BLOG TOUR: What You See - Hilly Barmby

Harriet (Haitch) Boswell’s career as an artist could be about to go stratospheric. She’s been nominated for a prestigious bursary that would change everything. To secure it, she needs to see off five other hopefuls and charm the man who holds the purse strings during a weekend at a stunning location in Spain.

But just before she’s due to leave, she falls ill. There’s no way she can attend the event. Perhaps there’s a solution… her twin sister, Tilda.

But Tilda’s life is in turmoil. Her husband Sam has left her, declaring his love for a mystery woman. Spending a weekend schmoozing with the cream of the creative world while pretending to be her sister, is the very last thing she wants to do. But the bonds of sisterhood are strong. Haitch begs her, and Tilda agrees.

What if she’s discovered as an imposter? There’s Haitch’s egotistical agent Damian to get past first. Then there’s the small matter of surviving the selection process – all five nominees are pitted against each other in an intellectual beauty contest.

And then when someone discovers a body the next day, no one is prepared for what comes next...

 

What did I think?

Oh this book was so good and I simply couldn't put it down.  There are so many layers of intrigue to hold the reader's interest and I was well and truly hooked.

Haitch and Tilda are identical twins but although they may look alike they are very different in nature.  Haitch is the outgoing one who says what she thinks and Tilda is the quiet nerdy one who thought she had found the perfect man with whom to spend the rest of her life...until he left her.  

Tilda is reeling from Sam's bombshell so a change of scenery could be just what she needs so she doesn't take much convincing to impersonate Haitch when Haitch falls ill and can't attend a prestigeous event in Spain.  It looks like the twins have got away with their ruse but complications arise when a dead body is discovered after the event.

Oh this is very intricately plotted and I loved every minute of it.  Hilly Barmby's vivid and captivating writing cleverly drew me in to an amazing web of deceit before going in for the kill with a superb twist.  What an absolute cracker!

Intriguing, gripping and twisty, What You See is an outstanding psychological thriller that hooked me from the start and didn't let go.  A very highly recommended read.

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:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

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PUBLICATION DAY: A Backstage Betrayal - Michael Ball

THE THEATRE MAY SEEM GLAMOROUS, BUT SECRETS WAIT BEHIND THE CURTAIN

1926. Running a theatre may appear to be all about the showbiz, but times are hard at The Empire. Following a turbulent period Jack Treadwell, erstwhile proprietor, his mother Lillian, and his playwright wife Grace, know they need to get things back on track - and how better than with the annual pantomime, a new venture, and an all-singing all-dancing talent contest, showcasing the best performers around.

But could Lillian's new admirer, Grand Duke Nikolai Kuznetsov, be bringing disaster in his wake? Will The Empire be caught up in the scandal surrounding West End star, Stella Stanmore? And what are their enemies in Highbridge planning?

While Jack and Grace fight to ensure the show does go on, a royal visitor raises the stakes and a young widow, Sally Blow, dares to dream that the talent contest might be her big break.

As the talent contest draws closer, tragedy strikes. Amid the glitz and glamour there are strange goings on and a plot afoot. Is everything Jack and Grace have worked so hard for about to come crashing down? And could this be curtains for The Empire?

Musical theatre legend Michael Ball brings his trademark warmth, wit and glamour to this sparkling new novel.

 

What did I think?

We all know that Michael Ball can sing, but it may come as a surprise that he can write too.  With so many celebrity authors around at the moment, Michael Ball is the one that I would recommend reading as he writes about what he knows: the theatre.

I absolutely adored The Empire and I do think you need to have read it (if you somehow missed it) before reading A Backstage Betrayal to fully understand the history and relationships of the characters.  It was so good to virtually tread the boards again and see how Jack and Grace were getting on, although they certainly seem to have a lot of challenges to overcome in this novel.

It's wonderful to step back in time to the 1920s and see behind the curtain of a busy theatre and the era is depicted beautifully.  There's an awful lot going on both inside and outside of The Empire Theatre to keep the reader entertained and completely immersed in the story, although there is so much going on that I felt a little overwhelmed at times.  I think I devoured each page so quickly that I will need to read it again at a slower pace to fully appreciate the multi-layered and dramatic storylines.

Entertaining and atmospheric, A Backstage Betrayal is a fabulous sequel to The Empire and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

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:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Michael Ball OBE is a singer, actor, presenter and now author. He's been a star of musical theatre for over three decades, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical twice, he's also won two BRIT awards and been nominated for a Grammy. Michael regularly sells out both his solo tours and his Ball & Boe shows with Alfie Boe and has multiple platinum albums. The Empire is his first novel.

Social Media Links

X: @mrmichaelball   //  @ZaffreBooks

Instagram: @mrmichaelball // @zaffrebooks 

BLOG TOUR: A Backstage Betrayal - Michael Ball

THE THEATRE MAY SEEM GLAMOROUS, BUT SECRETS WAIT BEHIND THE CURTAIN

1926. Running a theatre may appear to be all about the showbiz, but times are hard at The Empire. Following a turbulent period Jack Treadwell, erstwhile proprietor, his mother Lillian, and his playwright wife Grace, know they need to get things back on track - and how better than with the annual pantomime, a new venture, and an all-singing all-dancing talent contest, showcasing the best performers around.

But could Lillian's new admirer, Grand Duke Nikolai Kuznetsov, be bringing disaster in his wake? Will The Empire be caught up in the scandal surrounding West End star, Stella Stanmore? And what are their enemies in Highbridge planning?

While Jack and Grace fight to ensure the show does go on, a royal visitor raises the stakes and a young widow, Sally Blow, dares to dream that the talent contest might be her big break.

As the talent contest draws closer, tragedy strikes. Amid the glitz and glamour there are strange goings on and a plot afoot. Is everything Jack and Grace have worked so hard for about to come crashing down? And could this be curtains for The Empire?

Musical theatre legend Michael Ball brings his trademark warmth, wit and glamour to this sparkling new novel.

 

What did I think?

We all know that Michael Ball can sing, but it may come as a surprise that he can write too.  With so many celebrity authors around at the moment, Michael Ball is the one that I would recommend reading as he writes about what he knows: the theatre.

I absolutely adored The Empire and I do think you need to have read it (if you somehow missed it) before reading A Backstage Betrayal to fully understand the history and relationships of the characters.  It was so good to virtually tread the boards again and see how Jack and Grace were getting on, although they certainly seem to have a lot of challenges to overcome in this novel.

It's wonderful to step back in time to the 1920s and see behind the curtain of a busy theatre and the era is depicted beautifully.  There's an awful lot going on both inside and outside of The Empire Theatre to keep the reader entertained and completely immersed in the story, although there is so much going on that I felt a little overwhelmed at times.  I think I devoured each page so quickly that I will need to read it again at a slower pace to fully appreciate the multi-layered and dramatic storylines.

Entertaining and atmospheric, A Backstage Betrayal is a fabulous sequel to The Empire and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

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:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Michael Ball OBE is a singer, actor, presenter and now author. He's been a star of musical theatre for over three decades, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical twice, he's also won two BRIT awards and been nominated for a Grammy. Michael regularly sells out both his solo tours and his Ball & Boe shows with Alfie Boe and has multiple platinum albums. The Empire is his first novel.

Social Media Links

X: @mrmichaelball   //  @ZaffreBooks

Instagram: @mrmichaelball // @zaffrebooks 

Follow the tour:

Only You - Eva Jordan

Can true love survive betrayal?

Once upon a time, Ben and Leora fell in love and dreamt of a bright future together. But after he committed an unforgivable act, she was left heartbroken. Decades later he still had no memory of that fateful night . . .

Now, their worlds are about to collide in a way they never imagined. Drawn together again by an unforeseen tragedy, in a world that has drastically changed since they first met, Ben and Leora are about to discover whether true love really can endure. But will the couple’s reunion be more of a nightmare than a fairytale?

Only You is a powerful novel about passion, friendship and betrayal.

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, what a stunningly breathtaking book.  I am a huge fan of Eva Jordan's books and although I couldn't possibly pick a favourite from among them as they're all brilliant, Only You would definitely be a strong contender if I had to pin my colours to the mast.

This is what I would call a Humpty Dumpty book, as I was very much like Humpty sitting on my chair being immersed in some cracking nostalgia from the 80s, then SMASH! my heart broke for Leora.  Then, just when I thought I couldn't be more heartbroken, the heartbreak kept on coming and tears welled in my eyes causing the worst horror imaginable: I had to put my kindle down!

Eva Jordan provides the emotional superglue to piece together my fractured heart bit by bit but I think I left a little bit behind in the book as Leora and Ben have been on my mind since finishing this wonderful story.  Leora and Ben were meant to be together from the start but misunderstandings, a femme fatale and a bit of meddling crushed all of their hopes and dreams.

As well as Leora and Ben's love story, there's also the horror of events from the prologue hovering over the reader like a storm cloud and when it rains, it pours!  It's well worth reading the acknowledgements at the end to discover the inspiration for Leora's character and that particular lady is one heck of an inspiration.

Filled with nostalgia, heartbreak, emotion and inspiration, Only You is a beautifully written novel that completely captured my heart and hasn't let it go.  It's an unmissable story and one I really can't recommend highly enough.  All the stars for this one!

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Crazy Over You - Carol Thomas

When Abby met Simon, a drink in the uni bar lead to keeping in touch, late-night phone calls and intimate catch-ups. It was the start of something special, a love Abby believed would last a lifetime. 

A wedding, two daughters and fifteen years later, Abby's world is falling apart. Having discovered Simon has had an affair, her normally ordered mind is spiralling out of control. Crushed by the betrayal and shocked by her own reaction, she knows she needs to get herself together; she's just not sure where to start. 

With Simon on a mission to win her back and a close friend hiding a secret that could push her further over the edge, Abby finds strength and support where she least expects it. But as she attempts to gain control of her life and make decisions about her future, it may be more than the limits of Abby's mind that are put to the test! 

Crazy Over You is a refreshingly honest portrayal of a woman's reaction to her husband's infidelity while also being a touching story of friendship and love. It is a novel for all those who have experienced a break-up and know that living happily ever after is not quite as simple as meeting your man!

What did I think?

From looking at the cover, you might be forgiven for thinking that this is run-of-the-mill chick lit, but Crazy Over You is a really thought-provoking book examining the effect of an affair on a marriage.  Far from being all man-hating and finger pointing, it really digs deep into Abby's thoughts and feelings.

Abby is understandably crushed by Simon's affair.  She feels hurt, betrayed and angry so it's no wonder that she starts a harmless flirtation with her colleague, Brad the hunky PE teacher.  I wasn't sure of Abby's frame of mind when flirting with Brad, was she trying to get back at Simon or simply wanting to feel attractive?  Either way, Brad turns out to be a really good friend (almost with benefits) and when Simon sees Abby with Brad he gets a touch of the green-eyed monster and realises what he has lost.

The book really delves into Abby's psyche and I thought it was brilliant when she vented her anger by writing a therapeutic letter to 'her'.  As we all know, it takes two to tango so although Abby is angry with the other woman at first, she realises it is Simon she must forgive or forget in order to move on.  I really felt her struggling with her feelings and as she flirts more with Brad I could feel her struggling as she was still in love with Simon.

Abby needs to decide if her marriage is worth saving and just when she has made her decision she finds out that her friend has also been keeping a secret from her.  Abby is so confused and tormented that she thinks the worst and I wondered if she could ever trust Rachel or Simon again.  I'm not giving the ending away but this book is written in such a way that anything could happen and I'm sure it's an ending that will divide opinions.

A very clever, deep and thought provoking story.  For some reason, I didn't really warm to Abby so I can't award 5 stars, but I did enjoy the book as a whole.  It's a really good debut novel from Carol Thomas and I look forward to reading more from her.

I received this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon