Book Review - Pretty Guilty Women by Gina LaManna - #HolidayReading Malta

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Amazon UK

Title: Pretty Guilty Women

Author: Gina LaManna

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Sphere

Publication Date: 24th September 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Why would four women confess to the same murder?

At the luxurious Serenity Spa Resort on the Californian coast, guests arrive ready to celebrate what is set to be the wedding of the year. But things are about to go horribly wrong . . .

Among them are four brilliant but desperate women - Ginger, Lulu, Emily and Kate - all harbouring a secret they'd do anything to protect.

Just twenty-four hours later, a man is found dead at the hotel. In the ensuing investigation, each of these women confess to the crime, insisting they acted alone.

The police know they're lying, but why?

Only these four women know the answer.

And they're not telling . . .

It's the wedding of the year, except that isn't the focus of the story. What is though is that a man has been killed.

Each of the first four chapters starts with a different woman confessing to the murder of this man, and they all say they acted alone. 

So just who is lying and what on earth is the truth.

We slowly discover what happened in the lead up to the murder from the points of view of a variety of characters.

Tensions were running high, there are other secrets to be revealed and well i didn't guess any of the ending.

I was completely hooked though on discovering the truth. 

I'm not completely sure i liked any of the leading ladies but they were certainly interesting and intriguing enough to keep me reading. 

Really gripping story that kept me on my toes.

Thank you to Sphere and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily, 

Book Review - Sunset on the Square by Lilac Mills

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Amazon UK

Title: Sunset on the Square

Author: Lilac Mills

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Canelo

Publication Date: 25th February 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

She never thought she’d love again...

In her late 50s and having lived in Tenerife for over 15 years, there’s not much on the island that can surprise widowed Elspeth. Until her hotelier friend asks her to put up a guest after they’ve overbooked – and handsome Charles is suddenly staying in very close quarters.

Long buried emotions are coming back to life.

Devastated by the death of her husband four years ago, Elspeth isn’t open to new romance. Yet something about Charles pulls her in, and they grow closer together. But Charles’ holiday is drawing to a close, and Elspeth needs to decide what she really wants – and how to get it.

The perfect holiday romance for fans of Holly Martin, Sue Moorcroft and Mandy Baggot.

I really am loving this Island Romance series from Lilac Mills. Each book is a standalone completely unrelated to the others, with the exception of the setting, they all so far are set in Tenerife. And amazingly all in small remote parts of the Island that the average tourist probably hasn't visited. 

And it's always refreshing to read a book featuring slightly older than the average age of rom com main characters, proving once again that new love can strike you no matter your age. 

Elspeth has been widowed for 4 years and still talks to Ray regularly. She has no desire to move on, and believes she is happy as she is.  But when she does a favour for her friends and takes in Charles after a hotel overbooking, just for a few days, little does she know just how much her world is going to change. 

It was so sweet seeing Elspeth's reactions to Charles and the re-awakening of long dormant feelings. I also loved the various walks and hikes they went on together, partly just as I'm impressed how fit they both are at their age (I know I wouldn't be able to do half of what they did), 

I love how through this book you get to see a different side to life in Tenerife, to the typical expat stomping grounds, and I can't help but think that this story will do wonders for tourism in Tenerife for those wanting more of an active walking / cycling holiday. Well once real life travel is safe again, in the mean time it was fabulous to read some armchair travel. 

It's gentle, its touching and its just a simply lovely romance, with a wonderful setting that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Thank you to Canelo and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily, 

Book Review - Holiday in the Hills by Lilac Mills

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Amazon UK

Title: Holiday in the Hills

Author: Lilac Mills

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Canelo Escape

Publication Date: 8th October 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

How do you write a romance novel with a broken heart?

Ivy is suffering from writer’s block after a disastrous affair with her (now ex) publisher. Her agent suggests an extended holiday to get her writing career back on track – 6 months in a stunning villa on the gorgeous island of Tenerife.

No WiFi, no TV, no distractions.

Except for the very attractive, very lovely Sebastián who comes by every day to clean the pool. Soon Ivy’s on a roll with her new novel and her relationship with Sebastián is growing into something more, despite the secrets he’s keeping.

But her ex isn’t done with her – professionally or personally. And with Sebastián keeping secrets, maybe a return to London is best…

A heartwarming, romantic escape perfect for fans of Sue Moorcroft, Mandy Baggot and Portia MacIntosh.

What a highly enjoyable and sunny romantic escapism book that had me transported to Tenerife, complete with absolutely stunning guy, and an author who needs a retreat to see if she can be inspired past her writers block. 

There is fabulous chemistry in this book and although I was fairly sure I had guessed what Sebastian was hiding, well the reveal still supplied some shocks and a fantastic conclusion. 

There is a lot to love in this book, especially the villa, the surrounding area that Ivy is staying in, which is a rather remote part of Tenerife but that I could picture really clearly. 

It's just a really enjoyable escapist read that I would have loved to have read poolside on holiday but it works on cold winters day as you can feel the heat coming from it. 

Light hearted and entertaining, just what I wanted from this book. I loved it. 

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

Book Review - Speak For Me by Deborah Rogers

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Amazon UK

Title: Speak For Me

Author: Debrorah Rogers

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Lawson Publishing Ltd

Publication Date: 31st July 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Manipulator. Killer. A time-bomb about to explode...

Just weeks away from giving birth, New York prosecutor Amelia Kellaway is about to interview Oregon serial killer, Rex Hawkins, a man who has tormented her for years. Amelia has no other option—Rex insists she hears his confession otherwise he’ll take the details of the string of rapes and murders he’s committed to his grave.

Truth be told, Amelia wants to do it. She wants to show Rex Hawkins she’s no longer the same person he victimized all those years ago. She’s stronger now, braver, smarter and she’s determined to get him to tell her everything he knows.

But is Amelia underestimating Rex? What underlies all his talk of redemption and seeking forgiveness? Could he be planning something? And if so, what? As Amelia’s due date gets closer and the pressure mounts, events spiral out of control, thrusting both her and Rex onto a devastating final trajectory in which only one of them survives.

Another gripping and twisty tale of psychological suspense from Deborah Rogers, Speak for Me is a is a thrilling ride that will have you flipping pages well into the night.

Wow what was rather good..

...and that may be the biggest understatement of the year. 

Under 2 hours ago I purchased Speak For Me, straight after finishing Coming For You, as I needed to know what happened next after the cliff hanger of an ending. To say I have just been gripped and had to binge read without moving a muscle until I reached the other end, it was like I was a woman possessed. 

This is one impressive trilogy that will mess with your head, I have no clue how I'm meant to sleep this evening,  What an ending, just don't ask me whether it can be read as a standalone as I'm not positive I even had that thought. 

I just needed to know whether Amelia would be able to get justice or at least closure for the families of Rex's victims.  

I have enjoyed seeing how Amelia's character has developed over the course of the books, from where she started book 2 to where she ends this one that is some growth in all manners of her life, which all stem from the dramatic events of book 1. 

I do love a multi book villain and Rex Hawkins is disgustingly despicable, and a man I had great pleasure in hating.  Although you almost see another side to him at times, it's hard to know just who was being manipulated. 

There are twists and turns galore, its fairly fast paced once it gets going and I couldn't have stopped reading even if I had tried to.  This is one thrilling series, that I'm very glad I had the chance to read. 

What an impressive author Deborah Rogers is, to have some up with someone so fiendish takes some doing, Rex is on another level to those we see in some thrillers, and the writing just grabs you by the throat and holds on. 

Or in another words wow - go start at the beginning of the series and set aside a weekend to read it in. I found them to be very quick reads indeed, and just so so good. 

Book Review - Summer by the Lake by Mandy Baggot - #HolidayReading Malta

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Amazon UK

Title: Summer by the Lake

Author: Mandy Baggot

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Aria

Publication Date: 4th June 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Going home has never been easy...

With her dad in hospital, Robyn Matthers needs to go home and take charge. But does she have the strength to do it?

Cole Ryan is on a personal mission. Tall, dark and handsome, Robyn has certainly noticed the brooding hockey player around town. But can she trust her feelings – or his? But she can't risk the past she's kept buried for so long coming out and he hasn't opened his heart for a long time.

Will the two of them be able to finally open up, and let themselves, just maybe, fall in love...

Previously published as Taking Charge.

Ice hockey players, need I say more, especially good looking, talented, sexy ice-hockey players!

And a determined woman, Robyn who is back in town after 9 years, to help her father out while he undergoes a bypass. 

Robyn has a taken no prisoners approach to revamping both the roadhouse and also the ice-hockey team her father, Eddie, coaches. 

I loved how Robyn was speaking to Eddie and his ward mate Max, in the hospital scenes.  She is determined that both men will improve!

And then there is Cole, incredibly intelligent, kind hearted and just there, from a chance meeting on the way to a plane, he is in Robyn's life. 

Neither of them want to date though for their own reasons and the reasons Robyn hasn't been back to her hometown in 9 year is traumatic. 

This is Mandy Baggot at her finest with characters you care about, a budding romance and a real sense of place.  I was rooting on the ice-hockey team, and loved seeing the changes in the Roadhouse. 

A delightful and enjoyable story to read. 

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

Book Review - :Logging Off by Nick Spalding

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Amazon UK

Title: Logging Off

Author: Nick Spalding

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Publication Date: 23rd April 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Andy Bellows is in a right state. Plagued with insomnia, anxiety and neckache, he’s convinced there’s something seriously wrong with him. And the worst thing is that his doctor agrees. The diagnosis: Andy is in the grip of a self-destructive addiction to technology—he just cannot put that bloody mobile phone down.

Texting, tweeting, gaming and online dating—technology rules Andy’s life. His phone even monitors his bowel movements. So how will he cope when he’s forced to follow doctor’s orders and step away from all of his beloved screens?

When he loses his precious digital window on the world, Andy discovers just how bewildering and scary living an analogue life can be. And when his sixty-day detox hits the headlines—making him a hero to suffering technophiles everywhere—Andy is sorely tempted to pack it all in and escape in the nearest Uber.

Can he get himself out of this mess, and work out how to live a better, technologically balanced life…without consulting Google even once?

I think this may be Nick Spalding's funniest and best book to date. 

I lost track of the amounts of times I was giggling or laughing out loud, which had I been anywhere busier than I was, may have resulted in me getting some odd looks. 

From the first few lines I was drawn in, and utterly exhausted by just how much Andy Bellows relies of the internet and social media.  

If ever there was a man in need of a digital detox it's Andy, and thankfully after a rather embarrassing pitch for a job that went a bit awry, he sees a doctor and that is exactly what is prescribed. 

I loved seeing how Andy tries to cope with his new normal,  and there are just so many fabulous instances or him trying to get re-used to analogue life!

I loved the Mendips and the duck pond I loved the personal ad date, the pug in a wizard costume was hilarious, and initially just Andy's pure confusion on how on earth to order a takeaway or how to pick one was amusing. 

Andy is very easy to relate to, after all haven't most people occasionally wondered if they may be a tad addicted to their screens! I know I am!

This was a hilarious joy to read, give or take a few descriptions that I feel could possibly come under the heading of TMI, when it comes to his bowel movements!  

Loved every second of this, and this is easily Nick Spalding at his finest. 

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Ruthless Women by Melanie Blake - Blog Tour

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Amazon UK

Title: Ruthless Women

Author: Melanie Blake

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Publication Date: 18th February 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

Ambition can be deadly...

Broadcast to millions from its picturesque location off the coast of Jersey, Falcon Bay was once the world's most popular soap opera. But with ratings at an all-time low, a new network owner, the malevolent Madeline Kane, arrives on the private island determined to do whatever it takes to get the show back to the number 1 slot.

Director Farrah, leading lady Catherine and producer Amanda are the driven, ambitious women who've been trying to hold the production together. But thanks to their sexy but corrupt boss, Jake Monroe, Farrah is losing episodes to male colleagues, seventy-year-old Catherine is terrified of losing the public's adoration, and Amanda is battling her desire for a forbidden affair with a handsome new employee.

As Madeline's pressure to revive the show intensifies, she unleashes a true battle of the sexes where the women will do anything to stay in the jobs they love and on the island they call home. Can they team up to bring down their rivals? Or will jealousy, betrayal and revenge rip their friendships apart? As the story reaches its shocking climax, one thing is for certain: only the most ruthless woman will survive...

Wow.. utterly speechless... adrenaline pumping... couldn't put this down... what an ending... more please! 

Well those are a few of my initial thoughts just minutes after finishing this spectacular book. I knew from The Thunder Girls that Melanie Blake was clearly a good author, but had been a bit worried whether that was a one off or not, rest assured it wasn.t this was even better. 

My only regret with this book was that I wasn't reading it somewhere hot and exotic as it epitomises everything I absolutely adore in a holiday beach read.  Strong women that know what they want, as many twists and shocks as you can squeeze into the pages, a huge cast of characters, some bad boys and just absolutely no way to predict the final outcome (at least not more than a page or two before it happens).

I was taken on such a rollercoaster of a journey with these characters, I absolutely adored this behind the scenes look at the world of soap opera, and with the sort of soap that made me think more of Neighbours or possibly Home and Away (given they both feature Bays) than of the grittier British soaps, I felt right at home. 

There are a group of women who are in theory friends although some of the backstabbing makes you wonder how much they really are out for themselves instead.  We have the leading lady, the casting director, writer and director, one of the executives and an agent as the key players in this, all whose lives get thrown into disarray when Madeline buys the network and starts trying to call the shots with the aim of making Falcon Bay great again. 

This really is my absolute favourite type of book to read, although I find not that many of these sorts of sexy thriller / blockbuster-esque books are published anymore which is a shame, It took perhaps until the end of the first chapter to full capture my attention at which point I was completely hooked. 

I read it in two sittings and that is only because my eyes were getting tired at 3am, and wanted to be alert to continue reading, suspecting the last 20% or so would be explosive, and wow that was a good decision. Woke up the following morning, grabbed my kindle and didn't enter the real world again until I was finished reading. 

This is addictive, compulsive reading at its very best, and I feel the book would make a wonderful blockbuster movie too.  It's complex, its pure unadulterated escapist reading and I couldn't get enough of it.   Even having turned the last page I am wanting more.  I need more, whether it be more from Falcon Bay, or just praying that we don't have too long to wait for another gem from Melanie Blake - I'd be happy either way.  

Easily one of my books of the year! 

Thank you to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Please do follow along with the rest of the bloggers on the blog tour for this fabulous book. 

Book Review - Coming For You by Deborah Rogers

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Amazon UK

Title: Coming For You

Author: Deborah Rogers

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Lawson Publishing

Publication Date: 22nd June 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

A brutal crime. A traumatized mind. A victim no one believes…

Successful New York prosecutor Amelia Kellaway is hiding a secret. Still deeply traumatized by a kidnapping incident she suffered three years ago, Amelia is struggling to cope with a crippling anxiety disorder where she compulsively checks her locks and doors. She’s also experiencing frightening blackouts that strike at random. The root cause of her anxiety is her unshakable belief that her previous attacker, Rex Hawkins, is stalking her. She’s been to the authorities but they’ve dismissed her concerns as the paranoid delusions of a traumatized mind.

But are Amelia’s fears really unfounded? Could Rex Hawkins still be out there, waiting for her to drop her guard and make a mistake? Or is Amelia slipping deeper into neurosis and at risk of losing her mind?

A few years ago I read Left For Dead, the first of these Amelia Kellaway books and recall it being a thrilling and fast read, so when I was approached asking if I would like to read the next book in the series, it was a no brainer, I said yes. 

Fast forward quite a few months and I have finally sat down and read Coming For You.  I've been in a daze for the past 2 hours, where I wouldn't have known if anything was happening around me, as I was that absorbed in the pages of this book. 

It is so gripping and the whole way through you are made to wonder is Amelia's conviction that Rex Hawkins is still alive and out there and coming for her, whether it is true or not.  She is clearly suffering from various disorders and is petrified of ever being in the sort of situation she was in, in the first book again, and as a result her behaviour can come across as slightly neurotic and unstable at times. 

I couldn't help but empathise with her, and I was really unsure what to believe, and just as the book appears to be going in one direction - pow something else happens and wow! 

Make not mistakes, this is one incredibly gripping and compulsive series.  Deborah Rogers is clearly a talented author who has created some disturbing but addictive characters to read about. 

In fact my only real thought at the moment is, that I need to buy book 3 and start reading it now, and I'm saying this at 1am.... well its the Christmas holidays at the time of writing, so if I end up not getting much sleep after starting the next one well it won't matter!  

If in doubt start at the beginning of this trilogy, the description on Amazon of binge worthy in this case is entirely accurate.   So must go, need to binge read the next one too! 

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

Book Review - A Year of Chasing Love by Rosie Chambers

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Amazon UK

Title: A Year of Chasing Love

Author: Rosie Chambers

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 6th January 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

One moment can change a lifetime…

‘A good bit of escapism fiction’ NetGalley reviewer

The last thing top divorce lawyer Olivia Hamilton ever expected was to be served her own divorce papers! To escape her marriage troubles, she agrees to go on a year-long trip to find the ultimate guide to love.

Travelling the world, surrounded by stories of love and happiness, it’s not long before her thoughts turn to Nathan, her soon-to-be ex-husband, and she starts to take note of her own lessons in love…

But with Nathan over a thousand miles away, will it be too late?

The perfectly fun and feel-good rom com to escape with right now for fans of Cathy Bramley, Philippa Ashley and Caroline Roberts.

