Book Review - Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howad

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Rewind

Author: Catherine Ryan Howard

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Corvus

Publication Date:  5th September 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

PLAY
Andrew, the manager of Shanamore Holiday Cottages, watches his only guest via a hidden camera in her room. One night the unthinkable happens: a shadowy figure emerges onscreen, kills her and destroys the camera. But who is the murderer? How did they know about the camera? And how will Andrew live with himself?

PAUSE
Natalie wishes she'd stayed at home as soon as she arrives in the wintry isolation of Shanamore. There's something creepy about the manager. She wants to leave, but she can't - not until she's found what she's looking for...

REWIND
Psycho meets Fatal Attraction in this explosive story about a murder caught on camera. You've already missed the start. To get the full picture you must rewind the tape and play it through to the end, no matter how shocking...

Well I had absolutely no idea who the murderer was until it was revealed.  I also spent a fair part of the book mildly confused about the time frame of everything. 

I got that the the time was jumping about as though you were watching a video, but with chapter headings that were in minutes... and then some of the earlier sections being years before everything else. while reading on kindle which admitted makes flicking back and forth a bit harder to try to understand - I was muddled on the time span, time frames. 

That being said once I focused on the words I was incredibly interested in the murder, and all of the motives which is what I couldn't work out. 

There was a focus on many unsavoury characters, and small snippets of info coming out at regular intervals to really keep you on your toes, and make you continually re-evaluate your own guesses. 

I've certainly not read anything like it which is both a big positive, its different, its unique, but equally as thi isn't the genre I read the  most of, perhaps I didn't fully appreciate just how it was present. 

The story though is great, the writing certainly had me gripped, and Catherine Ryan Howard has had me hooked in places,  and the premise behind the book was fabulous. 

Certainly a book that I feel works best if you are tempted by it, to read for yourself without too much known about the plot.  There are a large number of characters and to even try to describe them, I may give out hints that I would rather not, for fear of spoils 

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

Book Review - The Bridal Party by J G Murray - #HolidayReading Mexico

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Bridal Party

Author: J G Murray

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Corvus

Publication Date: 7th March 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Sometimes friendship can be murder...

It's the weekend of Clarisse's bridal party, a trip the girls have all been looking forward to. Then, on the day of their flight, Tamsyn, the maid of honour, suddenly backs out. Upset and confused, they try to make the most of the stunning, isolated seaside house they find themselves in.

But, there is a surprise in store - Tamsyn has organised a murder mystery, a sinister game in which they must discover a killer in their midst. As tensions quickly boil over, it becomes clear to them all that there are some secrets that won't stay buried...

What a book! I had no idea what to expect and had no idea how to guess at the outcomes either. 

I read this on holiday in about 2 hours, I just couldn't put it down and found the pages were turning really fast. 

I was utterly hooked on this story, that starts off as a group going on a hen weekend, and once they arrive at their destination, events become creepier and creepier. 

Interspersed with the present day story we get to know about a specific set of occurrences from that past, that become very relevant.

I can't really say much about the plot, I went into this blindly and I think that may be the best way. 

This is the first book I have read by this author and based on this evidence it certainly won't be my last either. 

Fast paced, the whole book takes place over one day, there were many times where I paused, looked up and mouthed WTF... as I couldn't believe what I was reading, while hurriedly going back to see just what did happen next. 

Unputdownable, gripping, addictive reading, this is one fantastic book. 

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

Book Review - The Liar's Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard - Blog Tour

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Liar's Girl

Author: Catherine Ryan Howard

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Corvus

Publication Date: 1st March 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Her first love confessed to five murders. But the truth was so much worse.

Dublin's notorious Canal Killer, Will Hurley, is ten years into his life sentence when the body of a young woman is fished out of the Grand Canal. Though detectives suspect they are dealing with a copycat, they turn to Will for help. He claims he has the information the police need, but will only give it to one person - the girl he was dating when he committed his horrific crimes.

