#BlogBlitz Fabergé by Jo Fenton

It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogBlitz for Fabergé by Jo Fenton.

About the Author

Jo Fenton grew up in Hertfordshire, UK. She devoured books from an early age, particularly enjoying adventure books, school stories and fantasy. She wanted to be a scientist from aged six after being given a wonderful book titled “Science Can Be Fun”. At eleven, she discovered Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer, and now has an eclectic and much loved book collection cluttering her home office.

Jo combines an exciting career in Clinical Research with an equally exciting but very different career as a writer of psychological thrillers.

When not working, she runs (very slowly), and chats to lots of people. She lives in Manchester with her husband, youngest son, a Golden Retriever/Husky cross and a tankful of tropical fish. She is an active and enthusiastic member of two writing groups and a reading group. Follow Fenton on @jl_fenton on Twitter, Visit jofenton137.com

About the book

Heist. Abduction. Blackmail. – Manchester detective Becky White and her friends at the White Knight Detective Agency take on a case involving the theft of a multi-million-pound Fabergé egg. 

Events quickly escalate, and they find themselves dealing with unscrupulous villains who will stop at nothing – not even at kidnapping or murder – to achieve their goals. Can Becky solve the mystery before her hidden enemies catch up with her?

Review

This is the third book in the Becky White series, and with this particular set of characters I think there will be plenty more. It can be read as a standalone, although I would suggest reading the previous books to get the gist of the characters and how they have reached this point.

It’s a fast-paced crime read. The author has used multiple storylines to engage and deliver. The egg becomes the distraction, as the rest is of the story is woven around it. Multiple threads with an eye on a variety of people.

The book starts with the theft of an object that is kept under lock and key – a myth of an object, which makes it all the more valuable. The kind of object that is irreplaceable, kept hidden from the world to be revealed by the actions of a clever thief. There is so much action surrounding the egg that one could start to wonder whether it is all a rather well organised ploy to distract from other events and people.

On a side-note: I would probably consider becoming a tealeaf if a genuine Fabergé egg was involved, they are a thing of beauty indeed.

It’s a crime read with a hint of global criminal combined with the cosy vibe of the close-knit characters and their relationships. The amusing, the pleasant and the ruthlessness of greed, vengeance and crime mixed in for good measure. It will be interesting to see where the series goes next.

Buy Fabergé at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Darkstroke books pub date 6 Mar. 2023. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway to Win a Faberge mouse mat and notebook (Open to UK Only)

Click here to Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

 *Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box above.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.*

#BlogBlitz For Richer, For Deader by Helen Golden

 Today it’s a pleasure to take part in the Blog Blitz For Richer, For Deader by Helen Golden.

About the Author

Hello. I’m Helen Golden. I write British contemporary cozy whodunnits with a hint of humour. I live in small village in Lincolnshire in the UK with my husband, my step-daughter, her two cats, our two dogs, sometimes my step-son, and our tortoise.

I used to work in senior management, but after my recent job came to a natural end I had the opportunity to follow my dreams and start writing. It’s very early in my life as an author, but so far I’m loving it.

It’s crazy busy at our house, so when I’m writing I retreat to our caravan (an impulsive lockdown purchase) which is mostly parked on our drive. When I really need total peace and quiet, I take it to a lovely site about 15 minutes away and hide there until my family runs out of food or clean clothes. 

Follow Helen on Insta: @helengolden_author Facebook: helengoldenauthor and TikTok: @helengoldenauthor 

About the book

Is the Wedding Between Sir Hewitt Willoughby-Franklin’s Step-daughter and Billionaire’s Son Off?

Rumours are that the recent death of Kelley Lindsell (29), the personal chef of tycoon Rudy (68) and Sheri Trotman (65) at Sir Hewitt’s Fawstead Manor country estate in Fenshire, has spooked Sybil Bransgrove (36) so badly she’s considering cancelling her nuptials. 

Meanwhile the bride and her mother, Lady Grace (61), are being supported by family friend Lady Beatrice (36), the Countess of Rossex, who, alongside her business partner Perry Juke, is currently managing the project to refurbish the Manor House and Lodge on the estate. 

Not again! Now that Lady Grace has asked Lady Beatrice to liaise with the police during the investigation into Kelley’s death, she’ll have to cooperate with boorish Detective Chief Inspector Richard Fitzwilliam whether she likes it or not. Her only relief will be solving the murder with the help of her friends Perry and Simon and her dog Daisy to get rid of him faster.  But with so many wedding party guests staying on-site, any one of them could be the killer. Can they find out who it is before Sybil calls off the wedding…

Review

This is the second book in the Right Royal Investigation series – a cosy mystery. If you like your mysteries and crime with a bit of humour, a bit of a love-hate possible romance, and strong memorable characters, then this will be right up your alley.

Lady Beatrice and Richard Fitzwilliam have crossed paths before – in fact Fitzwilliam is starting to worry that Beatrice is a magnet for trouble and dead bodies. No matter where she goes mystery and mayhem ensues. The two of them have a relationship based on a flicker of attraction and a mutual desire to find the culprit, although one could argue that Fitzwilliam doesn’t really have a choice in the matter.

What begins as subtle, and yet violent threats, finally escalates into something much more dangerous. The threats that are dismissed as a mere distraction to the upcoming events become a lethal reality.

Comfortable reads don’t really get the attention they deserve, regardless of the genre. Enjoying a trail of clues and a bevy of quirky characters is a great way to spend the time. Imagine Midsomer meets Lynley and add a flair of Tommy and Tuppence on top of that. Wonder what they will get up to next and whether Beatrice will once again stumble upon another mystery or worse.

Buy For Richer, For Deader: A Right Royal Cozy Investigation at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: ‎Drew Bradley Press, pub date November 16, 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour The Secrets of Hawthorn Place by Jenni Keer

 It’s my turn on the BlogBlitz The Secrets of Hawthorn Place by Jenni Keer.

About the Author

Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing commercial women’s fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere, with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.

Jenni is also the author of The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker and The Unexpected Life of Maisie Meadows. Follow @JenniKeer on Twitter, jennikeerwriter on Facebook, jennikeer on Instagram

About the book

Love will always find a way… Discover the intriguing secrets of Hawthorn Place in this heartfelt dual-time novel, filled with warmth and charm, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley and Cecelia Ahern.

Two houses, hundreds of miles apart…yet connected always. When life throws Molly Butterfield a curveball, she decides to spend some time with her recently widowed granddad, Wally, at Hawthorn Place, his quirky Victorian house on the Dorset coast.

But cosseted Molly struggles to look after herself, never mind her grieving granddad, until the accidental discovery of an identical Art and Crafts house on the Norfolk coast offers her an unexpected purpose, as well as revealing a bewildering mystery.

Discovering that both Hawthorn Place and Acacia House were designed by architect Percy Gladwell, Molly uncovers the secret of a love which linked them, so powerful it defied reason. What follows is a summer which will change Molly for ever… 

Review

Molly is used to having a safety net, which is probably why she is unable to adult by herself. Even now she wants her mother and stepfather to catch in the midst of her latest fall. This time they have decided to pull the rug out from under her – there is no net. There is nowhere else to go but to her grandfather, in the middle of the sticks with no internet.

It sets her on the path of self-discovery, to friendship, to love and to a story about a hidden love and even bigger secrets. I love the fact the author managed to do all of that so smoothly.

Hawthorn Place and Acacia House – I need that kind of exciting architectural secret in my life. Of course it’s also the kind of secret that could be used for both good or evil. (Yup evil – I have a one-track mind).

Unfortunately I can’t go into the details of what that secret may be, it’s a creative one though, and one that casts a spell on more than one generation.

This dual timeline historical romance takes place in the present and the past. It’s a moving tale of forbidden love, and also one about taking responsibility and being brave enough to grab love when it presents itself. It’s a lovely escapism read.

Buy The Secrets of Hawthorn Place at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Headline Accent pub date 14 Oct. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

Giveaway to Win a Signed copy of the Secrets of Hawthorn Place, plus chocolate and a sparkly pen. (UK Only)

Click here to Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway 

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.*

#BlogBlitz A Lethal Arrogance by D.S. Lang

 It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogBlitz A Lethal Arrogance-An Arabella Stewart Historical Mystery  Book 3 by D.S. Lang.

About the Author

D.S. Lang, a native Ohioan, has been making up stories since she was a little girl, and she still is! Along the way, she studied English and social studies as an undergrad. After graduate school, she went on to teach government and American history in high school. She also taught English at the junior high, high school, and college levels. In addition, she has worked as a program coordinator, golf shop manager, and online tutor.

Now, she spends much of her time reading, researching, and writing. Most recently, she has delved into the Great War era and the years immediately after it. Her Arabella Stewart Historical Mystery Series was inspired by her Great Uncle Brice who served in the American Expeditionary Force during World War One, and by her love of historical mysteries. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with family and friends, including her dog Izzy. Follow DSLang on Facebook

About the book

After returning home from her service as a United States Army Signal Corps operator in the Great War, Arabella Stewart’s goal, to save her family’s resort, seems within reach as the summer season progresses. She and her business partner, Mac MacLendon, look forward to re-establishing a successful championship golf tournament, once the signature event of the resort’s year. 

Problems arise when one of the contestants, an overbearing snob who has created problems at other competitions, clashes with more than one person. When he is found dead, the victim of a suspicious automobile crash, Bella once again helps Jax Hastings, the town constable and her childhood friend, investigate. As they pursue answers, Bella and Jax find several suspects who might have wanted to make the victim suffer for his lethal arrogance.

Review

Bella is determined to jump-start the family business again. The war has taken it’s toll both emotional and financially. Nearly everyone has suffered loss, as has Bella. Learning to come to terms with life without her brother and the holes he has left in the family. It’s actually this loss that connects her to Jax, although they refuse to confront the obvious.

Instead they band together to find the killer of an awful man, who was despised by many. The attempts to save Ballantyne Inn are threatened by the early demise of this particularly vile individual.

I think this is less of a whodunnit and more of a ‘can you find anyone who wouldn’t have dunnit’ – yeh that’s how likeable the victim is. Is there anyone who didn’t have a reason to bump him off?

It’s historical romance with cosy mystery as a sideline. Lang weaves the emotional fragility of war trauma, loss, post-war world rebuilding, romance and crime together in this read. The result is a tender approach to each other, whilst navigating a murder most wicked. Note: this dude totally deserved it.

Buy A Lethal Arrogance at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogBlitz Retribution by Christina O’Reilly

It’s my turn on the BlogBlitz Retribution by Christina O’Reilly.

About the Author

Christina is a writer and professional proofreader living in the Waikato region of New Zealand. Four of her short stories have been published, one in a magazine and the others in anthologies produced by Page and Blackmore, Rangitawa Publishing and most recently in Fresh Ink: Voices from Aotearoa, produced by Cloud Ink Press. 

As well as being a finalist in the 2020 Ngaio Marsh Awards, Christina’s first crime novel Into the Void was longlisted for the 2019 Michael Gifkins Memorial Prize for an unpublished novel. Follow Christina on Facebook

About the book

A young woman has been murdered on Ripton Beach. DSS ‘Archie’ Baldrick and DC Ben Travers eventually identify the body as that of Lucy Martin, who has been renting a bach in the area. Her husband, Oliver, seems to know very little about his wife or her background. 

What was Lucy hiding? Why has she no family or friends? As the number of suspects mounts up, Archie begins to conclude that the real answer lies in Lucy’s dark and mysterious past, and that the murderer may be just a little too close for comfort …

Review

When DSS Archie Baldrick is called to the case of the death of a young woman, he as no idea how difficult it will be to find out what happened to her and who she really is. Archie is difficult character though. He is what I would call, and yes it absolutely is a cop out at times, very much a man of the era he was brought up in. Some of the things he says are said with the best intention, but are politically incorrect.

His reaction to the possibility of same gender sex and throwing it out there that it may not be natural for instance. The majority of us would be repulsed at the thought of someone breaching our inner sanctum, but whether a same sex or opposite gender couple has done so is irrelevant.

Then the whole ponytail victim blaming. Yes women do certain things to keep themselves safe, and there never seems be a shortage of people telling women/girls how to look and what to wear, so as not to attract the wrong kind of attention. We shouldn’t have to or be trained to be less of a temptation to rapists, deviants and killers.

Blaming the abuse victim for a perpetrators further crimes, due to the victim not reporting it to the police. Views like that are probably why he struggles in his role as a father to two young women. His genuine concern masks how outdated his views are.

It’s a crime story that grows on you and gets more intricate as the tale goes on. A simple possible accidental death evolves into murder and then into a story of deception, redemption and ultimately retribution. The question is whether it really is retribution.

Buy Retribution at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogBlitz Raven Fire by Emma Miles

 It’s my turn on the BlogBlitz Raven Fire by Emma Miles.

About the Author

‘I often get asked when I knew I was a writer; the answer is always. A writer is what I am, it’s in my soul. There have been times in my life when I couldn’t write, and times when my writing has been the only thing that kept me going. I think I always longed for something deeper from life, something more meaningful, and I found it in my imagination and in the music of words.

It was poetry which first caught my attention, and whilst my younger cousins called for ghost stories it was animals I first wrote of. I think I gravitated toward fantasy because of the freedom it gives, I could create my own worlds and decide my own rules. My Wind’s Children trilogy was born from an image that came to me whilst daydreaming, of a young man sitting alone below a bridge. I didn’t know who he was; it turns out neither did he, but we found out together.

I’m now working on my eleventh book and love writing more than ever, it’s an addiction, an obsession, but one I now share with my wonderful writing family. My beta readers, my editor, and you, my readers, having you with me on my journey means the world to me.

I write as much as I can around work, but I also try to squeeze in a ridiculous amount of hobbies! I’m a wildlife photographer and do a little archery. I paint, sculpt with clay, withies and driftwood, preferring to be outdoors if I can. I still have a love for the theatre, having started out in life studying backstage crafts, and a great love for language. I speak a little French, Romanian and Italian, ma non molto bene!

Thanks for reading this. If you read any of my books and love them, please come say hello and tell me, you’d be surprised at how much that means to an author. Take care of yourself. Em x’

Follow @EmmaMilesShadow on Twitter, on Facebook EmmaMilesShadow,

About the book

Is prophecy real; can Arridia and Joss defeat a god?

Evil never sleeps, and neither can the fire spirits who have guarded Kesta and her family so faithfully for more than fourteen years. United in a desire for peace, the four lands beneath the sky have enjoyed relative stability, but under the surface stirs unrest. Greed, ambition, disquiet, rebellion; and the ever-present threat of Geladan’s crazed god discovering she has been fooled.

Quiet Arridia is a Raven Scout, dedicated to the principles and hopes of her parents. When an opportunity presents itself to come home, she grasps it, longing to settle and find the love she has patiently waited for.

 Fun-loving Joss is drawn to the court of Elden with all its colour, noise, and intrigue; but has he taken on more than a young man can survive? Raven Fire is the final part of the breath-taking Fire-Walker saga. If you could, would you dare to change the world?

Review

This is the fourth book in the Fire Walker series and also the final one. I do think it would be a good idea to read the first books in the series to get a better overall view and feel for the characters and story. It can however be read as a standalone novel.

Raven Fire is for the majority split between The Fulmer Islands and Elden. In Elden the children of King Bracticus are struggling with the demands of a father who has certain expectations and thinks those should go before their own wishes and desires. And the Fulmer Islands are gripped by insidious dark witchcraft.

It’s the kind of story and ending that deserves a no hint review, especially for readers who have read the entire series. Miles certainly does it justice by bringing all the threads together – even if those threads have been woven through the entire series.

There are a lot of characters, almost too many to follow any one character well or give them more depth. Given the fact the reader is already immersing themselves into a complex fantasy world it makes it harder to get into said tale and what an ambitious and intricate story it is. I liked the fact it has a family saga vibe, giving it a generational fantasy feel. 

I also think there are opportunities for offshoots of this premise. Enough characters to create a story or series that evolves from this one.

Buy Raven Fire at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogblitz Audiobook – Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor

 It’s my turn on the Blog Blitz Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor.

About the Author

Catherine Taylor was born and grew up on the island of Guernsey in the British Channel Islands. She is a former journalist, most recently for Dow Jones News and The Wall Street Journal in London. Beyond The Moon is her first novel. She lives in Ealing, London with her husband and two children.

Narrator Bio – Liz May Brice is an English actress. She is known for roles such as the convicted murderer Pat Kerrigan on ITV1’s Bad Girls, and Agent Johnson in Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Follow @CathTaylorNovel on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram,

About the book

A strange twist of fate connects a British soldier fighting in the First World War in 1916 with a young woman living in modern-day England a century later, in this haunting literary time travel novel.

In 1916 1st Lieutenant Robert Lovett is a patient at Coldbrook Hall military hospital in Sussex, England. A gifted artist, he’s been wounded fighting in the Great War. Shell shocked and suffering from hysterical blindness he can no longer see his own face, let alone paint, and life seems increasingly hopeless.

A century later in 2017, medical student Louisa Casson has just lost her beloved grandmother – her only family. Heartbroken, she drowns her sorrows in alcohol on the South Downs cliffs – only to fall accidentally part-way down. Doctors fear she may have attempted suicide, and Louisa finds herself involuntarily admitted to Coldbrook Hall – now a psychiatric hospital, an unfriendly and chaotic place.

Then one day, while secretly exploring the old Victorian hospital’s ruined, abandoned wing, Louisa hears a voice calling for help, and stumbles across a dark, old-fashioned hospital room. Inside, lying on the floor, is a mysterious, sightless young man, who tells her he was hurt at the Battle of the Somme, a WW1 battle a century ago. And that his name is Lieutenant Robert Lovett…

Review

The story has a similar nostalgic feel as Somewhere in Time, but with an added twist due to the trauma and mental health issues of the main characters. What connects the two of them is grief and perhaps having difficulty finding someone who understands what they are going through, whether that is in the modern times with Louisa or with Robert during the Great War.

Robert is suffering from what we now know is shell shock, which at the time was a greatly misunderstood and misdiagnosed medical condition. He is distressed by his physical condition and feels immense guilt due to his inability to help his colleagues.

Given the nature and way the two characters meet each other and subsequently have a relationship I would say this expands beyond the genre of historical fiction and into speculative fiction. Of course speculative means you can move the goal posts, create scenarios that defy prior knowledge, logic and definitely the laws of science.

This is a review for the audiobook, however I have also read the ebook – sometimes I find it helpful to experience the writing and the audio version of a book – and I think the narrator does a great job of presenting this story. She really hits the tone when it comes to the taught emotional atmosphere between the two characters.

Buy Beyond the Moon at Audible Uk, Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Authors Direct. Only in the US – Buy at Chirpbooks (Chirp is running a special $3.99 deal only available in the US and Canada for a limited time)

Listening Length – 13 hours and 18 minutes, Author – Catherine Taylor, Narrator – Liz May Brice, Audible.co.uk Release Date – 18 February 2021, Publisher – Catherine Taylor, Program Type – Audiobook, Version – Unabridged, Language – English.

Enter the Giveaway to Win 5 x Beyond the Moon Audiobook (Open Internationally*) *Audiobook to be distributed via Authors-Direct. Please check the Authors Direct website to check whether it operates where you are. 

Click here to enter Rafflecopter giveaway 

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

#BlogBlitz Glasshouse by Morwenna Blackwood

 It’s my turn on the BlogTour Glasshouse by Morwenna Blackwood.

About the Author

When Morwenna Blackwood was six years old, she got told off for filling a school exercise book with an endless story when she should have been listening to the teacher/eating her tea/colouring with her friends. The story was about a frog. It never did end; and Morwenna never looked back.

Born and raised in Devon, Morwenna suffered from severe OCD and depression, and spent her childhood and teens in libraries. She travelled about for a decade before returning to Devon. She now has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Exeter, and lives with her husband, son and three cats in a cottage that Bilbo Baggins would be proud of. Her debut psychological thriller, The (D)Evolution of Us, is published by #darkstroke, and has become an Amazon best-seller. When she is not writing, Morwenna works for an animal rescue charity, or can be found down by the sea. – She often thinks about that frog. 

