The Writing Garnet turns 5! Happy birthday TWG! #blogger #blogbirthday #TWGTurns5 #Awardwinningblogger

The Writing Garnet is officially 5 years old TODAY! When I started my blog back in 2016, I never envisioned it turning out the way that it has. It never even crossed my mind that my blog could turn into a multi award winning blog (yes, multi), nor did it cross my mind that my review quotes would make their way into physical copies of books or even on the cover of some. Without blowing my own trumpet, I am unbelievably proud of all of that. At the very beginning, my blog was created as my way of saying thank you to authors for writing their books which has allowed me to escape via their words, when things in my personal life have been difficult. It wasn’t created as a popularity tool (because clearly I wouldn’t have lasted 5 minutes had that have been the case), nor was it created merely to get free things because, in all honesty, I had no idea that that was even a thing when I first started.

Over the last 5 years I have met a wide variety of authors, met fellow bloggers, other like minded bookish folk, and found myself involved in a world that went beyond just loving books. I had never really had that before. I had never been able to sit and discuss books with people who had read the same book as I, nor would I have ever found the confidence to cart myself off to events such as Edinburgh Book Festival, Aye Write in Glasgow, or even more intimate events such as meeting the Orenda gang in Edinburgh (to name a few), if it wasn’t for a select few of people who, after ‘meeting’ through the online book world, have gone on to becoming real life friends (Jen, Mandie, Kelly, Joanne, Lainy, DC to name a few). Not only that, despite not having met them in real life yet, I have come to know even more people who I consider to be friends now, who one day I would love to be able to give them a hug (COVID permitting, obvs – special shout out to Liz B for being as true as they come). If I named each and every one of the people who I called friends and who I would do anything for, I would be here a while and would no doubt miss someone off so, to put it simply, if we talk, I adore you. Simple as, and I thank you for your kindness and support over the last 5 years.

For me, the highlight so far has got to be meeting Sue Perkins and Tom Fletcher as those were the times where I unintentionally embarrassed my little girl with my high pitched squealing and trampoline bounces. I think I was fair excited……. Would I have been able to meet them had it not been for my blog? Honestly? Probably not as I never knew events like that existed until I became a blogger. I have so many other authors, bloggers, publicists etc, that I would love to meet and I have everything crossed that that will become a reality.

I know blogging isn’t all about stats, but for the first time in ages I had a quick nose at the stats of TWG. In the last 5 years TWG has had:

160,424 views.
84,689 visitors.
1837 blog posts have been posted.

Also, I even worked out roughly how many books I have read over that time…..1270!!! Ermmmmmmmm, say what?

As I may have mentioned previously, 2020 for TWG wasn’t the greatest as, putting it quite bluntly, I was treated like dirt via the bookish community (not all of you, just to clarify), and it hurt me so much that I ended up retreating because I didn’t know what else to do because, as I have also said many times, I’m not the most popular of people and I don’t fit into the tight knit groups. I suppose my face doesn’t fit, so I knew that regardless of what I said and what I did, I wouldn’t have been believed which is unfair and incredibly hurtful. Because of that, my posts within the last year have been few and far between, however I still have been ‘here’ from afar and still able to keep my feet in the door so to speak. Again, I want to thank those who have stood by me, supported me, and been true friends during that time and continue to do so. I see you.

I am super shocked that my little, multi award winning blog turns 5 today. Yes there have been some ups and downs and confidence knocks along the way, and yes, at times I bit off more than I can chew and left myself over stretched. However the joys of anything in life is that you can learn from your mistakes and realise where you went wrong or what needs to change. There is only me running this blog and, even though I like to think that I can do everything, I physically can’t….I just wish it hadn’t taken me 5 years to realise that! Well, in all fairness it’s probably taken me over 20 years to realise that as I recently turned 31 but y’know, semantics.

Creating The Writing Garnet was probably one of the best, on the spur decisions I have ever made and I just want to thank every single author, publisher and publicist who have sent me countless books over the years and trusted me to review your books. I want to thank the organisers of book events of their hard work and dedication in bringing likeminded bookish folk together. I also want to thank each and every person I have come to know and admire for being true to themselves and becoming good friends of mine. I have your backs – you are all awesome. Major shout out to my fellow bloggers, and anyone who is thinking about starting a blog – you’ve got this! Just remember it’s okay to say no….

On that note, happy birthday to TWG! Heres to another year full of weird and wonderful books, intriguing debuts, and a truck load of reviews.

TWG x

#TheLifeWeAlmostHad by Amelia Henley @MsAmeliaHenley @HQStories #LoveStory

Hugest of thanks to HQ for inviting me to take part in the blog tour for Amelia Henley’s debut, ‘The Life We Almost Had’, and for the ARC. Today I am closing the tour with my review:

This is not a typical love story, but it’s our love story.

Anna wasn’t looking for love when Adam swept her off her feet but there was no denying their connection, and she believed they would be together forever.

Years later, cracks have appeared in their relationship. Anna is questioning whether their love can really be eternal when a cruel twist of fate delivers a crushing blow, and Anna and Adam are completely lost to one another. Now, Anna needs Adam more than ever, but the way back to him has life-changing consequences.

Is a second chance at first love really worth the sacrifice? Anna needs to decide and time is running out…

What does TWG think?

My heart. I think its broken! This book made my eyes leak!!!!

Wow….I was NOT expecting this AT ALL! The tagine of the book ‘this is not a typical love story’, is absolutely bang on. I probably would even go as far as to say that I have never, ever read a love story quite like this. Don’t get me wrong, the psychological situation towards the end wasn’t a new thing to me, however everything together was and it caught me off guard big time.

Anna and Adam’s relationship was one of a kind. They loved hard, and they fought hard. Being together sometimes was difficult, yet being apart was even more difficult, something which was put to the test dramatically.

Its really difficult reviewing a book like this without giving away spoilers, because the storyline and every situation in it, are intricately woven together, making talking about one thing in particular a tricky thing to do incase something gets accidently spilled. Not going to lie though, I want to shout about what happened from the rooftop of my house! I want to talk about Anna’s love for Adam, and Adam’s love for Anna. I want to talk about when life threw them both a curveball. I want to talk about Oliver! Oliver! The random person who I thought was about to break both of their hearts!

I want to talk about the very last part of the book, and how a new character was brought to life! My mind couldn’t make sense of how that came to fruition, yet on the other hand, I didnt need to know the whys and wherefores because I didnt want to sheer beauty of it to falter. I call it magic. I call it perfection. I call it meant to be.

A bit like this book in all honesty. ‘The Life We Almost Had’ was meant to be written, it was meant to be read. Anna and Adam’s love story was meant to have been told, and i absolutely cannot fault one single thing about it.

Yes, my heart broke and I was in tears, but i would have been incredibly shocked if I hadn’t reacted at all to the storyline in one form or another.

It was an absolute honour to have been given the chance to fall in love with this beautiful story, just like Adam and Anna fell in love with each other.

Probably the best book I have read so far this year, and I have no doubt whatsoever that Amelia Henley will be touching hearts all over the world with such a detailed, emotional, and outstanding tale of true love, and learning when and how to trust your heart.

Buy the e-book now.

Kicking off the #AFatalSecret #blogtour with an #extract! @HQStories @FaithMartin_Nov

Many thanks to the HQ team for inviting me to take part in the blog tour for Faith Martin and ‘A Fatal Secret’. I have an extract from the book for you all to enjoy, but first here is a little bit more about Faith Martin’s latest read:

Oxford, 1961

A family day out at Briar’s Hall ends in tragedy when a young boy goes missing – and his body is found at the bottom of a disused well in the orchard.

It looks like a simple case of an eleven-year-old exploring where he shouldn’t: a tragic accident. But Coroner Clement Ryder and Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday aren’t convinced. If Eddie had been climbing and fallen, why were there no cuts or dirt on his hands? Why would a boy terrified of heights be around a well at all?

Clement and Trudy are determined to get to the truth, but the more they dig into Briar’s Hall and the mysterious de Lacey family who live there, the murkier things become.