Alison Smith has spent the last decade abroad, putting her shattered life in Ireland far behind her. But when she gets a request from Dublin imploring her to help prevent another senseless murder, she is pulled back to face the past - and the man - she's worked so hard to forget.

Catherine Ryan Howard is definitely an author for me to keep an eye on.  I loved her first book Distress Signals, and had worried this new one may suffer from second book syndrome, plus I'm not always keen on anything with lie / liar in the title.  But I need not have worried this was also fabulous, it was addictive and even when I did have to tear myself away from reading, my mind was still pondering just how it may all turn out. 

At no point did I correctly guess the outcome, I really wasn't sure if Will was the correctly convicted Canal Killer, and if it wasn't him who it really was.  

I found it interesting to see the story unfold, both in Alison's past when the original killings were happening, and that section felt like a regular start of university story, until there were dead bodies of people close to her.  And the present day unfurling of new activity, is worrying and is making Alison confront feelings and situations she has spent the previous 10 years trying to forget. 

For Alison was the girlfriend of Will,  when he confessed to the murders  She is convinced she never wants to lay eyes on him again, but agrees to try to help the police  with the new killings.  

This is a cleverly plotted story, that kept me guessing throughout.  I was hooked on trying to work out the truth before the characters could. I could really picture everything clearly, and really enjoyed my time with The Liar's Girl.  

Thank you so much to Anne Cater and Corvus for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Please do check out all the other wonderful blogs also supporting this book. 

Book Review - The Polar Bear Killing by Michael Ridpath - Bookish World Cup - Iceland

Amazon UK

Title: The Polar Bear Killing

Author: Michael Ridpath 

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Corvus

Publication Date: 7th January 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

When a polar bear is sighted in a sleepy Icelandic fishing village, then shot dead by local policeman Constable Halldór, it triggers a debate in the local community. Was Halldór a hero for killing the bear, or should the animal have been protected?

Animal rights activists in the area see the constable as a villain, and when days later the dead body of Halldór is discovered at a remote beauty spot, the activists are immediately under suspicion.

As Sergeant Magnus Ragnarsson and his colleague Detective Vigdís Audardótti begin to investigate the policeman's murder, they soon discover that things are not as clear-cut as might first appear. By degrees, Magnus and Vigdís are drawn into this small and complex community - one riven with rivalries and grudges - in search of a deadly killer...

It had been a long while since I last read anything by Michael Ridpath and his Magnus Iceland mysteries series, so had been a bit worried as to if anything would still feel familiar. 

Thankfully some of the characters did ring a bell especially Detective Vigdis who is the main detective in this story, who has been called to a remote area of Iceland from Reykjavik to help work out who killed a local policeman. 

Just days before the local policeman had killed a polar bear and there were some unhappy people about thanks to that. 

In fact the initial scenes involving the polar bear were full of description, and I found it a real shame at the policy that lead to the death of a magnificent creature, no matter how dangerous they are. 

This is s short novella that packs a good amount of story in, its straight to the point police work, set in a small Icelandic village, and I didn't figure out who had killed the policeman.  I had my own theory but couldn't quite make it work, so glad I was wrong. 

I love looking at how police forces work in different countries, especially with interviews having to be conducted in Icelandic no matter what other others languages everyone speaks.  Was also good to see glimpses of Sergeant Magnus Ragnarssen who was the hero of the other books in the series. 

I read this in just over an hour and was a good way to spend the time, trying to solve a murder before the police could.   I'm really looking forward to the release of the next book in this series. 

Book Review - Don't Close Your Eyes by Holly Seddon

Amazon UK

Title:  Don't Close Your Eyes

Author: Holly Seddon

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Corvus

Publication Date: 6th July 2017 

Rating: 4 Stars

Robin and Sarah weren't the closest of twins. They weren't even that similar. But they loved each other dearly. Until, in the cruellest of domestic twists, they were taken from one another.

Now, in her early 30s, Robin lives alone. Agoraphobic and suffering from panic attacks, she spends her days pacing the rooms of her house. The rest of the time she watches - watches the street, the houses, the neighbours. Until one day, she sees something she shouldn't...

And Sarah? Sarah got what she wanted - the good-looking man, the beautiful baby, the perfect home. But she's just been accused of the most terrible thing of all. She can't be around her new family until she has come to terms with something that happened a long time ago. And to do that, she needs to track down her twin sister.

But Sarah isn't the only person looking for Robin. As their paths intersect, something dangerous is set in motion, leading Robin and Sarah to fight for much more than their relationship...

For the majority of the book I was really enjoying it, I was very curious to see just where it was going, and how it would turn out. However I can't help but feel the ending came out of nowhere, and its just left me feeling a bit unsettled and it just felt like the conclusion really didn't have enough explanation for my liking. 

However as I say the majority of the book I absolutely loved. It's a story of twins, Robin and Sarah, both as they are now, but also as children and their life growing up.  It was the chapters that were set in their childhood that I found myself really hooked on. 

But yet if I say what I want to about their pasts, I'll probably be giving away key spoilers, and equally their present situations aren't the easiest to explain. I will say that the twins have been estranged for many years, are completely different from each other, and yet they may be each others only hope. 

As children I felt really sorry for them, as adults I'm not sure how much I really liked or was drawn to either twin.  The book touches on many different issues and I felt they were all dealt with sensitively and with a feeling of realism towards them. 

Don't Close Your Eyes was well written and I did find large parts of it to be completely compulsive reading. 

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

Guest Post & Giveaway - How I Took a Chance on a New Agent by Carrie Elks - Chances Fortnight

I was sitting by a pool in sunny Portugal the day my life changed. I picked up my phone and checked my Facebook messages, and one of them was from an online friend from Brazil, telling me she was becoming an agent. She asked if I’d consider her representing me. I showed the message to my husband and asked him if he thought it was some kind of scam.

But let’s step back a moment. Back in those days – the summer of 2013 – I was writing fan fiction, and had gained a small online readership, including my friend from Brazil. At that time a lot of authors were breaking out from fan fiction, thanks to their talent and a huge appetite for new stories caused by the rise of the e-reader. I, on the other hand, was still just writing for fun, and posting online once or twice a week. It was – and still is – a lovely community of writers, readers and supporters, and I was happy there.

And then came the message. Would I be interested in writing something to be published? My friend explained that she was joining a new agency, and they were looking for fresh and exciting authors. They were already representing a number of successful, mostly self-published, romance authors, and had made some foreign rights sales.

I remember saying to my husband ‘I’ll see where it goes. As long as they don’t ask me for any money upfront, then I’ll assume it’s not a scam.’

Best. Decision. Ever.

Within twelve months of that first contact, my book, Fix You, was sold to a Brazilian publisher for Portuguese rights, and then to Corvus as an eBook in the UK. Since then the novel has been sold to another 5 countries, and was released in paperback here in the UK, allowing me to finally see my book in the shops. Now I’ve written a new four-part series – The Shakespeare Sisters – which was picked up by Piatkus here in Britain, and by Editora Record in Brazil. The first book in the series, Summer’s Lease, will be released in eBook and paperback on July 13th.

And that person who messaged me back in 2013? She’s not only still my agent, but also a dear friend. It’s a rare week that we don’t chat – on messenger, Skype, Whatsapp or whatever device we can find. She’s my number one supporter, but also my strongest critic; always pushing me to produce the work she assures me I’m capable of. Even better, as I’ve grown into a certain level of success, so has the agency (Bookcase Agency) – and I’m proud of all of us.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I’d ignored that message and gone for a swim instead. I’m so happy I took a chance and said yes.

Thank you so much Carrie for sharing with us your chance on a new agent. I'm so glad it worked out for you and I'm really looking forward to your new book. 

Can the one who broke your heart be the one to heal it?

