Game On - Matt Cain

Toddington FC defender Tom Horrocks is never happier than when he's on the football pitch, but when it comes to love, he's hiding a big secret. Worried about his young daughter and sick father - and with his team finally in the Premier League - he avoids all media.

Journalist Cosmo Roberts wants to change the world, so is angry when he's sent to a quiet northern town to cover a sport he sees as anti-gay. Then something about Tom catches his eye.

Cosmo hates football. Tom hates journalists.

Perhaps this time they've both met their match.

 

What did I think?

I picked up Game On by Matt Cain one afternoon and couldn’t put it down until I’d finished. 

What a cracking Quick Reads book it is and I absolutely loved the main characters of Tom and Cosmo. There’s a huge message in the book to be true to yourself and put your own happiness first once in a while. 

It’s also a great book for football fans, especially long suffering fans who can only dream of their team playing in the Premier League. I may support such a team but Toddington FC have certainly scored a place in my heart; not only do they play in my favourite colour of purple but they do something else that put a smile on my face.

You can pick up a copy of this fabulous book for just £1 or read it for free at your local library.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

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About Quick Reads:

Quick Reads plays a vital role in addressing the UK's adult literacy crisis, engaging the one in three adults who do not regularly read for pleasure and the one in six adults who find reading difficult. Since the programme launched in 2006, over 5.3 million Quick Reads have been distributed with over 6.14 million registered library loans.

The titles are available for just £1 at bookshops and are free to borrow from libraries. They are used across the country in colleges, prisons, trade unions, hospitals, and adult learning organisations.

The six titles announced on 11 April 2024 will also be gifted as part of World Book Night 2024, The Reading Agency's annual drive to create a nation of readers. With the support of this year's publishers, copies of the books will be given away to organisations including care homes, youth centres, homelessness centre, prisons, hospitals and other organisations through public library partners.

Karen Napier, CEO, The Reading Agency, said: 'We are incredibly excited as we unveil the remarkable line-up of authors collaborating with Quick Reads to publish a bitesize book for 2024 - and we thank them and all the publishers for their support to this life-changing programme. We would also like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Jojo Moyes for the generous donation in 2020-2022 which helped to shape the future of the initiative. This year we are proudly supported by Penguin Random House and Hachette who have contributed funding to the programme We will be celebrating Quick Reads as part of World Book Night 2024 in our continued mission to bring high quality, fun and accessible books to a wider audience to discover the transformative power of reading.'

Wish You Were Dead - Peter James

Wish You Were Dead is a Quick Read short story from bestselling author Peter James.

Roy Grace and his family have left Sussex behind for a week’s holiday in France. The website promised a grand house, but when they arrive the place is very different from the pictures. And it soon becomes clear that their holiday nightmare is only just beginning.

An old enemy of Roy, a lowlife criminal he had put behind bars, is now out of jail – and out for revenge. He knows where Roy and his family have gone on holiday. Of course he does. He’s been hacking their emails – and they are in the perfect spot for him to pay Roy back . . . 

What did I think?

I'm way behind with my reading of the fantastic Roy Grace series but I've wanted to try a Quick Reads book for quite some time.  So as 2021 is the 15th anniversary of the Quick Reads programme, which makes reading entertaining and accessible for less confident readers, I thought it was an excellent time to try one. 

At 124 pages long, Wish You Were Dead is a fantastic novella that possibly comes after book 17 in the Roy Grace series.  As I've only read two so far (shocking, I know), this was quite a jump in Roy Grace's personal story for me, however, the main storyline is completely gripping and thrilling which makes it very easy to read the book in one sitting.

Although the Roy Grace series is so very well established now, I don't think readers will feel terribly disadvantaged if they jump into the series at this stage.  This little intriguing insight into the Roy Grace series is highly likely to make new readers want to discover more of the series and that's an absolutely fabulous result for the wonderful Quick Reads initiative.  

I thoroughly enjoyed Wish You Were Dead and it's given me the nudge I needed to tackle my leaning tower of Roy Grace novels.

I received a gifted ARC to read and review; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon