Cover Reveal: The Banjo Book Two by Elaine Spires
I am so excited to be one of the blogs revealing the cover for The Banjo Book Two. This is the latest novel from Elaine Spires.
Before we reveal the cover, here’s a little about the book…
The 1970s. Zany fashions brought the Decade That Taste Forgot. Change is in the air. Decimal currency; the Common Market; widespread strikes; the Winter of Discontent; IRA bombings; the sale of Council houses and quickie divorces make their mark on the whole country including the community of the Banjo.
The eight households who live in Cromwell Close experience births, deaths, marriages, shocks and surprises but as the 70s become the 80s and beyond Dagenham undergoes great transformation. The once close-knit Community is changing.
OK, without further ado, here’s the cover. One..two…three….
by 
Book Review: Under A Starry Sky by Laura Kemp
One summer to change her life…
Wanda Williams has always dreamed of leaving her wellies behind her and travelling the world! Yet every time she comes close to following her heart, life always seems to get in the way.
So, when her mother ends up in hospital and her sister finds out she’s pregnant with twins, Wanda knows that only she can save the crumbling campsite at the family farm.
Together with her friends in the village, she sets about sprucing up the site, mowing the fields, replanting the allotment and baking homemade goodies for the campers.
But when a long-lost face from her past turns up, Wanda’s world is turned upside-down. And under a starry sky, anything can happen…
I have to be honest, this is not the kind of book I usually read. I am normally more of a crime/mystery/scfi kind of person.
All that said, I loved this book and read it from start to finish in one 7 hour stint!
The story follows Wanda Williams, a girl who has always dreamed of travelling but has never managed to leave due to family constraints.
I found the characters exceedingly well developed and I formed very clear images of them in my mind.
On several occasions, I found myself getting choked up or laughing out loud.
by Novel Kicks Book Club: Never Greener by Ruth Jones
Black Swan, May 2019
Hello July. How are you?
A new month means a new book to discuss.
This month, I have picked a book I have wanted to read for ages – Never Greener by Ruth Jones.
If you like Gavin and Stacey, you will be familiar with Ruth Jones. I am a huge fan of that TV show and so I am intruiged about this book. I hope you will join me in reading and discussing this novel.
Anyone can join in at any time in the month. I have posted a question below to kick off the discussion. Hopefully see you in the comments below.
About Never Greener…
The past has a habit of tracking us down. And tripping us up.
When Kate was twenty-two, she had an intense and passionate affair with a married man, Callum, which ended in heartbreak. Kate thought she’d never get over it.
Seventeen years later, life has moved on – Kate, now a successful actress, is living in London, married to Matt and mother to little Tallulah. Meanwhile Callum and his wife Belinda are happy together, living in Edinburgh and watching their kids grow up. The past, it would seem, is well and truly behind them all.
by Cover Reveal: The Christmas Killer by Alex Pine
I am so pleased to be taking part in the cover reveal for The Christmas Killer, the latest novel from Alex Pine, due to be released by Avon in October.
I know it’s only July but I feel it’s never too early. The Christmas Killer is the first in a new crime series and if you love writers like Val McDermid and Ross Greenwood, then you’ll love this new thriller.
Here’s a little more about the book…
DI James Walker is ready for a quiet family Christmas in the sleepy village of Kirkby Abbey.
But when he opens an early Christmas present left on his doorstep, he soon realises it is no gift.
Inside is a gruesome surprise, and a promise – twelve days, twelve murders. Not long after, the first body is found, half frozen in the snow.
As the blizzards descend, panic spreads through the remote Cumbrian village – there’s a killer amongst them, and with eleven more victims to go, anyone could be next….
Can James stop the killer before they strike again?
OK, time to reveal the cover. Ready? Drumroll….
by Book Review: The Never Have I Ever Club by Mary Jayne Baker
Robyn Bloom thought Ash Barnes was the love of her life – until one day he announced he was leaving her to fly halfway across the world.
Months later, Robyn is struggling to move on – but then she has a brainwave: The Never Have I Ever Club. Her handsome next-door neighbour Will helps her bring their fellow Yorkshire villagers together for some carpe-diem-inspired fun.
From burlesque dancing to Swedish massages, everyone has plenty of bucket-list activities to try, but it doesn’t take long for Robyn to realise what – or who – her heart truly desires: Will.
There’s just one problem: he’s Ash’s twin brother.
Make that two problems: Ash is moving home… and he wants Robyn back.
Mary Jayne Baker is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.
Once I started reading, I fell in love with the endearing town of Kettlewick and its wonderful inhabitants. I couldn’t even really dislike Ash. He certainly has the charm everyone alludes to.
Will sounds perfect. Even though I couldn’t figure out which twin brother was going to get the happy ending, I was very much Team Will. I am saying no more about that.
Robyn is a great lead character. She shows a loving, caring side to her that makes her incredibly likeable.
by Book Club
