My Review for From Now Until Forever by Rowan Coleman, read by Helen McAlpine and Nathaniel Priestly

“Leonardo hid so many of his secrets in his artwork. My very last hope is that he hid the secret to setting me free…” ✨

I really liked the first quarter of this book—but the rest of it? I absolutely loved it. 💛 It completely blew me away. Magical realism, living forever—quite literally—not what I was expecting at all. 🤯

I don’t want to say too much because that would spoil it… just trust me and read it. 📖

Don’t be fooled—there are some truly heartbreaking moments here. 💔 It isn’t all sunshine and roses. But there are also some beautiful family connections, especially towards the end, and it all balances out so well 🫶

Helen McAlpine and Nathaniel Priestly were brilliant as narrators, 🎧, bringing warmth, love, and sadness to their characters. I was completely invested in their voices from the start.

Honestly—read it, listen to it, I don’t mind—just get your hands on this book NOW! 🔥

A very belated thank you to Hodder & Stoughton Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review From Now Until Forever by Rowan Coleman.

About the Book

He's running out of time.

Ben Church has never done anything extraordinary in his life -- until now.

Now, he needs to fulfil as many of his dreams as possible while he still can.

That's why he's standing in front of his favourite painting by Leonardo da Vinci when he should be at work.

Time is all she has.

Vita Ambrose's life of parties and fabulous clothes looks wildly glamorous but in reality it has no meaning.

She's seen too much, lived too much and lost too much.

That's why she's come back to the gallery, to seek solace in her favourite painting.

Together, can they make time stand still?

Ben and Vita's connection is immediate, spontaneous and passionate. But the clock is ticking.

Can they find a way to make their love live forever? Because every moment matters when it might be your last...

About Rowan

Rowan Coleman is the internationally bestselling and award winning author and screenwriter of sixteen novels including THE MEMORY BOOK, THE SUMMER OF IMPOSSIBLE THINGS and THE GIRL AT THE WINDOW.

A life long Bronte fan, under the Bronte inspired pen name Bella Ellis, Rowan also writes the Bronte Mysteries – a carefully researched series of novels that imagine that before they were were famous the Bronte Sisters were amateur detectives. THE VANISHED BRIDE and THE DIABOLICAL BONES and The RED MONARCH are out now.

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My Review for Fairytale by Stephen King, read by Seth Numrich

“I think all worlds are magic. We just get used to it.” ✨🌍

#thatbonkersbookclub chose Fairy Tale as the read for The Chiller Shelf for March (it may even have been my suggestion—I can’t remember! 🤔📚). Either way, it’s definitely my favourite of the three Stephen King novels I’ve read so far. 🙌 In my mind, it leans far more toward fantasy than horror, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. 🐉✨

I both read and listened to this one, but definitely leaned more towards the audiobook. 🎧📖

The first half of the book follows a normal kid who’s had a pretty tough childhood 💔 and has had to grow up fast. He then takes it one step further by agreeing to look after an older man who needs extra care after an accident. 🏡🩹

The second half is where the fantasy world kicks in—and wow, does it kick in. 😳⚡ We go from a normal world with a normal kid to a portal into another world where everything is very much not normal. 🌌🚪✨

Slight spoiler (but necessary!): Radar is one of the main characters—she’s a dog 🐶💛—and she doesn’t die. 🙌✨ Nothing bad happens to her, and she lives happily ever after. 🥹🌈 Honestly, that’s the most important thing in this book! If you’re an animal lover, you’re safe to fall in love with her—I promise. 🐾💛

If you’ve never read a Stephen King novel and you’re not sure how you’ll feel about his writing (that was me three books ago 😅), this is a great place to start. 👍📖 It’s long, yes, and there’s one section in the middle that could have been shorter, but it’s far from a scary read 😌 I really hope he writes more fantasy—he’s clearly good at it! ✍️✨📚

About the Book

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets Howard Bowditch, a recluse with a big dog in a big house at the top of a big hill. In the backyard is a locked shed from which strange sounds emerge, as if some creature is trying to escape. When Mr. Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie the house, a massive amount of gold, a cassette tape telling a story that is impossible to believe, and a responsibility far too massive for a boy to shoulder.

Because within the shed is a portal to another world—one whose denizens are in peril and whose monstrous leaders may destroy their own world, and ours. In this parallel universe, where two moons race across the sky, and the grand towers of a sprawling palace pierce the clouds, there are exiled princesses and princes who suffer horrific punishments; there are dungeons; there are games in which men and women must fight each other to the death for the amusement of the “Fair One.” And there is a magic sundial that can turn back time.

A story as old as myth, and as startling and iconic as the rest of King’s work, Fairy Tale is about an ordinary guy forced into the hero’s role by circumstance, and it is both spectacularly suspenseful and satisfying.

About Stephen

Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1971, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers. King is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the American Letters and the 2014 National Medal of Arts.

Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.

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My Review for Good Spirits by B.K. Borison, read by Karissa Vacker and Will Watt

“Sometimes bridges aren’t meant to be rebuilt.”

Good Spirits was December's pick for #thatindiebookclub, and since I already had it on my Libro FM shelf, I decided to listen 🎧.

I loved it! Going in with zero expectations, I was completely blown away 😍. It's cute, ghostly 👻, magical ✨, and fun 🎄. I was so proud of Harriet as she finally stands up to her family. Nolan gives her the confidence to do so, and in return, she has a huge, positive effect on him 💛.

The narrators were fantastic—especially Nolan! I’m a sucker for an Irish accent 🇮🇪, and it made his character even more charming and enjoyable to listen to.

December seems to be my month for reading books featuring the undead 🧟‍♂️—but in a cutesy, romantic way 💕. Listening to Good Spirits gave me cosy, “relaxing by the fire under a warm blanket” vibes 🔥🛋️, especially with the rain 🌧️ (yes, more likely in the UK than snow ❄️) falling outside.

If you’re into fun, romantic Christmas stories with lots of ghostly magic ✨👻, join the party and grab a copy!

Thank you to Avon Books and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review Good Spirits by B.K. Borison.

About the Book

He’s the Ghost of Christmas Past. She’s not exactly Scrooge.

Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other—get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he’s faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he’s ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future.

Harriet York has no idea why she’s being haunted. She’s a good person—or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what’s expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together— and realize there might be more to moving on than expected.

With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other’s pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection?

Filled with magic, mayhem, and cozy holiday charm

About B.K. Borison

New York Times, Sunday Times, and USA Today Bestselling author B.K. Borison is the author of cozy, contemporary romances featuring emotionally vulnerable characters and swoon-worthy settings. When she’s not daydreaming about fictional characters doing fictional things, she’s at home with her family, more than likely buying books she doesn’t have room for.

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