My Top Books of 2015

Hi everyone,

Well Christmas is nearly upon us which means it's nearly the end of another year and what a year 2015 has been for books.

I would like to firstly say thank you to all the authors, publishers and all the bookish people for all the support I've received throughout the year whether it was allowing me to read ARC's of their books, tweeting my reviews or viewing my blog, it's given me great confidence to make me continue doing what I love which is my LOVE for reading and reviewing.

Below you'll find listed my Top 12 Books of 2015 (well there's actually 13 as I couldn't leave any of these out) but they are not in any particular order.

Lost Girls ~ Angela Marsons

The Girl Who Broke The Rules ~ Marnie Riches

Only The Brave ~ Mel Sherratt

Those We Left Behind ~ Stuart Neville

The Two of Us ~ Andy Jones

The Doctor's Daughter ~ Vanessa Matthews  

Untouchable ~ Ava Marsh

Freedom's Child ~ Jax Miller

Follow Me ~ Angela Clarke

Disclaimer ~ Reneé Knight

Afraid ~ Mandasue Heller 

No Other Darkness ~ Sarah Hillary

The Venus Trap ~ Louise Voss

       
That's the list and hope you've enjoyed reading it. Hopefully you've read at least one of these titles and if not then I suggest you do. I'm already looking forward to the 2016 books where I hope I will find some excellent reads.

Merry Christmas to you all and best wishes for 2016 Xxx

Follow Me by Angela Clarke

Today, it's my turn on the final day of The Follow Me Blog Tour and I'm delighted that I was asked to participate with some great Book Bloggers so a HUGE thanks to Helena Sheffield from Avon Books and Netgalley, I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review........

LIKE. SHARE. FOLLOW . . . DIE

Freddy Venton is an unpaid reporter but would love nothing more than to be taken on and have a paid salary but currently has to make do with working in a coffee shop.  She's quite addicted to social media (I've been guilty of this on numerous occasions, who isn't!??)  She checks her phone first thing in the morning to see what she may have missed out on on her newsfeed the night before along with all of her other apps aswell as checking her apps last thing at night too.  She bumps into Nasreen Cudmore, a childhood friend who is now a member of the police force and an ambitious one at that too but eight years ago these two young girls did something that was unforgivable. Now, police officer Nasreen and investigative journalist Freddie are thrown together again in a desperate struggle to catch this scheming, fame-crazed killer. The ‘Hashtag Murderer’ posts chilling cryptic clues online, pointing to their next target.  Their account is gaining momentum every hour as the number of followers rises but so is the body count.  But can they stay one step ahead of him or will it be too late? Can they escape their own past??

This is the first book by Angela Clarke and what a debut it was, I didn't just like it, I LOVED it and it definitely didn't disappoint. There were a few twists in it, which I loved as I was convinced that I'd worked out who the killer was halfway through but I definitely wasn't expecting who I thought it was. There were parts in the book I could feel my heart thumping so it's definitely not for the fainthearted.  We are all too familiar with social media, it's part of our daily lives, whether it's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or Whatsapp,  the threats and dangers that these can pose and the way some people can use them dangerously to their advantage which sometimes cause tension, rows and fallouts between friends and family.  It really goes to show you that there can and are some crazed people on the internet these days and I'm sure we've all heard stories whether it be on the news or reported on social media.  I am really looking forward to reading more from Angela Clarke and she definitely is an author to watch and I would HIGHLY recommend this book and especially if you're like me quite addicted to social media so don't say I never told you.  I think I may have to check who my followers are in future just incase the "Hashtag Murder" may be following me...........

Follow me is available on Kindle from 3rd of December and will be available in all good bookstores from 31st December 2015.

25 Random Things About Me

Thanks to Kate at Bibliophile Book Club at http://bibliophilebookclub.wordpress.com for coming up with this idea & giving me the opportunity to use this idea for my own blog. I think it’s a great way for everyone to find out more about the person behind the blog, do here we go.

1. What is your middle name?

Elizabeth for Christening & took Bernadette for my Confirmation

2. What’s your favourite Drink?

I’m addicted to Hot Chocolate but I don't have it all the time but I do love a nice cup of tea, I have at least 3-4 mugs a day, possibly more when I'm reading of course. I also love Coke Zero.

3. What’s your favourite song at the moment?

Well it’s that time of year, so I'm loving all the Christmas songs, I also love the 80's & 90's also.

4. What’s your favourite food?

Oh, its got to be a creamy chicken, bacon pasta dish ~ delicious!!!

5. What’s the last thing you bought?

I've bought quite a few Christmas presents over the past few days, I also bought myself Star Wars PJ's for Christmas & a Star Wars top for my little nephew.

6. Favourite book of all time?

This ones really hard but I'd have to say To Kill A Mockingbird, I read it when I was 15 for my Junior Cert exams & then re-read it when I was in my 30's & definitely seen it from a different perspective.

7. Favourite Colour?

I wear a lot of different colors but my favorite colour is purple.

8. Do you have any pets?

Yes, we have 2 cats, Tiddles & Snowy, would be lost without them.

9. Favourite Perfume?

Pure Poison ~ Christian Dior

10 – Favourite holiday?

It has to be Orlando, Florida, I went there numerous times when I was younger with my brother, thanks to my super parents, we were brought every year until our late teens do magical experiences & great memories. I have to get back there again one day.

11. Are you married?

No, but I am engaged to Brian who's my best friend & soul mate. We're together almost 11 years & our anniversary is next week.

12. Have you ever been out the country? If so, how many times?

Oh, I'm not sure, I've travelled to Spain, Corfu, Greece, Orlando, Tampa & I've been to a few places in England & Wales numerous times.

13. Do you speak any other language?

I learned German when I was in school & also been from Ireland I can speak some Irish but I'm raging I never pursued it to become fluent.

14. How many siblings do you have?

I have 1 brother who is 5 years younger than me.

15. What is your favourite store?

I’m a big fan of Penneys but I also love Heatons, Dunnes, Debenhams, H&M, Forever 21 & M&S.

16. Favourite restaurant?

I would have to say I love The Lavey Inn which is in Cavan where my fiancé is from & I love going in when we visit his family.

17. When was the last time you cried?

A few weeks ago watching the Sainsbury's ad featuring Mog 

18. Favourite Blog?

This is a hard one as there are so many great book blogs out there but I'd have to say ~

https://bleachhouselibrary.blogspot.ie

https://bibliophilebookclub.wordpress.com

http://beccasbooooks.blogspot.co.uk

19. Favourite Movie?

I'd have to say Home Alone, The Santa Clause, Santa Clause The Movie, Indiana Jones Trilogy, mainly anything with Harrison Ford.

20. Favourite TV show?

I have quite a few ~ Currently Better Call Saul, Homeland, Red Rock. I was devastated when these were finished ~ Quantum Leap, Prison Break and Breaking Bad.

21. PC or Mac?

I use PC, phone or iPad for everything.

22. What phone do you have?

Galaxy Samsung S4.

23. What’s your favourite pastime?

Reading & blogging my reviews hoping someone might find a new read for themselves, watching football & other sports and spending time with my family.

24. Can you cook?

Yes, I cook all the time & don't mind it really but if was given choice I wouldn't, haha!!

25. Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

No, I don't have any of either.

I hope you enjoyed my post & learned a little bit more about me, please feel free to leave a comment below 

The Morning After Memoirs by Kate Michaels

Thanks to Laura Stephens from Ago Publishing I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.......

When we meet Jess she wakes up on New Years Day with a horrible hangover from the night before beside a man who she realises is not her boyfriend, Ben.  In fact, she doesn’t even remember Not-Ben’s name.  Jess is a twenty-nine year old who has a dead end job in an office who temporarily moves back in with her parents and the story follows her life and antics throughout the coming year with her friends and how she deals with her new found single life with some funny moments thrown in and memories which I'm sure we've all experienced when we were younger when relationships broke up.

I liked this book and it did make me laugh in parts but even though there are only 12 chapters I felt some of them were a little too long, unfortunately I couldn't warm to the main character and there were some parts that I felt were also a bit unrealistic.  The main character was whingy, needy & got on my nerves at times throughout the book especially where she kept referring to every man she met as "not Ben" even up to a year after her relationship had ended with Ben.  While I can honestly only say that I liked the book, I do think that people who like to hear stories or watch shows like Sex and The City you will love this book.  I am looking forward to reading more work from Kate Michaels.

This is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.

Alone in the Dark by Karen Rose

Thanks to LoveReading.co.uk & Headline Publishing, I received a copy of this for an honest review............

Homicide Detective Scarlett Bishop has seen enough bad guys slip through the cracks and too many innocent victims go unavenged to know that good doesn't always prevail. So far, she's been able to lock away her rage and her vigilante fantasies. That lock is about to break. A desperate hunt to find a young girl's killer is about to take a deadly turn.  Former army ranger Marcus O'Bannion is a fierce champion of victims' rights. His investigation into the murder of a seventeen year old Asian girl lures him and Scarlett down a dark, dark road and straight into the path of a dangerous, powerful underground ring that deals in human trafficking.  To stop them, Scarlett and Marcus have to be just as cunning and just as ruthless as those they are hunting.  But first they have to make it out alive.......

Alone in the Dark is the second book in the Cincinnati series, the first one been Closer Than You Think.  This can be read as a standalone novel and because I didn't read it I don't think that it really affected my reading of Alone in the Dark by not reading the first novel.  This is the first book by Karen Rose that I've read but unfortunately I couldn't get into it at all, it started off quite slow, it did build up but kind of dropped off again, it could've made a great thriller but I felt it was about 200 pages too long and I ended up skimming through most of the chapters and I put it down numerous times and went off to do other things but I don't want that in a book, I want to be hooked from the first few pages at least and keep me gripped right until the last page is turned but this book didn't do this.  As I said it was my first book I've read by Karen Rose but I would try her earlier books when she started writing first.  I'm sorry, I really tried to like it but it wasn't for me.

Alone in the Dark is available on Kindle and published in hardback and paperback on November 5th and is available in all good bookstores.

Written In The Scars by Mel Sherratt

Thanks to the lovely author Mel Sherratt, I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review...........

Scars. Sometimes they’re visible. Sometimes they’re hidden deep within. 

Written in the Scars mainly focuses on four characters in this novel; Donna, Lewis, Megan and Mary.  Some of them are friends, some are poorer than others, they are from all walks of life but they are all associated with The Estate.

Donna's a single mother with two adult children Sam and Keera and after her failed marriage would love to have someone who wants to share her hopes and dreams, makes her happy and makes her smile but when a certain person comes into her life and starts to gives her the attention that she craves, will this be everything that she wanted??

Lewis is an ex soldier who has returned recently from the war in Afghanistan and is suffering from anger and consumed by grief by what he witnessed with his time in the army.  Having constant flashbacks and nightmares he risks loosing everything from his home, hi skid and even his marriage is on the brink of breakup.

Megan Cooper is a sweet girl who is a care assistant in a care home and also a cleaner in the local hospital, she hides her scars on a daily basis since she was old enough to understand for fear of being rejected.

Mary Marshall who is also Donna's mum who has dementia and lives in a care home and can't always remember how she got her scars.  Is she having falls and just can't simply remember or is there someone abusing her within the care home??

This is the third book that I've read a book by Mel Sherratt, I didn't just like it, I LOVED it and it definitely didn't disappoint.  I would definitely recommend it and I CAN'T recommend Mel's books enough.  It is an Estate Novel and this is the forth novel in the series, the first been Somewhere To Hide, the second been Behind A Closed Door and the third been Fighting For Survival.  Written in the Stars is the fourth book in The Estate Series but each one can be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel but I'll definitely read the first three in the series as I did feel that there might have been a bit of the background story that I may have missed out on.   I know that this book will stick in my memory longer than most because of the subject matter. I am really looking forward to Mel's next book already and I'm hoping that this isn't the last that we've heard from The Estate series.

Written in the Scars is published and available on Kindle and from all good bookstores since October 30th 2015 and is currently £1.99 at the time of publication of this review.

Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

Thanks to Bookouture  and Netgalley, I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review..........

DI Kim Stone is back with her investigating team and once again are put on the case. The story opens where DI Stone and her side-kick DS Bryant are part of a kidnapping case where two little nine year old girls, Charlie & Amy whom are best friends have been abducted from outside the local leisure centre.  Two families are plunged into a living nightmare.  The couple who offer the highest ransom will see their daughter again.  One girl will live, the other will die, make no doubt about it. A text message to both couples confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping.

When a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children.  But which couple want their child back more!?? As the body count mounts up, DI Kim Stone realises that these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced with their chances of bringing the girls home alive, are getting smaller by the hour. The clock starts ticking for D.I. Kim Stone and the team.   Will they get to the little girls on time or will it be too late!??  What are the couples trying to hide from their past?  Is there something more sinister behind all this that DI Kim Stone and her team have to try to unravel before it's too late??  Will someone’s child pay the ultimate price??

WOW, WOW, WOW!!!  What a novel Lost Girls was, I didn't think Angela Marsons could top her success with her previous two novels of Silent Scream & Evil Games but once again how wrong was I? It was absolutely fantastic. The sociopath/kidnapper character was absolutely brilliant, very well written and cleverly constructed.  They were everything you'd expect with a sociopath - cold, calculating, manipulating and has no regard for anyone's feelings or who they hurt on their path of destruction.  At times, I could feel I was right there with the two little girls.  As we discovered in the first and second book in the series, DI Stone has her own hidden past and her own demons and her own buried secrets to deal with which we do touch on a little in Lost Girls.  I will admit that I found parts of the story hard to read and in places it made my skin crawl but it definitely didn't disappoint. It was a spine-chilling , pulse pounding, heart thumping rollercoaster ride.  I know that his book will stick in my memory longer than most because of the subject matter that was involved. I am really looking forward to Angela's next book already where I'm hoping it won't be too long until another DI Stone Novel is upon us.

I've said this in my previous reviews that Angela Marsons is definitely an author to watch and I definitely mean it. It's hard to believe that Angela has written all 3 novels in less than a year which is an amazing achievement and I'm been honest here by saying that all 3 novels will definitely be in my Top 10 Reads of 2015.

I'd HIGHLY recommend ALL three of her novels especially if you're a fan of Rachel Abbott, Val McDermid and Mark Billingham. Silent Scream is only £0.99 & Evil Games is £1.99 respectively on Kindle at the moment so grab it while you can, you won't be disappointed so don't say I never told you so!!!

Lost Girls is published on 5th November and is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores and is currently £1.99 at the time of publication of this review.

Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

Meet Emma O'Donovan, she lives with her parents and brother in a small town in Cork, she's an eighteen year old girl.  She is beautiful, happy, confident and very popular with lots of friends.  One night on a weekend, there's a party which gets out of hand. Everyone is there and all eyes are on Emma.

The next morning, she wakes up on the front porch of her house where her parents find her. She can't remember what happened, she doesn't know how she got there. She doesn't know why she's in pain. But everyone else does. She vaguely starts to remember parts from the night before, drinking hard, taking a few pills but that's it, everything else is a blur.

Photographs taken at the party start to emerge, in explicit detail of what happened to Emma that night. They are put up on social media, on her Facebook page that has been set up and everyone can see them, there are hundreds of likes and comments on these pictures and everyone whispers "slut, skank, bitch, whore, slut, skank, bitch, whore" pointing and giggling everytime they see Emma.  Sometimes people don't want to believe what is right in front of them, especially when the truth concerns the town's heroes......

I didn't like this book, I absolutely LOVED it, it was brutal, honest, raw and left me emotionally drained after I turned the last page.  I went through alot of emotions reading this and I'm sure I'm not the only one.  It also shows the dangers of social media and how it can be used as a weapon by the wrong people to try destroy someones life and successfully accomplishing it too.  I hated Emma's parents, they were the most unsupportive people I'd ever come across, they dismissed everything that Emma was going through after her ordeal and wanted to forget everything and were willing to turn a blind eye or want to bring attention on themselves by getting the culprits charged especially when Emma went to get legal advice from her parents solicitor and it makes you angry and realise what the legal system is like, when a victim of sexual assault or rape is treated and not just in Ireland mind you.  I Loved her brother Bryan, he was the only one who stood up for Emma, supported her and tried to make their parents see sense but not to much avail.

Louise O'Neill has written a brutal yet honest account of what could, can and has happened to women of all ages and where the questions and blame starts to set in; did they bring it on themselves by the way they acted?? by what they wore?? or where they #AskingForIt or are they a victim of a sexual assault?? I would HIGHLY recommend this to everyone to read from 16 years of age upwards, both male and female and would even go as far as to say that it should be on the Curriculum in Secondary Schools.  Asking For It will definitely be in my Top 10 Reads of 2015.

Asking For It is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.

Addicted by Nigel May

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley, I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review........

Four women….one death, one killer….Getting clean is a dirty business

Meet Martha Eclair the wine heiress with a sex addiction that could destroy her father's wine business empire, Nancy Arlow the faded entertainer who also has a major gambling addiction, Portia Safari the operatic diva who is adored by millions but has a drinking problem that could cost her everything and Lauren Everett the politician's wife, who pretty much has no life since she married her politician husband and she is about to rediscover life she left behind and discover a coke addiction - four women who can’t say no….....

All of these women should be happy with what life has given them. Success, beauty, money and fame. But never judge a book by it's cover, because on the outside they may all seem to be completely in control of their lives, but under their fashionable appearance, deep within their souls, they are all battling their own demons…......they are all addicted.  Addicted to things that could ruin their very existence. In fact, one will snuff it out for good but who will it be?

I didn't like this book, I LOVED it, the book is divided into two parts and couldn't wait to get through to the end of it to see what way it would progress and pan out.  The characters were well written and with great depth too.  There was lots of glitz and glamour throughout this book with some of the characters which I loved, I could imagine myself there at times during the book in Las Vegas. I would state that due to mature content, I would recommend this for readers aged 18+.  There are alot of scenes of  sex and this might not be to everyone's cup of tea but I thought that it was tastefully written.

As I've never read any books by the likes of Jackie Collins or Victoria Fox, I can't really compare or judge the book based on that, I'll probably cause a bit of a stir by saying this but I can tell you that in my opinion I think Nigel May can certainly write better than E.L. James.  I'm looking forward to reading more from Nigel too. So, if you are looking for an escapist read; grab this book, a glass or two of wine and some chocolate. Switch off, relax and enjoy!

Addicted is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores and is currently £1.99 at the time of publication of this review.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Meet Louisa (Lou) Clark, she knows lots of things.  She knows precisely how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home.  She loves working in The Buttered Bun tea shop until she looses her job and she then reluctantly takes a post as a carer to a young man, Will Traynor, who was involved in a serious accident involving a motorcycle 2 years previous which has left him paralysed from the chest down or in a Quadriplegic state.  She also knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

Will Traynor had a high flying well paid career, an active lifestyle, the world was his oyster until that faithful day he was involved in an accident that would change his life forever. It has taken away his desire to live as he needs round the clock care and feels that he's a burden on everyone; nurses, his parents and sister.  He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

However, when Will's Mum Camilla hires Lou to be carer to Will where amongst her daily duties she has to carry out for him she has to also try and convince him that his life is worth living.  Lou knows she's against the clock as she tries to hatch a plan to try and persuade Will of this.  Will she manage to convince Will before it's too late??

Wow, what a beautiful, emotional and thought provoking love story, I LOVED it. This story had it all from family, love with a little hint of humor sprinkled in along the way to more sensitive and hard-hitting issues which were dealt with perfectly and researched and written in a very sensitive and compassionate manner.  I found I had tears streaming down my face at the end along with shedding a few along the way, so grab this book, curl up on the couch with a few tissues and prepare to have a few lump in your throat moments too.  I'm really looking forward to reading more books from Jojo Moyes especially the sequel to this one, After You and I would highly recommend her if you haven't read any of her books already.

Me Before You is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.

A Love Like This by Maria Duffy

Can you get a second chance at love at first sight?


Meet Donna and William, they were born on the same day, in the same Dublin maternity hospital but that's where their similarities end.

Will has grown up in an affluent area and struggles to balance what he wants with what will keep his overbearing mother happy and content.  Across the city,  Donna lives with her older sister, Tina who has raised her since she was a child and she often wonders what life would be like without her problematic mother around.

Donna and Will almost meet many times over the years but something has kept them from that chance meeting until a major tragedy strikes each one of them.  Will decides that he wants to travel the world with the hope of finding happiness as he tries to come to terms with a life-shattering event.  Donna is now alone in the world and decides that there's nothing left for her and makes plans to leave Dublin to fulfill her lifelong dream.  They finally meet more than 10,000 miles away from home so perhaps fate has plans for them still or will it be a case of what could've been......

Maria Duffy has done it once again, I loved this book.  I had it read in a few days and couldn't put it down, it was such a sweet, heart-warming and uplifting book, the story flows well throughout the book.  This story had it all from love, family, tragedy, protectiveness to more sensitive and hard-hitting issues and with a little bit of humor thrown into the mix, this story was handled and written perfectly - I found I had a little tear in my eye at the end along with shedding a few along the way, so grab this book, curl up on the couch and prepare to have a few lump in your throat moments too.

This is Maria Duffy's 5th novel, she has also written Any Dream Will Do, The Terrace, The Letter and One Wish and are all available on Kindle & in all good bookstores.

A Love Like This is available on Kindle & in all good bookstores.

Follow Me by Angela Clarke ~ COVER REVEAL

Hi Everyone,

I was really excited to receive an email from Helena Sheffield last week asking me amongst other book bloggers to do a cover reveal for this upcoming book so I'd like to say a huge thanks to Helena from Avon Books/Harper Collins Publishers for been given this huge opportunity to host the cover reveal for Follow Me by Angela Clarke which is her debut novel and is due to be released on Kindle on December 3rd and on December 31st in paperback and I really can't wait to read it and you can pre-order it on Kindle.

So without further ado, here it is......................

LIKE. SHARE. FOLLOW . . . DIE

The ‘Hashtag Murderer’ posts chilling cryptic clues online, pointing to their next target. Taunting the police. Enthralling the press. Capturing the public’s imagination.

But this is no virtual threat.

As the number of his followers rises, so does the body count.

Eight years ago two young girls did something unforgivable. Now ambitious police officer Nasreen and investigative journalist Freddie are thrown together again in a desperate struggle to catch this cunning, fame-crazed killer. But can they stay one step ahead of him? And can they escape their own past?

Time's running out. Everyone is following the #Murderer. But what if he is following you?

ONLINE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM …


Follow me is available on Kindle from the 3rd of December & in paperback from the 31st of December.

Girl Alone by Cathy Glass

Thanks to LoveReading & Harper Element, I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.......

When Joss was only 9 years old, she came home from school to discover her father's suicide.  Joss's Mum has also remarried and she is quite bitter about this and resents her stepfather as he's trying to be her father.

Now Joss is now a thirteen year old very troubled, angry and out of control teenager when she arrives to her third foster carer, Cathy Glass, in as many months.  Cathy is highly experienced in this field and been fostering for over 25 years and has cared for more than 150 children and is asked to look after Joss but she knows this is going to be quite challenging.  Joss's attitude towards Cathy and her and her 3 children is horrible.  She won't let anyone get close to her, she believes that she's invincible and can take care of herself, places herself in great danger on numerous occasions.  She drinks alcohol, smokes cannabis, steals, goes missing and gets into trouble with the police and at school but time is running out for Joss, as she will be moved to a secure unit.  One night when you think thing can't any worse for Joss, they do.  Joss arrives home very late sobbing and with bruises on her face....

I really loved this book, it's based on true events also which I really liked.  I had it read in about a day, I couldn't put it down, I really enjoyed Joss's story from when she arrived with Cathy and her journey along until the last page.  I really admire anyone who fosters or adopts children as they're giving someone a great chance at a life they could never imagine, even though they may have some hard and challenging times along the way.  I really didn't like Joss at the start but I had so many emotions for her reading this book, from annoyance, anger, sadness, empathy, sorrow to happiness.

It was such a sad, thought provoking, heart-warming and uplifting story.  This story had it all from love, family to more sensitive and hard-hitting issues which were dealt with perfectly and in a sensitive manner.  I found I had a little tear in my eye at the end along with shedding a few along the way, so grab this book, curl up on the couch and prepare to have a few lump in your throat moments too.  I'm really looking forward to reading more books from Cathy Glass and would highly recommend her if you haven't read any of her books already.

Girl Alone is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.

The Dress by Kate Kerrigan

Thanks to Lovereading.co.uk and Head of Zeus, I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.....

Meet Lily Fitzpatrick, a hugely successful vintage blogger who has over a quarter of a million blog and Twitter followers and also uploads what outfit she's wearing onto her Instagram on a daily basis, she has really made a name for herself in the world of fashion.  She also has a collection of fashion pieces that are to die for.  But this passion for the beautiful clothes of the past is about to have unforeseen consequences, when Lily stumbles upon a Vogue story of a 1950's New York beauty, with a photograph of 'The Dress' which is probably the most beautiful dress ever created, and worn by a stunningly magnificent woman who also shares Lily's surname.  Lily is determined to find out as much as she can about both the dress and the amazing woman that is wearing it in the photo.

The Dress is a dual-time narrative, which is a beautifully written present-day story being told from Lily's point of view. It is mainly set in London in the present day and 1950's New York.  I had it read in a few days, I couldn't put it down, I loved the fashion from the 1940's onwards in America so I felt transported there whilst reading & could visualise the lovely outfits that would've been worn back then too.  It was such a heart-warming, uplifting story.  This story had it all from love, fashion to more sensitive and a hard-hitting issue where I found I had a little tear in my eye at the end along with shedding a few along the way, so grab this book, curl up on the couch and prepare to have a few lump in your throat moments too.

The Dress is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.

The Girl Who Broke The Rules by Marnie Riches

Today, it's my turn on The Girl Who Broke The Rules Blog Tour and I'm delighted that I was asked to participate with so many great Book Bloggers so thanks to Charlotte Woods, Avon, Maze Publishing and Marnie Riches, I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review....

Detective Van Den Bergen and Georgina (George) McKenzie are back with their most action-packed and disturbing story yet.  It is set 4 years after the ending of the first novel, The Girl Who Wouldn't Die.  When the bodies of two prostitutes are found horribly mutilated in Amsterdam, Chief Inspector van den Bergen must find a brutal murderer before the red-light-district erupts into panic and before anymore bodies are discovered. Georgina (George) McKenzie is studying for her PHD in college and is in the middle of conducting research into pornography among the UK’s most violent sex-offenders but when she receives a call from Van Den Bergen requesting her criminology expertise, she is only too happy to come on board the investigation but as the death toll rises George and Van Den Bergen race through the worlds of Soho sleazy strip-clubs and trans-national human trafficking.  George must even walk the halls of Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital, seeking advice from the brilliant serial killer, Dr. Silas Holm as the case gets even more complicated......

This is the second book by Marnie Riches and what a second book it was, it was absolutely brilliant, it had me gripped from the first few pages right through to the end, there were some great twists and turns too.  I would even go as far as to say that this second book was even better than the first one. This novel was like a rollercoaster ride and takes us through locations such as London, Amsterdam and South Africa.  I even had to slow down reading it as I didn't want it to end. The story does cover alot of subjects and situations which we're all too familiar with on a daily basis, from prostitution, human trafficking, violence to paedophilia, whether it's on the news or in the papers, this story was near enough to real life.  It is a pretty gritty book and there were parts I did squirm through so it's definitely not for the fainthearted. I didn't just like it, I LOVED it and it definitely didn't disappoint. I thought that I'd worked out who the killer was but was completely wrong and OMG THAT ending, I still can't believe that it was left like that and I am REALLY looking forward to Marnie's next book in the series, which will be the third, The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows already which is released in October and it can't come quick enough so thank god it won't be too long until another Detective Van Den Bergen and Georgina McKenzie novel is upon us.

Marnie Riches is definitely an author to watch.  I'd HIGHLY recommend this if you're a fan of Jo Nesbo or Steig Larsson and it's only 99p on Kindle at the moment so grab it while you can, you won't be disappointed so don't say I never told you so!!!

The Girl Who Broke The Rules and The Girl Who Wouldn't Die are both available on Kindle and The Girl Who Wouldn't Die is currently free at the time of the publication of this review.

Untouchable by Ava Marsh Q+A's & Review

Today, it's my turn on the final day of The Untouchable Blog Tour and I'm delighted that I was asked to participate with some great Book Bloggers.  I'd like to say thank you so much to Ava for taking the time to answer the questions that I put to her.  You can read my review of Untouchable at the end of these Q+A's.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I suppose I always wanted to be a writer, but it took me years to screw up the courage to properly try. I was terrified of failing at the thing I most wanted to do, so it was easier to channel my creative energy into things like journalism, where the stakes weren’t as high.

Eventually, however, the nagging sense that I was letting time slip away brought me to the point where I made a proper commitment to fiction. Once I got my head around the fact that writing was something you could learn, and that initial rejection was normal, I never looked back. I regret those wasted years though. I wish I’d had more confidence in myself.

What books have most influenced your life?

