BLOGGER DAY: One Moment - Becky Hunter

One moment in time can change everything...

The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life. It doesn't feel fair that she'll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams. And now, she's still ... here - wherever here is - watching the ripple effect of her death on the lives of those she loved the most.

Evie cannot contemplate her life without Scarlett, and she certainly cannot forgive Nate, the man she blames for her best friend's death. But Nate keeps popping up when she least expects him to, catapulting Evie's life in directions she'd never let herself imagine possible. Ways, perhaps, even those closest to her had long since given up on.

If you could go back, knowing everything that happens after, everything that happens because of that one moment in time, would you change the course of history or would you do it all again?

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, this beautiful book is like Humpty Dumpty: it completely broke me but also put me back together again.  I'm going to say sorry now to all the other debut authors of 2023 as Becky Hunter has set an incredibly high bar; One Moment is THE debut of 2023 and I absolutely adored it.

Scarlett and Evie have been best friends forever so Evie is devastated when Scarlett goes to work one day and never returns.  The accident that took Scarlett from Evie brings Nate into her life, but Evie can't forgive him for being the reason her friend is no longer here.  Unbeknown to Evie, Scarlett is still here...watching life going on without her and reliving moments from her past.

Everything about this book is perfect: the writing is flawless, the plot is sublime and the characters are so well-developed they virtually pop out of the page.  The range of emotions this book evokes is astonishing: I laughed, cried and everything in between.

I loved this book so much I could read it again and again; Becky Hunter is definitely one to watch and I'm already considering myself to be a fan so I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.  One Moment is an unmissable, emotional and beautiful debut that's an easy 5 stars. 

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Becky Hunter worked for many years in London in the publishing industry, before taking a career break in Mozambique, where she volunteered with horses and decided to give writing a go. She now works as a freelance book publicist. One Moment is her debut novel.

Follow Becky on social media:

Twitter: @Bookish_Becky

Instagram: @beckyhunterbooks

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BLOG TOUR: Always By Your Side - Julie Haworth

When school teacher Rose loses her dream job at a London primary school, her self-confidence takes a knock. Worse still, her stockbroker fiancé, Ollie, sees it as the perfect opportunity for her to join his firm, which only adds to the feelings Rose has that their relationship might be coming to an end.

 

An unexpected phone call, and an elderly aunt who’s taken a fall, means Rose must drop everything – including Ollie - and return to Blossom Heath, the Sussex village she grew up in.

 

With no job to rush home to, Rose decides to stay in Blossom Heath for the Summer, trading London for the idyllic countryside. Here Rose finds herself reconnecting to the village life of her childhood in more ways than one, including falling head-over-heels for local farmer, Jake.

 

So when her London life comes calling, Rose is faced with an impossible choice… to return to the high-pressure life of her past, or embrace the joy of a new life in the country.

 

What did I think?

Oh I really enjoyed this!  It's an absolutely gorgeous heartwarming read that left me with a huge smile on my face.

I adored everything about the main character of Rose.  Rose is a marvellous teacher and it's no surprise that she has lost confidence in her ability with a demonic headmaster and a selfish fiancé constantly pecking away at her dream career.  Getting the call to look after her elderly Great Aunt Jean in an idyllic country village gives Rose the perspective she needs to find out what is really important to her.

Rose's fiancé Ollie is my idea of a nightmare partner.  He doesn't support Rose and thinks she's wasting her time teaching when she could be working in his firm, doing a meaningless job that she would hate.  Farmer Jake, on the other hand, shows Rose that the right man will be supportive and loving, without having to make huge gestures or buying expensive gifts.

Of course, the star of the show has to be Scout, the dog that Rose rescues.  Scout has a huge impact on Rose's life and helps her to make some difficult decisions.  I was on the edge of my seat when Rose and Scout's perfect relationship was threatened and I loved this tense addition to the story.

Julie Haworth very cleverly shows the stark contrast between town and country throughout the book; it's not just the pace of life, it's people, schools, jobs, homes and communities that are completely different.  As much as I would hate everyone knowing my business, I would much prefer to live in Blossom Heath than London.

Beautifully written, incredibly uplifting and completely heartwarming, Always By Your Side is a delightful debut novel and a worthy winner of the Romantic Novelists' Association Katie Fforde Debut Novel Of The Year 2023.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Trap - Catherine Ryan Howard

We are told, aren’t we, not to accept lifts from strangers?

And yet that is exactly what she does.

Not only once, but time and again.  And at night.

It's the nightmare scenario that every girl is warned about, and she knows the dangers all too well - but what other choice does she have?

As they drive, she alternates between fear and relief - one moment thinking he is just a good man doing a good thing, the next convinced he's a monster. But when he delivers her safely to her destination, she realizes her fears were unfounded.

And her heart sinks. Because a monster is what she's looking for, to discover what happened to her missing sister.

She will try again tomorrow night. But will the man who took her sister take the bait?

What did I think?

Just reading the blurb of The Trap is enough to give me goose bumps.  This book is brilliantly written with chapters told from different points of view so you get to see inside the mind of a monster and it gave me chills on top of my goose bumps.

If I had a sister and she went missing, I know I would do everything I could to find her but I can't get past the 'Stranger Danger' motto that I still adhere to, even now that I'm in my forties.  It's a very brave and probably stupid thing to do to try to set a trap to catch an abductor but it does make for heart-pounding reading.

The Trap is so very cleverly written and I had the rug pulled out from under me as everything I thought I knew about the missing sister turned out to be wrong.  Yay!  Reading books is one time I'm more than happy to be wrong though, as it means the author has played a blinder.  So, well played Catherine Ryan Howard!

It's really interesting to read Catherine Ryan Howard's inspiration for the story in the Author's Note as I had completely forgotten that I saw missing posters when I was a child in the 1970s and I can even remember the girl's name on it.  That sort of thing stays with you and it's really sad to think that nobody ever knew what happened to their missing family member.

Clever, creepy and chilling, The Trap is a disturbing and intriguing novel that held my interest throughout and I really enjoyed it.  Catherine Ryan Howard's intelligent and crafty plot gave my brain a little workout, especially at the end where my initial 'huh?' was transformed into an 'oh!'.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD is an internationally bestselling author from Cork, Ireland. Her work has been shortlisted for the CWA's John Creasey New Blood and Ian Fleming Steel Dagger awards, and in 2019 her novel THE LIAR'S GIRL was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. THE NOTHING MAN was a no. 1 bestseller in her native Ireland. She currently lives in Dublin, where she divides her time between the desk and the sofa.

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BLOG TOUR: All Good Things - Amanda Prowse

I'm delighted to be taking part in the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour for All Good Things by Amanda Prowse.  After reading my review, make sure you scroll to the bottom of my post for details of a fabulous giveaway that Amanda Prowse is running.

In this captivating story from the bestselling author of Picking up the Pieces, Daisy has always envied the perfect family next door. But will a weekend of unexpected drama prove that the grass isn’t always greener?

Daisy Harrop has always felt like she exists in the background, and since her mother stopped getting out of bed, her life has come to a complete standstill. Daisy would give anything to leave the shabbiest house on the street and be more like the golden Kelleways next door, with their perfectly raked driveway and flourishing rose garden…

Winnie Kelleway is proud of the beautiful family she’s built. They’ve had their ups and downs—hasn’t everyone? But this weekend, celebrating her golden wedding anniversary is truly proof of their happiness, a joyful gathering for all the neighbours to see.

But as the festivities get underway, are the cracks in the ‘perfect’ Kelleway life beginning to show? As one bombshell revelation leads to another and events start to spiral out of control, Daisy and Winnie are about to discover that things aren’t always what they seem.

 

What did I think?

I had a small moment of triumph when I finished reading All Good Things as it's the first time an Amanda Prowse book hasn't made me cry, but boy did it make me think.  In this day and age of seeing perfect posts on social media, it's sobering to remember that not everything is as perfect on the other side of the camera lens.

A pair of neighbours are put under the microscope in this captivating novel.  The Harrops on one side of the fence, with their house that has seen better days, and the Kelleways on the other with their perfectly pruned roses and expensive cars in the driveway.  Daisy Harrop dreams of becoming a Kelleway one day but this family isn't as perfect as they appear.

I felt like a nosy neighbour myself when I was reading this very addictive book and because they were fictional characters I got to experience some guilt-free schadenfreude at their expense.  The story is set over a weekend and there is an awful lot going on for each character to keep the reader entertained and invested in the story.

All of the characters and their individual voices are so beautifully written that I would have been able to tell whose point of view I was reading even if their name wasn't at the top of the page.  Amanda Prowse's characterisation is exceptional and her incredibly well-developed characters effortlessly drive this wonderful story.

Completely compelling and extremely thought-provoking, All Good Things is a timely and sobering reminder that, despite appearances, the grass isn't always greener on the other side.  There may be no tissues required for this one but it's another outstanding novel from Amanda Prowse and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

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

My rating:

Purchase link: https://mybook.to/All_Good_Things

About the author:

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty-eight novels, two non-fiction titles and seven novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart-topping No.1 titles 'What Have I Done?', 'Perfect Daughter', 'My Husband's Wife', 'The Girl in the Corner' and ‘The Things I Know’ have sold millions of copies across the globe.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda has appeared on numerous shows where her views on family and social issues strike a chord with viewers. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national and independent Radio stations including LBC, Times Radio and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, 'A Mother's Story' won the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award and she has had two books selected as World Book Night titles; 'Perfect Daughter' in 2016 and 'The Boy Between' in 2022.

Amanda is a huge supporter of libraries and having become a proud ambassador for The Reading Agency, works tirelessly to promote reading, especially in disadvantaged areas. Amanda's ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades...

Social Media Links – 

Say hello on Twitter:  @MrsAmandaProwse

Friend me on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/AmandaProwseAuthor

Tag me on Instagram:  www.instagram.com/MrsAmandaProwse

Visit my Amazon Author Page:  Amanda Prowse Author  

Check out my website: www.amandaprowse.com

Giveaway:

Amanda Prowse would like to give a prize to the best review – any length, any star rating of a Fire Tablet.  Will ship it anywhere worldwide. 

The prize for the best review is a:

Fire HD 10 tablet | 10.1", 1080p Full HD, 32 GB, Black - Without Ads.

• Fast and responsive: powerful octa-core processor and 3 GB RAM. 50% more RAM than previous generation.
• Up to 12-hour battery life and 32 GB of internal storage. Add up to 1 TB with microSD (to be purchased separately).
• Brighter display: vivid 10.1" 1080p full HD display is 10% brighter than previous generation, with more than 2 million pixels.
• Enjoy your favourite apps like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Now, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and more through Amazon’s Appstore (Google Play not supported, subscription fees may apply).
• Stay connected: download apps such as Zoom or ask Alexa to make video calls to friends and family.

Please ensure your review is posted by midnight on Sunday 17th September in order to be eligible.  Please tag Amanda Prowse on social media with a link to your review, wherever it is posted.  The winner will be selected and notified by Close of Play on Friday 22nd September.

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BLOG TOUR: Assassin Eighteen (Last Man Standing book 2) - John Brownlow

'I am waiting for someone to kill me. Tonight would be a good night for it.'

Agent Seventeen, the most infamous hitman in the world, has quit. But whoever wants to become Assassin Eighteen must track him down and kill him first.

So when a bullet hits the glass inches from his face, he knows who fired it - doesn't he?

But the sniper isn't the hardened killer he was expecting. It's Mireille - a mysterious, silent child, abandoned in the woods with instructions to pull the trigger.

Reuniting with his spiky lover, Kat, Seventeen must protect Mireille, and discover who sent her to kill him, and why.

But the road he must travel is littered with bodies. And the answer, when it comes, will blow apart everything Seventeen thought he knew. 

What did I think?

Assassin Eighteen is the second book in the Last Man Standing series but it is so good that you can totally read it as a standalone.  I loved Agent Seventeen but Assassin Eighteen completely blew me away and the pair of them together are simply earth-shattering.

Seventeen is living in Sixteen's house and waiting for Eighteen to come along and kill him.  Things don't quite go to plan when the shot that Seventeen is expecting doesn't kill him but instead leads him into a complex web of danger and destruction with another target on his back.

The pacing is blisteringly fast and my eyes were zipping down the page faster than my brain could read the words.  I absolutely love John Brownlow's style of writing; the chapters are short and punchy but every single word is impactful and effective.  A couple of chapters have no more than two words but they are perhaps the most heart-stopping and tense chapters I have ever read.

There aren't enough words to describe how amazing this book is - it's an absolute must-read and easily one of my favourite books of 2023.  I'm going to be shouting about Assassin Eighteen for a long time - it's JAWDROPPINGLY BRILLIANT!  DO NOT MISS IT!

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:

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Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: The Stranger Beside Me - Caroline England

When no one is what they seem, who can you trust?

Katy Henry is lost and lonely. A single mother, plagued by fatigue and anxiety, she rarely has time for friends. But when she encounters Sibeal Matthews, all this changes. Sibeal is everything that Katy is not: assured, headstrong and charming.