Could it be that poor Eddie’s death was murder? There are rumours of blackmail in the village, and Clement and Trudy have a horrible feeling that Eddie stumbled on a secret that someone was willing to kill for…

‘A Fatal Secret’ is the fourth book in the ‘Ryder and Loved’ series – buy now from Amazon.

Extract.

Oxford, England. 1st April 1961.

It was a lovely Saturday morning, and less than three miles away as the crow flies
from the city of dreaming spires, someone was contemplating how ironical it was that
it should be April Fool’s Day.

The daffodils were just beginning to bud in the small woods surrounding Briar’s
Hall. Birds were busy building their nests, and a weak and watery sun was promising
that spring really was on its way.

But the person leaning against a still-bare ash tree, moodily observing the fine
Georgian building below, cared little for the promise of bluebells to come.
That person was thinking of only one thing: death, and how best to bring it about.
Perhaps, not surprisingly, that person was feeling not at all happy. Not only was
death on its own something that you would never consider in detail unless given
absolutely no choice, contemplating cold-blooded murder was even more unpleasant.
Not least, of course, because if you were caught at it, you’d be hanged. Which was
terrifying.

And yet death – and murder – there would have to be. The person in the woods
could see no other way out.

Which instilled in that person’s heart yet another, stronger emotion. Rage.
It was simply not fair!

But then, as the person in the woods had already learned very well indeed, life had
no interest in being fair.

A woodpecker struck up its rat-a-tat-tat drumming on an old dead horse chestnut
tree deeper in the woods, its resonance vibrating through the air. But the human
occupant of the wood barely noticed it.

Tomorrow, the silent watcher in the woods thought, would be a good day for it.
With so much happening, there was bound to be confusion, which would almost
certainly provide the best opportunity for action.

Yes. Tomorrow someone would have to die.

Welcome to the jungle, we’ve got fun and games…SORRY! Wrong one – #WelcomeToTheFamily @fab_fiction @HQStories #Review

Many thanks to HQ for the ARC of ‘The Family’ by Louise Jensen – I am excited to be kicking off the blog tour today.

ONCE YOU’RE IN, THEY’LL NEVER LET YOU LEAVE.

Laura is grieving after the sudden death of her husband. Struggling to cope emotionally and financially, Laura is grateful when a local community, Oak Leaf Organics, offer her and her 17-year-old daughter Tilly a home.

But as Laura and Tilly settle into life with their new ‘family’, sinister things begin to happen. When one of the community dies in suspicious circumstances Laura wants to leave but Tilly, enthralled by the charismatic leader, Alex, refuses to go.

Desperately searching for a way to save her daughter, Laura uncovers a horrifying secret but Alex and his family aren’t the only ones with something to hide. Just as Laura has been digging into their past, they’ve been digging into hers and she discovers the terrifying reason they invited her and Tilly in, and why they’ll never let them leave…

What does TWG think?

You know when you’re caught up in a bad nightmare, feeling as though you cannot escape from the terror that’s pulsing through your veins due to your own subconscious? Imagine that but in book form…the telling of a similar thing mind, not YOUR actual nightmare or that would put you off reading it now wouldn’t it?

‘The Family’ is one of those types of reads which ends up getting right under your skin and, even though the storyline was brilliant at making me feel uncomfortable and quite nervous, it also had me at its beck and call. A bit like pringles – once you pop open the book, you literally cannot stop reading!

Laura has her daughters best interests at heart and would do ANYTHING to protect her, however I dont think she knew that her mummabear instincts would end up kicking in sooner than she thought. A fight for survival if you will.

The twisted nature of the storyline kept me hooked until the very last page. I felt that the uncertainty of the characters actions were brilliantly written and allowed the reader to carve their own picture in their minds about what might happen, and when. There were a lot of things in the book which left me reeling (in a good way), and I absolutely loved the sinister, secretive elements which left me in a total head funk!

Louise Jensen is an author who is outstanding at what she does, and is certainly one to watch in the genre she writes.

Such a compelling, addictive and sinister read – brilliant! Although, please don’t take offence when I say that I would rather not be welcomed into this family….if you don’t mind!

Buy now!

