Book Review - The Spotlight by Nicola Martin

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Title: The Spotlight

Author: Nicola Martin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Raven Books

Publication Date: 18th June 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

Killer tunes.

Kirby Turner is on her last chance. With her previous girlband career dead in the water alongside the band's lead singer, Hailey, she's been drifting for years. But then came the call. Arena tour. Had a last-minute dropout. Want a girl drummer. Feminist thing or something. Would be good for you.

Killer lyrics.

When she finds out who the artist is, it feels like fate. Silver might now be the most famous singer on the planet, but Kirby knows her best as Alice Taffer, her former bandmate. From before Hailey died, and Kirby was blamed, and she slid into the gutter while Alice shot towards the stars.

Killer.

It seems too good to be true that they're reunited now - and as the tour begins, and Kirby is playing in front of fans again for the first time in years, it feels like coming home. But as the music starts to bring back buried memories of that last day with Hailey, she starts to wonder: was Hailey's death really her fault? How exactly did Silver rise to the top so fast? And now that Kirby's got everything she ever wanted - what would she do to hold on to it?

I was certainly kept on my toes with this book.  It was fabulous. 

I was never entirely sure what would happen next, and I loved the various flashbacks Kirby had to the summer where Hailey died.  And her sudden complete and utter conviction that it really had been murder and not just a tragic accident. 

But with the internet and public constantly calling her Killer Kirby as apparently she is a prime suspect, it's up to her to try to clear her name if the fledgling popularity she is now experiencing as part of Silver's tour is to become something bigger. 

History though was a way of repeating itself and there are similarities in the various stalkers that the girls have experienced.  

I could never have guessed the truth of who was behind everything and was very happy to go along with whatever Kirby was suspecting or understanding at any given time. 

What is also very apparent is that it is very hard to know who to trust in this, and there is much suspicious behaviour afoot! 

This is now the second of Nicola Martin's books that I have read and I have been incredibly impressed with both of them, and will certainly be on the look out for her next release. 

Just a wonderfully bamboozling read that set in a pop music and touring environment that I was totally enjoying reading about. 

Thank you to Raven Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Murder on the Upper East Side by Gigi Waldorf - #HolidayReading Tunisia

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Title: Murder on the Upper East Side

Author: Gigi Waldorf

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 18th June 2026

Rating: 4 Stars

Scandal never graduates. Holly Jackson meets Gossip Girl in this glossy thriller, set in the glamorous world of New York's ultra-elite.

2016. Hannah Miller has begun her senior year at The Prescott Academy of New York alongside the rich and famous of the Upper East Side. Or at least, their children.

Among the trust funds and penthouse parties, there’s one rule for survival: staying out of the way of Queen Bees Madison DuPont and Elle Harrington.

For Hannah, being a scholarship student makes her feel invisible. But nobody can escape the watchful eye of notorious gossip account The Upper Edge.

2026. The Academy's alumni have gathered for a glittering charity gala. Only Madison DuPont could host an event this grand.

But what starts as a champagne-fueled party soon descends into chaos when Madison is found dead moments after her speech.

It doesn't take long for fingers to point at Hannah – everyone saw her talking to Madison only moments before she died. She shouldn't even be at the gala. She's not really one of them. But the truth is that everyone had a reason to want Madison dead.

To clear her name, Hannah must unearth the secrets that this crowd would kill to keep buried.

I really enjoyed this look at Prescott Academy and all the bitchiness and manipulation that goes on amongst rich teens who think they can get away with anything.

This is not a cast of characters that I can truly say I loved as they all are so human but taken to a bit more of an extreme and though I was rooting for Hannah at times to clear her name, she also did things that I wasn't sure I would agree with. 

But despite that they are characters that I was definitely interested in, just to see what they would do to each other next. 

Set between their last year at Prescott in 2016 and 10 years later at a gala ball with lots of alumni, we know that head queen bitch Madison is clearly murdered quite early on. 

But with a class divide, everyone including the police seem to think it was Hannah unless she can come up with proof that it wasn't her.  

And wow we get to learn a lot of secrets in this book, as well as getting to see how the other half live with private member clubs and a whole lot more. 

Lots of drama, teen angst and cattiness, and a murderer to discover, this is fast paced and enthralling to read.  

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Summer Ever After by Mandy Baggot

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Title: Summer Ever After

Author: Mandy Baggot

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 11th April 2026

Rating: 4 Stars

Forty-year-old Faye Lawson is falling back in love with life at last. Finally divorced from her cheating husband, she has turned her back on the UK and has been living the Greek dream in Corfu managing a beautiful traditional boutique hotel.

For Kostas Petsas, twenty-something ex-professional basketball player, life as he has always known it is over. Having to take early-retirement because of injury, he’s at a loss as to what to do next. But when a piece of land in Corfu comes on the market, it seems this might be the perfect fit. There’s just a couple of things in the way… an area of natural beauty and… a little hotel on the beach.

Kostas has never met any woman like Faye before – she doesn’t behave around him how women usually do, and, when conflict starts to surface, it seems they can’t see eye-to-eye on anything. Or perhaps, when things get body-to-body, both of them begin to wonder if it can turn into heart-to-heart.

Escape to the beautiful island of Corfu with Mandy Baggot - queen of Greek summer romance!

How I love a Mandy Baggot novel,, especially once set in her favourite place Corfu. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this during a heatwave in the garden, where the weather was probably as hot as it is in Corfu! Which made my reading experience of this feel even more immersive and authentic. 

I really enjoyed getting to know Faye, but especially Kostas.  He is gorgeous and his backstory is fascinating.  I totally and utterly fell for him.  But he is hiding something from everyone as to why he is in Corfu.  We as readers get hints as to what he is hiding, but nothing could have prepared me for the full truth. 

Whereas Faye is loving life, managing a lovely hotel in Corfu, learning about how to help beached marine animals, and just embracing being divorced.  But her daughter who visits doesn't seem to be as happy with things, and at 19 is still hoping her parents may reconnect. 

Kostas is quite a bit younger than Faye, but from their first meeting there is a definite spark between them. There is great conversation, and I loved how Kostas was trying to tease Faye.  I really loved how much he enjoyed riding a golf buggy places where you probably shouldn't be taking them. 

And him on a motorcycle is just phwoar! 

I loved the various environmental issues that were highlighted in this, which added some extra depth.  

This is one hot summer romance, from the queen of the Greek summer romance!!! 

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Time of My Life by Samantha Tonge - #HolidayReading Tunisia

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Title: The Time of My Life

Author: Samantha Tonge

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 10th March 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

How far would you go to change your life?

When Eliza Woods sees an advertisement for someone’s whole life for sale – their house, car, all their belongings, even their clothes and cat – not to mention a trial-run in their job and an introduction to their friends… she decides it’s fate.

Grabbing a different life with both hands is exactly what she needs. Even if 26-year-old Carrie’s wildly-social life and job in a bar couldn’t be more different from Eliza’s quieter existence.

As for Carrie, she’s heading off to Greece, desperate to run away from everything she’s familiar with in England. The two women message each other after the deal has gone through, with Eliza excited to go for cocktails with Carrie’s friends before her first shift at her new job.

What Carrie doesn’t tell her is why she put her life up for sale. And what Eliza doesn’t tell Carrie is that she’s about to turn 75. And that isn’t her only secret…

Don’t miss this absolutely brilliant, escapist read. Available now!

What a unique concept, selling your entire life, including an intro to your friends and a trial at your place of work. 

But yet that is exactly what Carrie does, before she goes to Greece, as she knows she has made big mistakes, upset her friends and figures getting away from her regular life might be the solution. 

And Eliza is happy to purchase this life and totally surprise everyone while doing so. 

It's Eliza that I loved the most in this and If am as energetic and go getting as she is, as she approaches 75 then I'd be happy. 

She's had a tricky life, she has major regrets and some secrets, and when the big one is revealed I was a bit shocked. 

I really enjoyed seeing how they both got on in their new lives and they are messaging regularly.  And there are potential new love interests for both too, which neither of them expected. 

I was hooked reading this and was unable to put it down.  It's another fabulous book from Samantha Tonge and I'm once again in awe of her storytelling prowess and creativity. 

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily 

Book Review - Melting Point by Cici Williams

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Title: Melting Point

Author: Cici Williams

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 4th December 2025

Rating: 3 Stars

There’s a Winter Olympic medal on the line. But their toughest challenge is resisting each other…

February 2026: the Italian Winter Olympics. The only thing on Sam Harrington’s mind is winning her first medal for snowboarding.

Enter Finn Bradley. They've had a 'friends forever' pact for, well, forever, so Sam pushes her growing feelings aside and tries to focus on training.

But when a major team sponsorship falls through, Sam needs to find funding, and fast. When they're told that pretending to be a couple will give them a better chance at finding sponsors, Sam and Finn agree to fake a relationship. They spend all their time together already, surely pretending to be a couple won't be a slippery slope…

There's only one problem. Finn's secretly been in love with her for years, and this Olympic season, he's decided that as well as a medal, he wants to win Sam over.

Chalet Girl meets Stephanie Archer in this spicy, fake dating, friends-to-lovers sports romance you need this Winter!

This was an enjoyable winter sports romance, that just feel a bit short for me. 

I was excited when I realised the book was set at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and I know it was written before the Olympics, but from the bit where they had the Livigno based athletes at the San Siro, and the fact that it seemed like the number of runs in qualifiers and the finals for both of Finn and Sam's disciplines being inaccurate, it just felt like not quite enough research had been done for this. 

Had it been in a clearly fictionalised Winter Olympics setting I wouldn't have thought anything of it, but although the opening ceremony I can forgive - there just wasn't enough sport in it for my liking, given how much I love watching Big Air, Half Pipe and Slopestyle in both Skiing and Snowboard and do tend to remember the basics between each games, it was a tad disappointing. 

And although there is fake dating which is one of my favourite tropes it was barely realised, touched upon apart from social media pictures.  It just fell a tad flat for me. 

Although there are some rather spicy scenes, that definitely had me heating up even more than I already was, reading this in a heatwave! 

I was though enjoying the book, it was a perfectly pleasant read, I had just hoped it would hit me a lot differently.  

I absolutely adored though Maya, her captions to go with the pics she is taking of Finn and Sam, and the way she was dealing with Gabe too.  She was fabulous and someone I really enjoyed any time she was in a chapter.  

I also loved the descriptions of Finn's hotel room, and also all the descriptions of the town of Livigno. The various shops and restaurants, and some of Finn and Sam's friends.  Sam's family on the other hand left me rather cold as they were meant to.   

This is a real will they, won't they sort of a romance and I ultimately wanted to bang their heads together, before watching their bodies bang! 

This is a debut novel, and odds are had I not known anything about these sports (and I don't know huge amounts), I would have actually enjoyed this more, and I really wanted to.  I did feel very compelled to discover if either of our leads did manage to win Gold medals and I was cheering them on, in their hopes for sponsorship deals and to break away from their nightmare coach too! 

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Chocolate Shop on Cherry Lane by Holly Martin

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Amazon UK

Title: The Chocolate Shop on Cherry Lane

Author: Holly Martin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author Supplied Copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 11th June 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

The brand new, sweet, sexy and utterly romantic story from multi-million bestselling author Holly Martin. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Jill Mansell and Sue Moorcroft

Spring is in the air and love is blooming in the beautiful seaside town of Lovegrove Bay. This irresistible romance will sweep you off your feet and melt you heart…

On the day Immy Berry finds out she’s pregnant and her life changes forever, an accidental fire in her gorgeous little sweet shop turns her dreams into ashes. But the very last person she expects to rush in and save her from the blaze is the man she’s tried to put behind her, the father of her baby, Xander Wild

Incredibly gorgeous and impossibly unattainable, Xander made Immy feel like a goddess on the nights they spent together only to go cold on her the next morning. The chemistry between them may be electric but Xander made it clear he doesn’t want anyone in his life other than his daughter, Etta. Which makes telling him she’s now pregnant with his child an almost impossible task.

With her home and business in flames and Xander her unexpected hero, Immy doesn’t dare hope that he will welcome her bombshell news. But there’s a reason Xander has kept his distance from love. And if Immy gives him the chance, maybe he’ll prove he’s worthy of her heart…

Let the sweet scent of romance blossoming whisk you away to the seaside this spring with this gorgeously romantic love story

Before I shower this book in glowing praise which it certainly deserves give just how much I absolutely adored Immy and Xander - I do want to say that there was no where near enough chocolate or sweets in this book featuring a chocolate shop owner and a sweet shop owner! The book didn't make me feel hungry and given it was set in the run up to Easter, although there was some chocolate, this chocaholic was not sated by the amount!

That is literally my only negative, as even the one character the characters I really disliked, was fabulous, as you are definitely meant to dislike Immy and Xander's respective exes.  I think Xander's ex and thus his back story explaining his relationship reticence is definitely worse than Immy's, in fact she did unforgiveable things. 

I totally and utterly fell for Xander in this book, like I do to many of Holly Martin's leading men.  He is a single father, who saves Immy and dog Jacob from a fire in her shop, and then goes out of his way to do his best by both Immy and daughter Etta.  

There are so many completely sweet and adorable moments, between all of our main characters, and I loved getting to know some of Xander's brothers too.  As well as being surprised about his parents too.  Just shows that some people don't make their parents mistakes and try to be even better parents, which is he to Etta.  I loved that little girl a lot, and the way certain more adult things are explained to her is so adorable, and her questions were so funny. 

