#BlogBlitz! #Review – Do Bugs Wear Shoes? By Addie Broussard (@TwoUmbrellaspls) @RaRaResources

I have a fun book for you all this evening! Have you ever wondered whether bugs wear shoes or whether they have feelings? If not, why not?! I am delighted to bring you a review of the very colourful, ‘Do Bugs Wear Shoes?’, published by the company who brought ‘The Beedog’ book to life not so long ago. Many thanks to RaRaResources for the ARC.

A colorful, fun-filled book packed with answers to all your silliest bug questions! 
Learn what happens when a bug goes to space, to school, and to the gym. Find out if bugs have feelings like people do. Discover robot bugs, dancing bugs, bugs that poop and so much more!

Filled with illustrations, photographs and interactive videos, Do Bugs Wear Shoes will have kids laughing and learning as they discover awe-inspiring facts about the insect world. This beautifully designed book is organized into colorful two-page spreads that each focus on a different question, making it easy and fun to read for children and big kids alike.

BOOK EXTRAS include videos and printable worksheets for extended learning. Great for educators and at-home learning.

PLUS, vote on the world’s most beautiful bug!

Recommended for ages 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and up.

What does TWG think?

Do bugs wear shoes? No, seriously, do they?! For those of you with children of your own, work with children, or are around young children frequently, you will be well aware of some of the fantastic and rather questionable questions that come out of young children’s mouths. Right? This brightly coloured book puts those insightful questions on the table, and allows children of all ages to enjoy their innocence as they read the book and look at the pages.

It’s suggested that this book is for ages 6 and over, however, I don’t see any harm in reading it to children younger or letting them look at the pictures. My daughter is five and I loved the fact that I was able to use the book whilst I homeschooled her – she laughed and learnt at the same time, and the added online resources were brilliant at connecting the two mediums by allowing children to watch the book come to life via videos.

I think that ‘Do Bugs Wear Shoes?’ would be the perfect book to grace a child’s bookshelf with its effortless, vibrant way of bringing the questions younger love to ask, to life without making them feel as though they asked a ‘stupid’ or ‘unimportant’ question. I loved it.

Buy now from Amazon UK

Buy now from Amazon US

About the author.

Two Umbrellas is an educational publishing company that fuses education and storytelling.  We offer books and activities to help parents and educators empower tomorrow’s leaders.

Our founders, Anthony Puttee and Addie Broussard, love to travel.  Anthony’s favorite trip was to Antarctica and he has included some of his personal photos in this book.  Addie has traveled solo around the world. While in Portugal, she encountered a unique insect, which inspired a children’s book called The Beedog, which was published in 2018. The idea for Do Bugs Wear Shoes came from a playful team meeting on a rooftop in Mexico.

Social Media Links – 

https://www.pinterest.com.mx/twoumbrellas0254/pins/

https://twitter.com/TwoUmbrellasPls

https://www.instagram.com/twoumbrellasplease/

https://www.facebook.com/TwoUmbrellasPlease

Book resources at https://twoumbrellasplease.com

#BlogBlitz! #Review – One Way Ticket to Paris by Emma Robinson (@emmarobinsonuk) @Bookouture

Happy publication day, Emma Robinson! It may be Halloween, but a visit to Paris is beckoning! I am delighted to be kicking off the blog blitz for ‘One Way Ticket to Paris’ – many thanks to Bookouture for having me, and for the ARC. Here is my review:

When I was a kid and I’d lost something, my dad always said ‘Go back to the place you last had it’. The problem is that what I’ve lost is… me.

Kate loves her family more than anything, but recently she has started to feel invisible. Lying awake at three a.m. as her husband snores, panicking about shopping lists, birthday parties, and the school bake sale…

She finds herself in the kitchen, gulping water, staring at a postcard of the Eiffel Tower from Shannon, her best friend.

Paris, with its red wine, slippery cobbles and curly lamp posts. Where the scent of freshly-baked croissants hangs in the air, and Kate last remembers feeling like herself.

The postcard is a year old. It has just one line on it: When are you coming?

What does TWG think?

Have you ever felt lost? Not lost because you ended up taking the wrong turning on your way back from a day out shopping, but lost because you can’t help feeling as though part of you is missing? A sense of loss like no other – the undervalued, monotonous loss whilst enduring every day life of sewing up your husbands boxers because his purse strings are tighter than the waistband, or the endless meals you need to cook for your children because, after witnessing Tabitha in Year 3 have a melt down due to not realising that chicken nuggets from McDonald’s were in fact REAL chicken, your child’s pallet refuses to swallow the rather popular delicacy of….chicken.

It’s no wonder that, after dealing with said issues on a day to day basis, that someone’s patience ends up snapping. Why can’t the husband don his inner Paul Hollywood for the school bake sale at 11pm at night instead of you? Why can’t the husband make meal after meal that isn’t eaten by the children because their tastebuds changed 5 minutes later? It really is no wonder that Kate felt the need to escape to a place she feels comfortable, happy, and most importantly, herself. Okay she may not have mentioned the trip to her husband, but that’s neither here nor there. Kate just wanted to be happy again, you can’t really fault her for that now can you?

Kate’s journey of self discovery isn’t the only one in this story, her best friend, Shannon, has unintentionally taken giant leaps into unfamiliar territory as she tries to come to terms with her current situation. I must say that, despite not warming to Shannon’s icy personality to begin with, I ended up wanting to give her a great big hug. Kate too, if I’m honest. There is a third main character, Laura, and whilst I am sure that a lot of readers will relate to her thoughts on marriage, childbearing and what not, I personally couldn’t gel with her as I found her to be a character who seemed intent on throwing her teddies out of her pram. Maybe that’s just me, or maybe it was because in comparison to the other two ladies lives, Laura was going to ‘win’ whichever way she looked at it.

I thought that the overall premise of ‘One Way Ticket to Paris’ was very poignant and thought provoking, cementing the fact that if you aren’t happy in yourself, you aren’t happy in life and you can’t be the best of yourself for your family. A simple yet incredibly important task, which I for one don’t take the time to do ‘me’ when I should. We all should. Emma Robinson has done a brilliant job of making that important message shine through her storyline like a beacon, especially as it’s so easy to lose yourself in life, yet it’s so much harder to find yourself again.

I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming, thoughtful read where the humour perfectly balanced the emotions within. This is definitely a story written from the heart – I loved it.

Buy now!

About the author.

Emma Robinson thinks of herself as one of the ‘Bridget Jones generation’ – who are now grown up and having children – and writes novels for women who feel the same.

She also has a blog, Motherhood for Slackers, which takes a humorous look at parenthood, and includes poems such as ‘Dear Teacher’ about her son starting school which has been shared around the world. Emma is an English teacher and lives in Essex with a patient husband and two children who are an endless source of material.

Website: www.motherhoodforslackers.com
Facebook: wwe.facebook.com/motherhoodforslackers
Twitter: @emmarobinsonuk
Instagram: emmarobinsonuk

#BlogTour! #Review – A Christmas Date by Camilla Isley (@camillaisley) @rararesources

Next up on the blog tour is for the rather festive, ‘A Christmas Date’ by Camilla Isley! Many thanks to RaRaResources for the blog tour invite and ARC. Here is my review:

Even Little Miss Grinch, Nikki, a successful and independent woman, must face her bachelorette status at the most horrible time of the year.

December is her personal version of holly-jolly hell: a merry torture made of couples kissing at every corner, forced vacation days, and an inescapable family reunion.

And when her baby sister announces she’s engaged—to Paul, the man Nikki is secretly in love with—and that he’s spending the holidays with them, Christmas starts looking bluer than ever.

Nikki can’t possibly survive an entire week trapped home as the family’s spinster. But she has no time to meet men or to try the newest dating app, she’s too busy working as a video producer for an advertising agency. 

So what’s a girl to do? 

Nikki has the perfect solution: to hire a fake boyfriend.

Luckily, her job gives her access to an endless catalog of gorgeous actors to choose from.

But Nikki will soon discover that keeping business and pleasure from mixing isn’t so easy, and that she might not be immune to a little mistletoe magic. Especially not when she picked out the perfect man as her Christmas date…

What does TWG think?

I am a huge fan of Camilla Isley’s novels – the humour is always on point and ‘A Christmas Date’ was no different. Imagine being in a love triangle with your own sister….albeit a triangle when you’re the only one who knows about your feelings. Can you imagine that? Poor Nikki has lost the man of her dreams, even if, technically, he wasn’t hers to lose in the first place. But, after many years of wondering if her perfect man would ever be hers, a visit from her little sister puts a stop to those thoughts.

Apparently being single at Christmas is a ‘taboo’ thing. I don’t quite get why, I find it a godsend as it’s way cheaper being single! Anyway, Nikki is incredibly annoyed that her solo status is losing her invites to Christmas parties alongside her best friend, Blair. What’s a girl to do though, sit on the floor and face plant a pizza after reaching the bottom of vodka? Or attempt to do something about her single status? I wonder….

As I said at the start, Isley has such a fantastic sense of humour and I just love how she expands that hilarity into her characters personalities, as well as the general storyline. I have to say that I found the overall premise about a Christmas date, a bit ‘oh not again?!’ as it’s something which has been done quite a few times meaning that it didn’t quite jump off the page at me. Personally, I would have preferred it if the author put her own unique stamp on it just like previous books. Like I say though, that’s only my opinion.

That said, Chevron was the star of the show and had me giggling more than once. What a fabulous addition to the book!

I did enjoy ‘A Christmas Date’ as it was such a light hearted, and easy read which I was able to fly through in no time at all. The storyline wasn’t taxing at all – sometimes you just need a book like that, and in my eyes Isley fills that box big time.

All in all, this festive treat was full of Christmas spirit, grinch spirit, and enough giggles to leave me with a smile on my face.

Buy now from Amazon US

Buy now from Amazon UK

Buy now from Kobo

About the author.

Camilla is an engineer turned writer after she quit her job to follow her husband on an adventure abroad.

She’s a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She’s a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveler, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn’t want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.

Social Media Links – 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/camillaisley/

Twitter https://twitter.com/camillaisley

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14135080.Camilla_Isley

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/camilla-isley

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/camillaisley/

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/camillaisley/

#BlogBlitz! #Review – Promise Me by Jade Beer (@JadeBrides) @Bookouture

Having fallen head over heels in love with Jade Beer’s previous novel, The Almost Wife, I couldn’t wait to lose myself in this stunning looking book. Many thanks to Bookouture for the blitz invite and the ARC. Here is my review of ‘Promise Me’.

If you could wish one thing for your daughter, what would it be?

Jenny lost her beloved mother as a teenager, and was left devastated. As a parting gift she left her daughter a bundle of letters, one for each significant day of Jenny’s future. First date, first broken heart, graduation day… and one for the day Jenny meets the love of her life.

Her mother’s letters are everything to her, but how can Jenny ever become the confident, successful woman her mother wanted her to be when her heart is broken by her loss? When an unexpected meeting has Jenny mistaken for somebody she’s not, Jenny learns that sometimes pretending is the easiest way to tell the truth and that loving someone can mean letting them go…

What does TWG think?

As a major cover lover, can I just say how absolutely STUNNING this cover is?!?! Wow! Simplistic yet so mesmerising. I love it!

So, Jade Beer unintentionally set the bar incredibly high for herself with her debut novel, ‘The Almost Wife’, and I had everything crossed that she would blow me away a second time.

Did she?

Well, with a storyline that centres around multiple women and their own individual heartbreak, heartache, and general uncertainty where both romantic and family relationships are concerned, I can safely say that Jade Beer blew me away in a completely different way than before.

For me personally, Jenny’s story was the one which tugged on the heart strings more than the others due to the mother-daughter relationship. My little girl is far too little to think of marrying anyone except Mr Tumble or Olly Murs, but the whole ‘if you could wish one thing for your daughter, what would it be?’, sent my emotions into a frenzy. Being truthful with your own emotions is a lot harder than pretending, and I think that the way Jenny handled her situation will no doubt resonate with a lot of readers in various ways.

Jenny’s story isn’t the only one in this book, and I loved how different each one was as it highlighted so many different emotions and outlooks on life, being the voice of reason for many readers young and old. Whilst I didn’t agree with Betsy’s choices, I had to remind myself; ‘who am I to judge?’. Hell, who are any of us to judge? Yes, all the ladies in this book have made decisions that are guaranteed to raise a few eyebrows, but how can anyone sit there and judge a situation that they only know a snippet of?

‘Promise Me’ is a tender, enchanting read which rugs on the heart strings left, right and center. Jade Beer has once again showcased her beautiful, beautiful way of story telling and I have to say that she has done every one of her characters proud. An enchanting, escapism of a read where romance has its time in the spotlight, just like a bride on her wedding day.

Buy now!

About the author.

Hello!
I’m Jade. I’m a novelist, mother to two young daughters and the editor of Conde Nast Brides. 

I love writing about women and all the challenges we face in our daily lives. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some incredibly talented women throughout my career as a journalist and editor – ones who juggle the most all-encompassing careers with family and friendships and everything else that life throws at them. They often make it look so easy. But we all know it’s not. And that need to present one version of yourself to the world, while keeping the grittier, less polished reality under wraps, is a thread that runs strongly through my debut novel, The Almost Wife. 

In my day job as the editor of Conde Nast Brides, I share my working life with editors of some of the glossiest, luxury brands in the world – Vogue, Tatler, Glamour – and I have the enormous priviledge of travelling the world and sitting front row at beautiful fashion shows and working with the world’s leading florists, cake makers and stylists. But I also take a daily peek into the lives of young women who are engulfed in one of the most exciting times of their lives – planning their wedding days. This, above everything else, is the really fun bit. Being on the front line if you like. Hearing their thoughts, fears, worries and ambitions for the future. This really powerful cocktail of glamour and reality dances across every page of The Almost Wife and is currently being poured into my second novel which is due out in October this year.

I’m not sure I could have written The Almost Wife without making it personal too, feeding some of my own quiet fears into the mix. I’ve sat in important meetings, dropping huge clangers that years later still make me cringe. I’ve got more than my fair share of self-doubt and suffer like many other women from the dreaded imposter syndrome. I worry constantly about my family. How much time I have left with them. Am I doing any of it right? Will I be riddled with regret in later years? Will my daughters be critical of the choices I made? Am I failing the people I love the most?

Although work places me full time in London, my heart is in the countryside where I live with my husband and our two daughters. The Cotswolds is where my husband and I used to spend romantic weekends plotting our future together long before children came along and is now where I watch them both run free, hoping I will keep them close for many years to come. 

Take a peek inside my life on Instagram @jadebeerbrides

#BlogBlitz! #Review – It Started With Christmas by Jenny Hale (@jhaleauthor)

Happy publication day, Jenny Hale! If this book doesn’t make you feel excited for Christmas, then I don’t know what will! I am delighted to be sharing my review of ‘It Started With Christmas’ as part of the blog blitz today. Many thanks to Bookouture for the blitz invite and ARC. Here is my review:

Holly McAdams loves spending the Christmas holidays at her family’s cozy cabin, with its little red door and twinkling lights, tucked in the snowy hills outside Nashville. But this year will be different. Someone unexpected is joining them…

After Holly and her beloved Nana struggle through a snow storm to reach the cabin, they discover gorgeous and wealthy Joseph Barnes, who has been renting the cabin for the last few weeks, is now snowed in. And it looks like he’ll be staying for the holidays.

Determined to make the best of the surprise situation, Holly tries to bring everyone together by baking delicious treats and decorating the cabin with plenty of festive sparkle. She finds herself growing close to handsome Joseph, who is unlike anyone she’s ever met before, even if Nana isn’t so keen on the dashing stranger with the mysterious past.

But charming and irresistible musician Rhett Burton is also back in town. Thrown into close proximity with the person who used to be her best friend and the man who broke her heart, Holly realizes it’s time to face her feelings and figure out what she really wants from her life. But to complicate things, both Joseph and Rhett have secrets to reveal…

Will Holly be able to find herself and the love she’s always dreamed of this Christmas?

What does TWG think?

Someone please hug me, I think I’ve turned into a romantic pile of mush!!! You know those films which come on TV in the run up to Christmas, the ones usually on Christmas24 or equivalent? You know the ones I mean? Well, Jenny Hale’s new novel reminded me of one of those – the type of film which fills you with Christmas joy to rival Santa Claus’ Christmas spirit, whilst also warming you like a giant mug of hot chocolate and marshmallows. How could anyone complain about that?

Holly is determined to make her Nana smile this Christmas, as the death of a loved one seemed to strip Nana’s joy away permanently. It’s no wonder really, but, having been close to her grandmother ever since she was a little girl, Holly would do anything to make Christmas one to remember for both of them. Of course best laid intentions don’t always go to plan….that would be FAR too easy.

The romance in this book is utterly spellbinding. As I have said more than once, I don’t do romance unless someone shoves a cookie under my nose, yet this storyline just oozed romantic love as well as tender, family love. I guess part of me was waiting for a family argument to appear like on most Christmases, but I was so thankful that rifts were so far away from Holly’s family, I definitely sighed with relief. Holly and her Nana had a relationship just too special to be dented by any family row, especially as they both knew just how devastating it was to lose someone who meant the world to them.

I also loved the little subplot where Joseph was concerned as it highlighted the deeper and more naive (in a good way) parts of Holly’s personality. It was as though I witnessed two versions of Holly’s character – the one where she did things for her Nana and everyone else, and then the one where she decided to listen to her heart and put her trust in her own beliefs in hope that things would pan out in the way that she had hoped.

‘It Started With Christmas’ is such a beautiful, tender, touching novel which left me covered in goosebumps due to the sheer beauty of every little detail from the description of the furniture in the cabin, to the way the author described Holly’s romantic thoughts. There was no stone unturned, and for me, such attention to detail and well crafted storyline from the author, made this book the little, festive gem that blew me away and left me wanting more. I adored it and would love to see this gracing my TV screens one Christmas!

Buy now!

About the author.

When I graduated college, one of my friends said, “Look out for this one; she’s going to be an author one day.” Despite being an avid reader and a natural storyteller, it wasn’t until that very moment that the idea of writing novels occurred to me.

Sometimes our friends can see the things that we can’t.

While I didn’t start straight away, that comment sowed a seed and several years, two children, and hundreds of thousands of words later, I completed a novel that I felt was worthy of publication. The result was Coming Home for Christmas, a heart-warming story about the magic of love at Christmas, and 2017 TV movie on The Hallmark Channel.

The rest is history.

When I’m not writing, I’m a mother of two boys and a wife to a very supportive husband.

Author Social Media Links:

Website: https://www.itsjennyhale.com/

Facebook: Https://www.facebook.com/jennyhaleauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jhaleauthor

#CoverReveal! ‘Rosie’s Travelling Teashop by Rebecca Raisin(@jaxandwillsmum) @HQDigitalUK

There’s nothing like warming the cockles with a book about a Teashop – I don’t know about you, but I am absolutely freezing cold and the thought of a piping hot cuppa is rather pleasing! I’m sorry to disappoint though as I have no cuppas, however Rosie may have some in her travelling Teashop! Shall we take a look?!

Meet Rosie, introverted Michel-starred chef, tea & cake aficionado with a slight case of OCD and an unfortunate habit of turning robotic in social situations…

And a tiny problem with not filtering the things she shouldn’t say.

Despite that, her life is great, isn’t it? She’s worked her way up in the cliquey culinary scene in London, she’s married to a man who understand her foibles and still loves her, and she has an itemized plan for the future…

Until Rosie’s thirty-second birthday when her life takes an unexpected turn and she grapples with this new version of herself. Can she be the kind of person that lives on the fly? Who takes risks? Who doesn’t know what each day will bring! 

Rosie’s a dab hand at cooking but can she get the recipe right for her own love life? 

 A perfect holiday read about taking chances, learning to love yourself, and living outside of ordinary! 

Squeal! I am super excited to delve into Rebecca Raisin’s delicious new book, are you? If so, you can pre-order your copy right now from any of the links listed below:

(Rosie’s Travelling Teashop will be published on the 3rd March 2019)

Book Links: 

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosies-Travelling-Tea-Shop-absolutely-ebook/dp/B07HCX41MV/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540445636&sr=8-3&keywords=Rebecca+raisin

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Rosies-Travelling-Tea-Shop-absolutely-ebook/dp/B07HCX41MV/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1540445723&sr=8-16&keywords=rebecca+raisin

Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Rosies-Travelling-Tea-Shop-absolutely-ebook/dp/B07HCX41MV/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1540445786&sr=8-6&keywords=rebecca+raisin

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rebecca_Raisin_Rosie_s_Travelling_Tea_Shop_An_abso?id=hpBuDwAAQBAJ

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/bo/book/rosies-travelling-tea-shop/id1436389080?l=en&mt=11

kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/rosie-s-travelling-tea-shop-an-absolutely-perfect-laugh-out-loud-romantic-comedy

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rosies-travelling-tea-shop-rebecca-raisin/1129750711?ean=9780008282165

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41962558-rosie-s-travelling-tea-shop?ac=1&from_search=true

About the author.

Rebecca Raisin is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She’s been widely published in short story anthologies, and in fiction magazines. And now she is focusing on writing romance.

Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true love.

Author Links: 

Website: http://rebeccaraisin.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RebeccaRaisinAuthor 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/jaxandwillsmum 

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6915386.Rebecca_Raisin 

#BlogTour! #Review – Lost in the Lake by A.J.Waines (@AJWaines) @Bloodhoundbook

She came at first for answers…now she’s back for you

Amateur viola player Rosie Chandler is the sole survivor of a crash which sends a group of musicians plunging into a lake. Convinced the accident was deliberate, but unable to recall what happened, she is determined to recover her lost memories and seeks out clinical psychologist, Dr Samantha Willerby. 

But Rosie is hiding something…

Sam is immediately drawn to the tragic Rosie and as she helps her piece the fragments together, the police find disturbing new evidence which raises further questions. Why is Rosie so desperate to recover her worthless viola? 

When Rosie insists they return to the lake to relive the fatal incident, the truth about Rosie finally emerges. Now Sam is the one seriously out of her depth…

What does TWG think?

Oh this is clever. This is very clever!

We have all done something and remembered not doing it, right? Like putting the washing on and not remembering that you did it….minor things like that. But here is the burning question; what would you do if you find out that something devastating happening while YOU were there, yet you cannot remember a single detail? What if you find out that you have no recollection at all? Nada. Zilch.

Wouldn’t you be scared? I would be petrified, especially as there is a chance that you would end up being one of the main focuses in the investigation.

A.J.Waines has done an impeccable job at creating some rather cracking tension. The entires storyline was laced with it – I feel as though I need a holiday to recover! Alarm bells were ringing for me where Rosie was concerned, not that I’m saying I thought she was lying (although there was a great possibility that she may have been), it’s just I had a strong feeling that she was keeping a lot under her hat. I don’t know, I couldn’t put my finger on what it was about that character exactly, but something was off, that’s for sure!

I thought the storyline was a bit of a slow burner in places, but due to the high levels of suspense, grit, red herrings and everything else, I wasn’t as bothered by the pace as much as I usually would be.

‘Lost in the Lake’ is a very cleverly written, highly suspenseful, intriguing read which left me feeling as though I couldn’t even trust myself. I cannot wait to read more in this series if the books are as good as this one!!

Buy now!

About the author.

AJ Waines is a number one bestselling author, topping the entire UK and Australian Kindle Charts in two consecutive years, with Girl on a Train. Following fifteen years as a psychotherapist, the author has sold nearly half a million copies of her books, with publishing deals in UK, France, Germany, Norway, Hungary and Canada (audio books). 

Her fourth psychological thriller, No Longer Safe, sold over 30,000 copies in the first month, in thirteen countries. AJ Waines has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and The Times and has been ranked a Top 10 UK author on Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). 

She lives in Hampshire, UK, with her husband. Find her books here and visit her website and blog, or join her on Twitter, Facebook or on her Newsletter. 

#BlogBlitz! #Review – Tell Me No Lies by Alex Sinclair (@ASinclairAuthor) @Bookouture

Whilst my mint aero traybake sets in the fridge, I’m making good use of my time by sharing my review of Alex Sinclair’s, ‘Tell Me No Lies’. Many thanks to Bookouture for the blitz invite and ARC. Here is my review:

How well do you really know your husband?

Grace Dalton is trying to put her life back together after her husband John died suddenly in a hit and run. Her perfect world is collapsing around her, the home she hoped to fill with children is huge and empty, and she’s paralysed with grief.

But as Grace sorts through her husband’s belongings, she realises the man she loved was lying to her. There’s a mysterious list of names hidden among his things, a secret bank account, and a shocking revelation about his family that he kept from her since the day they met.

Who was John Dalton?

As Grace tries to identify the names on the list she realises something is wrong. She’s imagining things: seeing John in the faces of strangers and finding things in an entirely different place to where she’d swear she left them.

Is Grace losing her grasp on reality, or is someone trying to stop her finding out the truth about her husband?

What does TWG think?

In the blink of an eye, Grace’s life changed forever. One moment she was celebrating her anniversary with her husband, then the next moment she was trying to work out how she was going to get through the rest of her life as a widow.

It was hard not to empathise with Grace as the situation she had been forced into, wasn’t exactly one she wanted to be in. She had just lost her husband, the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, the man she thought she knew inside out…

I had an inkling where the storyline was heading once it became clear that Grace’s husband wasn’t who she thought he was, and I have to say that I did find that a little predictable so the surprise element wasn’t as strong as I would have liked it to be. However, there were a few surprises where Grace’s character was concerned which I was thankful for.

For me personally, ‘Tell Me No Lies’ is an incredibly promising read. The author has a unique voice when it comes to telling a story and I truly believe that, if all of the elements in the book came together in a stronger manner, my rating for this book would be higher. It had everything there to make a belter of a read, but i was just waiting for that bit extra.

Nonetheless, ‘Tell Me No Lies’ has grit needed for this type of book, and I was thoroughly impressed by the overall vibe of the book and the author’s unique story telling.

A pleasant, highly promising read.

Buy now from Amazon

About the author.

Alex Sinclair is a psychological thriller author from a quiet country town outside of Melbourne, Australia.

When he’s not spending time with his wife and daughter, Alex can be found obsessing over his fiction. He loves to write fast-paced, gripping stories with killer twists. Alex is an avid reader of psychological thrillers and has a passion for good storytelling.

Alex’s novel, The Last Thing I Saw (available now), is the first of three gripping psychological thrillers he is publishing with Bookouture in 2018. His second psychological thriller, The Day I Lost Her, was released on the 13th of July, 2018. Tell Me No Lies is out now!

 

Author Social Media Links: 

 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ASinclairAuthor/?ref=br_rs

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ASinclairAuthor

WEBSITE: www.alexsinclairwrites.com

#BlogTour! #Review -Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer (@kelrimmerwrites) @headlinepg @phoebe_swinburn @annecater

I did promise you all another Kelly Rimmer post and, even though I’m a bitter than I would have liked (sorry!), I am delighted to share my review of ‘Before I Let You Go’. Huge thanks to Anne Cater for the blog tour invite, and Headline books for the proof copy. Here is my review:

 

As children, Lexie and Annie were incredibly close. Bonded by the death of their beloved father, they weathered the storms of life together. When Lexie leaves home to follow her dream, Annie is forced to turn to her leatherbound journal as the only place she can confide her deepest secrets and fears…

As adults, sisters Lexie and Annie could not be more different. Lexie is a successful doctor and happily engaged. Annie is an addict – a thief, a liar and unable to remain clean. When Annie’s newborn baby is in danger of being placed in foster care, Annie picks up the phone to beg her sister for help. Will Lexie agree to take in her young niece? And how will Annie survive, losing the only thing in her life worth living for?

 

What does TWG think?

Oh wow, Ms.Rimmer has done it again!! ‘Before I Let You Go’ is a devastating, eye-opening novel which made me feel things I had never thought before – and no, just to clarify, that isn’t a bad thing at all.

Annie and Lexie used to be extremely close before the big, wide world made its mark on them as human beings. Their earlier life was full of love from their mum and dad, as well as typical sibling rivalry. But, when one night changed their lives forever, the sisters knew that they needed to support each other even more, especially when a certain man walked through their door.

It’s clear that Annie’s past plays a big part in the outcome of her current life and the decisions she had made leading up to ‘now’, however the author doesn’t let us into the finer details all at once, instead being drip fed pieces of information as the storyline progressed. Whilst there was a part of me deep down which had a feeling about certain events once Lexie had left her childhood home, the black and white truth sent shivers up and down my spine. Annie is an addict and, seeing as she is living in a state where addictions whilst pregnant is a felony, her luck isn’t likely to change anytime soon.

It may seem as though the storyline is governed by Annie’s situation and bad decisions, yet Lexie’s character and her relationship with fiance, Sam, also get their fair share of the spotlight. Let me just say that people aren’t always as they seem – both Annie and Lexie prove that throughout the book.

