inspired by the worlds created by Robert E Howard and Michael Moorcock, with the artwork of Frank Frazetta.







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Monday, April 1, 2024

My Review for A Pear-Shaped Life, Written by Carmel Harrington and Read by Amy McAllister

April 01, 2024  , , , ,  No comments


I’m currently on a Carmel Harrington binge listen. I listened to A Mother’s Heart just over a year ago and it was incredible, and now I’ve decided it’s time for more. I love the Irish narrators with their lilting voices and right now I can’t get enough of them. 

My Pear-Shaped Life was a great listen, with loveable characters and thought-provoking, sometimes difficult themes throughout. Greta is our female protagonist in this book and she’s simply amazing, even if she doesn’t believe it herself a lot of the time. 

Greta has to accept that life isn’t going quite the way she would like right now and is finding it difficult to accept that maybe, just maybe, she needs some help, both personal and professional. Her family is right behind her, most of the time, Greta just needs to realise that. 

I loved that Carmel incorporates a US road trip into Greta’s story, something which my husband and I are doing more and more as we get older. With an end destination of Las Vegas - my happy place - it just made me smile as I look forward to our next trip. 

Focusing highly on family values, and the love and support of the people who care for you, My Pear-Shaped Life is an enjoyable listen (or read) and may just help anyone lacking in a little self-confidence to look at things in a different light. 

Thank you to Libby for providing the opportunity and the availability to bring books to life for so many people and thank you to Carmel Harrington for being such an incredible writer. Never stop writing!

About the Book

This is a joyful, uplifting book for those of us who sometimes wake up and feel we’re not good enough. Spoiler alert: we are!

Meet Greta.

She’s funny.

She’s flawed.

She’s hiding so much behind her big smile she’s forgotten who she is.

But Greta is about to discover that the key to being happy is…being you.

Greta Gale has played the part of the funny fat one her entire life, hiding her insecurities behind a big smile. But size doesn’t matter when you can laugh at yourself, right?
Until Greta realises she’s the only one not laughing. And deep down, she’s not sure if she’ll ever laugh again.

But with her world feeling like it’s falling down around her, Greta is about to discover she’s stronger than she feels. And that sometimes the best moments in life come when it’s all gone a bit pear-shaped…

About Carmel

International bestseller Carmel Harrington lives in Wexford with her family & rescue dog. Carmel writes domestic dramas filled with emotional reveals and twists. Her trademark is to write authentic, relatable characters that readers can root for, and has been described as a ‘storyteller with heart, hope and humour.’ (RTE Culture)

A confessed wearer-of-heart-on-her-sleeve, Carmel smiles a lot because life is good. She knowingly overuses the word lovely. Speaking of which, she calls it chasing the lovely when she writes. A few of her favourite things include rainbows, good coffee and gin, notions – all of them, lemon drizzle cake and books. Always books.




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