Lies We Sing to the Sea - Sarah Underwood

A fantasy romance, by dazzling new talent Sarah Underwood, inspired by Greek mythology and the tale of Penelope’s twelve hanged maids.

In the cursed kingdom of Ithaca, each spring brings the hanging of twelve maidens, a gift to the vengeful Poseidon. But when Leto awakens from her death on the shore of a long-forgotten island, its enigmatic keeper Melantho tells her that there’s only one way the curse can be broken. Leto must kill the last prince of Ithaca . . .

In Lies We Sing to the Sea, debut author Sarah Underwood delivers a thrilling and breathtaking tale that will enthral readers from the very first page as they are transported to the cursed shores of Ithaca.

A reclamation of a story from thousands of years ago, Lies We Sing to the Sea is about love and fate, grief and sacrifice, and, ultimately, the power we must find within.

 

What did I think?

My interest has recently been piqued by Greek mythology and my eye was drawn to the beautiful cover of Lies We Sing to the Sea, which is inspired by Penelope’s 12 maids as told in The Odyssey.  

The story is told from the different perspectives of Leto, Melantho and Mathias.  I absolutely loved Melantho’s story and how she fell in love with Leto, who was one of the twelve maidens sacrificed to Poseidon by Prince Mathias of Ithaca.  The romance is LGBTQ+ but this is a YA novel so it’s not graphic at all.

Human sacrifice is quite a difficult subject to read but this tale is told sensitively and compassionately.  Most of the chapters are quite short so the story frequently changes direction and doesn’t linger on one subject for too long.

Sarah Underwood’s writing is stunning as she weaves a compelling story of love and revenge in a mythological setting.  I really enjoyed Lies We Sing to the Sea and it has inspired me to learn more about Odysseus and his wife Penelope.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOGGER DAY: One Moment - Becky Hunter

One moment in time can change everything...

The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life. It doesn't feel fair that she'll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams. And now, she's still ... here - wherever here is - watching the ripple effect of her death on the lives of those she loved the most.

Evie cannot contemplate her life without Scarlett, and she certainly cannot forgive Nate, the man she blames for her best friend's death. But Nate keeps popping up when she least expects him to, catapulting Evie's life in directions she'd never let herself imagine possible. Ways, perhaps, even those closest to her had long since given up on.

If you could go back, knowing everything that happens after, everything that happens because of that one moment in time, would you change the course of history or would you do it all again?

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, this beautiful book is like Humpty Dumpty: it completely broke me but also put me back together again.  I'm going to say sorry now to all the other debut authors of 2023 as Becky Hunter has set an incredibly high bar; One Moment is THE debut of 2023 and I absolutely adored it.

Scarlett and Evie have been best friends forever so Evie is devastated when Scarlett goes to work one day and never returns.  The accident that took Scarlett from Evie brings Nate into her life, but Evie can't forgive him for being the reason her friend is no longer here.  Unbeknown to Evie, Scarlett is still here...watching life going on without her and reliving moments from her past.

Everything about this book is perfect: the writing is flawless, the plot is sublime and the characters are so well-developed they virtually pop out of the page.  The range of emotions this book evokes is astonishing: I laughed, cried and everything in between.

I loved this book so much I could read it again and again; Becky Hunter is definitely one to watch and I'm already considering myself to be a fan so I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.  One Moment is an unmissable, emotional and beautiful debut that's an easy 5 stars. 

I received a digital 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:

Becky Hunter worked for many years in London in the publishing industry, before taking a career break in Mozambique, where she volunteered with horses and decided to give writing a go. She now works as a freelance book publicist. One Moment is her debut novel.

Follow Becky on social media:

Twitter: @Bookish_Becky

Instagram: @beckyhunterbooks

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BLOG TOUR: One Moment - Becky Hunter

One moment in time can change everything...

The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life. It doesn't feel fair that she'll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams. And now, she's still ... here - wherever here is - watching the ripple effect of her death on the lives of those she loved the most.

Evie cannot contemplate her life without Scarlett, and she certainly cannot forgive Nate, the man she blames for her best friend's death. But Nate keeps popping up when she least expects him to, catapulting Evie's life in directions she'd never let herself imagine possible. Ways, perhaps, even those closest to her had long since given up on.

If you could go back, knowing everything that happens after, everything that happens because of that one moment in time, would you change the course of history or would you do it all again?

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, this beautiful book is like Humpty Dumpty: it completely broke me but also put me back together again.  I'm going to say sorry now to all the other debut authors of 2023 as Becky Hunter has set an incredibly high bar; One Moment is THE debut of 2023 and I absolutely adored it.

Scarlett and Evie have been best friends forever so Evie is devastated when Scarlett goes to work one day and never returns.  The accident that took Scarlett from Evie brings Nate into her life, but Evie can't forgive him for being the reason her friend is no longer here.  Unbeknown to Evie, Scarlett is still here...watching life going on without her and reliving moments from her past.

Everything about this book is perfect: the writing is flawless, the plot is sublime and the characters are so well-developed they virtually pop out of the page.  The range of emotions this book evokes is astonishing: I laughed, cried and everything in between.

I loved this book so much I could read it again and again; Becky Hunter is definitely one to watch and I'm already considering myself to be a fan so I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.  One Moment is an unmissable, emotional and beautiful debut that's an easy 5 stars. 

I received a digital 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:

Becky Hunter lived and worked in London for several years before moving to Mozambique to volunteer with horses and try her hand at writing. A few years, a few destinations, and a few jobs later she had the idea that would become One Moment. Alongside writing, she now works as a freelance editor and publicist, splitting her time between Bristol and London, and constantly trying to plan the next adventure.

Follow Becky on social media:

Twitter: @Bookish_Becky

Instagram: @beckyhunterbooks

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BLOG BLITZ: The Faerie Tree - Jane Cable

I've got a Rachel's Random Resources Blog Blitz for you today which means you not only get to read my review of The Faerie Tree by Jane Cable, there's also a fabulous giveaway!  Scroll to the end of my post to enter.  Good luck!

HOW CAN A MEMORY SO VIVID BE WRONG?

In the summer of 1986 Robin and Izzie hold hands under The Faerie Tree and wish for a future together. Within hours tragedy rips their dreams apart.

In the winter of 2006, each carrying their own burden of grief, they stumble back into each other’s lives and try to create a second chance. But why are their memories of 1986 so different? And which one of them is right?

With strong themes of memory, love and grief, The Faerie Tree is a novel as gripping and unputdownable as Jane Cable's first book, The Cheesemaker’s House, which won the Suspense & Crime category of The Alan Titchmarsh Shows Peoples Novelist competition. It is a story that will resonate with fans of romance, suspense, and folklore.

What did I think?

The Faerie Tree is quite an unusual book; officially in the romantic fiction genre, Jane Cable writes a story that is so very true to life, warts and all.  Dark in places but uplifting in others, it touches on grief and mental health among many other subjects you would come across in your life.  The book is very much the story of Robin and Izzie from their first meeting, full of hope and excitement for the future, to meeting each other again 20 years later when Izzie is a young widow.

A Faerie Tree

Robin and Izzie finding each other again feels very much like fate, or perhaps the magic of the faerie tree where they once made a wish.  The faerie tree itself is such a magical idea; a lone hawthorn tree growing in a field is said to be a gateway between the human world and the fae.  With their strong beliefs in the little people, I wasn't surprised to read that you can find a lot of faerie trees dotted around the Irish countryside.  People leave gifts and letters on the bark or branches whilst making a wish.  This is such a lovely idea, whether you believe in fairies or not, as we could all do with a little bit of magic in our lives.  

Robin's life has been anything but magical; he seems to have been bombarded with one tragedy after another.  He is such a sensitive soul and very much on the side of 'flight' when faced with fight or flight events.  Robin's constant running away from perceived problems annoyed me a little; I wanted to give him a good talking to but his response to such events is what made him who he is, which is the man that Izzie was meant to be with.

I love how Jane Cable writes such a realistic story; Robin and Izzie's life is not full of hearts and flowers but challenges that they must overcome in order to make a future together.  It did feel like everything happened the way it should have, even though both Robin and Izzie have suffered their own individual heartbreaks in the time they were apart.

Aside from the faerie tree itself, there is a theme running through the book of memory.  Robin and Izzie have very different memories of their first meeting and it is hard to decide whose is correct; Izzie is very convincing and Robin is too easy to be convinced that his memory is wrong.  It is quite thought-provoking to see how two people can remember the same event differently.

Thought-provoking and filled with emotion, The Faerie Tree is a fascinating novel written with warmth and realism.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

Jane Cable writes romantic fiction with the over-riding theme that the past is never dead. She published her first two books independently (the multi award winning The Cheesemaker’s House and The Faerie Tree) and is now signed by Sapere Books. Two years ago she moved to Cornwall to concentrate on her writing full time, but struggles a little in such a beautiful location. Luckily she’s discovered the joys of the plot walk.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: @JaneCable

Facebook: Jane Cable, Author (https://www.facebook.com/romanticsuspensenovels/ )

Giveaway

Giveaway to Win PB copies of The Faerie Tree and The Cheesemaker’s House (UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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BLOG TOUR: Unexpected Lessons in Love - Lucy Dillon

What happens when 'I do' turns into 'I don't know'?

Jeannie always wanted to fall in love, and now she’s finally got the whirlwind romance she dreamed of. Dan’s gorgeous, he’s a successful young vet, and he flew her to New York and proposed on Brooklyn Bridge. Jeannie has to remind herself this is actually her life. It seems too perfect, too magical, to be real. Yet it is.

But now she’s on her way to the wedding she can’t shake off the tight sensation crushing her chest. Is it just nerves . . . or is this all happening a bit too fast?

Jeannie has one last chance to shout, ‘Stop!’ But just as she grabs it, a twist of fate throws everything she knows into the air like confetti. What Jeannie learns about Dan, about her own heart, and about the power of love itself, will change her world for ever . . .

What did I think?

I was delighted to win an advance copy of Unexpected Lessons in Love on Twitter as I have wanted to read a Lucy Dillon book for some time.  What an amazing introduction to this fabulous author.  I have to say that I half expected an overdose of romantic hearts and flowers but I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of sloppy slushiness.

Jeannie and Dan appear to have the perfect relationship; they're a couple in love hurtling towards married life after Dan surprised Jeannie with a romantic proposal.  The only problem is they haven't known each other long enough to find out everything about each other.  Once they are engaged, their time is taken up with wedding preparations rather than learning everything they need to know about each other.  Jeannie learns her lesson the hard way as this fact finally hits her: how can she marry Dan when she doesn't even know him?  Good on her for being brave enough to trust her gut and voice her concern, although her timing could have been better.

The aftermath of the non-wedding is where I completely fell in love with the storyline, thanks to a handful of rescued dogs and puppies.  The dogs really stole the show (and my heart) as Lucy Dillon touches on the plight of dogs in puppy farms.  The effect on the dogs is horrific, especially when they are naturally social animals.  It is Jeannie's new friend, Rachel, who runs a charity to look after rescued dogs but Rachel is seriously lacking funds to take care of this new intake and she can't possibly turn them away.  Jeannie and Rachel, together with Natalie from the animal shelter, come up with an amazing fundraising idea and as donations come pouring in, the stories that accompany them really put a smile on my face.

Not that it ever disappeared completely (there's just too many books and not enough time), but Lucy Dillon has reawakened my love of romantic/women's fiction.  Unexpected Lessons in Love is a fabulously heartwarming book with a riveting storyline that takes the reader in a completely unexpected direction.  I absolutely loved it and, having been immersed in the crime and thriller genre for so long, I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

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: The Moments - Natalie Winter

Life is made up of countless moments. Moments that make us who we are. But what if they don't unfold the way they're supposed to...?

What if you get on the wrong bus, or don't speak to the right person at a party, or stay in a job that isn't for you? Will you miss your one chance at happiness? Or will happiness find you eventually, when the moment is right?

Meet Matthew and Myrtle. They have never really felt like they fitted - in life or with anyone else. But they are meant to be together - if only they can find each other.

A powerful and emotional story about missed chances, interwoven lives and the moments that define us.

What did I think?

I thought my heart was going to burst as I read The Moments; thankfully, it wasn't my heart but my tear ducts as floods of tears streamed down my face and blurred the beautiful words on the page before me.  I couldn't stop reading though, so I read through my mix of sad and happy tears and rather wonderfully felt like I'd been lit up from within as The Moments didn't just steal my heart, it stole my soul.  

Myrtle and Matthew are two halves of one whole but they don't know it yet.  As we follow them through their lives from birth, with chapters alternating between Myrtle and Matthew, I found myself holding my breath in anticipation several times as their paths so very nearly crossed.  As the tension built of 'almost' and 'so very nearly', I willed the stars to align so that the pair would meet and be hit by the proverbial thunderbolt.  Feeling sad as the years progressed and Myrtle and Matthew still hadn't met, Natalie Winter reminded us not to dwell on the missed years but rather to accept that maybe they will meet exactly when they're supposed to.

I think because we meet the two main characters as they are born, I really felt as if I was part of their lives.  We're present for all of their trials and tribulations, the highs and lows of their lives and privy to their personal insecurities.  Neither of them realise how special they are and I do think that this type of insecurity transmits a virtual signal deterring would be mates.  Of course when the right person comes along, the 'I'm not worthy' signal magically stops transmitting and everything becomes right with the world.  I'm speaking from experience here, which is why Myrtle and Matthew's story resonated so strongly with me; it took long enough but thankfully it didn't take me quite so long to find my other half.

So very highly recommended, do not miss this book especially if you love books by David Nicholls and Jojo Moyes.  The Moments actually affected me more than One Day and Me Before You and I really can't praise Natalie Winter highly enough.  If this is her debut, I really can't wait to see what she writes next.

Written so beautifully, The Moments is undoubtedly a 5 star book but this simply does not suffice; it deserves to be awarded every star in the universe.  This scintillating book touched both my heart and soul and is most definitely my favourite book of the year; it's so good that I could read it all over again right now.  

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




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A Different Kind of Lovely - Petra March

"A man with a damaged soul fell in love with a ballerina with a broken body."

When Neal Medwin glimpses Mina Automne for the first time, he's a man whose soul is darkened with memories of a painful past, whereas Mina is a vibrant, strong, young woman. She's a determined ballerina who's carefully planning and painting her life.

Neal steps into her existence and threatens to shatter Mina's plans with an impossible request.

Mina can't help the fragile man who's invading her home, even though their parents used to be close friends and she knows of Neal's hurtful background. She allows him to linger within her lovely and artistic world, however, hoping he might find some peace and solace.

Slowly, their conflict turns into friendship, and eventually into love, until a terrible discovery ruins Mina's projects and forces her to let go of all her dreams, and of her sweet, damaged man.

Neal is unable to fight for Mina and for the unripe love they share, because he's not ready to leave his past behind. He's not strong enough - not yet.

What did I think?

Petra March has such a dreamlike quality to her writing that it's the perfect escapism from our dark and dismal lives (I speak for myself, of course).  I was honoured to try my hand at editing and read an early draft of A Different Kind of Lovely but it was clear that the quality of Petra March's writing shone through every single page.

Neal and Mina are broken in different ways, so it is natural that they would be drawn to one another.  I loved how Neal referred to Mina as his butterfly, both may appear fragile and beautiful on the outside but they are tougher than you think underneath.  What Mina didn't realise at first is how Neal managed to enter her life.  It wasn't an accident that he was in that place at the time he met her, although it was a tragic accident that ultimately brought them together.  I'm being deliberately vague as to get the most out of these books, you should really read them all in order.  The characters are linked in such a way that it's so breathtaking to behold the hand of fate at work.

I was delighted to see some of our favourite characters from the early books and it's like they have grown up in front of our eyes.  I welcomed them as I would an old friend and felt as if I was hovering on the outskirts of their midst seeing events unfold.

Heartbreaking, ethereal and dreamlike, A Different Kind of Lovely will awaken your senses and encourage you to hold on to your dreams.  The strength shown by Mina's character was both uplifting and courageous and it just shows that a person can appear fragile and breakable on the outside but be so very strong and vigorous underneath, and vice versa of course.

Do read these books in consecutive order to get the most out of them, it will really make a world of difference to understand the characters' history and see their development.  Pure escapism with a dreamlike quality, open your heart to Petra March's ethereal writing and her exquisite characters.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Veteran Avenue - Mark Pepper

1978. On vacation from England, eight-year-old John Frears is befriended by a stranger in the Oregon wilderness and stolen away from his parents. After a bizarre hour spent in a log cabin, he is sent back with a picture of a young girl. 

2013. Since leaving the military, John Frears has been drifting, unable to settle. Then he gets word that a funeral is taking place in LA. Donnie Chester, fellow veteran of the first Gulf War, has been shot dead. He decides to head to the States to pay his respects then go sightseeing. It is a simple plan, in keeping with his life to date. 

But his life is about to become more complicated than he could ever imagine. The mysterious event from his past crashes into the present, and could mean the difference between life and death.

What did I think?

I've found it really difficult to write a review of Veteran Avenue: how do I write a review to show how brilliant it is without giving anything away?  I've deliberated over it far too long so I'm biting the bullet and attempting a no-spoiler review.

What is so clever about Veteran Avenue is how you take the main character of John to your heart straight away.  As an eight year-old he already feels unloved and invisible so when a stranger tempts him away from his parents, John is only too eager to follow.  This strange meeting will stay with John for the rest of his life and puts him on a path he doesn't even know he is following.  With fate pulling all the strings, John's destiny awaits.

Veteran Avenue is SO SO good.  I really wanted to do a review that would do it justice without releasing any spoilers, so I went for a minimalist approach.  This is a book that defies genre and will burst out of any box you try to put it in.  Whatever your usual genre, you will love Veteran Avenue as it has a bit of everything from the military to romance with a sprinkling of the unexpected.

I firmly believe that life is a journey and we are travelling down a path that is already mapped out for us.  John's life is certainly like that, nothing is left to chance and everything is meant to be.  Veteran Avenue is Thought-provoking with a capital 'T' and I am encouraging friends and family to read it so I can talk to them about it, as I am positively fit to burst being the only person in my circle to have read it.  Mark Pepper has written such an amazing book that it deserves to be sitting at the top of the charts for a long time to come.

If you're looking for something different to read: look no further!  I wholeheartedly recommend Veteran Avenue to readers of any genre.  It's a book that you will remember long after turning the final page; I know I will never forget it and it deserves every single one of the five stars I have awarded it.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Anything You Do Say - Gillian McAllister

Gone Girl meets Sliding Doors in this edge-of-your-seat thriller

Joanna is an avoider. So far she has spent her adult life hiding bank statements and changing career aspirations weekly.

But then one night Joanna hears footsteps on the way home. Is she being followed? She is sure it's him; the man from the bar who wouldn't leave her alone. Hearing the steps speed up Joanna turns and pushes with all of her might, sending her pursuer tumbling down the steps and lying motionless on the floor.

Now Joanna has to do the thing she hates most - make a decision. Fight or flight? Truth or lie? Right or wrong?

What did I think?

Oh wow!  What Gillian McAllister has created here is nothing short of exceptional - two novels in one in only her second book!  I'm sure many an established author would shy away from such a challenge with the others wishing they had written it.

If I had to describe Joanna in one word it would be 'imaginative', so when she hears footsteps behind her after a night out she thinks it is the man she spurned in the bar.  As the footsteps get closer, Joanna reaches out and pushes her would-be attacker down the steps she is about to descend.  His momentum propels him forward at speed and he lies bent and broken at the bottom of the steps.  In that split second, Joanna must decide whether to run or call for help.  In a rare treat for readers, Gillian McAllister shows us the journey down both paths that Joanna will follow if she reveals or conceals her crime.

I thought it might get confusing with alternate 'reveal' and 'conceal' chapters but it really doesn't.  In conceal, Joanna is eaten up with guilt and her lie snowballs out of control and threatens to crush her under its weight like the boulder chasing Indiana Jones through the tunnel.  Even when Joanna reveals her crime she still can't help getting tangled up in a web of lies and her whole defence revolves around the one thing she is lying about: how long she hesitated before raising the alarm.

I do firmly believe that we have particular paths we are destined to follow in our lives.  Even though sometimes there may be a fork in the road or roadworks causing a diversion, we ultimately get back on the path we should be on.  Joanna's journey is just like this as whichever path she follows, reveal and conceal will merge together at the end but will leave very different casualties in their wake.

Anything You Do Say is such a thought-provoking and hugely entertaining book.  At her fork in the road, I felt Joanna's fear and truly believed that she was afraid for her life so I can completely understand why she lashed out like she did.  It's easy to say that you would rush to help an injured person, but would you be in such a rush if you thought that person meant to do you harm and may still be a danger to you?  It's hard to say how you would react in such circumstances; with that spike of adrenaline and a thudding heartbeat in your ears, what would you do?  This is the question that I'm sure every single reader of Anything You Do Say will ponder for many days, weeks, months and even years after reading this outstanding novel.

Oh you've upped the ante now, Gillian McAllister!  I'm not sure how you plan to follow this but I can't wait to find out.  You had me hooked with Everything But The Truth but Anything You Do Say is so extraordinary that it completely blew me away.  This book is going to be a HUGE success so make sure you pick up a copy and see what everyone is raving about.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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A Dream of Lilies (A Touch of Cinnamon Book 3) - Petra March

Nicholas Baudin lives in Toulouse, France, where he owns a small coffee place, Le Petit Café. His life is apparently tranquil, and made of small joys and simple habits. In truth, though, this young man's soul is troubled with memories of a painful event.

Then, on a bright spring day, Nicholas meets a strange, enchanting young woman with white hair, and pale blue eyes. Her name is Lily Brightwell. She is an actress who captivates crowds with her talent and her stories.

As Nicholas begins to fall for the young artist, his life turns into something unexpected and lovely.

What did I think?

The 'A Touch of Cinnamon' series is getting better and better and, albeit this is a short novella, it is most definitely my favourite book so far.  There is something so very poetic about the way it is written as it perfectly blends romance and tragedy.  Although it is part of a series, it could definitely be read as a standalone as enough history of the characters is relayed as a refresher.  For those of us who have read A Veil of Glass and Rain and All the Skies I Will Not See, this was another beautiful and captivating part of the story.

The moment when Nicholas first sets eyes on Lily was absolutely breathtaking.  It is like he is drawn to her by an invisible magnetic field and no matter what they do or where they go, they are meant to be together.  Lily is living with the pain of losing her first love, David, in such terrible, tragic circumstances.  She needs to let go of David before she can love again and, as she faces up to what happened to David, she finds that she has been linked to Nicholas way before she even knew of his existence.

I absolutely love the way that Petra March links all of her stories together, with coincidence and fate playing a starring role.  The stories are so moving with deeply defined and emotionally damaged characters that leap off the page as if you are reading in 3D.  Their thoughts and feelings are laid bare so we feel as if we know the characters inside and out.

A Dream of Lilies is a stunning addition to this remarkable series; A Touch of Cinnamon is a captivating series of love, fate and destiny that would melt even the coldest of hearts.  Each book reads like an act of a play which, when read in its entirety, will have your heart calling for an encore.  Bravo!

  

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Out of the Darkness - Katy Hogan

Out of the Darkness is a haunting, sometimes heart-breaking, contemporary novel with a supernatural twist. A tale of friendship and redemption, of love and loss, and life after death. Set in the lively coastal town of Brighton, Out of the Darkness tells the moving story of three women, complete strangers, each burdened by their own secrets, fears and emotional baggage. Their lives are changed irrevocably when they are brought together by one remarkable connection: someone who wants to help them.....from beyond the grave.

What did I think?

Oh wow this book is stunning!  I was not just emotional at the end of it, I was emotion-full and absolutely speechless.  It is written so beautifully that I was immediately absorbed and felt that I was floating above watching the events unfold.

Jessica feels so lost and empty after the loss of her mother so she really wasn’t in the mood to go to a New Year’s Eve party.  Fate has a way of weaving its magic spell and she meets Finn, after her hilarious encounter with his friend, Mark.  Finn did seem too good to be true and Jessica’s brief moment of happiness is cut short when she doesn’t hear from him again.

It is on a day when Jessica faints after leaving grief counselling that she meets Alex and Hannah.  Alex lives next door to the grief counsellor and rushed to help Jessica when she fainted, as did Hannah, who was also attending the session.  Each of these women are weighed down with secrets and trying to keep their emotions buried and it is only through finding each other that they will eventually be unburdened.

I loved all three ladies' stories and I was continually surprised and moved as their individual stories were revealed.  It is only through the revealing of their stories that we realise how very closely these women are linked.  Everything is meant to be, just as they were meant to meet in the way that they did and become a part of each other's lives.  I can't say any more about the book or I will spoil it, so you will have to read it for yourself.

Whether you believe in life-after-death or not, this is a beautiful book that will resonate with so many people.  I have always believed that everything happens for a reason, although we may not understand why at the time.  This book left a warm glow around me and I believe I was meant to read it so that I could defrost a little bit of my heart!

This is an absolutely amazing, life-changing book that I will recommend again and again, for many years to come.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you so much, Katy!

My rating:

An absolutely massive 

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