If you are missing international travel as much as I am at the moment, then this book will come a close second, as you are whisked around the world over the course of 10 months. 

All while Olivia who is a prolific and well regarded divorce lawyer, is on a sabbatical after being shaken by receiving her own divorce papers, is sent on a research mission by her best friend Rachel, to discover what it is that causes couples to stay together. 

And her other friends want her to compile her lessons in love so they can see where they are going wrong.  Now don't get me wrong all of the research and findings were interesting, but they weren't my main interest in this book. 

As anyone who knows me by now will know I'm a huge fan of travel, whether armchair or real life and this book definitely helped scratch an itch or two. It brought back memories of a few trips I've had to some of the destinations that are featured and I enjoyed seeing how the various places were described. 

My favourite section was the trips to Hawaii and Singapore which I felt were the most well researched, most vividly described and despite never having been to either of them, I really felt as though I got a feel for both places, and I also enjoyed what Olivia was doing and who she was meeting in both of those locations. 

This was a very enjoyable way to spend an afternoon and it is a solid debut novel.  I already have Rosie Chambers next book sitting on my kindle, so I look forward to reading that and seeing how this author develops. 

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

Book Review - Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory - #HolidayReading Malta

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Amazon UK

Title: Party of Two

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Publication Date: 23rd June 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

It's the whirlwind affair that has everyone talking...

Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe's mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. An entire night of flirting with a gorgeous man at a hotel bar could change her mind though - until she discovers that he's hotshot junior senator Max Powell.

Max's determination to win Olivia over proves him to be sweet, funny, and noble - not just some privileged white politician she assumed him to be. Dating in secret is fun at first, but when they finally go public, the intense media scrutiny results in the exposure of Olivia's rocky past, criticism of her job, and questions about her suitability as a trophy girlfriend.

Olivia knows what she has with Max is special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight?

I really loved this book. 

I loved that I was able to read a book for a change that featured a kick ass black female lead, a lawyer even, and that in the light of Black Lives Matter being so prominent at the moment that I think I took more notice than normal about the colour of our leads. 

For Olivia's fabulous meet cute is with Max who really is white and privileged, he also unknown to Olivia initially is a Senator. 

Olivia is cautious, takes a lot of time to think anything through, whereas Max is far more spur of the moment, 

They do both love cake and pie, and the initial discussion on desserts in California is what endeared them both to me. 

Surprisingly this is only my second book by the author and  I loved them both. 

In addition to the romance, there are some contemporary issues covered, there is some US politics but I think I was able to cope with that from what I learnt from watching Legally Blonde 2!

Eye opening with a sides order of fries, layer cake, and fabulous chemistry!

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

Book Review - Wife After Wife by Olivia Hayfield - #HolidayReading Malta

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Amazon UK

Title: Wife After Wife

Author: Olivia Hayfield

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Piatkus

Publication Date: 9th July 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Glamour, infidelity, murder . . .

Ruthless, devilishly handsome businessman Harry Rose is head of Rose Corporation, No. 18 on the Forbes rich list, and recently married to wife number six. But now, with his business in the spotlight and his love life under scrutiny, Harry's perfect world has the potential to come crashing to the ground.

From eighties young gun to noughties billionaire, there's a reason why Harry's many wives have found him impossible to resist. But behind the money, sex and glamour lies a truer tale of infidelity, conspiracy and murder . . .

Loosely based on the trials and tribulations of the most infamous historical playboy of them all, Henry VIII, this tale of glamour and serial monogamy will leave you wickedly entertained.

What a clever book, and wow just how much research must have gone into this. 

For Wife After Wife is a modern contemporary retelling of Henry VIII and his 6 wives. 

There is s cast list which explains the characters and their Tudor equivalents. 

I laughed when there was a mention of things like A War of the Roses, not referencing the historical one, but a battle between two members of Harry Rose's family!

The Tudors is one of the very few periods of history I actually remember anything about from school, although it probably helps that I saw Six, the musical last year which focuses on the wives stories, which combined with the book makes me think large parts of it were based in fact.

But given a modern twist. 

Think of Harry Rose as a cross between Henry VIII with regards his morals and love of women, to Richard Branson / Rupert Murdoch for also creating a massive media and more empire, and have him as the hero of the book and  with some of what he goes through you can't help but feel sorry for the guy. 

Set from the mid 80s to the present day, we see ingenious ways of dealing with the "beheaded" wives, and one of the divorces is rather cleverly done. 

