Book Review - A Purrfect Alibi by Leighann Dobbs - Blog Tour

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Title: A Purrfect Alibi

Author: Leighann Dobbs

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 18th September 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Fortune tellers and mediums have descended on the Oyster Cove Guesthouse, determined to finally solve the mystery of local seafarer Jedediah Biddeford’s murder 300 years ago. New owner Josie Waters has suddenly got bigger problems than burning the breakfasts: she’s up to her elbows in tarot cards and tea leaves…

When one of the mediums is found dead with an ominous note nearby, everything points to Jedediah’s ghost being the culprit. Suddenly, Josie finds that the fate of her guesthouse depends on not one murder but two, and she’s not going to rely on a crystal ball for answers. Despite the fact that cookbooks and candlesticks keep mysteriously falling off tables, Josie is sure there’s no such thing as ghosts. But guesthouse cats Nero and Marlowe know better… 

Aided by her mom and eccentric family friend Millie, Josie sets out to prove the identity of the killer without summoning any spirits. Luckily Nero and Marlowe know the truth about ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night and they are on the case! Can they make Josie realize she is scratching up the wrong tree before the killer strikes again? 

From the bestselling author of the USA Today bestselling Mystic Notch series, purrfect for fans of Adele Abbott, cat lovers and anybody who loves to curl up with a page-turning cozy mystery.

I've been really enjoying this series, A Purrfect Alibi feels like is has tied up some loose ends from the other books too.

I think that am although it can probably be read as a standalone that reading the previous book at least would give you fat more benefit to following the bigger story arcs.

For a book filled with psychics, mediums, fortune tellers and ghosts, all things I'm incredibly sceptical about, I really did enjoy it a lot.

It is great to see Josie, finally realising that Nero and Marlowe own her and that they may just know how to solve a mystery. 

Although for the life of me I couldn't figure out why,  I did have suspicions who the murderer was, but the actual motive took me completely by surprise. 

Really pleasurable way to spend a few hours, and I greatly enjoy this author's writing style.

I really hope this isn't the last we see of Oyster Cove and our feline detectives.

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

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Book Review - As Luck Would Have It by Zoe May - #HolidayReading Madeira

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Title: As Luck Would Have It

Author: Zoe May

Format reviewed: Ebook 

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 19th September 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Natalie Jackson might keep up appearances on Instagram, but in reality her fiancé has just jilted her after the birth of their baby and she’s moved back in with her mum. Life isn’t exactly going to plan!

So when she enters the village raffle for the holiday of a lifetime, she thinks she has no chance of winning. But her name is pulled out – and, as luck would have it, so is a ticket bought by her childhood nemesis: Will Brimble.

Surely a romantic holiday for two is the worst idea ever…right?

Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Sophie Ranald and Lindsey Kelk.

I've been meaning to read a book by Zoe May for a while, so when I spotted a trip to Morocco in the blurb of this latest release, I knew i we going to read it, after all I do love a foreign holiday! 

Will and Nat were really close as children but then haven't spoken to each other in many years. 

When they both manage to win the same romantic holiday for 2, they agree to go together, as the both really need a break. 

Where the story really gets going for me, is once they are at the airport and given an upgrade, as they are on their "honeymoon". 

Even the luxury hotel seem to think they are newly weds and the lengths they go to to despite the fact that they barely know each other as adults, are really amusing. 

I loved getting to see Marrakesh through their eyes we really get a great feel for the city, and the writing really transported me there. 

This was feel good rom-com at its very best, and made for a wonderful couple of hours of reading poolside on holiday! 

Thoroughly enjoyable, I really do I need to read more from this amusing author.  

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

Book Review - The Murder Pact by M A Comley

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Title: The Murder Pact

Author: M A Comley

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Jeamel Publishing Limited

Publication Date: 8th August 2019

Rating: 5 Stars 

Another gripping instalment in this fast-paced thriller series from NY Times bestselling author who has sold over two and a half million copies worldwide. 

A murderous act...

The last resort for some.

One determined detective with a battle on her hands to unravel the truth.

A shocking case, that is both perplexing and intriguing.

However, can uncovering a disturbing secret bring DI Sara Ramsey’s latest investigation to its astonishing conclusion?

What an unique plot, not read anything like this one before. 

I was going to add more to that sentence but then realised literally anything I say about any aspect of the plot, is likely to be a spoiler. 

There are multiple murders involved, and completely different methods of people being killed, enough that if you only had the police's side of the story, I personally would have no idea where to start. 

But as this is a book, we also get to see the other side of the story, and hear the reasoning of the murders and get to see the full picture which makes this a fabulous book. 

