The December Witches by Jennifer Claessen Blog Tour

 I am beyond happy to be a part of the blog tour for Jennifer Claessen's novel The December Witches. Take a look at the blurb:

 December is Clemmie Merlyn’s favourite month as it usually begins with birthday cake and gifts. But as she turns thirteen, it begins with a Clemmie, and Clemmie alone amongst all witches, is full of magic. So full of magic she might not make it to the end of the month. As the snow spirals down, anxious Clemmie and the young hags will have to find some way to stop her exploding.

Because someone, or something, has chosen Clemmie and made her their One True Witch. But magic is meant to be shared and no-one can survive being filled to the brim with starry power. Can the Merlyn and Morgan covens finally take on the ancient twisted magic of their ancestors? And can they do it in time for Christmas?

Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea by Eliza J Scott Blog Tour

 It's October. I'd say it is now safe enough to mention the C word . . . Christmas. So, I'm joining the blog tour for Eliza J Scott's novel Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea.

In the seaside town of Micklewick Bay, Florrie Appleton and Ed Harte are gearing up for a magical Christmas at the Happy Hartes Bookshop. Florrie’s book-themed decorations are the talk of the town, while Ed’s dazzling window displays could have been plucked straight from a fairytale. With romance in the air, this promises to be their best holiday season yet.

But after a surprise phone call from his father, Florrie worries that Ed is keeping a secret. Why is he spending so much time in the attic? And what’s making him act so distantly?

Determined to make this Christmas unforgettable, Florrie packs their days with festive treats from gingerbread hot chocolates to sleigh rides under the stars. But when Ed disappears just a few days before Christmas, Florrie fears the worst. Will her holiday dreams shatter like a dropped bauble? Or is Florrie in for a Christmas surprise of her own?

Snow is Falling by Sarah Bennett Blog Tour

 Carrying on with the festive theme on the blog this month, it's my stop on the blog tour for Sarah Bennett's latest novel Snow is Falling.

The festive season is in full swing, and Sadie throws herself into the packed Twelve Days of Christmas programme, relishing the opportunity to make new friends and new memories.

Single father Dylan Travers hasn’t been to his childhood home of Juniper Meadows for decades. Estranged from his cantankerous father Monty, he has made a happy life for himself in the States. But now with teenage children keen to know more about their roots, Dylan has brought them back to the Cotswolds to meet his family.

As Sadie and Dylan both navigate a Christmas very different from the ones they had expected it's soon clear that, geography apart, they have a great deal in common. And as Dylan confronts his past and Sadie contemplates her future, perhaps the miracle of this Christmas will be the happily-ever-after they both deserve.

This Is Not A Holiday Romance by Camilla Isley Blog Tour

You might have noticed that it's turned into festive season on my blog. I know it's only September but really you can read Christmas themed books all year round (they're not just for December). 

I have another recommendation for you today in the shape of  This Is Not A Holiday Romance by Camilla Isley.

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…

Snowflakes over the Second Chances Sweet Shop by Hannah Lynn Blog Tour

 Festive stories are always a win for me, especially when they include a good romance and that is exactly what Hannah Lynn is offering in her latest novel Snowflakes over the Second Chances Sweet Shop.

Holly Berry is finally in a place where she can see her happy a beautiful daughter, who's growing ever sweeter by the day, a new home she can make her own, and – of course – her partner-in-crime, Evan.

But when tragedy strikes, Holly’s life is thrown into turmoil. And, perhaps in denial, she decides to cancel all of her Christmas plans in favour of some healing of her own.

She thinks spending time with Evan’s family will help, but it’s her own family she needs to be with right now. Luckily, they know this, and follow her out to the States to join her in her alternate holiday plans.

They say that time heals all wounds, and with her loved ones around her, can she hope for a brighter tomorrow…?

No Funeral for Nazia by Taha Kehar Spotlight

 The summer months are keeping me busy but I wanted to join the blog tour for Taha Kehar's novel No Funeral for Nazia.

So here is the spotlight post shining a light on this story that is PERFECT for fans of MOHSIN HAMID and KAMILA SHAMSIE.

The Bookshop Ladies by Faith Hogan Blog Tour

 I am a huge fan of Faith Hogan.

Having read some of her previous works, my favourite being The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club, I was rather pleased when I received an advance copy of Hogan's latest novel The Bookshop Ladies. And now here I am, part of the blog tour to celebrate the books release.

Joy Blackwood has no idea why her French art dealer husband has left a valuable painting to a woman called Robyn Tessier in Ballycove, a small town on the west coast of Ireland, but she is determined to find out. She arrives in Ballycove to find that Robyn runs a rather chaotic and unprofitable bookshop. She is shy, suffering from unrequited love for dashing Cathal, and badly in need of advice on how to make the bookshop successful.As Joy gets drawn into the dramas of everyday life in the town, she finds it more and more difficult to confess why she really came, let alone find the truth about the painting she brought with her. When she does finally summon up the courage, it sets the cat amongst the pigeons in the close-knit, friendly community she has come to love.

Prickly Company by Kitty Johnson Blog Tour

 I do love a feel-good novel sometimes, something to sit down and get cosy with and surround yourself with a cuddle from a book. And that's exactly what you get with Kitty Johnson's novel Prickly Company.

Frances Mathews doesn’t get out much since her husband died, but her fondness for the hedgehogs who pass through her garden prompts her to start a campaign to create a hedgehog highway in Hilltop Place―feeding stations, holes at the bottoms of gates and fences, and wild garden areas for hibernation. To Frances’s delight, her neighbours are on board. Mostly.

There are Jess and Michael, whose marriage is cracking under the unanticipated strain of a recent adoption. And Ryan, a wounded war reporter struggling to connect with his son after a divorce and forced to return to live with his mother. Then there’s the glamourous Tara and her daughter Hermie, new to the neighbourhood and already ruffling feathers. Finally, there’s Justin and Helen, a houseproud couple who are not keen to upend their picture-perfect garden for prickly nuisances.

Before long, the Hilltop Place hedgehog highway is thriving, and new friendships are springing up all over the neighbourhood. But with new friendships, secrets are revealed. What Frances and her charitable neighbours soon discover about themselves, and each other, is hardly what any of them expected. The peaceful neighbourhood will find itself threatened in ways that affect them all … hedgehogs included.

Looking for Lucie by Amanda Addison Blog Tour

 YA is a genre that I often gravitate to but it tends to be more romance based. So when I was given the opportunity to join the blog tour for Amanda Addison's latest novel, the blurb had me more than interested as it seemed completely different to other books from this genre.

Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin Blog Tour

 I've always been a fan of Rebecca Raisin's books. They are pure feel good and escapism. So when I had the chance to join the blog tour for her latest novel Summer at the Santorini Bookshop, I of course jumped at the opportunity.

A Greek island holiday. A fake-dating pact. A chance at true love?

After losing her job as a book scout, hopeless romantic Evie needs a fresh start. So when she hears that her eccentric grandmother has just taken on a small bookshop in Santorini, Evie jumps at the chance to visit her.

But life on the island is not as idyllic as it first seems. Gran has a tempestuous relationship with her landlord and he’s threatening to take the bookshop away from her. So when Gran asks Evie to fake a romance with her landlord’s Greek God of a grandson, Georgios, to keep the family on side, she reluctantly agrees.

As the sun sets on Evie’s Greek holiday, can she save the bookshop – and fake date her way to love?

The Djinn's Apple by Djamila Morani Blog Tour

 I've stepped back from blog tours recently. Trying to find that work-life balance (which I still haven't found). 

However when I was asked if I could take part in the tour for Djamila Morani's short novel The Djinn's Apple, the title itself had me intrigued enough that I felt excited to even be asked to be involved with it.

Historical fiction meets crime fiction in The Djinn's Apple , an award-winning YA murder mystery set in the Abbasid period—the golden age of Baghdad. A ruthless murder. A magical herb. A mysterious manuscript. When Nardeen’s home is stormed by angry men frantically in search of something—or someone—she is the only one who manages to escape. And after the rest of her family is left behind and murdered, Nardeen sets out on an unyielding mission to bring her family’s killers to justice, regardless of the cost…

The Memory of Us by Dani Atkins Blog Tour

 It's the last stop on the blog tour for The Memory of Us by Dani Atkins. This is an author I adore. A Million Dreams and Fractured are two stand out novels for me so I was really excited when I was asked if I'd like to read and review her latest story.

A twist of fate. An unexpected love story is how the blurb begins and I just knew I'd find an emotional and meaningful story within the pages.

If she had been found moments later, Amelia's heart would have stopped and never recovered. Instead she was taken from the desolate beach to the nearest hospital just in time to save her life. When her sister Lexi arrives from New York, Amelia's heart is beating, but the accident has implanted a series of false memories. These memories revolve around a man named Sam, and a perfect love story that never existed.

Determined to help her sister, Lexi enlists the help of Nick, a local vet who bears a striking resemblance to Sam. Together, Lexi and Nick recreate and photograph Amelia's dream dates in the hopes of triggering her true memories.

But as love starts to stir between Lexi and Nick, they must navigate a complex web of emotions. How can Lexi fall for Amelia's dream man without hurting her sister?

War of the Wind by Victoria Williamson Blog Tour

 I've always been a fan of middle-grade/young adult fiction, so when I was asked if I would like to join the blog tour for Victoria Williamson's latest book War of the Wind, I couldn't turn down the opportunity to read and review the book.

First, have a read of the blurb to wet your whistle:

On a remote Scottish island, fourteen-year-old Max’s life changes forever when he loses his hearing in a boating accident. Struggling to make sense of his new life and finding it hard to adapt in school, he begins to notice other — even stranger — changes taking place when a new wind farm appears off the island’s coast.

With the help of three school friends with additional support needs, Max discovers that a sinister scientist, Doctor Ashwood, is using wind turbines to experiment on the islanders. They must find a way to shut down the government’s secret test before it spins out of control…

Between the Lies Louise Tickle

 I do like a good psychological thriller, so when I was asked if I'd like to join the blog tour for journalist Louise Tickle's debut novel Between the Lies, the only answer I could give was yes.

Have a read of the blurb before you dive into my review:

When it comes to families, is anyone a reliable witness?

Cherry Magraw can never forget the date her mother and brother were killed – the night of her ninth birthday. When her father was jailed for their murders, she lost everyone she loved.

Twenty years later, Cherry is a freelance journalist investigating domestic abuse and the secret world of the family courts, when she gets a letter from her father – still in prison for the killings – which contains a startling request.

From that point on, her past becomes entangled with her work, dismantling everything Cherry thought she knew about her family tragedy and plunging her into a dangerous of game of cat and mouse. Will her history cloud her judgement about another desperate family? And how far will she go to save someone else’s children?

A Winter Wonderland by Rosie Green Blog Tour

 I adore Rosie Green's books. Her 'Little Duck Pond Cafe' series are simple, feel good stories that allow for a tiny piece of escapism, always managing to put a smile on my face.

And with the festive season upon us, Rosie is back with the latest installment to the set, A Winter Wonderland.

The festive season is fast approaching and the Little Duck Pond Café menu has been given a mouth-watering sprinkling of December magic. Jaz is hoping for the perfect festive season with little daughter Emma. But her feelings for next-door neighbour, Milo, are getting in the way. With his old love back on the scene, is she really prepared to risk her heart and make it the best Christmas ever?

Change of Heart by T.A. Williams Blog Tour

 Looking back through my blog, you'll see that I'm a huge fan of T.A. Williams. I've read and reviewed many of his novels and each one has left me feeling truly uplifted and I guess you say comforted too.

His latest book, Change of Heart, gave me that exact same feeling.

Read on to see exactly why.

Two families at war and Alice finds herself caught in the middle. Can she re-write a story as old as time?

When cutbacks force Alice out of her assistant manager role at a Devonshire stately home, she turns her sights the picturesque hills above the historic city of Parma. An aristocratic Italian family are looking to open their medieval castle to the public, and Alice is just the woman for the job.

Four years ago, a life-changing accident pushed Alice into depression, but the beauty and charm of the Italian countryside works its magic in brightening her days. Especially when she keeps bumping into handsome Luca … But rivalries run deep in the town, and Alice’s work – not to mention her potential love life – are caught in the middle of a long-standing feud between two families.

