Benidorm again (The Benidorm Series Book 2) - Jo Lyons

Benidorm again is the second book in the The Benidorm Series. Follow Connie as she embarks on her first classical tour.

Connie never dreamed she’d get the chance to follow in the footsteps of her beloved late mother, to become a classical singer. But when she attracts jealous comments from the choir, more attention than she would like from the lead tenor and some unwanted scandalous publicity involving the Royal family, she starts to wonder if she is doing the right thing.

Connie soon finds herself caught in a reluctant love triangle with a difficult choice to make - the gorgeous, moody-eyed music producer who was love at first sight, or the exceptionally talented aristocratic millionaire? Determined to follow her heart, she turns to The Dollz and her newly engaged best friends, Ged and Liam, for help, only to find they all have problems of their own.

Who knew touring with the Royal Northern Sinfonia would involve so much drama or so many Royals?

 

What did I think?

I absolutely loved meeting Connie Cooper and The Dollz in Benidorm, Actually so I couldn't wait to read the next book in the series, Benidorm again, to see what happens next and I was not disappointed.  My laughing muscles got a good workout once again at the escapades and drama in this hilarious book.

It's a bittersweet moment for Connie when she is given a starring role in the Northern Sinfonia as it is her dream to follow in her mam's footsteps but her mam isn't here to see Connie shine on stage.  I couldn't feel sad for long though as Jo Lyons shakes her virtual giggle stick and instantly transforms the poignant moment of Connie stepping on stage for the first time into an absolutely brilliant laugh out loud moment that made me almost choke with laughter.  I won't be able to watch Harry Potter again without laughing now!

The Northern Sinfonia tour is filled with drama as the leading man has the chorus girls all aflutter but he only has eyes for Connie.  Connie has to admit that there is amazing chemistry between her and Luke that sets the stage alight but her heart lies with Matteo.

I loved that Connie's new romance from her trip to Benidorm is still going strong, albeit she has only known Matteo for a week before he jets off to work in LA and Connie comes home to join the Northern Sinfonia.  Despite their busy schedules, the couple make plans to meet up in Las Vegas but it's soon hijacked by Connie's friends and before she knows it, her romantic trip to Vegas has been turned into a Barbie and Ken themed group outing.

Connie's friends, Ged and Liam and The Dollz, provide much of the hilarity as their lives are a constant drama show.  I absolutely love The Dollz; their antics make the cast of Geordie Shore look tame!  I really can't wait to read about the Vegas trip so I have book 3, Benidorm Cocktail Hour, already lined up to start reading.

Benidorm again is an absolutely brilliant sequel to a sparkling debut novel.  I didn't think it would be possible to contain even more laughs and drama but Jo Lyons packs the hilarity and high jinks in once again to leave her readers clamouring for more.  A very highly recommended read filled with fun, laughter and drama.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Blood on the Tyne: Body Parts - Colin Garrow

I always get a thrill when I read books set in my native North East so I jumped at the chance to take part in the damppebbles blog tour for Blood on the Tyne: Body Parts by Colin Garrow.  I am releasing my review as part of the blog tour so scroll down to read what I thought.

Newcastle, 1955. A death in the family brings nightclub singer Rosie Robson home to Newcastle, but her planned return to London hits a snag after she agrees to perform with her old band. Learning the group’s previous singer left after an argument, Rosie begins to wonder if there might be a sinister reason behind the young woman’s disappearance. Uncovering the first in a series of grisly murders, Rosie decides to investigate, but in doing so, finds her own name has been added to the killer’s list…

Blood on the Tyne: Body Parts is book #1 in the Rosie Robson Murder Mystery series.

What did I think?

I love reading books set in the North East of England so I couldn't wait to dive into Blood on the Tyne: Body Parts that is set in Newcastle.  Colin Garrow brings the story to life by choosing to write his characters' speech in a Geordie dialect; although it's not easy to read, it works really well and gives some authenticity to the story.  I have to say that sometimes I struggled with the dialect and I'm fluent in Geordie, so it might be difficult for people outside the region to understand, however, Colin Garrow has preempted this by including a few handy Geordie translations at the end of the book.

Chapter 1 starts with a gripping in-built prologue where a body is found thereby immediately hooking the reader like a hungry fish, but we then roll back 4 days to Rosie's return to Newcastle from London for a family funeral.  I love how not only the scene is set but the time period of 1955 is planted firmly in the reader's mind with Rosie returning home the day that Ruth Ellis, the last woman in the UK to be executed, was hanged.

Rosie's nightmares begin, both literally and figuratively, in Newcastle.  Sleeping in her old bedroom results in a recurring disturbing dream but she keeps waking up before the conclusion.  Something happened in her past that her psyche had buried but being in the same place it happened has brought it to the fore.  Rosie doesn't have time to dwell on it too much as she's talked into helping out her old band when their lead singer goes missing.  Julie isn't the only singer to go missing though and it looks like Rosie's real nightmare is about to begin when she becomes the next target.

Although Rosie is in danger, she can't help but investigate the other disappearances like an amateur sleuth.  With links to the pub and club scene, people will talk to Rosie rather than the police but Inspector Walton is quite happy for Rosie to run a parallel investigation and the pair end up helping each other out.  I loved the dynamic between Rosie and Walton and I do hope that this is not the last we'll see of this pairing.

Blood on the Tyne: Body Parts is a gripping and authentic North East murder mystery.  The scene setting, both time and place, is excellent and I felt as if I was walking in Rosie's footsteps.  I really enjoyed this first book in the Rosie Robson series and can't wait for the next book.  In my native lingo: Aye, it's canny good like. Howay man wi' the next 'un!

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

My rating:

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Amazon UK
Amazon US
Smashwords





About the author:

True-born Geordie Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland and has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has occasionally masqueraded as a pirate. Colin has published three stage plays, six adventures for middle grade readers, two books of short stories, the Watson Letters series and the Terry Bell Mysteries. His short stories have appeared in several literary mags, including: SN Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, The Grind, A3 Review, Inkapture and Scribble Magazine. These days he lives in a humble cottage in North East Scotland where he writes novels, stories. poems and the occasional song.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/colingarrow

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

Website (adults): https://colingarrow.org/

Website (childrens): https://colingarrowbooks.com/

Website (The Watson Letters): https://thewatsonletters.com/

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

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/colingarrow

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B014Z5DZD4

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Herring Girl - Debbie Taylor

Set in a Tyneside fishing village, Herring Girl moves effortlessly between 1898 and 2007 as twelve-year-old Ben finds himself the unlikely conduit for Annie, a herring girl who lived – and died – a century earlier. As Ben tries to unravel the puzzle of Annie’s death, he is drawn irresistibly into her long-vanished world.

Bringing the startling story of Annie’s life and curious death vividly to life, this brilliantly realised historical mystery introduces a cast of unforgettable characters, and reveals how the secrets of our past are never too far away.

What did I think?

I saw a write up about this book in one of those free supermarket magazines a while ago and thought the reincarnation story sounded really interesting.  I added it to my wishlist then spotted it in the library so snatched it off the shelf and rushed to the desk, naturally picking up another book along the way!

Unfortunately it was the hardback edition of the book so I found it a bit cumbersome to read for long periods but I did thoroughly enjoy the story.  There are a lot of issues covered in the book including homophobia, trans-gender operations, broken families and past lives. Ben is a lovely young boy but he believes he should be a girl and feels trapped in his body, but perhaps it is his previous incarnation, Annie, who is trapped inside his body and trying to get her story heard.  Ben's mother has moved to New Zealand to start a new life and a new family, so Ben lives with his Dad who is most definitely a man's man and can't understand what Ben is going through.

Ben looks for support elsewhere and finds Laura, who runs the local cafe and Dr Mary Charlton who hypnotises him to extract Annie's story.  I absolutely loved Annie's story, although sometimes I found the language hard to understand and I am from this area!  I have no doubt it was authentic local dialect but I think perhaps a glossary in the back might have assisted some readers.

The whole subject matter was fascinating to me - not just reincarnation but the possibility that groups of souls reincarnate and find each other in their next life.  I loved the way the book was written from both Ben's and Annie's perspectives with both stories bringing tears to my eyes.

Wonderfully researched, with a host of fascinating characters spread across the decades, this is a book that is well worth reading.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon