The Spark by Jules Wake #TheSpark @Juleswake #NetGalley

 

The Spark by Jules Wake

Published by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

Publication Date: 11th December 2020

Womens Fiction, Romance

Book Description:

Jess is falling for Sam.

Sam is falling for Jess.

But it seems life will do whatever it takes to make them fall apart.

When Jess and Sam lock eyes at a party, a spark ignites. The spark. But love at first sight isn’t like the movies, especially when Sam’s ex, Victoria, is determined to make their honeymoon period a living hell.

Is love at first sight enough?

My Thoughts:

My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read The Spark - the first of Jules books I have read, but certainly won't be the last. 

The Spark is such an easy read, the words just flowed from the page and I whizzed through this rollercoaster love story. Jess and Sam meet at Jess's aunt's garden party and instantly feel the click of attraction. There's only one problem: Sam has a long term, drop dead gorgeous girlfriend. And after Jess's dad walked out on her mum when she was a child, Jess has always vowed never to step on another woman's toes where men are concerned.  But the attraction is strong, and it takes all their efforts to stay away from one another.  But Cupid is a determined little chap and finds ways of getting the couple together. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading how the couple juggled with the moral dilemmas thrown up by Sam's situation, and when his attempts to end his relationship in a proper manner hit numerous snags Jess wonders whether it is all worth the effort.  The story is so well narrated I felt every heart string twang for both of the youngsters. The fly in the ointment of their relationship is a really nasty piece of work who has no thoughts for anyone but herself; it's easy to see why Sam would rather be with Jess. I wanted to fight Jess's corner for her on more than one occasion as she is just too nice to stand up for herself - or is she? Everyone has their limits in the end.

Jess's own family back story also gets reviewed and I was really pleased that she managed to face some ghosts from her childhood, and came to understand that there is always more than one side to every story.

A great book, well worth reading.

About the Author:

Jules Wake's earliest known declaration that she planned to be a writer came at the age of ten. Along the way she was diverted by the glamorous world of PR and worked on many luxury brands, taking journalists on press trips to awful places like Turin, Milan, Geneva, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam and occasionally losing the odd member of the press in an airport. It gave her the opportunity to eat amazing food, drink free alcohol as well as providing opportunities to hone her writing skills on press releases and to research European cities for her books.

Eventually the voices in her head persuaded her it was time to sit down and write the novel she'd always talked about. Her debut novel in 2014, was quickly followed by the bestselling From Italy With Love, published by One More Chapter, HarperCollins, which reached number 1 in the Amazon Kindle charts.

Jules' book Covent Garden in the Snow was a Kindle Top 2 bestseller and the follow up book Notting Hill in the Snow was nominated for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

She also writes cosy romantic fiction as Julie Caplin and the sixth book in the Romantic Escapes series, The Little Tokyo Teashop was published by One More Chapter in the summer of 2020 and the seventh, The Little Swiss Ski Chalet will be published in January 2021.

Follow on twitter @juleswake. Or visit her on www.juleswake.co.uk

Heading Over the Hill by Judy Leigh #NetGalley @JudyLeighWriter #HeadingOvertheHill

 

Heading Over the Hill by Judy Leigh

Published by Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 3rd December 2021

Womens Fiction

Book Description:

Growing old disgracefully and having a grand old time…

Billy and Dawnie may be in their seventies, but that won’t stop them taking chances or starting again. Their grown-up children have families and lives of their own, so now it’s Billy and Dawnie’s turn, and a life near the sea in Devon beckons.

But the residents of Margot Street (or Maggot Street as Dawnie insists on calling it), don’t quite know what to make of their new neighbours. Billy’s loud, shiny and huge Harley Davidson looks out of place next to the safe and sensible Honda Jazz next door, and Dawnie’s never-ending range of outrageous wigs and colourful clothes, means she’s impossible to miss.

As new friendships are formed and new adventures are shared, Billy and Dawnie start winning their neighbours’ affection. And when life teaches them all a terrible lesson, the folks of Margot Street are determined to live every day as if it’s their last.

Judy Leigh returns with a soul-warming, rib-tickling, timeless tale of true love, true friendship and happy-ever-afters.  

My Thoughts:

First of all my thanks go to the publisher, Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this fabulous, fun  book.  I am a big reader of crime and psychological thrillers so this was a step away from the norm for me. And wow! I absolutely loved it!