With her job and future happiness in peril, can Alice save the future of the castle, and bring two warring families together?

Still Life by Val McDermid Book Review

 I do love a good crime thriller but I have a confession to make...

I've never read a novel by Val McDermid before. Well that has now been rectified thanks to my lovely Squad Pod. This month I had the pleasure of reading one of Val's latest stories Still Life.

Spoiler alert, I loved it. 

Read on to see just why.

When a lobster fisherman discovers a dead body in Scotland’s Firth of Forth, Karen is called into investigate. She quickly discovers that the case will require untangling a complicated web—including a historic disappearance, art forgery, and secret identities—that seems to orbit around a painting copyist who can mimic anyone from Holbein to Hockney. Meanwhile, a traffic crash leads to the discovery of a skeleton in a suburban garage. Needless to say, Karen has her plate full. Meanwhile, the man responsible for the death of the love of her life is being released from prison, reopening old wounds just as she was getting back on her feet.

The Takedown by Carlie Walker

 I am a huge fan of romantic comedies. Sometimes we need something a bit more light-hearted to give us back a bit of positivity. And that's exactly what I got with Carlie Walker's novel The Takedown. 

Described as Miss Congeniality meets The Love Hypothesis with the spice of Mr and Mrs Smith, this is a romcom that is written to make you laugh whilst giving you all of the feels.

He wants to take her out.
She wants to take him down...

Sydney's mission is

1. Stop her little sister from marrying a notorious criminal

2. Seduce his bodyguard to gather intel for the FBI

3. Definitely do not fall in love...

Agent Sydney Swift is going home for the holidays. She's just discovered that her younger sister, Calla, is engaged to Johnny Jones - the heir to the nation's most notorious crime dynasty - and she's determined to stop their perfect winter wedding at any cost.

But gathering incriminating evidence on Johnny isn't as easy as she'd hoped, especially as her biggest obstacle is Nick, his infuriatingly handsome and charming bodyguard!

As Sydney spends more time with Nick, lines begin to blur, and while seducing him to gather intel was bad enough, falling for him is even worse. Soon Sydney is faced with a difficult decision - one that certainly wasn't covered in her training...

My Book of Revelations by Iain Hood Blog Tour

 When the millennium was looming I was only thirteen years old. To be honest I was overly concerned with the Y2K mania but I know there were plenty of people who were.

Iain hood (author of This Good Book and Every Trick in the Book) is back with his latest novel My Book of Revelations and he's delving into the thoughts and feelings of oh so many of you out there as the countdown to the 2000's began.

The countdown to the millennium has begun, and people are losing their heads. A so-called Y2K expert gives a presentation to Scotland’s eccentric Tech Laird T.S. Mole’s entourage in Edinburgh, and soon long hours, days, weeks and months fill with seemingly chaotic and frantic work on the ‘bug problem’. Soon enough it’ll be just minutes and seconds to go to midnight. Is the world about to end, or will everyone just wake up the next day with the same old New Year’s Day hangover? 

Once a Monster by Robert Dinsdale Blog Tour

 My love for historical fiction has grown immensely over the past couple of years and there have been some wonderful novels released within that time.

One such book is Robert Dinsdale's latest release, Once A Monster. It only too me reading the blurb for
me to know that this story was going to be something quite special.

Now I assume you've joined this blog tour to find out more about this magical tale and I feel I've got an important job being the first stop to make you want to buy a copy ASAP.

London, 1861: Ten-year-old Nell belongs to a crew of mudlarks who work a stretch of the Thames along the Ratcliffe Highway. An orphan since her mother died four years past, leaving Nell with only broken dreams and a pair of satin slippers in her possession, she spends her days dredging up coals, copper and pieces of iron spilled by the river barges – searching for treasure in the mud in order to appease her master, Benjamin Murdstone.

But one day, Nell discovers a body on the shore. It’s not the first corpse she’s encountered, but by far the strangest. Nearly seven feet tall, the creature has matted hair covering his legs, and on his head are the suggestion of horns. Nell’s fellow mudlarks urge her to steal his boots and rifle his pockets, but as she ventures closer the figure draws breath and Nell is forced to make a decision which will change her life forever . . .