Book Reviews

Book Review: The Fortunes Of Olivia Richmond by Louise Davidson

After a terrible tragedy, governess Julia Pearlie finds herself with no job, home, or references. When she’s offered a position as companion to Miss Olivia Richmond, her luck appears to be turning. But Mistcoate House is full of secrets.

Olivia has a sinister reputation. The locals call her the Mistcoate Witch, thanks to her tarot readings, and her insistence that she can speak to the dead. Her father, Dr Richmond, believes this to be girlish fantasy and is looking to Julia to put a stop to it.

Determined to prove herself and shake off her own murky history, Julia sets to work trying to help Olivia become a proper young lady. However, as she becomes a fixture at Mistcoate, it is soon clear that there may be more to Olivia’s stories than Dr Richmond would have Julia believe – not least because somehow, Olivia seems to know something of the darkness that Julia desperately hoped she had left behind.

As the danger grows, and the winter chill wraps around the dark woods surrounding Mistcoate, Julia will have to fight to uncover the truth, escape her past – and save herself.

*****

Julia Pearlie has found herself with no job and is trying to run from her past. When she is offered employment by Dr. Richmond, to prepare his daughter, Olivia for her introduction to society, she feels she has no choice.

However, things in this household are not what they seem and soon Julia finds herself being haunted by her past and feeling threatened by her present.

Having read the blurb for this novel, I couldn’t wait to get started and it seriously wasn’t long before I was completely engrossed in Julia’s story. I was completely hooked and didn’t want to stop reading. I am going to try and review without spoilers.

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Book Review: The Winter Runaway by Katie Flynn

Can you ever escape your past?

Tammy and her mother, Grace, are desperate to escape Tammy’s violent bully of a father.

When an unforeseen tragedy strikes, mother and daughter must flee Scotland in the dead of night, forced to leave behind everything they know and love – including one another.

Under new identities, Tammy and Grace must start afresh. Tammy joins the services, where she meets a dashing officer who begins to break her guard down.

But can the course of love ever run smooth with Tammy unable to reveal her true self?

The Winter Runaway is the first instalment in the brand-new Runaway’s trilogy from the beloved bestselling author.

*****

It’s 1940 in Clydebank. Grace and Tammy Blackwell have more to worry about than the war. Dennis Blackwell thinks nothing of harming his wife and daughter on a daily basis. With the encouragement of Rory, Tammy’s boyfriend, they decide it’s time to leave. However, before they can, something happens that changes their lives forever but the two women never lose hope of seeing each other again.

I was very excited to be invited onto the blog tour for A Winter Runaway, the latest novel from Katie Flynn and is due to be released on 24th October. Having not read anything from this author before, I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to get started.

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Book Review: Falling for a Star in the City by Krysten Lindsay Hager

I’m so pleased to be welcoming Krysten Lindsay Hager back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Falling for a Star in the City, book two in the Stars in the City series. 

Paige thought she had it all: a job on a soap opera and a boyfriend who was trying to get discovered as a singer/songwriter. Then her part on the show is reduced to reoccurring status and her family pushes her to leave her acting dreams behind to major in journalism—what they call a “real job.” Her relationship with her wannabe pop star boyfriend ends only for her to find out he signed a recording contract right after their breakup. Then she reads online that his new album is about their relationship.

She gets an internship in the sports department at a TV station where she meets a college hockey player named Viktor who has trust issues from a past relationship. Now with Walker’s pop star dreams taking off, it leaves her questioning her acting career and self-worth.

Paige and Viktor begin to fall for each other, but Paige worries their worlds are too different for them to work as a couple. Plus, there’s the issue of her ex coming back into her life.

Now she must figure out what she really needs to be happy and fulfilled in life. Can Paige find both her purpose & true love?

*****

Paige feels that her life is going pretty well. She’s an actress on Charmed Lives and has a boyfriend trying to make it as a singer/songwriter. Then, just like that, it’s all gone and she doesn’t know what she’s going to do. When she gets an internship as a sports journalist, maybe she can begin to piece her life back together again?

Having read and enjoyed the first novel in this series, Stars in the City, I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for the second novel, Falling For a Star in the City. This latest novel can be read as a standalone if you’re new to the series although I recommend book one. It was nice to see some familiar faces from the previous story. As usual, I am going to try and review without spoilers.

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Book Review: A Classy Affair in the Country by Margaret Amatt

I’m so happy to be welcoming Margaret Amatt back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, A Classy Affair in the Country – book ten in the Glenbriar series. 

It’s hate at first sight… But he’s about to dismantle her walls brick by brick.

Young heiress Ophelia Chattan-Blythe needs a miracle to save the family estate, and working with Brann – the ruggedly handsome, popular, and extremely irritating local builder – is not it. He may have a smile that can melt diamonds, but when he and Ophelia hit it off on the wrong foot, she starts to hate him with a passion.

Single-dad Brann isn’t all he seems. He’s built up a good business, though it doesn’t stop him from being lonely. Falling for a beautiful but stubborn heiress isn’t part of his master plan. But how can he not find Ophelia’s serene charm and whip-like comebacks irresistible?

As Brann and Ophelia work together, their arguments advance to attraction, and their desires ignite. But it’s more than Brann’s job’s worth to act on his feelings and Ophelia mustn’t, not if she’s to secure a wealthy match and stop her family from going under. A love this intense should be worth the fight, but constructing a happy ending is an almost impossible task without breaking all the rules.

*****

I was very pleased to be invited onto the blog tour for A Classy Affair in the Country by Margaret Amatt. Although we’ve previously featured this author, this is the first novel of hers that I’ve read (I am not sure why it’s taken me this long to read one and for that I can only apologise.)

Being book ten in the Glenbriar series, I was worried that I’d struggle to keep up but as I discovered, this can be read as a standalone.

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Book Review: How To Slay At Work by Sarah Bonner

Please join me in welcoming Sarah Bonner to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, How To Slay At Work.

When your boss is at a conference in a city where there’s a suspicious death, it’s unlucky.

If it happens twice, it’s odd.

But when she’s in the same city at the same time as a third unexplained death . . .

Could she be a stone-cold killer?

Millie’s always known her boss Freya is a psycho – the demanding and ever-changing coffee orders, the cryptic instructions, the apparently expected mind reading and don’t even start on the insistence that Millie wears heels . . . All. The. Time.

But it only extends as far as exacting office standards. Right?

As Freya’s assistant, Millie has privileged access to her diary and travel history and when a pattern emerges of men (who seem to have no connection to each other) dying in cities where Freya is travelling, Millie is determined to figure out what’s going on.

After all, a stone-cold killer could be exactly what Millie needs . . .

A sharp, funny and deliciously dark thriller that fans of Katy Brent, Bella Mackie or Killing Eve will love.

*****

Millie works at cosmetics company, Serendipity. She has big dreams though. She wants to make it to the main office in L.A. However, she doesn’t like her boss and when strange things begin to occur, she asks herself… her boss couldn’t be a killer, right?

The idea of this novel really caught my attention when I was invited onto the blog tour for How To Slay at Work and I couldn’t wait to get started.

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Book Review: Doris Flies Solo by M W Arnold

I’m excited to be welcoming M W Arnold back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his novel, Doris Flies Solo – the latest book in the Broken Wings series. 

Air Transport Auxiliary pilot Doris Johnson is sent on a solo trip, escorting a British General on a secret mission to Scotland, vital to the success of D-Day, the forthcoming invasion of Nazi occupied France.

Her natural inquisitiveness means her life is in put in great danger and she’ll need more than her superb flying skills to survive.

Doris has to trust her own instincts, and those of the new friends she makes, so that everyone comes through their adventures in one piece. Not everything is as it seems, sometimes by design, as she faces whatever is thrown at her with a determined smile and the spirit to stand fast for what is good and right.

*****

We are back at RAF Hamble with the ladies from the Air Transport Auxiliary. This time, Doris ventures out on her own when she is tasked with a top secret mission; to accompany an important General. However, where there is any member of the ATA Mystery Club, intrigue and danger is soon to follow and it isn’t long until it finds Doris.

Right, I am going to try and talk about this novel without giving away spoilers. It’s going to be hard but, deep breath… here we go. Haha.

It is so brilliant to be back with these characters. Having read all the books prior to this one, I have grown so incredible fond of every single one of these ladies. If this is your introduction to the Broken Wings series however, don’t worry, I feel it can be read as a standalone. Be sure to put the whole series on the TBR pile though.

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Book Review: Bella’s Countryside Christmas by Claire Huston

I’m pleased to be welcoming Claire Huston back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Bella’s Countryside Christmas.

An uplifting festive romance perfect for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies and authors such as Phillipa Ashley, Trisha Ashley, Sue Moorcroft, Rebecca Raisin and Donna Ashcroft.

Fleeing her heartache and horrendous job, Bella stumbles upon a December wedding in the beautiful village of Haileybrook and the spirit of the season moves her to act as a fake date to handsome stranger Jack.

Jack and Bella hit it off, but Bella has to leave in a hurry and their magical evening soon becomes nothing more than a blissful memory.

A year later, Bella is returning to Haileybrook, seeking a fresh start and a quieter life. With a new job close to her cosy cottage home, a peaceful Christmas is surely only days away.

But it’s not long before family surprises, small-town feuds and romantic drama disrupt Bella’s plans, and she has to wonder if being alone is what she really wants for Christmas …

*****

Bella’s visit to Haileybrook was meant to be quick. However, when she meets Jack, the night ends very differently to what she expected. When they meet again a year later, it’s not plain sailing. Can Christmas work its magic on Bella’s life or has she made a big mistake?

It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Claire Huston back to Novel Kicks and I jumped at the chance to be part of the blog tour for her latest book, Bella’s Countryside Christmas.

I love this cover. It’s so beautiful and really helps set the festive tone. This continues from the first page to the last as we get to know Bella. She, hands down, has to be one of my favourite fictional characters. Her love life aside, she really doesn’t take any **** and has confidence in situations I could only dream of having.

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Book Review: Murder at Midwinter Manor by Anita Davison

I’m pleased to be welcoming Anita Davison to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book,  Murder at Midwinter Manor – book three in the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mysteries series. 

Escaping the city doesn’t mean escaping the criminals…

1916, Midwinter Manor: Desperate for a Christmas weekend break from war-torn London, Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet take Bartleby the cat and themselves off to visit Hannah’s sister, in her beautiful country estate, deep in the English countryside.

The huge house is full of relatives, friends and merrymakers, and everyone’s excited to have a Christmas to remember.

But then, when a fellow-guest’s body is found in the library – apparently bludgeoned to death – and a precious ruby is stolen from another guest, it appears that it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

With the house snowed in, and the rural police force completely incapable of finding a single credible suspect, Hannah and Aunt Violet realise that once again it’s going to be down to them to get to the bottom of it.

Because whoever’s behind the crimes must be at Midwinter Manor… And if they’re not found, who knows what their next ‘gift’ will be?

A totally unforgettable Golden Age, country house, cozy crime novel, perfect for fans of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, and Agatha Christie.

*****

It’s Christmas, 1916. Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet are on their way to Midwinter Manor to spend Christmas with Hannah’s sister and her family. It’s not long before a case presents itself. When a fellow guest is murdered and a ruby stolen, the ladies are in a race against time to find the person responsible.

Two things drew me to this book. First, the premise intrigued me and second, it was set at Christmas so I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for Murder at Midwinter Manor. This was my introduction to both the author and this series. If, like me, you’ve not read the previous novels, don’t worry, this can be read as a standalone.

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Book Review: The Best Is Yet To Come by Jessica Redland

It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Jessica Redland back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest novel, The Best Is Yet To Come.

Emma is having a fresh start.

After a successful teaching career, an exciting new chapter awaits Emma – helping her fiancé Grayson run one of Beatrix Potter’s farms. While imagining days spent supporting Grayson with his dream, working the land and helping with the animals, Emma harvests a dream of her own – to set up an alpaca-walking business around the farm.

But working together isn’t as easy as Emma expected. Soon her dreams are in tatters and, broken-hearted, she must start over yet again.

When Oliver, Rosie and the team at Willowdale Hall welcome Emma with open arms, she can’t believe her luck. But starting a new business in a new place is a daunting prospect, especially when it comes with unexpected obstacles. With a reserved, prickly groundskeeper as a partner, rapidly changing family dynamics to contend with, and time running out to get her new career off the ground, Emma may have bitten off more than she can chew.

But even though things are not going to plan just yet, the best is yet to come for Emma, if she can just take a leap of faith and follow her heart…

Escape to the Lake District with million-copy bestseller Jessica Redland, for an uplifting story of family, friendship and love.

*****

It’s always a wonderful day when there is a new Jessica Redland novel to read and i was so pleased to be invited onto the blog tour for The Best Is Yet To Come. 

This is book three in the Escape to the Lakes series and almost immediately follows on from the previous novel, A Breath of Fresh Air which ended on a cliffhanger (I am not going to give anything away on that front.)There is a little catch up chapter at the beginning of this novel so, if it is your introduction to the series, you don’t need to have read the prior novels in order to read this one. I do recommend them though. 

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Book Review: Christmas Ever After by Jaimie Admans

I am beyond excited to be welcoming Jaimie Admans back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Christmas Ever After. 

A picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but Franca Andrews has never felt more miserable. With business far from bustling, she needs a Christmas miracle to keep her beloved nutcracker shop open… But there’s one man standing in her way – expert snow globe maker Raff Dardenne.

Dardenne Snow Globes have a magical reputation for bringing lovers together, a myth that Raff continues to exploit, much to Franca’s annoyance! But this Christmas their shops are pitted against each other and only one gets to stay on Ever After Street. Franca doesn’t know how her handmade nutcrackers are ever going to compete with Raff’s magical snow globes, especially at the most magical time of the year!

Franca’s determined to prove Raff’s business is built on lies. But when disaster strikes, and she’s left unable to make anything, she needs help. It’s just very frustrating that the only person offering is her gorgeous, annoying, nemesis himself!

As these two enemies get to know each other, Franca discovers another side to Raff – kind, caring and funny. . But unless she can prove that his magical snow globes can’t really match true lovers together, she’s going to lose everything…

But maybe it’s not too late for them to put aside their differences and find some Christmas magic of their own?

*****

Words can’t describe my excitement whenever a new book in the Ever After series gets released. When I got invited onto the blog tour for, Christmas Ever After, I couldn’t wait to get reading.

This is book four in the series. However, if you’d like your introduction to Ever After Street to have a festive feel, it can be read as a standalone.

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Book Review: This Is Not a Holiday Romance by Camilla Isley

I am so excited to be welcoming Camilla Isley back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest novel, This Is Not a Holiday Romance.

Two sworn enemies, snowed in over Christmas with chemistry that will melt the ice!

Nina Thompson has one Christmas wish: to avoid her brother’s obnoxiously handsome best friend, Tristan, like the plague. From the moment he humiliated her as a teenager to their escalating revenge schemes, Nina and Tristan’s relationship can only be defined as an all-out prank war! And there is yet to be a winner.

But it just so happens the ghost of Christmas present has other ideas. When Tristan unexpectedly crashes her family’s Christmas, Nina’s dreams of a peaceful holiday vanish faster than Santa up a chimney. Determined to end their rivalry for good, she braces herself for one last prank-filled showdown.

But when they find themselves snowed in, with no way of avoiding each other amongst the holiday festivities, they discover their heated exchanges have been masking a different kind of sizzle. Caught in a snow globe of holiday romance, they decide to let their fiery chemistry burn bright—but this is absolutely and unequivocally nothing more than a secret fling destined to melt with the snow, this is not a forever romance…

This Is Not a Holiday Romance is an enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, forced proximity rom-com perfect for fans of Sarah Adams, Abby Jimenez, and Lynn Painter.

*****

Nina is looking forward to spending Christmas with her family or she was until her brother’s best friend, Tristan joins them. Can she get through the holiday with her sanity and her heart in one piece?

I have become such a big fan of this author. I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for This is Not a Holiday Romance.

Nina is a brilliant character. She has strength and doesn’t let anyone walk over her. I was cheering for her all the way through.

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Book Review: The Final Score by Carys Jones

I’m excited to be welcoming Carys Jones to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Final Score.

It’s never too late for revenge…

Connie Winchester was once a celebrated music prodigy… but those days are long behind her. So when Daniel Layton shows up on her doorstep to interview her about her career, Connie Winchester is flattered to be remembered.

But as he moves through her story, it all comes back. Robin. Her friends. The drugs. What happened that final night. The lies she told.

Connie has been running from her past for years. But now there’s nowhere left to run…

*****

Connie Winchester has led an illustrious life as a world leading violin player but feels like the world has all but forgotten her. Now in her 80’s, she agrees to be interviewed. As she begins to talk about her life, it comes back to haunt her. 

I was intrigued to read this novel from Carys Jones and pleased to be invited onto the blog tour for The Final Score. 

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Book Review: Last Christmas by Clare Swatman

I’m excited to be welcoming Clare Swatman back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Last Christmas.

‘Bea was always early for everything. Even, it turned out, when she was running away from her life.’

As Christmas approaches, Bea Preston has a choice.

Looking up at the departures board in Heathrow airport, her flight to New York boarding soon, she knows that getting on that plane changes everything. Her life in London has grown stale, her relationship with boyfriend Dom has run its course, and New York has always been her dream. But it’s a risk – she’ll miss her parents, her friends, her job.

What if Bea could live both lives? In one she goes back home for Christmas, and in another she heads to the Big Apple. Would her fate remain the same, or can one decision really change everything?

In a grand sliding-doors love story that spans oceans, years and lives, Clare Swatman’s unforgettable tale of fate and friendship is perfect for all fans of Jojo Moyes, Beth Moran and Ruth Jones.

*****

Bea is running from her life. Standing at the airport, she faces a choice – to stay or to go?

Having become a big fan of Clare Swatman, I felt excited to be asked onto the blog tour for her latest novel, Last Christmas.

The premise for this novel is one I find so intriguing as it looks at these moments and decisions that have the potential to change the rest of your life. Of course, you can only know the outcome for the decisions that you make. However, this book follows Bea and shows alternative realities – one showing what happens if she stayed in her current life and the other showing her life if she’d left.

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Book Review: A Corpse in Christmas Close by Michelle Salter

I’m pleased to be welcoming Michelle Salter back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, A Corpse in Christmas Close, book five in The Iris Woodmore Mysteries series. 

When a pantomime turns deadly, Iris investigates a cast of killers…

Christmas, 1923. When reporter Iris Woodmore is sent to cover the Prince of Wales’ visit to historic Winchester, she discovers more than just royal gossip.

The leading lady in Winchester Cathedral’s charity pantomime is found dead in mysterious circumstances. And the chief suspect is Cinderella’s handsome prince, played by Percy Baverstock’s younger brother, Freddie.

For the sake of the Baverstocks, Iris must investigate the murder, even though it means confronting an old enemy. And as the line between friend and foe blurs dangerously, she’s ensnared by someone she hoped she’d never see again…

Everyone’s favourite amateur sleuth returns for a Christmas mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright, Claire Gradidge and Emily Organ.

*****

It’s 1923 and Iris Woodmore is preparing for royalty to arrive in Winchester. However, when a girl is found murdered on the day of the Prince of Wales’s visit, Iris is in a race against time to find the person responsible before they potentially strike again.

I am such a BIG fan of the Iris Woodmore Mysteries series and was very excited to be invited onto the blog tour for book five in the series, A Corpse in Christmas Close. Iris and a mention of Christmas in the title. Come on, no brainer.

It was so lovely to catch up with Iris. She’s a strong, independent woman and such a wonderful character to read. I love that she forges her own path, especially in the time in which this novel is set. She’s how I hope to have been had I lived in that time period. It was also fabulous to catch up with the familiar faces surrounding Iris.

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Book Review: The Fecking Fabulous Forties Club by Freya Kennedy

I’m very excited to be welcoming Freya Kennedy to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Fecking Fabulous Forties Club.

Becca Burnside isn’t sure where it all went wrong. How did she end up single in her forties, with the highlight of her weekend being a trip to Big Asda with her mum and the only chance of cuddles coming from her dog?

It’s fair to say that Becca’s life isn’t quite where she’d hoped it would be. She already knew that, deep down, but when she finds the time capsule she and her friends made as teenagers and remembers the hopes and dreams sixteen-year-old Becki (with an i) had for the future, she knows she has to do something, and fast.

Refusing to be controlled by her hot flushes and Unexplained Waves of Sadness, Becca is determined to turn things around – for Becki’s sake. But what will it take to prove there’s life in the old girl yet?

*****

Now in her forties, Becca is wondering how the most exciting thing in her life has become a trip to ASDA. After finding a time capsule and a letter from her 16 year-old self, Becca is determined to improve her life, hot flushes and menopause be damned.

Having been a big fan of this author’s psychological thrillers (where she writes as Claire Allan,) and The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn, I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for The Fecking Fabulous Forties Club,

First, I want to show some appreciation for the title. I love it. Haha.

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Book Review: Kings of Conflict by MJ Porter

It’s a pleasure to be welcoming MJ Porter back to Novel Kicks and their latest novel, Kings of Conflict, the final, thrilling instalment in the Brunanburh series.

Can King Edmund of the English banish the Norse invaders from England one final time?

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In the wake of the agreement reached at Lincoln between Edmund and Anlaf Sihtricson of the Norse, Edmund returns to Wessex to reflect and rebuild, impatient to reverse his losses at Lincoln.

But this is the winter of discontent. In Jorvik and the kingdom of the Scots, those who’ve waited too long to become kings in their own right grow restless.

As the enemies of the English turn on themselves, Edmund senses the opportunity to reclaim all his brother, the victor of Brunanburh, managed to gain before his untimely death plunged England back into war with her many foes.

With his sights set firmly on York, can he recreate the England his brother built, or will the enemies of England realise the error of their ways and once more unite to drive Edmund back to Wessex, leaving York in the hands of the Norse.

A thrilling conclusion to MJ Porter’s epic retelling of the consequences of the battle of Brunanburh.

*****

Kings of Conflict is the final instalment in the epic Brunanburh series.

The book sees old rivals pitched once again against each other as Edward fights to create a united England. Can the Scots and the Norse hold on to what they have won, or will Edward take York and banish the dependents of Ivar The Boneless?

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Book Review: The House Of The Witch by Clare Marchant

I’m excited to be welcoming Clare Marchant to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, The House of the Witch.

Utterly gripping timeslip historical fiction, perfect for fans of The Witch’s Tree, The Essex Serpent and Weyward.

Now: When Adrianna arrives at the small, run-down cottage, near the sea in rural Norfolk, she can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Here she can forget her life in the city, and the problems she’s left behind there, at least for a while.

But – like Adrianna herself – the cottage holds secrets. And when Adrianna finds a mysterious bundle of notes hidden under a floorboard, she can’t shake the idea that they’ve been waiting for her. Especially when – in the rambling, overgrown garden – she then finds a strangely-carved stone, drawing her into a centuries-old mystery…

1646: Between her work as the village midwife and the medicines she sells from her cottage, Ursula has no need for a man. But this ideal leaves her unprotected in a world where just one accusation of witchcraft can mean certain death. So when she catches the eye of a powerful new local doctor, she must use every part of her cunning, or risk becoming his prisoner…

Can the two women – their paths bound by place and history – each find the keys to their own destiny?

*****

1646 

Ursula lives alone. After witnessing the death of her mother at the hands of her father, she is determined to make her own way in the world. As the local midwife and healer, she is content, owns her cottage and makes her own money. However, the arrival of Dr. Oliver Bruton threatens the life she has built for herself and all it will take is one accusation. 

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Book Review: Careful What You Witch For by Emma Jackson

I’m pleased to be welcoming Emma Jackson to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for Careful What You Witch For.

Two complete strangers.

One life-changing spell.

Becca Ashworth’s family is in trouble and with their magical legacy under threat, it puts their small village of Biddicote at risk too. So going against the witching tenets to summon an ancestor for help seems like a small price to pay to fix the problem…at first.

Connor Lynch is the Witches Council’s secret weapon and he’s just been deployed to find out exactly what the Ashworths are up to. But how he ends up posing as Becca’s fake husband at a magical inn in Cornwall as they hunt down a magical artefact is just as perplexing as the cheerful witch herself.

When their attraction for each other grows, Becca and Connor question everything they have been taught – and soon the missing artefact isn’t the only thing they are searching for. As love collides with duty, it’s clear that sometimes you need to be careful what you witch for…

*****

Rebecca Ashworth comes from a family of witches, all who have special magical abilities.  When her family, her home and the village of Biddicote is threatened, she sets out to find a stolen family artefact that will help eliminate the threat. Her biggest hurdle is Connor Lynch, an Abrogater representing The Witches Council. Can Becca find what is lost without giving her family secrets away to a stranger? 

It’s such a pleasure to be a part of the blog tour for Careful What You Witch For. First, can we talk about this book cover. It’s so pretty. 

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Book Review: A Lady’s Fortune by Jane Dunn

I’m so excited to be welcoming Jane Dunn to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, A Lady’s Fortune.

In Regency England, twenty-seven-year-old Leonora Appleby is considered by many – herself included – to be beyond her most eligible marrying years. With her childhood home, Hasterleigh Manor, soon to be taken over by the heir to the land, George Lockwood, Leonora has happily resigned herself to a quiet life as a country Miss.

But life has a way of springing surprises and the return of the brooding war hero Earl Rokeby, presumed dead on the French battlefields, to the magnificent neighbouring Rokeby Abbey has the village atwitter with speculation. Earl Rokeby has returned, scarred in mind and body, with news for Leonora’s best friend Charlotte Blythe – news that will change everything.

Now Charlotte and Leonora must travel to Town for the Season and take their futures and fate into their own hands in the whirl of balls, parties and gossip. But will either of them return to Hasterleigh with a husband and a fortune, and what other secrets does the devastatingly dashing Alistair Rokeby have up his silken sleeves…

*****

Many people, Leonora Appleby included, believe that she is beyond marrying age. Even though she’s in her late twenties, she is absolutely fine with not being tied to a marriage. Anyway, she has more pressing matters – like her home being passed over to heir, George Lockwood. With the arrival of both George and the mysterious Earl Rokeby, what else will life throw at her?

Oh I love a regency era novel and got very excited when I was invited onto the blog tour for Jane Dunn’s latest book, A Lady’s Fortune.

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Book Review: The Treehouse of Dreams by K.T. Dady

I’m pleased to be welcoming K.T. Dady to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, The Treehouse of Dreams.

Welcome to Pepper Bay, where you’ll find love, drama, and a happily ever after.

The Treehouse of Dreams: When Willow Silver pays for a psychic drawing of her soulmate, she truly believes that one day he will come into her life, not that she has any time for love. She’s busy helping run the family garden centre. Plus, her best friend, Cody, is staying with her for a while, so she doesn’t feel she could run off in the name of love and abandon everyone, even when she bumps into a man who looks exactly like the one in the drawing.

Snuggle down with this cosy, feel-good, comfort read that whisks you away to a beautiful bay on the Isle of Wight – Perfect for fans of Christie Barlow, Alison Sherlock, Rachael Lucas, and Holly Martin.

*****

After a break up, Willow decides to turn to a Psychic and receives a drawing of what her soulmate looks like. So, when Kip shows up looking exactly like her drawing, Willow sees it as fate. However has her soulmate been a little closer to home all along? 

It’s nice to be able to return to Pepper Bay, K.T Dady’s fictional village on the Isle of Wight. Liking the premise of this novel, I felt excited to be invited onto the blog tour for The Treehouse of Dreams. Although this is book thirteen in the series, you can read this book without having read any of the other books although I plan to add the others to my TBR list. 

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Book Extract & Review: The Trap by Ava Glass

I’m very excited to be welcoming Ava Glass to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her latest book, The Trap. 

Edinburgh. The 50th annual G7 Summit is being hosted by the UK, and intelligence agent Emma Makepeace, has less than a week to decode, defuse and disable a deadly threat to the leaders of the free world.

The Russians are in town and Emma and her team know a high-profile assassination is being planned. But who is their target? And who is the assassin?

There is only one way to find out. Emma must set a trap using herself as bait.

From the majesty of the Scottish Highlands to Europe’s most lavish hotels, using private jets, phone taps, and her training and instincts honed by three years hunting Russian spies, Emma Makepeace must trick her way into the moneyed, champagne-fuelled playground of the super-rich in order to trap the killer.

But Emma doesn’t count on liking her target, or the fact that he might actually fall for her, and with the clock ticking and her cover wearing increasingly thin, danger looms over her. One false move and they could both be dead.

 

I’ve reviewed The Trap below but first, Ava and Penguin have shared extracts from The Trap with us today. We hope you enjoy it. 

 

*****beginning of extract*****

 

This Extract is from Chapter 2 of The Trap by Ava Glass, published by Penguin Cornerstone on August 1st 2024.

As the two men shook hands, Emma stood stiffly; her mouth had gone dry. The man talking to Ripley was the most important person in British Intelligence. His real name was Giles Templeton-Ward but to everyone in the country he was known, as all heads of MI6 always had been known, simply as ‘C’.

‘Glad you could get here so quickly. The situation is developing.’ C spoke quietly. His accent was nearly identical to Ripley’s, making him a product of Eton or Harrow and then Oxford, undoubtedly.

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Book Review: Five Days by Zoë Folbigg

I’m so happy to be welcoming Zoë Folbigg to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Five Days.

When Jesse Lightning meets Minnie Byrne, he is having a bad day.

Reeling from the effects of a very bruised heart, the last thing Jesse wants is a new friend. But Minnie is hard to say no to, and reluctantly Jesse realises that her impetuous playfulness might do him good.

So when Minnie suggests they go on fortnightly platonic dates with no strings, no promises, no expectations beyond good company, Jesse agrees before he has a chance to think too deeply about it.

Two friends.

Five days.

No chance of another broken heart.

Until Jesse reveals a secret that proves Minnie’s heart isn’t as safe as she thought. Thank goodness five days isn’t enough time to fall in love…

Once you meet Jesse and Minnie you’ll never forget them. This is bestseller Zoë Folbigg at her absolute best with a story of friendship, love and taking chances. Perfect for fans of Cathy Kelly, Mike Gayle, JoJo Moyes and David Nicholls.

*****

Jessie is having a bad day when he meets Minnie. There is something about her that draws him in, he just can’t put his finger on it.

When they both decide to have platonic play dates together, it seems like a good chance to spend some time with someone, to do new things. They won’t fall in love…. right? 

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Book Review: Finding Love At Sunset Shore by Bella Osborne

I am beyond excited to be welcoming Bella Osborne back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Finding Love At Sunset Shore.

Sometimes, you have to fake it until you make it…

Ros is too busy for a boyfriend; between work and looking after her poorly father, there’s no time left for a relationship. But when she overhears her dad’s dying wish is for her to find love, Ros is determined to make it happen – or at least, make it look like it has.

Enter Cameron, a struggling mature student with a mountain of debt but a zest for life.

Ros, driven by love for her ailing dad, reluctantly agrees to the simple business transaction: paying Cameron to play the role of her boyfriend. Ros meticulously plans their fake relationship – but when Cameron decides to go off-script, chaos ensues.

As Ros and Cameron navigate the ups and downs of their faux romance, their differences drive each other crazy. But they may just need each other more than they think…

*****

Ros likes order and structure. She is also so busy going between work and looking after her father that she doesn’t have time for love. However, when her father wishes to see her happy, she wants to make it so, or at least give that impression. Enter Cameron.

Darla’s parents think she’s off on adventures around the world, not living in Southampton working multiple jobs to pay off debts that had nothing to do with her. When a new job puts her in Elliott’s path, it’s annoyance at first sight but will it stay that way?

A new Bella Osborne novel. Ah, all is right with the world. First, this cover… hello. It’s georgous.

As you know, Bella is a previous contributor to Novel Kicks and so it’s a pleasure to welcome her back. I jumped at the chance to be part of the blog tour for her latest book, Finding Love at Sunset Shore.

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Book Review: The Wrong Woman by O.J. Mullen

Please join me in welcoming O.J. Mullen to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his novel, The Wrong Woman.

Everyone has secrets. Are yours worth dying for?

Julia Sutherland isn’t too sure about her new colleague. Ellis Kirkbride is friendly, charismatic and handsome, but there’s just something about him – a bit too slick, a bit too confident, and he stands a bit too close. Normally she’d share her concerns with her husband Rob, but he’s been distant lately and Julia has a secret he mustn’t find out.

Ellis Kirkbride thought he had found the right woman. She was everything he could want but she didn’t want him. And that was unacceptable…

In a tale of twisted love and chilling revenge, bestseller O.J. Mullen will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Perfect for fans of K. L Slater, Claire Douglas and Sue Watson.

*****

Julia feels that life is pretty good. She is happily married to Rob, has a job at one of the top marketing agencies in Glasgow and leads a team she loves. When she gets a chance to build a campaign for a big new development, the only downside is she’s now having to work with the agency’s new recruit, the successful Ellis Kirkbride.

I loved the premise of this novel when I heard it. I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for The Wrong Woman.

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Book Review: It Started With A Book by Camilla Isley

I’m so happy to be welcoming Camilla Isley back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, It Started With a Book.

Lose yourself in Lakeville Hills in this gorgeous new romance from bestselling author Camilla Isley…

When she’s ghosted by yet another Tinder match, Leighton swears off dating for life. Who needs apps and blind dates when she has the perfect-in-every-way (apart from being fictional) heroes of her beloved romance novels?

That night Leigh finds a second-hand book on her TBR pile, which transports her to the small-town of Lakeville Hills, where the heroines wear shorty-shorts and the men drink bourbon. And as Leigh drifts off to sleep, she dreams of billionaire cowboy Killian St Clair, who could win a gold medal for smouldering and bicep flexing.

For a while, Leigh finds it easier to stomach misogynistic supervisors, newly coupled friends, and extravagant bridesmaid duties knowing she can return to Lakeville Hills each evening. Until one day, she wakes up to find she’s brought a bit of Lakeville Hills back with her: the impossible sexy and entirely implausible Killian St Clair is in her apartment.

Now Leigh must help Killian navigate the real world. But as she gets to know the man behind the trope, can she keep her heart safe, or does she risk falling in love with her book boyfriend in real life?

*****

Leighton has not been lucky in love. Sick of disastrous dates from apps, she finds herself curling up with a book on a Friday night. Except, this is no ordinary book. 

Anyone who has followed this blog for a while will know how big a fan I am of Camilla Isley so I will always jump at the chance to take part in her blog tours. It Started With a Book was no exception. 

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Book Review: Before She Fell by Natatlie Sammons

I’m pleased to be welcoming Natatlie Sammons to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Before She Fell.

An ostentatious party descends into violence—and a disgraced cop sets out to redeem herself by solving the case . . .

Susan Grey’s fiftieth birthday party promised to be a talked-about event—an over-the-top extravagant gathering of a hundred guests at her sprawling Georgian home. But it would be talked about for all the wrong reasons . . .

From an escalated argument to the disappearance of an expensive piece of jewelry, the party was quickly spiraling out of control. But the worst was yet to come, when Susan suffered a horrific fall down the grand staircase. Was it an accident or was she pushed?

For DI Grace Roth, relegated to desk duty due to an internal investigation, this could be a high-profile case and a chance to redeem herself. But every lead seems to send her in circles. As the badly injured Susan lies in her hospital bed, DI Roth must try to gather the scattered pieces of the puzzle and make them fit—before anyone else gets hurt . . .

*****

Susan Grey is turning fifty and she is determined to not let herself fade into the background. She is planning a party to remember, it’s just not going to be remembered for the right reasons…. her falling down the stairs. Did she fall or was she pushed?

DI Grace Roth is also on a mission to prove herself after been put on desk duty. Can she find justice for the victim?

This was the first novel I’ve read by Natalie Sammons but I was eager be part of the blog tour and get started on Before She Fell.

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Book Extract: How to Survive Making Yourself Look Silly While Dancing with the German Mafia at a Bavarian Nightclub and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips by Simon Yeats

I’m so happy to be welcoming Simon Yeats back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book,  How to Survive Making Yourself Look Silly While Dancing with the German Mafia at a Bavarian Nightclub and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips.

The best has been saved to last. Book 3 of a hilarious series of travel misadventures and dubious personal introspection by Australian author Simon Yeats, who from an early age learned that the best way to approach the misfortunes of this world is to laugh about it.

Simon shares his comedic insights into the unusual and uproarious elements of living life as an Aussie ex-pat and having a sense of Wanderlust as pervasive as Cholera in the 1850s.

From how to outwit the Italian police while trying to find parking in downtown Genoa, to how to negotiate exploring the Roman ruins of Plovdiv, Bulgaria while on crutches, to how to impress the German Mafia with 80s dance moves, to how to leave a lasting impression on a crowded bar in Gothenburg, Sweden after combining alcohol and antibiotics.

Simon Yeats has gone into the world and experienced all the out of the ordinary moments for you to sit back and enjoy the experience without the need to rupture a disc or succumb to Dengue fever.

 

Simon has shared an extract from his book today. We hope you enjoy. 

 

*****beginning of extract*****

 

Avoid looking silly

On arrival to Ios in the Greek Islands at 2 in the morning, my friends and I discovered that it was not as tourist friendly as we thought.

We start walking in the only direction that standing on a pier offers a person. Towards the end that does not finish at the water. The first building we pass has an unilluminated sign of a pension, with rooms available. We stop and take a few steps back to look more closely. It looks more like a person’s house than suitable lodgings for three wise men from the East, but at 2.25am we are prepared to lay our heads in any manger.

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Book Review: Blue Skies Over Wildflower Lock by Hannah Lynn

I’m happy to be welcoming Hannah Lynn to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Blue Skies Over Wildflower Lock.

There may be trouble ahead…

Just when Daisy thought she had canal life understood, Theo, her primary go-to for all of her boating questions has left Wildflower Lock, not to mention the budding romance that has been steadily growing.

Not one to sit and wallow, Daisy takes matters into her own hands. Who said long-distance relationships can’t work?

With the help of trusted friend Yvonne, Daisy takes the September Rose on a round trip to surprise her new boyfriend. The best thing about a home on the water? You can go anywhere!

But perhaps leaving the serenity of Wildflower Lock wasn’t the best idea. Daisy hates keeping secrets from Theo, and she’s not the only one…

*****

Daisy May feels that life has finally got a little bit of balance. She’s running her café from her canal boat, September Rose and her relationship with new boyfriend, Theo is going well. However, when he needs to go away for work, this sets Daisy on an adventure she wasn’t expecting.

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Book Review: Happy Ever After at Puddleduck Farm by Della Galton

I’m pleased to be welcoming Della Galton back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Happy Ever After at Puddleduck Farm.

When life throws up the unexpected, can Phoebe hold strong?

In the idyllic setting of the New Forest, talented vet Phoebe Dashwood envisions a picturesque life alongside her beloved fiancé. However, the course of true love is fraught with unexpected hurdles.

Career wise, Phoebe encounters a goat who is seemingly experiencing a phantom pregnancy, and a highly-strung talking parrot who pushes her professionalism to the limits.

Things take an unexpected turn for the worse when Phoebe is confronted with a glamorous love rival, and a surprise Valentine’s Day ‘date’ to see a financial advisor! Can things get any worse?

When tragedy strikes Phoebe realises that nothing in life should be taken for granted and fears she will lose everything she holds dear.

Whilst her friends find their own happy endings, Phoebe is beset with doubts that she and Sam will ever find theirs. Is love enough to carry them into the future they deserve?

*****

Phoebe Dashwood is in love with Sam and runs a successful veterinary practice. However, when a new dog trainer makes her feel a little threatened in regards to her relationship she doesn’t quite know how to feel about it. Also the extra pressure to move out of Woodcutters Cottage isn’t helping.

Can Phoebe and Sam navigate the next part of their lives in one piece?

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Book Review: Excalibur by Peter Gibbons

We’re happy to be welcoming Peter Gibbons to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his novel, Excalibur.

The sword has the power of Britain in its steel, men will follow and fight for whoever wields it…

Dark Age Britain. A legendary hero rises to unite a divided and threatened land…

A country left in ruins after the fall of the Roman Empire is plundered and broken. Saxon hordes have invaded and conquered the East coast of Britain in a blood-soaked Great War which tore the old kingdoms apart. From Bernicia to Kent, land and kingdoms are now under Saxon rule. But these new conquerors want more…

Britain’s remaining kingdoms are jaded by the constant threat of war, their Kings old, alliances fickle and frayed. It seems Britain must fall enslaved to the brutal and marauding conquerors from across the sea.

But no one counted on a new and fearsome warlord. A warrior granted power by the druid Merlin through the mighty sword Excalibur. A man with no Kingdom but a quest to unite the country and fight back against the baying Saxon warriors? He is known as the legendary Arthur.

The compelling, fast-paced start of a brand new series from bestselling writer Peter Gibbons. Perfect for the fans of Bernard Cornwall.

*****

Arthur, an orphaned boy raised by one of Britain’s greatest warriors sets out to prove that he is a man by killing his first enemy in battle, but after meeting the Druid Merlin, he finds that the course of his future is not truly in his own hands.

Gifted the mighty sword Excalibur, he must ride to unite Britain and defeat the Saxons. 

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Book Review: The Mother by Valerie Keogh

I’m so pleased to be welcoming Valerie Keogh back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest novel, The Mother.

A terrible wife…

Sarah Westfield is unhappily married to perfect husband Nick. Handsome, devoted and kind, he should be the ideal man for her, but Sarah knows their marriage is the biggest mistake she’s ever made…and she wants out.

But then Nick offers her one last chance to make their marriage work – a baby.

Sarah is horrified – a baby would tie herself to this man forever…wouldn’t it? Or could it be exactly what she needs?

So Sarah agrees.

A terrible mother?

When the baby arrives, Sarah struggles with motherhood and her resentment towards Nick only grows. Sarah feels more trapped than ever, but she loves her precious daughter…doesn’t she?

And then baby Kaya goes missing…

And everything Sarah has ever believed in comes crashing down around her…

*****

Sarah Westfield has a devoted husband and she’s just given birth to their daughter. However, she has not been happy in the relationship for a long time and she wants out.

Having previously read The Lodger, The Housekeeper and The Mistress, I have become a BIG fan of Valerie Keogh’s novels. Therefore, I was stupidly excited to be invited onto the blog tour for her latest phycological thriller, The Mother.

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Book Review: The Days of Our Birth by Charlie Laidlaw

Theirs was the most important relationship of their life…

It was a perfect relationship until time pulled them apart. A beautiful story sensitively told about how love and friendship can conquer everything, including time, to a point.

“The Days of Our Birth” delves into the intricate bond between Peter and Sarah as they navigate their formative years. Spanning from their sixth birthday through two decades, the narrative unfolds against the backdrop of Sarah’s placement on the autism spectrum.

With a blend of humour and poignancy, the book intricately weaves together themes of love and friendship, unravelling the tale of two individuals who grapple with their emotions for each other, even though they remain unacknowledged.

*****

In their childhood, Peter and Sarah were neighbours. They also share the same birthday.

With a story that spans twenty years, can the bond they shared survive into adulthood and beyond?

I am very happy to once again be featuring Charlie Laidlaw on Novel Kicks and reviewing his latest novel, The Days of Our Birth.

I’m not going to beat around the bush…. I flipping loved this book along with the two main characters, Sarah and Peter. I’m not sure how I’m going to talk about it without giving too much away but I’m going to give it a go.

Sarah’s development really interested me. I have people in my life that are autistic and I felt that the subject of autism is presented in a sensitive and informative way, teaching us that each person will face their own challenges and way of doing things. The author has created a wonderful character in Sarah and I found her to be strong and endearing as was Peter.

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Book Review: For Once In My Life by Sian O’Gorman

What better way to kick off the week by welcoming Sian O’Gorman to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, For Once In My Life. 

