My Review for The Re-Write by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, read by Faith Alabi

'The Wale who was the type of prince who would hand me his own sword to help me slay my dragons'.

I adored this one. I have Yinka on my TBR, but I just haven't managed to get around to it yet. This one came up on Libro FM, and so I grabbed it. 

Temi and Wale are as cute as. Annoying with their miscommunication, and there were so many times I wanted to grab both of them and shake them until eventually the words would pour out of them. 😂 Temi - just be honest for heaven's sake and Wale - you need to learn to listen, ask questions and not jump to conclusions!

I loved that Temi names her glasses and puts on a different pair, depending on how she wants to feel/who she wants to be that day. What an inspiring idea! I appreciated Lizzie writing so openly about sexual harassment, racial discrimination and body image, and how positivity emanated from all the negativity as the book progressed. 

Faith Alabi was an inspired choice for the narrator for The Re-Write. With her ability to switch between no accent and a Nigerian accent, it brought the book to life and made the characters even more adorable than they already were.

Thank you to Penguin Books and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review The Re-Write by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn.

About the Book

ONE STORY. TWO EXES. CAN THEY CHANGE THEIR ENDING?

Temi and Wale meet in London. They flirt, date, meet each other's friends.

Then they break up. And Wale goes on a reality dating show.

Instead of giving in to heartbreak, Temi throws herself into her writing. She's within touching distance of a book deal that would solve all her problems. But publishers keep passing on her novel and bills still have to be paid. So, when the opportunity to ghost-write a celebrity autobiography arises, Temi accepts.

And, of course, the celebrity turns out to be Wale...

Will Temi and Wale repeat the patterns of their past? Or can they write a whole new story?

About Lizzie

Lizzie Damilola Blackburn is a British-Nigerian writer, born in Peckham, who wants to tell the stories that she and her friends have longed for but never seen – romcoms 'where Cinderella is Black and no-one bats an eyelid'. In 2019 she won the Literary Consultancy Pen Factor Writing Competition with the early draft of Yinka, Where is your Huzband?, which she had been writing alongside juggling her job at Carers UK. She has been at the receiving end of the question in the title of her novel many times, and now lives with her husband in Milton Keynes.

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My Review for Intended by Ingrid J. Adams

'Nash lived his life in Caps Lock, crashing and bashing his way around…'

I adored the first two books in this series and the third is even better, although I don't think I've known how a book hangover feels until now. I don't know where to begin. Everything about Intended is gorgeous, from the red-rocks of Sedona in Arizona, USA, to the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean in Sydney, Australia. 

I loved the nineties theme that has been running throughout this series, and to be reminded of so many things from my twenties. Life without the hassle of mobile phones, the internet and social media. 

This is one of the best fantasy series I have ever read. I have never been bored and wanted things to happen any faster. Told through multiple points of view, the book flows at just the right pace and the characters are loveable (well, most of them)! Cordelia and Indigo's beautiful relationship continues, and Robbie is probably still my favourite, even if he does lose his way slightly in this one. 

You'll be left on a huge cliffhanger at the end of this one, I didn't know whether to swear, cry or demand answers! If fantasy is your thing, then I urge you to read this series. They definitely need to be read in order, so go and put them all on your wishlist and let me know what you think.

Thank you to Ingrid J. Adams for the gifted copy of Intended.

About the Book

In the epic third instalment of the stunning series capturing hearts everywhere, Indigo and Cordelia are on opposite sides of the world. But distance means nothing when you’ve found your soulmate and your love is bigger than the cosmos.

All Indigo wants is to keep Cordelia safe, to protect her and their extraordinary love, but he knows that fate isn’t on their side. He’s figured out a way to fight destiny, to keep her with him this time around. Problem is, she isn’t going to like it…

Meanwhile, Indigo’s Akasha family face their own challenges: Dawn is fighting for her life. Nash is struggling with his gift while pining for Aurora, who’s hiding the identity of her latest beau. Robbie’s grief for his dad is threatening to tear him apart, taking his

newly-found love with it. And Raf is MIA.

Then there’s Reinenoir, hovering in the shadows, her obsession with Indigo and the title of Witch Queen growing evermore. Intent on restoring her powers to their former glory, she descends further into darkness and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

In a world of true soul family, new allies and old enemies, is anyone who they seem, or will unravelling secrets break bonds thought to be timeless? In the end, can anyone truly fight their intended destiny?

About Ingrid

Ingrid J. Adams is the author of the descended four-book series, an epic love story steeped in fantasy set in the early 1990's on the beaches of Manly in Sydney, Australia. 

It took Ingrid a long time to realise her unattainably crazy dream of being a writer was in fact both attainable and sane; but between then and now, she's earnt degrees in business tourism, journalism, kinesiology and nutrition, studied psychotherapy, and worked in media, then as a therapist.

She also had a couple years off to lie in bed and stare at the ceiling after being diagnosed with an incurable disease she managed to cure herself of by going way outside the box, a disease she probably learnt more from than all her degrees put together.

Today she lives in chaos by the beach in Manly in Australia with her four beautiful boys (five if you count her husband), and her cuddle-hunting cavoodle pup. She's a massive fan of travel, yoga, meditation, farmer's markets, cooking (and eating), ocean-swimming, and escaping into fictional worlds of her own and others' creation.

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My Review for Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez, read by Christina Lakin and Matt Lanter

'Love is the brightest color in a gray world'.

My first Abby Jimenez book was Say You'll Remember Me for June's choice for #thatindiebookclub, and I loved it. I was expecting contemporary romance, but what I actually got was a whole lot more. Yes, there was the love interest, Xavier, the grumpy man and Samantha who was the light within the relationship, but for me, the main story was the devastation that Alzheimer's Disease can bring to a family. 

Abby had obviously researched the incurable disease thoroughly, and she wrote with compassion and empathy. I had nothing but admiration for Samantha, for becoming the primary caregiver for her Mum, as well as juggling, living with so many other people. This book was so much about the tightly-knit family unit, and when needed, they all come together with a common goal. Helping each other. 

Of course long-distance relationships can work, although not for everyone, and Xavier and Samantha proved how strong their love was for each other by making it work for so long. Would I have gone on a date, knowing I was leaving the state in a few hours? Probably not, but what had she got to lose?

Thank you to Hatchette Audio and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez.

About the Book

There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong…

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.

About Abby

Abby Jimenez is a Food Network winner, #1 New York Times best selling author of Just for the Summer, and recipient of the 2022 Minnesota Book Award for her novel Life's Too Short. Her book Yours Truly was the first romance novel in the history of Book of the Month to win the coveted Dolly Award for Book of the Year. Abby founded Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen back in 2007. The bakery has since gone on to win numerous Food Network competitions and, like her books, has amassed an international following. 

Abby loves a good romance, coffee, doglets, and not leaving the house.

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My Review for The Guilty One by Kiersten Modglin, read by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, Chad Ackerman, Evan Sibley and Melissa Kay Benson

'Someone is lying. Someone is missing. Someone is guilty'.

The Guilty One was twisted with a capital T and so messed up that I spoke out loud to my audiobook more than once! 😂 I really enjoyed it, even if Tate was a total douchebag, and that's being kind. Urgh, many of us will know how it feels to be bullied and to be so scared of someone that you will do what they tell you to do, no questions asked and this is what Tate does to people and how he makes them feel. 

The story was told between two different timelines, then and now and there were so many twists and turns, I was exhausted - but in a good way! Everyone lies, everyone has something to hide and just when I thought I had worked out what was going on, Kiersten threw another spanner in there and contorted it that little bit more! 

The narrators each brought their own special touch to the book, and yep, the characters you're supposed to dislike, you definitely did! They all did a great job.

If you like twisted, domestic thrillers, that keep you guessing until the end, then I would really recommend this one, but check the triggers first!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review The Guilty One by Kiersten Modglin.

About the Book

Your husband was involved in a fatal accident.

One horrific sentence, delivered in an impersonal phone call, changes Celine Thompson’s life in a second. But when she’s asked to identify his body, what she discovers sends everything she thought she knew about her life crashing down.

This man is not my husband.

But who was the man who died driving Tate’s car? How did he have Tate’s possessions and, more importantly, why do they sport identical tattoos?

We’re going to find him.

When Tate doesn’t answer his phone or arrive home after the accident, Celine fears the worst. Still holding on to hope her husband may be alive, Celine is desperate to track Tate down and figure out what’s going on before it’s too late. The only problem? There are dark truths waiting to come out that are so atrocious she won’t ever be able to look away from them.

As she begins to put together the pieces of the mysterious day her husband went missing, it paints a picture of a man she never really knew. Is it possible Tate is still alive, or is she wasting her time searching for someone who will never be found? And if he is alive, how will they ever survive all that she’s unearthed?