Grab some paper, it’s time to get #WrappedUpForChristmas! @katlyn_duncan @HQDigitalUK @RaRaResources

I don’t think anyone is thinking about wrapping up their Christmas presents just yet, but if you are, what better book to get you in the mood than one titled ‘Wrapped Up For Christmas’. Many thanks to RaRaResources for the blog tour invite, and thank you to HQ for the ARC. Here is my review:

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… but not for Angie Martinelli…

Having lost her boyfriend, job, and apartment all in the space of a week, Angie has no choice but to leave California and return to her family in New England.

Determined not to let life weigh her down, Angie finds work at the local mall where she worked as a teenager. After an embarrassing run-in with a handsome stranger, Nick, she’s convinced her luck is about to change.

But Nick has secrets of his own… and as the first flakes of snow begin to fall, Angie can’t help but wonder if she’ll ever find love.

What does TWG think?

Cute dog? CHECK.

Strong female lead? CHECK.

Ideal person to tickle the main characters fancy? CHECK.

Heartwarming and full of festive cheer? DOUBLE CHECK!

You know the TV channel that’s dedicated to Christmas movies? ‘Wrapped Up For Christmas’ needs to be put on there! It screamed ‘Hallmark’ movie to me after the first couple of chapters!

Angie has had to reboot her life after things went disastrously wrong. She would have preferred not to move back into her family home, but due to the lack of funds and employment, it was the only option Angie had. With her best friend, Reese, being close to popping, the thought of leaving home yet again filled Angie with dread. Could she really make a new life in the place that she was so desperate to leave?

The romantic elements to this story were absolutely spot on, if somewhat frustrating at times! I just wanted to bang the heads of Angie and her love interest! Seriously! Communication clearly wasnt their strong point at all. Despite that, I was rooting for both of their happiness and had everything crossed that they crossed find themselves on the paths that they needed to be on.

As for the festive cheer, Katlyn Duncan sprinkled it throughout the book like snowflakes. It wasn’t too much, nor was it too little, in fact it was just right.

I adored Reese’s character and ended up laughing out loud at her antics involving her stomach – oh I remember it well!

‘Wrapped Up For Christmas’ is a book version of the candy cane – significant, festive, and the ideal thing to get you feeling christmassy. I thoroughly enjoyed following Angie’s journey; it really is a cushty, snugfest of a Christmas treat.

Buy now!

#BlogTour #Review – #TheDayWeMeetAgain by Miranda Dickinson (@wurdsmyth) @HQStories #TeamSparkly

HUGE thank you to HQ for inviting me to take part in Miranda Dickinson’s new novel, ‘The Day We Meet Again’. It was such an honour to receive such a lovely ARC package in the post as well, thank you again to HQ, and of course thank you to Miranda Dickinson for allowing me to be a part of #TeamSparkly!

‘We’ll meet again at St Pancras station, a year from today. If we’re meant to be together, we’ll both be there. If we’re not, it was never meant to be . . .’

Phoebe and Sam meet by chance at St Pancras station. Heading in opposite directions, both seeking their own adventures, meeting the love of their lives wasn’t part of the plan. So they make a promise: to meet again in the same place in twelve months’ time if they still want to be together.

But is life ever as simple as that?

This is a story of what-ifs and maybes – and how one decision can change your life forever…

What does TWG think?

Hello modern day ‘You’ve Got Mail’! ‘The Day We Meet Again’ had Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan all over it!

This book is romantic with a capital R. From the get go we see two strangers connecting on a level other people would only ever dream about. Some think that love at first sight is a load of tosh, however Phoebe and Sam are not afraid to listen to what their hearts are telling them. Me personally? I don’t believe in falling in love straight after meeting someone, however I do think that its more than possible to connect with someone new when you’ve only just met them. But love at first sight? I’m not convinced.

Thankfully my opinion on that matter was null and void because the story was about Phoebe and Sam, not me. The premise of the book was such a brilliant escapism and showed readers that you can still live your life even though you have fallen in love. Your plans do not automatically freeze because you have a partner. Again, not everyone realises that though. Take a look at Phoebe and Sam’s friends for example; they were obviously concerned for their friends decision, yet it was incredibly easy for them to pass their doubts onto both Phoebe and Sam. Would the couple find their way back to each other in a years time?

What I love most about Miranda Dickinson’s writing, is the way she creates her characters from her heart, making their personalities jump off the page as though they’re a real life human, like you and me. Dickinson’s storylines are addictive, beautifully thought out, and full of such joy, hope and companionship.

My only irk about the book was the ending. Considering how in depth the rest of the book was, I felt that the ending didn’t fit in with the strength of the rest of the book. It was still cute, I’m not saying that there was anything wrong with it, I just found it a little flat in comparison to the rest of the book.

I loved the fact that I was able to lose myself in Phoebe and Sam’s journeys of self discovery – it was very difficult to not fall in love with such a touching and enriching storyline like ‘The Day We Meet Again’. Phoebe and Sam gave me hope, and ‘The Day We Meet Again’ is the love story of all love stories – the perfect read.

Buy now.

#BlogTour! #Review – #LiesLiesLies by Adele Parks (@adeleparks) @HQStories

Please do excuse the lateness of this post, I’m not at all well! Thank you to HQ for inviting me to take part in the blog tour for ‘Lies Lies Lies’ by Adele Parks, and for sending me an ARC. It is an honour to be reviewing it as part of the blog tour today.

Daisy and Simon’s marriage is great, isn’t it?

After years together, the arrival of longed-for daughter Millie sealed everything in place. A happy little family of three.

And so what if Simon drinks a bit too much sometimes – Daisy’s used to it, she knows he’s letting off steam. Until one night at a party things spiral horribly out of control. And that happy little family of three will never be the same again.

What does TWG think?

With a title such as ‘Lies Lies Lies’, I was expecting the whole secrecy and lack of honesty thing, however I was not expecting Adele Parks to take those themes and up the ante on them tenfold. This book is classed as a ‘domestic thriller’, and I have to say that it is certainly a thrilling read!

Daisy and Simon’s relationship, to the outside world, may seem typical. The couple argue, they’re stressed after a hard days work, they’re trying to do right by their daughter. Instead of communicating to each other, Simon has his own recreational way of putting his issues on the back burner and, funnily enough, Simon doesn’t think that he has an issue when he clearly does.

I have never really understood the fixation with alcohol myself. Yes, I’ve had a few drinks, gone out clubbing and what not, but I just don’t get what it is that people grab a hold of and rely on. I know alcoholism is an addiction, I’m not disputing that at all, its just I’ve lived in a house with an alcoholic who not only drank himself into oblivion, he also used his fists.

Alcohol is actually quite an important stepping stone of this book actually, and watching how much it affected the lives of Daisy, Simon, Millie, and everyone else around them, really gave me food for thought when it comes to personality changes and honesty.

‘Lies Lies Lies’ covers several important topics, most of which reader will be relating to directly or indirectly. I found several chapters towards the end of the book, to be quite uncomfortable to read. Dylan was such an unsettling force of nature, and I could see just where Daisy’s fear came from.

The topic of honesty and secrets is the big thing throughout the storyline as things aren’t always as they seem. I mean, how often do we take part in an activity whilst there is something completely unrelated on our minds, only to then create our own blinkered version of that activity afterwards? Sometimes we only see what we want to see, and sometimes we only hear what we want to hear. We even refuse to believe what is in front of us at times as we just want to ourselves from the uncertainty.

Adele Parks has done her themes justice and gave her characters the voice that they so desperately needed. I really enjoyed the psychological aspects of the storyline most, as I felt more in tune with Daisy and Simon’s psyche as things began to progress. Okay, it was an uncomfortable read at times, but the things discussed in this book aren’t meant to be comfortable.

A raw, thrilling and psychologically talented novel – I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Buy now.

#Review – #ElevatorPitch by Linwood Barclay (@linwood_barclay) @HQStories

(Many thanks to HQStories for the ARC).

It all begins on a Monday, when four people board an elevator in a Manhattan office tower. Each presses a button for their floor, but the elevator proceeds, non-stop, to the top. Once there, it stops for a few seconds, and then plummets.

Right to the bottom of the shaft.

