Book Reviews

Book Review: Raven: Defier of Rome by Adam Lofthouse

I’m delighted to be welcoming Adam Lofthouse to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book,  Raven: Defier of Rome, book one in the  Enemy of the Empire series. 

Chief Killer. Battle Turner. Oathbreaker.

Alaric is an enemy of Rome.

144 AD. Alaric Hengistson, leader of the Ravensworn, revels in his many fear-fuelled names whispered in the hearth flames. Cunning in battle, a ruthless war lord. He sleeps sound in the knowledge that he has been chosen by the Gods for a higher purpose – to rise up against the tyranny of an Empire.

For years he has thwarted Rome’s attempts to gain control over the land that has long resisted them. His land. Germania. However the rules are changing, and new deals are struck between the conquering Roman legions and the feuding Germanic tribes. Deals that could prove Alaric’s downfall.

As the eagles march with the wolves, together hunting the Raven, Alaric must prove his legend or watch his Ravensworn burn in flames.

*****

Raven: Defier of Rome is the first book in the Enemy of the Empire serise and the first book I have read by Adam Lofthouse

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Book Review: The One Before the One by Emma Cooper

I’m so happy to be welcoming Emma Cooper t0 Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The One Before the One. 

Liv is given the chance to live one life-changing week over, but can she change her future…? And does she want to? A gorgeous, uplifting novel, perfect for fans of Shari Low, Paige Toon and Beth Moran.

When Liv’s boyfriend Kit disappeared on a hike, seven years earlier, she thought her life was over. But with the help of their family and friends, she’s pushed her way through the grief, and now, miraculously, she’s found a way to love again.

Until the morning of her wedding, when Liv steps through a doorway, and finds herself, somehow, back at the flat she shared with Kit: seven years earlier, six days before he left. Now, Liv has a chance to live those six days over, and change everything. If she gets this right, she can find out why Kit leaves and stop him.

But can she save him? And if she does, how will she choose, between the man she loved then, and the one she loves now?

*****

Olivia is about to marry James. 

However the death of her previous boyfriend still hangs over them – the death of Kit… James’s brother. 

When the morning of the wedding arrives, something happens that has the potential to change all their lives forever. 

I am so excited to be on the blog tour for this novel and wanted to take the opportunity to wish Emma Cooper a happy publication day. 

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Book Review: Murder on the Menu by Katie Marsh

I’m so happy to be welcoming Katie Marsh back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Murder on the Menu. 

Since Amber started the Bad Girls’ Detective Agency, she’s been feeling the pressure. So – when she and her best friends win a trip to a new luxury castle retreat on a remote island – she hopes it will be a chance to relax in style.

The girls are all excited to experience world-famous chef Valerie la Fontaine’s tasting menu.

But none of them expect there to be another dish being served that weekend: revenge. And when Valerie is found dead inside a locked room in a tower, the Bad Girls know this is a case that only they can solve…

Hilarious and gripping mystery – perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, The Traitors, and How to Kill Men and Get Away With It.

*****

The ladies from the Bad Girls Detective Agency are off on a weekend away. They are due to spend the weekend in a castle with food provided by a famous chef.

However, when someone is found dead, it becomes a very different type of getaway. Can Amber, Clio and Jeanie find the killer before someone else dies?

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Book Review: One Day and Forever by Shari Low

I’m so pleased to be welcoming Shari Low back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, One Day and Forever.

As dawn breaks, four people are planning journeys that could change their lives forever…

Kara McIntyre is supposed to be jetting off to her destination wedding in Hawaii. However, a last-minute hitch appears to have left her without a job, home and, more importantly, a fiancé.

TV sensation Ollie Chiles and Kara always have each other’s backs. But when his wife goes viral in a compromising clinch with another man, Ollie must choose between supporting his best friend in her hour of need or going home to save his marriage.

Alice Brookes is flying away to a new life after surviving a horrendous marriage and a very public scandal… until a stranger brings a letter from the past that could change everything.

After saying goodbye to someone he loves, Zac Conlan should be heading back to Dublin. Now a shocking discovery is threatening to change his plans and his future.

When weather delays their flights, Kara, Ollie, Alice and Zac discover that storms are brewing… and the turbulence is about to shake their worlds.

*****

Kara is about to marry Josh. However, when something happens at a work event and she loses her job, it shows her that her relationship may not be as strong as she thought. 

Alice, with the help of her friend Val, only sees good in her life after escaping her abusive husband. However, when she tries to reconnect with an old friend, secrets from the past begin to emerge. 

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A Moment With…Florence Wetzel

I’m pleased to be welcoming Florence Wetzel to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Dashiki: A Cozy Mystery.

A cozy mystery with a dash of romance set in the vibrant world of jazz.

During an interview with reclusive jazz singer Betty Brown, journalist Virginia Farrell is shown priceless tapes from the iconic 1957 Thelonious Monk-John Coltrane gig at the Five Spot. When Betty is found murdered, Virginia is determined to recover the tapes and uncover the truth behind Betty’s death.

In the spirit of Nancy Drew, Virginia teams up with her six-foot blonde roommate to investigate the various suspects. Detective Robert Smith from the Hoboken Police Department joins the case, quickly becoming absorbed by an unsolved murder possibly linked to Betty Brown’s death, as well as an undeniable attraction to Virginia.

Dashiki is a cozy mystery laced with romance, immersing readers in the captivating world of jazz, where musicians, journalists, scholars, and enthusiasts intersect in an entertaining whodunit.

 

The author of Dashiki has joined us today to talk about  The Healing Power of Reading and Writing Cozy Mysteries. Over to you, Florence. 

 

While at Barnard College in the 1980s, I studied English literature and creative writing. From that time on, I devoted myself to reading literature with a capital L, including authors such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Doris Lessing, Albert Camus, and Virginia Woolf. The more challenging the book, the more I enjoyed it. I had also decided to become a writer myself, and those were the kind of books I aspired to create.

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