Katy soon finds herself pulled out of her isolation into a fierce friendship. But Sibeal is not all that she seems. Tragedy haunts her, and for all her feistiness, she is startlingly dependent on her brother, Gabriel. And when her life begins to spectacularly unravel, Katy is swept up in the storm.

As Katy fights to protect herself and her son, it's not just Sibeal who threatens to endanger them - Katy's own past starts to rupture. Who can Katy trust? Can she even trust herself?

 

What did I think?

I have been a fan of Caroline England's books for a while now but she has totally knocked it out of the park with her new novel, The Stranger Beside Me - it is FANTASTIC!!  I was completely drawn into the web that Caroline's sublime writing created and I was totally blindsided by the stunning plot.

The characters are beautifully drawn and I loved Katy and her inquisitive son Milo.  There is a vulnerability about Katy and I was worried that she was heading into dangerous waters when she befriends Sibeal Matthews at her father's funeral.  Sibeal has an air of danger about her and it just feels like something is off with Sibeal and her brother Gabriel.

Caroline England has plotted this novel to perfection and it's a bit like a boxing match with punches and feints coming at you from all directions, until you're on the ropes and your opponent moves in for the killer blow.  BAM!  It's most definitely a knockout novel and I didn't see any of it coming.

The Stranger Beside Me is dark, tense, a little creepy and completely awesome; it's one of the easiest five star ratings I have ever given.  Very highly recommended and completely unmissable.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Bone Hacker - Kathy Reichs

EVEN ON AN ISLAND PARADISE, DANGER STILL LURKS.

Called in to examine what is left of a body struck by lightning, Tempe traces an unusual tattoo to its source and is soon embroiled in a much larger case. Young men – tourists – have been disappearing on the islands of Turks and Caicos for years. Seven years ago, the first victim was found with both hands cut off; the other visitors vanished without a trace. But recently, tantalizing leads have emerged and only Tempe can unravel them.

Maddeningly, the victims seem to have nothing in common – other than the unusual locations where their bodies are eventually found, and the fact that the young men all seem to be the least likely to be involved in foul play. Do these attacks have something to do with the islands’ seething culture of gang violence? Tempe isn’t so sure. And then she turns up disturbing clues that what’s at stake may actually have global significance.

It isn’t long before the sound of a ticking clock grows menacingly loud, and then Tempe herself becomes a target.

 

What did I think?

The Bone Hacker is book 22 in the outstanding Temperance Brennan series and it's another gripping instalment.  You can totally read it as a standalone as it has its own storyline but it might read a little strangely if you don't know Tempe's character.

It starts with a bang, or rather a flash of lightning, and my heart rate shot up right at the start as a storm hits Quebec with Tempe right in the middle of it.  Of course Kathy Reichs isn't going to kill off her main character right at the start of the book, but it felt pretty scary and intense, even though I knew Tempe wasn't going to become a victim of the storm.

I think because I watched the TV show Bones, I could really pick up Tempe's voice in this book. Anyone new to the books might find her a little strange as she is so logical and a little socially challenged but I absolutely love her.  I also felt as if I was part of the investigation with Tempe going into so much detail about her forensic work.

A lot of the chapters have little cliffhangers at the end that make you want to keep reading so I raced through it.  It went in a completely different direction to what I expected and my heart rate shot up once again near the end.

Brilliantly written as you would expect from Kathy Reichs, The Bone Hacker is a gripping, fast-paced and intricately plotted thriller.  It goes without saying that Tempe Brennan fans will love it and anyone new to the series at this point is sure to become a big fan.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Kathy Reichs’s first novel Déjà Dead, published in 1997, won the Ellis Award for Best First Novel and was an international bestseller. Kathy was also a producer of Fox Television’s longest running scripted drama Bones, which is based on her work and her novels. Kathy uses her own dramatic experiences as a forensic anthropologist to bring her mesmerizing thrillers to life. One of very few forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, Kathy divides her time between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Montreal, Québec.

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BLOG TOUR: I Know It's You - Susan Lewis

Marina Forster has left her past behind. She is happily married with two twin daughters and holds a senior position at a leading publishing company. She never thinks about what happened fourteen years ago, about the scandal, the trial, the trauma that nearly broke her.