A Tale of Love, Discovery, and Second Chances…

In the bustling world of Dublin’s advertising scene, Kitty O’Sullivan, a copywriter, feels an unexplainable void in her life that she can’t quite pinpoint. Her five-year relationship with Dave is stagnant, her creative juices have dried up and she’s even entertaining thoughts of marriage as a cure-all! Something’s missing from her life but she can’t work out exactly what it is…

When Dave decides to take time out from ‘them’, Kitty finds herself momentarily liberated to explore life and have some fun. She and best friend Shazza are corralled into joining a five-aside football team where she meets the intriguing Sweetman brothers, Tom and Rory.

As they sail around the enchanting coast of Dublin, engage in fierce football battles and stumble upon a magical secret drinking den, Kitty falls in love with her new life – and her new self – but is it only temporary until Dave returns?

Will Kitty find the answers to life’s mysteries and take charge of her future?

*****

Copywriter Kitty O’ Sullivan is beginning to feel that something is missing from her life. She just can’t put her finger on what.

When she suddenly finds herself living alone and more surprisingly part of a five-aside football team, she starts to see that maybe there is a great big beautiful life out there. Can she find the courage to reach out and grab it?

I’d previously not read any novels from author, Sian O’ Gorman. A mixture of a beautiful cover and an intriguing premise had me pleased to be welcomed onto the blog tour for For Once in my Life (please say I’m not the only person with Stevie Wonder’s song in my head with this title. LOL.)

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Book Review: The Hollywood Governess by Alexandra Weston

I’m excited to be welcoming Alexandra Weston to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Hollywood Governess.

A governess bound by her own strict rules, a movie-star tormented by grief, a forbidden love story you won’t forget.

Hollywood, 1937

Hester Carlye has no wish to look after the pampered offspring of the rich anymore, in spite of being a highly sought-after governess. But with her elderly father frail, and the roof of their rundown cottage falling in, she has no choice but to accept a dazzling new placement.

Movie star Aidan Neil is box office gold, but after the tragic death of his wife Dinah Doyle, he needs Hester’s help to raise their young daughter Erin. Aidan and Dinah were once the perfect Hollywood couple, but stars don’t shine forever…

At Aidan’s glittering Hollywood mansion, Hester finds a family struggling with their grief. Hester knows she can help little Erin, but Aidan’s torment is palpable. Brooding and reclusive, he is far from the picture-perfect hero Hester’s seen in films. There’s an edge to him that makes Hester wonder if he’s hiding a dark secret of his own….

Was the marriage between Aidan and Dinah as perfect as it appeared to be? Was Dinah’s death really a tragic accident?

When it finally comes, the truth is more shocking than Hester could ever have imagined. And she knows that if revealed, it will destroy the family she has grown to love and ruin Aidan’s Hollywood dream forever…

*****

It’s 1937. Hester Carlyle is a successful Governess. Having recently returned to Yorkshire from New York, she’s not in a hurry to return to the United States. However, bills need to be paid. When she receives a job offer that will mean a journey back across the Atlantic, she knows she can’t refuse. 

If you’ve been a long term follower of this blog then you know I can’t resist a good cover and the one for The Hollywood Governess is one of the things that initially drew me to this book. There’s something very glamorous and romantic about it. 

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Book Review: French Windows by Antoine Laurain

Nathalia, a young photographer, has been seeing a therapist. Having accidentally photographed a murder, she finds that she can no longer do her job.

Instead, Doctor Faber suggests that she write about the neighbours she idly observes in the building across the street. But as these written snapshots become increasingly detailed, he starts to wonder how she can possibly know so much about them.

With each session, Doctor Faber and his mysterious patient will get closer and closer to the truth. But are the stories Nathalia submits each week as she claims…

Bestselling author Antoine Laurain serves up a dose of suspense and intrigue in Rear Window with a Parisian heart.

 

*****

Nathalia is a photographer who no longer takes photos, not since her last photo had her witness a murder. Instead, she observes her neighbours. She seeks the help of theorist, Dr. Faber who suggests she write about those she watches. Will the truth be reviewed?

I have such a love of Antoine Laurain. Having loved The President’s Hat and The Red Notebook, I was exceedingly excited to get my hands on an advanced reading copy of his latest novel, French Windows. Due to this, there was a lot of pressure on it to be good. I need not have worried.

It’s going to be hard talking about this book without giving too much away but I am going to give it a go.

Antoine Laurain has a gift of pulling you completely into the lives of the people he writes about. Sure, there’s conflict and issues but these are glazed with a slight whimsical feel.

The two main characters intrigued me. It’s obvious when you first meet her that Nathalia seems lost. She’s mysterious and it was interesting to see how her story developed over the course of the story. It didn’t go in the direction I was expecting and I loved that.

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Book Review: Humility and Tolerance by Noni Valentine

I’m pleased to be welcoming Noni Valentine to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Humility and Tolerance.

A sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Seven years after Elizabeth Bennett married Fitzwilliam Darcy, they are still deeply in love, with two small children. But paradise is showing cracks now that Darcy’s aged housekeeper has died and Elizabeth must take up her duties. It’s more than one woman, even one as capable as Elizabeth, can manage.

Her sister Kitty, with Elizabeth and Jane’s help and a heroic effort on Kitty’s part, has outgrown her silly youth and matured into a sensible young woman—who, being sensible, spends as much time away from her parents and visiting her sisters as possible. Darcy’s sister Georgiana, with perhaps more influence from Elizabeth than is good for her, has become a confident, independent woman who is nevertheless ripe for romance. Charlotte Collins, newly widowed, is searching for a way out of the household of her husband’s crabbed patron, Lady Catherine, that doesn’t involve returning to her parents’ house.

Elizabeth sees a way to restore order to Pemberley and give herself a chance to to breathe: she offers Kitty a job as housekeeper of the estate, and Charlotte a job as governess of her adored children.

With these four women under one roof, chaos and the unexpected are inevitable. Both Kitty and Georgiana meet and begin falling in love with honorable, interesting men, neither of whom are gentlemen and therefore not considered eligible matches for them. Charlotte has the opposite problem: a childhood acquaintance who is now a Lord has become fixated on her and begins diligently wooing her, when all she wants is a quiet life and a chance to recover from eight years of marriage to a man she never loved.

When Elizabeth and Darcy learn of their sisters’ budding romances, each has the same reaction: delight at their sister-in-law’s choice and outrage at that of their sister. Now throw a ball into the mix, with Elizabeth’s mother bringing up forbidden topics from the past and her father hiding from the noise, Jane and Bingley attempting to calm the waters, Elizabeth trying to set up all three of the younger women, and Charlotte’s Lord pursuing her all over the dance floor—and an explosion is sure to happen.

This charming romance will delight all lovers of Jane Austen’s masterpiece who have ever wondered, “What happened next?”

*****

Seven years after marrying Mr Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet is happy as mistress of Pemberley. When she gets not one but two requests for visitors, she starts to make a plan but will everyone be happy with it? 

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Book Review: The Secret Life of a Lady by Darcy McGuire

I’m so pleased to be welcoming Darcy McGuire to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Secret Life of a Lady.

Never Underestimate a wallflower!

Lady Hannah Simmons is a quintessential wallflower, unassuming, dowdy yet ignored by most. But underneath her plain exterior, Hannah is hiding a thrilling secret! Unbeknownst to the rest of the ton, she is Queen Victoria’s leading femme fatale, slipping unnoticed through the streets of London and listening to scandalous whispers from lords and ladies. But with daggers in her stockings and pistols in her pockets, Hannah’s mission is to apprehend a deadly killer.

Private Investigator to the Prime Minister, damaged, yet devastatingly handsome ex-war hero Duke Robert Killian always puts duty first. However, when he finds himself competing with the intriguing Lady Hannah on the same daring task, his blood boils with frustration – and desire! Is it possible to seduce this vexing woman whose not afraid to put herself in danger and achieve the upper hand?

Hannah enjoys Killian’s attempts to distract and tempt her, but she has never faced an adversary she couldn’t overthrow. And Killian has never met a challenge he couldn’t conquer…until now. The gauntlet has been thrown, can they finish their jobs and resist the temptation?

Keep your friends close…and your enemies even closer!

*****

Lady Hannah Simmons is happy to blend into the background. It makes it easier to sneak around at the behest of the Queen as well as her friend, Lady Winterbourne. Her task is to catch a killer. What she didn’t count on was meeting Lieutenant General Robert Killian. 

When their interests align, can either of them get to the murderer unscathed and can they avoid falling in love? 

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Book Review: Husbands by Mo Fanning

I’m pleased to be welcoming Mo Fanning to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his novel, Husbands. 

In Hollywood, every pavement star tells a story. Not all of them shine.

Wannabe actor Kyle Macdonald is down on his luck. Working as a supply teacher in an inner-city Birmingham school, he’s single again at 28, and sleeping in his childhood bedroom beneath a ‘Hard Candy’ Madonna poster.

He gets a call claiming he drunkenly married top Hollywood director Aaron Biedermeier in Vegas six years ago. Rather than panic, he sees a golden ticket to fame and the life he’s always fantasised about.

But the glamorous veneer of Los Angeles – non-stop sunshine, celebrity actors and exclusive hotel suites – starts to crack, revealing a darker, corrupt underbelly to La-La Land. Kyle digs deeper into his so-called husband’s past, unearthing disturbing allegations of abuse and underage sex parties.

With the help of Biedermeier’s fiancé, actor Noah Winters, he embarks on a cross-country race to unravel the mystery and expose the truth – finding love along the way.

*****

At 28 years old, Kyle pictured his life differently. He saw a glittering acting career and a life in Hollywood, not one as a supply teacher in an inner-city Birmingham school. When a phone call means he finds himself in the city he’s dreamed of for so long, he can’t believe his luck. However, secrets and lies beckon. Can Kyle navigate through this and find himself and love on the other side?

This is the first time I’ve read anything by Mo Fanning. I was happy to be invited onto the blog tour for his latest novel, Husbands.

I really didn’t know what to expect. What was clear from the beginning however, was how quickly I got drawn into this book. Even though I’m not male or a teacher, I felt empathy and an affinity with Kyle. I think he’s the fictional personification of the point in our lives where we take stock and wonder how we got to where we are. What happened to the dreams we had when we were younger? I think we’ve all had those moments at some stage, right?

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Book Spotlight: Neptune’s Secret Code by Genna Rowbotham

I’m thrilled to be welcoming Genna Rowbotham to Novel Kicks. Today we are shining a light on her book, Neptune’s Secret Code.

★ ★★ An Undersea Adventure filled with Magic, Friendship, and Bravery! ★★★

When Hannah is sucked into a vicious whirlpool in her effort to rescue kitten Leo, vshe finds herself entering Neptune’s Undersea Kingdom where she reawakens terrifying sea monsters from the depths of the sea.

The trouble is… Hannah is unable to return home until she’s overcome her fear of the water, defeated the sea monsters, and solved the code that she broke upon entering Neptune’s Kingdom.

With the help of her new friend, Marcie the Mermaid, will Hannah succeed?

 

Neptune’s Secret Code is due to be released by Adventure Scape Press on 12th June 2024. Click to buy on Amazon, Waterstones or via Geena’s website

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Book Review: Under The Summer Skye by Sue Moorcroft

We are so pleased to be welcoming Sue Moorcroft back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Under a Summer Skye.

A Scottish island. A stranger from the mainland. A summer of possibilities…

Escape to the Isle of Skye this summer with the Sunday Times bestselling author, and lose yourself in the first book of the Skye Sisters Trilogy.

A chance encounter is about to change everything for Thea Wynter.

The moment she arrived on the Isle of Skye, life changed for Thea. Running from a succession of wrong turns, she comes to the island in search of blue sea, endless skies, and mountains that make the heart soar. Here, she feels at peace.

As head gardener at Rothach Hall, life is exactly how she wants it, with her days spent working in the glorious clifftop garden and her evenings in the cosy village pub.

But an encounter with a stranger from the mainland brings with it an unexpected turn – and she is left wondering whether he is friend or foe.

It seems that even on Skye, life can catch up with you, and Thea is soon faced with the past she left behind – and with it, the family she’s never met…

From old lives to new beginnings, lose yourself on the beautiful Isle of Skye with Thea as she discovers how many possibilities life can truly hold if you look hard enough.

*****

One of my favourite authors is back, and with a bang and a gentle, woof! As I understand it, ‘Under a Summer Skye’ is the first book in a trilogy set on the Isle of Skye (this is up in Scotland, for those of you who don’t know where this real, spectacular place is).

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Book Review: Stars in the City by Krysten Lindsay Hager

I’m very pleased to be welcoming Krysten Lindsay Hager back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Stars in the City.

These stars seem to have it all…

Valeria Joseph seems to have it all: career as actress on the soap opera, Charmed Lives, and everyone wants to be her. Her so-star, Cecily Taylor, fixes her up with a rising pop star named Dex Doyle and suddenly Valeria has a bigger spotlight on her.

Then, on the busy streets of New York City, she runs into her first love, Davis, who she never got over. Davis is a college basketball player who is dealing with high pressure stressors of his own and they find themselves supporting one another and falling back in love.

But, just like being on a daytime soap is full of drama—so is the publicity that surrounds Valeria. Throw in a pop star who’s crazy about her, an award show event that trends on social media for all the wrong reasons, and tons of swoony moments. Can Valeria find true love in the big city?

*****

To the outside world, Valeria Joseph has it all. She’s an actress on the popular soap opera, Charmed Lives and has the attention of a handsome pop star. However, the life of an actress isn’t always as it seems and when Valeria runs into her old boyfriend, can she find something she thought she’d lost forever?

Although Krysten Lindsay Hager has previously featured on Novel Kicks, this is the first opportunity I’ve had to review one of her novels. I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour and couldn’t wait to get started.

Being targeted at 10 – 18 years, I am not the target audience in terms of age. However, I found myself enjoying this book very much. It had the feel of the Sweet Valley High books or the Sisters books by Marilyn Kaye but with a modern feel. It’s a book I would have picked up had I been that age and I hope to read more if this book is the first in a series.

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Book Review: Identical by Saskia Sarginson

I’m pleased to be welcoming Saskia Sarginson to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest novel,  Identical

‘Please, I need your help. You’re the only person I can turn to. The only person who can pretend to be me…’

When Alice gets a desperate message from her estranged identical twin sister Cecily, she can’t help herself. She has to say yes. Pushing down the memories of the terrible childhood that ultimately tore them apart, she arrives at her sister’s house.

Cecily has left instructions: how to work the oven, what to cook for supper, what to say to her husband.

She says she’ll only be gone a week. She just needs to contact a lawyer, sort her head out, and work out how to get away from her marriage safely.

Alice barely knows why she’s agreed. But as she puts the key in the door, she wonders if – in coming to help her sister – she might be putting herself in the most terrible danger.

Because when Cecily stops replying to messages, and the words ‘die, die, die’ appear scrawled in lipstick on the bathroom mirror, Alice realizes – someone is out to get Cecily. And now they think Alice is her…

*****

Alice doesn’t hesitate when she gets an urgent message for help from her identical twin, Cecily. All she has to do is live as her sister for a week. That’s not too hard right? Except things are not what they seem. Alice begins to feel she’s in danger and she can’t get hold of her sister.

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Book Review: A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans

I’m so pleased to be welcoming Jaimie Admans back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book,  A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street, book three in the Ever After Street series. 

A picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street…

There’s always time for tea… unless you’ve lost your teapot…

Cleo Jordan has only ever wished for one thing – to open her own teashop in memory of her lovely gran. So when she accidentally fools the interview board into thinking she’s a brilliant baker and is offered a prime spot on Ever After Street, she knows her dream is about to come true!

Stepping into The Wonderland Teapot is like falling down the rabbit hole – magical! But there’s a catch: Cleo has completely lost her love of baking! With her little white lie ticking in her ear, it seems her dream is over before it’s begun.

Until she meets her very own Mad Hatter. Loved by everyone on Ever After Street, magician Bram brings an energy to the teashop that lifts everyone, and slowly, with his encouragement, Cleo is getting back to doing what she loves best.

But with Bram hiding secrets of his own, Cleo isn’t sure she can put all her faith in him. And when things start going wrong at the teashop, Cleo wonders if the culprit sabotaging her dream is someone closer than she thinks?

If Cleo wants her wish to work, she has to learn to trust again before she loses her head and heart completely…although it might already be far too late for that…

*****

Cleo has grown to love Ever After Street and longs to own her own tea shop themed to Alice in Wonderland, her favourite novel. When she is given the opportunity, she wants to make the most of it….if only her ability to bake hadn’t deserted her. 

When a Mad Hatter arrives to work in the shop, Cleo isn’t so sure but as she gets to know the man behind the hat, could there be something more? 

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Book Spotlight: Dressing The Countess by Rachel Brimble

I’m pleased to be welcoming Rachel Brimble to Novel Kicks. Today, we’re shining a spotlight on her novel, Dressing The Countess.

Fans of Kristy Cambron, Stephanie Dray, and Julia Quinn will adore this Victorian romance from historical fiction dynamo, Rachel Brimble.

Seamstress Rose Watson cannot believe her good fortune when she’s plucked from obscurity to work for Lady Christina, the Countess of Bath. Despite her parents’ distrust that the position will come with conditions, Rose accepts the unexpected offer.

When she arrives at the royal residence of Henlow House, a strange sense of destiny whispers through her, and Rose cannot wait for this new adventure to begin. Although, she has Henry Ward to deal with, the handsome, risk-taking and—though she is loath to admit it—exciting royal saddler and horse trainer, who both fascinates and frustrates her in equal measure.

They could not be more different…with the exception of their hunger for more.