It appears to be a horrific, random tragedy. But then, on Tuesday, it happens again, in a different Manhattan skyscraper. And when Wednesday brings yet another high-rise catastrophe, one of the most vertical cities in the world – and the nation’s capital of media, finance, and entertainment – is plunged into chaos.

Clearly, this is anything but random. This is a cold, calculated bid to terrorize the city. And it’s working. Fearing for their lives, thousands of men and women working in offices across the city refuse leave their homes. Commerce has slowed to a trickle. Emergency calls to the top floors of apartment buildings go unanswered.

Who is behind this? What do these deadly acts of sabotage have to do with the fingerless body found on the High Line? Two seasoned New York detectives and a straight-shooting journalist must race against time to find the answers . . .

Pulsating with tension, Elevator Pitch is a riveting tale of psychological suspense that is all too plausible . . . and will chill readers to the bone.

What does TWG think?

I never, ever, EVER want to go in a lift again!!! Plus, how the fudge have I not read a Linwood Barclay novel before? I am disgusted with myself, and I want to apologise to my bank balance in advance for when I do binge buy sevral of his novels.

As I’m sure you can tell from the title, ‘Elevator Pitch’ is centred around elevators, or lifts as we call them in the UK. With that little snippet of information, you’re probably wondering why anyone would want to read a book about lifts, right? Understandable! But what if I told you that Linwood Barclay’s novel is a psychlogically twisted, fraught, and unique read that just happens to have elevator problems?

I say elevator problems like I’m describing a nuisance spot; they are indeed way more than being a little problematic, sometimes a teeny bit gruesome! I never knew just how lethal elevators and elevators shafts were!

Linwood Barclay is a force to be reckoned with. His talent at creating such a rollercoaster, chilling and intense read, seriously blew my mind. There were so many fingers pointing towards various characters, and I had marked the one I thought was ‘it’ early on, however I changed my mind multiple times throughout the book because of certain events, certain actions of the characters, and because of my own uncertainty. I wont say which particular character that was as I don’t wish to influence anyone if they haven’t read the book yet.

I really wasnt expecting ‘Elevator Pitch’ to conclude the way it did but oh my goodness, my heart was in my mouth! This book has given me a brand new author to stick on my to be read pile, and it’s a book that I will be shouting about big time!

Just a word of warning though; #takethestairs.

An insanely dark, spine tingling and bloody fantastic book. I honestly couldn’t have wished for anything more.

Buy now from Amazon

#BlogTour! #Review – The Accidental Life Swap by Jennifer Joyce (@Writer_Jenn) @HQDigitalUK

Happy publication day, Jennifer Joyce! What a better way to kick off a new month than with a new book! I am delighted to be kicking off the blog tour for ‘The Accidental Life Swap’ with a review – many thanks to HQ for the blog tour invite and ARC.

Sometimes one moment can change your life forever…

Rebecca Riley has always been a bit of a pushover. When her glamorous boss, Vanessa, asks her to jump, she doesn’t just ask how high… she asks if her boss would like her to grab a coffee on the way back down!

So whilst overseeing the renovation of Vanessa’s beautiful countryside home, the last thing Rebecca ever expected was to be mistaken for her boss – or that she would even consider going along with it! Far away from the bustling city and her boss’s demanding ways, could she pretend to be Vanessa and swap lives, just for a little while?

What does TWG think?

I agree with the first sentence of the blurb wholeheartedly; Rebecca IS a pushover big time! I know some people dislike confrontation. I also know that some people don’t have the confidence to stand up for themselves when they’re treated like dirt. Rebecca, on the other hand, is a mixture of the two and then some. She certainly doesn’t have any confidence in herself or her abilities, nor does she have the strength to tell her boss where to go. I understand telling your boss to go and choke on a lolly is frowned upon, however so is treating your members of staff like slaves. As far as I was aware, slavery was abolished in 1833 in the UK!