‘Before I Let You Go’ has such a serious theme running through it, and once again Kelly Rimmer has shown just how versatile her story telling is as she highlights a topic which, whilst may be seen as ‘taboo’, is a subject which could be a lot more ‘popular’ than people may have thought. It was very easy for me to sit and judge Annie, even though I didn’t know her full story, purely because of her being an addict. It’s shameful on my part to an extent, but my reaction just proves that addiction is extremely serious illness and without knowing the full facts or how to deal with addiction, feigning ignorance will get us nowhere.

This book blew me away, and not just because of the addiction situation. There is a lot more to this book than that – I’m just refusing to give anything away! Kelly Rimmer is a phenomenal author who delivers storyline after storyline in such a majestic, poignant and seriously beautiful manner. I’m probably not conveying my opinions of the book properly, so please forgive me, just trust me when I say that the emotion in the storyline is raw, solid, yet incredibly tender. Feelings which magnified my whole experience of the book from start to finish, a book which I will NOT be forgetting in a hurry.

Spellbinding, heart breaking, and absolutely breath-taking, ‘Before I Let You Go’ will put relationships to the test, making even the simplest of decisions the hardest of them all. Outstanding!

 

Buy now from Amazon

#BlogBlitz! #Review – Christmas at the Little Cottage on the Hill by Emma Davies (@EmDaviesauthor) @Bookouture

Happy publication day Emma Davies! This series just keeps on getting better and better with every new addition. I am delighted to be on the blog blitz with a review. Many thanks to Bookouture for the blitz invite.

One twinkling winter’s night, Ruby wakes her sleeping children and escapes for a new life in the countryside. It’s a choice that will change her life beyond all recognition…

Arriving at the cosy little rental cottage as the first snow begins to fall, Ruby doesn’t regret leaving her bully of a husband for a moment, but she does feel guilty about uprooting her kids so close to Christmas. She can only wish that one day soon her son will forgive her.

It’s not long before the family are settled in and drinking hot chocolate by the fire, the flames kept roaring by a neighbouring woodsman called Angus. As big as a tree, but as gentle as a dormouse, all Ruby’s instincts tell her to be wary of letting this gorgeous stranger get too close. 

Is that the first tingle of festive magic Ruby can feel? Or might it even be hope?

As Christmas day approaches and a blizzard sparks a power cut across the entire village, Ruby must force herself to believe in Christmas miracles again. 

Was she right to put her trust in Angus? With only flickering candles to guide her through the darkness, will she ever find her way back to the light? 

What does TWG think?

Be still my beating heart! What a joyful, cosy little read this is! If this book was a CareBear it would be ‘TenderHeart’ bear without a doubt.

Set in a quaint little village with a community that’s tighter than a granny knot, and what an impressive little community it is.

I cannot believe we are saying goodbye to Seth and the rest of the team, and there are a couple of new characters to enjoy in this book too who seem to just gel with the rest of the characters, as though they had been there all along.

Once again Emma Davies has written a story which captured my heart from the very beginning. This may be a Christmas book full of festivities , yet it is also a a story which blossoms as the characters find themselves at the heart of surprises which show various sides of their personalities that are both personal, and heart warming.

A beautiful, beautiful novel which not only left me grinning from ear to ear, it left me feeling emotional saying goodbye to characters I have come to know and adore. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Buy now!

About the author.

After a varied career, Emma Davies once worked for a design studio where she was asked to provide a fun and humorous (and not necessarily true) anecdote for their website. She wrote the following: ‘I am a bestselling novelist currently masquerading as a thirty something mother of three.’ Well the job in the design studio didn’t work out but she’s now a forty something mother of three and is happy to report the rest of her dream came true.

After many years as a finance manager she now writes full time, and is far happier playing with words than numbers. She lives with her husband, three children, and two guinea pigs in rural Shropshire where she writes in all the gaps in between real life. It’s a county she adores, her love of its beautiful people and landscapes providing endless inspiration for her books, and in fact the only thing that would make Shropshire more idyllic is if it were by the sea. 

Pop over to her website www.emmadaviesauthor.com where, amongst other things, you can read about her passion for Pringles and singing loudly in the car. You can also wave to her on twitter @EmDaviesAuthor or find her on Facebook (a little too often than is good for her)