Sunday, September 7, 2025

My Review for New Arrivals at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland, read by Emma Swan and James Dryden

September 07, 2025  , , , ,  No comments


“To find a rainbow, you’ve got to have some rain and I’d certainly experienced one heck of a storm before I’d found mine.”

A gorgeous addition to the Hedgehog Hollow series, and this one focuses a lot more on Josh and Samantha's families and the past history which goes alongside. Thankfully, the two have each other, and it's lovely to see how supportive they are together. 

I loved that we see lots more hedgehogs in this book, and some with super-cool names, well done Jessica for coming up with those! I learnt lots about hedgehog rescue and actually, just how much work has to go into it, from staying up through the night to feed the hoglets, to mending them when they've been in accidents! As always, with Jessica's books, I came away from this one feeling happy and relaxed, she definitely always makes my mood so much better.

I was trying to decide what to do with some old towels I have. After writing the two reviews for the first two Hedgehog Hollow books, over the last few days, I decided that tomorrow I'm taking them to a local hedgehog rescue centre!

About the Book

With new arrivals comes new responsibilities. . . .

The sun is shining, wild flowers are blooming and Hedgehog Hollow is officially open for business.

For Samantha, the proud owner of this beautiful rescue centre, life has never been busier. But with an influx of new hogs and hoglets to take care of, not to mention a full-time job and ongoing family issues, can she accept the possibility that she has taken on more than she can handle?

Fortunately, she has the love of her life, Josh, by her side for support and encouragement. But Josh has his own family troubles to deal with. And soon he must decide if he's ready to do the one thing he swore he'd never do - forgive his father.

For both Samantha and Josh it's a season of change and for figuring out whether the past can truly be forgotten.


About Jessica - by Jessica

I write uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community set in stunning Yorkshire. My Whitsborough Bay books take readers/listeners to the North Yorkshire Coast and my Hedgehog Hollow books transport them deep into the countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

My books are about real people living real lives. You'll find plenty of warm and fuzzy moments between the pages but you may occasionally find yourself tearing up and reaching for the tissues. I love my characters so, no matter how tough the going gets, I make sure they get their happy ending. Of course, with a series, it may take a few books to fully get there!

My favourite subject at school was English and I always loved the aspects of my day job in HR which involved writing but I never considered writing a novel until my manager told me that my business reports read more like stories and joked that I should write a book. As soon as a plot idea presented itself, that’s exactly what I did.




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Thursday, September 4, 2025

My Review for Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland, read by Emma Swan

September 04, 2025  , , ,  No comments


“The less you respond to negative people, the more peaceful your life will become. Find your peace”

Hedgehog Hollow was my first venture into Jessica's books, way back at the beginning of the summer of 2024 - yes I'm only just now writing my review! 🙊 What can I say? Life gets in the way!

Anyway, I'm here now and I adored it. I saw the word 'hedgehog' and I knew I'd love it. Samantha was so deserving of finding a new life in a new place and making new friends, after having so much taken away from her, and so many mean people in her life. I admired her stoicism and endeavours to open a hedgehog rescue centre and make Thomas's dreams come true.

Emma Swan was brilliant at narrating this, she drew me into Sam's life, hopes, and dreams and all the itsy, bitsy, cutesy hedgehogs. I've already listened to the second one in this series, which I loved just as much. 

Jessica fast became one of my favourite authors, and now I am looking forward to working my way through all her books. 

About the Book

As Samantha Wishaw watches the love of her life marry another woman, she’s ready to give up hope of finding her happy ever after.

But when a chance encounter leads Sam to find friendship in Thomas – a lonely, grumpy elderly widower living at derelict Hedgehog Hollow – her life is about to change forever.

Glad to have a distraction from family feuds and match-making, Sam vows to fulfill Thomas and his wife, Gwendoline’s, dreams of restoring Hedgehog Hollow to its former glory, and to open a hedgehog rescue centre.

Throwing herself into the task at hand, little does Sam realize that the keys to love and happiness may also be found at Hedgehog Hollow, when she least expects it…


About Jessica - by Jessica

I write uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community set in stunning Yorkshire. My Whitsborough Bay books take readers/listeners to the North Yorkshire Coast and my Hedgehog Hollow books transport them deep into the countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

My books are about real people living real lives. You'll find plenty of warm and fuzzy moments between the pages but you may occasionally find yourself tearing up and reaching for the tissues. I love my characters so, no matter how tough the going gets, I make sure they get their happy ending. Of course, with a series, it may take a few books to fully get there!

My favourite subject at school was English and I always loved the aspects of my day job in HR which involved writing but I never considered writing a novel until my manager told me that my business reports read more like stories and joked that I should write a book. As soon as a plot idea presented itself, that’s exactly what I did.




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Wednesday, September 3, 2025

My Review for IT by Stephen King, read by Steven Weber

September 03, 2025  , , , , , , ,  No comments


“What can be done when you’re eleven can often never be done again.”

I enjoyed IT a whole lot more than Carrie. Even though it was a stonker of a listen at 45 hours, I was invested in the story, the kids, as they navigated their way through their traumatic teenage years in Derry. Twenty-eight years later, when they returned to their hometown to fight whatever the monster is, all over again. 