I didn’t like Vanessa at all, and I am sure you have already guessed that. However, I really did enjoy ‘The Accidental Life Swap’. Mistaken identity aside, I loved getting to know all of the animals in the sanctuary next door to Vanessa’s holiday home, and I felt like a proud mum watching Rebecca flourish in the little village she never knew existed. Whilst getting lumbered with overseeing her boss’s house renovation wasn’t exactly what Rebecca had planned, the way she got stuck into it and became ‘one of them’ so to speak, was both hilarious and heartwarming. Don’t get me wrong, I was silently wishing that she would own up to the case of mistaken identity as I knew fine well that it was going to blow up in her face, but clearly she didn’t get my psychic message!!

‘The Accidental Life Swap’ is full of such colourful characters, both humans AND animals! I snorted at the personalities of the chickens, and I thought Franny, the donkey, was absolutely brilliant. It is clear that the author has put a lot of heart into her storyline and her characters journeys and, whilst I enjoyed finding out what made the builders tick, I thought the game nights were a brilliant addition to the ‘finding yourself’ type of vibe that the book gave off.

For me, ‘The Accidental Life Swap’ has a mixture of everything, and it was such a joy to be amongst a group of genuinely funny, relatable, and memorable characters such as the ones you’ll get to meet in this book. A job well done Ms.Joyce, a job well done indeed!!

Buy now from Amazon

#BlogTour! #Review – The Morning After the Wedding Before by Laura Ziepe (@LauraZiepe) @HQDigitalUK

I am closing the blog tour for Laura Ziepe and ‘The Morning After the Wedding Before’ today, which will be published by HQDigital on the 10th June. I really enjoyed Laura’s previous book, ”Tis the Season to be Single’! Many thanks to HQDigitalUK for the blog tour invite and ARC. Here is my review:

Did she really say ‘I do’?!

Holly is happily single with two gorgeous kids but when she finds out her ex is moving on she jumps at the chance of attending her friend Emma’s wedding in Vegas – it’s the perfect distraction…

Kim used to be the life and soul of the party, but now there’s nothing she loves more than a quiet night at home with the family. But in Vegas her past quickly catches up with her – in a way that could make or break her marriage!

Emma is getting married! She knows it should be the happiest time of her life, but she can’t help feeling she’s marrying the wrong man. So when she wakes up on her wedding day with a ring already on her finger, she panics – who did she marry last night?

What does TWG think?

Wow, I wasn’t expecting that! Have you ever heard of the term ‘coercive control’? Not many people have. The definition of ‘coercive control’ from the Women’s Aid website states that:

‘Domestic abuse isn’t always physical. Coercive control is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.

This controlling behaviour is designed to make a person dependent by isolating them from support, exploiting them, depriving them of independence and regulating their everyday behaviour.’

With the above in mind, and the fact that this novel is predominantly lighthearted and fun, the topic of coercive control is rife via one of the main characters, Emma. Now I won’t go into detail due to spoilers, however I felt exceptionally sorry for her because, as readers, we get to see all sides of the coin as it were. We get to witness things that characters haven’t found out yet. So when this character goes through her day to day life as an Instagram influencer, it’s pretty hard not to shout and scream at the book to tell her to run. Reality hadn’t hit Emma at that point. She wasn’t aware that what her fiancé was doing, could in fact be deemed as abuse. Actually, the reality is that not many people in that situation realise that controlling, abusive behaviour is actually abuse. People automatically assume that domestic abuse needs to be physical. It doesn’t. I am talking from experience unfortunately.

Anyway, despite the in-depth topic of the storyline, ‘The Morning After the Wedding Before’ has a lot of scenarios which readers will be able to relate too, especially if they’re a parent who is struggling with their relationship with their partner, or if they’re a single mum who has done nothing except care for her children for however many years.

I was impressed by how the author managed to incorporate a lot of relatable subjects in amongst the fun and laughter of the book. At times I did feel as though the womanising of several of the characters got a bit much and didn’t really add anymore depth to the overall vibe of the book. I appreciated why those particular characters were involved in the story, don’t get me wrong, it just made me feel a little exasperated at times.

I really do recommend Laura Ziepe’s writing as she manages to make me laugh at the most random of times! I enjoyed the overall premise of the book, and like I said before, I felt that the author wrote about certain topics brilliantly and sensitively.

‘The Morning After the Wedding Before’ is the ideal poolside read both for a holiday read, and for a read by the blow up pool in the garden!

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