Follow @MorwennaBlackw1 on Twitter, on Instagram, on Facebook, Visit morwennablackwoodauthor.com

About the book

‘Now if I carry out this oath, and break it not, may I gain for ever reputation among all men for my life and for my art; but if I break it and forswear myself, may the opposite befall me.’

~ from the Hippocratic Oath (translated by WHS Jones)

Psychiatrists, Drs Whittle and Grosvenor, have dedicated their lives to helping their patients, but their approach, and the complications it reveals, lead them into relationships that harm not only themselves. 

As their lives entangle, both men find that doing no harm is not as cut-and-dried as they perceived. Can the patients in their care really trust them? Or are more sinister motives at work?

Delve into the dark world of psychiatric institutions where doctors and residents play a dangerous game where no one is infallible!

Review

Throughout the story you can almost hear the primordial scream Lizzie is emitting at a level that is silent to everyone around her. Only her desperate actions are the kind of indicator everyone can understand and react to. The question is how society reacts to her despair, her mental health issues and if indeed they are doing everything they can and are capable of. Is that enough for her and others in similar situations?

What becomes evident quite quickly is how the mental health facilities become a repetitive merry-go-round for their frequent flyers. Is that a sign of a needs not being met consistently or is that just the nature of mental health issues and addiction – ups and downs. Erazmus is a perfect example of the madmen running the asylum – destruction guaranteed.

I think this is a bit like candid camera and open door policy on mental health and addiction facilities. How the system is failing so many and is indeed inadequate to the needs of many. The author draws attention to biggest loophole in the system, which is the human element. The therapy is only as good as the person administering it to the person in need, and in this case it isn’t very good. The title of the book couldn’t be a more accurate description of the story.

It’s a read that doesn’t pull any punches – fiction that veers into the dark truth of the matter.

Buy Glasshouse at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : darkstroke books pub date 26 Mar. 2021. Buy at Amazon com. 

#BlogBlitz Second Chance at First Love by Zoe Allison

 It’s my turn on the BlogTour Second Chance at First Love by Zoe Allison.

About the Author

Zoe lives in Scotland with her husband and two children. A medic by day, she started writing in her spare time as a means to counter burn out and found that this was a balm for the soul.

She is a fan of the romantic genre and its ‘happy ever after’ ethos. A sharp contrast to what she can, at times, see in her day job. Zoe is keen for the female lead in romantic fiction to disabuse stereotypes and walk on an equal footing with her male counterparts. She prefers male leads who do not display signs of toxic masculinity and believes that positive masculinity is much more attractive to women and healthier for men.

Follow @zoeallisonauth1 on Twitter, zoe.allison.9279 on Facebook, on Instagram,

About the book

Eva Mathers is a successful woman, except for when it comes to matters of the heart. When she returns home to Yorkshire as a pending divorcee, she realises her childhood friend and first love Damon Evans is also newly single. It’s a pity he’s never noticed her romantically and had no idea that she was in love with him at school. But at least they can support each other as friends again.

Damon is attempting to adjust to life sharing the kids with his ex. His reconnection with Eva is strong, but she was always too good for him and made her indifference clear after they drifted apart during their younger years. In any case, she still seems to be hung up on her charismatic ex-husband. Eva is hiding things from Damon, secrets from her past. He wants to be there for her, so why can’t she let him in?

Eva is dealing with trauma, but she won’t confide in her loved ones. Can Damon help her break down her walls before it’s too late and they miss their second chance at first love?

Review

After a difficult personal time Eva returns home to family, memories and even someone she considers to be an unrequited crush from her past. Damon on the other hand is getting used to being a divorced father of two and is glad to see his friend return. They reconnect where they left off, which is actually a lot harder than it seems.

Eva has her own baggage. The kind of secrets she feels will make people perceive her differently. Guilt and shame make her unwilling to delve into it too deeply, but eventually she will have to confront her past completely.

It’s never too late to start over or rediscover yourself and love. I think that’s at the core of this story, and meddling well meaning families of course. It’s also about the rose tinted throes of passion being important, but not as much as a solid friendship to build a relationship on.

The author gives us a positive male character to work with, which is a pleasant surprise, because stereotypes seem to be the norm when it comes to books about relationships and love. It’s a nice change to see the other side of men, which absolutely does exist. Men who are there for their children and have healthy relationships with their exes. It was definitely a pleasant surprise.

Buy Second Chance at First Love at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogBlitz A Little Birdie Told Me by Sharley Scott

It’s my turn on the Blitz Tour A Little Birdie Told Me by Sharley Scott.

About the Author

Sharley Scott is the author of the Devon Seaside Guesthouse novels – Bedlam & Breakfast and B&Bers Behaving Madly – and the Maddie Meadows series.

Sharley is a guesthouse owner in South Devon. She is thankful to have been blessed with lots of amazing and kind-hearted guests, who are nothing like some of the fictional characters featured in the Devon Seaside Guesthouse series.

The Two Lives of Maddie Meadows – and its sequel The Gift of a Rose – portray the life of a working single mum. Some of the mischief Maddie’s little one, Josh, gets up to will be familiar to all parents. In real life, Sharley has carried out the threats she made to her son decades ago and now gets her own back him by telling tales to his girlfriend (some of the incidents in the books are inspired by him), although he returns the favour by recounting utterly embarrassing stories about his mum.

Sharley’s latest novel ‘A Little Birdie Told Me…’ is being published in February 2021. This book goes back in time to the late eighties: a time of fun music, interesting fashion, strange hairstyles and no internet or mobile phones. Fancy having to talk to each other! (Says the author who frequents Facebook too often).

With that in mind, Sharley can be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/SharleyScott3/ or follow Sharley on Twitter: @SharleyScott

About the book

It’s 1988. The era of young love, with Scott and Charlene melting hearts in Neighbours, and a new princess for the Royal Family. With Bros, Madonna and Wet Wet Wet in the charts, and children hoping for Ghostbusters’ toys in their stockings.

But it’s not all fun for Belinda. If her life was a board game, she’s losing at snakes and ladders. Once she’d been working her way up one of those ladders but, thanks to her snake-like polytechnic lecturer, she’s toppled from the rungs. Now she works in an old people’s home, where her chief duties involve cleaning toilets and emptying commodes.

At least her lovely colleague, Joe, offers excitement in her otherwise dreary life. But Belinda can’t believe he’d be interested in someone like her. Not when her pretty friend, Tracey, only has to glance at a man to have him fall for her.

But just when it seems things are looking up for Belinda, the residents’ precious possessions start to go missing. Then she witnesses a disturbing incident and doesn’t know what to do. Luckily, Belinda has Joe to guide her – until she discovers that he’s hiding a secret, one that forces her to make an agonising decision.

Will she continue to hide in the shadows, never speaking out – or will she put her future on the line to stand up for what is right? After all, she’s caring for a generation that’s lived through two wars. Now it’s time to fight for them.

Review

Belinda has started a new job at a care home – totally unsupported and without any kind of dialogue or instruction. In fact some of the colleagues appear to be working against her and another new colleague. It’s not long before she realises there are things happening at the care home that aren’t acceptable and that the elderly people need someone to look out for them.

The read is a blast from the past and a nostalgic walk if you were a certain age during the 80s. It’s more a story about learning to love yourself for who you are and not who people think you should be. At the beginning Belinda is very much a woman lacking in confidence and subservient to everyone around her. She tends to ignore her gut instincts, especially when it comes to working in a care home. During the story she learns to stand up for herself and others, which is a milestone for Belinda.

The author gives readers a story that will pull at the memory strings for certain readers and perhaps make others take a moment to consider the situations of the elderly in care homes. I can’t imagine feeling more disempowered and vulnerable than as an elderly person who has reached an age where living alone has been deemed no longer sustainable. Alice’s story in particular is quite tragic and routed in realism. The plight of women when they are considered a nuisance, a troublemaker and refuse to fall into line with what society deems normal.

Buy A Little Birdie Told Me at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.