Occasionally I got lost in the narration as the story skipped from the past to the present and occasionally somewhere in-between, but aside from that, I did actually like it. I definitely wouldn't like the movie version, but I treated the monster as some sort of paranormal fantasy creature that I've encountered in numerous other books, and it was all good.

I'm sure I'm not the first person who's thought this, but whether intentional or not, I think some of J.K. Rowling's ideas came from this book. The monster is eerily reminiscent of Aragog, and, she moves around in the pipes, just as the monster does in Chamber of Secrets. Anyone else??

Thank you to #thatindiebookclub for the decision to try a Stephen King club for people who were maybe a little sceptical!

About the Book

Stephen King's terrifying, classic #1 New York Times bestseller, "a landmark in American literature" (Chicago Sun-Times)—about seven adults who return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they had first stumbled on as teenagers…an evil without a name: It.

Welcome to Derry, Maine. It's a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real.

They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made twenty-eight years ago calls them reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city's children. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that terrifying summer return as they prepare to once again battle the monster lurking in Derry's sewers.

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 The Cinnamon Spice Inn by Harper Graham, read by Andi Eloise and Brandon Francis

September 03, 2025  , , , ,  No comments


'She was going to make the inn feel welcoming again, one cosy bite at a time.'

I really enjoyed listening to this, even though there is a massive miscommunication overload! Madison and Zack are loveable, cute and so right for each other, but they are also very, very annoying. Talk to each other, stop running away and stop being pig-headed! OMG they are so frustrating, I needed to bang my head against a wall, never mind theirs! 😂

The Cinnamon Spice Inn has a huge autumnal vibe, it's gorgeous, with the vivid descriptions as the leaves on the trees change their colours and the mouthwatering cooking and baking that's going on. You'll be popping on that autumn jumper and running out to buy a pumpkin before you can say 'pumpkin latte'!

The book is a dual narration, with Andi and Brandon playing the parts of Madison and Zack brilliantly. I felt welcomed into Maple Falls, right from the beginning, and loved their interpretation of the characters.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review The Cinnamon Spice Inn by Harper Graham.

About the Book

Love is the sweetest spice of all.

A fiery, coffee-loving city girl. A laid-back handyman with irresistible hazel eyes. Is this a recipe for disaster? Find out in this totally cozy and unputdownable enemies-to-lovers romance in the small town of your dreams! Gilmore Girls + spice + everything autumn = 🔥

Self-confessed coffee addict and food writer Madison has convinced herself she belongs in NYC. But then she’s called back to the small town of Maple Falls to save her childhood home, The Cinnamon Spice Inn. She’s NOT looking forward to seeing her ex, Zach—now a sexy bearded handyman who knows exactly how to push her buttons. But she won’t let anything distract her from the inn’s relaunch… right?

Zach is frustrated in more ways than one when his latest job brings him face-to-face with the girl who got away. He’s already agreed to renovate her family’s inn and he’s nothing if not a man of his word. But the last thing he wants is to work side-by-side with that stubborn, infuriating—fine, totally gorgeous—red-head.

Sparks fly as they prepare for the big Halloween opening. Will Madison save The Cinnamon Spice Inn and have a second chance at love, or will it all go up in flames?


About Harper

Harper Graham lives with her mischievous spaniel in a cozy small town in Connecticut. Her quirky neighbours may or may not have inspired the residents of her Maple Falls series. When she’s not hiking with her daughter, baking her grandmother’s recipes or reading in her favourite coffee shop, Harper can be found writing the sweet and spicy romance stories of her own dreams.



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Monday, September 1, 2025

My Post for Shadowslayers by Colin Sephton

September 01, 2025  , , ,  No comments



'She is your darkest thoughts, your darkest fears. She will feed off your fear and hatred and grow stronger.'

The second book and another mission for the Union Jacks, only these time, there appears to be more than one of each of them! Doppelgängers, spirit doubles, alter ego or ethereal twin, call them what you like, but ultimately it means double the trouble, or double the support, depending on whose point of view you're looking at!

Shadowslayers is a fast-paced, exciting second book from new author, Colin Sephton. The many battles are charged with excitement, blood-soaked detail, and nail-biting anticipation, as Indigo, Ignatius, and their allies fight to uncover the elusive Book of Shadows, contain its horrors, and keep each other alive. 

With a tense and open-ended finish, we are left with the potential for another mission. What will come next for our Union Jack agents? Can just the two of them be expected to keep the entire universe safe.

Thank you to Colin Sephton and Cinnabar Moth Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Shadowslayers.

About the Book

When doppelgangers start appearing in Oxford, Union Jack agents Ignatius and Indigo find themselves on another cosmic quest, one they didn't set out to investigate.Drawn into the search for the elusive and dangerous Book of Shadows, they find themselves traveling across the cosmos once again, racing against other versions of themselves, and visiting the Oracle to be given prophecies of terrible destruction that will engulf the cosmos in darkness. Only these two heroes-or their doubles-can open the book, which would lead to dreadful consequences for themselves, the world and the whole of creation. The agents must outwit their own mirror souls and invade the impregnable Administorium, which holds the answers they need but also fearsome enemies of both the Union Jacks and the entire cosmos. In this quest, Ignatius and Indigo must protect not only England and the Empire, but the world and the cosmos.