When a new fiction submission lands on Marina’s desk, she at first thinks nothing of it; That Girl is just another novel by another aspiring writer. But as she reads on, the parallels between the novel and Marina’s own past become ever clearer. At first, she is unnerved; then, she is terrified. Who is writing this? What do they want? And how do they know what happened all those years ago?

Increasingly paranoid and unsure who to trust, Marina fears the past may be about to repeat itself. She must put a stop to this before it’s too late – but who will believe her this time?

What did I think?

I Know It's You Is Susan Lewis' 50th novel and what an absolute belter it is.  I haven't read a Susan Lewis book I haven't loved and I Know it's You is no exception.  It's a book within a book with chapters of a new novel being gradually revealed in a submission to a publisher and I couldn't read fast enough to discover all the secrets of the past.

Marina seems to have the perfect life, married to Maxim, mother to twins and working in publishing, but she has some dark secrets in her past.  The past never stays buried for long but Marina's past might be about to get very public when a book is being written that seems to know a lot about Marina's life.  Oh this gave me tingles from my head to my toes as I tried to imagine how scared Marina must have felt.

There are always two sides to every story and the story being told in 'That Girl' is very one sided, but Marina is clearly rattled so you have to wonder how much of it is true.  I was as gripped by the story in 'That Girl' as I was by everything that was happening in I Know it's You.  It was a little confusing at first as each character in the book also has another fictional character but I quickly got used to it.

It's so cleverly written that I was suspicious of everyone and I didn't know which version of Marina was true.  I also loved the glimpse into the world of publishing and the setting is a book lover's dream.

As clever as it is compelling, I Know it's You is a fabulous novel to mark such a wonderful achievement for Susan Lewis.  I haven't read all 50 of her novels but I'm already excited for whatever she writes next; in the meantime, I've got a lot of her back catalogue to get through.

Very highly recommend and many congratulations on your 50th novel, Susan.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Susan Lewis is the internationally bestselling author of fifty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime, including I Have Something To Tell You, One Minute Later, My Lies, Your Lies and Forgive Me. Susan’s novels have sold over three million copies in the UK alone. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s.

Susan has previously worked as a secretary in news and current affairs before training as a production assistant working on light entertainment and drama. She’s lived in Hollywood and the South of France, but now resides in Gloucestershire with husband James, two stepsons and dog, Mimi. @susanlewisbooks

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BLOG TOUR: A Little in Love - Florence Keeling

The little village of Weddington is fast becoming THE place to get married. With its stately home, castle and two churches it has something for everyone, and now, famous after appearing in huge romcom movie hit A Little In Love, it’s hosting a monthly wedding fayre…

Rose Pedal is the proud owner of Pedals & Prosecco, a brand new business serving ice-cold fizz from a vintage bicycle, and she’s excited to be attending her first wedding fayre. But, on the way to Weddington Hall she’s involved in a near miss crash involving dashingly handsome James from Blume’s Florist.

Arriving at the beautiful stately home drenched and disheveled, Rose is horrified to find James is not only not sorry for nearly knocking her off her bike, but he’s gatecrashing her allocated spot on the lawn. His arrogance gets her back up and it’s definitely a case of hate at first sight.  But as the wedding fayre season continues, James gently wins Rose over, and their relationship starts to bloom.

Can being just 'a little in love' help Rose and James find their own happy-ending…

 

What did I think?

Awwww I think this is one of the cutest books I have ever read and it warmed not only my heart but every part of me from my head to my toes.  It's a gorgeous story with lots of ups and downs and a generous helping of skulduggery thrown in for good measure.

The setting is the wonderfully named town of Weddington and Rose Pedal is attending her very first wedding fayre to launch her new business, Pedals & Prosecco.  Rose takes an instant dislike to fellow stallholder James Blume but she gets to know him better when they attend more wedding fayres and she gradually starts to (more than) like him.

The course of true love never runs smooth and just as Rose and James start to explore their feelings for one another the Blume family and James' ex stick a couple of spanners in the works.  

I absolutely adored this beautiful story from the camaraderie of the various wedding supplies traders to the rollercoaster love story of Rose and James.  It's incredibly entertaining and I chuckled on several occasions, mostly due to Rose's parents and her mum's cooking paired with her dad's nibbling.

Entertaining, funny and gorgeously romantic, A Little in Love guarantees a lot of smiles for everyone who reads it.  It's the perfect pick-me-up that beautifully reflects the sunshine and showers of life and I loved every moment of it.  Very highly recommended.

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:

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