REVIEW TOUR: The Light in Her - Reem Kadry

Alexis Adel is burning up…

In Cairo, she works long hours as a trainee reporter and teaches English most evenings. Under Hosni Mubarak's rule, Egypt is a land where most struggle against fear, poverty and extremism, with only their faith to sustain them. Alexis is determined to become the best news reporter she can be, to make her mark in a world that doubts her. But before long, she will be fighting for her life.

She throws herself into her work in the hopes of improving and being given more serious news reports. The intense workload and a short-lived affair with a philandering news anchor bear heavily, bringing exhaustion and insomnia. But then she meets Hisham, an aspiring diplomat – their mutual attraction is instant.

Alexis’ reports on a bombing at a rural church land her a position as a fully-fledged reporter. But the horrors she has reported on are plaguing her mind and taking a toll on her health. She leaves everything behind to escape to London, hoping to find healing. Yet, there is a voice within that is urging her back to Egypt, will she listen?

 

What did I think?

Inspired by true events, The Light in Her is a heartbreaking yet hopeful story of a young women on the cusp of landing her dream job only to find herself lying in hospital fighting for her life.

Alexis Adel has always dreamed of being a news reporter and she has worked hard to get to where she is today.  She has been working so hard that she has ignored the warning signs that things might not be quite right healthwise.  My heart was breaking as I feared Alexis had left it too late but she is such a strong character and she is determined to fight with all her might.

It is a stark reminder that you should never put your career before your health, even though lots of us do (I have been guilty of this myself in the past).  When something so life changing happens it's a chance to take stock and reprioritise and it's interesting to see what ends up being most important to Alexis in the end.

Beautifully written, The Light in Her is a stunning debut novel from Reem Kadry with an inspirational and unforgettable main character.  It's well worth a read.

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

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

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Beastwoven - A.B. Hamilton

Two girls forced to share a body as they hunt and destroy beasts. The irony? They're the very beast they must destroy. The first in an incredibly written and dazzlingly original YA fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Tomi Adeyemi.

Lia and Ali are trained to use their elemental weaving powers to destroy burl beasts - mindless, bloodthirsty monsters created when the threads of their world tangle together. Their secret? They themselves are a burl beast: twin sisters, forced to share one body. Quiet and reserved Lia controlling by day. Outspoken and abrasive Ali leading by night.

When news arrives that an elusive criminal is creating bespoke burl beasts by practising the illegal magic that could finally separate them, the girls jump at the chance to join the team sent to investigate. But as the girls get closer to their new flock and, more importantly, two different boys, it becomes harder to hide who - or what - they really are.

Delving deeper into the dangerous world of flesh-weaving and political intrigue, the girls get closer to the answers they so desperately seek. But is the price of their separation truly worth the risk?

 

What did I think?

Wow!  I could not put this book down!  I was completely hooked by the dark and dangerous world of burl beast hunting and totally invested in the story of Lia and Ali.

To their fellow burl beast hunters, Lia and Ali are one person but they are actually twins who have been bound together by elemental magic to keep them safe.  What a massive secret to keep hidden!  Revealing this secret makes them one of the very beasts that they are hunting to destroy.  

A.B. Hamilton's writing is mesmerising and the beautifully drawn characters virtually pop out from the page.  It's very exciting to read such an amazing debut novel and it makes me very keen to see what will come next.

Beastwoven is aimed at a YA audience but will appeal to adult readers too; it is a stunning fantasy novel that immersed me in a magical world that I didn't want to leave.  I loved every single page of it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

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

My rating:

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Bad Winner - Frankie Chase

An epic, unsettling and darkly comic adventure thriller set between a stifling England and the wilds of Colombia.

Black sheep Bea craves freedom as much as her populist dad craves power. Intent on estranging her bigoted family, Bea’s embroiled herself in debt working a dead-end job planning competition prizes, gambling and drinking to forget. She whiles away the hours daydreaming, sparring with sociopathic brother Jonathan, a luxury masculine lifestyle blogger, and winning petty rebellions against boyfriend ‘Gray Ham’, a finance man with all Daddy’s aspirations but none of his charisma.