But as they begin to trust one another, and their bond flourishes, Rose’s connection with Henry could cause her to lose her position at Henlow House, which would destroy her. Will she be forced to choose between love and ambition? Either choice will change her life irrevocably.

A captivating escape that will touch your heart and keep you turning pages with impatient hope for Rose…

*****

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Book Extract: The Blood Promise by Liz Mistry

I’m pleased to welcoming Liz Mistry to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Blood Promise. 

A deadly gift

Imogen Clark wakes up on her 16th birthday to find her parents dead at the breakfast table, along with a message from their killer.

A twist of fate

Detectives Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen join the investigation, but the more they discover, the more Jazzy suspects that the killing is a twisted message for her. Jazzy shares the same birthday as Imogen, and believes that this is more than a coincidence.

A race to catch a killer

When Jazzy discovers the connection between the killer and the stalker who has been following her for years, she is forced to confront the dark past she was desperate to keep hidden. She must stop at nothing to solve the case, before she becomes the next victim…

Liz has shared an extract for us today. We hope you enjoy. 

*****beginning of extract*****

Detectives Jazzy Solanki and her partner Annie ‘Queenie’ McQueen have been demoted from detective sergeants to detective constables for separate incidents. They haven’t worked together before but, as a punishment they have been thrust together to do an overnight surveillance on a pub in a small isolated village known for its distrust of the police. Whilst Queenie sleeps, Jazzy reflects on her situation until something quite scary happens …

Extract

Discordant snuffles followed by seconds of blissful silence, abruptly broken by rough guttural snorts played on repeat. It did Jazzy’s head in and she was beginning to regret offering to keep watch whilst Queenie slept. If the sounds from her mouth were bad, the ones from her backside were the real killer. She took farting to a whole new level, filling the police car with noxious fumes, forcing Jazzy to crack the windows every so often. She was gross. At least if Queenie was sleeping, she wasn’t hassling Jazzy, which was why she hadn’t wakened her yet. Besides, she wouldn’t sleep. No matter how knackered she was, Jazzy couldn’t snooze on a stakeout. It was part of her overzealous nature. A symptom, according to her therapist, of her past experiences and one that she needed to work on if she ever wanted to form meaningful trusting relationships.

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Book Review: Come Fly With Me by Helen Rolfe

I’m happy to be welcoming Helen Rolfe back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Come Fly With Me.

Take to the skies in this gorgeous and gripping new series, perfect for fans of Jo Bartlett and Cathy Bramley.

A Second Chance…

For Maya, serving as a pilot in the Whistlestop River air ambulance team is a dream come true. And now, with her divorce from her overbearing husband finally complete, flying over the fields of Dorset, and saving lives with the Skylarks, is the centre of her world. If only her ex would accept their separation as readily as she had, life would be perfect…

A fresh start…

Having recently transferred from London to Dorset, paramedic Noah is ready for a new start. But he’s brought with him a lot of baggage, not least his infant niece who he’s been looking after since his sister died unexpectedly earlier that year. Noah adores Eva, but is he really cut out to look after a baby?

A risk worth taking?

When Noah and Maya find themselves on the same rescue team, they’re immediately drawn to each other. Yet, with so many complications in their personal lives, do they have time to open their hearts to someone new?

As their friendship grows, Noah and Maya are both about to discover that life is worth nothing unless you share it with the people you love.

*****

Maya loves her job as a pilot with the Skylarks and the Whistlestop Air Ambulance team. She only wished her private life wasn’t a complete disaster. She’s divorced from her ex-husband but he is far from being out of her life. 

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Book Spotlight: Far From Home by T.A. Williams

Today, we are shining a spotlight on Far from Home by T.A. Williams.

The secrets of the past will unlock her future…

Working in the fast-paced foreign exchange market in Canary Wharf, Amy never expected her job to drive her to collapse. With her doctor advising she take a month off work, when Amy receives a solicitor’s letter informing her of a surprise inheritance in Italy, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

But who on earth has left her a house in the sleepy Tuscan hills?

As she gets to know the town and its inhabitants, Amy discovers more about the mysterious man who named her in his will. Shocking family secrets come to light, leaving Amy questioning the life she knew.

The town of Sant’Antonio holds more than just secrets. Here, Amy meets Adam, a renowned TV journalist whose documentaries take him to dangerous places. But as their attraction grows, so do Amy’s worries. Her life is in England, while Adam’s is untethered and under constant threat…

An emotional, heartwarming love story full of family drama and quirky locals.

 

Far from Home is book three in the Beneath Italian Skies book series and was released by Canelo Romance on 23rd May 2024. Click here to buy on Amazon, Apple Books and Barnes and Noble and click to buy on Waterstones.

 

***** 

 

About T.A. Williams –

I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I did languages at university a long time ago and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to Italy for seven years as a teacher of English. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire. I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only ten years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.

The fact that I am now writing escapist romance is something I still find hard to explain. My early books were thrillers and historical novels and I now also write cozy crime, but my first love has always been romance. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations and descriptions of food to make you drool.

Say hello to T.A. Williams via www.tawilliamsbooks.com, X (Twitter,) and Facebook

 

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Book Review: The Life Sentence by Jackie Kabler

I’m pleased to be welcoming Jackie Kabler to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Life Sentence.

My name is Amber Ryan.

I’m in prison, but I’m innocent.

And I’ve been jailed not just for a crime I didn’t commit, but for a crime that never even happened.

Now, my friend is going to try to prove it.

But to do that, she has to go back.

Back to the dark.

*****

Amber Ryan is serving life in prison claiming she is innocent.
Ex-friend, Heather is about to go into the lion’s den where it could mean a new life for Amber, or death for her.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Jackie Kabler. The premise of this novel really caught my attention and I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for The Life Sentence.

This novel is told from the point of view of Heather, Amber and Jack. It goes between all of them very well and it’s good to get the three perspectives. Heather is someone who, in the end, will do anything for the ones she loves, even if it means putting herself in danger.

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Book Review: The Affair by Claire Allan

Please join me in welcoming Claire Allan back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Affair.

Her heart is thumping now, only just distinguishable from the roar of the water and the wind. This is not safe. She is not safe…

She realises then, only one of them is coming back out alive.

She’s the person I want to be. Sorcha Hannon, survivor of a devastating affair. She’s found the healing and hope I desperately need to find for myself.

And now that Sorcha and I are friends, I am no longer alone. Instead of days hiding away from the world, I have someone to talk to. I feel as if I finally belong.

There’s just one small catch. Sorcha Hannon isn’t just a new friend to me, and she certainly isn’t a stranger. In fact, I know the ins and outs of her life, and her marriage, almost as well as she does. But if she finds out who I really am, I’ll lose everything. Then again, as Sorcha says, no one’s life is really as perfect as it seems… and I should have realised, I’m not the only one with secrets.

*****

Christina’s life has become so small. Any interaction with the outside world has become hard. However, all she has to do is press a button and she potentially becomes a part of a group that aims to promote friendship and female empowerment. It also puts her into the path of leader, Sorcha – someone Christina is very eager to meet. 

Having previously read The Liar’s Daughter, I was excited to have the opportunity to be part of the blog tour for Claire Allan’s latest novel, The Affair. 

Told from the point of view of mostly Christina and Sorcha, the plot for this novel takes no time at all in plunging the reader into the intrigue surrounding these ladies. 

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Book Review: The Art of Murder by Fiona Walker

I’m pleased to be welcoming Fiona Walker to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest novel, The Art of Murder.

Welcome to the beautiful English village of Inkbury. Tucked deep in the North Wessex Downs, its only claim to fame is the picturesque riverside that once appeared in a Richard Curtis movie. That is, until the murder…

Former stand-up comic Juno Mulligan has been suffering a serious sense-of-humour failure. Not only has she lost the love of her life, but she’s having to relocate to the (admittedly idyllic) village of Inkbury to watch out for her elderly mother, who she’s genuinely worried might be marrying a wife-killer.

She hopes that her old friend, disgraced-journalist-turned-novelist Phoebe Fredericks can help her crack the case of whether her mother’s perma-tanned, iceberg-smiled, three-times-a-widower fiancé is hiding a murderous past.

But before they have a chance, the local art dealer washes up distinctly dead in the village’s famous river. His lover is in the frame, but Juno and Phoebe suspect that there is a deeper secret… One that relates to Phoebe’s own past and Juno’s present.

Will the unofficial Village Detective Agency solve the mystery before the killer strikes again? In sleepy Inkbury, as they soon discover, living one’s best midlife can be murder.

*****

Phoebe wants to be left alone, away from all the people who cancelled her and the need to keep up conversation. She finds the characters of the novels she writes far better company.

However, when old acquaintance and ex comedian Juno moves back to the area, she gives Phoebe no choice but to re-engage with the world, especially when they have a murder to solve.

Although Fiona Walker has mentioned on Novel Kicks before, for reasons I can’t understand, this is the first of her books I have read. I know, the shame. I loved the idea of her latest novel, The Art of Murder and was honoured to be invited into the blog tour.

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