Immy has a great heart, and I really felt for the situation she is in, where she is unsure whether to fully trust Xander and his intentions.  When they are together though, I could feel the care coming from each of them. 

This was a really quick book to read, I devoured it and am already looking forward to the next book in this new series, featuring another of Xander's brothers. 

Thank you to the author for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Bad Deeds by Andrew Hunter Murray - #HolidayReading Tunisia

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Amazon UK

Title: Bad Deeds

Author: Andrew Hunter Murray

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 11th June 2026

Rating: 4 Stars

Alex used to break into houses illegally. These days, it’s his job.

Alex is part of a small firm of consultants who break into offices and homes to test their security. It’s fun, it’s well paid, and he’s very good at it. It’s almost like he’s grown up at last.

But when he gets fired from his firm, evicted from his flat and dumped by his girlfriend, all in the same evening, he decides to steal one last job from his company without their knowing. A job they had already decided not to accept.

Big mistake.

Before long, Alex is in remote northern Scotland, following the trail of an ambitious young man who supposedly fell to his death with no witnesses in sight.

And if Alex doesn’t get to the truth soon, he may well be the next one over the edge...

If I thought the first book was slightly madcap, then this one is totally bonkers, but in a good way. 

There is so much going on, and at times it's hard to know what the truth may currently be, but I loved seeing how Alex and his associates are now working together to sort out the massive error in judgment that Alex made. 

I loved seeing how this team of former criminals are now trying to use their skills in a slightly more legal way, although apparently still with plenty of danger thrown in for good measure. 

With them on a race against a deadline, to prove a whole bunch of different things, this is fast paced, and I was totally there for everything. 

I love all four members of the gang have their own specialties and especially am impressed with Johnny and all of his tech skills, plus I still have  a big soft spot for Alex and his interloping ways. 

This was very entertaining and getting to know a bit more about the real Alex before he turned to this sort of work was a joy to discover too. 

I do hope this won't be the last we see of these madcap characters. 

Thank you to Pan and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Arrival by Robin Brookes

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Amazon UK

Title: The Arrival

Author: Robin Brookes

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Vintage Digital

Publication Date: 14th May 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

Leo and Viv's weekend starts like any other: a takeaway, a movie and an early night. But when Leo wakes up, he's not in their London flat. He’s naked and alone in an unfamiliar bed, in an anonymous hotel, on the other side of the world.

Viv wakes up to a phone ringing. It's Leo and he claims to be in Australia, despite the impossibility of it. An emergency passport is arranged, a return flight to London booked. But before Leo can make it out, there's a flicker in the corner of his vision, and he wakes up in another bed, in another hotel room, in another country.

Disoriented, Leo soon discovers he's not alone. Someone with access to groundbreaking technology, and an axe to grind, is beaming a group of people around the globe – stalking them one by one, committing perfect, untraceable murders. As Leo fights to survive, Viv unearths dark secrets from her husband’s past. And the more she learns about Leo, the less she seems to know about him . . .

The Arrival is an unmissable world-hopping high-stakes thriller for fans of Dark Matter and Wrong Place, Wrong Time.

I love technology and I love travel, so this is a book that definitely caught my attention.  

I was fascinated by the thought that there could be tech out there that can transport a person from country to another, in the blink of an eye pretty much.  It's tech that I would definitely love to use should it ever become a reality. 

However unfortunately for Leo, he has no idea that this exists initially, much less why he keeps being moved around the world. He goes to bed in London and wakes a few hours later in a Melbourne hotel room, and that is just the first of a fair few places this happens.  And at least one of the locations is one that I have definitely never seen in a book before, as it's a country that has very strict border controls and tourism restrictions. 

There are multiple attempts on Leo's life even before he comes across some other people that are experiencing the same thing, and then the murders start.  The person behind this, is in fact committing the most perfect of murders, it's quite impressive actually. 

And weirdly I didn't hate the killer, we get sections from their point of view, and ok they may be a psychopath, but I felt a bit sorry for them too.  Although the very specific reasons for targeting these people are a bit harder to even vaguely try to justify. 

While Leo is trying to stay alive, his wife Viv starts digging into his life and learning a lot of hidden secrets.  

I was gripped by this and once I understood this wasn't quite my normal sort of thriller and leaned into the more sci-fi elements of it, I was hooked. I needed to keep reading and found the pages were turning faster than I expected. 

This was my first book from this author and I'll certainly be interested to see what they write next. 

Thank you to Vintage Digital and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas

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Amazon UK

Title: Summer at the French Bakery

Author: Jo Thomas

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: MacMillan

Publication Date: 4th June 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

A new adventure is on the menu . . .

Juliet has learnt that life is too short not to chase your dreams. But when she buys an old watermill in France, her tranquil new start is quickly kneaded into something far more ambitious when the local mayor offers her a deal she can’t refuse: reopen the village’s derelict boulangerie.

With a formidable rival – the owner of the local bread vending machine – determined to crush her, Juliet faces disgruntled villagers, her own lack of baking skills, and hidden secrets within the mill itself.

But with help from her outspoken neighbour and the charming Tabac owner, Juliet battles to bring back the aroma of freshly baked bread – and with it, the heart of the community.

Can she prove that even the biggest dreams start with just a little pinch of courage?

Will definitely make you crave a proper French baguette. It's literally all I could think of while I was reading this, well that and the story being told I was thinking about that, but mainly about how nice it would have been to have a fresh baguette (or more than one) to munch on while reading this.   So consider yourself warned. 

As you may have guessed there is definitely French bread in this book. Julie dreams of opening up a tea shop in an old watermill in a small village in Brittany, but she is having issues with her visa (personally I blame Brexit!) and the pretty much told she will only get a more permanent one, if she can get the old village boulangerie up and running and turning a profit within three months. 

Julie has left her husband amicably in order to follow her dreams, and to discover who she really is when not being a wife, mother or survivor.  But it soon becomes apparent that she stands out in this village, and is making errors of judgement. 

There is a rival baker in a nearby village that supplies all local villages without a boulangerie of it's own, baguettes each day in vending machines.  He is arrogant, sleazy, and downright horrible, and a bully but it's hard to see how to stop him. 

After a very shaky start Juliet manages to make friends with Laurent the local Tabac owner, and the woman who lives above the bakery who is adamant she doesn't want the bakery to re-open. 

This is a lovely story of French bread, of French food in general, plenty of descriptions that had my mouth watering, and above all of community. It's a chance to revitalise an area that is close to becoming wiped out, and it's a story of how you should never under-estimate a middle aged woman! 

This is Jo Thomas at her foodie best, introducing us to a lovely area of France, to how to make flour, to some kingfishers, and to a few secrets too.  It's just totally absorbing reading, even if I am now famished.  I can't wait to see where this author will transport us next. 

Thank you to MacMillan and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Daydreaming at the Boathouse Cafe by Alison Sherlock

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Title: Daydreaming at the Boathouse Cafe

Author: Alison Sherlock

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 10th April 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

Every book in the Maple Tree Lodge series can be read as a standalone

Can following your dreams lead to happy-ever-after?

After leaving an unhappy relationship, Hannah Jackson has no confidence in herself or love. The only thing she secretly dreams of is her own bakery. But when her brother Ben, the owner of their family run hotel Maple Tree Lodge, asks her to open a cafe in the renovated boathouse on Dragonfly Lake, Hannah is consumed with self-doubt.

Due to an injury, Ben’s best friend and champion triathlete Alex Grant finds himself suddenly at a crossroads in his life and accepts Ben’s offer to recuperate at Maple Tree Lodge. Nursing a secret, longtime crush for Hannah, Alex is hoping that he can find a new future for himself and that it might somehow include Hannah.

Can Hannah overcome her lack of confidence and make the boathouse cafe a success? And can Alex find himself a new path and finally admit to Hannah how he really feels?

Over a magical summer by the lake, and with the help of a stray puppy, Hannah and Alex discover if all of their dreams really can come true.

If you love this try Alison's Railway Lane and Riverside Lane Series

There is just something so heartwarming about an Alison Sherlock book, and so comforting about her settings.  And I am absolutely loving this new Maple Tree Lodge series. 

It was great to be back in this hotel, and to see the latest enhancements being made to it, to try to attract business coming into the summer months. 

Dodgy Del is up to his old tricks again and with a very early book appearance, it results in Alex having a career ending injury but also ultimately ending up with a new four legged friend, Tiny! 

It also means that Alex is needing to recover amongst friends and surrogate family at the Lodge, and he is Hannah's biggest supporter, and is keen to try to help her make the Boathouse Cafe a success.  Something she is very much lacking in confidence about. 

It was great to catch up with all the characters of the first book, as well as cameos of characters from other series from this author.  

I loved just about everything to do with Hannah and Alex, their easy camaraderie, obvious friendship and they way they are with just about everyone.  And Tiny the dog is utterly amazing. 

This is such an enjoyable story, and I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series. 

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.