I’ll pick three. ‘The Master and Margarita’ by Mixhail Bulgakov is my favourite novel, essentially because it works on so many levels: satire, political commentary, social history, a love story, even a ‘historical’ insight into the encounter between Jesus and Pontius Pilate. It opened my eyes to how much you could do with a novel – though of course it helps to be a Russian genius.

‘The White Hotel’ by D M Thomas has had the most impact on me of any book ever written. I cannot describe the emotional punch of this now somewhat neglected novel. I was devastated by it. I’m scared to ever go back and reread– I am not sure I could cope with going through that particular journey again.

‘American Psycho’ by Brett Easton Ellis. Love him or hate him, Easton Ellis is a prodigy. I adored this book, the way it played with reality, with satire, with character and notions of identity. I love books that toy with the reader. And it’s hugely funny, despite all the gory bits.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Hmmm… I think I’d have to say all those writers who are generous enough to share their journey, their struggles to learn the craft, to overcome rejection. They helped me get over the idea that writers are born rather than made, and that if you’re any good, you’ll be a literary genius from the first moment you set pen to paper. It’s not like that. You become good by increments, a never-ending process of improvement.

What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

I think the greatest challenge with Untouchable was structural. I like character-driven books which start slowly and build up, but so often in crime writing there’s a pressure to have a death right up in the early chapters. I wanted a balance where the reader gets to know Grace a little before the murder kicks off, whilst keeping the novel within the remit of a crime thriller.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?  

Rewriting. Like most authors, I dread the editing process. There’s nothing worse than having to excise a chapter, a character, or prose you’ve spent hours crafting. It’s almost physically painful, but necessary; a good editor helps you see what needs to change or delete, for the greater good of the story as a whole.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Fab question! I am neck-deep in changing my latest book, Exposure, currently in the thick of structural edits – I’m at the stage where I feel lost in the woods with only my edit notes to guide me to safety.

In terms of Untouchable, I don’t think so. I had to get rid of a character I was extremely fond of – Lennox, Grace’s gay friend and personal trainer – but he’s been partially reincarnated as Nelson in Exposure, so I am grieving a little less now.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? 

I loved SJI Holliday’s debut, Black Wood and Ruth Ware’s In a Dark, Dark Wood. I’m about to read In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward, which I’ve been hearing so many good things about, and Tenacity by J S Law. I also enjoyed I Let You Go, by Clare Mackintosh, which is fast becoming a runaway bestseller.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Exposure is set in the world of porn, and is essentially the story of Leanne Jenkins - aka Kitty Sweet - now incarcerated in prison on a life sentence for double murder. It’s a very different story to Untouchable, and like many second novels, proving a pig to get right. Pray for me. I need all the help I can get.

Thanks to Sophie Christopher and Transworld, I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review..................

Attraction can be fatal..........

Grace is an escort in London, she is an expensive and high class one at that but is known as Stella by her clients and colleagues.  She also works as a telephonist in a rape crisis centre.  Stella has a "party piece" that makes her rather popular but you get the sense from the start that this life is her way of hiding from her past but what has happened to make her choose this life? When a fellow escort Amanda is found murdered and Grace realises that a party they attended together could be the key to her murder. Is it possible that she can work out why Amanda was killed without putting herself in more danger or before it's too late!??

This is the first book by Ava Marsh and what a debut it was, I didn't just like it, I LOVED it and it definitely didn't disappoint. This novel is like a rollercoaster ride and I was hooked from the beginning. I would state that due to mature content, I would recommend this for readers aged 18+. It is pretty gritty book in parts and there are alot of graphic scenes of prostitution and sex and it might not be to everyone's cup of tea but I thought that it was tastefully written. There were a few parts I did squirm through so it's definitely not for the fainthearted. I am really looking forward to reading more from Ava Marsh as she's definitely an author to watch and I would highly recommend this so don't say I never told you.

Untouchable is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores and is currently £1.99 at the time of publication of this review.

How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst

Thanks to Headline and Elizabeth Masters I recieved a copy of this in exchange for an honest review..........

The story opens where we meet Emma Cartwright, 3 years ago she was Susan Webster, she murdered her twelve-week-old son Dylan and is now a child killer. Susan was sent to Oakdale Psychiatric Institute for her crime, and four weeks ago she was released early on parole with her new identity, address and a chance to rebuild her life that's been destroyed.

Apart from the authorities and her best friend Cassy who was a fellow inmate she befriended but has now also been released, nobody else was supposed to know where Susan was living. However, one morning whilst alone in her new home, an envelope is pushed through her door; it contains a photograph of a young boy and written on the back was “Dylan – January 2013”. Now Susan starts to question everything she has believed, she has no memory of the event, but Dylan is dead, she killed him, didn't she!?

Jenny Blackhurst has written a very clever debut thriller. Throughout the story there are separate chapters of the present and the past, going back in time to 1987 about a group of boys who meet at school and who are follow through to university. I did have my suspicions about certain people but I was completely wrong with the outcome. Family secrets and a web of lies kept me gripped and I couldn't get to the end quick enough. I LOVED it and it definitely didn't disappoint and would recommend it. I look forward to reading more work from Jenny Blackhurst and hopefully it won't be too long until I do.

How I Lost You is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores. It is only 99p on Kindle and the time of the publication of this review.

Fairytale Beginnings by Holly Martin

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley I was given a copy of this in exchange for an honest review...........

Meet Milly Rose, a hopeless romantic who has had her fair share of heartbreak. Obsessed with all things Disney (who isn't?) but she refuses to give up on finding her Prince Charming  he has to be out there somewhere, isn’t he?

Milly is given a job to investigate the origins of an historical building in the village of Clovers Rest, she’s not sure what to expect. What she discovers takes her breath away - a beautiful real life Cinderella castle, complete with turrets, a magnificent drawbridge AND a very handsome owner, Cameron Heartstone.  As they both work together and begin to unearth family secrets and ghosts that haunt the Clover Castle, they can ignore the intense chemistry building between them, can't they!? Can they take a big leap of faith and find their own happily-ever-after?

I really enjoyed this book and I definitely needed this uplifting tale as I'd been having a tough few weeks and reading alot of heavy themed book so this book was very welcome.  This was a very bittersweet & heart-warming read, the story flows well throughout the book.  This is the first book I've read by Holly and I really enjoyed it. I read in a couple of days, it kept me turning the pages until the very end.  This story had it all with a little bit of humor, friendship and love - I found I had a little tear in my eye at the end along with shedding a few along the way, so grab this book, curl up on the couch and prepare to have a few lump in your throat moments too.  It definitely didn't disappoint.  Now excuse me while I go plan my Disney themed wedding.

Fairytale Beginnings is available on Kindle and from all good bookstores and is only 99p at publication of this review.

Those We Left Behind by Stuart Neville

Thanks to Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and Netgalley, I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.....

One Crime.  Two Brothers.  Seven Years of Secrets.

Ciaran and Thomas Devine are brothers, they'd been in and out of foster homes ever since their mother and father died.  Ciaran made Belfast headlines seven years ago as the “schoolboy killer,” is about to walk free.   At the age of twelve, he confessed to the brutal murder of his foster father, he tells the police that his brother Thomas had tried to stop him but he did it because the foster father was doing bad things to Thomas.  Ciaran's testimony reduced the sentence of his older brother, Thomas, who was also found at the crime scene, covered in blood.

The story  follows four key characters; Ciaran, Thomas, DCI Serena Flanagan and Probation Officer Paula Cunningham and  are perfectly written along two timeframes and is narrated in each character's point of view.  DCI Serena Flanagan has just returned to the department after recovering from breast cancer.  Probation Officer Paula Cunningham has been working with Ciaran to help him adjust to his release from prison.

This book is brilliant, it had me gripped from the first few pages right through to the end. I even had to slow down reading it as I didn't want it to end. The story does cover alot of subjects and situations which we're all too familiar with on a daily basis, from bullying, violence to paedophilia, whether it's on the news or in the papers, this story was near enough to real life. It is a pretty gritty book so it's definitely not for the fainthearted.  This is the first time that I've read a book by Stuart Neville, I didn't just like it, I LOVED it and it definitely didn't disappoint.  This is the first book in a new series I am hoping that it won't be too long until we meet DCI Serena Flanagan again and I am really looking forward to Stuart's next book already.  This is a 'must read' for all crime thriller fans.

Those We Left Behind is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.

In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Thanks to Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and Netgalley, I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review......

Someone's getting married................someone's getting murdered.

Norah is a writer and one day out of the blue whilst checking her emails she notices that she's received an email with an invitation to Clare's hen do, they were once best friends but she hasn't seen her for the last 10 years.  Initially, Norah decides not to go and debates whether to delete the email or not but when she contacts one of the girls from the group from years ago she changes her mind and ends up at the Glass House in a remote part of Northumberland.   There are six people in total for this hen weekend; Norah, Clare, Flo, Tom, Melanie and Nina.  They are all really complete strangers to each other in an isolated location, cut off from the rest of the world and as the snow begins to fall the phone lines go down and mobile coverage is scarce.   Clare's friend Flo has organised the whole weekend down to the finest details and the party begins. The story flicks between the past and the present,  where 48 hours after the party begun we meet Norah in hospital under police guard with no recollection of how or why she's there.......

This book is brilliant, it had me gripped from the first few pages right through to the end, a real page turner and there were some great twists and turns too.  I even had to slow down reading it as I didn't want it to end.  It's a bit creepy in parts and definitely not for the fainthearted especially towards the end.   I thought that I'd worked out the killer halfway through it in my mind but I was wrong.  So, the next time you receive an invitation to something you may think twice of accepting after reading this book.

This is Ruth Ware's debut novel, I didn't just like it, I LOVED it and it definitely didn't disappoint.  I would definitely recommend this book.  I am really looking forward to Ruth's next book already.

In A Dark, Dark Wood is available on Kindle & in all good bookshops since 30th July 2015.

The Girl Who Broke the Rules by Marnie Riches - COVER REVEAL

Hi everyone,

I was really excited to receive an email last week asking me to do a cover reveal so I'd like to say a huge thanks to Kate Ellis from Harper Collins for been given this huge opportunity to host the cover reveal for The Girl Who Broke The Rules by Marnie Riches, which is the second book in the George McKenzie trilogy and is due to be released on 20th August and I really can't wait to read it as I am also going be part of the blog tour for The Girl Who Broke The Rules in September which I'm really looking forward too already.  I really can't wait for this and can it be pre-ordered on Amazon.  The Girl Who Wouldn't Die is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.

So without further ado, here it is.............................

What’s in store next for George McKenzie?

When the mutilated bodies of two sex-workers are found in Amsterdam, Chief Inspector van den Bergen must find a brutal murderer before the red-light-district erupts into panic.

Georgina McKenzie is conducting research into pornography among the UK’s most violent sex-offenders but once van den Bergen calls on her criminology expertise, she is only too happy to come running.

The rising death toll forces George and van den Bergen to navigate the labyrinthine worlds of Soho strip-club sleaze and trans-national human trafficking. And with the case growing ever more complicated, George must walk the halls of Broadmoor psychiatric hospital, seeking advice from the brilliant serial murderer, Dr. Silas Holm…

A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke

The deeper the water, the darker the secrets..........


Meet Eva who has been happily married to Jackson for the past 8 months.  Jackson is a fisherman and decides to leave that morning to go down to the rocks and make a start on catching fish but the weather is horrendous, a huge wave comes in and sweeps Jackson out to sea where he tragically drowns.  Eva has to eventually face up to the reality that Jackson is gone but his body never found.  She is devastated, the man she adored has now gone and left her alone.  She met Jackson on a plane, he is from Tasmania. They lived together in London, as happy as can be until the fateful day.

Eva never met Jackson's family so she decides to leave everything behind including her mother and job and travel to Tasmania to find out more about her husband's life, family and friends, she never got to meet anyone and is looking for closure in whatever way she can.   Will she find the truth?  Will she find the answers and the closure she is looking for?   Will her heart heal?  What impact will all these events have on her as a person and her life?

I really enjoyed this book…..a lot!  I could visualise myself sitting in a beach-hut in Tasmania soaking up the sun and the heat while looking out at the sea.  This was no way a chic-lit book, more of a thriller as the chapters gathered pace and webs of lies were spun and secrets kept that they all hoped would be kept that way forever.  I would recommend this for readers who like thrillers or mysteries with a twist but if you're looking for a read about love, family, friendship and how far people will go to keep secrets buried then grab this book, curl up on the couch with a glass of wine and a large bar of chocolate and sink into the story.

This is Lucy Clarke's second novel, the first been Sea Sisters which I thoroughly enjoyed.  I'm really looking forward to Lucy's new novel, The Blue which is due to be published in August 2015.

A Single Breath is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.

A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman

Thanks to Elizabeth Masters and Tinder Press, I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.................

Meet Marvellous Ways, an old woman who has entered her 90th year.  It's 1947 and she lives in a caravan by a creek in Cornwall where she still swims everyday.  It tells her story of love and her life and that she is waiting for something to happen. That something is a meeting with Francis Drake by chance, a returning solider from the Second World War who is determined to fulfill a dying man’s wish.  The two form an unlikely friendship and Marvellous recognises Drake’s sadness.  She sets out to try and lift his depression and reignite his passion for life by telling him stories about her three great loves.

To be honest I'm not sure how I feel about this one.  I neither loved it nor hated it, I thought it started off really well and had great potential but sadly I was finding myself going back and re-reading parts of it is not a straightforward story.  I also thought that some of the characters names would've suited a story set in the Deep South more so than Cornwall, like Marvellous Ways, Peace & Francis Drake amongst others.  It took a while for me to get into this book and from one page to the next I was never sure if I was going to keep turning pages or put it down but I continued.  It was very easy to put down and go do something else for a while, that's why it took me so long to finish this, unfortunately that's not what I'm looking for in a book. I want a story I can't bear to put down, I want to lose track of time while in the story and have it finished in a few hours, I didn't get that with this one.  I'm sorry but I really tried to like this but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

This is Sarah Winman's second novel, the first been When God was a Rabbit which I haven't read yet but even though I was disappointed with A Year of Marvellous Ways I will read Sarah's first novel.

A Year of Marvellous Ways is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.

The Lie by C.L.Taylor

She trusted her friends with her life....

Meet Jane Hughes, who lives and works in Wales and is in a steady relationship with her boyfriend.  She works for the local animal sanctuary, a job which she loves but one day Jane receives a letter at the animal sanctuary, indicating that someone knows her secret but what secret could she be hiding???

Five years earlier, Jane Hughes was called Emma Woolfe and she along with her  three friends set out for the holiday of a lifetime to Nepal. The fun that they were expecting however soon turns into a nightmare.  The suspense starts right from the very beginning where I was intrigued to find out why Jane changed her name? The story then flips between the present and the past.  The characters of Emma, Daisy, Leanne and Al were all excellent and could feel as though I was there with them in Nepal.

I didn't just like it, I LOVED it and it definitely didn't disappoint.  I would definitely recommend this book and I CAN'T recommend this book  enough.  I knew that I was going on holiday for a week in June so I decided to keep this to read until then, I had it read in just over a day and a half as I couldn't put it down.  There were some great twists and turns too which I loved and that I wasn't expecting. It's a very face paced story and I even had to slow down reading it as I didn't want it to end.  There were parts in the book I could feel my heart thumping so it's definitely not for the fainthearted.

This is C.L. Taylor's second novel, her first been The Accident which I haven't read yet but I will definitely be picking it up really soon and I'm really looking forward to C.L. Taylor's next book already.

The Lie is available on Kindle and from all good bookstores.  At the time of this review been published The Lie is only £0.99 on kindle so grab it while you can, you won't be disappointed so don't say I never told you so!!!

The Dish by Stella Newman

Thanks to Frances Gough and Headline Books I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review......

Love is on the menu. With a side order of lies.

Meet Laura Parker, a restaurant critic for The Dish is finding her feet again after getting divorced and is finding the dating scene not very successful and after been dumped yet again by another looser, Laura decides to seek comfort in a bacon sandwhich in a local cafe but when the last sandwich has been sold to another customer sat behind her, Laura instead orders one of their renowned custard doughnuts, only to find again that Adam, the customer sitting behind her, has been served the last one.  But when she takes a closer look she sees a talented, handsome man who outshines the string of jokers she's been dating.

 A friendship forms, but Adam has a secret that he doesn't yet want to share with Laura, and Laura feels she can't tell Adam what she does for a living.  Can a relationship survive their secrets?  Tricky for someone who prides herself on honesty.  And how can you expect your boyfriend to be honest if you're not quite telling the truth yourself?

To be honest I'm not sure how I feel about this one.  I neither loved it nor hated it, it was good and all the talk/descriptions of all the yummy dishes and of course the mention of doughnuts which made me crave them, I actually thought that I'd have to go to the shop to get a bag of doughnuts but I abstained from that idea.  It took a while for me to get into this book and from one page to the next I was never sure if I was going to keep turning pages or put it down but I continued.  It was very easy to put down and go do something else for a while, that's why it took me so long to finish this, unfortunately that's not what I'm looking for in a book. I want a story I can't bear to put down, I want to lose track of time while in the story and have it finished in a few hours, I didn't get that with this one.  It's a nice story but easily forgettable.

Alot of the chapters made up of emails between Laura, her family members, work colleagues but I skimmed through most of these as they were one of the things that put me off, I felt they were too frequent and sometimes made up majority of a chapter.  I do like a bit of humour in my Chick lit stories (who doesn't?) but in most parts it just felt forced in parts in this one.  It's a good story in there, it's just not what I hoped for.

This is Stella Newman's third book, having written Pear Shaped and Left Overs which I've never read but will definitely read them at some stage but I'm looking forward to see what Stella Newman will serve up next.

The Dish is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.