Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

Well, this was the second ****** up book in a row that I’ve read, with such a brilliant plot that I couldn’t put it down. I was desperate to just read and read and read so I could discover how everything would pan out. It’s not often books cause me to talk out loud, but this one did. A lot! Usually in relation to Freddie, who was a complete cockwomble (Google that word if you don’t know what it means, it’s my word of the moment)! It was scary how he could just essentially kidnap someone and take them into his life - and never want to let them go! Becka was a great main character as she slowly begins to piece her life back together after an accident left her with little memory of her life before. She and Grace were probably the only decent characters though, almost everyone else was messed up with a rotten core and a twisted agenda. I haven’t read a Hayley Smith book before, but I’m now on the lookout for more. If a decent domestic thriller is your cup of tea, then I’d start pouring now...

I’m pretty sure that Off the Deep End is my first Lucinda Berry read, however, it won’t be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fast-paced and a real page-turner, it became pretty dark as the story progressed, but this made it even more thrilling for me. It all began with two mothers, Amber and Jules, and two sons, Gabe and Isaac, but what happened, and how did it end? Told from the point of view of both mothers in alternating chapters, we discover very different versions of a similar story and many times I wanted to tell both of them to get a grip and start behaving like adults. I mean, do innocent people really need to hide stuff from the police?  There are lots of plot twists and turns, some I was expecting and some, not so much so but each added to the overall enjoyment of the book.  If you like a psychological thriller with hundreds of plot changes, then check out Off the Deep End by Lucinda Berry.  Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to l...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ This has been sitting on my shelf for a while, and I finally had a few days free to read it. Kia Abdullah was recommended to me by a friend, and the author is such a great find. Take it Back is my first step into Kia Abdullah’s world, and what a rollercoaster of a world it is. Full of triggers such as rape, racism and discrimination, this book won’t be for everyone, but I was fully immersed from beginning to end. From one page to the next, I was torn as to who was telling the truth and right up until the very end, Take it Back was full of twists, turns and WTF moments that just kept me reading on and on. If you enjoy a book that is full of darkness and you just aren’t sure what is going to come next, then I would highly recommend this. I’ve mentioned the triggers, so you have been warned. Go in at your own risk. I already have another Abdullah sitting on my shelf and I can’t wait to see what that one brings. Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  What an awesome, captivating, page-tuner! I was hooked from about chapter 3 and you would find me with my nose between the covers at every opportunity. Full of subterfuge, lies and heart-stopping moments, My Husband’s Lover is my first foray into author Jess Ryder’s world, but it won’t be my last. Sophie and her Swimmers are off on a wild-water swimming experience in the depths of Scotland and one of them is there for an entirely different reason, but who is it and what is her reason for joining Sophie’s Swimmers? My Husband’s Lover just goes to show that everyone has their secrets and we can never be too sure what is going on in another person’s life - whether good or bad. If you fancy a fast-paced, riding by the seat of your pants, psychological thriller, then check out Jess Ryder’s latest novel, out now! I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this book, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of My Husband’s Lo...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fast-paced, energetic and twisted. Three words to describe The Perfect Mother by Matthew Farrell. I really enjoyed reading this and raced through it in just a couple of days. It took me a few chapters to work out what was going on, as there are multiple timelines, and there were occasions when I couldn’t remember what was happening in each one. However, by the middle of the book, I’d sussed it out, and was excited to discover what was happening, and why. Laura is our protagonist, and I loved her and hated her at the same time. The author was brilliant at managing my emotions and I’m pretty sure they were chopping and changing as he’d anticipated. I definitely hadn’t envisaged some of the twists and turns that just kept coming and I was kept guessing throughout. This is my first venture into Matthew Farrell’s world, but it won’t be my last. If you love a psychological thriller, that’ll keep you on your toes, then put The Perfect Mother on your Christmas list. I am lucky enou...

⭐⭐⭐⭐  The description of 214 Palmer Street doesn’t do the actual story justice. A psychological thriller that raises more questions than it answers. I was annoyed and hooked in equal measures.  I enjoyed the plot and the way it played out, but Sarah and her husband Kirk annoyed the hell out of me. Sarah is just such a wet blanket. I just wanted to shout at her and tell her to stand up for herself, to do what she wants to do, not what anyone else wants her to do! Meanwhile, Kirk is just overbearing with his love, which borders on control. I know his heart is in the right place, but come on, give a girl some space!  That being said, if the author, Karen McQuestion, wanted her characters like that, then she has done an excellent job, that is exactly how they come across. I sort of worked out what was going to happen pretty early on, although I didn’t realise who ‘her’ was until quite close to the end! It was fun to discover how and why the ending played out as it did and the...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Woman on the Beach by Julia Roberts. Sophie, Liv, and Grace were friends from childhood, experiencing school, university, and the beginnings of their lives as young women together until a tragic event occurs, and things are never the same again. Who is the woman that Liv spots on the beach in Mexico, and why are they both there at the same time? The Woman on the Beach is an emotional rollercoaster of a story, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, desperate to discover just what was going to happen next. The author leads us down so many different paths, with twists and turns along the way, each time with an unexpected outcome. Roberts has created each and every one of her characters with great thought, love, and joy, delving deep into each one to enable us to know them intimately. I felt their pain and heartache, love and understanding, with each tear-jerking revelation. This book m...