As the general election looms larger, pressure begins to mount, because Bea’s family rely on her silence to keep ruinous secrets buried. So when a particularly strong dose of escapism catapults her to Colombia, she crash-lands in real danger, Jonathan hot on her heels. Sobering up alongside stranger and partner-in-crime Marcel, she’s dragged kicking and screaming across the bumpy terrain of self-discovery. The body count rises as her battle for freedom becomes a bloody fight for survival, then a furious race for revenge.

 

What did I think?

The crazy cover might give you some indication how feral this book is so be prepared for a wild and very bumpy ride when you pick up Frankie Chase's debut novel Bad Winner.

I felt dizzy reading about Bea's antics and I have to admit it sometimes felt like I'd put my brain through a blender trying to keep up with her!  I can definitely say that I had no idea what would happen next but I really enjoyed finding out.

Whilst Bea is travelling through Colombia (and leaving a trail of destruction in her wake) there are some intriguing flashback chapters that show just how dysfunctional her family really are.  It's pretty dark at times but I raced through the final chapters as it looked like Bea was about to get her revenge.

Surreal and a bit trippy, Bad Winner is a book that is filled with danger, drama and a lot of rage.  Expect the unexpected when you read it and you'll still be wrong!  I felt like I'd just woken up from a fever dream when I turned the final page and Bea is such a strong and feisty character that she will be impossible to forget.  I'm not sure what genre the books falls into but much like Bea herself, it would refuse to be put into a box anyway.

What a ride!  Thanks to Love Books Tours for sending me a digital copy to read and review for the bookstagram tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Reset - Kevin Charles

Tom and Elena Miller built a beautiful life over nearly three decades of marriage. But as Tom approaches his fiftieth birthday, the crushing weight of his middle-aged responsibilities and a desperate desire for freedom drive a wedge between him and the people he loves most. He doesn't just want a break; he wants a second chance at his twenties.

In a society defined by "The Reset"—a global biological miracle where anyone turning fifty wakes up in their original, twenty-five-year-old body—Tom’s desire becomes a devastating reality. He chooses to undergo his Reset and leaves his forty-eight-year-old wife behind to live in a downtown bachelor pad, assuming he can just return to her when she finally Resets eighteen months later.

But his selfish "intermission" shatters his family. While Elena struggles to rebuild her life and identity without him, his oldest son, Jack, is driven into the arms of a radicalized movement determined to end the "Immortal Class" by any means necessary.

As Tom navigates the lonely, surreal reality of his new youth, he is about to discover that reversing the clock on his body might mean permanently running out of time to save his family.

 

What did I think?

WOW!  Reset by Kevin Charles is absolutely brilliant and I simply couldn't put it down.  It's such a highly original idea and I was completely riveted from beginning to end.

Just imagine if you woke up on your 50th birthday and reverted back to your 25 year old body.  No more aches and pains, grey hairs or tiredness...just the chance to do it all over again.  Would you?  I'm not sure I would actually.  That's the question you keep asking yourself while reading Reset.

Tom is a little older than his wife Elena so he will hit his Reset first and he's made the shocking decision to move into a bachelor pad until Elena catches up with him.  Never mind the family responsibilities he has or the feelings of his children, no Tom is just thinking of himself.  I was absolutely furious with him and my heart went out to Elena who has to try to keep her family together on her own.

When I wasn't reading Reset, I was thinking of Reset and I'm still thinking about it now.  Kevin Charles adds drama and tension to an already absorbing plot by creating a movement that is opposed to the Reset.  I was on the edge of my seat as the movement grows and I was almost afraid to turn the page at certain points but at the same time I couldn't wait to find out what happened next.

With a blisteringly fast-pace and an incredibly provocative plot, Reset is one of the best debut novels I have ever read.  I had to double check that it is a debut as it's THAT GOOD!  It's an easy five stars and a hat-trick of 'un' adjectives from me: unputdownable, unmissable and unforgettable.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: My Kingdom for Richard - Stephanie Hickman

Cecily, a chaotic half-human half-Magical Creature, is obsessed with the fifteenth-century monarch, Richard III. In a drunken moment of over-enthusiasm, Cecily breaks into Leicester Cathedral and accidentally moves her beloved king to York Minster, where she believes he belongs. The only issue…she has no idea how she did it.

Finding herself in trouble with His Majesty’s Government for Magical Creatures, her case is passed to Henry, the bureaucratic and uncompromising Magical Creature Lead for Yorkshire. Facing the full extent of her lack of rights as a Magical Creature, and with the threat of even more being stripped away, Cecily and Henry are forced to work together to figure out how to move Richard back.

 

What did I think?

I'm reading more fantasy lately and I love anything to do with Plantagenet history so I jumped at the chance to read Stephanie Hickman's debut novel, My Kingdom for Richard, and I was not disappointed. It was everything I hoped it would be and more!  I even had a little tear in my eye at the end and I'm missing the characters already.

Combining history with fantasy and a sprinkling of romance, we follow Cecily's journey as she faces the repercussions of magically moving Richard III's tomb from Leicester Cathedral to York Minster.  I mean, she's right - Richard of York should be buried in York not in the area where he was killed and left to rot under a car park.  It's a debate that will go on for many years I think; it's very much like the Wars of the Roses but between York and Leicester (instead of Lancaster) and our own opinion on the matter shows which side we are on.

Anyway, this isn't a debate about Richard III's final resting place and Cecily has been instructed to put him back!  If only she knew how she did it in the first place.  Oh I really felt for Cecily, especially when she got reclassified as a Magical Creature who is a danger to humans.  There is a bright side of her magical powers though and a familiar comes into her life just when she needs them most.  Oh I loved this little thing...even though Stephanie Hickman vividly describes them, I don't know how best to refer to them.

There's a strong theme of prejudice in the book with humans being treated differently to Magical Creatures (MCs) and it feels very unfair, especially with MCs being further classified to show how dangerous they are to humans.  It's very thought-provoking and sobering to consider how quick we are to assume something based on someone's appearance.

My Kingdom for Richard is an absolute joy to read; it's pure escapism and it certainly cast its spell on me.  It's a wonderful debut novel and one that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. 

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the Compulsive Readers blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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REVIEW TOUR: Into the Great - Elliot Blake

Sparks fly when Lilah, a thief from a struggling freespacer colony outside the borders of the Federated Solar Republic, meets Bax, an FSR security officer stationed at an official colony within those borders, during a time of heightened tensions for humanity as the silent, staring, seemingly invulnerable aliens. A story about choosing the life you want to live. 

The fourth book from indie publisher Li'l Factory, 500 numbered copies, limited edition.

 

What did I think?

Into the Great by Elliot Blake is well named because it is great!  In fact, 'great' isn't really a good enough word for it because it is simply outstanding.  I'm so glad I changed my stance on sci-fi as it would have been a travesty to miss out on this magnificent book.

It's a short story at 133 pages long and Elliot Blake makes every word count as he takes the reader on a vivid and immersive journey through space.  With the Federated Solar Republic and the freespacers from Safe Harbor being at loggerheads, it has the feel of Star Wars' rebels and the Empire so I found it easy to imagine the world in which the story is set.  The story is told in three parts with the first two parts being from each main character's point of view and the third part brings it all together,

The chemistry between the two main characters crackles to life the first moment they meet, much like Han and Leia.  Lilah is a lovable rogue who travels through space with her friends to steal a valuable resource called stratium, but the FSR need to keep as much as possible to defend themselves against the Aureum aliens.  Bax is the FSR security officer who would have caught her if he hadn't felt such a  strong connection earlier that day.  Letting Lilah get away could cost Bax his job but she has already captured his heart.

Oh my goodness, I couldn't put this book down but I also didn't want it to end.  It is just perfect from start to finish and I loved every second of it.  As entertaining as it is, it's also quite thought-provoking, especially as it made me think about how we might react if aliens visited our planet and the assumptions we would make if they did so.

Into the Great is completely unforgettable and totally unmissable.  Readers of any genre will enjoy it so please don't be put off if you have ever said the words: "I don't read sci-fi".  It's an absolutely cracking debut and I really can't recommend it highly enough.  Five stars are not enough; all the stars in the universe for this outstanding book.

I received a gifted hardback 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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Li'l Factory

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Paper Over It - Ruth Gresty

Jennifer Jones is in control.

Jen is confident she has complete control over the things that are trying to control her. Until she isn’t. Until she hasn’t. Until she realises she has never been in control at all. She’s been papering over it for years.

It's the start of the year 2000. A new millennium has arrived. For Jen and her three friends, university life in Manchester is full of possibility and endless fun. Sassiness, spontaneity, marvellous mayhem and youthful optimism reign in the Manchester rain.

But beneath the sometimes brash bravado sometimes even the most resilient, carefree, fun-loving characters who, on the surface look like they are living their best lives, are perilously close to falling apart. Over the course of one unforgettable year, the young women confront their own realities and truths. Some make foolish mistakes and others life changing choices.

Sometimes heartwarming and other times heartbreaking, but always brutally honest. This is a story of friendship, mistakes, self-discovery and acceptance; identity, love and the messy reality of becoming an adult. It's about the masks we wear, the mistakes and choices we make, and the courage it takes to stop papering over it and face ourselves when everything feels like it's falling apart.

It’s real, raw, raunchy, sometimes random and frankly rude at times. Just like Jen and her friends.

 

What did I think?

Paper Over It is a year in the life of four friends at the start of the new millennium.  Jen met Em, Lou and Kate at university in Manchester and although they are from different parts of the country and different walks of life, they have remained firm friends.

The book almost has its own playlist as each chapter lists a song that is relevant to what we have just read.  I loved seeing the theme song of each chapter and I found myself singing along (in my head) to some cracking tunes.  There are also some lovely excerpts from Winnie the Pooh that really demonstrates the ethos of friendship.

Although I'm a little older than Jen and her friends, it really took me back to my own experiences of the millennium year and stepping foot into working life for the first time.  It was both fun and scary and I think Ruth Gresty perfectly portrays this with the things that happen to Jen over the year.  Yes she makes mistakes, but some things that happened weren't her fault and I was so angry (with the other party) when her naivety allowed her to be taken advantage of.  It was just one more thing to paper over and forget it ever happened...but I hope things would be different nowadays.

It's a fantastic debut novel that is incredibly well written and the characters are so well developed I felt as if they were my own friends.  There are some serious subjects covered but they are handled sensitively and lightened somewhat by Ruth Gresty's sparkling wit.  I could totally see Paper Over It being made into a sitcom or mini series and I would certainly be adding it to my watchlist.

Incredibly nostalgic, entertaining and amusing, Paper Over It is a sharp and witty novel that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to readers of all genres.  It's a fabulous read and a stunning debut novel; Ruth Gresty is certainly one to watch and I'm looking forward to seeing what she writes next.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon - paperback

Amazon - ebook

About the author: 

Ruth has worked in Marketing for twenty-seven years and has always loved writing and storytelling. Understanding people and their behaviour, creating stories that resonate and developing engaging and enduring narratives have all been key to success in her professional background.

From a personal perspective, Ruth is a Manchester born, bred and based menopausal mum of three boys (twelve, fifteen and twenty seven). She spends most of her weekends trying to manage the family mayhem with her partner Simon and watching their younger boys on the sideline of various sports pitches hunting for a loo (occasionally having to resort to a wild wee), a sausage sandwich and a brew while trying to keep warm in doubled-up big socks (mainly stolen from the males in her house) and multiple layers (having had it drilled into her since childhood that it is the number of layers that count, not the thickness of each layer - the complete opposite of friendships).

