The Diary of Derek Drummond: The Story of My Cursed Life - Katelyn Emilia Novak

An immortal soul. A forgotten curse. A love that rewrites fate.

Once a proud Scottish nobleman, Derek Drummond has spent 124 years caught between day and night, hiding from the world — and from himself. A shadow among shadows, he has watched time unravel, love vanish, and hope fade into myth.

Until Megan MacKenzie looks at him — and sees more than she should.

With haunted eyes and a quiet, stubborn kindness, she stirs the man he used to be. But the past never stays silent. Some curses won’t break. And some ghosts refuse to let go.

Told entirely in Derek’s voice — darkly poetic, sardonic, and painfully human — The Diary of Derek Drummond is a gothic fantasy of redemption and reckoning.

From the storm-lashed cliffs of northern Scotland to the rain-soaked rooftops of London, it is a story of immortality, forgiveness,and the terrifying hope of being truly seen.

If you believe in second chances — even after death — open the diary.

 

What did I think?

The Diary of Derek Drummond is quite a chunky book with 541 pages but it is written in diary format so it is very easy to read and it's totally bingeable.  I absolutely loved it and could easily read it again right now.

We meet Derek Drummond in Scotland in 1897 as an eligible young bachelor who discovers the meaning of the phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" and finds himself cursed to live out his days as a raven and his nights as an immortal man.  He was cursed by Margaret MacKenzie, the woman he loved, when she found him with another woman and she refuses to see him to let him explain.  It wasn't totally his fault, although it was a little bit as he could've nipped it in the bud if he hadn't been enjoying the attention so much. 

As the years go on, Derek has a solitary existence but he seems to quite enjoy the freedom of having wings.  Maybe this being cursed lark isn't so bad after all...until he meets Megan MacKenzie and falls in love with again.  Megan may be the key to unlocking Derek's curse, but he's not sure he wants to give up his immortality.

The story concludes in 2020 and I loved every single page of it.  I could have read more as I was completely enchanted by Derek's unique voice that speaks loudly and clearly through the prose.  I loved being privy to Derek's innermost thoughts, fears and feelings over the 124 years of the diary.

The Diary of Derek Drummond is faultless and so beautifully written that I felt completely immersed in the story.  With curses, romance and immortality, it has the feeling of a fairy tale but it is also thought-provoking and hopeful.  It's a haunting and poignant gothic fantasy that is an easy five stars and a very highly recommended read. 

I received a gifted paperback for the Love Books Tours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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REVIEW TOUR: We Are For The Dark - Gretchen McNeil

 

An isolated town. A missing priest. An ancient, hungry darkness. 

When Father Shane Ryan is summoned to a meeting with His Eminence Cardinal Jacobs, he’s confused. A recently ordained priest at a small Maryland parish, Father Ryan has no idea why His Eminence would want to meet him. When he arrives, the Cardinal opens by laying out Father Ryan’s past as an FBI analyst. It seems a priest has gone missing, and the case is…unusual. 

Weeks ago, Constable Miriam Rideout from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary fielded a frantic call from a priest on a remote Newfoundland island. He begged for help, but then the line went dead, and no one has since been reported missing. When permission to perform a wellness check is denied by her superiors, Miriam takes some vacation time and books a ticket on the ferry. 

Thrown together with friendly but cagey locals, Miriam and Father Ryan soon learn that something about the island isn’t right. There’s a fishing port without boats, a town with no stores and no cars, and strange, bulbous purple wildflowers are growing everywhere. The two don’t trust each other, but they begin to learn that an alliance, however uneasy, is a necessity. Because something evil lurks beneath the island—something ancient, eternal, hungry—and neither it nor the uncanny islanders have any intention of letting these newcomers leave. A growing sense of dread intensifies until it explodes in this pulse-pounding supernatural horror.

What did I think?

WOW!  I just couldn't put this book down; We Are For The Dark is an absolute belter from Gretchen McNeil.  I used to say that I didn't read horror but I'm so glad that I changed my mind as it would have been a travesty to miss this brilliant book.

It begins with a bit of a mystery when Constable Miriam Rideout receives a phone call from a priest about a missing person on an island nobody has heard of but Miriam doesn't take it seriously until he utters Miriam's mother's dying words and the call ends...  Talk about goosebumps!  Eeeeeeek.

At the same time, newly ordained priest and former FBI agent, Father Ryan is summoned to see the Cardinal and asked to visit Bale Island to investigate a missing priest but to keep his investigation under wraps.  Father Ryan meets Miriam on the ferry and as much as they each want to keep their investigations separate, they need to join forces against a bigger evil than they imagined.

The writing is mesmerising as Gretchen McNeil drew me into the story and, just like the residents of the creepy island can never leave, my eyes couldn't leave the page.  The characters are so vividly drawn that I could easily picture them in my mind and it feels like even the island itself is a living, breathing character.

I devoured this book like it was my last meal and, although it's incredibly creepy and scary at times, I put on my big girl pants and resisted hiding behind the virtual sofa because I was desperate to see what was going to happen next.  This book would be AMAZING on the screen and I wouldn't be surprised to see it made into a film or series.

Deliciously dark and incredibly addictive, We Are For The Dark is an unmissable novel that I will be recommending for a very long time.  I loved it so much that I could pick it up right now and read it all again.  An easy five stars.

I received a gifted hardback for the Black Crow PR review tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: The Other Life of Mary English - GD Harper

Two Different Women. One Shared Destiny.

Mary English, a dockworker’s daughter from Faversham, England, travels to South America to escape a scandal from her past. She ends up running a cacao plantation in Colombia, at a time when women were not legally allowed to own businesses there.

Manuela Sáenz, tempestuous lover of Venezuelan revolutionary Simón Bolívar, serves as a colonel in his army. She joins him in battle to fight the Spanish and twice saves his life from assassination attempts.

This is the story of two real-life remarkable women, both fighting oppression, hardship and danger in 1820s Colombia, who come together to change the course of a nation’s history.

 

What did I think?

Having loved Arden by GD Harper I was keen to read more of his books so I was delighted to get my hands on a copy of The Other Life of Mary English.  South American history is not something I know a lot about but I thoroughly enjoyed the history lesson and the unusual setting.

My favourite things to find in a book greeted me when I turned the first page: a cast of characters and a map.  As the book is inspired by real people and real events, the characters are all real people from history and the things in the book actually happened.  GD Harper just uses his imagination to embellish the facts with what the characters might have thought or said to create an incredibly entertaining and interesting story.

It is meticulously researched and told from the points of view of Mary English and Manuela Sáenz, two very strong women who made a lasting impression on the country of Colombia.  Mary is escaping scandal after her bigamist husband rendered their daughter illegitimate, and Manuela's own illegitimacy didn't hold her back from becoming the trusted aide and mistress of South American liberator Simón Bolívar.

I found the whole story fascinating as I had never considered the history of South America before.  I knew that the Spanish had settled there but I didn't know how the countries ultimately gained their independence.  There's also a photographic section about two thirds of the way through the book to enhance the reading experience and bring the whole story to life.

The Other Life of Mary English is a compelling, interesting and fascinating historical fiction novel.  I loved it and would highly recommend it.

I received a gifted ARC for the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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About the author:

GD Harper became a full-time author in 2016. He has written three psychological thrillers, Love’s Long Road, A Friend in Deed and Silent Money, and two historical novels, The Maids of Biddenden and Arden. 

The Maids of Biddenden was the winner in the historical fiction category of the 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers, and was shortlisted for the 2023 Selfies Award at the London Book Fair. Arden was placed third in the 2024 Yeovil International Literary Prize. The Other Life of Mary English was a finalist in the Eyelands Book Awards.  He has also been longlisted or shortlisted for fourteen other awards. 

His books have had over one million page reads on Kindle Unlimited, been number one most downloaded e-book on Amazon UK, number three on Amazon worldwide, and garnered over two thousand reviews and ratings on Amazon and Goodreads, with an average rating score of 4.4.

He lives in East Sussex and, when not writing, can be found wild camping in the Scottish mountains or in the mosh pit at live music events.

Social Media Links:

Website: www.gdharper.com 

Instagram: gdharperauthor

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REVIEW TOUR: Into the Great - Elliot Blake

Sparks fly when Lilah, a thief from a struggling freespacer colony outside the borders of the Federated Solar Republic, meets Bax, an FSR security officer stationed at an official colony within those borders, during a time of heightened tensions for humanity as the silent, staring, seemingly invulnerable aliens. A story about choosing the life you want to live. 

The fourth book from indie publisher Li'l Factory, 500 numbered copies, limited edition.

 

What did I think?

Into the Great by Elliot Blake is well named because it is great!  In fact, 'great' isn't really a good enough word for it because it is simply outstanding.  I'm so glad I changed my stance on sci-fi as it would have been a travesty to miss out on this magnificent book.

It's a short story at 133 pages long and Elliot Blake makes every word count as he takes the reader on a vivid and immersive journey through space.  With the Federated Solar Republic and the freespacers from Safe Harbor being at loggerheads, it has the feel of Star Wars' rebels and the Empire so I found it easy to imagine the world in which the story is set.  The story is told in three parts with the first two parts being from each main character's point of view and the third part brings it all together,

The chemistry between the two main characters crackles to life the first moment they meet, much like Han and Leia.  Lilah is a lovable rogue who travels through space with her friends to steal a valuable resource called stratium, but the FSR need to keep as much as possible to defend themselves against the Aureum aliens.  Bax is the FSR security officer who would have caught her if he hadn't felt such a  strong connection earlier that day.  Letting Lilah get away could cost Bax his job but she has already captured his heart.

Oh my goodness, I couldn't put this book down but I also didn't want it to end.  It is just perfect from start to finish and I loved every second of it.  As entertaining as it is, it's also quite thought-provoking, especially as it made me think about how we might react if aliens visited our planet and the assumptions we would make if they did so.

Into the Great is completely unforgettable and totally unmissable.  Readers of any genre will enjoy it so please don't be put off if you have ever said the words: "I don't read sci-fi".  It's an absolutely cracking debut and I really can't recommend it highly enough.  Five stars are not enough; all the stars in the universe for this outstanding book.

I received a gifted hardback to read and review for the Literally PR Online Book Review Tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Deadly Mooring (DCI Jack Mason Crime Thriller Series Book 8) - Michael K Foster

The deeper you dig, the deadlier the game ...

Deciding to put his past behind him, DCI Jack Mason is finding it difficult to conceal a secret from his partner. Sent to investigate a Tyne River cruiser fire, emergency services have unearthed charred remains. While authorities suspect arson, Mason holds a different view.

Caught in a web of deceit and brutal homicide, the one person who can help this seasoned detective lies gravely ill in hospital. Going it alone won’t be easy. This cunning predator, a master of disguise, has a long history of targeting law enforcement.

Will Mason trust his own instincts? And what secrets do people take to the grave?

Lives are at stake, and time is fast running out.

The Deadly Mooring is the eighth book in the DCI Jack Mason crime thriller series. If you like complex female protagonists, fast-paced action, and dark mysteries, then you will love Michael K. Foster’s latest novel. Fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin, J.R. Ellis, Frieda McFadden, and Alex Smith will not want to miss this book.

 

What did I think?

I've read the first five books in the DCI Jack Mason series so I've missed a couple as The Deadly Mooring is book eight.  You can definitely read it as a standalone though as it contains its own crime storyline but it's just the characters' personal lives that have moved on.

It's so sharply plotted and meticulously researched that i felt as if I was part of Mason's team as they simultaneously investigate a murder, a missing person and an art theft.  It sounds like there's a lot going on but the reader knows they are all linked together and I loved being privy to both the perpetrator's and the investigator's thoughts.

You may think from the cover that it is set in South Shields, but the characters don't set foot in the coastal town and it's mostly set upriver in Newcastle and Gateshead.  I do love books set in my local area as I feel like I'm walking in the characters' footsteps or sitting in the passenger seat of their vehicle.  

Whilst the crime part of the plot kept me riveted, I loved the developments in Mason's personal life and it was good to see profiler David Carlisle once again.  This really is a brilliant crime series and I am eager to not only read more but to catch up on the instalments that I have missed.

Incredibly fast-paced and completely compelling, The Deadly Mooring is a fantastic crime novel that I couldn't put down.  Very highly recommended. 

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the LBT Bookstagram Tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Sacred Virgin and the Spurned Bride - Dolan Cummings

What secrets survive when history forgets the truth?

In a land that has not yet become Scotland, old loyalties, buried histories, and dangerous ambitions are beginning to stir.

Euphemia has returned to her Pictish homeland after an absence of twenty years, no longer the mysterious young woman who vanished, but a mother carrying a complicated past of her own.

Freia, meanwhile, faces an uncertain future after leaving Bamburgh in scandal. Now a young mother, she guards the truth of her son Frey’s paternity from a world eager to speculate.

Connecting their stories is Bishop Boniface, a formidable churchman whose pursuit of family, influence, and Pictish history reaches far beyond the walls of the church.

When an obscure manuscript begins to illuminate a past nearly lost to history, questions of identity and inheritance draw these women into a web stretching across monasteries, royal courts, and the emerging kingdoms of an untamed medieval land.

The Sacred Virgin and the Spurned Bride is historical fiction rich in character, wit, intrigue, and the texture of early medieval life, a story of motherhood and memory, faith and ambition, and women determined to find their own place in a world busy deciding it for them.

Uncover the secrets history was never meant to forget.

 

What did I think?

The Sacred Virgin and the Spurned Bride completely exceeded my expectations; I'm so glad that I decided to read it when the Northumberland setting caught my eye.

It's very atmospheric with the rugged Northumberland coast being almost a character in its own right.  I don't read a lot of books set in medieval times but I really enjoyed learning about medieval life when there were different religions in Britain and the Picts inhabited Scotland.

There are two women in the story who are single mothers but they are treated very differently.  Euphemia is the niece of Bishop Boniface so her reputation is protected by the church whereas Freia should have been celebrating her marriage but finds herself pregnant and alone.  The contrast is sobering and it feels very unfair that women can lose so much whilst men get to walk away from the consequences of their actions.   

The characters are very well developed and I was really rooting for Freia; not that she needed it as she is a very strong woman who is determined to give her son the best life she possibly can.  As serious as the subject is, there are some very amusing scenes that made me smile and chuckle; I will never forget the moment when Freia goes to meet her suitor and it's making me laugh just thinking of it now.  No spoilers here though, you will have to read it for yourself.

The Sacred Virgin and the Spurned Bride is a surprisingly entertaining and evocative historical fiction novel that fully immersed me in the medieval period.  It's a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction and I would highly recommend it.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the Love Books Tours Bookstagram Tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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READALONG: The Last Letter - Rebecca Yarros

Beckett,

If you're reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn't. I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride. My little sister Ella's there, raising the twins alone. If I'm gone, that means I can't be there for her. I can't help them through this. But you can. So I'm begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family. Please don't make her go through it alone.

Ryan

When Beckett follows his best friend’s dying wish and arrives in the small mountain town of Telluride, he expects grief, guilt, and the weight of a promise he’s not sure he can keep.

What he doesn’t expect is Ella. Fiercely independent and determined to hold her family together, Ella is still reeling from loss after loss. But as Beckett slowly becomes part of her life, their shared grief begins to turn into something neither of them saw coming.

But Ella knows that loving Beckett means risking heartbreak all over again…and this time she's not sure she'll survive.

 

What did I think?

If Rebecca Yarros had cut my heart out with a spoon it wouldn't have hurt as much as reading The Last Letter. My heart wasn't just broken, it was put through an emotional blender and shredded into tiny little bits.  I was certainly in bits at the end of it and at several times during it too, so have your tissues handy when you read it.

The whole 'last letter' theme gave me a lump in my throat and that was before I had even been introduced to any of the characters.  Once I got to know them, I fell in love with every single one of them and experienced their pain, joy, hopes and fears as they rode the rollercoaster of life.  Talk about 'stop the ride I want to get off' - this ride is not a fun one!

Told via a dual point of view, we follow single mother Ella and soldier Becket as they start writing to each other before they even met.  I loved reading their letters and felt it really showed depth to the characters.  They of course do eventually meet, but in such tragic circumstances, and one of them is not being completely honest. Uh-oh!

As heart shattering as the story was, I just couldn't stop reading it.  I'm glad I read it as part of a readalong as it gave me a chance to pause and take stock of my emotions.  I could have easily read it in one or two sittings but I would have felt like my heart had been pelted at a brick wall.  There's some romance with a bit of spice to lighten the distressing darker parts of the story so it is very well balanced.

The Last Letter is a completely devastating novel that is filled with so much emotion it really should come with waterproof pages.  I'm not sure I can forgive Rebecca Yarros for making my heart hurt so much but forgiveness is a theme of the novel so I am sure I will forgive her...eventually.

I received a gifted paperback for the Insta Book Tours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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