My Review for Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer, read by Johnny Flynn

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What began as a very, very strange story had me, hook, line and sinker as soon as I realised what was going on. You don’t need to know about that though, otherwise it’ll spoil it for you! I listened to Isaac and the Egg as an audiobook and quite literally couldn’t take my AirPods out! 

All about grief and friendship and how Isaac copes with his loss and learns to manage his mental health. Johnny Flynn narrated this book beautifully and as I was listening, I was feeling Isaac’s pain but also his happiness, which shows through as the story progresses and the Egg helps him through his tumultuous times. 

Isaac and the Egg is brilliantly written. It will make you realise that there is hope for us all, despite what our past may have held. I cannot recommend this highly enough, although you may never look at a baked bean in the same way, ever again! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review an ARC of Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer, narrated by Johnny Flynn.

Read More

My Review for The Locked Away Life by Drew Davies

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really enjoyed reading The Locked Away Life, I didn’t think I was going to though. It was very slow to begin with, and I honestly thought I was going to struggle to finish it, but about a third of the way through it suddenly picked up the pace and the characters became more interesting, and from then on, I was fully invested.

Esther and Bruno, are two completely different characters, one an eighty-something-year-old woman and the other a teenage boy who develop an amazing friendship and support one another through changes in both their lives as they learn to accept both the past, present and future.

The chapters mainly alternate between Bruno and Esther, both telling their stories, and we learn how their situations become intertwined and how quickly they become ensconced in each other’s lives. Bruno is just learning who he is and how to deal with the issues life is throwing at him. Esther is realising that she isn’t too old to learn new things and embraces them entirely.

I loved both their stories, but I found Bruno’s being particularly heartbreaking until he realised he didn’t have to change and that he just needed to accept himself for who he was and that everything else would fall into place. I commend Drew Davies for bringing together sexuality, mental health, generational issues and friendship and dealing with them in such a sensitive manner.

I was astounded to learn that conversion therapy is still legal in the UK. For those of you who aren’t aware of it, this is taken from banconversiontherapy.com. ‘Conversion therapy includes medical, psychiatric, psychological, religious, cultural or any other interventions that seek to change, “cure”, or suppress the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of a person’.

If you fancy reading something a little bit different, that isn’t a thriller, rom-com or fantasy story, then check out The Locked Away Life. It’s definitely worth adding to your TBR list.

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 The Locked Away Life by Drew Davies.

Book Description

At the grand old age of eighty-two, Esther Saul has just one regret in life. Today, she’s going to change that.

For decades, Esther has barricaded herself in her vine-covered manor house. She spends her days tending to her rose-filled garden, glued to the pages of her favourite books, and listening to her beloved records. But, one spring morning, Esther wakes up and realises that time is running out.

Forty years ago, the love of her life betrayed her – the only man she allowed herself to trust. Where is Thackeray, the handsome Scot with a devilish smile and piercing blue eyes? Will she ever learn the truth? Will she ever understand why he lied to her? Esther has to find out. If she doesn’t act soon, her one regret will haunt her forever…

But she’ll need some assistance. That’s where Bruno comes in. After Esther places an advert in the local library, seeking internet lessons, the eighteen-year-old knocks on her door. Esther can see how out of place Bruno is in their sleepy village, and that the paid position could be his one-way ticket out of there.

An unexpected friendship forms between the two strangers, who have nothing in common except that they have spent most of their lives in hiding. It’s the beginning of a journey – featuring a secret motorcycle ride, an escape plan, and a garden party with whisky, apple pie, and dancing the jig. Along the way, can a locked-away life finally start living?

Just as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming, this utterly gripping page-turner is for anyone who has ever felt left behind, came close to giving up, or needed a friend. Perfect for fans of Sally Page, Ruth Hogan and Mike Gayle.

Author Bio

Drew Davies was born in London and grew up in Whanganui, New Zealand. He attended the Unitec School of Performing Arts in Auckland and won a Playmarket New Zealand Young Playwright of the Year award in 2000. After a brief stint on a kiwi soap, he has worked in Search for the past 15 years. Drew’s other claim to fame is that Stephen Fry once called him droll. Either that, or he got his name wrong. He now lives in Wanstead, London.

Amazon | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Read More

My Review for At Witt's End by J.V. Caggiano

⭐⭐⭐ The main reason I chose to read this book was that we are about to move into a new house and it’s called ‘Witzend’! Not my usual criteria. I didn’t even read the synopsis! At Witt’s End is a cosy mystery, not my usual go-to genre, but actually, it was a pretty good story. 

Cerridwen is an author who is trying to hide away to finish her latest novel but is constantly being disturbed by friends and neighbours and, eventually, they have an actual murder to solve.

Think Agatha Christie, crossed with the Agatha Raisin series and you’ll get an idea of the sort of book you are reading. It took me a while to get to grips with the characters and it was a bit all over the place to begin with, taking a fair few chapters to settle into what was going on. However, I found myself drawn in, and eager to discover ‘whodunnit’. 

I loved the diverse range of characters and the humour that Caggiano so obviously has, and there is definitely talent there for further books.

The only reason I gave this 3 stars was because of the editing. After reading other reviews, this may be just the Kindle edition I was gifted, (I sincerely hope it wasn't published with this many errors), but it distracted me from the enjoyment of the story and as it was published over two years ago, a fully edited copy would have been appreciated. For full disclosure, if I am reading an ARC that is yet to be published, I don’t take the editing into account at all.

Despite this, though, the story is great and will keep you reading, and an easy book to while away a few hours.

Thank you to Katie and Brey PA for the gifted copy of At Witt's End by J.V. Caggiano.

Read More

My Review for The Clients by Bonny Fawn

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fast-paced and a real page-turner, The Clients, by new author, Bonny Fawn will have you putting your phone on silent and hiding the television remote!

Mel, Sid, Riley and Isla, are our four main characters and four very different people, some with very interesting pasts. Just why would someone survive 9/11 but pretend they hadn't, take on a new identity and move to a new state?

A thriller, mystery, crime and romance novel, all rolled into one and a story that will have you shouting at the book and telling the characters not to do that! I wasn't sure about Mel to begin with but I think her heart is in the right place and she wants to make amends for things she's done in the past that she isn't proud of. 

If you fancy trying out a new author and you want something which will have you catching your breath at many moments then check out The Clients by Bonny Fawn, out on 16 August 2022

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read and review The Clients.

Read More

My Review for Great Sexpectations by Kristen Bailey

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I smirked, I giggled, and I laughed out loud! What a complete breath of fresh air Great Sexpectations is. There is so much humour and love included in this book, I was smiling throughout. Josie has never been afraid of her parent’s past or what she does for a living - until now - until she thinks it might scare off the man she maybe likes - just a little bit!

Very much a story where our protagonist, Josie, just keeps digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole she soon won’t be able to climb out of, but with the love of her family and in particular her Nan, she moves forward with her life and takes us all along for the ride. 

If you want your kids to know the truth about sex, then teach them young. If you don’t, then they will just guess, make things up for themselves and maybe get into trouble. This is what Josie’s Mum is trying to teach people, speaking in schools and on television and just attempting to educate the people who put their heads in the sand. 

If you don’t want to read about sex toys (of which there are many featured in this book) then maybe Great Sexpectations isn’t for you, but if you want to discover what you might be missing out on, then grab yourselves a copy of this. It’s a laugh-out-loud book, full of sex positivity and ideal for women of adult age. 

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 Great Sexpectations by Kristen Bailey.

Book Description

What’s wrong with a little bit of faking it?

After Josie got dumped by her ex through a note on the fridge, she hasn’t let herself get close to anyone. But when she meets Cameron at a Halloween party, who turns up in the same Ghostbusters costume as her, it’s virtually impossible to stay away.

Cameron, a curly haired video-games designer with dazzling blue eyes, the sexiest dimples and the same encyclopaedic knowledge of movies as Josie, seems too good to be true.

And maybe he is… Because there’s one teeny tiny problem as Josie falls madly in love. Cameron has no idea that Josie lives at home with her ex-porn star parents and their dog Dave, or about the minor detail that she works for their sex toy empire. After her ex broke up with her because of the family business, Josie decides to tell a little white lie.

But it’s just a matter of time until the truth comes out. When it does, will Cameron end things, leaving Josie with only Dave the dog for company? And what if she’s not the only one who’s keeping secrets?

So funny it should come with a warning! Don’t read while eating/drinking/in public – embarrassment will ensue. The perfect romantic comedy for anyone whose love life is more extinct than dinosaurs, and for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk and Emily Henry.

Author Bio

Mother-of-four, gin-drinker, binge-watcher, receipt hoarder, enthusiastic but terrible cook. Kristen also writes. She has had short fiction published in several publications including Mslexia & Riptide. Her first two novels, Souper Mum and Second Helpings were published in 2016. In 2019, she was long-listed in the Comedy Women in Print Prize and has since joined the Bookouture family. She writes women's fiction and she hopes her novels have fresh and funny things to say about modern life, love and family.

Amazon | Apple | Google | Kobo | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Read More

My Review for The Orphan's Mother by Marion Kummerow

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Marion Kummerow never fails to deliver, and I loved The Orphan’s Mother. I don’t think I have read a WWII book before that is told from the points of view from characters on opposing sides of the war, but it was a real eye-opener. 

Emma is German and Irena is Polish and both have a huge mistrust of each other’s countries, but for the welfare of a little boy, Irena has to put all that to one side to keep him safe. I was obsessed with reading about the risks some of the community took to protect an innocent child, regardless of the danger they may have been putting themselves in.

I’m from Britain, and it hadn’t really crossed my mind that it must have been just as traumatic for those on the other side too, and in particular the children. They wouldn’t have understood why they suddenly had to up-sticks and move from probably the only homes they had ever known.

Once again, a historical fiction novel taught me something new, and hats off to the Red Cross who worked tirelessly after the war to reunite lost children with parents, some, even many years later and even after the Iron Curtain went up.