With time running out, Celine must push the limits of the law and her safety to shed light on the secrets that have been hiding in the dark corners of their life together. In doing so, she may just uncover the final missing piece to the puzzle surrounding her husband’s fate.

Someone is lying.

Someone is missing.

Someone is guilty.

In this menacing, dark, and completely twisted domestic thriller, million-copy bestselling author Kiersten Modglin deep dives into a marriage riddled with lies, a couple with wicked secrets, and a woman who will stop at nothing to discover the truth about her husband’s disappearance. 

Forget everything you think you know…

About Kiersten

KIERSTEN MODGLIN is a #1 bestselling author of psychological thrillers. Her books have sold over two million copies and been translated into multiple languages. Kiersten is a member of International Thriller Writers, Novelists, Inc., and the Alliance of Independent Authors. She is a KDP Select All-Star and a recipient of ThrillerFix's Best Psychological Thriller Award, Suspense Magazine's Best Book of 2021 Award, a 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Suspense, and a 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Overall Book of 2021. Kiersten grew up in rural western Kentucky and later relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where she now lives with her family. Kiersten's readers across the world lovingly refer to her as "KMod." A binge-watching expert, psychology fanatic, and indoor enthusiast, Kiersten enjoys rainy days spent with her favorite people and evenings with her nose in a book.​

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My Review for Heidi by Johanna Spyri, read by Gemma Whelan

"When he (the sun) says good-night to the mountains he throws his most beautiful colors over them, so that they may not forget him before he comes again the next day."

I adored Heidi when I was growing up, and to say that I was obsessed with the BBC adaptation is an understatement. Despite it being originally filmed in German and dubbed (very badly) into English, I could watch it over and over again. From what I can remember, it was shown on a Sunday morning, week in, and week out, and then repeated all over again. 

Until I reread it for June's read for #classiclitbookclub, I'd forgotten how much I loved it. Even now, at 52 years old, I want to be Heidi. I want to be springing from rock to rock as I climb up and down the mountainside. I want to sleep in the loft on a bed of hay and gaze up at the stars through a hole in the roof!

When Clara visits from the city, she arrives being unable to walk and leaves, very much recuperated. This reminded me very much of The Secret Garden and even back in 1881 when Heidi was written, it was obviously very apparent that being outside in the fresh air, at one with nature, can be hugely beneficial for health and wellbeing. Something which is very much encouraged today for mental health.

If you've never read this, and you fancy an easy, escapist read where you're transported to the beauty of the Swiss mountains, then give this a go.

About the Book

When Heidi, a cheerful 5-year-old orphan, comes to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps, she brings a bright ray of sunshine into the lives of the people around her. Young Peter, a goatherd, shares her love of nature, and his blind grandmother delights in the little girl's bubbling personality. Even Heidi's surly and hermit-like grandfather, the old Alm-Uncle, finds his long-lost grandchild a source of immense pleasure.

A few years later, when she is forced to go to Frankfurt to serve as a companion for Klara, a well-to-do but sickly girl, Heidi must leave her beloved mountains and friends behind — an experience that proves highly traumatic to the innocent and sensitive little girl. But her return home and a visit from Klara result in magical moments that will leave young readers thoroughly captivated by this heartwarming tale of an unforgettable child and her effect on the people around her.

Complete and unabridged, this story "for children and those who love children" will thrill today's youngsters just as it has delighted generations of young readers and listeners since its original publication in 1881.

About Johanna

Johanna Spyri (1827–1901) was a Swiss author best known for her beloved children's book Heidi. Born in Hirzel, Switzerland, Spyri grew up in a rural setting that would later inspire the vivid Alpine landscapes in her writing. She began her literary career later in life, publishing Heidi in 1880, which quickly became an international classic. Spyri’s works often reflect themes of nature, family, and the resilience of children. Her heartfelt storytelling and depiction of Swiss village life continue to charm readers around the world.

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My Review for How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent, read by Victoria Morrison

Kitty Collins - I love you!

This gave me throwbacks to How to Kill Your Family, but way better! I love Kitty Collins. Should I be admitting that I admire a serial killer?! 🤣 She's like Dexter - which reminds me, I need to catch up with that series soon!

I laughed, I cringed, and I held my head in my hands as the darkness overtook Kitty as she continued to remove those lecherous men from society. She had a pretty nifty way of disposing of the bodies, that was a cool addition to the plot, a bit mafia-esque. 

