BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Rose Red Undead (Fablenoir book 2) - Vic Sinclair

After descending into the terrifying underbelly of magickal New York and uncovering unspeakable crimes, Detective Jackson Slade and the fierce outlaw Goldilocks must face a whole new level of death and destruction festering from a strange world below the earth.

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, an orphan nicknamed Snow White reunites with her black-winged guardian angel Lucifer as he appears during her shift in the night cafe. When the archangel convinces Snow her magickal abilities are needed to stop the darkness consuming New York City, harrowing memories are brought to the surface as she’s forced to face the demonic creatures from her past.

As paths of chaos cross and uncertain alliances are tested, the reanimated sorceress known as Rose Red stands at the center of a decaying world, leaving utter destruction in her wake.

With the wolves closing in and the butchered bodies piling high, it’s up to Jack, Goldilocks, and Snow to try and put an end to this nightmare of a fairy tale.

 

What did I think?

Having absolutely loved Fablenoir I couldn't wait to to read the sequel, Rose Red Undead,  and once again Vic Sinclair takes the reader on a dark and twisted journey with an unusual cast of characters.

The characters are all inspired by fairy tales, nursery rhymes and children's literature but they are nothing like the originals.  Jack (of beanstalk fame) is a detective who is addicted to magic beans and turns to outlaw Goldilocks to fight the powerful sorceress Rose Red, the sister of Snow White.

Although it's a different story to Fablenoir with some new characters, I would advise reading Fablenoir first as it's brilliant but also gives you the story behind the Jack and Goldilocks partnership.  I sometimes got a bit confused about the characters, especially those who had several names like Elizabeth Snow, who is also Lili and Snow White.  I was reading too fast though so part of the confusion was my own greed in devouring every dark and delicious word as fast as I could.

The plot is very dark and gripping and Vic Sinclair's writing is breathtakingly evocative, resulting in a book that is difficult to put down and impossible to forget.  Rose Red Undead is an original and imaginative urban fantasy novel that is well worth a read.

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

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REVIEW TOUR: The Shattered Radiant - Luca Ottonello

The Shattered Radiant is the first in a series of fantasy books that follows an irreverent archaeologist by the name of Artemis Stark, an adventurer who comes into possession of a mysterious artefact that is linked to the spirit of a girl from ancient Palmyra, who can only inhabit animals.

Choosing to accompany Artemis by possessing a cat, together they unwillingly end up in a race against time to search for a series of powerful stones, each granting abilities Artemis struggles to control. The situation turns deadly when a mysterious antagonist arrives at the museum where Artemis works and murders the director using one of the stones.

Their epic journey takes them across the Americas, Europe, and Africa and even through time to the 1700s. As the story unfolds, the stones are revealed to be part of an ancient prophecy tied to advanced technology from a previous version of Earth, connected to a mysterious device called the Radiant. This discovery uncovers a far greater threat: an alien race that was nearly wiped out by humanity billions of years ago and is now heading their way.

 

What did I think?

I was drawn to The Shattered Radiant as I enjoy archaeology as a subject and the promise of a possessed cat sealed the deal.  Luca Ottonello's debut novel, and the first book in The Shattered Saga, certainly delivered on both counts.

It's like a cross between Indiana Jones and The Mummy as we follow the adventure of treasure hunter/archaeologist Artemis Stark and Bandit the cat who is possessed by a spirit.  It's a little bonkers at times but it's constantly entertaining with a lot of adventure and the appearance of some unexpected characters from science and history.

It's very entertaining and although some threads of the story are incomplete (with it being the first book in the series) it was still a satisfying conclusion.  I am invested in Artemis' story and can't wait to find out what happens next.

Imaginative, amusing and enjoyable, The Shattered Radiant is a fun and eventful adventure that will appeal to fans of Indiana Jones and it's well worth a read.

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

My rating:

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Three Days Grace - Jeremy Bradley-Silverio Donato

Explore the complexities of love and loss through an LGBTQ+ lens in this emotionally layered novel about family, identity, and long-suppressed truths.

On the eve of their trip to South Africa, Lynne and her wife, Susan, await three guests in a Paris hotel: Nick, Lynne's distant son; Laslo, Susan's effusive friend; and Marc, a former professor living on borrowed glamour.

What begins as a bon voyage soon becomes a clash of old wounds and fresh resentments. As night falls, long-buried secrets surface, threatening to dismantle the facades each has built.

Through the winding corridors of Paris and the tangled landscapes of memory, five people must confront the truths they've spent decades avoiding. At the heart lies the tragic story of two brothers-one present, one absent-and the lingering trauma that continues to shape their lives.

Set over three days, this unflinching exploration of family, betrayal, and silence asks whether we can ever truly escape our past-and what it takes to finally face the truths we've spent a lifetime running from.

 

What did I think?

Three Days Grace is quite a short book with 200 pages and it may be small but it sure is mighty.  The turbulent emotions of the main character are still reverberating through me, long after turning the final page.

Nick is haunted by his past and as much as he might try to bury it, it all comes bursting to the surface during a dinner party with his mother and her wife.  Nick's past is a dark and disturbing subject but Jeremy Bradley-Silverio Donato writes with such sensitivity and eloquence that I didn't feel uncomfortable at all; I was just furious for Nick and the many others like him who have suffered in silence.

I had a lump in my throat as the story is gradually revealed and my heart was virtually aching when I learned what had happened to Nick's brother.  Your childhood should be the happiest time of your life, before you realise how bad the world can be, and I feel both sad and angry that this is often not the case for a lot of children.

Powerful, raw and poignant, Three Days Grace is an incredibly heart-wrenching and thought-provoking novel that evokes myriad emotions in the reader.  It's beautifully written but it is disturbing at times and could be distressing for sensitive readers.

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

My rating:

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: All In - Claire Powell

A marriage on the rocks. A family in disarray. A weekend in the sun at a luxury, all-inclusive hotel. What could possibly go wrong?

Jo and Dave haven't had a holiday in years. They've had other things on their plate: failed IVF, the death of Dave's mother, doing up the bathroom.

So when Dave’s flashy brother Teddy offers to fly in from Dubai and take them – along with his gorgeous young girlfriend and their curmudgeonly father – to a beachfront resort in the Med, the couple can hardly refuse.

But while romance might be on the cards for some, Jo and Dave soon find that tensions don't disappear in paradise. In fact, they might just get worse...

Set over the course of one scorching weekend, All In is a compulsively entertaining and bittersweet novel that asks: when life gets choppy, how does love stay afloat?

 

What did I think?

All In is a very addictive book and once I started reading I couldn't put it down.  I felt like I was spying on this family holiday as Claire Powell puts each character under the microscope.

The story is told in four parts and I loved the titles of each part that gave some indication of what was to come, although nothing is ever quite what it seems.  Part one is Fun Jo and Jo couldn't feel less like having fun.  She has it in her head that her marriage is over and Dave doesn't help matters by hiding things from her.

When Dave's brother Teddy invites the couple and their dad to go on holiday, sibling rivalry rears its ugly head and adds further tension to Jo and Dave's already strained marriage.  Teddy appears to have it all and Dave feels very inadequate in comparison but once again, appearances can be deceptive.

Claire Powell really knows how people tick and I loved reading each character's thoughts and feelings over the course of the holiday.  Humans are complex characters and this is very evident as you read this compelling novel.

Honest, raw and entertaining, All In is a very thought-provoking and powerful novel that makes me glad to be an only child.  It is perfectly described as bittersweet in the blurb as it's both witty and poignant.  I enjoyed it and think it's well worth a read.

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

My rating:

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Little Grey Cells (The Jessica Sinclair Mysteries Book 2) - Faye Brann

From Comedy Women in Print Prize winner Faye Brann, the gloriously twisty sequel to Kiss, Marry, Murder.

Jessica Sinclair is enjoying a blissfully uneventful summer.

No crime scenes.

No threatening notes.

No murder.

Just a celebratory dinner party for 12 in the picture-perfect Surrey enclave of Chitworth, where manicured lawns, designer kitchens and discreet security gates keep everything – and everyone – neatly in place.

When a dead body is discovered, it quickly becomes clear there is a killer amongst the guests. Celebrity scandal simmers beneath the surface and Jessica is faced with a choice: call in the authorities and risk another media frenzy or quietly investigate before gossip turns to headlines. With loyal sidekicks Darcy and Della by her side, she begins to untangle a web of rivalries, secrets and lies, exposing bruised egos, broken friendships… and several very good reasons for murder.

Witty, fast-paced and deliciously sharp, Little Grey Cells proves that even at the most civilised of dinners, revenge is a dish best served cold.

 

What did I think?

Having recently read the first book in the Jessica Sinclair Mysteries series, Kiss, Marry, Murder, I enjoyed catching up with Jessica, Darcy and Della again in the second book, Little Grey Cells.

I think you could read it as a standalone if you haven't read the first book but there are a lot of characters to get to grips with and I was pleased that I was already familiar with some of them.  I still got a little confused about who was who but that's just my fuzzy brain and not a criticism of the book.

The murder is very intriguing though and it's a bit of a locked room mystery as you know that one of the dinner guests must have done it.  As Jessica and her team start to investigate they find that a few of the guests had the motive for murder but it's not so clear which one had the opportunity to commit the crime.

There are some great additions to the story in the form of handwritten timelines and excerpts from the coroner's report that made me feel part of the investigation.  They did test my eyesight a bit though as they were written in a smaller font to the main prose.  Thank goodness there's an option to enlarge text on Kindle.

Mysterious, intriguing and captivating, Little Grey Cells is a great addition to this witty and fun murder mystery series and I can't wait to read more.

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

My rating:

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: A Fatal Austen Affair (The FitzMorris Family Mysteries Book 4) - Anna A Armstrong

Spring has come to Bath, bringing romance, revelry… and a whisper of danger. When Dee FitzMorris’s beloved vicar falls for a mysterious online suitor, Dee isn’t convinced it’s a fairytale—and she’s determined to uncover the truth behind the romance.

Following Virginia to Bath, with Zara in tow, Dee soon discovers that beneath the elegance of ballgowns and sunlit promenades, something far darker is unfolding. Women are disappearing, all without a trace, and Detective Inspector Nicholas Corman is already on the case. As suspicion grows, so too do matters of the heart: Zara and Nicholas struggle with their feelings, complicated by the return of his formidable ex-wife, while Amelia and the ever-charming Josh circle a romance neither will quite admit.

But when danger strikes closer to home, the FitzMorris family can no longer remain on the sidelines. With time running out and emotions running high, Dee must untangle deception from desire before another woman vanishes… perhaps for good.

 

What did I think?

I didn't realise A Fatal Austen Affair was book four in a series when I first picked it up but, although it is evident that there was some history between the characters, it does read perfectly well as a standalone.

I was completely drawn into the story and felt as if I was walking through the streets of Bath in Regency dress, although it's a dangerous time to be wearing such an outfit when women are going missing.  Dee and Zara find themselves investigating the disappearances when their vicar heads to Bath to meet her very own Mr Darcy.

What a wonderful cast of characters!  Even though Dee, Zara and Nicholas are clearly already acquainted and well-developed, I really enjoyed getting to know them for the first time.  It has certainly made me eager to read the earlier books in the series and I'll have a keen eye out for more.

A Fatal Austen Affair is a fun, entertaining and intriguing cosy crime novel that is filled with charm, mystery and a sprinkling of romance.  A very enjoyable read.

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:

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: A is for Amy - Steven Crandell

A is for Amy is a new kind of romance. It's a quick read with a big heart.

Amy Dellaconta Franklin is an independent mother of 3 kids under 5. Her life is often exhausting and isolating. Then, one day, love comes knocking at her front door.

Amy is a sassy, charming, yet lonely young widow who unexpectedly finds herself on the path of finding love again. Surprises overturn expectations at nearly every turn in this novella, which tells the story of how a life that seemed trapped in the too-hard basket became a voyage of romantic discovery.

A is for Amy tells it fast, straight and funny. From negativity to bliss. With no fluff and no wasted words.

Do you like reading but never seem to have enough space to start (or finish) a book? Each chapter in this romance can be enjoyed in the time it takes to drink a good cup of coffee.

This is a great gift for parents or parents-to-be. It looks like an alphabet book for children. But inside, it's a romantic adventure for grown-ups with a surprise ending that will touch your heart. 

What did I think?

A is for Amy is a very quick read with 100 pages and 26 chapters from A to Z.  I love that is designed to resemble a children's book and the chapters are short enough for busy parents to read when they get a spare 5 minutes.  I read it cover to cover and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's a lot funnier than I expected and I frequently laughed out loud.  It's very clever the way that it is written to focus on each letter of the alphabet.  Although the alphabet and chosen focus words are on the cover, they don't always make an appearance in that letter's chapter.  For example, the N chapter doesn't mention Nutella (on Wheat Thins) and you have to wait until the Q chapter to find them. I was paying too much attention to the words on the cover rather than enjoying the story so I often thought I'd missed something and had to flick back a few pages.

The romance story is very sweet and heartwarming, especially as I felt like I'd got to know Amy over the course of the book.  She hasn't had the easiest life and she deserves to catch a break so I was really rooting for her to get her happily every after.

A is for Amy is a very amusing and entertaining book that I will definitely be reading again.  It made me laugh and smile so it's a very good pick-me-up type of book that can work its magic in a short space of time.  It's perfect for parents and all readers who enjoy romcoms.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Year of the Lynx - Lizzie Lane

When the news comes of Roman invasion, Morcant the druid, also known as brother of the lynx, heads for home only to find it destroyed, the flames reaching the sky. Overcome by a thirst for vengeance he joins the army of Caradoc, who the Romans call Caractacus. As a druid, he becomes a trusted advisor and his advice is to head west with a view to uniting the disparate tribes. After their main settlement is lost, the bedraggled host head west into action and adventure where not all tribes are willing to fight, and some are too terrible to make allies.

All they can do is survive and perhaps in so doing, the land of their fathers will also survive.

  

What did I think?

Bestselling author Lizzie Lane, who is best known for writing historical sagas, has stepped even further back in time with her first historical adventure novel, Year of the Lynx.  It's the first book in an exciting new trilogy that is set in Ancient Britain as the Celts defend their settlements from the Roman invasion.

There's a cast of characters at the start of the book, which is really useful and I often referred to it until I became familiar with the ancient names and the characters themselves.  I loved the main character of Morcant the druid and found it fascinating how much faith was put into a druid's predictions.  It's a bit like forecasting the weather; they'll be right sometimes.

What I found most interesting was reading about the Roman invasion from the Britons' side as I've read more books that have shown the Roman perspective.  With over 60 books in her back catalogue, Lizzie Lane is a natural storyteller and I found it really easy to visualise the scenes and the characters from her wonderfully descriptive writing.

Year of the Lynx is a wonderful piece of historical fiction and a brilliant start to a new series.  I can't wait to see where the story takes us next and would highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, especially Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom series. 

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

My rating:

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Amazon US

About the author:

Lizzie Lane is the bestselling author of over sixty books, has appeared in the top thirty bestselling paperbacks, translated into several languages, and a past winner of the BBC New Writers’ Award. Has a love of history of all ages. Famous in particular for her WW2 novels set in Bristol and as Jean G Goodhind for The Honey Driver cosy crime series.

Social Media Links – 

Facebook: Lizzie Lane 

Instagram: LizzieLane40

Bookbub profile: @baywriterallatsea

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BLOG TOUR: Borrowed Time - Stephen Anthony Brotherton

‘Rico, Mary, and a gangster named Fats find themselves on the run beyond the veil of death, caught in a deadly game of power and revenge.

Their fates lie in the hands of Octavius and his embittered daughter, Livia, who can never forgive her father for gambling away her mother to the devil, Wrath.

As the game unfolds, long-buried questions surface — about destiny, fulfilment, and the true nature of the soul.

With demons both personal and literal to face, only the Fates know who will survive.’

 

What did I think?

Borrowed Time is a very quirky and original book that I really enjoyed.  I'm not sure what genre I would put it in as it has a range of themes from mythology to science fiction.

It has a cast of characters at the start of the book, which is really handy to refer to as you're reading, and it lists them as gods, humans or pets.  It might sound like it would be confusing but it really isn't as the characters are so well developed that you quickly get to know who's who.

Humans are the gods' playthings and they set them certain challenges.  These aren't gods like you usually imagine them as they are on a spaceship.  Octavius and his daughter Livia are playing the game with humans 'Rico and Mary. The game is made more deadly when they are pursued by a smoke human Jethro but aided by human gangster Fats.  Jethro and Fats reminded me of Boba Fett and Han Solo from Star Wars and I really enjoyed the banter between them, especially with Fats being almost as loveable a rogue as Han Solo.

It's a surprisingly quick read as the chapters are quite short but I was so invested in the story that I had to keep reading 'just one more chapter'.  It's a very clever book that I would like to read again to fully appreciate every nuance.  This fantastic fantasy is well worth a read.

 

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

My rating:

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The Book Guild

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About the author:

Stephen Anthony Brotherton has been a social worker for over three decades and currently works for the NHS. He began creative writing ten years ago, and his stories explore the nature of vulnerability – from birth to death and beyond. He lives in Shropshire with a schnoodle called River and has had three books published – a novel and two collections of short stories. Stephen is also a long-standing member of the Bridgnorth Writers’ Group.

Social Media Links – 

Instagram @sab_author

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The Body that Floats (Julia and Frankie Mystery Series Book 2) - Jayne Chard

TWO RETIRED SISTERS

ONE DEAD BODY

Julia, a retired head teacher with a fondness for order, and her half-sister Frankie, who believes that rules are more like vague suggestions, are back—this time in the picturesque Cornish village of Portscatho.

Their morning swim off Tatum’s beach is rudely interrupted by a floating corpse. The police declare the death accidental, but the sisters have other ideas.

Soon, they’re knee-deep in smugglers’ tunnels, taking a bumpy ride in the back of a builder’s van, and facing down a gun-toting local with questionable fashion choices.

Can the sisters keep their heads above water long enough to uncover the truth or will the killer make sure they sink without a trace?

The Body That Floats – the mystery’s deep, the water’s cold, and the locals are packing more than just fishing gear. The second charming and witty adventure in the Julia and Frankie mysteries.

 

What did I think?

I enjoyed More Than Murder by Jayne Chard so I really enjoyed catching up with sisters Julia and Frankie again in The Body that Floats.

The sisters are off on a trip to Portscatho in Cornwall and they soon find themselves investigating the mysterious circumstances of a death.  The police think it's an accident but the sisters think there's more to it and they soon uncover a lot more secrets in the little village than they expected.

I love the relationship between Julia and Frankie; they still bicker a lot, as sisters are wont to do, but they seem to be getting on better than they did in book one.  They have been forced to live together in the cottage that was left to them by their aunt because if one of them moves out then the other will inherit the whole cottage.  They are as stubborn as each other where Rose Cottage is concerned but the old forced proximity is working its magic as the cracks in their relationships are gradually repaired.

The mystery part of the storyline is excellent and it's one that I'm sure Agatha Christie herself would have been proud of.  I'm always delighted to be proved wrong in my own guesses of whodunnit and it's fair to say that I didn't see this one coming.

Witty, entertaining and intriguing, The Body that Floats is a fabulous second instalment in this delightful mystery series.  It's well worth a read.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Greta Garbo and the Rise of the Modern Woman - Scott Reisfield

Hollywood Made Her a Star.

What she did for women made her a Legend.

Greta Garbo dominated European cinema and Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s. With discipline and fearless self-belief, she transformed screen acting into something intimate, modern, and psychologically real. She fought studio control... and won. She challenged censors, defied social expectations, and refused to compromise her independence.

More than a movie star, Garbo reshaped what it meant to be a woman on screen-self-possessed, mysterious, and unapologetically autonomous. She redefined the power a woman could hold in Hollywood.

In this intimate biography, her grandnephew Scott Reisfield reveals this disciplined artist, strategic thinker, and the fiercely private woman who helped usher a closed culture into the Modern Age.

 

What did I think?

I didn't know a lot about Greta Garbo before I picked up this book, apart from the phrase "I want to be alone" that is attributed to her, but I feel like I know her intimately now.

Greta Garbo is Scott Reisfield's great-aunt so he is well placed to research her life as it's part of his own family history.  There is a lot of information in the book and it has clearly been meticulously researched.  The text is enhanced by myriad illustrations such as tables, photos and adverts that I found added interest to what otherwise might have been a dry subject.

It does take a while to read the book as it's quite chunky with 618 pages but it's worth taking your time to fully appreciate the depth of research that has gone into writing it.  As Greta Garbo is his own ancestor, I completely trusted the accuracy of all of the details that Scott Reisfield shares in the book.

Interesting and informative, Greta Garbo and the Rise of the Modern Woman is the definitive guide to one of the most iconic actresses of the The Golden Age of Hollywood. 

I received a gifted paperback 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 Conservatory (The Aunt Lily Yorkshire Dales Mysteries Book 1) - Anthony Aberford

Some secrets are best left buried; others are better never planted!

In a restored Victorian conservatory, four grieving women from the local wellness centre discover that their friend's mysterious death, amongst her toxic plants, was not an accident.

When eccentric homoeopath Aunt Lily arrives on her tricycle, she seems just the person to help uncover answers. But who is she really, and why is she there?

A sixteenth-century journal hidden in the conservatory holds dark secrets that could change everything. And an enigmatic stranger will stop at nothing to find it – making false promises and real threats.

Can the friends resist his temptations and unlock the book's hidden secrets in time? Do they have the strength to make an impossible choice before it is too late?

A creepy tale of intrigue and suspense, full of witty and charming characters, this brand-new cosy mystery novel is perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Jill Johnson and Janice Hallett who like their tea with a twist of tension.

 

What did I think?

I have to start my review of The Conservatory by mentioning the amazing cover.  It is absolutely stunning and it entices the reader to discover the dark but enchanting story inside.

Aunt Lily is a wonderful character; she is so mysterious, quirky and vividly described that she virtually pops out from the page.  Aunt Lily reminded me of Mary Poppins the way she turns up in such an unusual and unforgettable way so I loved her the moment I met her.  She has arrived just in time to help a group of women investigate the death of their friend.  It looked like an accident but it was murder!

The story is interspersed with extracts from a mysterious 16th century book and I loved how Anthony Aberford weaves this into the story.  It does get quite dark with almost a good versus evil tussle to get hold of the book and I really enjoyed this imaginative and tense supernatural element.

Incredibly intriguing and completely captivating, The Conservatory is a fantastic introduction to a new series and I can't wait to meet up with Aunt Lily again.  This is pure escapism and I loved it.

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

My rating:

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Hobeck Books

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