Only Girls Bleed - Elaine Lawless

 

Abandoned by her husband, and with her daughter, Molly, suddenly unable to walk, Alice Campbell is barely holding her life together. No doctor can explain what's behind this – or why Molly is now tormented by night terrors. But when Alice uncovers the unthinkable truth behind her daughter's suffering, she flees, unsure whether the man responsible is dead or alive. Haunted by the past, and on the run from the law, Alice and Molly are trying to navigate a future neither one of them is prepared to face.

Taut, urgent, and deeply compassionate, this novel is a haunting portrait of maternal love, survival, and the devastating consequences of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in America.

What did I think?

I hadn't heard of the Roe v. Wade case, or its overturning, in America so I have had my eyes well and truly opened by Elaine Lawless after reading Only Girls Bleed and I read it in a constant state of fury.

Alice blames herself for missing the signs that led to her ten-year-old disabled daughter becoming pregnant.  Her absent husband blames Alice too, which ignited my fury further, and he's lucky he didn't end up in the same position as Molly's abuser.  You should never underestimate a mother protecting her child and as soon as Alice discovered what was going on she became a wanted woman. 

Although Only Girls Bleed is fiction, it reads like a true story and I can't even begin to imagine the number of people whose own stories are similar to that of Alice and Molly.  I didn't realise some states in America still ban abortion completely, even if the pregnancy resulted from sexual assault or incest.  WOW!  Not only do only girls bleed, the letter of the law leaves them literally holding the baby.  Have I stepped back in time to a period when the patriarchal church laid down the law?  

The title itself is incredibly powerful as it is women who have to live with the consequences of acts to which they have not consented.  I don't think it's unreasonable to say that if men were in the same position there wouldn't even be a debate about abortion and there would be no  ridiculous laws banning it.  Americans have the right to bear arms but they don't have the right to have something removed from their bodies that they didn't consent to being put there in the first place.  Is this 'the land of the free'?

Incredibly powerful and extremely thought-provoking, Only Girls Bleed is a timely and important novel that is unflinching in its candour.  Unmissable and unforgettable - I'll be recommending this one for a very long time.

I received a gifted paperback from the publisher 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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BLOG BLAST: Allegation - R. G. Adams

An evil monster exposed?

Or an innocent father condemned?

A scandal will shake a small community to its very foundations.

Sandbeach, South Wales. Two women have come forward to make historical sexual allegations against a pillar of the local community, Matthew Cooper. And child-safeguarding protocol demands that Social Services remove the accused from his home and his family, while a formal assessment is carried out.

The Cooper case lands on the desk of inexperienced Social Worker, Kit Goddard. Although intrepid and intuitive, she is ill-prepared for such a high-profile case.

Kit finds herself navigating a local minefield of connections and class, reputations and rumour. Unsure whether her interference is a heroic intervention or a hurtful intrusion, she knows one thing: it will have an impact. The question is whether this impact will be to expose an iniquitous lie, or destroy an innocent life...

What did I think?

With allegations of child sexual abuse, I was expecting Allegation to be an uncomfortable read but there are so many strands to this amazing story that once I got into it I was completely gripped and couldn't put it down.

The main storyline is the allegation of historical abuse and it's one that really got under my skin.  The women haven't come forward before because they feared that nobody would believe them; they are from a rough part of town and Matthew Cooper, the man they are accusing, is well connected so it could appear that they are just after a big pay-off.  The "did he/didn't he" question constantly hovered in the back of my mind while Social Worker, Kit Goddard assessed the safety of the Cooper children.

Kit is a fantastic character; although inexperienced, she's very good at her job and will do whatever it takes to make sure the children are safe.  I didn't envy her at all, locking horns with the Coopers and constantly being threatened that they were going to make a complaint.  The way that Kit kept a clear head and put the children first is really admirable, especially when Kit has so much going on in her personal life.  The gradual revealing of Kit's backstory makes her such a well-developed character and this thread added another dimension to the story.

It took me a couple of chapters to get hooked but once I did, I absolutely raced through the book.  The chapters are quite long, there are only 16 chapters in the whole 313 page book, but the plot is so gripping that I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page.  The author has first-hand knowledge of social services and I loved getting a glimpse into the life of a social worker.  There are so many minefields to dodge and hoops to jump through that it sounds like a total nightmare and it must be awful to be so unwelcome in a home where they are carrying out an assessment.

Thought-provoking, intriguing and completely compelling, Allegation is a very impressive debut.  I'm delighted to find that it's the first book in the Kit Goddard series; I'll certainly be looking out for more.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog blast; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

R. G. Adams is a former social worker with thirty years of experience across all areas of social services. She lives in Wales with her family, and Allegation is her first novel.

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BLOG TOUR: Sins of the Father - Sharon Bairden

Lucas Findlay thinks he has struck gold when he marries Rebecca, but she married him for one reason only – to destroy him.

Trauma runs deep

When her past comes back to haunt her, Rebecca begins to disconnect from herself and the world around her. As secrets are unearthed, she begins to fear for her sanity … and her life.

Truth will out

With her world unravelling around her, Rebecca clings to her determination to make Lucas pay, whatever the cost.

Forgive his sins

But someone must pay for the sins of the father…

What did I think?

Yowzers!  This book is dark; if it was a Pantone it would definitely be Vantablack.  Of course just looking at the absolutely stunning but disturbingly dark cover, it doesn't claim to be anything other than dark.  

Sharon Bairden is a well-known established book blogger and now she has a foot in both camps as a debut author.  I have to say that her writing is very accomplished for a debut author and I was very impressed.  The storyline itself is so harrowing and Sharon's expressive writing brings it further to life, not only making my skin crawl but making me feel like I needed a shower at the end of certain chapters.

I don't want to say too much about the plot other than what is in the blurb but Rebecca sure is determined to destroy Lucas, her husband.  I was really torn in my feelings for the main characters: can you ever really feel sorry for a monster?  There are always two sides to every story but once you're set on revenge, there's no going back.

It's always fun to see characters named after people you know, albeit virtually, and it was really nice to see Sharon Bairden paying homage to her friends by naming characters after them; it's like a who's who of A-List book bloggers.  

Sins of the Father is a brilliant debut; it's an uncomfortable read with a dark and twisty plot that sent shivers down my spine.  Well done, Sharon!

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

My rating:

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About the author:

By day Sharon Bairden is the Services Manager in a small, local independent advocacy service and has a passion for human rights; by night she has a passion for all things criminal. She blogs about books at Chapterinmylife and is delighted to be crossing over to the other side of the fence to become a writer. Sharon lives on the outskirts of Glasgow, has two grown up children, a grandson, a Golden Labrador and a cat. She spends most of her spare time doing all things bookish, from reading to attending as many book festivals and launches as she can. She has been known to step out of her comfort zone on the odd occasion and has walked over burning coals and broken glass - but not at the same time!

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BLOG TOUR: A Song of Isolation - Michael J Malone

Film star Amelie Hart is the darling of the silver screen, appearing on the front pages of every newspaper. But at the peak of her fame she throws it all away for a regular guy with an ordinary job. The gossip columns are aghast: what happened to the woman who turned heads wherever she went?

Any hope the furore will die down are crushed when Amelie’s boyfriend Dave is arrested on charges of child sexual abuse. Dave strongly asserts his innocence, and when Amelie refuses to denounce him, the press furore quickly turns into physical violence, and she has to flee the country.

While Dave is locked up with the most depraved men in the country and Amelie is hiding on the continent, Damaris, the victim at the centre of the story, is also isolated – a child trying to make sense of an adult world…

Breathtakingly brutal, dark and immensely moving, A Song of Isolation looks beneath the magpie glimmer of celebrity to uncover a sinister world dominated by greed and lies, and the unfathomable destruction of innocent lives… in an instant.

What did I think?

Any story involving child abuse is difficult to read, but Michael J Malone turns the subject on its head in A Song of Isolation by focussing on a different side of the story: that of the person accused of these terrible acts.  Michael J Malone leaves no stone unturned as the catastrophic effects of such a damaging accusation are portrayed.  It's a book I couldn't put down and I felt simultaneously completely devastated and absolutely furious by events in the story.

Amelie and Dave are reevaluating their relationship when Dave is arrested for child abuse.  Amelie is a film star, but her career was cut short after a stalking incident which made Amelie decide to leave the bright lights behind and move to Scotland, where she met Dave.  It is devastating for Amelie to hear the accusations levelled against Dave but she decides to stand by her man during the court case, despite the vitriol that is aimed against her by the public and the press.

Dave's guilt or innocence aside, there is another victim in this story: Damaris, the 11 year old neighbour of Amelie and Dave.  Whether Damaris was telling the truth or not became irrelevant for me: either something terrible had actually happened to her or she was made to believe something had.  Either way, her life was changed irrevocably and she has to live with it for the rest of her life.  Although it's such a difficult storyline, Michael J Malone handles it sensitively whilst not shying away from the subject matter.

Heartbreakingly devastating and completely compelling, A Song of Isolation is another outstanding novel from Michael J Malone.  Very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines, After He Died and In the Absence of Miracles soon followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr. 

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BLOG TOUR: The Liar's Daughter - Claire Allan

No one deserves to be taken before their time. Do they?

Joe McKee – pillar of the Derry community – is dead. As arrangements are made for the traditional Irish wake, friends and family are left reeling at how cancer could have taken this much-loved man so soon.

But grief is the last thing that Joe’s daughter Ciara and step-daughter Heidi feel. For they knew the real Joe – the man who was supposed to protect them and did anything but.

As the mourners gather, the police do too, with doubt being cast over whether Joe’s death was due to natural causes. Because the lies that Joe told won’t be taken to the grave after all – and the truth gives his daughters the best possible motive for killing him…

A gripping suspense novel about deadly secrets and lies. The perfect read for fans of Clare Mackintosh.

What did I think?

Oh this is a very disturbing and emotional book; I experienced a range of emotions whilst reading but mainly those in the anger and rage end of the spectrum.  Claire Allan tackles a difficult subject head-on as we see first hand the long term effects of Joe McKee's terrible actions.

From the start, we are warned not to feel sorry for Joe as the reader is told in Joe's own voice that he deserves the death sentence he has been handed through his cancer diagnosis.  He is released into the care of his step-daughter, Heidi, who clearly doesn't want anything to do with him but Joe's own daughter, Ciara, can't stand the sight of him either.  It's not hard to work out why his two daughters hate him but what really got to me was reading about their past and the devastation that Joe left in his wake.

My heart went out to both Heidi and Ciara.  Heidi for losing her mother at such a young age and being left with a virtual stranger to bring her up, and Ciara who idolised her father and was crushed when he left.  It's no surprise that Ciara was jealous of Heidi when they were children as, in her mind, Heidi had replaced her in Joe's affections.  Ciara's tormenting of Heidi was pretty despicable and I don't know how Heidi could even bear to be in the same room as her childhood bully; she's a better woman than I am, that's for sure.

Joe's death shouldn't come as a surprise but it would appear that someone in the house helped him on his way a little earlier than expected.  As the police are called in and the family line up like characters on a Cluedo board, each of them with motive, it is for the reader to work out 'whodunnit'.  

The Liar's Daughter is a disturbing portrayal of a family hiding the darkest of secrets.  With heightened emotions they turn on each other before realising that they are stronger together, and only by sharing their pain can they ever find some kind of peace.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



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BLOG TOUR: In the Absence of Miracles - Michael J Malone

John Docherty’s mother has just been taken into a nursing home. Following a massive stroke, she’s unlikely to be able to live independently again. With no other option than to sell the family home, John sets about packing up everything in the house. In sifting through the detritus of his family’s past he’s forced to revisit, and revise his childhood.

In a box, in the attic, he finds undeniable truth that he had a brother who disappeared when he himself was only a toddler. A brother no one ever mentioned. A brother he knew absolutely nothing about. A discovery that sets John on a journey from which he may never recover. For sometimes in that space where memory should reside there is nothing but silence, smoke and ash.

And in the absence of truth, in the absence of a miracle, we turn to prayer. And to violence…

What did I think?

Michael J Malone has stolen my words; I was left utterly speechless after reading In the Absence of Miracles and know that this is a book I will remember (and recommend) for a long time to come.  It's difficult to put my thoughts in order to write a review that will even begin to do justice to how good this book is, but here goes.

I know from reading the magnificent A Suitable Lie that Michael J Malone knows how to shock and surprise and boy, did he make my jaw drop this time!  From the very first page, I felt completely immersed in Michael J Malone's hypnotic writing; it's somehow very calm and comforting until it punches you in the gut just when you least expect it.  A little bit how John Docherty must have felt when he discovered a photo of an older brother he has no memory of.  As John starts to unearth his buried memories he digs up a lot more skeletons than a missing brother.

There's so much going on in John's story that you literally can't put this book down.  John is such a complex character, from his relationship with Angela, that he seems intent on destroying, to his almost passive martyrdom that he is the brother saddled with visiting their mother in the nursing home.  John wants to find out what happened to his brother and his investigation discovers more teen boys going missing when the fairground is in town.  There's always something unnerving yet alluring about the fairground and I loved this aspect of the story.

Haunting, emotional, shocking and hypnotically captivating, In the Absence of Miracles is heartbreaking and moving; nobody writes domestic noir as emotively as Michael J Malone and I doubt anyone would be able to read this book devoid of emotion.  100% without doubt this is a very highly recommended read.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. Other published work includes Carnegie’s Call; A Taste for Malice; The Guillotine Choice; Beyond the Rage; The Bad Samaritan and Dog Fight. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines and After He Died soon followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.

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BLOG TOUR: What Nobody Knew - Amelia Hendry

My story begins aged 3, when my mother abandoned me and left me with my brutal father to raise me. Nobody knew the secrets that went on inside that house, or the journey that I travelled on after leaving it, until now. This is the story of my survival.

What do you do when no one wants you?

How many people need to destroy a child until that child wants to destroy herself?

What if social services always got told a different story?

What would you do if you were in my position?

Survival is key.


What did I think?

What Nobody Knew is a very difficult book to read, purely because it is the author's shocking true story.  There's no escaping the fact that it is a true story with the inclusion of real reports and letters documenting Amelia's life, which at times left me open mouthed in shock that nothing was ever done to help her.  

It's a very harrowing account of parental abuse and the absolute failure of social services.  Thankfully, Amelia doesn't go into too many details of her abuse, which would have been far too difficult to read so I can't imagine how difficult it would have been to write.  I often had to pause at the end of the chapter to contain my fury at her father, step-mother and social services.  I'm sure social services do some good work but when they get it wrong, they get it SO wrong.  Their mistakes actually ruin people's lives and that's not something I would want on my conscience so it's definitely not a job I could do.  I just think there is often too much red tape and bureaucracy that they forget there is a vulnerable person at the centre of it all who needs their help.

Amelia Hendry's heartbreaking yet inspirational story, What Nobody Knew, is one that will stay with me for a long time.  I can't even imagine the trauma she went through and it takes such great strength to be able to relive her story and show the world that in spite of it all, she survived.  It's survivors like Amelia who deserve to be awarded the O.B.E. for finding the strength to speak out and to help others.  

Amelia has finally found a voice that people listen to and take notice, so if her story helps even one person to spot the signs of abuse or gives someone the courage to speak out against their abuser then it's a job well done.

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

My rating:

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Apple
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Book Depository
Barnes & Noble
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About the author:

Amelia is a mum and a survivor. She wrote her book What Nobody Knew to help other people who have been through similar experiences and to educate people who are unaware of what goes on behind closed doors. She has no previous writing experience, she’s just one person who wants to change the world for the better. She also loves cats and reading In her spare time.

Twitter: @AmeliaHendrey

http://Www.facebook.com/ameliahendreyauthor

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BLOG TOUR: The Dangerous Kind - Deborah O'Connor

What if the people we trust are the ones we should fear?

We all recognise them. Those who sit just on the fringes of society. Who send prickles up the back of our necks. The charmers. The liars. The manipulators. Those who have the potential to go that one step too far. And then take another step.

Jessamine Gooch makes a living from these people. Each week she broadcasts a radio show looking into the past lives of convicted killers; asking if there was more that could have been done to prevent their terrible crimes.

Then one day she is approached by a woman desperate to find her missing friend, Cassie, fearing her abusive husband may have taken that final deadly step. But as Jessamine delves into the months prior to Cassie's disappearance she fails to realise there is a dark figure closer to home, one that threatens the safety of her own family . . . 

Set over a long, dark winter in London and perfect for fans of HE SAID/SHE SAID and Belinda Bauer, THE DANGEROUS KIND is at once a gripping thriller and a stunning portrayal of the monsters that live among us.

What did I think?

I loved Deborah O'Connor's debut novel, My Husband's Son, so I couldn't wait to read her second novel, The Dangerous Kind.  It is clear that Deborah O'Connor is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects, so be prepared to be deeply disturbed by this dark yet completely compelling novel.

This is a dual timeline story set in present day and 2003 and it takes a little while to get used to it as there are two sets of characters: one for each time period.  I have to admit, I couldn't quite get a handle on who was who at first so do stick with it if this happens to you.  Once I got my reading rhythm, my mind really started whirring: I knew the two stories had to be linked, but I didn't know how.  I did kind of guess one part of it, and just as I was feeling mighty chuffed with myself, Deborah O'Connor pulled the rug out from under my feet and revealed the whole shocking truth.

I really liked the character of Jessamine Gooch, from her unusual name to her total kick-ass girl-power.  Jessamine is a career woman and single mother, having adopted her daughter Sarah when she was 2 years old.  Jessamine is the host of a popular BBC radio show which investigates crimes that may have been prevented if the perpetrator had been identified as a PDP (Potentially Dangerous People).  Jessamine meets a woman in the street who asks her to look into the disappearance of her friend and, with the powers that be at the BBC looking to revive the tired show, Jessamine starts to investigate with no idea that she is putting her job and even her life at risk.

Once the missing woman story hooked me, that was it; I couldn't put the book down.  There are some very disturbing and distressing scenes skirted around in the book which made my skin crawl but thankfully Deborah O'Connor didn't go into too many gory details.  She did, however, only have to mention an unnamed BBC radio celebrity for me to feel physically sick.  I'm not saying it is that person in the story, but I'm sure he was the inspiration (if you can call it that) for the book.  Thankfully, the story is told from the other side so I didn't have to encounter him too often.  It shows how effective the writing is to evoke such emotions in a reader so I really must applaud Deborah O'Connor for giving a voice to the victims.

The Dangerous Kind is a total skin crawler but also a totally compelling thriller.  It's not for the faint-hearted but it's definitely a voice that should be heard.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




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The Child - Fiona Barton

When a paragraph in an evening newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it’s impossible to ignore.

For one woman, it’s a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her.

For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered.

And for the third, a journalist, it’s the first clue in a hunt to uncover the truth.

The Child’s story will be told.

What did I think?

I loved Fiona Barton's debut, The Widow, so I was keen to read her second book, The Child.  With short, punchy chapters alternating between voices, The Child is a very quick read and difficult to put down.  Even though I quite quickly worked out where the story was heading it didn't detract from my enjoyment.

I love the link to The Widow via Kate Waters, the journalist who has a nose for a good story.  I particularly enjoyed reading how Kate worked and felt that she was a journalist with a heart who not only cares about getting a good story but she cares about the subject she is covering.  It enables people to open up to Kate in a way that protects her integrity and shows journalism in a good light.

The other three voices belong to Emma, Jude and Angela.  Emma is a young woman with a troubled past and a strange relationship with her mum, Jude.  Meanwhile Angela is still reeling from the loss of her newborn daughter, Alice, stolen from her hospital room when Angela popped out for a shower.  Angela is convinced that the bones of a baby found on a building site are those of her daughter, Alice, but nobody will listen to her except Kate.  Kate thinks she's on to the story of the century until another mother claims that the bones belong to her baby.  Just who's baby is it?

The Child is an easy, albeit slightly predictable, read that I devoured over a 24 hour period.  It's not going to appeal to those readers who love a massive twist that they didn't see coming, however, it's a well-rounded emotional book that touches on some dark topics with subtlety and respect.

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

My rating:

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Home - Amanda Berriman

Meet Jesika, aged four and a half. The most extraordinary narrator of 2018.

She lives in a flat with her mother and baby brother and she knows a lot. She knows their flat is high up and the stairs are smelly. She knows she shouldn't draw on the peeling wallpaper or touch the broken window. And she knows she loves her mummy and baby brother Toby.

She does not know that their landlord is threatening to evict them and that Toby’s cough is going to get much worse. Or that Paige, her new best friend, has a secret that will explode their world.

What did I think?

As the narrator of Home is a young child, it took me a little while to get used to Amanda Berriman's writing style.  As well as words being spelled as you say them, Jesika's feelings are described with such heartbreaking simplicity that she instantly found a place in my heart.

Amanda Berriman has done a remarkable thing; to be able to view the world through the eyes of a young child and to share that view with the reader so that we feel as if we are actually looking through Jesika's eyes.  My heart clenched with both joy and sorrow as I felt every single emotion with Jesika.  I cared for the characters so much that I worried for Jesika's mum, Tina, and feared for the health of Jesika's baby brother, Toby.

When Jesika goes to nursery and makes friends with Paige, I dreaded reading what I feared was coming next.  Paige is a troubled little girl, often silent and moody, who has been told to keep a secret but she eventually lets Jesika into her world.  I held my breath as the scenes played out to expose the secret that Paige, or any child, should never have to keep.

Home is an emotion filled book with some dark scenes that are written with care and subtlety.  Seeing an adult world through a child's eyes is quite an eye-opener and although I envied the simplicity of trust and honesty in Jesika's world, seeing how this trust can be exploited was completely heartbreaking.

Home is an absolutely heartbreaking, emotional debut that will invite Jesika into the heart of every single reader.

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

My rating:

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BLOG BLITZ: The Girl In His Eyes - Jennie Ensor

Her father abused her when she was a child. For years she was too afraid to speak out. But now she suspects he’s found another victim… 

Laura, a young woman struggling to deal with what her father did to her a decade ago, is horrified to realise that the girl he takes swimming might be his next victim. Emma is twelve – the age Laura was when her father took away her innocence.

Intimidated by her father’s rages, Laura has never told anyone the truth about her childhood. Now she must decide whether she has the courage to expose him and face the consequences.

Can Laura overcome her fear and save Emma before the worst happens?

What did I think?

I discovered Jennie Ensor in 2016 when I read her stunning debut, Blindside, but oh my word is her second book worth waiting for.  The Girl In His Eyes is difficult to read because of the subject of child abuse, although it is not in any way graphic, but it is the emotion pouring out of every page that really got to me.  Jennie Ensor has poured her heart and soul into this book and it shows as you can't fail to be moved by this story.

Right away I could tell that Laura was very disconnected from her family; she no sooner arrived at her parents' house than she was ready to leave.  It must take an unbelievable amount of strength to be in the same room as her father knowing what he did to her as a child.  Laura has never told anyone what happened and bottling that up inside has caused such damage to her self esteem that it made my heart break.  When her father shows interest in another young girl, Laura must find the strength to speak out whatever it costs.

Superbly written, The Girl In His Eyes is such an intensely emotional book that I had to pause often to catch my breath and keep my emotions in check.  I have never felt such a huge spectrum of emotions whilst reading a book, ranging from anger and disgust right though to sadness and hope.  The Girl In His Eyes is so exceptional that I could give nothing less than 5 stars for this heartbreakingly emotional book.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Jennie Ensor lives in London and has Irish roots. During a long trip overseas she obtained a Masters in Journalism and began her writing career as a journalist, covering topics from forced marriages to accidents in the mining industry. Her debut novel BLIND SIDE was published by Unbound in 2016. In January 2018 her short story ‘The Gift’ was placed in the Top 40 of the Words and Women national prose competition. Her poetry has appeared in many UK and overseas publications, most recently Ink Sweat and Tears. She sings in a chamber choir.

Links:

Author website & blog: https://jennieensor.com

Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JennieEnsorAuthor

Twitter: @jennie_ensor 

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




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