We are introduced to retired couple Billy and Dawnie who are looking to put down roots for their retirement.  They have moved many miles to live out their dream of a coastal retreat now that Billy has retired from a long army life - it's a big change for Dawnie too, as it will just be the two of them after many years of living with their children and grandchildren in the same house.

Billy and Dawnie make a stir amongst the neighbours as they move into a rented property while they search for their dream home. Maggot Street (as Dawnie not-so-affectionately calls the road) is quiet and quite stereotypical with twitchy net curtains and grumbles about parking, so when the couple turn up on their noisy motorbike some of the residents are less than keen to be friendly. They soon get the neighbours talking, some in a more friendly manner than others.

I love this study of Britishness, and enjoyed reading how the neighbours gradually get to know one another. Judgmental behaviour is rife in some of the properties but as time moves along it becomes clear that everyone has life experiences which have made them the way they are over the years. All it takes is a little bit more effort and understanding with one another to make life happier.

This is a real feel good book although it does have its sad parts which I have to admit did bring a tear to my eye.  If only real life could work out the way the residents of Margot Street managed to. Judy Leigh has written a really thought provoking book without being preachy or judgmental at all. She has reflected just about every street in England and I could recognise various of my neighbours past and present in the characters she has portrayed here.

I recommend this if you want a nice easy read with some fabulous people among the pages. I will definitely pick up more of Judy's books in future.

About the Author:

Judy Leigh has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset. After teaching theatre, writing lyrics for a punk band and setting up Shakespeare Festivals, she completed an MA in Professional Writing.

Her latest novel, Heading over the Hill, is available in December and follows the bestsellers Five French Hens and The Old Girls' Network . All her novels, including A Grand Old Time and The Age of Misadventure, celebrate the ups and downs of life, relationships, the power of laughter and the belief that everyone has a second chance at happiness, whatever their age.

She is a prolific writer, but when she is not at her computer you will find her on the beach, walking, doing yoga or splashing in the sea. She is also a Reiki healer, a vegan and an animal lover. She has three black cats and she enjoys travelling, live music, theatre and football.

The Coffinmaker's Garden by Stuart McBride #NetGalley #TheCoffinMakersGarden

 The Coffin Maker's Garden by Stuart McBride

Published by HarperCollins UK

Publication Date: 7th January 2021

Crime Fiction

Book Description:

A village on the edge…
As a massive storm batters the Scottish coast, Gordon Smith’s home is falling into the North Sea. But the crumbling headland has revealed what he’s got buried in his garden: human remains.

A house full of secrets…
With the storm still raging, it’s too dangerous to retrieve the bodies and waves are devouring the evidence. Which means no one knows how many people Smith’s already killed and how many more he’ll kill if he can’t be found and stopped.

An investigator with nothing to lose…
The media are baying for blood, the top brass are after a scapegoat, and ex-Detective Inspector Ash Henderson is done playing nice. He’s got a killer to catch, and God help anyone who gets in his way.

My Thoughts:

I have to admit to having made a huge error in choosing this book as I haven't read the previous books in the series which put me on the back foot big time.  I struggled to understand how the characters interlinked and had no knowledge of previous events which had a huge bearing on the story.  I understand that this was entirely my error and as such I apologise to the publisher for offering to review this book without having done sufficient background research.  Having said that, I did enjoy the story of The Coffinmakers Garden. There are several story threads which give plenty of depth to the plotting and character building talent of the author. There are plenty of situations where you really don't know who's going to make it out of the book alive - and whether the law or the vigilante are going to reach the target first.

The book begins with a very atmospheric scene of a child going missing during a raging storm. The coastline is taking a battering from a very rough sea and coastal erosion is taking its toll on the cliff edge, with a chunk of cliff collapsing into the sea exposing the shocking remains of a serial killer's secret cemetery. Former DI Ash Henderson and his team are brought in to find out what on earth has been going on in this remote Scottish coastal town - and how long for.

Despite this being a shocking tale of kidnap and torture I love that there are excellent touches of dark humour throughout this book. The characters are so well-written with gritty Scottish phraseology used to make the people very genuine and credible.  I definitely want to re-visit this series from the start so I can enjoy it in its entirety and get the most out of this excellent author's writing. 

Thank you again to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book, and I am sorry I wasn't the best person to review it - my rating reflects the struggle I had with the lack of background, not the quality of writing.