It was great to catch up with D. I. Sara Ramsey and her team, and seeing her personal life on a far more settled, less dangerous footing than previously in the series.     I loved seeing how they tackled solving this crime wave.  

The Murder Pact, with its incredibly apt title, is the next fabulous addition to the series, and another truly original and enjoyable story to read. 

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

Book Review - Date Night by Samantha Hayes - #HolidayReading Madeira

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Amazon UK

Title: Date Night

Author: Samantha Hayes

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 20th August 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

Returning early from a disastrous date night with my husband, I know something is wrong the moment the wheels crunch the gravel drive of our home. Inside, the TV is on and a half-eaten meal waits on the table. My heart stops when I find our little girl is alone in the house and our babysitter, Sasha, is missing…

Days later, when I’m arrested for Sasha’s murder and torn away from my perfect little family, I’ll wish I had told someone about the threatening note I received that morning.

I’ll hate myself for not finding out who the gift hidden inside my husband’s wardrobe was for.

I’ll scream from the rooftops that I’m innocent – but no one will listen.

I will realise I was completely wrong about everything that happened that night…

But will you believe me?

Twisted and absolutely unputdownable, Date Night exposes what goes on behind the closed doors of a happy home and the dangerous truths we ignore to protect the ones we love. Perfect reading for anyone totally gripped by The Wife Between Us, Friend Request or Gone Girl.

Well I definitely did not see that ending coming, I had some theories but they all had holes in them, and the actual ending is so much more wow, than anything I was thinking. 

Written in such a way that you start thinking you have an unreliable narrator, and also not being completely sure what was happening at any point. 

At all times it felt like there deliberate holes in what the reader was being told, leaving me to come up with many wrong theories, which is fun. 

I really enjoyed reading this, it kept me on my toes at all times, and at various points it was unputdownable. 

All I wanted to know is what happened to Sasha and why, as its not normally to return home after a date night, to find the baby sitter has disappeared, but the child is still in the house. 

A very gripping story, that held my attention throughout. 

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

Book Review - Bonfires & Hot Chocolate at the Little Duck Pond Cafe by Rosie Green

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Title: Bonfires & Hot Chocolate at the Little Duck Pond Cafe

Author: Rosie Green

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 2nd November 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

If you love all the colours of autumn, you're sure to warm to this uplifting story of love, loss and starting over.
Primrose Wilkins arrived in Sunnybrook with a burning desire to find the family she's never known. But after a heart-breaking false start, she's beginning to have second thoughts. Can she find the courage to battle on in her quest? And with her romantic life at an all-time low, will meeting the intriguing and attractive Callum Davy be just what she needs to renew her faith in love?
Meanwhile, Fen is also finding it hard to be brave. She's made it through to the final of TV show 'Battle of the Bakes' (thanks to Ellie entering on her behalf), but she's always shied away from being in the spotlight. How will Fen cope now that she's a famous 'celebrity', recognised in the street everywhere she goes?

What a delightfully autumnal addition to this series, complete with Halloween and Fireworks.  Plus Maisie Moo in fancy dress, and Maisy Moo just being an all around star. 

Ok I really want Maisie's puppy, she is so adorable and cuddly and Primrose seems to love walking her.  Primrose who moved to Sunnbrook in the previous book, and is now the central character, as we see if she can discover who her birth grandmother really is. 

This is a lovely and moving story, and I loved getting to know Primrose so well.  And of course catching up with all of the other wonderful women that this series has brought into our lives. We finally get to discover how Fen does in the Battle of the Bakes,  and Ellie is getting much closer to her wedding.  

There are two potential love interest in this edition for Primrose,  although I was reasonably sure who she would  be with quite early on, it was enjoyable to see the story develop. 

This is just another incredibly enjoyable addition to The Little Duck Pond Cafe series, and although it could be read as a standalone, its even better having read all the other wonderful books before it! 

Reading this felt like returning home to old friends, and I really am excited to hear there will be another book in this series, as I definitely want more. 

Thanks to the author for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily 

Book Review - The Windmill Cafe by Poppy Blake

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Title: The Windmill Cafe

Author: Poppy Blake

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter 

Publication Date: 20th September 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

Seasons come and go, but the peppermint green sails of the Windmill Café will keep on turning.

Escaping the bustle and heartbreak of her old life in the city, Rosie Barnes can’t believe that her dream of setting up a café has come true. Whether it’s her chilled homemade lemonade, sticky chocolate brownies or warming mince pies, Rosie’s café draws guests in from far and wide, and the folk of Willerby can enjoy it come rain or shine.

But some mysterious events soon threaten the picturesque town she now calls home, and with the help of ruggedly handsome local Matt Wilson, she must find out what’s going on before the reputation of the town – and her beloved café – are ruined.

From the scorching summer sun through to the crisp winter frosts, Rosie is in for a year she’ll never forget…

The Windmill Cafe is the combined book of the first three books of this series, Summer Breeze, Autumn Leavea and Christmas Trees, and I must say that I thought they got better and better as the series progressed. 

I didn't predict the outcome of any of the three cosy mysteries, but it was the one in Christmas Trees that shocked met he most and had me utterly hooked while I tried to work out who the culprit was before the police and our amateur detectives Rosie and Matt.  

I have to admit to having a ridiculous strong feeling of deja vu throughout reading Summer Breeze,  it may just be because of the nature of the crime, but I had the strangest feeling I had read the book somewhere before and that feeling didn't leave me until I started on book 2 - Autumn Leaves.  

 I've never had that sensation for so long ever while reading, and its still bugging me that I can't put my finger on it, but I'm going to put it down to Poppy Blake having such lovely and familiar writing style, that just drew me in, that I felt instantly at home with the book. 

I loved getting to know Rosie, Mia, Matt and Freddie our four main characters, and the stars of The Windmill Cafe and the outdoor adventure centre in Willerby.   Willerby sounded like a lovely place to live, and I enjoyed getting to know it, even if it is a town that seems to attract mysteries!! 

All of the mysteries had really original ideas for the nature of how someone got hurt, ones that I have only rarely come across if ever before.   And the seasonal elements of each book were fabulous.  I especially loved the Christmas Tree decorating competition, such inventive designs. 

I really enjoyed my stay at the Windmill Cafe, and look forward to reading more from this author in the future. 

Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Four Weddings and a Festival by Annie Robertson

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Title: Four Weddings and a Festival

Author: Annie Robertson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 11th July 2019 

Rating: 5 Stars

Four months. Four weddings. One happy ending...?
Lifelong friends and rom-com fans Bea, Lizzie, Hannah and Kat have curled up with Bridget Jones, sobbed at Love, Actually and memorised the script to Notting Hill. They always joked about getting married in one summer - their own Four Weddings - and it seems like this might just be the year . . .

That is, until Bea turns down her boyfriend's proposal. Is her own Hugh Grant waiting for her amid the champagne and confetti? Can real-life romance ever live up to a Richard Curtis movie?

As the wedding - and festival - season gets into its swing, can all four friends find their happy ever after...?

Raise a glass of champagne and get ready for this summer's most charming romantic comedy! Perfect for fans of Sophie Ranalds, Mandy Baggot and Sue Roberts

Loved every single second of this book. And if you are a massive Four Weddings and a funeral fan you will love the multitude of references to the film,  as the four friends see just how many of them will get married in the same summer.

The weddings like the brides could not have been more different nor utterly perfect for each of them. 

Although whether their other halves are ideal partners is for you to discover. 

As the summer wedding season is upon us,  this really is a fabulous summery book to set the mood. 

I loved the friends,  the dialogue,  the writing style,  and just hours I could picture it all so perfectly.

I would say it makes an excellent film, but that could be because that is at the base of the book but highly originally changed. 

A super summer story from an author I've enjoyed in the past and hope to read again in the future too.

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

Book Review - My Sisters and Me by Lisa Dickenson

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Title: My Sisters and Me

Author: Lisa Dickenson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Sphere

Publication Date: 23rd August 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

They're fixing up their childhood home. It's going to get messy.

When Willow Lake asks her daughters for help renovating the family home, each has a reason to hesitate about returning to Maplewood . . .

For quiet and bookish Emmy going back to the town that ridiculed her fills her with dread.

The youngest Noelle is perfectly comfortable in herself now, but once wanted to fit in so badly that she walked away from her first love. A first love who still lives in Maplewood.

And outspoken Rae is painfully aware of how much the townspeople hurt her little sisters growing up. She didn't protect them then, but there's no way she'll let history repeat itself.

The sisters agree to go home and make the best of it. After all if they've changed over the years, it's possible the townspeople have too . . . isn't it?

The BRAND NEW feel-good, kick-ass novel about sisterhood and second chances. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk, Mhairi McFarlane and Anna Bell.

I really enjoyed getting to know all 3 of the Lake sisters, Rae, Emmy and Noelle. 

Over the two months spent decorating their childhood home back in their home town of Maplewood they learn as adults how to deal with their awkward childhoods in the town. 

The Lake sisters always had a reputation for being creepy,  they were bullied, one was studious, one was gay and one may have been a bit of a rock chick,  and they lived on the outskirts of town in the woods.

None of them were particularly looking forward to these two months as they knew they may have to face up to all the old unpleasantness. 

Despite them now being successful women, just being back home had them regressing back to their younger selves. 

Filled with 90s nostalgia, this it's a story of righting old wrongs, reconnecting with the past and reforming stronger bonds as sisters.

I loved all three of them with their different personalities,  and all with their own personal goals besides making the house look great. 

This was a very enjoyable book and I look forward to seeing what the author writes next. 

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

Book Review - The Bistro By Watersmeet Bridge by Julie Stock

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Title:  The Bistro By Watersmeet Bridge

Author: Julie Stock

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Clued Up Publishing

Publication Date: 6th August 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

When Olivia goes to manage Finn's failing bistro, will they end up sharing a table for two, or will it be a recipe for disaster?

Olivia Fuller longs to manage one of the restaurants in her father’s chain and to break free to live the independent life she’s wanted for so long. When her father finally puts his trust in her and sends her to a failing restaurant in Devon, she’s confident she can prove herself capable of doing the job.

Finn Anderson is about to lose his beloved seaside bistro, unless the bank can find a buyer to dig him out. When George Fuller offers Finn a deal, he has no choice but to accept if he wants any chance of getting his bistro back one day. And then the new manager arrives…

Even after meeting the prickly chef and discovering his complete lack of business skills, 

Olivia is confident she can turn the struggling business round. But as Olivia and Finn start working together, a mutual attraction develops between them, and soon, nothing is going according to Olivia’s plan. 

When there’s a real chance that the bistro might be sold off, Olivia and Finn determine to fight for it, united by their hard work and their growing feelings for each other.

But can they save the bistro and be together, or does destiny have a different path in mind?

A feel-good contemporary romance set in a bistro beside the sea in Devon.

What an absolutely charming story this was, I just wanted to dive in between the pages of the book and visit The Bistro By Watersmeet Bridge for myself.   I was utterly enchanted by it, and the Devonian setting.  

The narrative is split between Olivia and Finn's perspectives, so we really get to know both characters quite well.   Finn is the chef of what was a failing a bistro, until the company that Olivia's father runs, buys it and puts Olivia in charge. 

Olivia is delighted to finally have a chance to turn around a struggling restaurant but its clear that something isn't quite right with various decisions, that her father seems to make, or his logic, and it was fun finding out just what was behind them! 

I do love a book when you are rooting for the little guy against a bigger corporation, and you can't help but feel sorry for Finn for the reasons why the Bistro got into the mess it was in in the first place. 

With fabulous characters, some great food descriptions, a story that drew me in and was on my mind when I was't reading, and I just found it a really easy and gentle read. I was completely absorbed by it and wanted to know what happens next, and i would love to return to the setting in the future. 

This is the second book I've read by the author and thoroughly enjoyed them both, she just has a writing style that is a pleasure to follow, and clearly knows about food and drink. 

I loved this feel good story. 

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

Book Review - The Summer of Going Topless by Liz Davies

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Amazon UK

Title: The Summer of Going Topless

Author: Liz Davies

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 22nd August 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Candice Summerville is fast approaching fifty-years-old and wonders if she might be invisible. No one seems to notice her - not really. Heck, she often doesn’t notice herself, except for her monthly scrutiny in the mirror to check on her body’s steady slide towards middle age.

But when her ancient, practical estate car is consigned to the scrap heap, Candice falls in love with a cute, purple convertible, and from that moment on her life begins to take on a whole new meaning. Strangers wave at her and people stop to talk, and suddenly she isn’t invisible any longer.
Life seems to be looking up, especially when she meets silver fox and handy-man, Paul. There’s just one fly in the ointment, one thing that has her second-guessing herself.
Is it the car that Paul sees - or is it her?

The second I heard the title of this book I knew I had to read it. Then I saw the gorgeous cover, and was even more convinced, but even after reading the blurb I still hadn't quite twigged how being topless came into it. 

Having now read this delightful book I completely understand the topless nature of it, and just how apt the cover image really is. 

I loved this book. Candice is almost 50 and is slowly coming to the realisation her life may be stuck in a bit of a rut. In fact the first page had me giggling with Candice's description of herself. 

It's a story of self discovery, of gaining confidence, and how one purchase can ultimately end up changing a  person's whole outlook on life. 

I really wasn't keen on how Candice's sons and ex-husband seemed to treat her, and it clearly affected the way she saw herself. 

I enjoyed seeing the changes in Candice, especially her confidence, and how it affected her in all walks of life. And her fledgling new friendship with Paul was just lovely. 

This was a fun to read book, that i read with a big grin on my face and just couldn't get enough of.  It also left me with a rather weird craving for purple Jelly beans!!  

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