Book Extract: Paper Over It by Ruth Gresty
Please join me in welcoming Ruth Gresty to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Paper Over It.
Jennifer Jones is in control.
Jen is confident she has complete control over the things that are trying to control her. Until she isn’t. Until she hasn’t. Until she realises she has never been in control at all. She’s been papering over it for years.
It’s the start of the year 2000. A new millennium has arrived. For Jen and her three friends, university life in Manchester is full of possibility and endless fun. Sassiness, spontaneity, marvellous mayhem and youthful optimism reign in the Manchester rain.
But beneath the sometimes brash bravado sometimes even the most resilient, carefree, fun-loving characters who, on the surface look like they are living their best lives, are perilously close to falling apart. Over the course of one unforgettable year, the young women confront their own realities and truths. Some make foolish mistakes and others life changing choices.
Sometimes heartwarming and other times heartbreaking, but always brutally honest. This is a story of friendship, mistakes, self-discovery and acceptance; identity, love and the messy reality of becoming an adult. It’s about the masks we wear, the mistakes and choices we make, and the courage it takes to stop papering over it and face ourselves when everything feels like it’s falling apart.
It’s real, raw, raunchy, sometimes random and frankly rude at times. Just like Jen and her friends.
Ruth has shared an extract from Paper Over It with us all today. Make that drink, find those biscuits, head to that comfortable chair and enjoy.
(Warning: mild language).
*****beginning of extract*****
I have chosen this extract as it hopefully sums up how twenty-one-year-old single mum Jen (the main protagonist of four key characters) is feeling and why she knows she has to somehow evolve and enhance her life. She doesn’t fit into her old one (or her friends) on a day-to-day basis. She is lonely, however much she loves her baby boy. She is also being dragged back into her un-named eating disorder just to try and feel a little control over something.
She has hit a crossroad, on a road in her much-loved Manchester, and knows she needs to make some changes. She just doesn’t really know how yet.
This extract is towards the end of the book and only features one of the four main characters, and I appreciate it gives away the spoiler of Jen having a baby, but hopefully it makes sense why I have chosen this.
End of Chapter 49 – ‘Show me the meaning of feeling lonely’
Joseph is fast asleep, only taking a single suck of his dummy occasionally. She suddenly feels sightly uneasy in her beloved city. Detached in a weird way. She drives south, out of it.
As she crosses the inner ring road and onto the Princess Parkway, a strange cloud descends over her.
by 
NK Chats To… Jaime P. Bradley
Hi Jaime. Thank you so much for joining me today and for inviting Novel Kicks onto the blog tour for Reasons To Act. Can you tell us a bit about it?
Reasons to Act is the third novel in my 3000 Reasons series. It’s about Olivia, a Marine who is unexpectedly made the military consultant on the set of an action movie starring Chris Blackstone, who has private reasons for needing the movie to be a success and doesn’t trust a newbie like Olivia on his set. They butt heads immediately, but of course sparks also fly. Ultimately, this story is a romance but it’s also about acceptance and respect. (Think the movie Fall Guy meets The Hating Game)
What are the challenges of writing a book within an established series? What’s been the best part?
Reasons to Act is actually a great example of the challenge of a series because it wasn’t supposed to exist, but then this fierce character Olivia came along as I was writing Reasons to Risk and she wouldn’t leave me alone. After I accepted that I’d have to give her a story, it was supposed to be an offshoot novella, but I found in the writing process that I needed more space to do them justice, so it became a novel. It’s difficult to be flexible, but I think it’s most important to give the characters their due and make the romance believable, even if it wasn’t part of my original plan or the characters don’t fall into the structure I originally imagined. At the same time, one of the most fun and wonderful things about writing a series is returning to characters over and over. They’re like friends and watching them interact as each one gets their own story is really rewarding.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals – coffee? Silence?
I’m an early bird with four kids, so my typical (ideal) writing day starts with a workout session followed by copious amounts of coffee, farm chores, more coffee, and getting the kids off to school. Once they’re out of the house I sit at my desk or in a comfy chair and do about an hour or so of email and social media, then I change gears and get into the manuscript. I usually listen to music, but it depends on what kind of scene I’m writing and what kind of mood I’m trying to get into. Often instrumental pop works, but I have playlists for steamy scenes or those with more energy. When I feel stuck—or the dogs want to go out—I’ll often take my phone and dictate as we walk around our fields. Sometimes the change of scenery, movement, and nature sounds will help me through a difficult scene. When the kids come home I try to quit for the day, although I often keep notes and ideas for dialogue on my phone or in a notebook as they come to me and put them in the manuscript the next day.
What was your route to publication and what advice do you have for someone looking to follow a similar path?
I initially queried with agents and tried the trad route with an early version of 3000 Reasons to Stay and had some interest, but ultimately no takers. I ended up doing a massive rewrite once I found my developmental editor, Jen, and decided to indie publish because the trad route takes so long and by that point I was antsy to just prove to myself I could publish. In hindsight, that wasn’t the best marketing decision (wait, I’m supposed to have an ARC team? Get reviews? Tell people about my book?) But Stay turned out well and I’ve learned SO MUCH since putting it out there. I like being in control of my product and revenue, though it’s a lot of work and I don’t rule out pitching a future series to a trad publisher. However, the trad route is incredibly slow and I’m not sure I have the patience for it! With all that said, my advice for new authors is, Don’t Rush It! Learn the process, the business, build a platform and get to know other published writers for advice. There are tons of people and places willing to share their knowledge, often for free or minimal cost. Take the editorial process seriously, and if you’re writing series romance, have a couple books finished before you put the first one out. Be patient and don’t quit!
What’s your favourite word and why?
I’m not sure I have a favorite word, though I do appreciate a very thoughtfully placed swear. Maybe that’s because I write military and former military characters (and my husband is a former Marine) so a well dropped curse can really set a scene.
by Book Extract: The Obsidian Rig by Earl D. Coobs
It’s a pleasure to welcome Earl D. Coobs to Novel Kicks as we shine a light on his book, The Obsidian Rig.For Garth Heller, owning a gleaming, obsidian-black Peterbilt 359 means freedom. But his dream rig conceals something he could never have anticipated: a malevolent force hidden deep within its engine block, a remnant of an ancient cosmic evil forged from the Spear of Destiny.
The truck’s dark mythological power begins consuming Garth’s mind, turning pride into possession and plunging him into blackouts he cannot explain. Violence follows. So do madness and guilt. With each mile comes another loss of control and another unspeakable crime as Garth’s soul is slowly twisted into a vessel for horror.
But the darkness beneath the hood doesn’t end with Garth. The Peterbilt passes to a new owner, a broken man named Harry Smith, and the nightmare starts all over again.
In The Obsidian Rig, supernatural horror meets occult mythology and cosmic terror in a story where machines can become monsters, and evil can wear the mask of steel.
Earl has kindly shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Chapter 1
The Promise
The day Garth finally got his Peterbilt was the last good day he could remember. He stood in the Tulsa dealership lot, his boots sinking a little into the fresh gravel, just staring at it. The truck wasn’t just a machine; it was a promise. He’d scraped and saved for ten years to custom-order this rig, and it was perfect. He knew every single detail by heart: a 1972Peterbilt 359, VIN 7201509359C. The deep, obsidian black paint shimmered in the midday sun, a finish so dark it seemed to pull the light into its surface. He’d nicknamed it “Iron Ray,” a nod to his late father and the raw power he saw in its lines. Continue reading
by Book Review: Love Song at the Music Festival by Margaret Amatt
It’s a pleasure to welcome Margaret Amatt back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Love Song at the Music Festival.
From Heartbreak to Harmony
After young music teacher Mirren Elphinstone’s entitled boyfriend dumps her and walks out on local band Tavrach, Mirren has a score to settle. Despite her usually sunny, helpful nature, she decides auditioning for the vacant lead singer role is the perfect way to get payback.
Tavrach’s enigmatic frontman, Adam Cormac, is desperate. With the Autumn Gold Festival fast approaching, the band needs a new lead singer – and fast. When only one hopeful turns up – a golden-haired beauty with the voice of an angel – Adam takes a chance.
He soon discovers Mirren is the ex of the sneaky band member who not only abandoned them but stole some of Adam’s compositions. Tempers flare, until the tension between Adam and Mirren turns electric. What began as revenge quickly explodes into an attraction as powerful as their duets – but Adam’s been burned too often to risk his heart lightly.
If they want a chance to turn heartbreak into harmony, Adam must believe he’s more than a stopgap, while Mirren must choose love on her own terms. Only then can they strike a lasting chord before the curtain falls.
*****
Adam is not one to trust lightly especially when a trusted member of his band leaves, taking songs that don’t belong to him.
Mirren knows that Benji leaving is for the best. She also knows that auditioning to take his place in the band he’s just abandoned will be the perfect revenge. Will Adam and the other band members see it that way?
When there was another chance to be part of a blog tour for this author, I jumped at the chance and couldn’t wait to get started.
This wasn’t my first visit to Glenbriar and it felt so good to be back. There were even some familiar faces. If this book will be your introduction to Margaret Amatt’s wonderful series, it can be read as a standalone.
by Book Review: A Fatal Love by Louisa Treger
Following Ruth Ellis’ long-awaited posthumous conditional pardon in July 2026, never has there been a more compelling moment to revisit the woman behind one of Britain’s most enduring legal cases.
It is Easter Sunday in 1955 and a young man lies face-down on the ground covered in blood. A woman, blonde and petite, stands over him with a gun in her hand. This is the story of Ruth Ellis as never told before…
As Ruth awaits her trial in Holloway Prison, she recollects growing up in England during the Second World War and the events that led to the death of her lover, David Blakely.
Meanwhile, Kitty Carrington – the assistant to Ruth’s trial lawyer – tries to forge her own path through the male-dominated legal world of the 1950s and ensure that Ruth receives a fair trial.
Navigating secrets, betrayal and a broken justice system, Ruth and Kitty try to take control of their own lives and narratives. But do we ever really know the full story?
*****
When Ruth Ellis murdered her lover, David Blakely in 1955, it started a debate that continues in 2026. Was she a cold-blooded killer or was she pushed to the brink by a man and a life that broke her?
Ruth Ellis and her case from 1955 is one that has fascinated me for a long time. When the review request for Louisa Treger’s new book, A Fatal Love, came along, I was eager to get reading.
Now, we all know how Ruth’s story ends. What this book explores is the emotional side of Ruth – the thoughts and feelings that led her to murder David Blakely.
This kind of book is one I find interesting. It mixes fact and fiction to give us a look into Ruth’s life. How she felt, what she went through and how her relationships affected her as a human being. Of course. we won’t ever know the truth of what motivated her or how she really felt about things, but this is one interpretation.
by NK Chats To… Jackie Carreira
Hi Jackie. Thank you for bringing your birthday blitz tour to Novel Kicks. Can you tell us about your book, Notebook Number Nine and what inspired it?
Notebook Number Nine is the story of a young woman who has an epiphany one day and realises that everything is a lie! Not just in her own life, but everywhere she looks. She decides that she’s had enough and determines to undertake a journey of self-discovery and a search for real truth. The problem is, she’s just a ‘normal’ person. She can’t afford to escape to a monastery up a mountain or a beach in Bali. Can just anyone find out what’s actually real? Or is it only for those who can afford it? I’ve always had an inquisitive mind. I was one of those children that constantly asked questions that irritate the hell out of grown-ups. I read too many so-called ‘self-help’ books over the years that made no sense to me and didn’t help at all. I grew up on a council estate in Hackney, and I wanted to write about a journey of self-discovery for those of us who still have to pay the gas bill. It’s a novel that asks a lot of deep questions, but with a good dose of humour and common sense. Ultimately, it’s a human story full of hope.
What is your favourite word and why?
I’m not sure why, but I love onomatopoeic words (that sound like what they’re describing), like ‘Boing!’ and ‘Thwack!’ and ‘Sizzle!’
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals – coffee? Silence?
Coffee – yes! Silence – only when I get to the editing stage. My favourite writing spaces are coffee shops, especially ones in train stations, so the background noise often helps. You can catch some fascinating snippets of conversations.
Which fictional character would you like to meet and why?
by NK Chats To & Extract: Noah Christopher
Hi Noah, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell us about your book, The Confessor?
Absolutely! I’ve always had in the back of my head that it would be fun to write a book one day, and after years of thinking about it “one day” finally became “today” and I just jumped in. My favorite author has always been John Sandford ever since I first read Rules of Prey many years ago. I love the alternating POV chapters between hero and villain, so I knew I wanted to use a similar concept while still making the book my own and something truly unique.
That eventually became The Confessor. The book started when I came up with the concept for the killer, a man who is tired of all the injustice in the world and starts making people confess to their crimes before he kills them. Then, as I wrote on the dedication page, I wanted our hero to feel like a distant cousin of Lucas Davenport from Sandford’s Prey series, with a healthy dose of myself thrown in as well. Those were the building blocks, and everything else fell in around them.
The hero and the killer, oddly enough, start to feel like two sides of the same coin, and the line that divides them starts to blur towards the end. It’s a book that weighs some pretty deep questions of morality and justice…and who gets to make those decisions. My goal is that it’s fun to read and takes you on a wild ride, but then sticks with you a bit after you’ve finished it.
What are the challenges when writing in a series? What are the most important things you need to consider?
The first challenge wasn’t writing a series—it was figuring out how to write a book in the first place! I’ve always been a writer by trade in many different mediums, but I’d never written a full book. The whole thing was a massive learning curve. I just had to learn as I went, and as I wrote, I gradually found the rhythm of the book and became much more confident in what worked.
I also have the first six chapters of Book 2 in the series written, and I may be biased, but I think it’s even better than Book 1. Now the challenge is keeping the continuity straight, advancing the characters and raising the stakes while still making each book satisfying on its own. I’m learning and growing as I go, and that’s half the fun of it.
What is your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals like needing coffee before you begin? Needing silence to write—that sort of thing?
I had to learn and develop this as I went too, but eventually the pattern I fell into, which I really enjoyed, was working in 2-3 hour blocks about two or three times a day. Any longer and I found I needed to clear my head, but any shorter and I found it hard to really get into the zone and hit a creative groove.
I like to go for a run or walk or swim in between, and those are often some of my most creative times. More ideas for this book came to me while out on a run or while swimming than at any other time. I often found I couldn’t put the book down, couldn’t get it out of my head, so while swimming I’d constantly be trying to solve dead ends I had reached, or figure out how to shift the plot in the direction we needed to go in a realistic way.
And yes, I need pure silence to write. I am definitely not one of those background-noise people, and I could never write somewhere like a Starbucks. It’s home in my quiet office for me. My final routine came at the end of the day. After I’d worked on the book, I would put it down, clear my head, go for a walk, eat dinner, do whatever else was going on with the family, and then, after I’d fully reset and cleared my mind, I would read with fresh eyes the new section I’d produced that day before going to bed. That was always a real treat. Then…rinse and repeat the next day until the book was finally finished.
What’s your favourite word and why?
by Book Extract: Heartless By Brian Fitzgerald
I’m happy to be welcoming Brian Fitzgerald to Novel Kicks as we shine a light on his book, Heartless.
Ten years of frustration and heartbreak caring for his son John, born with a catastrophic heart defect, have convinced Rick Morrow that the world is stacked against his family. And on what should be the best day of their life — the day when John will finally get a new heart – an even worse nightmare begins, when the helicopter carrying the heart crashes, destroying the heart and the hopes of the Morrow family.
Rick’s heartbreak turns to rage as he begins to suspect that the accident was no accident at all. His pursuit of the truth puts him on a collision course with the giant Cera Corporation and the powerful family that runs it, who have an agenda of their own and will stop at nothing to make it come true. The escalating conflict threatens Rick’s reputation, his safety and even his marriage. It reaches its gut-wrenching climax with Rick and his wife Mary facing and even more terrible question; will they sacrifice all they believe in to save their own son, at a cost almost too high to imagine?
Brian has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
One
The white lines crawled across the green displays of the monitors, in rhythm with the steady sigh of the ventilator. The name ‘Matthew Richardson’ was written in black Sharpie on a piece of tape running at an odd angle below the squares of glass. The tape had been stuck to the machine in haste six months ago in the frenzy of the emergency room ten floors below. It had been put there during a desperate attempt to save the life of the young boy at the end of the tangle of the wires and tubes hanging between the machines and the bed. No one had seen any point in straightening it ever since.
by Book Review: My Chance to Fly By Samantha Tonge
I’m very excited to be welcoming Samantha Tonge to Novel Kicks as we celebreate the publication of her latest book, My Chance to Fly.
A BRAND NEW sparkling, uplifting story about love, friendship and learning to spread your wings from Samantha Tonge✨🦋 Perfect for fans of Shari Low, Faith Hogan and Evie Woods!
Una Lowe lives a perfectly edited life in London. Other than her best friend, she’s careful about who she lets in. Emotional complications are just that – complicated. That is, until she rescues a rare white swallow… who might have just flown in to change her life.
Because, when her beloved swallow fails to return from migration one year, Una’s world crumbles. But a viral social media campaign brings a miraculous response from a man in Bavaria named Konrad, who claims the bird has also visited him. Which leads him to invite Una to his picturesque village for the chance to see their shared feathered friend together.
Stepping out of her comfort zone, Una flies to Germany. Amidst snow-dusted streets, local festivals, and Konrad’s undeniable charm, Una’s protective walls begin to fall down.
But when the complication she’s avoided her whole life comes for her, she’s forced to confront her deepest fears. As autumn turns to winter, and inspired by the tiny, brave bird that brought them together, Una must decide if she is finally ready to risk her heart.
Is the only way to know if you can fly to face a possibility of falling…?
*****
Una is the type of person that likes everything orderly. Her joy in life is a barn swallow named Blue. When Blue doesn’t return by the beginning of the autumn, Una begins to worry. Then help comes from the most unlikely of places.
I have to say, I am a bit of a fan of Samantha Tonge’s novels and couldn’t wait to get going on her latest book, My Chance to Fly.
Can I just give some love to this cover. It’s beautiful.
by Book Review: The One Where They Fall in Love By Cristina Wolf
Cristina Wolf and her blog tour have joined us today as I review her latest book, The One Where They Fall in Love.
You never know when love may come knocking…
Hopeless romantic and romance editor Elle Thompson lives for happy endings—but real-life love? Not so much. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t thrilled when her best friend gets engaged. Really. Not jealous at all.
Meanwhile, Oliver Cole likes things a certain way. Schedules and routines and order. So when his move back to New York is disrupted with the unwelcome addition of Thor—the dog his sister adopted for him—he’s less than enthused. Even less enthused than Oliver? His neighbour, Elle.
When Elle can’t bear to hear Thor howling all night, the two agree to strike a deal: she’ll dog-sit while he’s on shift.
But what starts as a reluctant arrangement soon turns into late-night chats, sizzling chemistry, and two lonely hearts daring to let each other in.
*****
As a book editor, Elle Thompson is a deliverer of happy endings. She adores the romance genre she works in. She just wished her own life reflected the happiness of the characters she helps bring to life. Oliver Cole is not sure what to make of his new neighbour. He’s got a lot going on in his life and has no mental bandwidth to deal with it. Then he meets Elle.
The One Where They Fall in Love was my introduction to Cristina Wolf. It was the premise and genre that got me excited to be part of the blog tour for this novel. I couldn’t wait to get started. This type of book is the reason I love running Novel Kicks. It allows me to discover new authors like this one.
by Book Extract: The Knife Maker of Venice By David Gilman
I’m excited to be inviting David Gilman to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book, The Knife Maker of Venice.
A young Englishman captured by slavers must survive the snakepit that is seventeenth-century Venice.
1604. As pirates seeking slaves to sell in the markets of North Africa terrorise the coasts of Europe, headstrong Richard Sheriff and his sister Elizabeth are torn from their Devonshire home and thrust into a waking nightmare.
Richard’s skills as a blacksmith see him fetch a high price, but the pirate captain has other plans for Elizabeth and once they are separated, Richard has no idea of his sister’s fate. They must both learn to survive on a deadly voyage into the unknown.
Sold into servitude in Venice: glittering, vicious city of secrets, he is apprenticed to a knife maker. Richard’s talents soon win him renown… but haunted by his sister’s absence, he vows never to stop looking for her, knowing she would do the same for him.
First he must survive that city of ghosts. Will the siblings live to see each other again, or will they join the myriads lost to Venice, where life is cheap, profit is all, and escape nigh-on impossible?
A powerful historical adventure perfect for fans of Kate Mosse, Ken Follett and Robert Harris.
David has kindly shared an extract with us today. Enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
by Book Extract: Deadly Odds 9.0 By Allen Wyler
I am very excited to be welcoming Allen Wyler to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book, Deadly Odds 9.0.
Not every threat begins with violence. Sometimes it starts with quiet observation, careful planning, and the knowledge that someone has been studying every move. Deadly Odds 9.0 by Allen Wyler follows a cyber-detective whose greatest challenge may be protecting the people he never wanted caught in the middle.
Arnold Gold has learned to trust his instincts, and they warn him that something is wrong before any evidence appears. As he spends time with Kara Winston, a trusted ally who has become far more than a professional colleague, a dangerous adversary begins putting a calculated plan into motion. Rashidi watches, waits, and searches for the vulnerabilities that will cause the greatest damage, transforming Arnold’s loved ones into potential targets.
The danger escalates when Arnold discovers someone has attempted to kill his dog, Chance, confirming that the threat has become deeply personal. At the same time, growing conflict within Gold, Patel, and Associates weakens the support system Arnold has relied upon. With the help of SAM, his advanced artificial intelligence network, Arnold faces an increasingly complex battle against cyber threats, hidden enemies, and a relentless opponent determined to stay one step ahead.
Allen has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy it.
(Warning: mild language.)
*****beginning of extract*****
CHAPTER 1—Seattle
Prickly spider tarsi skittered up Arnold Gold’s spine, causing his shoulders to scrunch together as the hair on the back of his neck became erect. Stopping in mid-sentence, he glanced over his left shoulder—as if he intuitively knew that was the only possible reason for such a strong sensation—but he only saw other diners and the familiar maître’d. Suddenly his eyes locked onto a darker skinned male hurrying toward the front door, the image triggering a sense of foreboding familiarity.
I know him.
Arnold stared at the space the man vacated as the visceral sense of danger subsided. Why did the fleeting image vise-grip his attention with a déjà vu familiarity and instinctive animal fear?
Did he know that person?
by Book Review: The Scandalous Lady Mina By Lara Temple
I am very excited to be welcoming Lara Temple to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Scandalous Lady Mina.
A Victorian enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity romance
Lady Wilhelmina, once the darling of the ton, fled England in shame after jilting her fiancé. Following a decade in disgrace, Mina’s returning to Society’s ballrooms on a luxury steamship…and encounters her ex-fiancé’s distractingly handsome cousin, Max Cavendish—her once friend, now enemy!
Max’s guard is up, yet being in close quarters with Mina sparks a wave of dangerous attraction that makes him want to discover the truth behind the scandal. Wealthy engineer Max is used to being in command of his world and his emotions, but his complicated feelings for Mina are making him feel decidedly out of control…
*****
It is 1880. Mina is on her way back to London aboard the SS Aquitania. Having escaped scandal ten years before, the last thing she wanted to do was to see Max Cavendish again. Can they make it back to London in relative harmony, or will old emotions come to the surface?
I was delighted to be invited onto the blog tour for The Scandalous Lady Mina by Lara Temple. This book was my introduction to this author, but it’s not going to be the last book I read from her.
I’m not going to lie. I loved this book from beginning to end. It was entertaining, and isn’t that one of the best things you can get from reading a novel? There was a deliciousness to it. There were moments where I smiled, cheered, swore at some of the characters out loud and couldn’t wait to find out what happened whilst, at the same time, not wanting it to end. The plot is fun, flirty and full of little twists and turns. It was easy to fall into. I am hoping it’s not the last we see of these characters.
by Book Extract: Body Language By Brian Fitzgerald
I’m happy to be welcoming Brian Fitzgerald to Novel Kicks as we shine a light on his book, Body Language.
When Alan Wright learns his ex-wife Andrea leapt to her death only hours after getting remarried to a man he hates, he’s heartbroken. When he receives a package in the mail two days after her death, filled with the documents she’d used to plan that wedding, he’s hurt and angry. And when he learns that Andrea’s bizarre last wishes require him to spread her ashes over a lake outside a small village in Africa, he’s beyond resentful. But love, loyalty and the uncanny power of human connection win out, sending Wright back into the volatile stew of hope and cynicism that is aid work in the poorest parts of the world. In the teeming city of Kinshasa and the remote villages of the Congo he not only rediscovers his love for Andrea, he comes to understand that buried in the strange details of the wedding itself were subtle clues she’d left for him. Those clues point him to a plan to unleash genetic engineering in a way so reckless that its failure could mean the end of all human life, while its success could leave the fundamental definition of humanity in the hands of small team of scientists and the government that supported them.
Body Language travels with breakneck speed from the glittering research labs of Cambridge Massachusetts to the darkest corners of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It’s a story of the modern power of science, money and greed pitted against the eternal strength of human connection, love and altruism, reaching across the boundaries of death itself.
Brian has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
One
Andrea uncrossed her long legs. The skin below her short dress was tanned from years in the African sun. On one calf a series of thin white scars showed where the inevitable wounds from jungle life had been left to heal undressed. She crossed her legs the opposite way and drummed her fingers on the soft arm of the plush white leather couch. The bald man sitting on the identical couch opposite her ignored these shows of impatience. He kept his gaze lowered to the glass coffee table between them, intent on his work. Andrea watched the reflection of the ceiling lights ripple unevenly across his shaved scalp as he turned his head back and forth, scanning the pile of documents laid out on the table. From time to time, he’d hold a page to the light in his thick, crooked fingers. He seemed to be looking for faint markings or perhaps for some sort of invisible ink. This amused Andrea in some small way. She knew it was all for show. His cryptography expert had already told him the documents were free from any codes or cyphers. Some of the pages he inspected were printouts from a computer, and some were handwritten in Andrea’s hasty, childlike penmanship.
by Book Extract: House of Thieves By Rachel Walkley
Please join me in welcoming Rachel Walkley to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, House of Thieves.
At Terrington Hall, objects are treasured while people are forgotten.
Chief conservator Amy is restoring the Hurly family’s guilt-stained hoard when a theft forces her to hire Harrison, a security adviser on a personal quest to uncover his own history.
Unknown to anyone, an invisible presence woven into the fabric of the house watches their every move.
When Harrison uncovers a room sealed for decades, the investigation shifts from simple theft to the resurrection of murderous secrets. In a house where the past is too heavy to escape, the dead don’t need bodies to tell their stories — they just need someone to listen.
One house. Two mysteries. Two centuries apart.
Rachel has shared an extract with us. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Terrington Hall, for centuries, was home to the Hurly family until it was handed over to a charitable organisation and opened to the public for viewing. Unknown to Amy, the head of conservation and new member of staff, there is an invisible presence who continues to exist at Terrington Hall. This solitary inhabitant, waiting in the shadows, sets the scene…
*****
Since Amy’s arrival at Terrington Hall, I often stay by her, move with her, as close as possible, as if I walk her steps, breathe the air she breathes and can see what is in front of her. But I don’t feel her thoughts or touch what she does. My hopes for salvation are fuelled by her curiosity, her diligence, especially if she discovers the truth behind the thieves that once lived at Terrington.
I’ve always relied on others for companionship, to breach the loneliness of my incorporeal existence. My chief occupation is listening to their conversations. They have been generous in keeping me abreast of the changes both in and outside the house. They read newspapers and magazines, speak of things and events that are difficult for me to comprehend until one explains something complex to another in a simple manner, as if to a child.
by Book Review: The Secret Dressmaker By Jenny O’Brien
I’m so excited to be welcoming Jenny O’Brien back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her new book, The Secret Dressmaker.
Shelves of sequins in a kaleidoscope of colours. Bolts of silk and tulle against the back wall. The sewing room was the last place anyone had seen her daughter alive.
Northern Ireland, 1942. Flora Toussaint packs parachutes for the RAF, haunted by the twin daughters she was forced to give up eighteen years ago. When British intelligence shows her photographs of her girls – now young women in occupied Paris – her world shifts. One is safe. One has vanished. And their father, the celebrated couturier Lucien Lumineau, is suspected of collaborating with the Nazis.
Flora agrees to a dangerous mission: parachute into France, pose as a seamstress at the Moulin Rouge, and uncover the truth. Lodging above a brothel where Edith Piaf sings after hours and where Pablo Picasso still holds court, she mends costumes between shows, searches for any trace of her missing daughter between curfews, and circles closer to Lucien.
But Lucien isn’t the man she remembers. Neither is their history. And what Flora discovers will unravel everything she thought she knew – about Lucien, about her daughters, and about the night she gave them away.
A sweeping tale of wartime Paris, family secrets and impossible choices. Fans of Kate Quinn, Pam Jenoff and Kristin Hannah will be mesmerised by The Secret Dressmaker.
*****
Flora Toussaint is haunted by the choices of a past where she was persuaded to give up her twin daughters eighteen years before. When a secret mission gives her the opportunity to go back to Paris, her focus is on finding her girls, even when her simple presence in the city puts her in danger.
Having loved the first book in this series, The Resistance Knitting Club, I couldn’t wait to get going on this one. I am a big fan of novels based on true events, and I’m always intrigued to see how the author builds the fiction around the fact. In my opinion, Jenny O’ Brien is a master at it.
by Book Extract: The Novel Detective By Teresa Dovalpage
Please join me as we welcome Teresa Dovalpage to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Novel Detective.
A metafictional mystery set in Cuba past and present about a writer returning to her long-lost hometown, seeking the truth about two suspicious deaths
2020: Teresa, a Cuban-born mystery writer now living in America, gets an unexpected call from her childhood best friend, Estrella, inviting her to Havana. Estrella is determined to get answers about a case that has haunted them both for decades: the purported murder-suicide of a teacher and a student at their high school. Though Teresa doesn’t quite understand why Estrella is taking the story so personally, she’s along for the ride—as she always wanted to write a novel about this case.
1980: Fourteen-year-old Teresita, bespectacled, awkward and mystery novel–obsessed, is “nosy, but not a tattletale.” She knows who’s been skimming off the top of the amphetamine stash in her mother’s pharmacy, which teacher keeps cyanide in his cabinet at school and that their classmate Yoyi is sleeping with their English teacher. Over the course of one fateful day, Teresita gets closer than ever to learning the “Truth of Life”—her catchall term for the intricacies of adult existence—even if it means coming face to face with death.
Directly inspired by the author’s own childhood in Cuba and adult life in the United States, drawing upon the tradition of Latin American magical realism, this is a resonant tale at once personal and universal, full of nostalgia, candor and danger.
Teresa has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Step back into February 1980, Havana. The air is cool, the Beatles are forbidden, and shenanigans are brewing in a middle school housed inside a decaying building that happens to have its own ghost. Teresita, a ninth-grade student, practices the surveillance techniques she learned from the TV shows and Agatha Christie’s novels. Little did she know, these early lessons would be the very tools she’d need decades later to solve a crime.
* * *
It was a cool February afternoon. Around two-thirty, Teresita was in her favorite spot in the pharmacy, the storage area, reading Death on the Nile. She had finished school earlier that day. The last class period had been English, where the teacher, Felipe, had made rowdy jokes, laughed and danced Mozambique steps in the middle of the classroom, to the students’ delight. Fun! Why couldn’t all classes be like that? Technical drawing, for example . . .
by Book Extract: Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage By Della Galton
It’s wonderful to be welcoming Della Galton to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage.
When two best friends decide to share their wedding day, what could possibly go wrong?
Jade is over the moon to be tying the knot alongside her best friend, Sarah, at the stunning Bluebell Cliff Hotel in Dorset—a venue where no detail is too small and no expense is spared in the pursuit of perfection.
But as the big day draws closer, so do the complications.
A long-lost relative, a troublesome brother, and some wildly unexpected animal antics all threaten to derail the brides’ dream celebrations.
With emotions running high and chaos around every corner, their perfect day begins to unravel.
Can love and friendship hold everything together when it matters most?
I want to say happy publication day to Della. She has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
It’s not just the humans who fall in love at Duck Pond Cottage Animal Rescue. Very often the animals get their Happy Ever After too. This is an extract showing what happens when a rescued parrot finds his forever home. Jade shows her best friend Sarah a message she’s just received from Malcolm Williams who’s rehomed Mr Spock, the parrot.
Jade saw she had a message from Malcolm Williams.
Please see attached the avian version of Love Story.
‘Ooooh, Sarah, look at this.’ Jade took her phone across the kitchen and then pressed play so they could watch the video together.
by Book Extract: House of Twisted Shadows By J.H.Mann
It’s so exciting to be welcoming J.H.Mann to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his latest book, House of Twisted Shadows.
A HOUSE ON THE EDGE
A DAUGHTER DRIVEN TO OBSESSION
A FORBIDDEN LOVE
Winter 1962. Amelia Tremayne has spent the past ten years in London trying to forget the lonely clifftop house where her father was killed. Tyler House was built shortly before the Second World War on Cornwall’s stormy coast by a wealthy German outsider. Its most unsettling feature is a vast glass dome that bends the light, casting twisted, elongated shadows across the walls.
Amelia’s father, Douglas Tremayne, a noted historian, was researching a controversial book about Tyler House’s Nazi origins – and its links to powerful figures in the local community.
As Amelia begins to uncover the truth about her father’s death, she is pulled into a web of buried secrets – and into a forbidden love that could destroy everything she holds dear.
INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY.
J.H.Mann has shared an extract from House of Twisted Shadows with us today. You know the drill… grab that drink, find that comfortable chair and enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Amelia Tremayne has returned to the lonely clifftop estate of Tyler House to uncover the secrets behind her father’s death. Convinced that vital papers were blown from the collapsing house during a recent landslip, she risks everything to recover them before they are lost forever…
She stuffed her hands in her pockets and strode through snow flurries to the abandoned cliff footpath, past a handwritten sign: ‘Danger. Path closed.’ Far below, a cold sea heaved and dragged at the rocks. She started down at once, not giving herself time for second thoughts.
The top of the path was choked with riotous bushes and rough grass. Nobody had been mad enough to use this path for years. Parts of it had fallen away, leaving precipitous drops. Amelia slipped and slid downwards, grabbing hold of thorny brambles to keep her balance. The route was even worse than she expected – overgrown, crumbling and slick with ice. Below, waves, flecked with spume, crashed and roared.
Halfway down, she tripped on a rock and pitched forward. A gorse bush provided a lifesaving handhold. It scratched and ripped her hands, but she clung on grimly, coming to a halt, sprawled across the path, her left side bruised. She sat up trembling, her breathing short and fast. For a few moments, the world was nothing but the ragged pull of her breath and the thud of her heart. That had been close.
Go back?
No.
by A Moment With… Dr Martyn Pritchard
I am pleased to welcome Dr Martyn Pritchard to Novel Kicks as we shine a light on his book, A Painkiller to Die For. It’s celebrating one year since its publication.
It was difficult for Will Jeavons to imagine just how his life could possibly get any better. Having overcome a traumatic childhood, he had gone on to study molecular pharmacology and win tenure as a lecturer at his beloved Cambridge University. But his life was soon to become better still, the CEO of a biotech company. Will’s unique research led to the discovery of a non-addictive drug for chronic pain. A remarkable solution for the opioid epidemic which had claimed the life of his mother.
Will’s flourishing company was subsequently acquired, and this was when he first met Celeste Simmonds. The beguiling Celeste would steer Will away from his earlier hedonistic, womanising lifestyle. However, the only way he could ensure the success of his drug was to bury key safety data which could have led to the clinical trials being terminated.
Clinical trials which resulted in the husband of Lydia Goldberg falling into a deep coma. It was Lydia’s scientific training which led her to discover Will’s fraudulent cover-up. She was determined to seek vengeance and concocted an elaborate honeytrap and a decision for Will to make. A career ending confession or being submitted to a life-threatening game of Russian roulette.
To talk about his experience with writing, it’s over to you, Martyn.
Why write novels? Why ‘A Painkiller to Die For’? A reasonable enough question, I suppose, to ask a career scientist who only passed his English Language O-level after two attempts. As with most novelists, I imagine, it was a combination of events which made me open up my laptop some 25 years ago and type those first few words. Those early efforts in the noughties amounted to a rather disjointed first 100 pages or so which were almost completely rewritten when Covid came along and the free time I needed to dive back into the book.
The overall premise remained pretty much the same, but the book turned out to be very different to what I had originally imagined all those years ago. ‘A Practical Arrangement’ was my first novel and came out towards the end of 2023 but not under my name! I used the nom de plume of Verity Trevethan as my assumption was that those few who ended up reading the book would give bad reviews. Poor Verity could shoulder the blame. But there were a few readers who wrote very generous commentaries and so Verity was outed to my family soon after publication (they never even knew I was writing a book!).
by Book Review: If Could Be With You By M W Arnold
I am so happy to welcome M W Arnold back to Novel Kicks as we take part in the blog tour for If Could Be With You.
May 1944, it’s the build-up to D-Day, for which the girls of the Air Transport Auxiliary Mystery Club are busy delivering the aircraft sorely needed, and the search goes on for a Nazi spy, who has information which cannot be allowed to get into the enemies hands.
For one of the girls, her husband in badly burned after his Mosquito is shot down, bringing the war closer to home than it’s ever been before.
With danger at every corner, the girls unbreakable bond is put to the test like never before. Through it all, they stand firm, taking all the war can throw at them, before daring it to try again.
*****
The girls of the ATA are back, and they have new challenges to face. When two of the girls hear devastating news, one is fighting old memories, and the hunt for a Nazi spy intensifies, the gang must pull together as D-Day approaches.
Oh, it’s so good to be back with the girls of the Air Transport Auxiliary Mystery Club. I know I have said this before in other reviews from this series, but it really is like going back to visit old friends and being welcomed with open arms. It’s for this reason that I always jump at the chance to join the blog tours for the Broken Wings series and why I couldn’t wait to get started – and it’s a chance to welcome Mick Arnold back to Novel Kicks too.
by Book Review: Escape to the Turquoise Seas By Carrie Walker
Is there a better way to kick off a new week than by welcoming Carrie Walker to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Escape to the Turquoise Seas? No, I don’t think there is either.
Kat Brennan has always been the work-hard, play-harder type, navigating single life in London and the chaos of her job at Northstar PR. So when Excalibur Cruises invite her aboard to pitch for their account, she jumps at the chance to prove to her boss she’s indispensable… and to finally relax a little.
But the last person she wants to get stuck on a boat with is industry hotshot Leo Kendrick, the CEO of rival agency Amplify – and Kat’s nemesis. When Leo bagged a coveted marketing internship 15 years ago, Kat vowed never to let him win anything again. She is not about to break that promise, even if Leo has become a distractingly attractive opponent.
As the Esmerelda sails the seas, from the Azores to Lisbon via Madeira, the two agencies must battle it out to present the best pitch. But in such close quarters, the sea might not be the only thing rocking the boat…
PERFECT for fans of:
Forced proximity
Enemies-to-lovers
Workplace romance
A dash of spice
Beachy destinations
*****
Kat has always loved her life. She’s living in London, working at Northstar PR and doesn’t necessarily mind that she’s single. However, when she hears that her biggest account, Excalibur Cruises, are considering another agency, she and her colleague, Heidi, go into crisis mode. They agree to go on a cruise in order to know the product they are pitching for. What Kat doesn’t count on is seeing her PR nemesis, Leo, who also happens to be on the cruise. Can Kat and Leo bury the hatchet, or will there be trouble at sea?
I have been a fan of Carrie Walker since reading the previous novel in this series, Escape To The Northern Lights. Don’t worry. You can read Escape to the Turquoise Seas as a standalone. I couldn’t wait to get started on the latest instalment in the Holiday Romance series and was honoured to be part of its blog tour.
by Book Extract: Ten to the 405 By Kevin R. Andrade
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Kevin R. Andrade to Novel Kicks as we shine a light on his book, Ten to the 405. When disgraced investigative journalist Jake Hansen accepts a missing person case in Los Angeles, he uncovers a conspiracy linking organized crime, political corruption, and a powerful family determined to keep its secrets buried.
Kevin has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
INT. TROTTER’S TAVERN- BACK BAR AREA- MORNING
JAKE HANSEN, 35, a half-Latino and half-white male is asleep on the bar top of the dark tavern. Jake is smart, funny and a lovable rogue but also a disaster of a person. He lies on his back with one leg off of the bar. Jake has two black eyes and scrapes on his face with puffy red eyes.
A 60-inch TV above the bar is on.
INSERT TELEVISION – NEWS CONFERENCE
MAYOR ALEX VILA, 45, a handsome Latino male, dressed in a sharp suit, speaks behind a podium. To the right of Alex Vila is LILY VILA, 35, his beautiful wife. She wears a stunning green dress.
ALEX VILA
(ON TV)
I wish I could answer that question, Rick, but it really is premature.
Jake, groaning, opens his eyes and looks at the television.
JAKE
(Grumbling)
Asshole.
REPORTER
(O.S. On TV)
by Book Extract: The Book Lover’s Bucket List By Hannah Claire
I’m very excited to be welcoming Hannah Claire to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Book Lover’s Bucket List.
A bucket list to change her life.
Gabriella Brookes has spent years quietly loving Zach Osborne, knowing he only sees her as his best friend’s bookish little sister. He’s charming, successful, and only back in their Derbyshire village for the summer before his next big move.
When Gabby stumbles across her long-forgotten teenage bucket list, Zach proposes a deal: together, they’ll tick off her book-inspired challenges, if she helps him complete a few fun tasks of his own.
What starts as a perfectly sensible plan quickly turns into something far more complicated, when real life refuses to stay neatly tucked between the pages.
But as Zach’s past resurfaces and his future pulls him away, Gabby is forced to face a harder truth: dreams don’t come true if you only ever read about them.
Ticking off the challenges was meant to be easy.
Admitting what your heart wants is the real risk.
A cosy, small-town romantic comedy about courage, love, and rewriting your own ending.
Hannah has kindly shared an extract from The Book Lover’s Bucket List with us today. Find that comfortable reading spot, the refreshment of your choice and enjoy, as we head to Millbrook.
*****beginning of extract*****
It was late afternoon at Millbrook Library, and the only sounds were the hushed murmuring of voices, the turning of pages and the occasional clank from the ancient heating pipes. Gabriella Brookes cast her eyes over the display she was working on and gave it a nod of approval. Every summer they had a table for recommended holiday reads and, this year, Gabby was determined to make it bigger and better than ever. She adjusted the bucket and spade, sprinkled a little more sand around and reached for the large stack of books she had selected.
As far as Gabby was concerned, one of the best bits of her job managing the library was helping people find the perfect book for their current need or mood. For the summer Read Yourself Happy display, she had chosen novels set in far-flung and exotic locations, as well as sweet English villages beset by murders; some laugh-out-loud comedies and twisty, turny thrillers and, of course, a handful of swoon-worthy love stories with gorgeous romantic heroes. All novels you could relax with, and enjoy a much-needed break from reality. Too much reality was definitely a bad thing, Gabby decided, appraising the display.
by Book Review & Giveaway: Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse By Sue Moorcroft
We are so pleased to be welcoming Sue Moorcroft back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her new book, Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse.
Two sisters she’s never met
A first love who’s impossible to forget…
For Jade, life in Lake Como is la dolce vita. Until her beloved grandmother passes, leaving Jade not just the family’s bustling guesthouse to run, but two life-changing secrets to confront…
The pensione hasn’t just been left to Jade, it’s also been inherited by her sisters – who she had no idea existed. As Erin and Rosalie arrive in Italy, Jade is forced to face the heart-wrenching prospect of sharing her last remaining tie to the woman who raised her.
Jade is desperately trying to hold on to the past, but there’s one person she would prefer to leave firmly behind: her first love, Leo. He’s back in the city that is filled with the memories they once made together. But as Jade fights to take control of her future and her heart, why do all cobbled roads lead back to Leo?
Lose yourself in the first, utterly romantic novel in a brand-new trilogy, filled with new beginnings and second chances. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Milly Johnson.
*****
Well, here we are on a new book blog tour for the wonderful Sue Moorcroft on this, the first of a new trilogy for her new publisher.
I’m so happy that she’s taken us back to Italy and to another location that I now, of course, want to go to more than I can explain. Welcome to Jade’s home in Lake Como! Right, quick synopsis, without giving too many things away – Jade’s life is pretty perfect, running a beautiful, cosy hotel that she inherited from her grandmother, albeit whilst missing her desperately. Her life is thrown by not only the reappearance of the man who chose work over love, but by the sudden appearance into her life of two half-sisters she had no previous knowledge of. To make matters worse, her grandmother left the hotel to all three sisters equally.
by Book Extract: Mandarin Road By Ann Bennett
I’m so pleased to be welcoming Ann Bennett to Novel Kicks and the blog blitz for her book, Mandarin Road.
A gripping, emotional saga of family secrets and the power of love, set during the Vietnam War…
North Carolina, 2015: Nicole has always idolised her successful father, Ed. But on his deathbed, he reveals a devastating secret he’d guarded for a lifetime. He served in the Vietnam War, fell in love, and fathered a child there. A child he never had the courage to acknowledge.
Huế, South Vietnam, 1968: While her village is rocked by the explosions of the Tet offensive, seventeen-year-old Mai finds a wounded American hiding in her family’s chicken shed. Mai faces an agonising choice. Will she report the soldier to the Viet Cong, who have a stranglehold on the village, or will she risk her life and that of her family to help him?
In 2015, Nicole embarks on a journey into the unknown, travelling to Vietnam on a quest to uncover her father’s long-buried truths. Helped by Greig, an ageing Vietnam vet and his journalist son, Long, she delves into the shocking world her father wanted to forget, plumbing depths of resilience and courage she never knew she possessed.
Will Nicole find her long-lost sister, or will the Vietnam War guard its shameful secrets for ever?
If you are a fan of page-turning, emotional historical fiction like The Women, The Home Front and The Mountains Sing, you will love Mandarin Road.
Mandarin Road is a dual-timeline, standalone book by bestselling historical fiction author, Ann Bennett. Discover this moving, compelling read today.
There’s a chance to win a copy of Ann’s novel, The Bookseller of Kathmandu, below but first, she has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
PROLOGUE
FEBRUARY, 1968
The Citadel, Huế, South Vietnam
CLUTCHING HIS RIFLE, Ed ran down the rubble-strewn street through the gunfire and smoke, his heart in his mouth as bullets pinged around him. They’d been fighting all day and now it was early evening, but the enemy showed no signs of easing the attack.
by NK Chats To… Andrea Goyan
Hi Andrea. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about The Catalyst and what inspired it?
The idea began over twenty years ago when I taught clients Pilates in their homes. I drove all over Los Angeles every day, listening to the radio. One day, I heard a story about advances in DNA testing, and I was struck by both the good and potentially bad ways the advances could be used. I pivoted to how eventually they’d be testing anything organic and fining people for all kinds of silly infractions. I wrote a piece about a detective who had to use her DNA device to locate the owner of a dog who’d defecated on a neighbour’s lawn. My writing group loved the piece and the detective (who is no longer a detective). They encouraged me to write more, and I spent over a year writing, and then reading the first draft at that table.
What were the challenges when writing a novel like this?
I needed to do enough research that I could use some scientific terminology when I needed it. Since this novel was written, subbed, rejected, put away for ten years, rewritten, put away again, and rewritten again for this final draft, I forgot all the research in the interim and needed to dig back into it again. I also struggled with finding the right voice for Kat, ultimately discovering it when I switched her POV chapters from third to first person. That immediacy made her come alive.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
I don’t have rituals. I start my day with coffee, but that’s true whether I write or I don’t. I either just sit my butt in my chair and write, or I procrastinate and deal with the rest of life’s demands. There are always dogs to walk.
What’s your favourite word and why?
Hmm, I don’t have a favourite word, but ruminating while I sit here, I’ll say “yes.”
Yes, because it has so much potential. When I performed improvisational theatre in my twenties, “Yes, and…” was the golden rule.
Which fictional world would you like to visit, and which fictional character would you like to meet?
by Book Extract: A Blighter is Bumped Off By Helen Golden
I’m very happy to be welcoming Helen Golden back to Novel Kicks. She’s here with the blog tour for her book, A Blighter is Bumped Off.
The only thing worse than a persistent suitor? A dead one on your lawn.
London, 1892. Alice, Duchess of Stortford, has returned to town determined to enjoy her first Season as a wealthy widow. But instead of balls, flirtation, and whispered gossip, she finds herself besieged by ambitious bachelors—none more persistent than the insufferably smooth-talking Miles Fonthill. When Alice firmly refuses his sudden proposal, she assumes the matter is settled.
Instead, he turns up dead in her garden.
The police are happy to call it a tragic accident. Alice is less convinced.
Why was Miles climbing over her garden wall in the middle of the night? Why had he become so determined to win her favour? And what did he really want?
As Alice begins to dig into Miles’ final days, her search leads her into the glittering heart of London society, where old loyalties run deep, secrets are guarded fiercely, and reputation matters more than truth. But when whispers of the mysterious Order of the Golden Key begin circling dangerously close to her own late husband’s name, Alice realises this death may be far more complicated than one unwelcome suitor meeting an unfortunate end.
And if someone is willing to kill to keep their secrets…this Season may prove positively deadly.
Perfect for fans of feisty female sleuths, Victorian High Society, and secret scandals, all served with a dash of humour and a cup of tea.
Helen has shared an extract from A Blighter is Bumped Off with us today. Grab that comfortable chair, a cup of whatever you fancy, a snack and enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
In this opening scene, Alice, Duchess of Stortford, is enjoying a quiet afternoon at Darby House when one of her more persistent admirers, Miles Fonthill, decides the time has come to propose. Unfortunately for him, Alice has very different plans for her future…
*****
“I understand that you are still technically in mourning,” Miles said, his voice softening to a tone that she supposed was meant to convey respect but somehow missed the mark. His fingers moved to the signet ring on his right hand, turning it idly as he spoke. “But soon you will be required to rejoin society fully, and a woman of your standing needs a husband by her side.”
by Book Extract: Me Too By Katharine Light
I’m very excited to be welcoming Katharine Light to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Me Too.
Nearly forty, Anna has a successful career, a long-term relationship, and a carefully maintained sense of independence. But as time begins to run out, one question becomes impossible to ignore. What if she’s left it too late for the one thing she truly wants—a baby?
Divorced journalist Rob keeps his life free from complications. But when he runs into Anna at a friend’s wedding, he’s caught off guard. The girl he remembers is gone, replaced by a woman who is impossible to ignore.
When Anna makes him an offer, it’s one he can’t quite believe. No strings. No expectations. Just one simple arrangement.
It should be straightforward.
But the closer they become, the harder it is to stay detached. What begins as a practical plan deepens into something far more tender and much more dangerous.
If Anna allows herself to hope, she could lose not only her dream of motherhood, but the one man who has begun to feel like home.
Now Rob has a choice. Walk away…or risk everything for the woman he was not supposed to fall for.
Because some arrangements were never meant to stay temporary.
Katharine has kindly shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
This book focuses on the story of Anna and Rob, teenage friends who meet again at the wedding of mutual friends Jess and Sam. This section is told from Anna’s point of view, during the reception. She’s there with her boyfriend Jon, although he’s chatting to other guests. Rob (a high profile journalist) has suggested a walk, away from the guests, after Anna (successful clothes designer) broke down when her five-year-old goddaughter gave her a hug. The yearning for a child of her own sometimes blindsides her….
*****
‘…What about you? Business good?’
‘That’s interesting?’ She moved away.
Rob followed in long, easy strides. ‘Sure it is. I have a colleague who is the very proud owner of one of your black jackets. She says it’s one of the best investments she’s ever made.’
‘Don’t joke.’
‘Scout’s honour.’
by Book Extract: Flowerpot Romeo By Simone Goodman
Please join me as we welcome Simone Goodman to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Flowerpot Romeo.
For readers who loved About a Boy and One Day — but wanted more women in the room.
Sebastian Wilson wasn’t aspiring to be anybody’s hero. He just wanted to be an actor.
Instead, spurred on by his unimpressed agent, he pretends to be an Irish busker. Charmingly drifting through London’s Islington, burdened by an inability to face himself, he unwittingly changes the lives of the women he meets.
A lonely dame of the stage and screen.
A single mother making ends meet.
An underworld wife on the brink of divorce.
And Fiona, whose best friend he’d sooner avoid…
Life rarely consults the script — especially when Romeo the cat enters the scene, a tiny agent of chaos.
Simone has kindly shared an extract from Flowerpot Romeo with us today. We hope you enjoy it (there is also a chance to win a £25 Amazon gift card below.)
(Warning – brief mention of mild drug use.)
*****beginning of extract*****
Wilson, a thirty-two-year-old aspiring actor, has been encouraged by his eccentric agent, Isadora, to hone his craft by pretending to be an Irish busker. On his first day in character, he meets Fiona — and promptly lets her walk away. Now he’s wandering after her through Islington, hoping fate will do the work he didn’t. Instead, he finds himself vaulting a low railing and landing behind a hedge.
*****
Behind the O2 Academy at Angel, Wilson takes a single puff on the joint from Raf and Teddy then immediately stubs it out. He hasn’t touched drugs since his backpacking stint in Asia and has no intention of starting again now.
Fiona and her cat headed this way, but there’s no sign of them now.
by Book Extract: Nero the Hero By Samantha Mattocks
It is my pleasure to be welcoming Samantha Mattocks to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Nero the Hero.
Prepare to meet your new favourite superhero as Nero the Hero reveals his secret!
Nero is no ordinary dog. This miniature schnauzer has a beard, a bark, and a secret. When danger strikes, he transforms into Nero the Hero, a powerful protector with extraordinary abilities.
Alongside his human, twelve-year-old Jack, Nero dives into fast-paced adventures filled with mystery, heart, and just a touch of fun. But when Jack makes a brave mistake and finds himself in real danger, Nero must face his greatest challenge yet to save his best friend alone.
Perfect for readers aged 8-12, this highly illustrated chapter book blends action-packed fantasy with an engaging, accessible style, making it ideal for reluctant readers and confident young bookworms alike. With short chapters and dynamic illustrations, Nero the Hero is a thrilling start to a children’s fantasy series about friendship, bravery, and daring rescues.
Fans of Claude and The Hounds of Penhallow Hall will love this action-filled adventure starring a heroic dog and the boy who believes in him.
From the author of the popular Magical Mister Mishkins series, Samantha Mattocks introduces a bold new hero first seen in The Magic of Mister Mishkins. Beautifully illustrated by Gerda Smit, this is a story full of adventure, loyalty, and the power of believing in something extraordinary.
Samantha has shared an extract from Nero the Hero with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Welcome to my post celebrating my latest book, Nero the Hero! This is my third highly illustrated younger Middle Grade book, and I cannot wait for you all to read it.
Nero is a spin-off book from my Magical Mister Mishkins series. However, it is a very different story. It follows the adventures of a young boy named Jack who spends the summer with his nan, Jean, and her dog, Nero.
by Cover Reveal: The Twenty Dates By Ko Porteous
I am very excited as we help to unveil the cover for The Twenty Dates, the upcoming novel from Ko Porteous.
The kids have left, assuming love endures. But can yours?
Book #2 in The Empty Nesters Series
Claire’s marriage is in (total!) crisis. Her husband, Mark, is distracted, presumptuous, and utterly clueless – smart scales for their 19th wedding anniversary? Really? Perhaps she’d be better off alone. At least there’d be less laundry.
When Claire suggests separating, Mark panics. He asks for one last chance: twenty dates, one for each year of their marriage, to prove they’re better off together than apart.
What follows is a series of adventures Claire never saw coming – some mortifying, some exhilarating, and some that make her question everything she thought she knew. About Mark. About marriage. And about the woman she’s quietly become while she wasn’t paying attention.
As the dates tick down, Claire must decide: is the spark still there – or has their marriage simply run its course?
OK, so now we know a little about the book, it’s time to reveal the cover. Are you ready?
Drumroll…three…two…one…
by Book Review: Marry Me in Seahaven Bay By Nicola May
I am pleased to be welcoming Nicola May to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Marry Me in Seahaven Bay.
The emotional and uplifting new novel from the author of the million-copy bestselling Cockleberry Bay series.
Life at the Seahaven Bay Retreat is flourishing, but Rita Jory’s second chance at happiness is about to face its biggest test yet. When Jago’s glamorous French ex-wife appears on the doorstep with a five-year-old daughter in tow, their blossoming relationship hangs by a thread.
Between juggling retreat guests seeking healing, her daughter Sennen’s desperate need for a last-minute wedding venue, and dealing with Elodie’s impossible demands, Rita’s already stretched to breaking point.
Then some very unexpected news forces her to reconsider everything she thought she wanted. But can she trust Jago with her secret, and embrace the new life ahead?
Rita must decide whether to protect her heart or fight for her future.
A joyful, tender and laugh-out-loud tale of family, forgiveness and finding the courage to say yes to life’s beautiful surprises. Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Jojo Moyes and Amanda Prowse.
*****
A warm welcome back to Seahaven Bay! If this is your first novel by Nicola May, then you are in for a reading treat (and a very nice back catalogue to begin with) but, if like me, you’ve been a fan of this author for a while, you’re in for an even bigger treat!
by Book Extract: Then There’s Trust By Susan Gray
I am excited to be welcoming Susan Gray to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Then There’s Trust.
A forbidden love…a relationship in jeopardy…a tested trust
Darcy Dukas is fearless and feisty – but can she be trusted? Left bereft after a personal disappointment, her vulnerable mindset causes her to seize an opportunity to pursue her dream career. When Marcel Duval arrives in Durham to establish his detective agency, she agrees to work with him. But is she prepared for the risks she will encounter? Risks for her safety…risks for her young marriage…and risks affecting her family’s trust?
In 1952 Josh Smallwood, Darcy’s brother, returns home after completing his national service. Trying to sort his future, he begins working on the family farm and befriends Judy, a young nurse. He is baffled to discover any liaison with her is forbidden by her family. This mystery fuels an intense, secret relationship…can they overcome obstacles to be together?
A shroud of guilt clings to Chantal Martin – will she ever be free from its taint? As an unmarried mother, her once tenacious trait seems to have deserted her. Striving towards the final hurdle, an unexpected decision and an untimely event threaten to blight her resilience…can her trust be rewarded?
Then There’s Trust is a gripping, emotional story of love, fidelity and trust set in 1950’s northeast England.
Susan has shared an extract from Then There’s Trust with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Tom and Rachel Smallwood and their extended family are hosting a Frenchman, Marcel Duval for lunch. He is a friend of Tom’s nephew, Jonty, who lives in Lyon. Marcel is relocating from France to Durham to open a Detective Agency. The family, including Darcy, their married daughter, are keen to learn more – Darcy longs to be an investigative journalist.
Northeast England 1952.
How is Jonty?” asked Josh, immediately warming to the French visitor.
“He is well and sends his love. He’s hoping to visit next summer. He has praised you all. He talks frequently about his English family. I am excited to get to know each of you.”
“I’m surprised he hasn’t found himself a bride yet.” Josh smirked, knowing his cousin possessed a ‘roving eye’.
“No, he is still a free man and dare I say it ‘enjoying himself’!” Marcel grinned.
by Book Spotlight: The Time Of My Life By Samantha Tonge
I’m pleased to be welcoming Samantha Tonge back to Novel Kicks and we shine a light on her latest book, The Time of My Life.
How far would you go to change your life?
When Eliza Woods sees an advertisement for someone’s whole life for sale – their house, car, all their belongings, even their clothes and cat – not to mention a trial-run in their job and an introduction to their friends… she decides it’s fate.
Grabbing a different life with both hands is exactly what she needs. Even if 26-year-old Carrie’s wildly-social life and job in a bar couldn’t be more different from Eliza’s quieter existence.
As for Carrie, she’s heading off to Greece, desperate to run away from everything she’s familiar with in England. The two women message each other after the deal has gone through, with Eliza excited to go for cocktails with Carrie’s friends before her first shift at her new job.
What Carrie doesn’t tell her is why she put her life up for sale. And what Eliza doesn’t tell Carrie is that she’s about to turn 75. And that isn’t her only secret…
Don’t miss this absolutely brilliant, escapist read. Available now!
The Time of My Life was released by Boldwood Books on 10th March 2026. Click to buy on Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble and Waterstones.
The Time of My Life Is currently available for only 99p!*
by Book Review: The Last To Know By Laura Jane Williams
Ash has met her perfect match.
So has CJ.
Unfortunately for them, it’s the same man.
Mid-thirties and feeling the pressure, they’re ready to fight for him. Even if it means sabotaging each other.
As Ash and CJ turn up on each other’s dates, ruin one another’s chances, and accidentally end up spending an awful lot of time together, their friends begin to wonder. Are they fighting over the same guy? Or are they fighting their feelings for each other . . . ?
*****
Cj loves her life in Portugal. She’s the manager of a successful business, has a “friends with benefits” situation with her best friend/colleague but most importantly, she has a son who is her whole world.
Ash is on a journey to find life. Having been the odd one out in her family and always being one for organisation to within an inch of her life, she’s attempting to open herself up to opportunities in Portugal for a few weeks.
When the women meet each other, it’s dislike at first sight. However, can they both find a way to thaw when it comes to each other?
by A Moment With… Paul Gitsham
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Paul Gitsham and the blog tour for his book, Deadly Truths.
How do you solve a murder when you’re shut out of the investigation?
Young detectives, Robinson Ellington Foxe and Amy Kennard, don’t want to work at Coventry’s Moat Lane police station. Neither do their colleagues want them there. But it’s the last chance for two officers for whom doing the right thing has cost them their futures.
Despite a murder on their patch, they are lumbered with investigating a series of high-profile burglaries. But when a thief is killed in the house of an influential businessman, Foxe and Kennard are convinced it is linked to their cases and want in.
The official investigation is a whitewash, but Robbie and Amy keep investigating anyway. As they uncover a web of deceit and corruption, reaching to the very top of the force, their own difficult histories are weaponised against them, and they find themselves fighting for their careers and their lives.
To talk about starting a new series, it’s over to you, Paul.
The pleasures of a new sandbox to play in.
In 2023, I decided to put my long-running DCI Warren Jones detective series on hiatus (I say hiatus – I haven’t finished him off!). But when one door closes, another opens. Enter Foxe and Kennard in Deadly Truths, the first in a brand-new series.
It’s not that I’ve run out ideas for Warren, far from it, but as many writers will tell you, it’s not the lack of ideas it’s the lack of time to write them. Furthermore, some of those ideas just won’t work within an established series.
Therefore, I decided it was time for a reinvention. Rather than more of the same with different characters, I saw this as an opportunity to rewrite the rules and restart from scratch.
The thing about an established series is that its strengths can also be weaknesses. Building a world that will become familiar to readers and author alike is a wonderful experience. So many successful writers have beloved characters that hook the readers as much as the intricate plots and thrilling action scenes. Warren certainly has his fans.
by Novel Kicks Book Club: The Alchemist’s Secret By Clare Marchant
Hello everyone. Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Book Club.
I can’t believe I am saying this, but June is here and we are almost halfway through 2026. With the weather not being able to make up its mind here in the UK, I am hoping the book club title this month will be one you’ll enjoy. It’s an historical fiction novel by an author I love.
The Alchemist’s Secret by Clare Marchant.
So, how does our book club work?
Whether you’ve already read the book or will be starting it this month, all are welcome. The added bonus of our book club is that you don’t have to leave the comfort of your sofa/garden/terrace/bed to take part. I’ve added a question below to start the discussion.
I’ll see you in the comments.
About The Alchemist’s Secret –
Now: When Paige returns to her ancestral family home, Woodham Hall, she’s nursing an unbearable heartbreak. The man she’d thought she loved has told her the most terrible lie, one she feels she’ll never recover from. The only thing that seems to be able to hold her interest is the story of a poisoning that once supposedly happened in the house – depicted in brutal detail in a painting by an unknown artist…
by Book Review & Giveaway: The Fatal Farandole By Ana T. Drew
It makes me so happy to be welcoming Ana T. Drew to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, The Fatal Farandole.
The Fatal Farandole is a cozy mystery full of plot twists and small-town secrets. It’s perfect for fans of character-driven crime novels with emotional depth.
A beloved Provençal festival.
A murderous conspiracy.
A bullfighter who knows too much.
When two local chefs are killed within a week, shockwaves ripple through the region’s tight-knit culinary world.
Suspicion lands squarely on baker Julie Cavallo.
As whispers turn to accusations, her eccentric family closes ranks, and her loyal friends rally to her side.
But Julie’s running out of time. Her pastry shop is at risk. Her love life is unraveling. The gendarmes are tracking her every move. Julie can’t afford to wait for the official investigation to uncover the truth.
Her instincts go into overdrive. Dots connect. Patterns appear…
Can Julie make it through this case, when asking the right questions has already gotten others killed?
*****
Julie has a lot in her life that she loves – her own Pastry business, a relationship with the handsome Gabriel and a great support system around her in the form of Grandmother, Rose, sister, Flo and colleague, Eric. However, when two fellow chefs are murdered within a week of each other, Julie soon becomes a suspect. Can Julie and the other members of FERJ find out what’s going on before someone else gets hurt?
The premise for this book sounded right up my street – a murder case/puzzle to solve, and a strong female lead. I jumped at the chance to take part in the blog tour for The Final Farandole. I couldn’t wait to get started.
This book starts out strong and puts the reader right into the thick of the action. The stakes are high from page one. Julie, the lead character, is immediately in a life-or-death situation. Not only this, but her Grandmother’s dog, Lady, is also with her. This meant that it didn’t take me long to completely get invested as I just kept saying ‘one more chapter.’
by Book Extract: Bad Moon Rising By Berni Stevens
A big massive hello to Berni Stevens. She’s here with the blog tour for her book, Bad Moon Rising.
Rock and roll relationships are complicated. They’re even worse when one of you is a werewolf.
Stevie Vane, nightclub manager of Dusk, prefers London’s nightlife to life in the pack — fewer claws, fewer challengers, far less bloodshed.
But when tragedy strikes, Stevie is forced back into a world where dominance of the pack is won by strength… and every weakness is punished. Some new members begin a brutal contest for control, and they soon discover his greatest weakness is Kat Matthews.
Kat’s band has just landed the best gig of their career at Dusk. And the instant chemistry between her and the charismatic manager is undeniable — but so are the secrets he’s keeping. Secrets that come with sharp teeth.
As the rival wolves close in and old grudges resurface, Stevie realises it isn’t just his pack at risk. It’s the woman he loves.
Witty, romantic, and gripping, Bad Moon Rising is the third book in The Immortals of London series– where feelings run wild and loyalty can cost you everything.
Berni has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy it.
*****beginning of extract*****
Stevie drops Kat home after their first date …
I released the seat belt and turned to face him. ‘It’s been great. Thanks, Stevie,’ I said.
He leaned forward to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. ‘It’s been more than a pleasure.’ He gently tilted my chin upwards and kissed me softly on the lips. My stomach did a strange kind of flip at his kiss and I looked into his eyes as he drew back.
‘When are you free again?’
‘Not until Monday. Are you working?’
He nodded. ‘Want to come and sit at my bar?’
‘Sure.’
‘I’ll pick you up at seven and we’ll grab something to eat on the way.’
‘See, there you go again – feeding me. I’ll never be able to resist you now.’
‘That’s the plan.’ He leaned in and kissed me again. Another gentle kiss, but a kiss with an underlying promise of passion. He cradled my face with his hand and dropped one more feathery kiss on my forehead. ‘Go inside, little rock chick, before I change my mind and kidnap you.’
‘I’m going, but only because I might let you.’
He gave his now-familiar throaty chuckle and leaned across me to open my door.
Sliding out of the car, I leaned back in the open doorway. ‘Goodnight, Mr Bartender. See you Monday.’
‘Count on it. I hope the gigs go well.’
I closed the door and he drove off. The tail lights of his car held my attention until they turned the corner at the bottom of the road. I hadn’t felt like a besotted teenager since … well … since Josh, actually.
‘And look how that turned out,’ I muttered to myself.
by Book Review: The Haunting of Willows Cottage By Isobel Blackthorn
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Isobel Blackthorn to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Haunting of Willows Cottage, the third story in the Strathbairn Trilogy.
Ingrid and her daughter Susan return to the Western Highlands of Scotland, staying at Strathbairn with Gertrude McCleod while their new home, a cottage by the loch, is redecorated. The very same day, the ghosts of Ingrid’s past return when Gertrude’s brother Miles arrives with his new bride and his friend Timothy.
When her former beau turned betrayer Hamish starts work on a barn conversion, Ingrid is desperate to leave Strathbairn. She rushes to move into the cottage only to find she is sharing her new home with a violent ghost.
Realising the haunting is somehow connected to Strathbairn and sensing that something at Willows Cottage must be returned, she makes every effort to discover what that it is.
While Hamish and Gertrude conspire to force Ingrid into marriage, Timothy becomes a regular caller with a romantic motive. With two suitors and two marriage proposals, who will she choose – and can she solve the haunting of Willows Cottage?
A gripping conclusion to a classic gothic mystery trilogy laced with dark family secrets.
*****
Ingrid is hoping that her return to the Western Scottish Highlands will be a fresh start for both herself and her daughter, Susan. It’s not long after her arrival that she begins to feel unwelcome by both the living and ghostly inhabitants of Strathbairn.
I do like my paranormal mysteries and so I jumped at the chance to be a part of the blog tour for The Haunting of Willows Cottage.
by Audiobook Review: Butterfly Summer By Toni De Palma
It’s wonderful to be welcoming Toni De Palma to Novel Kicks and the review for Butterfly Summer.
Hollywood producer for the Bride-to-Be franchise, Anna is on top of her game. She’s helped generations of women navigate the ups and downs of romance. Ironic, since her own love life is a mess. When the Bride-to-Be finale is relocated to Ischia in Italy, Anna plans to use the opportunity to settle some family affairs. And perhaps solve an old mystery of her own. Delia. Decades before, at the age of seventeen, Anna had spent a summer with her aunt on the lush island.
Far from an idyllic vacation, she made few friends and learned her aunt had been hiding secrets from the family. Now she’s going back to sell her aunt’s house and finish up the show’s season finale. As the crew get ready to roll the cameras, all havoc breaks loose. The newest bride-to-be is missing. The groom’s partying has been all over social media. And the sale of the house is shrouded in mystery, with an anonymous buyer.
Both Anna’s personal and professional lives crash in on her. With only hours left until the finale, Anna must find a solution for the show. And face the events that still haunt her from that long ago summer.
*****
Anna has spent her life building up her career. Whilst she helps others with the concept of love, it’s an emotion she has shut herself away from. When her job takes her back to the place where she spent one important summer, she takes the opportunity to settle family affairs. However, when she arrives on the Italian island of Ischia, it’s matters of the heart that come to the surface.
The premise of this book sounded right up my street and so I jumped at the chance to review Butterfly Summer, the latest novel by Toni De Palma. This was my first opportunity to read work by this author and so I couldn’t wait to get started.
by Book Review: Murder at Raven’s Gate By Louise Marley
I’m very happy to be welcoming Louise Marley back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Murder at Raven’s Gate.
Beyond the village of Raven’s Edge stands the Gateway to the Dead – a crumbling stone arch marking the site where a long-ago battle raged and the dead were buried where they fell. But it’s the forgotten mansion hidden in the trees behind it that holds the real mystery…
Lady Peony has lived at Blackheath Hall for decades, invisible to the world – until a ghostly soldier begins knocking at her door. But Lady Peony is no fool. In her experience, where there are spirits, there are schemers. And someone wants her out of that house.
As DI Ben Taylor and DS Harriet March begin their investigation, bitter winds howl through Raven’s Edge and strange mists curl around the battle site. Harriet must untangle what’s real from what’s imagined. Is there truly a ghost haunting the old house, or is someone very much alive using supernatural tales as cover for their own deadly agenda?
Atmospheric, chilling and deliciously gothic, this cosy mystery wraps ancient legends and murder into one unputdownable story. Perfect for fans of Fiona Leitch, Agatha Christie and readers who like their crime with a shiver down the spine!
*****
The Gateway of the Dead, a stone arch just outside the village of Raven’s Edge, holds legends of battles and ghostly tales of fallen soldiers. When a body is found there in the present day, ghost stories resurface. Meanwhile, Lady Peony and her sister, Rose, live in a house nearby. They are facing their own problems – issues that soon split Harriet’s attention. DI Ben Taylor and DS Harriet March are soon enthralled in more than they bargained for. Can they decipher fact from fiction before someone else gets hurt?
I’ve previously read one of the prior novels in this series, Murder at Raven’s Hollow. I was therefore excited and intrigued to be invited onto the blog tour for the latest instalment in the English Village Mystery series.
by Book Review: The Eagle Will Rise By MJ Porter
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming back MJ Porter to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for their latest book, The Eagle Will Rise, book one in the Sundered Kingdom series.
The king is dead; for Mercia to survive, another must take his place.
Coelwulf, Mercia’s last king, is dead. His legacy and right to rule Western Mercia have been claimed by Alfred of Wessex, but all know Alfred was never to have Mercia. Neither were the Viking raiders, who now command the eastern-most parts of Mercia and the former kingdom of the East Angles.
Icel, the bastion of Mercia’s wars against Wessex and the Viking raiders, lies dying, but he refuses to abandon his beloved kingdom to her long-standing enemies.
Rudolf, the once-young ally of King Coelwulf the second, is summoned by Icel to attend upon him. Grudgingly, he arrives at Budworth, the task laid before him, audacious to say the least; rescue Coelwulf’s acknowledged heir, Æthelred, from Wessex, where he’s held prisoner by King Alfred. To do so, Rudolf must prevail upon the dispersed oath-sworn warrior band of King Coelwulf, and all of them, aside from him, have ignored Icel’s increasingly furious demands to attend upon him. If they won’t obey Icel, then why should they listen to Rudolf?
The fate of Mercia’s survival rests in the hands of a man who should long have been in his grave, and Rudolf, a boy who’s become a man in the most trying of circumstances. They must forge Æthelred into the emblem of Mercian survival. Or die trying. But first they must rescue Æthelred from someone who has always pretended to be Mercia’s ally, and who is anything but.
*****
Although technically the start of a new series, The Eagle Will Rise continues the history or Mercia but with the narrative passing from Icel to Rudolf. You don’t need to have read the previous series, but if you have then you will encounter a few interesting old friends in this new tome.
M J Porter has an uncanny ability to get the balance of pace, detail and language just right. The story pulls you though, there is enough detail to paint wonderful vivid images and imbue characters with depth and life whilst not weighing you down with unnecessary embellishments leading to a relaxing and engaging read – a rare treat.
by Book Review: Wishing on a Star in the City By Krysten Lindsay Hager
I’m pleased to be welcoming Krysten Lindsay Hager back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Wishing on a Star in the City.
Everyone thinks Ivy Macomb’s life is perfect as she’s a teen actress on a TV show, part of a well-known family, and has just started college with her football star boyfriend, Ryan. However, as Ryan’s on campus fame grows, the two break up leaving Ivy heartbroken. She makes up a cover story to save face about how they’re taking time apart, but she’s devastated and unsure how to handle things. She ends up having a crying meltdown in front of her great-uncle who is better known in the media as the most ruthless man in business. However, she learns there’s another side to Uncle Alfred as he not only offers advice, but helps her with her podcast.
Her cousin tries to get her to go out and show people she’s doing fine after the breakup. Enter freshman hockey player, Konrad Gorski. Ivy and Konrad become fast friends as he’s a shoulder to cry on for her as she deals with her feelings. He’s also been through a bad breakup and has trust issues. Konrad is selected to go overseas for a hockey opportunity and the two stay in touch daily. They begin to have feelings for each other, but she’s worried about getting hurt. Can Ivy open her heart to love again?
*****
On the surface, it looks as though Ivy Macomb has it all. A career in TV, a boyfriend and a wealthy family. Things are not always as they seem and soon Ivy finds herself struggling and opening up to people she didn’t expect.
I am such a fan of the Stars in the City series and couldn’t wait to get started on book four. I do recommend the first three novels, but this can be read as a standalone if it’s your introduction to Krysten Lindsay Hager’s books.
by Book Review: The Sunshine Teashop By Jaimie Admans
I am so incredibly pleased to be welcoming Jaimie Admans to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her new books, The Sunshine Teashop.
Dolly Lymford is having one of those days… 🧁🫖
The kind that starts with dreams of opening a café… and ends with discovering your boyfriend kissing your best friend!
Heartbroken and with nowhere else to go, Dolly accidentally-on-purpose borrows her now-ex-boyfriend’s campervan and drives until the road runs out. This leads her to Thimblenouth, a picture-perfect Yorkshire Dales village where life moves more slowly and the kettle is always on.
After literally bumping into gorgeous local builder Reece Sterling, Dolly begins to feel something she hasn’t in a long time: safe. She also rediscovers her love of baking, filling the campervan with the scent of warm scones and freshly brewed tea. And Reece is always around to share a lemon pie or two…
When Dolly has an idea to open her own pop-up café, Reece is all too happy to help. And as the summer sun begins to warm everything it touches, Dolly wonders if she’s finally found a place to call home… maybe even with Reece.
But can she really build a future on borrowed wheels?
Novel A warm, uplifting story of fresh starts, village kindness, and finding love where you least expect it — best enjoyed with tea and cake.🍰
*****
Dolly is about to embark on a new business venture. Although she’s scared, she’s also excited. However, when a betrayal forces her to flee with the help of a neon green campervan, she doesn’t know what to do next. When she arrives in North Yorkshire, she begins to feel like she’s come home. The path to happiness doesn’t run smooth though and soon Dolly will have to make a choice – face her fears and move on or continue hiding.
by Book Extract: The Code One Club Series By Alison Naomi Holt
Please join me in welcoming Alison Naomi Holt to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her The Code One Club series.
Some connections don’t come from wanting them. They come from collision, from timing, from something that refuses to stay buried. The Code One Club series by Alison Naomi Holt leans into sapphic stories where that kind of connection takes hold.
Set within the world of the Code One Club, where identities are reclaimed and connections run deeper than appearances suggest, these stories unfold through contrast at every level. Power and wealth exist alongside survival and instability, while control and chaos collide in relationships where trust is difficult and the stakes are never low.
In The Inheritance, Phyla McGuire is powerful, controlled, and emotionally untouchable, while Ash Redux is a former Army K9 handler barely holding on, navigating life on the streets while battling PTSD. When their lives collide, what begins as circumstance becomes something deeper and far more dangerous. Set against a backdrop of power, wealth, and survival, their connection forces both women to confront who they are beneath the roles they’ve built.
Whiskey-Colored Eyes follows Jude Lorcan, a grieving widow trying to rebuild her life one careful step at a time, and Dr. Noémi Boudon, who is confident, refined, and quietly searching for something real. Their connection is undeniable, but it is far from simple. This slow-burn sapphic story unfolds through grief, desire, and hesitation, asking what it means to open yourself to love again and what it costs to stay closed.
In Melt for Me, Alléandra Alfieri is powerful, feared, and emotionally locked down, while Maren Tempest is bold, unpredictable, and impossible to ignore. When their worlds collide, the connection ignites fast and burns hot. As control is challenged and completely undone, this story brings intensity, tension, and a shift that neither woman can walk away from unchanged.
Alison Naomi Holt has kindly shared an extract from Melt For Me with us today. We hope you enjoy it.
*****beginning of extract*****
Melt for Me
Chapter 1
Mar thanked the driver as he pulled her suitcase from the back of his SUV. The portly, florid-faced man had been friendly and talkative on her ride from the airport, something she appreciated since she needed the distraction from the weeklong gathering that she’d agreed to attend with an old friend, Kelsey, whom she hadn’t seen in several years.
It was precisely because of his affable manner that she tipped him more than she usually would. She hadn’t expected to hire a car, but her plane had landed four hours past the time she was due to arrive, and Kelsey had texted that because of the delay, she had to get dressed for the evening’s dinner party and wouldn’t be able to pick her up at the airport.
by Book Review: Unemployed Killers Support Group By Rio
Please join me in welcoming Rio to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for their graphic novel, Unemployed Killers Support Group.
Unemployed Killers Support Group is a razor-sharp, darkly hilarious noir-esque manga from Taiwanese creator Rio, this is not your average self-help group. Selected by Taiwan Pavillion as a featured work to be showcased at the 2023 Angoulême International Comics Festival.
Locker Loyed, once a deadly sniper, lost his vision—and his job—on a mission gone wrong. Now, he’s joined an unlikely circle of former contract killers, each grappling with their own personal collapse. Among them: Gloria Maze, a meticulous assassin whose career imploded after catching her husband cheating and killing the mistress in a jealous rage; Jerry Cole, a justice-obsessed lawyer turned bloodthirsty executioner; and Jordi Joe, a delusional con man who’s never actually killed anyone.
As they try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, Locker begins to realize his past isn’t done with him. A dangerous figure—the one responsible for his blindness and a friend’s death—is still at large. And revenge is still on the table.
For fans of dark comedy, crime thrillers, and twisted found family, Unemployed Killers Support Group is a bold, bloody, and brilliantly offbeat ride through the lives of society’s most dangerous burnouts. Welcome to the group—check your conscience at the door.
*****
This is the first graphic novel I have reviewed although not the first I had read. The plot centres around a group of 4 people all of whom are members of a support group of unemployed killers. I love the concept of hitmen and assassins having their own support groups, it conjures scenes of “hello my name is Chris and I’m an assassin. It’s been 10 days since I last killed someone, and every day is a struggle….”.
by Book Extract: The Hearing Voices Series By Charles Porter
It’s such a pleasure to be welcoming Charles Porter to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for The Hearing Voices Series.
At a certain point, the way you experience things starts to affect everyday decisions, how you respond to people, what you trust, and how you move through situations that used to feel simple. For Aubrey Shallcross, that shift has been building for years, shaped by the voices he hears as he works, forms relationships, and tries to stay in control of his life. The Hearing Voices Series by Charles Porter follows how that begins to change what everyday life looks like.
Aubrey Shallcross has learned how to keep his life steady, even with voices that never leave. He works, maintains relationships, and moves through the world with a sense of control that, from the outside, appears solid.
But the voices don’t stay in the background.
They surface in moments that matter, when decisions have to be made quickly, when situations escalate, when the wrong move can set something in motion. Sometimes they guide. Sometimes they push.
And sometimes, they lead him straight into situations he can’t easily step out of.
As tensions build around him, in the people he’s connected to and the environments he’s drawn into, Aubrey finds himself acting before he fully understands why. What follows isn’t contained. The consequences spread outward, turning individual decisions into events that carry far beyond him.
By the time he realizes the scale of what he’s part of, he’s already committed.
Charles has kindly shared an extract from Shallcross: Flame Vine, the second novel in The Hearing Voices Series with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Chapter 2: Aubrey
JULY 1952
by Book Extract: Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife By Ann Bennett
It’s so wonderful to be welcoming Ann Bennett and the Book Birthday Blitz for her book, Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife.
From award-winning author Ann Bennett comes a haunting and powerful novel of love and loss during World War 2 Malaya.
‘A vivid account of a brutal period, and a searing exploration of trauma, memory and loss..’ The Lady Magazine.
1938: Juliet and her sister Rose arrive in Penang to stay with an aunt, after the death of their father. Juliet quickly falls under the spell of Gavin Crosby, a plantation owner, who despite his wealth, charm and good looks is shunned by the local community. Rushed into marriage, Juliet is unprepared for the devastating secrets she uncovers on Gavin’s plantation, and the bad blood between Gavin and his brother…
But in 1941 the Japanese occupy Malaya and Singapore sweeping away that world and changing Juliet’s life forever.
For decades after the war which robbed her of everyone she loved, Juliet lives as a recluse back on the plantation. But in 1962 the sudden appearance of Mary, a young woman from an orphanage in Indonesia, forces Juliet to embark on a journey into the past, and to face up to the heart-breaking truths she’s buried for so long.
This book has previously been published both as The Planter’s Wife and as Bamboo Island
Praise for Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife..
‘This was a story of love, passion and cruelty I could not put down … I needed to discover Juliet’s secrets.’ Lizeanne Lloyd – Lost in a Good Book
‘I raced through this book in just over twenty-four hours … I literally could not put it down. I connected and sympathised with Juliet as a character so much… and I was constantly on edge whilst reading it, desperate to find out more about her past.’ Bibliobeth – Goodreads.
‘I really loved this haunting, powerful and beautiful novel.’ Amazon Reviewer.
To celebrate its birthday, Ann has shared an extract from Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife
Chapter 1
Windy Ridge Estate, Malaya, 1962
The big white house dominated the crest of the hill and looked out over the lines of rubber trees to the jungle beyond. It was quite alone, miles from any neighbours, and hardly any traffic ever ventured along the rutted dirt road that ran the five miles between the estate and the nearest settlement, Kuala Lipis. It had been a proud, grand building in the years before the war, its paintwork startling white against the blue of the tropical sky, but now the walls were scabbed and peeling and there were a few gaping holes in the roof where the tiles had blown off during the high monsoon winds.
The deep veranda running the length of the ground floor was shaded with bamboo chicks, which were rolled up near the front door so that Juliet Crosby, relaxing in her deep rattan chair, had a view of the faint breeze playing in the rubber trees. She watched it ruffling the leaves, turning them from green to grey and back again.
She always sat here at this time of day, before the sun had begun its descent behind the jungle-covered horizon, and the cicadas were still chattering in the casuarina trees in the garden. This was the best hour of her unwavering routine. She liked to sit with her afternoon tea tray on the little cane table, her two Dalmatians lazing on the boards of the veranda beside her, and take deep breaths to empty her mind of everything but the mundane business of running the estate, banishing any other thoughts that might trouble her. She loved the sharp light of the early evening. It was as if the sun was burning with renewed intensity before it dipped away.
by Book Review: Perotine By Dreena Collins
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Dreena Collins and the blog tour for her book. Perotine.
Abandoned, faithful – and on trial for heresy.
On a bleak autumn morning in 1555, Protestant Perotine wakes to find her husband packed to leave. Catholicism has returned to Guernsey, and, fearing for his life, he abandons Perotine, her sister and mother to face increasing hostility alone.
The three women endure a challenging winter of rain, isolation, and poverty – until a dramatic series of events draws unwanted attention. When a local woman asks Perotine to hide stolen goods, what begins as a trial for theft spirals into accusations of heresy.
Secluded, steadfast, and terrified, the women face their plight with fortitude and prayers. Together.
But Perotine Massey holds a terrible secret. One that could bring a reprieve, or a fate worse than death.
And she’ll do anything to keep that secret safe.
*****
Perotine has recently married and is settling into life with her new husband on the island of Guernsey. However, with the rise of Catholicism under the reign of Queen Mary, it isn’t long before Perotine is left alone with her sister and mother. Alone and vulnerable, rumours soon put them in danger. Can they weather the storm?