On New Year's Eve, 1999, Hanna and Richard meet. She is a born and bred Londoner with plans for a career in journalism. He is the son of a wealthy New Yorker and destined for Wall Street. As Hanna and Richard go back to their own worlds they keep in touch, and when Hanna has her heart broken it's Richard she turns to. They reunite and fall deeply, madly in love.

But they can't possibly imagine the ways their love will be tested. Fifteen years after they first meet, neither can bear to hear the other's name spoken. Then one day Hanna walks into Richard's office and reveals a shocking secret. Richard must decide if he can forgive her. And both need to choose whether to take a second chance on happiness, or if their love is beyond repair?

Amazon - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fix-You-Carrie-Elks-ebook/dp/B00PPSVZX8

iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/fix-you/id944917815?mt=11

Kobo - http://store.kobobooks.com/en-gb/books/fix-you-4/

Nook - http://www.nook.com/gb/ebooks/fix-you-by-carrie-elks/9781782397120

Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Carrie_Elks_Fix_You?id=eAxYBQAAQBAJ&hl=en_GB

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Fix You (Open Internationally)

Carrie Elks is giving you a chance to win a signed copy of Fix You, the resulting book from her own chance. 

Giveaway open internationally, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 14/06/2017. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

Win a signed copy of Fix You (Open Internationally)


AUTHOR BIO

Carrie Elks lives near London, England and writes contemporary romance with a dash of intrigue. At the age of twenty-one she left college with a political science degree, a healthy overdraft and a soon-to-be husband. She loves to travel and meet new people, and has lived in the USA and Switzerland as well as the UK. When she isn't reading or writing, she can usually be found baking, drinking wine or working out how to combine the two.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: http://carrieelks.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarrieElks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarrieElksAuthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7266211.Carrie_Elks

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Carrie-Elks/e/B00GMTLSI6/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrie.elks/

Pinterest: http://uk.pinterest.com/carrieelks1/

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/IDP6b

Book Review & Giveaway - How to Get a (Love) Life by Rosie Blake - #AroundTheUKIn144Books #Bristol - Fab Firsts

Fab Firsts is my new regular Sunday feature, that is going to be highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it will be about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives. When reviewing books for this feature, there will be a mix of debuts, first books in a series, the first time I read an author, and possibly other firsts depending on what I can think of!

If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.

I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!

How to Get a (Love) Life was Rosie Blake's debut novel and is now coming out in paperback on the 2nd February. 

Amazon UK

Title:  How to Get a (Love) Life

Author: Rosie Blake

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Corvus

Publication Date: 2nd February 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Nicola Brown doesn't like to lose control. Her flat is always meticulously tidy and her weekly meals carefully planned; Nicola keeps her life in order. When her carefree colleague Caroline challenges Nicola to find a date for Valentine's Day, it's a surprise to them both when Nicola agrees.

As Nicola's search for a man begins, she is thrown in at the deep end - sometimes quite literally - of the dating scene. From men more likely to sell their mother than open their wallet, to those who are determined to find a girlfriend who shares their passion for extreme sports, Nicola has to run the full gamut of dodgy dates. But as the deadline looms closer, Nicola realises it isn't so bad to lose control. It turns out that trying to get a love life can be rather a lot of fun...

How to Get a (Love) Life is a highly amusing story about one girl and her attempts at dating. Nicola is at the start of the story an incredibly regimented person, she is slightly OCD, has a habit of eating the same food the same day each week, and even waits until a certain time of her lunch break to eat a sweet treat. Her life seems to be in  a bit of a rut, but she isn't completely sure she needs to change. 

Her colleague Caroline dares Nicola to have a date by Valentines Day which is four months away. Nicola agrees which is rather surprising and from that her life slowly changes.  There are some absolutely hilarious dates which Nicola is set up on, my favourite of which involved Kayaking in the sea, in November! 

While Nicola is trying to see if she can find anyone she would even like a second date with, her brother keeps coming round too, and has his own romance problems. Her brother is absolutely bat mad, and seems to be fairly socially inept. He has his own specific way of looking at things, and even comes up with a plan to win the girl he loves, including graphic stick figure drawings!

I loved seeing the lengths Nicola was willing to go to, just to try and win a dare. You get the first hint as to her whole mindset in the prologue, while the majority of the book is leading up to that point in time. Amongst the ways she tries to meet men is going to a driving range, and taking up a carpentry class. Add in a whole bunch of unreliable and dodgy men, and you have the general idea of her current attempts at dating! 

I found as the book went on, I was liking Nicola more and more, as her personality opened up a bit, and her brother grew on me too. I also was loving both Caroline and James who she works with, and in fact the whole entire nutty office environment she was working in. 

This was Rosie Blake's debut novel but yet its the third book of hers that I have read, and with that point of view, I can say that her writing, and storytelling gets better with each release. How to Get a (Love) Life is a very pleasurable debut, and is a book I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Giveaway to win 1 x How to Get A (Love) Life (Paperback) (Europe only) 

I happen to have a spare copy of the new paperback release of this book, for one lucky winner. 

Giveaway is open to Europe only (but don't worry there will be more INT giveaways in the future) , all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 6/2/2017. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

Win 1 x How to Get A (Love) Life (Paperback) (Europe only)

Book Review & Giveaway - Everything You Told Me by Lucy Dawson

Amazon UK

Title: Everything You Told Me

Author: Lucy Dawson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Corvus

Publication Date: 5th January 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

You went to bed at home, just like every other night.
You woke up in the back of a taxi, over 250 miles away.
You have no idea how you got there and no memory of the last ten hours.
You have no phone, no money; just a suicide note in your coat pocket, in your own writing.
You know you weren’t planning to kill yourself.
Your family and friends think you are lying.

Someone knows exactly what happened to you.
But they’re not telling…

One of a rare variety of book, the completely unputdownable, and even when you aren't reading it, the story is still in your mind, and I found myself thinking more about the book, then the work I was meant to be doing. 

Everything You Told Me is a story that will make you think, there are two potential ways you will be thinking initially as you read the book. Either you believe Sally is telling the truth that she has absolutely no clue as to how she ended up in a taxi 250 miles away, with what appears to be a suicide note in her pocket. Or you will feel that Sally is a rather unreliable narrator, and that siding with the rest of the family is the best thing to do, as she must be lying, potentially be suicidal and a risk to herself and her children. 

The story is told in the first person, from Sally's perspective, so it is up to the reader to make the decision on how trustworthy she is. I found myself rooting for her, and hoping that she really wasn't going to commit suicide. The first quarter of the book, explains Sally's family life in the couple of days leading up to this long night time taxi journey. 

Sally is portrayed as a woman at the end of her tether, with two young children, Chloe who was 4 and adorable, and Theo at 6 months was causing his parents no end of problems as he is a bad sleeper. Sleep deprivation is one of the key things that was causing Sally to start struggling, but equally it is clear how much she loves both of her children. 

Having of course seen how the book ends, I don't think I can fairly say much else about the plot for fear of using the wrong words that may give a hint towards the overall ending which took me completely by surprise. About half way through I was convinced I knew roughly where the book was going, but it soon turns out as is often the case, that I can't predict things accurately in books, which made it all the more gripping as I wanted to see just what would happen next. 

I can certainly see why this is a psychological book, it got under my skin, forced me to think about the story continually, and really did mess with my head a bit, with trying to get ahead of Sally in working out exactly why she was in that cab. 

Everything You Told Me does tackle the subject of mental health to a certain extent, but also shows how situations can be manipulated. I found it to be a gripping read that I barely was able to put down, or be fully aware of my surrounding whilst reading. It is a story that gets your brain cells jumping and its an incredibly good book. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Corvus for this copy of the book that I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Giveaway to win 2 x Everything You Told Me (Paperback) (Europe only) 

The lovely people at Corvus appear to have sent me two paperbacks, in addition to the e-copy that I read. As a result I have 2 copies of the book going to 2 lucky winners! 

Giveaway is open to Europe only (but don't worry there will be more INT giveaways in the future) , all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 12/1/2017. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

Win 2 x Everything You Told Me (Paperback) (Europe only)

Book Review - Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #37

Amazon UK

Title: Distress Signals

Author: Catherine Ryan Howard

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Corvus

Publication Date: 5th May 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Did she leave, or was she taken?

The day Adam Dunne's girlfriend, Sarah, fails to return from a Barcelona business trip, his perfect life begins to fall apart. Days later, the arrival of her passport and a note that reads 'I'm sorry - S' sets off real alarm bells. He vows to do whatever it takes to find her.

Adam is puzzled when he connects Sarah to a cruise ship called the Celebrate - and to a woman, Estelle, who disappeared from the same ship in eerily similar circumstances almost exactly a year before. To get the answers, Adam must confront some difficult truths about his relationship with Sarah. He must do things of which he never thought himself capable. And he must try to outwit a predator who seems to have found the perfect hunting ground...

What an incredibly impressive debut novel, from the first moments I was hooked on the action, and couldn't put the book down at all. I had to drag myself to bed, with a promise that the only thing I would do in the morning was finish reading. 

Distress Signals is the sort of story that really gets under my skin, all I really knew before I started it, was that it was a psychological thriller that involved a cruise ship. I'm a huge fan of cruising, and even after various things were explained in the book, that make it clear how if things go wrong on a cruise, its pretty much a perfect crime due to the various laws involved, I did find myself just wondering where would I be cruising next, and would I be brave enough to actually travel alone again in that case. 

There are a lot of what appear to be coincidences in the story and I really did feel for Adam, and his frustration with his local police who really weren't worried about Sarah's disappearance. All could be explained fairly logically, and as Adam goes digging himself for answers as to where his beloved girlfriend of 10 years has gone, he doesn't always  like the answers. 

The descriptions of the Celebrate, that ship it turns out Sarah was on, made me feel as though I was on a cruise myself, I could picture the ship quite clearly in my minds eye, and couldn't help but wonder which real cruise line it is modelled on (I suspect its the one that is mentioned in the book, but only because of a couple of features). 

The pacing of the story is brilliant, and there were so many times I thought I had figured it out, and then was proved wrong almost on the next page. The story is split into four main parts, but what really intrigued me where the chapters written from Romain's point of view. I can't say who he is, or how he connects in, but his early childhood is in part terrifying and in part intriguing, as is the way he describes himself. 

Distress Signals has certainly affected me, and its only because I love cruising so much that I will have to force myself to forget this book at some point, so I can continue having the holidays I love so much, or else I fear this may destroy a love, such is the power of this story. 

I can't thank the 7 of you that voted for this book last week enough, I had been becoming disillusioned with psychological thrillers recently, and was worried they were no long having any affect on me. Based on my reaction to this I can now conclude that the other books definitely just weren't right for me, whereas this one was brilliant, and I am so glad. Thank you. 

Book Review - How to Find your (First) Husband by Rosie Blake

Amazon UK

Title: How to Find your (First) Husband

Author: Rosie Blake

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied review copy

Publisher: Corvus

Publication Date: 2nd June 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Isobel Graves moved to LA determined to be the Next Big Thing. Instead, she is dressed as a giant prawn handing out fliers promoting a fish market. Rather than attending glamorous parties and dating exciting men, her evenings consist of watching box sets with her sort-of boyfriend, whose idea of romance is a late-night drunken text.

Where did it all go wrong?

When Isobel catches sight of Andrew Parker, her childhood sweetheart, in the background of a TV news story she feels it's a sign. If she'd stuck with Andrew everything would have turned out better. Now she just needs to find him...

Join Isobel as she travels from LA to Devon and to a remote Malaysian island in search of true love.

