I Am Enough: A 90-day challenge to find contentment - Sheridan Stewart

Stressed by your spending? Always feeling like you should do more? Join Sheridan Stewart on an inspiring journey towards spending less, feeling happier and focusing on the important things.

What began as a 90-Day challenge simply to spend less, becomes an exploration of what matters most. I Am Enough contemplates what it means to have enough, do enough and ultimately be enough. Told with insight and humour, this book is an antidote to the constant pressure we are under to do more, have more and be more.

Busy radio presenter and broadcaster, author and mid-lifer Sheridan Stewart created the 90-Day Enough Challenge out of necessity. She had been struggling with burnout for years but couldn’t find a way to break the cycle of dashing about feeling guilty about spending too much, eating too much and not being a good enough wife, friend, volunteer, work colleague and human being.

Sheridan’s quest to prioritise calm, self-care and what really matters in life is inspirational. The practical programme which she has created is in three parts with a detailed timeline, tips and checklists for every step of the journey.

 

SURRENDER:

• The first part of the book is about surrender – learning to let go and strip life back to the essentials: getting enough sleep and support, utilizing what we have instead of buying more and doing enough without being sucked into the relentless pursuit of perfectionism. 

MAYBE I CAN BE ENOUGH?

• The second part of the book makes a shift from not only doing things differently but beginning to feel and view things differently. Even though to the outside observer, Sheridan’s life may appear the same – same job, same relationships, same environment – she learns to see life through a different lens. She begins to take small actions that better served her physical, emotional and financial wellbeing and shows the reader how to do the same.

CHOOSE TO MAKE THE CHANGE LAST:

• The third part of the book is about choice. As Sheridan nears the end of her 90-Day Challenge, she starts to explore implementing lasting change. As a chronic dieter and a driven over-achiever, she is aware of how quickly old patterns and behaviours can take hold. Why will this time different?

Over the course of this journey, Sheridan learns to trust herself, and you can too by following in her footsteps on a journey towards financial and emotional happiness.

 

What did I think?

This book is very well written with short chapters that are easy to follow and hold your interest.  Having, being and doing ‘enough’ is a simple idea but it makes a lot of sense and it’s comforting to know that you’re not the only one with a harsh inner critic that never shuts up.

I’m pretty good at saving money, but it was absolutely mindblowing to see how much money is wasted on coffee shops and restaurants; it’s ok to have a treat now and again but you can save so much money by making things yourself at home.  Yes, that’s a no-brainer but seeing Sheridan Stewart quantify it in monetary terms would’ve given me a cold sweat if I was someone who had a takeaway coffee every day.

For me, what I want to get out of this book is learning to accept that I’m enough.  There’s no manual for life so we’re all just doing the best we can but I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t want the elusive ‘more’.  I think just looking at what you already have is a really good philosophy as we waste so much these days.  I’m as guilty of this as the next person: my other half says I’m more thrilled by the purchase of a bargain than by actually consuming said bargain, that is likely to be languishing at the back of the cupboard six months after its best before date.

It almost takes the pressure off by changing the way you think, by saying for example: ‘I’m going to TRY to lose weight’ rather than ‘I’m going to lose weight’, that sets you up to fail the minute you step on the scales and put on 0.5kg so you might as well eat that whole packet of ginger nuts.

I’m really pleased I have discovered Sheridan Stewart’s I Am Enough book.  The small steps approach is one that is easy to follow and you really can’t fail, as you’re only trying after all.

My rating:

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Semi-Detached - Deborah Stone

Bill and Amanda are living in a semi-detached house, stuck in a depressing rut of boredom and disappointment, when Terry and Fiona – glamorous, successful and very much in love – move in next door. Despite their different outlooks on life, the couples befriend each other and life appears to improve for both pairs. But all is not what it seems, and their increasingly interconnected relationships are fated for tragedy.

 

What did I think?

I really enjoyed reading Semi-Detached, despite not particularly liking a single character in it.  It's the odious characters that drive the narrative and kept me hooked as I peeked behind the curtains of this fictional pair of semi-detached houses.

Bill and Amanda have a marriage made in hell; Bill sees Amanda's function as a homemaker and babymaker but she is failing miserably at both.  I did feel sorry for Amanda as she's not even aware that she is living in an abusive relationship and life has clearly dealt her a bad hand.  Then Terry and Fiona move in next door and both couples strike up an unlikely friendship.

It is very much like watching your favourite soap as we follow the lives of the two couples.  There are times when you just know what is going to happen next but there are plenty of other surprises in store and I found myself constantly itching to read the next chapter throughout the whole book.  

With characters you will love to hate, Semi-Detached is a page-turning soap opera of a book - there's lots of drama, tension, shocks and surprises that make it a hugely entertaining read.

Many thanks to the author for sending me a digital ARC; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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SPOTLIGHT TOUR: Conviction - Jack Jordan

If you have been following my blog, you will already know that I am a huge Jack Jordan fan.  His fantastic 2015 debut, Anything for Her is one of the best debuts I've ever read and just when you think you've read the best Jack Jordan book, he publishes another one that beats it.

I'm not sure how he could ever beat Do No Harm, which I absolutely loved and I'm still recommending to everyone (you can read my review HERE), but his new novel Conviction is coming out on 22nd June 2023 and I can't wait to read it.

To steal a man’s freedom all it takes is…

CONVICTION

Wade Darling stands accused of killing his wife and teenage children as they slept and burning their house to the ground.

When the case lands on barrister Neve Harper’s desk, she knows it could make her career.

A matter of days before the case, as Neve is travelling home for the night, she is approached by a man. He tells her she must throw the case or the secret about her husband’s disappearance will be revealed. Failing that, he will kill everyone she cares about, until she does as she is told.

Neve must make a choice – go against every principle she has ever had, or the people she loves will die.

Now, before you click HERE and rush off to Waterstones to preorder a SIGNED copy of Conviction, take a look at the fabulous book trailer:

About the author:

Jack Jordan is the global bestselling author of Do No Harm, Anything for Her, My Girl, A Woman Scorned, Before Her Eyes, and Night by Night an Amazon No.1 bestseller in the UK, Canada, and Australia. Jack's novel Do No Harm was a Saturday Times Bestseller and was longlisted for a Dead Good Reader Award in 2022.

Follow Jack:

Twitter: @JackJordanBooks

Instagram: @JackJordan_author

Facebook: @JackJordanOfficial

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COVER REVEAL: Man on a Murder Cycle - Mark Pepper

Having absolutely LOVED Veteran Avenue, I consider myself to be a Mark Pepper fan so I'm delighted to be taking part in the cover reveal today for his new novel, Man on a Murder Cycle. So, scroll down to have a look at the cover and find out more about the book below. 

Well, isn't that an awesome cover?  It looks like something you might see in your nightmares and I can't wait to read it.

Here's a little bit about the book:

HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE AN AUTHOR BETRAYED.

Tom Roker’s debut thriller was an instant bestseller. Since then, he has written four more books, none of which have been published. His reputation has faded from overnight success to one-hit wonder.

Now, finally, he’s making a comeback. His latest novel, Man on a Murder Cycle, is a blockbuster. The dark tale of Milton, a vengeful biker with a penchant for brutal acts of violence, perfectly recaptures the mood of Roker’s first novel. And everyone loves it!

It’s just a shame he didn’t write it.

The real author is recently deceased. Roker stole the manuscript, passing it off as his own. He’s covered his tracks well, so the trivial matter of who wrote what can be overlooked.

That is, until a mad man on a big bike starts killing people, exactly as described in the stolen novel – even those scenes that didn’t make the final cut.

Only one person can know what was written in those scenes, and he’s dead. 

Isn’t he?

Preorder HERE from Red Dog Press

BLOG TOUR: Queens of the Underworld - Caitlin Davies

Robin Hood, Dick Turpin, Ronnie Biggs, the Krays … All have become folk heroes, glamorised and romanticised, even when they killed. But where are all the female crooks? Where are the street robbers, gang leaders, diamond thieves, bank robbers and gold smugglers?

Queens of the Underworld reveals the incredible story of professional female criminals from the 17th century to today. From Moll Cutpurse who ruled the Jacobean underworld, to Victorian jewel thief Emily Lawrence and 1960s burglar Zoe Progl, these were charismatic women at the top of their game.

But female criminals have long been dismissed as either not ‘real women’ or not ‘real criminals’, and in the process their stories have been lost. Caitlin Davies unravels the myths, confronts the lies, and tracks down modern-day descendants in order to tell the truth about their lives.

 

What did I think?

Queens of the Underworld is a fascinating non-fiction book that's really easy to read as each chapter leads nicely on to the next one.  You may have never heard of any of the women in this book but that's something that Caitlin Davies aims to put right by giving these women their rightful place in history.

As I was reading about all of these women I had never heard of, I wondered how on earth their stories had been lost when we know all about their male counterparts.  It was only as I got to one of the latter chapters that I recognised a story, although her name wasn't familiar to me at first.  

It must have taken quite a lot of research to uncover these long buried stories so I really must applaud Caitlin Davies for shining a spotlight on these remarkable women.  I loved how each woman was brought to life along with some insights into the era in which they were living.  Reading this book has made me want to find out more about these extraordinary women.  

Insightful and fascinating, Queens of the Underworld is a very well-written and captivating account of unforgettable women who had almost been forgotten.  A recommended read for anyone who loves true crime and history.

I chose to read and review an ARC for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Caitlin Davies is the author of six novels and eight non-fiction books, many of which have a criminal theme. The Ghost of Lily Painter was based on the true story of two Edwardian baby farmers, while Bad Girls: The Rebels and Renegades of Holloway Prison was the first comprehensive history of Europe’s most infamous female jail. It was nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, 2019.

Caitlin is a trained teacher, who started her writing career as a human rights reporter in Botswana. She currently works as a Royal Literary Fund writing fellow at NHS Kent & Medway.

Queens of the Underworld tells of her journey into the lives of female crooks from the 17th century to today. Her upcoming book, Private Inquiries: the secret history of female sleuths, to be published in October 2023, reveals the true tales of female private eyes from the 1850s to the present. Caitlin trained as a private investigator as part of her research, but wasn’t nearly as observant as she hoped she’d be.

Social Media links:

Twitter: @CaitlinDavies2

Website: www.caitlindavies.co.uk

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COVER REVEAL: A Beautiful Rival - Gill Paul

I'm a huge fan of Gill Paul's books so I’m very excited for the publication new novel about the rivalry between cosmetic queens Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden.  A Beautiful Rival is publishing on 31st August 2023 in UK, Australia and New Zealand and 5th September 2023 in US. So without further ado, let's have a look at the cover... 

Isn't it just gorgeous?  It looks so glamorous (and bitchy) and I can't wait to read it.

Here's a little bit about the book:

In this stunning new novel, bestselling author Gill Paul reveals the infamous rivalry of cosmetic titans Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein.

They could have been allies: two self-made millionaires who invented a global industry, in an era when wife and mother were supposed to be any woman’s highest goal. Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein each founded empires built on grit and determination…and yet they became locked in a feud spanning three continents, two world wars, and the Great Depression.

Brought up in poverty, Canadian-born Arden changed popular opinion about make up—persuading women from all walks of life to buy skincare products promising them youth and beauty. Rubinstein left her native Poland, launching her own company with scientific claims about miracle creams and anti-aging herbs.

And when it came to business, nothing was off-limits: poaching employees, copying products, planting spies, hiring ex-husbands, and one-upping each other every chance they had. This was a rivalry from which there was no surrender!  And through it all, were two women, bold, brazen, and determined to succeed—no matter the personal cost.

Preorder links:

UK

US

Australia

New Zealand

BLOG TOUR: Isaac and the Egg - Bobby Palmer

When Isaac Addy walks into the woods on the worst day of his life and finds something extraordinary there, he already knows he's going to take it home.

A grieving Isaac and his curious new friend are unlikely companions. They don't even speak the same language. But their chance encounter will transform Isaac's life in ways he cannot yet imagine.

And maybe he will finally be able to tell the truth.

Sometimes, to get out of the woods, you have to go into them. Isaac and the Egg is one of the most hopeful, honest and wildly imaginative novels you will ever read.

 

What did I think?

I had seen a lot of excitement on social media about #ThatEggBook so I couldn't wait to read it; now I can see why everyone is talking about it as I absolutely loved it.  It really is an emotional rollercoaster; it's proper laugh out loud funny one minute and sob into your hanky heartbreaking the next.

Isaac is emotionally lost and my heart went out to him almost immediately - I wished I could have reached into the book and hugged him, but then he found Egg.  Egg!!!  I adored Egg - I don't think I have ever laughed so much when reading a book.  Egg's naivety and innocence completely stole my heart and I love how Bobby Palmer's vivid writing brings both Egg and Isaac to life.

This is very much a light and dark novel: there's Egg's hilarity that provides light entertainment and cracked me up (I had to get an egg pun in somewhere) and Isaac's devastating story that broke my heart.  It's so perfectly balanced and beautifully written that I had to triple check that this was Bobby Palmer's debut novel.

Original, unmissable and unforgettable, Isaac and the Egg will steal your heart and never return it.  It will make you laugh and cry but also make you want to read it all over again.  It's off to the favourites shelf for Isaac and the Egg.  If I compiled a books of the year list, Isaac and the Egg would definitely be on it.  Very highly recommended - don't miss it!

I chose to read an ARC that I received for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Bobby Palmer is a freelance journalist who writes for publications including Time Out, GQ, Men's Health and Cosmopolitan. Isaac and the Egg is his debut novel.

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @thebobpalmer

Instagram: @thebobpalmer

Website: www.bobbypalmer.co.uk

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BLOG TOUR: Maybe Next Time - Cesca Major

Even the greatest love stories end. But what if this one didn’t have to?

Emma is having the worst day of her life. Frustrating. Chaotic. And the only person who could make it better is gone by the end of the day.

Yet even worse than all of that: Emma keeps waking up to the same day, over and over again.

But what if this is a sign things could be different? Can Emma change the heartbreaking end to this love story?

 

What did I think?

This beautiful book broke me over and over again - I don't even know where to begin to tell you how wonderful it is as it left me completely speechless.  You just really need to read it for yourself and experience the heartbreak of living one single day over and over again with the same tragic ending.

It's 3rd December and Emma and Dan are celebrating the anniversary of the day they first met...well they would be if Emma had remembered.  Emma is so busy with work and committees that she has forgotten to pay attention to what is most important to her: her family.

Oh my goodness, I think I lived every rerun of 3rd December with Emma as she cycled through a range of emotions: confusion, devastation, helplessness and even gratitude.  Whatever she does, she can't change the end of the day but she can change how she reacts to the rest of it.  

Interspersed with Emma reliving her day are anniversary letters to Emma from her husband Dan.  The letters are so beautifully written and very personal that they almost made me weep on more than one occasion.  So, you need to have your tissues handy when you read this one.

Masterfully written, Maybe Next Time is the most heartbreaking and life-changing novel I have read this year.  It really makes you stop and think about your own life - we don't get the chance to do it over again, so make sure you do it right first time.  Maybe Next Time is unmissable and very highly recommended.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Cesca Major is a novelist and screenwriter. She runs writing retreats and coaching throughout the year, is a mentor for Black Girl Writers and has taught creative writing for Jericho Writers and Henley School of Art. She blogs and vlogs about the writing process on her social channels.

Cesca has written under pseudonyms in other genres and has been nominated for both the RNA’s Romantic Comedy Award and the CWA Gold Dagger Award.

She lives in Berkshire with her husband, son and twin girls.

Social Media links:

Twitter: @CescaMajor  

Facebook: Facebook.com/CescaMajorNovelist 

Instagram: Instagram.com/cescamajorauthor 

Website: www.cescamajor.com

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BLOG TOUR: The Book-Lovers' Retreat - Heidi Swain

One long summer. One perfect setting. Can fiction inspire real life…?

Sometimes a book grabs you by the heart and grows to mean everything to you. That’s what Hope Falls is to friends Emily, Rachel and Tori. So, when they get the chance to spend a whole summer at the cottage in Lakeside where the film adaptation was located, they know it is going to be the holiday of a lifetime.

Spending six weeks away will give them a chance to re-evaluate their life choices. For Emily to decide which way her career will go – the safe route, or the more risky creative option? And for Rachel to decide whether to move in with her partner Jeremy. Then Tori has to drop out at the last moment, and her space is offered to another Hope Falls afficionado, Alex. 

But when Alex turns out not to be who they expected, the holiday takes an unforeseen turn. And as the summer develops, so does their friendship. Could this be where they uncover their future selves, find love in all its forms and where their lives will change course forever…?

 

What did I think?

I love Heidi Swain books and I absolutely adored The Book-Lovers' Retreat - all her books are fabulous but I think this one is my favourite so far.  The characters, the setting, the writing and the plot are all perfect and I thoroughly enjoyed my virtual visit to the Lake District.

It's such a wonderful story of three friends who have been planning to visit the film location from the screenplay of their favourite book: Hope Falls.  I can just imagine their excitement as their dream trip to the idyllic cottage in the Lake District becomes a reality.  When one of the friends drops out the whole trip is thrown into jeopardy, but luckily there's a lot of Hope Falls fans waiting in reserve...all Emily and Rachel have to do is pick one of them.

I loved everything about this novel and I feel like a Hope Falls fan myself as The Book-Lovers' Retreat is a book I want to read over and over again.  All the characters have so much depth and there's a lot to discover about each of them, as well as a fabulous storyline as they live their dream in Lakeside.

Hugely entertaining, incredibly compelling and absolutely wonderful, The Book-Lovers' Retreat is a book-lover's dream: I don't think you'll find a reader who won't love a book about a book.  Very highly recommended - I'm putting it on my favourites shelf and I can't wait to read it again.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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INSTAGRAM TOUR: A Truth for a Truth (Detective Kate Young Book 4) - Carol Wyer

DI Kate Young’s team is hunting for a killer. What they don’t know…is that the killer is her.

DI Kate Young has known for years that her boss, Superintendent John Dickson, is a violent and evil man. But when she finally confronts him and accidentally shoots and kills him, she’s forced to cover her tracks before anyone can pin his death on her. With revelations about his corruption soon to become public knowledge, Kate sets up a trail of evidence to make it seem that Dickson has conveniently vanished…

But Kate knows the corruption doesn’t end with Dickson. As she heads up the team investigating his supposed disappearance, she also pursues other loose ends. Stanka, the sex worker who supplied the evidence against Dickson, leads her to crucial information on another corrupt officer, DI Harriet Khatri, and her dubious involvement with sex traffickers.

As the noose starts to tighten on Kate, she finds herself targeted by traffickers, the bent cops on her force and even her own team of detectives. Can she stay one step ahead of them all and bring Harriet to justice? Can she trust anyone around her? And can she possibly get away with murder?

 

What did I think?

After the jaw-dropping cliffhanger in the last Detective Kate Young book (A Life for a Life) I couldn't wait to get my hands on A Truth for a Truth and it did not disappoint in the slightest.  In fact, Carol Wyer has wowed me again and I absolutely loved every second of this excellent book.

Although A Truth for a Truth could be read as a standalone, as there are some short recaps of the previous books, you can only really appreciate the magnificence of the series if you read the books in order.  I love the Detective Kate Young series and I'm already chomping at the bit for the next one as this book finishes on another jaw-dropping moment.

What a pickle Kate has got herself in after shooting her boss and what a moral dilemma - should she act like a criminal and hide the body or act like a DI and turn herself in?  Not knowing who she can trust on the force, makes the decision easier for her and when she's tasked with heading the investigation into Superintendent Dickson's disappearance she can cover her tracks even further.

The main character of Kate Young is so well developed that I feel as if I know her and I was totally rooting for her to literally get away with murder.  Throughout the series Kate has been on the verge of cracking up as she hears her dead husband Chris talking to her inside her head.  Her mental health gets even worse when Dickson's voice takes over from Chris and members of her team start to notice when the conversations start taking place out loud.

Tense, gripping and enthralling, A Truth for a Truth is outstanding from start to finish.  This series is getting better and better (and it was already brilliant to start with).  Very highly recommended.

I received an ARC to read and review for the Instagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People's Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer's crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages.

A move from humour to the 'dark side' in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.

February 2021 saw the release of the first in the much-anticipated new series, featuring DI Kate Young. An Eye For An Eye was chosen as a Kindle First Reads and became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK and Amazon Australia. 

Carol has had articles published in national magazines 'Woman's Weekly', featured in 'Take A Break', 'Choice', 'Yours' and 'Woman's Own' magazines and the Huffington Post.  She's also been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing 'Irritable Male Syndrome' and 'Ageing Disgracefully' and on BBC Breakfast television.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr. Grumpy... who is very, very grumpy. When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

To learn more, go to www.carolwyer.co.uk, subscribe to her YouTube channel, or follow her on Twitter: @carolewyer

Follow her at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolEWyer/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolwyer/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolewyer 

Website : https://www.carolwyer.co.uk

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The Seven Sisters (Seven Sisters Book 1) - Lucinda Riley

The Seven Sisters is a sweeping epic tale of love and loss by the international number one bestseller Lucinda Riley.