I had not previously read anything by Dreena Collins when I was invited onto the blog tour for her latest book, Perotine. The premise for this novel is one I found intriguing.
by Book Extract: Body Man By Al Pessin
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Al Pessin to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book, Body Man.
Moments that seem contained can quickly expand into something far larger, especially when they strike at the center of power. What begins as a single act can ripple outward, reshaping roles and responsibilities in ways no one anticipated. In Body Man by Al Pessin, that ripple becomes a turning point.
A new presidency built on sweeping reform quickly becomes the focal point of national tension. When an assassination attempt fails, the aftermath sparks widespread unrest that spreads rapidly across the country.
Spencer, the president’s closest aide, gains unexpected influence as leadership becomes increasingly unstable. His proximity to power places him at the center of critical decisions.
Carl, a disgraced Marine sniper, is drawn into a militant movement convinced that drastic action is necessary. His mission begins with purpose but grows uncertain as events escalate.
As cities erupt and institutions begin to fracture, both men are pulled deeper into a conflict neither can control. Each believes he is acting in the country’s best interest, even as the line between defender and adversary becomes increasingly blurred.
Al has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
(Warning: Language).
*****beginning of extract*****
Chapter 1
Spencer
I’m the best person to tell you this story.
by Book Review: Tribune and the Sword By Adam Lofthouse
I’m so happy to be welcoming Adam Lofthouse to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his latest book, Tribune and the Sword.
August. 383 AD. Flavius Maximus has declared himself emperor and crossed into Gaul. The civil war with Gratian has been short, and the rightful ruler of the West lies in an early grave.
Now two men face off across an empire. Theodosius in the east, his armies large but reliant on mercenaries. Maximus in the west, his forces small, but battle hardened and loyal to a fault.
In the middle of the chaos, at the heart of a dying world, two old friends march at the heads of opposing forces. Tribune Sixtus Victorinus fights for the West. Not out of loyalty to Maximus, but to his two sons who are bound by oath to fight for the pretender.
And General Gaius Felicius for the East. Outcasted by Maximus, he will stop at nothing to see the usurper toppled. But if his old friend stands in his path, is the road to vengeance still one he will choose to tread?
War is coming, and both men must look inside themselves and decide what is greater: the cause they fight for, or the bonds of fellowship. 🔥⚔️
*****
It was great to be invited onto the blog tour for Adam Lofthouse’s latest novel, Tribune and the Sword.
Adam Lofthouse has a real passion for the Romans and the Roman Empire and that shines through in his writing. The characters burst from the page into my mind, vidiv and powerful.
by A Moment With… Olivia Lockhart
It’s exciting to be welcoming Olivia Lockhart to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, No More Tomorrows.
Two eras. One aching heart.
1917 – At Cambridge University, American scholar Harry Turchin never expects to lose himself to desire. But Annie Mackenzie—soft-spoken, grieving, and luminous—claims his heart from their very first kiss. Their love is swift, fierce, and intoxicating. Married just days before Harry is sent to war, their passion is ripped apart when the trenches claim everything he knows, and Harry is thrown into a future that should not exist.
1967 – The free-spirited sixties are alive with rhythm, rebellion, and possibility. Harry awakens to a world he doesn’t recognise—and to Annalise Taylor, as bold and captivating as the era itself. Brilliant, independent, and achingly alive, she rouses a desire he thought belonged solely to the past.
Caught between the love he was ripped away from and the passion he cannot resist, Harry is torn between two women, two lives, and two versions of forever. Because time will not bend twice … Or will it?
Sweeping from the blood-soaked battlefields of World War One to the fevered nights of the swinging sixties, No More Tomorrows is a sensual time-slip romance about desire, devotion, and the devastating power of love that refuses to be bound by time.
To talk about the concept of No More Tomorrows, it’s over to you, Olivia.
Some of the best ideas for a book start with a little bit of scepticism.
That was certainly true for No More Tomorrows. Before we started writing it, I had never read a time-slip romance and hadn’t given the genre much thought at all. The idea actually came from my co-author, and when he first suggested it, I wasn’t entirely convinced.
But once we began writing, I quickly realised how much fun the concept could be.
by Book Review: A Killing Breath By Faye Snowden
Raven Burns owes her life to the kind souls who looked after her while her father, unbeknownst to them, sowed a path of blood and bodies from California to Louisiana as one of the most notorious serial killers ever known, Floyd “Fire” Burns.
When Raven was a girl, Floyd brutally murdered one of those kind souls, Miss Ruth Jefferson, when the woman made the fatal decision to open the door to him on a pitch-black 4th of July night. As Raven learned of her father’s crimes, she vowed to do everything in her power to put men like him away.
Decades later Raven’s hunt for a serial killer terrorizing the town leads her right back to that 4th of July night, and a memory that will make her question how much Floyd’s evil has settled in her bones.
*****
Homicide detective, Raven Burns has never felt like she belongs in Byrd’s Landing, Louisiana. The crimes of her father cast a very large shadow. However, she does what she can to keep the town safe. When a triple murder comes too close to home, Raven is on a race against time. Can she find the killer? Do all roads lead to the sins of her father?
A Killing Breath is book three in the killing series by author, Faye Snowden. Having not read the first two novels in the series, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I was not disappointed.
by Book Review: Summer Ever After By Mandy Baggot
I am excited to be welcoming Mandy Baggot to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Summer Ever After.
Forty-year-old Faye Lawson is falling back in love with life at last. Finally divorced from her cheating husband, she has turned her back on the UK and has been living the Greek dream in Corfu managing a beautiful traditional boutique hotel.
For Kostas Petsas, twenty-something ex-professional basketball player, life as he has always known it is over. Having to take early-retirement because of injury, he’s at a loss as to what to do next. But when a piece of land in Corfu comes on the market, it seems this might be the perfect fit. There’s just a couple of things in the way… an area of natural beauty and… a little hotel on the beach.
Kostas has never met any woman like Faye before – she doesn’t behave around him how women usually do, and, when conflict starts to surface, it seems they can’t see eye-to-eye on anything. Or perhaps, when things get body-to-body, both of them begin to wonder if it can turn into heart-to-heart.
Escape to the beautiful island of Corfu with Mandy Baggot – queen of Greek summer romance!
*****
Finally divorced from her husband, Faye feels that her life is becoming beautiful. She loves her daughter, and her home and job managing the Hotel Margaritári in Corfu. When basketball player, and local hero, Kostas arrives on the island, Faye’s world will be turned upside down. Can Faye keep hold of her happiness or will her visitor destroy it?
Everything about this book screams summer, sun and bright, warm evenings. Even the cover immediately makes me smile and feel lighter. I couldn’t wait to get cracking on the latest novel by Mandy Baggot and was grateful to be invited onto the blog tour for Summer Ever After.
by Book Review: Operation Berlin By Michael Ridpath
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Michael Ridpath and the blog tour for his book, Operation Berlin.
In a city rebuilding from war, truth can be the most dangerous weapon of all.
Berlin, 1930.
Historian Archie Laverick, scarred mentally and physically by the Great War, travels to Berlin to research a famed Prussian general. His quiet study is shattered when he crosses paths with Esme Carmichael, a spirited young American intent on making her name as a foreign correspondent. When a shooting at a Saxon castle leaves a young Jewish woman accused of murder, Archie and Esme are drawn into a perilous hunt for the truth.
Their investigation cuts through the glittering façades and lingering scars of a nation still reeling from war – where resentment simmers, political alliances shift, and the first shadows of a new conflict fall across Europe. Amid whispers of blackmail and betrayal, the pair must navigate intrigue and danger to unmask a killer hiding in plain sight.
A tense, atmospheric mystery set in a world between wars – perfect for fans of Philip Kerr’s Berlin Trilogy, Robert Harris’s Fatherland, and Alan Furst’s spy novels.
*****
It’s 1930. Archie Laverick is heading to Berlin to do research for a book. The city is full of life, but the political landscape is forever changing. It is here that he meets his new assistant, Esme Carmichael, an American wanting to become a foreign correspondent. When a murder creates a load of questions, Archie and Esme begin to investigate and the more questions they ask, the more danger they find themselves in. Can they figure things out before someone else gets hurt?
by Book Review: Love Blooms at the Cornish Cottage By Kim Nash
A big massive hello to Kim Nash and the blog tour for her book, Love Blooms at the Cornish Cottage.
💔 How do you mend a broken heart? 💔
Michelle finally thought she’d found love with her hot Greek doctor. But when Demetri reveals he’s returning home to care for his sick mother, Michelle’s dream future crumbles. Choosing not to follow him feels like losing more than just love – it feels like losing who she’d started to become.
Determined not to fall apart, Michelle decides to throw herself into rebuilding her life in Sandpiper Shore, but then unexpectedly, Demetri’s brother, Makkis, arrives on her doorstep. Offering him a room seems like the kind thing to do… but the constant reminder of her lost love is difficult for her heartbroken soul.
And the more time she spends with Makkis, the clearer it becomes: there are parts of Demetri she never knew… Just as Michelle starts to heal with a little help from her friends, she’s faced with a decision: fight for the love she knows she deserves, or finally learn how to let go…
*****
Michelle feels like life is finally going well. Her business is good, she has great friends, she adores Sandpiper Shore and best of all, she’s found a man who makes her happy. When he tells her that he needs to go back to Greece, her world shatters. Will Michelle find her happily ever after or do they only belong in romance novels?
I do like myself a Kim Nash novel. I was very happy and grateful to be invited onto the blog tour for her latest book, Love Blooms at the Cornish Cottage. This is book 3 in the Sandpiper series. I had read book 1 but sadly hadn’t got around to reading book 2. I didn’t feel like I couldn’t keep up with events though. It can be read as a standalone. I so enjoyed being a part of The Lonely-Hearts Club, even if only for the course of this book.
by Book Review: Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Café By Jessica Redland
I am so excited to be welcoming Jessica Redland back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Café.
Sometimes all your hopes and dreams really do come true… ✨🌈
Life at the Chocolate Pot Café has never been sweeter for Tara Porter. Nestled on Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay, her café is thriving, her friendships are close, her foster parents are back where they belong—and she’s finally let herself fall in love with artist Jed Ferguson.
For Jed, returning from Australia feels like coming home in every sense. His teenage daughters have settled, his gallery opening is a success, and with Tara by his side, the future looks full of promise.
But the past can’t stay at bay forever.
When Tara’s estranged foster sister reappears, old wounds resurface. And when Jed is reunited with twelve year old Aaron – a boy he once believed was his son – secrets unravel and loyalties are tested.
Now Tara and Jed must decide whether facing the past will shatter everything they’ve built—or hope it gives them the strength and courage to dream again.
Warm, heartfelt and hopeful, Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Café is a story of love, forgiveness and second chances.
*****
As Christmas ends and a new year begins, Tara is feeling optimistic about life. She loves her life in Whitsborough Bay. Her business, The Chocolate Pot Café is going well. In letting herself open up to people, she now has friends and her new relationship with Jed grows stronger every day. However, life rarely runs smoothly and soon, they are both facing more life changing events. Can they weather this storm together or will Tara retreat into the lonely life she had before?
As a huge fan of Jessica Redland’s novels, I will always jump at the chance to be a part of any of her blog tours. I couldn’t wait to get started on Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Café.
by Book Review: Storm of Mercia By MJ Porter
I am pleased to be welcoming MJ Porter back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for their book, Storm of Mercia.
Wessex has never been Mercia’s ally, neither has it been her only enemy.
Wessex, AD836
The Viking raiders’ devastation has been halted once more by the shields of Mercia as opposed to Wessex. But their whereabouts are unknown.
King Wiglaf of Mercia is keen to ensure the Viking raiders are swept from his shared border with Wessex but these Viking ships are quick and difficult to track and Icel is once more deployed with Ealdorman Ælfstan warriors to do his King’s bidding. However, Icel’s quest is beset with many more obstacles and it’s not all about the seax and shield.
Worrying news from home overshadows Icel’s every deadly encounter. Will the storms of war keep him away or has he time to make one more desperate journey back to Tamworth?
With raging seas driving him ever further from Mercia’s shores, and the threat of a new conspiracy against the Mercian kingship will Icel overpower the sands of time, or will he be defeated by his deadliest nemesis yet?
*****
Storm of Mercia is the ninth instalment of the Mercia Chronicles.
Once again, Mercia’s shields have stopped the Viking raiders at the border with Wessex—but the invaders have vanished without a trace. Icel is dispatched among Ealdorman Ælfstan’s troops with the task of tracking the raiders and ensuring that they have truly left.
by Book Club