It is all really impressive, and I'm delighted I had a chance to read this. On one level it is a fabulous holiday read, on another it is something I wouldn't necessarily normally opt to read purely as re-tellings and history aren't my thing but for me this just works!

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

Book Review - Going Green by Nick Spalding

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Amazon UK

Title: Going Green

Author: Nick Spalding

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Publication Date: 8th December 2020

Rating: 4.5 Stars

From the bestselling author of Dumped, Actually comes a laugh-out-loud story about saving your job…and maybe saving the planet in the process.

Meet Ellie Cooke. When it comes to all things environmental she’s, well, a bit ‘green’. It’s not that she doesn’t care about things like climate change and plastic pollution, it’s just that life has always got in the way of that sort of thing.

But when the PR firm Ellie works for is taken over by keen environmentalist Nolan Reece, it’s clear that if she wants to save her job, she’s going to have to get serious about being green—or face being recycled.

Going green is no walk in the park, though. It involves a lot of big changes, tough choices…and at least one case of accidentally showing your knickers off to your boss.

Can Ellie do enough to save her job, and maybe do her bit to help save the planet while she’s at it? And what will Nolan think of her, now that she can’t stop thinking about him…?

Ellie is one great character, she acts well before she engages her brains and that lands her in all manner of situations.  Some of them were hilarious, others just amusing, but the whole time you are willing her on, and wanting good things for her. 

I'll admit straight up that I didn't laugh anywhere near as much as I normally do with a Nick Spalding book, I'm not sure whether it was due to the subject matter, my frame of mind, or whether I was missing a trick but I didn't find it as funny.

That being said there were for me a few snort out loud moments which the author always seems to make me manage, and it certainly is humorous, so I'm guessing the issue was my sense of humour went partially on holiday while I was reading this! 

It's thought a really good story, with some certainly memorable moments such as the plastic bottle costume and the narwhal, the hunt for the composting system and Ellie's first encounters with Nolan. Oh and the meal with the birds that was brilliant! Actually thinking back although the scene with hemp underwear didn't make me laugh as I was too busy wincing in sympathy, it was certainly memorable too!

Ok... there may have been a great chapter involving fabulous descriptions of a bike ride too, a character who seemed obsessed with leeks and a very specific species of moth, and the various train journeys were of note too! I'm purposely leaving out the details so as not to spoil the reasons while all of those were memorable for me, but definitely some of the highlights of the book! 

And well I didn't see that outcome to the book coming in a million years, I wouldn't have guessed that. It was fantastic, so fitting and really unexpected! 

Then there is Ellie's inner voice that is continually reminding her of reality, of what she should possibly be admitting to, as she's doing everything she can initially to keep her job when the PR company becomes environmentally friendly,  not being completely invested in the cause, well until she has an epiphany at which point well you can find out for yourself. 

There is a clear message with this book about considering the environmental impact of everything you do, and whether you can or should be attempting to be greener yourself. 

Although not my favourite book by the author it is still another highly enjoyable read that I loved reading. 

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - All My Lies Are True by Dorothy Koomson

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Amazon UK

Title: All My Lies Are True

Author: Dorothy Koomson

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: EDPR

Publisher: Headline Review

Publication Date: 21st January 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

Verity is telling lies...

And that's why she's about to be arrested for attempted murder.

Serena has been lying for years. . .

And that may have driven her daughter, Verity, to do something unthinkable...

Poppy's lies have come back to haunt her . . .

So will her quest for the truth hurt everyone she loves?

Everyone lies.

But whose lies are going to end in tragedy?

Mind is blown. 

What on earth have I just read?

Feel like I've been on a rollercoaster, just so much ooomph packed into this book. 

Completely unexpected revelations. 

Just wow. 

This is absorbing, enthralling reading that grabs you by the scruff of your neck and just won't let you go.   It took about 100 pages for me to full get into the book at which point the world could have ended and I may not have noticed. 

I was just drawn into the lives of Poppy, Serena, Verity, Logan and their families.  The viewpoint changes with almost every chapter and its always rather clear. 

This may be a sequel to The Ice Cream Girls, which I know I read and loved when it first came out 10 years ago, but honestly couldn't remember the details of, so in part this was as much a standalone in my mind and it worked so so well. 

The way this story unfolded, the way you see it happening from many perspectives, but at the same time you are never are sure who is telling the truth, what is being twisted, and well the title my feel like a contradiction but it is also entirely correct - and it will become apparent as you read. 

There is no way in a million years that I can do this book justice with a mere review, you are best reading it for yourself if it even remotely appeals as you won't be disappointed. 

Just Wow! 

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