Maia D’Aplièse and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home – a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva – having been told that their beloved adoptive father, the elusive billionaire they call Pa Salt, has died.

Each of them is handed a tantalising clue to their true heritage – a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil . . .

Eighty years earlier, in the Belle Époque of Rio, 1927, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into aristocracy. But Izabela longs for adventure, and convinces him to allow her to accompany the family of a renowned architect on a trip to Paris. In the heady, vibrant streets of Montparnasse, she meets ambitious young sculptor Laurent Brouilly, and knows at once that her life will never be the same again.

The Seven Sisters is the first book in the spellbinding Seven Sisters series, inspired by the mythology of the famous star constellation. It is followed by The Storm Sister.

 

What did I think?

I have wanted to read The Seven Sisters for a while but with so many books, so little time I didn't know how I would ever fit in a 622 page novel, but I am SO glad that I made time for it.  It is breathtaking!

The Seven Sisters is inspired by Greek mythology and Pa Salt (Atlas) names his six adopted daughters after the daughters of Atlas and Pleione: Maia, Alcyone, Asterope, Celaeno, Taygete and Electra.  On Pa Salt's death, he leaves his daughters a letter with clues to their birth, should they wish to discover where they are from.  This book is Maia's story.  

I fell in love with this book the moment I picked it up; the writing is so beautiful and the story so compelling that I couldn't put it down.  It has a dual timeline with the story alternating between Maia in 2007 and her great-grandmother Izabela eighty years earlier in 1927.  Location plays a big part in The Seven Sisters and Geneva, Rio and Paris are painted so beautifully that I felt as if I was there.

The way that Lucinda Riley weaves historical facts with a captivating fictional story is absolutely breathtaking and I absolutely devoured every single beautifully written word, gathering interesting historical facts along the way.  I love how The Seven Sisters has the contained storyline of one sister but it's part of a much bigger picture and I can't wait to read more of the series.  

Captivating, breathtaking and epic, The Seven Sisters is a very highly recommended read - it's well worth making time to read this stunning novel.

I received a paperback to read and review for a Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Attic at Wilton Place - CE Rose

The perfect life. The perfect home. But at what price?

Introspective Ruth Parker is desperate for love and attention. Overlooked as a child by her cold and critical mother, her pain manifests in loneliness and a crippling lack of self-esteem. When glamorous actress ‘Aunt’ Vanessa, her mother’s childhood friend, shows an interest in her, Ruth basks in the blinding light of her attention.

Once Ruth escapes to university in London, Aunt Vanessa invites her to Wilton Place, her stunning Belgravia residence. As she blossoms under Vanessa’s guidance, Ruth finds herself torn between student life and the hypnotic, luxurious confines of Wilton Place. Belgravia wins out, but when Ruth explores the gloomy attic of her new home and finds a hidden, locked door, she discovers that Vanessa is hiding the darkest of secrets from her childhood, secrets that threaten everything Ruth knew about her own mother.

How far will Ruth go to find the truth - and how much does she really want to know?

 

What did I think?

CE Rose weaves a dark and deceptive tale in gripping new novel, The Attic at Wilton Place and I really enjoyed it.  With a majestic and slightly creepy house at its core, it is hauntingly gothic and the house is bursting with secrets that will be revealed when the level of suspense reaches maximum.

I have mixed feelings about the main character Ruth.  On the whole, I felt sorry for her as she has been groomed and manipulated by her 'Aunt' Vanessa, something that Vanessa found easy to do as Ruth's mother (Joyless Joy, as I named her) shows her no affection whatsoever.  Ruth makes some questionable decisions but I had to remind myself how young she was and that she was being played like the cello she so loves.

This story has so many layers and CE Rose perfectly balances her build up of suspense with gradual revelations to keep the reader hooked.  I thought I had it all worked out but I was wrong on every single count and I was delighted to be wrong as I love to be shocked and surprised by such talented authors.

Filled with suspense and bursting with secrets, The Attic at Wilton Place is a twisty page-turning gothic thriller that thoroughly entertained me.  It's well worth a read if you like your books deliciously dark and creepy.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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