I'm not sure Kitty actually likes her job as an influencer, she seems to put up with it because it's earning her money and paying her rent, but her role as a serial killer is what she's actually enjoying!

Victoria Morrison as the narrator was brilliant, she made everything seem absolutely normal, as though Kitty was just going about her everyday life - which I guess she was! 

Thank you to Harper Collins and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent.

About the Book

Meet Kitty Collins.

FRIEND. LOVER. KILLER.

Have you ever walked home at night, keys in hand, ready to throw a punch in self-defence? That’s how it all started. The killing spree, I mean.

I sort of tripped into this role… Literally. The first one was following me. That guy from the nightclub who wouldn’t leave me alone. I pushed him, he stumbled, and fell onto his own broken wine bottle. Oops. It was such a waste of a good house white.

But now I can’t seem to stop and nor do I want to… I’ve got a taste for revenge and quite frankly, I’m killing it.

About Katy 

Katy Brent is a freelance journalist and has been in the industry for over fifteen years. She started work in women's magazines back in 2005. In 2006, Katy won a PTA award for New Journalist of the Year. More recently she has focused on television journalism. Writing a book has always been her dream and lockdown finally gave the time she kept using as an excuse for not doing it.

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My Review for The Ruins in Which We Bleed by Steve N. Lee

'No shouting cracked the silence; no flashlights sliced the darkness'.

Steve's writing is incredible. I didn't particularly want to be in Helena's shoes, as slowly, her family disappears, and she has no alternative other than to face the horrors that the Germans are inflicting, all alone. Yet, I had no choice. Such is the power of the words which Steve writes and the in-depth descriptions he portrays of the sufferings Helena experiences, I was right there with her. Every step of the way. 

Every time I read a book like this, one which is inspired by true events and particularly one set during WWII, I often have to stop reading, and reflect that all this s**t really happened and how courageous and resilient people absolutely had to be. 

So much research has gone into Helena's story and Steve has done an amazing job of telling her story and ensuring that no matter how much time has passed, they have not been forgotten.

Thank you to Steve N. Lee for the opportunity to read and review The Ruins in Which We Bleed.

About the Book

A story of courage and a fight for survival like none you have ever read. Guaranteed!

Inspired by a previously untold true story.

Following the Nazi invasion of Poland, 13-year-old Helena is imprisoned in the Warsaw ghetto, a squalid hellhole rife with disease and starvation. Yet, although the Nazis have destroyed her home, her life, and her future, they haven't destroyed the only thing that truly matters — her family. Helena might be just a child, but she's a fighter, and she'll do whatever it takes to help her loved ones.

Making sacrifices no child should ever have to make, seeing horrors no child should ever have to see, Helena bravely battles on as her world crumbles amid random killings, slave labor, and deportations. And through it all, her compassion helps to protect her family. But then the Nazis unleash new horrors.

With the ghetto a raging sea of flames, explosions, and gunfire, Helena runs for her life only to hurtle straight into an unimaginable hell from which there seems no escape. And the Nazis are closing in. Can her love for her family give her the strength to survive?

Inspired by a heartbreaking true story of unbelievable courage, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit, The Ruins in Which We Bleed reveals that, even in the darkest of times, one person can make a difference through the greatest power of all — love.

About Steve

Steve has three passions: anti-heroes, animals, and travel. To date, he's visited 60 countries and has adopted five homeless cats, but he's yet to prowl the streets in the dead of night to beat up bad guys (though he still daydreams about doing so, but who doesn't?).

In pursuit of adventure, he's cage-dived with great white sharks, sparred with a monk at a Shaolin temple, and explored exotic locales such as Machu Picchu, Pompeii, and the Great Wall of China.

Fortunately, his passions fuel his fiction. He loves to pepper his action-packed thrillers with the exotic places he's explored and the unusual encounters he's experienced, while his dog stories glow with the love and companionship that will warm the heart of any animal lover.

More recently, while on his travels, Steve came across two true stories from the Holocaust which moved him so deeply, he has based two novels on them.

He lives in the North of England with his partner, Ania, the great-great-great niece of the 1924 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, and two stray black cats who visited their garden one day and liked it so much, they moved into the house. Luckily, they graciously allowed Steve and Ania to carry on living there, even allowing Steve to continue paying the mortgage to give him a sense of purpose.

If you love stories of four-legged heroes, tales from histories darkest hour, or books with pulse-pounding action, you'll love Steve's three series. He wrote them for book lovers just like you!

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