Based on true events, The Orphan’s Mother is a brilliantly told story and I would encourage anyone with an interest in WWII to grab themselves a copy right 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 The Orphan’s Mother by Marion Kummerow.

Book Description

1945, the German-Polish border: With Nazis on one side and Soviet forces approaching on the other, a mother and her little boy are torn apart, and so begins an unforgettable tale of courage, heartbreak and motherhood in wartime.

“If you ever get lost, Jacob, you need to stay where you are and wait, because I’ll come looking for you. And I’ll always find you.”

In the icy grip of winter, Emma is trying to escape Poland, with her two young children and little more than the clothes on their backs. With the Russian Red Army advancing, she knows their safety relies on them crossing the border. She swears to herself that she’ll do whatever it takes to keep their family together.

But before they can reach the border, her little boy Jacob falls ill, his once-sparkling blue eyes getting dimmer with each moment that passes. And Emma knows she has to get him to a hospital, where she hands him to a kind nurse.

She feels sure they will be reunited the next day. But then the bombing starts. And when she reaches the hospital again, she finds it deserted, her darling son gone.

Though her heart tells her she has to stay and find him, she faces an impossible choice. She would risk her own life for Jacob in a heartbeat, but as her daughter Sophie’s cold, little hand slips into her own, Emma is forced to make a heartbreaking decision. Unable to find any trace of her beloved son, she knows she must at least get her daughter to safety.

But she can never forget the promise she made to her little boy. That if they were ever separated, she’d come looking for him. That she’d always find him.

Whatever the danger, whatever the risk. She knows what she has to do. Because there is nothing stronger than a mother’s love…

An utterly unforgettable and devastating story, perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Stolen from her Mother and Sold on a Monday.

Author Bio

Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to "discover the world" and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she's now living with her family.

Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemmas, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.

Amazon | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Read More

My Review for The Secret Keeper by Siobhan Curham

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I read too many books to have favourites, but The Secret Keeper by Siobhan Curham is definitely up there in this year’s great reads! I loved it! Based on true events, which is always a bonus for me, Elena Garcia is recruited into the spy network for the Americans in World War II. 

Although faced with risks daily, we also get to see how exciting life as a spy during the war can be. The men and women who undertook these roles throughout the wars were just so brave and dedicated to helping their fellow countrymen, with their secret missions and many of them played different characters to infiltrate themselves into enemy lives. 

I loved reading about the part Leslie Howard played in the war and yes, when I’d finished reading, I had to research more about what had happened to him. I won't spoil it if you are unaware of the story but it's definitely interesting. 

Reading more about the spy network and the role they all played definitely makes me want to read more and immerse myself in a world, where I might have quite liked to be. 

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 The Secret Keeper by Siobhan Curham.

Book Description

Nazi-occupied Paris, 1942. “I want to create a world where we are free to be together, to be in love,” he whispered. I gulp down the sobs building in my throat. “I want that too. I’ll come back to you. I swear I’ll come back.”

Elena Garcia knows that the mission she has been tasked with is her most dangerous yet. With a tearful goodbye to the man she has grown to love, the dark-eyed and warm-hearted Santiago Lozano, she hurries to catch the train to the drop-off point, the coded maps she is delivering for the resistance concealed in a pack of playing cards in her purse.

As she leaves the underground meeting, she hears heavy footsteps closing in behind her. Her heart pounds, and a dark figure comes into her line of sight. Expertly fighting off her attacker, Elena races back to the station, barely making it onto the train. She is forced to confront the worst: her cover is blown and now nowhere will be safe. Somebody close to her is a traitor, but when you live in the shadows, how do you know who you can really trust?

To stay alive, Elena must flee the country – and that means leaving Santiago behind. But she refuses to abandon her mission while Europe is still in the clutches of the enemy, and she will not leave Santiago to face the wrath of the Gestapo alone.

But when Elena uncovers that the love of her life has been having meetings with high-ranking government officials and hears German officials greeting him by name in the street, it’s clear that Santiago has his own secrets.

Elena must now ask herself: should she risk everything to save Santiago… or was he the one who betrayed her to the enemy? And now, with millions of innocent lives across Europe at stake, how can she know what is the right choice?

An epic, gripping and emotional wartime novel based on the true stories of the female spies sent into occupied Europe. Fans of The Alice Network, Soraya M. Lane and Pam Jenoff will be totally hooked.

Author Bio

Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, ghostwriter, editor and writing coach. She has also written for many newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Guardian, Breathe magazine, Cosmopolitan, Writers’ Forum, DatingAdvice.com, and Spirit & Destiny. Siobhan has been a guest on various radio and TV shows, including Woman’s Hour, BBC News, GMTV and BBC Breakfast. And she has spoken at businesses, schools, universities and literary festivals around the world, including the BBC, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Bath Festival, Ilkley Festival, London Book Fair and Sharjah Reading Festival.

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Siobhan Curham here. 

Amazon Buy Link

Read More