A nasty accident on Good (Bad) Friday in 2024 meant she spent several months sat on her arse with one leg having to be perpetually higher than said arse. As an energetic, self-confessed curator of chaos, she needed something to focus on and keep her from going frankly crazy. And keep her family from going crazy too. She found that you can’t do much when you're in acute pain with one leg in the air (including the jigsaws and ‘paint by numbers’ well-wishers had kindly gifted her). But you can read, reflect, think and you can definitely reminisce and daydream. And you can write. Which is what she did.

Her debut novel, Paper Over It, combines her sometimes over-enthusiastic imagination with insights gained from growing up in the 80s and becoming a young mum in the late 90s, her silent struggle with eating disorders in her earlier years, the power of some relationships and the destructive nature of others, and the joy of family, friendship, loyalty, hope and laughter.

Social Media Links – 

https://www.facebook.com/ruth.gresty

www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-gresty-6a336b9

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Facade - Angela Clegg

She built the perfect life. Now someone is determined to destroy it. 

Tara Mayfield fought her way out of the gutter to build her very own fairytale. Once a girl with nothing, she is now the successful CEO of a beauty empire, with wealth, influence and a devoted husband who believes in the woman she has become. But Tara has never told him the whole truth.

When two million pounds connected to a powerful crime boss vanishes, Tara is framed for the theft. Suddenly the criminal world is closing in on her again, and the man who helped her rise from nothing now believes she has betrayed him.

With dangerous enemies demanding answers and the police starting to uncover secrets from her past, Tara has only days to find who's trying to ruin her. Because this isn't just about stolen money. Someone believes Tara once got away with murder, and they're determined to drag her back into the darkness she fought so hard to escape.

Now Tara faces an impossible choice: tell the truth and risk losing everything she's built, or protect her perfect life by becoming the woman she once was…

The Facade is a fast-paced crime thriller about secrets, revenge and a past that won't stay buried, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Gillian McAllister.

 

What did I think?

The Facade is Angela Clegg's debut novel and what a corker it is.  It grabbed my attention from the start and kept me riveted throughout.

Businesswoman Tara is such an intriguing character.  I felt sorry for her at first when her past very publicly comes back to haunt her but she is one tough cookie and she didn't need my pity as she is more than capable of looking after herself.  Just how capable she is becomes very apparent as the book progresses.

The tough female main character reminded me a little of the early Martina Cole books but less sweary.  The story twisted and turned to keep me on my toes and I could never tell what was going to happen next.  It is quite dark and gritty in places but incredibly entertaining and I loved it.  It's like a cross between The Sopranos and Eastenders with danger and drama around every corner.

Filled with tension and suspense, The Facade is a fabulous debut novel and I will be keeping an eye out for what Angela Clegg writes next.  I enjoyed it and think it's well worth a read.

I received a gifted paperback for the LBT Bookstagram Tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Dead Air - Freddie Pickard

BEING ON AIR CAN BE MURDER!

When a well know DJ is murdered at the radio station’s annual party there’s no shortage of suspects. Could it be his egotistical boss? Was it his fame obsessed co-presenter or their producer? Or had he crossed someone in his past who was now getting even?

For newly promoted DCI Joel Jennings and his team it feels like everyone has a motive and the race to catch the killer is on. When a second body is discovered the question is… do they have a serial killer on their hands?

With dead DJs, exploding sports cars and a drug dealer in a hole, Dead Air is a fun, easy to read irreverent murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. 

What did I think?

What a cracking start to a new series! I absolutely loved Dead Air and had to double check that it is Freddie Pickard's debut novel as it is simply outstanding.  It's virtually impossible to put Dead Air down once you pick it up and I didn't want it to finish so I can't wait to read more in the DCI Joel Jennings series.

I'm not sure I've read a book set in a radio station before so it was a very unusual setting and there were many suspects to keep me on my toes.  As with most stars, they have several different personas and Bobby Sligo might be a much loved radio show host but he's a nightmare to work with.  Even when he's found dead, nobody has a good word to say about him.

What a tricky case for DCI Joel Jennings and his team.  Any number of people had motive to kill Bobby but the second victim has them scratching their heads.  I didn't have a clue 'whodunnit' and to be honest, I didn't really try too hard to work it out as I was just thoroughly enjoying the story.

A magnificent debut novel and a very impressive murder mystery, Dead Air is a thrilling start to a new series and Freddie Pickard can consider me hooked.  Absolutely fantastic and very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Annie Knows Everything - Rachel Wood

After losing her job and learning her sister is engaged to the worst man alive, Annie needs a win. Thanks to her best friend and her own inability to take no for an answer, she manages to talk her way into an opening on another team working on data strategy - whatever that means. So what if she doesn't know how to write code? How hard can it be? Surely Connor - the team's overworked, aggravating, and distractingly hot leader - will soon realise how capable Annie is and be delighted to have her on board.

Annie sets her sights on nailing it at her new job... even if it means ignoring the chemistry building between her and Connor. Also on her to do list is trying to (gently! supportively!) convince her sister to reconsider her engagement, not to mention trying to figure out why her roommate and best friend are acting weird. But with sparks flying at work and at home, she begins to see how complicated taking matters into her own hands can be.

Annie thinks she knows it all, but does she really know everything?

 

What did I think?

What a fantastic debut novel - I absolutely loved Annie Knows Everything because of course Annie doesn't actually know everything.

It's often said that people who think they know everything are dangerous and that is very much the case with Annie.  Her heart might be in the right place but she doesn't always engage her brain, even though she thinks she knows best.  Even though she sometimes made me furious at her thoughtless actions, I really did love her.

There's quite a lot going on in the book so I was entertained from start to finish.  Annie's personal life is as eventful as her work life; her sister isn't speaking to her and she's about to lose her job unless she can transfer to a role for which she has zero knowledge or skill.  It helps when your friend is in charge of HR of course and, wildly inappropriate though it might be for HR to show such a lack of impartiality, it is very funny to see Annie blag her way into the job.

I loved the banter between Annie and her colleagues and her blossoming relationship with Connor is very sweet.  I think the fact that Annie makes so many mistakes (even though she doesn't think she is doing so) makes her so much more relatable, realistic and downright loveable.  

Funny, heartwarming and captivating, Annie Knows Everything is a fabulous romcom that is just begging to made into a film.  I really hope it gets picked up and ends up on the big screen as it would be amazing to see.  A highly recommended read.

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

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

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BLOG TOUR: Love, Grief & More Sex Than Pinot (Soho Summers Series Book 1) - Sacha Hughes

Soho’s life was perfect, until it wasn’t.

The youngest of three girls, growing up on the Essex coast, she had love and laughter… until her mum lost her battle with cancer.

At 24, grief hit hard. With pinot grigio as her go-to painkiller and the belief that only Mr Right can fix her broken heart, Soho dives headfirst into love’s messiest lessons.

With her recruitment career in London a comical shit-show, Soho’s nights with her five best friends, the Wino Worms, are fuelled by cocaine, cocktails, and chaos. Hundreds of men later, hope never lasts past hangovers and sunrise.

That is, until a disastrous bedroom incident sparks a painful journey of healing she’s been running from. But not for long! Enter Warren Williams: the irresistible Aussie with endless champagne and sweet nothings. Could he be the Mr Right she’s been chasing all along? She’s not ready… Or is she?

Full of heartbreak, hilarity, and a hint of redemption, Love, Grief & More Sex Than Pinot is a gloriously human, raw, and riotous journey through love, loss, and learning that the only person who can save you… is you.

 

What did I think?

Wow!  What an amazing debut novel from Sacha Hughes!  I expected to like Love, Grief & More Sex Than Pinot, which is why I chose to read it, but I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVED IT!!!

Soho Summers is such a realistic and relatable character.  The 28-year-old has been searching for her very own Mr Right but every one she picks turns out to be Mr Very Wrong.  Summer may laugh off all of her dating nightmares in front of her friends but it really stings when her friends return to their partners and Soho goes home alone to her cute cat Pickle.

When Soho's mother dies she spirals dangerously out of control with a cocktail of drink, drugs and sex but she continues to tell her friends and family that she's 'fine'.  Isn't that so true?  We use 'I'm fine' so often that it almost has the opposite meaning to what it should convey.  Now, I would like to say that I couldn't put this book down but I had to at the end of a couple of chapters to gather my emotions as it is heartbreaking reading at times.  Soho's grief is palpable and I just wanted to reach into the book and give her a massive hug.

I've seen readers talking about book hangovers before but I had never had one...until now.  I didn't want the book to end and I'm already looking forward to the next one.  There's a sneaky peak of book two in the back of the book and I don't usually read these excerpts but I just had to see what was next in store for Soho.  I can't wait for more!!

Entertaining, laugh out loud hilarious and incredibly poignant, Love, Grief & More Sex Than Pinot made me laugh and cry so have your hankies at the ready when you read it.  It's an unmissable and unforgettable emotional rollercoaster of a rom-com and an easy five stars.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: 27 Church Street: The Gathering Storm - A. J. Hobart

Kidderminster Town Hall, July, 1910

A glittering family celebration

The Stretton family spare no expense as the heads of their medical dynasty, Samuel and Kate, mark their golden wedding anniversary at Kidderminster Town Hall. Daughter Katie fights to ensure everything goes to plan. But family divisions soon come to the fore in a very public way, fuelling gossip that will keep the town talking for weeks.

A transatlantic threat

Meanwhile, the social fabric of this famous carpet-making town is being threatened by a surprise arrival. Ambitious American carpet-tycoon Calvin Whitmore has designs on disrupting the established order. Whitmore’s son Charles is far from convinced about his father’s plans. Can Katie support him to find the courage to finally face down his father?

A lethal epidemic

As the future of Kidderminster is being fought over, the town’s population is threatened by a deadly outbreak of smallpox. Principal surgeon Lionel Stretton, son of Samuel, must inspire his hard-pressed team at the infirmary to save as many people as possible. Under the strain, more buried family secrets emerge, secrets that threaten to destroy the family’s unity and reputation forever. 

What did I think?

Hobeck don't just publish good books, they write them too!  27 Church Street: The Gathering Storm is Adrian Hobart's (the Ho in Hobeck) debut novel and it is absolutely brilliant.

Set at the beginning of the 20th century in Kidderminster, I was immediately transported back in time and across the miles by the evocative and atmospheric writing.  It's quite a busy novel with a lot of characters and a setting that takes the reader on a trip to the carpet mills and the town's hospital but I was completely invested in the Stretton family's story and couldn't put the book down.  I did sometimes mix up the characters though, as the upper class did like to use the same names and I often mixed up Katie with her mother Kate.

I love that some of the characters are based on real people and I enjoyed learning about the Stretton family.  I hadn't heard of the Stretton surgeons (Samuel, Lionel and John) before but what an amazing legacy they have left the medical world.  Lionel introduced the use of tincture of iodine for skin sterilisation and anyone who has had surgery and been left with yellow-tinged skin has Lionel Stretton to thank for keeping their skin clean and germ-free.

As well as being a medical drama with an outbreak of smallpox, it's also very entertaining with the arrival of a brash American carpet-tycoon who plans to take over all of the mills and even smallpox isn't going to get in his way.  Calvin's antics really did make me laugh out loud - what a fabulously bonkers character!

Atmospheric, evocative and moving, 27 Church Street: The Gathering Storm is an outstanding debut novel and a fantastic start to an exciting new series about the Stretton family.  It's a must-read for fans of historical fiction and I can't wait to read more.

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

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