I loved this book, so much that I read it in a very short amount of time. It is full of amusing sections, incredibly sweet reminiscences of a childhood "romance" and a borderline stalkerish hunt for Isobel's first love. 

For when Isobel was still in school, she and Andrew Parker had a wedding in the playground, however she was then dumped a few weeks later, and then Andrew left the school, and Isobel has been without closure since. Unlike some of her childhood friends she never did the playground divorce thing with Andrew, and still considers them married, even after he cursed her to never have another husband. 

Fast forward to adulthood and Isbobel is living in LA, doesn't exactly have the life of her dreams, and finds herself continually daydreaming about what could have been with her and Andrew. So when she spots him in the background of a newsclip, she decides the only thing to do is to find him, and persuade him to fall in love with her. 

What follows is a fabulous story as Isobel travels to England and then onto Malaysia in order to find him. 

As much as I loved all the lead up and the initial search for Andrew, it was once Isobel was on the various flights to get to Tioman Island, Malaysia, that I felt the story really kicked up a gear, as Isobel starts to rediscover who she really is. 

Anyone that has seen some of my reviews previously, may by now realise that I love books with exotic locations, and this one was fantastic, although I didn't get a feel for Malaysia itself, there was definitely a wild small island feel to the story, with beach huts, local wildlife and a new group of friends all determined to have a fantastic summer. 

Rosie Blake's storytelling skills are as amusing as they are enchanting in this delightful story about re-discovering your first love and friendship. 

Thank you so much to Alison Davies at Corvus for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review & Giveaway - You Sent Me a Letter by Lucy Dawson

Amazon UK

Title: You Sent Me a Letter

Author: Lucy Dawson

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied ARC

Publisher: Corvus Books

Publication Date: 3rd March 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

At 2 a.m. on the morning of her fortieth birthday, Sophie wakes to find an intruder in her bedroom. The stranger hands Sophie a letter and issues an threat: open the letter at her party that evening, in front of family and friends, at exactly 8 p.m., or those she loves will be in grave danger.

What can the letter possibly contain?

This will be no ordinary party; Sophie is not the only person keeping a secret about the evening ahead. When the clock strikes eight, the course of several people's lives will be altered for ever.

I've just devoured You Sent Me A Letter, which is an incredibly gripping psychological thriller, that will keep you guessing up to the last pages. I was convinced I had worked out what the main twist was going to be, around half way through reading, and I couldn't have been more wrong if I tried. Lucy Dawson, has managed to keep ahead of me the whole way through. I just couldn't outwit this book and that is a fabulous feeling. 

Sophie wakes up in the very early hours of the morning to find a man standing at the edge of her bed. He hands her an envelope with express instructions to open it in front of everyone at her 40th birthday party that evening. He makes it clear that her friends and family will be in danger if she doesn't comply. 

Sophie has to spend the day acting normal around her family, who are clearly concerned about her acting out of character and in the course of the day we learn a lot about Sophie, her relationship with Marc, and a couple of possible identities for the letter sender and the motive. 

The story is fast paced, and there was a sense of urgency from the first chapters which kept you turning the pages So many theories were running through my head, during the story, and not once did I predict any of the twists and turns along the way. There are moments of hilarity almost in amongst the more serious nature of what is about to happen. 

The only thing that would have made this book from fantastic to amazing would have been perhaps some more explanations of the motivations, possibly from other character points of view. The whole book was from Sophie's perspective and whilst it worked, I have been left with a couple of nagging questions after finishing the book. 

Despite that You Sent Me a Letter is a brilliant book, one that I would happily recommend to anyone wanting a gripping psychological thriller to read. 

Thank you so much to Alison Davies at Corvus Books for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Giveaway to win You Sent Me a Letter (Paperback) (UK only) 

I was accidentally sent a second copy of this fabulous book, so I'm giving one lucky person the chance to win my spare copy. 

Giveaway is open to UK only (but don't worry there will be more INT giveaways in the future) , all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 17/3/2016. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

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