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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Friday, August 29, 2025

My Post for I Found You by Lisa Jewell, read by Helen Duff

August 29, 2025  , , , ,  No comments


“I’d been secretly fantasising about you waking up fully restored back to factory settings.”

I Found You is another one that I'm just catching up with my review for. I listened to this in the summer of 2024 and I remember so much about it, which is unusual - I usually forget about a story as soon as I finish it!

I definitely wouldn't have done what Alice did, and invited a stranger inside my house to stay with me and my kids! But her heart is in the right place and thankfully, she has the support of her friend to keep an eye on her!

The story is written from three points of view, two from the present day and one from 1993, from the point of view of two kids who holidayed in the same place where Alice now lives. 

I really enjoyed listening to this, I thought I'd worked out who the man on the beach was, and then there was another twist and I was back to the drawing board!

About the Book

In a windswept British seaside town, single mom Alice Lake finds a man sitting on the beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, and no idea how he got there. Against her better judgment, she invites him inside.

Meanwhile, in a suburb of London, twenty-one-year-old Lily Monrose has only been married for three weeks. When her new husband fails to come home from work one night she is left stranded in a new country where she knows no one. Then the police tell her that her husband never existed.

Twenty-three years earlier, Gray and Kirsty are teenagers on a summer holiday with their parents. Their annual trip to the quaint seaside town is passing by uneventfully, until an enigmatic young man starts paying extra attention to Kirsty. Something about him makes Gray uncomfortable—and it’s not just that he’s playing the role of protective older brother.

Two decades of secrets, a missing husband, and a man with no memory are at the heart of this brilliant new novel, filled with the “beautiful writing, believable characters, pacey narrative, and dark secrets” (London Daily Mail) that make Lisa Jewell so beloved by audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

About Lisa

Lisa Jewell is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of nineteen novels, including The Family Upstairs and Then She Was Gone, as well as Invisible Girl and Watching You. Her novels have sold over 10 million copies internationally, and her work has also been translated into twenty-nine languages. Connect with her on Twitter @LisaJewellUK, on Instagram @LisaJewellUK, and on Facebook @LisaJewellOfficial.




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Thursday, August 28, 2025

My Review for Luminiferous: The Darkness Within #2

August 28, 2025  , , ,  No comments


'But bear in mind, using a dragon as a weapon comes with the risk of its bite'.

I'm hooked! When is the next one out? The Luminiferous series is fast becoming my favourite fantasy series. I adore Lilly. She's sassy, she's fearless, she's brave and she doesn't suffer fools. In this one, Lilly sets out on some more adventures with her friends, in an attempt to find the second emanation of Luminiferous. On the way, she encounters enemies, many, many enemies, some who may become friends and inevitable death - thankfully not hers because we still have another five more books to go!

After the world-building in book one, we are catapulted straight back into all the worlds that Lilly travels through, and of course she has Hairito by her side once again, such a cheeky, yet loyal gargoyle! Lilly is being forced to grow up fast and for a nineteen-year-old, she really is doing an awesome job of carrying the world's outcome on her shoulders! The book is full of selkies and sirens, and all sorts of fantasy creatures. Each with their own role and each bringing their own set of skills - sometimes good ones and sometimes, very, very bad! 

I cannot recommend this series enough. It's soooooooo good. If you love Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, The Serpent and the Wings of Night and anything in between, please give it a go. It's honestly incredible, there are apparently five more books to go - get writing Yana. I need more Lilly, Will and Faolen in my life!

Thank you to Yana Metro for the gifted copy of Luminiferous: The Darkness Within.

About the book

The riveting second book in the seven-part LUMINIFEROS saga of romance, self-discovery and two worlds on the brink

CURSED. HUNTED. CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO LETHAL SHAPESHIFTERS

Lilly White is poisoned. Venom marks on her wrists spread daily, threatening to consume her body and soul. As the last hope against Noxohit’s destruction of the Human and Spirit Worlds, Lilly must find a cure before she turns into one of his monsters – or her own allies kill her first.

Her one beacon is Will, a Raven Guardian with deadly power and seductive charm. He is her sworn protector, but he’s also duty-bound and hiding secrets of his own.

As they race against time and despair, Lilly falls under the jade gaze of a being so powerful, he can bend reality at will. His touch is as cold as dragon scales and just as lethally beguiling.

With his perilous guidance, Lilly might find salvation. But to break the curse, she must embrace the darkness within, risking her life… and testing her love.

About Yana

A PhD in Physics, Yana spent years as a nano-researcher before diving into exploration of existential mysteries through fictional characters and magical worlds. Her debut series LUMINIFEROS unites contemporary fantasy and romance in a thrilling seven-part journey of self-discovery. She lives in the urban jungles of London but dreams of lush coniferous forests stretching beneath leaden clouds that almost constantly curtain the sky.



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