About the Author:

Stuart MacBride was born in Dumbarton near Glasgow but grew up in Aberdeen. He is the number one bestelling author of several novels featuring DS Logan McRae. He has been shortlisted for the Theakstons's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award twice. Stuart won the 2007 CWA Dagger in the Library, awarded for a body of work, and was named Best Breakthrough Author at the 2008 ITV Crime Thriller Awards.

The Open House by Sam Carrington #NetGalley @AvonBooksUK #book #review #TheOpenHouse @sam_carrington1

 

The Open House by Sam Carrington

Published by Avon Books

Publication Date 10th December 2020

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Book Description:

Everyone’s welcome. But not everyone leaves…
Nick and Amber Miller are splitting up and selling their Devon family home. But despite the desirable location, the house isn’t moving. Not a single viewing so far.
 
When their estate agent suggests an open house event, Amber agrees, even as she worries about their gossiping neighbours attending and snooping around their home.
 
But Amber has more to worry about than nosy neighbours. Because thirteen people enter her house that afternoon, and only twelve leave.
 
Someone doesn't want the house to sell, and is willing to do anything to stop it…

My Thoughts:

Sam Carrington is an author I have had on my radar for some time but somehow have never managed to move to the top of my list. Having read The Open House her backlist will now be moving up the order.  What a masterclass in building tension and putting almost every character in the spotlight as a suspect!  You think you have the plot sussed then just a drip of doubt is all it takes for your whole theory comes crashing down.

The main character Amber Miller is mid-divorce after her husband Nick had a brief fling with a work colleague. Their family home which she shares with their two young sons is on the market - a sore point with soon-to-be-ex mother-in-law Barb. Because the house used to belong to Barb and her husband before he died and it made sense for Amber and Nick to move in and fill the house with a family; until Nick's exploits meant that the property needs to be sold and the equity split between them. But someone is clearly determined that the house is not going to be an easy sell. 

Amber arranges with the estate agent Carl to hold an open house event and this is where things really start taking a sinister turn. At first Amber doubts herself, thinks she's imagining things but then her youngest son starts having nightmares about the man who watches him from the end of his bed. Is she really just being paranoid or is there something going on that she needs to be concerned about?

Signing up her nosy neighbour Davina to help keep an eye on the house, whilst running her theories past her friends Jo and Keeley, husband Nick and her new partner Richard, Amber becomes more and more confused as to who could be responsible for the scuppering of her house sale. Each and every one of the people she knows ends up on her suspect list but the truth is way beyond anything her overactive imagination could come up with in the dead of night as she watched the clock tick round. But the biggest question is why anyone would go to such lengths - it all seems a bit extreme for a bitter ex mother in law with a soft spot for the house.

I love how the pace of the book builds alongside the tension. It starts with a mild feeling of dread and cranks up as the pages turn quicker the further through the story you get.  Brilliant writing, some great characters (good and bad) and a spectacular finale to put the cherry on the top.

About the Author:

Sam Carrington lives in Devon with her husband, two border terriers and a cat. She has three adult children and a new grandson! She worked for the NHS for fifteen years, during which time she qualified as a nurse. Following the completion of a psychology degree she went to work for the prison service as an Offending Behaviour Programme Facilitator. Her experiences within this field inspired her writing. She left the service to spend time with her family and to follow her dream of being a novelist.

Just Between Friends by Rosie Nixon @HQstories @Rosie_Nixon #JustBetweenFriends #NetGalley #book #review

 

Just Between Friends by Rosie Nixon

Published by HQ

Publication date: 12th November 2020

Genre: womens fiction

My thanks to the publisher for approving my request to read this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Book Description:

Aisha Moore is eight months pregnant. She’s thrilled, and a little scared. Not least because her husband Jason hasn’t quite wrapped his head around the fact.

Lucy is having her first child too. She has finally got her wish – although the circumstances aren’t quite what she had hoped. Oscar will be a great dad though, won’t he?

When the two women join the same baby group, they quickly become friends and before long they’re confiding in each other.

Only there’s one thing Lucy hasn’t told Aisha. And while a baby may turn your life upside-down, a secret this big will change everything.

My Thoughts:

I think anyone who has attended antenatal classes or baby & toddler groups will be able to relate to this book. It certainly brought back memories of the diverse variety of parents-to-be in the classes I attended back in the day and the sense of everyone assessing/judging each others circumstances and relationships was portrayed very well by the author.

The story is mainly told from mum to be Aisha's perspective and she relates her worries about just about everything from how good a mum she will be to how invested her husband is in the antenatal group classes. She seems to click straightaway with one of the other mums, Lucy but the other woman seems to run hot and cold with Aisha, one minute she's wanting to be best mates then others she's hard to get in touch with. What is Lucy hiding? Or are Aisha's hormones just making her over sensitive? As a whole the group gels really well and there are some great comedy moments which I'm sure are very relatable to anyone who has experienced these type of groups. 

One by one the women have their babies and distance creeps in as the parents' lives get taken over with colic, nappies and breastfeeding dramas. But there's something else, something Aisha can't pin down which is making her feel like something isn't quite right. I really enjoyed this book because the characters are so real and credible. The later chapters were rather daunting and my heart went out to Aisha whilst I wanted to throttle both Lucy and Jason for their part in Aisha's traumas. On the other side of the story, I hadn't expected to like Oscar as much as I did by the end of the book.  The other peripheral characters in the group add depth to the story and make it an enjoyable novel despite the main plotline not being too pleasant for Aisha.

This would make a great book club read as there are plenty of contentious issues and moral dilemmas to discuss.

About the Author:

Rosie Nixon is an author, mother of two and Editor-in-Chief of HELLO! magazine where she has worked for over a decade and has a love of all things celebrity, royal and fashion-related. Rosie previously held senior positions at glossy women's magazines including Grazia, Glamour and Red. In her career she has been lucky enough to attend a multitude of glamorous award ceremonies, premieres, celebrity weddings and showbiz events all around the world. Ever discreet and protective of the stars she has worked with, Rosie's experience has undoubtedly enabled her to write her debut novel The Stylist (published February 2016) and the sequel The Stylist Takes Manhattan (published in 2017).

Follow Rosie on Twitter @Rosie_Nixon

What My Husband Did by Kerry Wilkinson @bookouture @kerrywk #blogtour #NetGalley #WhatMyHusbandDid

 

What My Husband Did by Kerry Wilkinson

Published by Bookouture

Publication Date 17th November 2020

Genre Crime, Thriller

My thanks to Sarah Hardy and publisher Bookouture for the opportunity to be part of the blog tour for Kerry Wilkinson's latest novel. The views I express here are my own and unbiased.

Book Description:

'I can give you a lift home,’ the man says. Little Alice tightens the zip of her big red coat. She’s unsure, but the walk will be cold and dark. ‘I’m not supposed to get in a stranger’s car.’ He forces a smile. ‘I’m not a proper stranger, am I?’

I return home to our beautiful house on a chilly winter evening expecting to find my handsome husband Richard waiting for me by the fire. We’re still so in love, and he always takes care of me: buying us this home in the little village where he grew up, making sure I settled in and made friends, and treating my teenage daughter like his own.

There’s a bit of gossip about our age gap, but the death of his first wife years ago was so tragic that he still gets sympathetic looks. Everyone loves Richard.

He usually comes straight back from work. But tonight, our antique clock ticks on through the dark evening, with no sign of him. Then a knock at the door shatters my perfect life. A 12-year-old-girl, Alice from the village, has been found unconscious in the field behind our house. They say she was last seen getting into Richard’s car.

Now rumours are flying. As Alice fights for her life in hospital, nobody will speak to me: and when they do it’s to ask if he didn’t hurt Alice, why hasn’t Richard come home?

I know that revealing my own darkest secret about Richard’s first wife could prove his innocence… but even if I do, he’s still missing. Is everyone right, and is my husband on the run? And will telling the truth about my past turn my own daughter against me, and tear our lives apart for good?

Fans of The Girl on the Train, I Am Watching You and Shari Lapena will adore this absolutely unputdownable read by bestselling author Kerry Wilkinson, about the dark secrets we hide to protect ourselves and the ones we love.

My Thoughts:

A knock on the door heralds the start of a nightmare for Maddy as her friend's husband Atal announces that he has found a young girl unconscious in the stream at the back of her house. Then Maddy's husband Richard fails to return from meeting a friend and work colleague which fuels rumours that he may be involved in young Alice's accident. 

The story follows events as Maddy becomes the target for the village's frustration in finding the chief suspect - surely she knows more than she's telling the detective on the case? The finger of suspicion loses Maddy both her income and the respect of locals who she would have previously called her friends. The villagers close rank under the seeming direction of the village's popular yummy mummy Harriet, who is quick to take Alice's mum Gemma under her wing. 

The book may be a little predictable in reflecting how society tends to behave in the wake of an event where there is harm to a child but author Kerry Wilkinson cleverly leads the enquiries into Alice's attack in several different directions to provide some strong smoke screens and decoy characters along the way to the truth.

Will you work out who is responsible for what happened to Alice? I wasn't too far away from solving the case but the path which led to the attack was certainly not what I was expecting. As in so many novels of this genre, secrets hidden in history have a habit of eking their way into the present and innocent people are often those who get caught up in the repercussions.

Although the initial event which triggers the storyline does not make for comfortable reading, I enjoyed trying to work out who was involved in the aftermath. Definitely a book I would recommend to friends and family - but there again Kerry is an author who features strongly on my recommendation list any way. If you haven't read his work - WHY NOT?! It's time you explored his work, you're in for a treat!

Buy your copy here:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3n1Zal6

Apple: https://apple.co/3lffwGy

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3eIqAtj

Google: https://bit.ly/2GO6K3C

Follow the tour and read other reviews:

About the Author:

Kerry Wilkinson has had No.1 crime bestsellers in the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Singapore. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States. His book, Ten Birthdays, won the RNA award for Young Adult Novel of the Year in 2018 and Close To You won the International Thriller Award for best ebook in 2020.

As well as his million-selling Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written the Silver Blackthorn trilogy - a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults - a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.

Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry spent way too long living in the north of England, picking up words like 'barm' and 'ginnel'.

When he's short of ideas, he rides his bike, hikes up something, or bakes cakes. When he's not, he writes it all down.

Social Media Links:

Website: http://kerrywilkinson.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/kerrywk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kerrywilkinsonbooks

The Pretenders by Agatha Zaza @agatha_zaza #ThePretenders #NetGalley @Agora_BooksLDN

 

The Pretenders by Agatha Zaza

Published by Agora Books

Publication Date 5th November 2020 (ebook), 3rd December 2020 paperback

Genre: Contemporary Literary Fiction

Book Description:

"I’m perfectly happy lying to myself…If it means getting to stay with you."

Jasper is ready to surprise his brother; Holly is ready to celebrate their engagement.

Anne tags along for fear of missing out, and John might just be going for another drink.

But Edmund and Ovidia had other plans for their Saturday.

Over the course of one day, these couples must own up to the secrets they’ve been hiding from one another and the lies they’ve been telling themselves. And face the devastating consequences.

Three couples. Two exes. One day. One reckoning.

My Thoughts:

Well, where to start with this book? It was really not what I was expecting but after a bit of a slow start as I settled in to the story I was soon drawn into the lives of brothers Jasper and Edmund. In some ways they seem very close siblings but in others they barely seem to know each other at all.

Jasper has decided to call in to surprise Edmund at his home in London to announce his engagement to girlfriend Holly. Best friend John and his wife Anne have tagged along too, having heard so much about Edmund and his high-flying career from Jasper. So when they arrive at Edmund's home something feels very off. He's sitting in his contemporary glass cube conservatory in his pyjamas and food-spattered dressing gown staring out into the garden. Hardly the successful, focused businessman they were expecting.

The enigma grows as a woman arrives at the house dressed in running gear. Her body language at first suggests that she lives here but then changes in an instant as she becomes unsure of herself and the situation she finds herself in. Meanwhile, Jasper is looking as if he's seen a ghost.
The book gradually peels back the layers of the six people's lives and we are presented with twist after shock revelation until we get to point where it all makes some kind of sense. There are quite a few triggers which people should be aware of before indulging in this book - domestic abuse and depression to mention just a couple.

This won't be a book for everyone as it's a bit of a slow burner which hits on some sensitive subject material but the style of writing is excellent and the facts are disclosed very cleverly so I would encourage people to stick with the slow introduction as it leads to a pretty shocking conclusion.

About the Author:

Agatha Zaza is a Zambian and Finn at present living in Auckland, New Zealand. Her writing is a departure from her work in fundraising and international development.

The Pretenders was born in Singapore, where she spent three years as a trailing spouse, where she rekindled a long-dormant love of writing. Aside from Singapore, Agatha has worked and lived several countries, among them Uganda and in the then Soviet Union. While in Ireland, she earned a Master’s in Equality Studies from University College Dublin and worked in a genuine Irish pub.

Agatha’s work can be seen in the Johannesburg Review of Books and in a PEN International special edition on African writers. She has also published three short books on Amazon. She’s been a passionate slow runner for two and half decades and has recently given up composting.