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.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Gap (The Schelldhardt Series Book 2) - S. Frogley

For fans of blurred-reality stories like Inception, The Matrix, and The Truman Show.

It’s all in your mind…

The gap is the place where our intentions meet our actions.

The gap is the place where our failings are exposed.

All humanity exists in the gap.

The gap is the next global battlefield, and the war has already begun.

Two organisations are locked in battle to control the mysterious gap.

Schelldhardt, the largest company in the world, is using its powerful online reach to divide the global population.

The Friary is a secretive institution aiming to stop them.

Lana Carter is a young woman searching for her sister, Grace. Grace was working for Schelldhardt before her sudden disappearance. Enlisting the help of another former Schelldhardt employee, Joe Massey, Lana must unravel Grace’s fate and shape the ultimate destiny of the gap.

A new speculative thriller and sequel to The Path of Good Response.

 

What did I think?

The Gap is the sequel to The Path of Good Response and I would recommend reading the books in order otherwise it might feel like falling down the rabbit hole on acid.  It's a real mind-bender of a book and I was completely mesmerised from start to finish.

The Schelldhardt company is still going strong and Lana Carter plans to infiltrate the headquarters based on a ship to find out what happened to her sister Grace who used to work for Schelldhardt.  She needs the help of Joe Massey, who we met in book one, but Joe is more of a secondary character in this book.

It is so incredibly thought-provoking and quite scary to see how people's minds can be accessed and manipulated.  Yes, it's fiction but honestly I could totally see it happening in real life in the future.  We already rely on AI for many things but it did make me wonder how much we can trust AI and I would be both horrified and not surprised if our smart devices were hypnotising us in our sleep to access our memories.  YIKES!!!  I'll probably not sleep again now that I've thought of that.

The Gap is a very imaginative and highly original speculative thriller.  If you're looking for something different to read then look no further; this is a scarily realistic and action-packed thriller that I would highly recommend.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Paper Over It - Ruth Gresty

Jennifer Jones is in control.

Jen is confident she has complete control over the things that are trying to control her. Until she isn’t. Until she hasn’t. Until she realises she has never been in control at all. She’s been papering over it for years.

It's the start of the year 2000. A new millennium has arrived. For Jen and her three friends, university life in Manchester is full of possibility and endless fun. Sassiness, spontaneity, marvellous mayhem and youthful optimism reign in the Manchester rain.

But beneath the sometimes brash bravado sometimes even the most resilient, carefree, fun-loving characters who, on the surface look like they are living their best lives, are perilously close to falling apart. Over the course of one unforgettable year, the young women confront their own realities and truths. Some make foolish mistakes and others life changing choices.

Sometimes heartwarming and other times heartbreaking, but always brutally honest. This is a story of friendship, mistakes, self-discovery and acceptance; identity, love and the messy reality of becoming an adult. It's about the masks we wear, the mistakes and choices we make, and the courage it takes to stop papering over it and face ourselves when everything feels like it's falling apart.

It’s real, raw, raunchy, sometimes random and frankly rude at times. Just like Jen and her friends.

 

What did I think?

Paper Over It is a year in the life of four friends at the start of the new millennium.  Jen met Em, Lou and Kate at university in Manchester and although they are from different parts of the country and different walks of life, they have remained firm friends.

The book almost has its own playlist as each chapter lists a song that is relevant to what we have just read.  I loved seeing the theme song of each chapter and I found myself singing along (in my head) to some cracking tunes.  There are also some lovely excerpts from Winnie the Pooh that really demonstrates the ethos of friendship.

Although I'm a little older than Jen and her friends, it really took me back to my own experiences of the millennium year and stepping foot into working life for the first time.  It was both fun and scary and I think Ruth Gresty perfectly portrays this with the things that happen to Jen over the year.  Yes she makes mistakes, but some things that happened weren't her fault and I was so angry (with the other party) when her naivety allowed her to be taken advantage of.  It was just one more thing to paper over and forget it ever happened...but I hope things would be different nowadays.

It's a fantastic debut novel that is incredibly well written and the characters are so well developed I felt as if they were my own friends.  There are some serious subjects covered but they are handled sensitively and lightened somewhat by Ruth Gresty's sparkling wit.  I could totally see Paper Over It being made into a sitcom or mini series and I would certainly be adding it to my watchlist.

Incredibly nostalgic, entertaining and amusing, Paper Over It is a sharp and witty novel that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to readers of all genres.  It's a fabulous read and a stunning debut novel; Ruth Gresty is certainly one to watch and I'm looking forward to seeing what she writes next.

I received a gifted paperback for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon - paperback

Amazon - ebook

About the author: 

Ruth has worked in Marketing for twenty-seven years and has always loved writing and storytelling. Understanding people and their behaviour, creating stories that resonate and developing engaging and enduring narratives have all been key to success in her professional background.

From a personal perspective, Ruth is a Manchester born, bred and based menopausal mum of three boys (twelve, fifteen and twenty seven). She spends most of her weekends trying to manage the family mayhem with her partner Simon and watching their younger boys on the sideline of various sports pitches hunting for a loo (occasionally having to resort to a wild wee), a sausage sandwich and a brew while trying to keep warm in doubled-up big socks (mainly stolen from the males in her house) and multiple layers (having had it drilled into her since childhood that it is the number of layers that count, not the thickness of each layer - the complete opposite of friendships).

A nasty accident on Good (Bad) Friday in 2024 meant she spent several months sat on her arse with one leg having to be perpetually higher than said arse. As an energetic, self-confessed curator of chaos, she needed something to focus on and keep her from going frankly crazy. And keep her family from going crazy too. She found that you can’t do much when you're in acute pain with one leg in the air (including the jigsaws and ‘paint by numbers’ well-wishers had kindly gifted her). But you can read, reflect, think and you can definitely reminisce and daydream. And you can write. Which is what she did.

Her debut novel, Paper Over It, combines her sometimes over-enthusiastic imagination with insights gained from growing up in the 80s and becoming a young mum in the late 90s, her silent struggle with eating disorders in her earlier years, the power of some relationships and the destructive nature of others, and the joy of family, friendship, loyalty, hope and laughter.

Social Media Links – 

https://www.facebook.com/ruth.gresty

www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-gresty-6a336b9

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The Cartography of What Remains (The Going Back Series Book 1) - Eva Schep

She can go back. Not in memory. In fact.

Since Tomas died, Lena has made her life small enough to survive. The chipped cup on the left side of the sink. The bread folded twice. The keys in the bowl by the door.

And one impossible thing her grief allows.

She can step into the kitchen they shared and stand in the fixed afternoon light — close enough to count the threads at his cuff — watching her younger self refuse the coffee, the bread, the man across the table.

She goes back to gather evidence. Of his care. Of her failures. Of the small, ordinary cruelties that filled the last rooms of a love before a phone call ended it.

But nothing there can be undone, and the past is not a photograph. Each return wears it thinner. The edges go first — the jars on the shelf, the calendar by the fridge, the street beyond the window — while the centre stays unbearably clear. She is spending the one thing she cannot bear to lose.

And the living are waiting: a stubborn downstairs neighbour, a colleague’s dry kindness, and Noor, who mends damaged things behind a blue door two streets away and asks Lena for nothing. They can be lost by neglect as easily as the dead are lost by too much remembering.

The Cartography of What Remains asks what it costs to stop going back — and stay in the room you are actually in.

The Going Back Series — Book One. Each book stands alone.

 

What did I think?

I don't read a lot of literary fiction but I do like to push my boundaries and Eva Schep's The Cartography of What Remains caught my eye at just the right time.

I didn't really know what was going on at first but what I did know was that Lena was grieving and she was lonely.  It really broke my heart to see her stepping back into the kitchen and reliving such painful memories.  It was a very powerful image as Lena physically steps back into her memories rather than remember moments in a more positive light as their sharp edges get rounded off over time.

It is very well written and gently paced so it's a book to savour rather than devour.  I didn't study English Literature at school but I think it would have been beneficial to do so in order to fully appreciate the nuances of the narrative.

I also found it quite thought-provoking and a sobering reminder that we only get one shot at life.  It's like that old saying that you should never go to bed on argument so I think what Eva Schep is trying to tell us is that we should treat each conversation as if it was our last or we will have guilt to cope with as well as grief.

The Cartography of What Remains is a poignant and profound novel that gave me with food for thought and reminded me that life is not a rehearsal.  

Many thanks to Eva Schep for sending me a digital ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon

BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Path of Good Response (The Schelldhardt Series Book 1) - S. Frogley

For fans of blurred-reality stories like Inception, The Matrix, and The Truman Show.

What if there were a way to make a perfect decision? If poor choices, even addictions, could be controlled from within the mind.

Schelldhardt is the largest company in the world and will do anything to grow. When Joe Massey is unexpectedly offered a role aboard Schelldhardt’s luxurious corporate headquarters at sea, his main priority is Rachel. Joe has trailed Rachel through school and university into the workplace and cannot imagine life without her.

Realistic dreams disturb Joe’s sleep as he is drawn deeper into a dark corporate world. As an inexperienced graduate, his opinion seems far too important to Schelldhardt. Why is he really there? The deposed CEO, Arnold Shendi, may have Joe’s answers, though Shendi has secrets of his own.

A new speculative thriller, set aboard a vast ship at sea.

 

What did I think?

The Path of Good Response is quite a short book with 303 pages but it incredibly thought-provoking and action-packed.  S. Frogley has gone for for quality over quantity in his gripping speculative thriller and the best news is that this dystopian series is continuing.

Joe is madly in love with Rachel but unfortunately for him, Rachel sees Joe as just a friend.  When Joe is offered an intriguing new job, he will only accept it if Rachel can come too.  I mean it's sweet but also a bit obsessive and if I was Rachel I think I would be running in the opposite direction.  It's well described as for fans of The Truman Show as once I started to read the book I wasn't sure what or who was real and what wasn't.  Mind-blowing but great!

There's a lot more to the story than first meets the eye and I loved all of the twists, turns and mysteries just waiting to be discovered along the way.  The chapters are quite short too so I kept reading 'just one more chapter' and finished the book a lot quicker than I expected.   I asked myself some of the questions that Joe was presented with and honestly, I wouldn't like to answer them, especially not in a real life situation.

Gripping, intriguing and mind-blowing, The Path of Good Response is one of the most provocative speculative thrillers I've read.  I can't wait to find out what happens next and I don't have to wait long as I have The Gap (book two) waiting (im)patiently on my bookshelf.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Language of Angels (Ella Blake Thrillers) - Olly Jarvis

 

Have we reached the tipping point when AI becomes the master? Who holds the key that will prevent this power shift and is the answer in our history?

Barrister Ella Blake accepts a simple brief to defend a teenage genius on a charge of burglary – stealing books from a Cambridge University library.

Distracted by her daughter Lizzie’s sudden illness, nothing is what it seems. The case soon draws Ella into her greatest challenge – to find the ultimate formula – for life itself.

Ella’s frantic search through the historical clues risks not only her own life, but that of everyone close to her. Who are the shadowy entities in pursuit, thwarting Ella at every turn?

Winning is the only way Ella can save Lizzie – and humanity – but at what cost?

Language of Angels is an epic and gripping thriller by the brilliant Olly Jarvis that asks a question that has been guiding humanity since time began – what is the theory of everything?

What did I think?

Language of Angels is the second book featuring barrister Ella Blake but it can definitely be read as a standalone.  Prepare to get your mind blown when you pick it up though and clear your schedule as you won't be able to put it down.

Ella Blake is being pulled in different directions; one way as a barrister and one way as a mum.  Her daughter Lizzie needs her right now but Ella can't just walk out of court so she really is trying to compromise.  As someone who used to put work before absolutely everything else, I felt for Ella trying to balance the two most important things in her life: her daughter and her career.

What perhaps starts out as a legal thriller, Language of Angels gathers genres like a snowball rolling down a hill.  It's hard to describe but if Dan Brown and John Grisham collaborated on a book, it might be almost as good as an Olly Jarvis thriller.

There are some real locations mentioned in the book and I had a look on satellite images because they were places I had never heard of.  Although they are vividly described, it brings the book to life when you can see the locations with your own eyes rather than just your imagination.

Language of Angels is another cracking thriller from Olly Jarvis.  It's very imaginative and original with intrigue and action on every page.  It blew my mind a little but I loved it and I really couldn't put it down until I'd read every single word.  Very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Calypso's Odyssey - Anna Ellison

Some loves are meant to stay…some are meant to set you free.

The Summer I Turned Pretty meets Circe in this windswept, emotional retelling of The Odyssey. A stunning story of first love, ancient echoes, and the power of rewriting your own fate.

Callie Quinn has never left Catalina Island. Her world is a crumbling cliffside inn, a father who’s more prison guard than parent, and a curse she believes she’s doomed to repeat: every summer brings a boy, a spark—and then a goodbye. Until one summer everything changes.

A storm. A shipwreck. A boy washed ashore.

Odie is secretive, wounded, and desperate to disappear. Callie offers him shelter, a place to heal, and slowly, something more. But Odie is no ordinary castaway. He carries secrets that could destroy them both. On Catalina, Callie shows him another way to live. A life of freedom and belonging. An everlasting life where he could be anyone—even himself.

But when Odie’s world crashes back into their paradise, both Odysseus and Calypso must make impossible choices: one between legacy and love. The other, between holding on and setting herself free.

Inspired by the tale of Odysseus and Calypso from Homer’s The Odyssey, this fresh retelling gives star-crossed lovers a chance to defy fate. Full of longing, first love, and impossible choices, it’s a story where, at last, they find their happily ever after.

A star-crossed, slow-burn summer romance. A contemporary reimagining with mythological roots. A girl who learns that sometimes, the most epic love story is the one you write for yourself.

Perfect for fans of:

• Forbidden Love
• MMC with a mysterious past
• "Just for the summer" relationships
• Mythology retellings
• 1-Chili Pepper Romance 

What did I think?

I love mythology retellings and I'm partial to a bit of YA so when Calypso's Odyssey appeared on my radar I couldn't wait to read it.  It's a quick read with just 249 pages but it's very entertaining, mesmerising and charming.

Set on Catalina Island, which is a real island off the coast of California, we meet Callie who is working at her dad's inn.  In one of the most dramatic meetings I've ever read, Callie's path crosses with Odie's and the chemistry virtually sizzles off the page.  It's not a traditional boy meets girl story though as Callie guards her heart very carefully and she doesn't plan to let anyone get near enough to hurt her...again.

I was so mad that Callie wasn't free to enjoy the blossoming of first love as she has been hurt, betrayed and humiliated in the past.  Honestly, I was fizzing with fury that one juvenile idiot spoiled Callie's ability to believe in happily every after.  Of course, Odie's not being entirely truthful either and it really makes you think about whether lying by omission is as bad as purposefully lying.  You also have to remember that the characters are teenagers so they don't have the wisdom (ha) and life experience of adults.

The Odyssey seems to be everywhere at the moment so it's good to explore retellings that are more accessible and easier to read than Homer's masterpiece.  I know a bit about The Odyssey and having read Calypso's Odyssey it has made me want to read the original.  Wish me luck!

Heartwarming, romantic and captivating, Calypso's Odyssey is a cute and delightful retelling that enthralled me from start to finish.  I enjoyed it and think it's well worth a read for both adults and young adults who enjoy reading romance.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Novel Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Ghost Notes (The Skelfs Book 7) - Doug Johnstone

The Skelf women have been keeping their heads down, running the family’s funeral directors and private investigation businesses. But when a woman collapses at her husband’s funeral and is saved by Dorothy, she finds herself drawn into the murky world of ‘grief tech’ – a booming new industry that creates digital avatars of the dead.

Jenny’s latest case – a simple blackmail job for an old school friend – quickly spirals into chaos as the woman’s tangled love life pulls Jenny towards dangerous old habits. 

Meanwhile, Hannah and her wife, Indy, are confronted by the unexpected arrival of Indy’s ex-boyfriend, claiming to be dying and eager for the Skelfs to arrange his funeral. But his arrival uncovers more ghosts from the past, and threatens to upend everything they’ve built.

As their cases collide and their personal lives spiral, the Skelfs face danger from all sides. How far will they go to protect one another, and what will it cost to finally silence the ghosts? 

Warm, tense and full of heart, Ghost Notes is another masterful instalment in Doug Johnstone’s award-winning, addictive Skelfs series, and the stakes are higher than ever…

 

What did I think?

Ghost Notes is The Skelfs book 7 and I just cannot get enough of this fabulous series.  I don't even read the blurb when a new instalment comes out as they are must-reads for me.  You could most definitely read Ghost Notes as a standalone but you really don't want to miss the earlier books in the series too,

The Skelf women work both separately and together as they are very busy running their funeral and private investigation businesses.  I just love catching up with Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah and I am so invested in their lives that it feels like meeting old friends.  There are several strands to the perfectly plotted storyline but it never gets confusing and it keeps the pace going at a rate of knots.

Combining mystery and intrigue with a hugely entertaining and thought-provoking story, I positively devoured this book as if I hadn't read a book for years.  I found it very thought-provoking as Doug Johnstone candidly explores how we deal with death and grief.  I just hope the avatars of the dead remain in the book and they don't make it out into the real world, although I also wouldn't be surprised if there's something like this already out there.  As comforting as it would be to have a digital version of your loved one, it also leaves bereaved people open to exploitation at their most vulnerable time.

Incredibly entertaining from start to finish, I couldn't read Ghost Notes fast enough and I'm still thinking about it long after turning the final page.  The Skelfs is one of my favourite series and I hope that it never ends...fast forward to 3026 and Digital Doug Johnstone releases book 1007 in the series!

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:

Orenda Books

Amazon

About the author: 

Doug Johnstone is the author of twenty novels, many of which have been bestsellers. The Space Between Us was chosen for BBC Two’s Between the Covers, while Black Hearts was shortlisted  – and The Big Chill longlisted – for Theakston Crime Novel of the Year. Three of his books – A Dark Matter, Breakers and The Jump – have been shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize. Doug has taught creative writing or been writer in residence at universities, schools, writing retreats, festivals, prisons and a funeral home. He’s also been an arts journalist for 25 years. He is a songwriter and musician with six albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He’s also co-founder of the Scotland Writers Football Club and lives in Edinburgh with his family. 

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The Hiding Season - A.C. Glass

Maya Landry is in desperate need of a fresh start.

Alone and heartbroken, she finds work as a caretaker at an exclusive ski resort for the elite in the mountains of Montana. Quiet and empty in the summer months, it's the perfect escape.

All Maya wants is to be alone. But she's not alone on the mountain. Someone else is there. A killer with his next victim in his sights.

After Maya finds a body, she must run for her life. One man tells her that he can save her. But can she trust him? Is he everything he claims to be?

Only one thing is certain: the killer will stop at nothing. And Maya is the only witness to their crime . . .

 

What did I think?

Ava Glass is one of those authors where I don't read the blurb, I just know I will love the book and The Hiding Season is no exception.  I couldn't put it down!

Maya's life is about to change and not for the better.  Her husband has left her and she just needs to get away from it all so she takes a caretaking job in the off-season of an exclusive resort and the solitude is just what she needs...until she finds a dead body.  Now that Maya is a witness she has a target on her back.  Eeeeeek! 

It's a very twisty tale as Maya goes on the run in various guises as she hides in new cities with different identities.  She has a little help from some mysterious characters from the security services but they are Mysterious with a capital M and I wasn't sure who she could trust.  I really felt for Maya every time she had to run, especially when she had made friends and started to make a new life for herself.

I think my eyes were on stalks as the book neared its conclusion and I didn't know how it was going to end but I couldn't read fast enough to find out.  It is filled with so much action, twists and drama that it would make fantastic mini series or film so I wouldn't be surprised to see it on Netflix in the future.

Blisteringly fast-paced, tense and gripping, The Hiding Season is impossible to put down once you pick it up and it kept me reading way past my bedtime.  Now this is what I call a page-turner - it's simply brilliant!

I chose to read a digital ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Outside - Charlotte Levin

She’s locked the door to the world.

Is love strong enough to open it?

Following a tragic incident, rising-star Beatrice is struggling. Having retreated from life entirely, she finds herself unable to leave the house. With her acting career now over, (Though don’t tell her agent), and discovering who her real friends aren’t, her world has shrunk—its only inhabitants, an elderly Polish neighbour, the world’s most boring postman, her therapist with issues of her own, and Piano Bitch from across the road. Thank God for Matisse, her beloved, foul-mouthed parakeet.

When she hires Irish gardener, Finn, to tame the overgrown garden that she cannot even enter, things take an unexpected turn. Their connection blossoms, and she’s no longer isolated and alone. But can a relationship survive the restrictions that control her, or will love enable Beatrice to confront her fears and step outside again?

Your next reading obsession, the poignant and darkly funny new novel from the bestselling author of If I Can’t Have You, perfect for fans of Sorrow and Bliss and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, what an absolutely stunning book!  It's my first Charlotte Levin book but I will definitely be picking up her earlier novels after being completely blown away by Outside.

It's a dual timeline novel with 'Before' and 'Now' chapters that are separated into parts that correspond with the four seasons.  Whatever the weather outside, it doesn't affect Beatrice as she is cocooned from the world behind her locked door and closed curtains, with only her foul-mouthed parakeet for company.   

Beatrice is agoraphobic and being unable to see a physical ailment makes it hard for people to empathise with her.  Surely, you just need to open your door and walk outside?   Oh if only it was that easy.  You cannot help but take Beatrice into your heart as the reason behind her condition is revealed and I struggled to hold in my tears on more than one occasion.

It is quite a heavy subject but Charlotte Levin perfectly balances this darkness with a bright shining light in the form of parakeet Matisse and Irish gardener/love interest Finn.  Charlotte Levin writes from the heart, delving into her own experience with anxiety and agoraphobia, to give the reader a true, honest and raw insight into this debilitating disorder.

Candid, poignant and surprising uplifting, Outside is an incredibly emotional book with an unforgettable protagonist who I completely adored.  So beautifully written, this is an unmissable book that is going on my favourites shelf.  An easy five stars for this very highly recommended read. 

I received a gifted hardback for the Insta Books Tours readalong and tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: ASK HIM (The Sandbox Trilogy) - Julie Savanth

When thirteen-year-old Matt disappears on his way home from school, his mother Rachel refuses to believe he is simply gone. Everyone tells her to let go. The police have no answers. Her friends think she’s spiralling. Even her husband, Dom, seems to want her to stop asking questions. But Rachel won’t give up. As she begins to uncover links between Matt’s disappearance and a string of other missing children, a pattern begins to emerge. Then she finds the coded message Matt left behind, and everything changes. Because Matt saw something he was never meant to see. And the truth about where he went is more terrifying than Rachel could ever have imagined. ASK HIM is a chilling, thought-provoking thriller about grief, love, perception, and how far a mother will go to bring her child home.

 

What did I think?

ASK HIM is a fantastic debut novel from Julie Savanth that took me on a very intriguing and gripping journey as a mother searches for her missing son.  The cover gives an indication that something otherworldly might happen so prepare to expect the unexpected when you pick up this book.

It starts with one of the most jaw-dropping first sentences I have ever read.  I'm not going to share it and spoil it for others but that's what I call a massive hook.  Rachel and Dom's son Matt has been missing for 18 months and the police have no leads so Rachel does a bit of investigating herself and gets a lot closer to finding out what happened to Matt than the police ever will.

I think it's hard to categorise ASK HIM as it falls into several genres; it's primarily a mystery thriller with the missing child but it morphs into magical realism as the story progresses.  It is very well written and I was completely captivated by the beautiful writing and the mind-bending plot.

Highly original and incredibly imaginative, ASK HIM is a breathtaking, mesmerising and fascinating debut novel.  The ending is sheer perfection and even though it's not a cliffhanger as such, I am very excited to see what happens next in the trilogy.  

I received a gifted paperback for the Love Books tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Where the Heart Meets the Sea - Kimbra Drake

An emotionally rich love story with themes of lost and found family in a stunning Norwegian island setting.

Twenty-nine-year-old Ella Nilsen has never known her parents—or even how her mother died. Raised by her emotionally distant Norwegian grandmother, Hilda, Ella has long accepted that the topic of her parents is off-limits. When Hilda passes away, Ella is shocked to find that her inheritance includes a summer cottage perched above the sea in a place called Lyngør, a remote island in Norway. To sell it, she’ll have to visit the cottage and take stock of what’s there—and maybe Lyngør holds the key to her mother’s mysterious passing, if she can get the locals to talk.

For as long as he can remember, Leif Arnesen, a thirty-four-year-old boatbuilder in Lyngør, has carried grief and shame from his father’s death, an accident that upended their small community. When Ella breezes into Lyngør looking for answers, her very presence stirs up old ghosts and earns her the villagers’ suspicions. As sparks begin to fly between Leif and Ella and their relationship blossoms quickly, everything Leif knows to be true threatens to capsize.

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Probst’s Our Italian Summer and set amid the rough and wild beauty of the Norwegian archipelagoes, Kimbra Drake’s Where the Heart Meets the Sea asks what happens when we’re forced to rewrite the stories that have defined our lives—and what we do with the next chapters.

 

What did I think?

Where the Heart Meets the Sea is a stunning novel that completely captivated me and swept me away to the Norwegian coast.  With an abundance of secrets, a dash of mystery and a heartwarming romance, this fabulous book really does have it all.

I loved the main characters of Ella and Leif.  Ella only planned a short visit to Lyngør to sell the cottage she inherited and to scatter her grandmother's ashes.  Boatbuilder Leif is drawn to Ella like a moth to a flame and their blossoming romance clearly upsets some of the locals.  With long buried secrets threatening to resurface, her visit to Lyngør makes Ella question everything she thought she knew about her mother and grandmother.

This is a real diamond of a novel; it is so multi-faceted that I'm surprised the pages didn't actually sparkle.  There is plenty of drama, lots of romance and jaw-dropping revelations to enthrall and entertain the reader from start to finish.  I loved it and couldn't put it down.

Atmospheric, emotional and uplifting, Where the Heart Meets the Sea is an unforgettable novel that charmed and delighted me.  A very highly recommended read.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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