BLOG TOUR: Scorched Planet Policy - Bob Fairbrother

 

Captain Zail Jent has crashed her malfunctioning craft on Earth.

She gets out in time before it slips into a river, marooning her in a climate-ravaged, hostile part of the planet. And her smart suit that mind controls and protects her through a meds feed has failed, causing drug withdrawal amnesia and sickness. If she doesn’t get help soon, she is going to die.

With Zail’s memory gone, she puzzles over who she is, where she comes from, and what she is meant to do here. And how is she going to get home?

As her memory returns, Zail begins to question whether home is what she thought it was, forcing her to cast doubt on everyone.

But what if she is the one who should be feared?

What did I think?

Wow!  What an incredibly thought-provoking and entertaining read.  I don't read a lot of science fiction but I do like dystopian novels so I am so pleased that Scorched Planet Policy straddles both genres as it's an absolutely cracking book.

When Captain Zail Jent crashes her craft on Earth, she is shocked to see the damage humans have caused on their own planet.  Seeing Earth through alien eyes is incredibly powerful and it's actually heartbreaking to see what it looks like from space in Bob Fairbrother's imagined not too distant future of 2054.

It's quite a short book at 194 pages but it's worth taking your time over it to appreciate the intelligent plot and to consider the powerful and very realistic issues that face the planet.  To lighten the somewhat heavy storyline, it is written with a sprinkling of humour that did actually make me laugh out loud on numerous occasions.

Intelligent, thought-provoking and scarily realistic,  Scorched Planet Policy is an unforgettable and unmissable novel that will appeal to readers of all genres.  Even if you don't normally read science fiction or dystopian, you will not regret picking up this important and timely novel that entertains from start to finish.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Waterstones

Amazon

About the author:

Mentor and coach, trail runner, hiker, skier, French language mangler, book reader, junior football league volunteer, Brighton and Hove Albion FC supporter, player of the occasional game of table football, creator of the South Devon Book Festival and writing.

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BLOG TOUR: The Circus of the Crescent Moon: Rookscroft - Book Two - Jayne Siroshton

That winter, a tempest blew in from the sea, with wild winds and rain that battered the walls of the old house. I was lonely until dear Quentin came to stay. His rosebush home, once lush and adorned with heady flowers, was now no more than a sodden tangle of thorny branches, and he made himself at home in the kitchen, on a cushion by the fire.

Then others arrived - first sweet Kitty at the kitchen door, who was trying to remember who she was. She was followed by Oleg the Magnificent - elegant, windswept, and in search of lodgings. He was soon joined by the charming Wild Bill the Wanderer, and together they told of shipwrecks and adventures with the circus, as they prepared for the caravans to arrive.

But as snow clouds gathered, and their big top was swept into the sea, what would become of the travelling troupe? Could they ever overcome the loss of their star performer and continue with the show?

Dear friends, please take your seats - and welcome to the Circus of the Crescent Moon.

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, I am completely captivated by the Rookscroft books and The Circus of the Crescent Moon is book two in the amazing series.  You can read it as a standalone as this is Kitty's story but I would highly recommend the first book in the series, All Feathers and Hats. 

Quentin the golden pheasant has made himself quite at home in the beautiful old house of Rookscroft with artist Jayne.  Jayne has such a kind heart and she welcomes any visitor to her door.  There's a lot of characters to get to know in this lovely book and they are brought to life via the stunning illustrations throughout the book.

I adored sweet Kitty and I was completely charmed by the circus performers as they gather at Rookscroft to try to save the circus.  It's a book that I read in one sitting as I couldn't put it down and I intend to read it over and over again to re-experience the sights and sounds of this wonderful and unusual circus.

The Circus of the Crescent Moon is a timeless and ageless book for readers of all ages from children to adults.  The illustrations are exquisite, the writing is beautiful and the story is delightful.  Very highly recommended.

I received a gifted hardback to read and review for the Love Books Tours blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Rookscroft

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: The Woman in the Woods - J.A. Baker

I am safe here, in my cottage in the woods where no one knows me or my real name. Here all is peaceful and calm and the real world can’t hurt me – because I know how cruel it can be.

But then I see here again and her pale, white face. Watching me. Taunting me. And then the notes appear.

I know who you really are… I know what you did…

My mind in whirl I don’t know what to do. Now the walls of my cottage feel like a prison. The peaceful woods around me feel like a maze that will trap me forever.

Who is this woman? And what does she want? And can she possibly know what happened during that boiling hot summer of 1976 when I made my terrible mistake. And if so, how?

So many questions paralysing me with fear. One thing I do know.

She must be stopped.

 

What did I think?

I love J.A. Baker books and her new novel, The Woman in the Woods does not disappoint.  Tense, suspenseful and gripping doesn't even begin to describe this fabulous psychological thriller as the main character must be one of the most unreliable narrators I have ever come across.

The main character is an author who lost her memory after a hit and run, which might be a blessing in disguise as she has a very dark secret in her past.  A secret that somebody knows and rather than simply threatening to reveal the secret, she wants retribution.  The simmering tension and increasing sense of unease feels like a cat playing with a mouse before it goes in for the kill.

As the past is gradually revealed, I felt sick to my stomach at the mindless crime committed.  It does give you food for thought as it's an often debated subject about whether children should be given a second chance after they have committed a crime.  They don't have the experience to understand the consequences of their actions but a crime is a crime.  Everyone deserves a second chance, or do they?

Dark, disturbing and incredibly tense, The Woman in the Woods really got under my skin and at several points really made my skin crawl.  It's another corker of a psychological thriller from J.A. Baker and a recommended read.

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

My rating:

Purchase link: https://mybook.to/WomanWoodsSocial

About the author:

J. A. Baker is a successful psychological thriller writer of numerous books, previously published by Bloodhound. Born and brought up in Middlesbrough, she still lives in the North East, which inspires the settings for her books. Her first title for Boldwood will be published in December 2022.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewriterjude 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewriterjude 

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

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JABakerNews 

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Scare Me To Death (Dan Forrester Book 4) - CJ Carver

 

Thirteen survived. Now someone wants them dead.

A homemade bomb exploded mid-air, killing 214 people on board.

Thirteen people survived.

Sixteen years later one of the survivors is found brutally bludgeoned to death. It looks like a crime of passion but DC Lucy Davies knows something is wrong. They were trying to find the bombers.

Lucy’s search for the killer brings her into conflict with her long-lost father – who has his own secrets. Dangerous secrets which Lucy must expose so she can confront a vicious murderer with only one thing on their mind.

Keep on killing to stop the truth from being revealed.

What did I think?

With a horrifying prologue that chilled me to the bone, I knew from the very start that I was going to love CJ Carver's latest novel, Scare Me To Death, and I was not wrong; it's absolutely brilliant.  Although it's the fourth book in the Dan Forrester series, it's the first one I've read so I can state with confidence that it can definitely be read as a standalone. 

Dan is a wonderfully complex character who lost a lot of his memories when he witnessed a traumatic event.  There's something very odd about that as it is only memories from a specific period of his life (and that of the traumatic event) that are missing; it's like they've been erased on purpose and it's certainly piqued my interest and made me want to read more about Dan in the previous books.

As if that wasn't tantalising enough, Dan's old friend DC Lucy Davies has one heck of a back story both in her career and her personal life.  I loved how Lucy's story developed as her family history was untangled whilst she was investigating a brutal murder.  With all this going on, I'm surprised her head didn't explode!

The story of the murder of Kaitlyn Rogers is so perfectly plotted that it left me breathless.  When Dan follows a lead to Morocco I was on the edge of my seat as the danger level increased and I became even more intrigued by what Kaitlyn had discovered that led to her murder.

Gripping from start to finish, Scare Me To Death is a thriller with a capital T.  Filled with danger and intrigue that left me breathless, I couldn't read this fantastic book fast enough.  Very highly recommended and I'll definitely be reading the earlier books in the series now.

Many thanks to CJ Carver for sending me a digital ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Girl You Forgot - Giselle Green

I was an early reader of The Girl You Forgot by Giselle Green so I was thrilled to get a spot on the blog tour and I was completely over the moon to see my name in the acknowledgements section of the book.  It is my pleasure to publish my review as part the of the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour.

Does the heart never really forget?

When Ava’s partner Will is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, the doctors give Will one chance to survive - an operation which means he will lose his recent memory. Ava begs him to take the chance, sure that she can cope with Will forgetting her. After all, they have something very special to live for.

But they are also keeping a heart-breaking secret, and if Will loses his memory, Ava will have to carry that secret alone.

Can they rebuild their love from scratch or will their secrets and past come between them? Will Ava really be a stranger when Will wakes up – or does the heart never really forget…

Giselle Green returns with a heart-breaking, deeply moving story of love, loss, and what it really means to be alive. Perfect for all fans of Jodi Picoult, Susan Lewis and Diane Chamberlain.

What did I think?

A heart-wrenching moral dilemma lies at the heart of The Girl You Forgot: should we lie to protect those we love, even if they have asked us to?  Giselle Green has written such a powerful, emotive and thought-provoking book with completely relatable characters that you can't help but wonder what you would do in the same circumstances.

Ava has just found out that she's pregnant when Will is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour.  Will has the hardest decision to make: should he have the operation at the risk of losing his memory or enjoy what time he has left?  Will decides to go in for surgery but only after he makes Ava promise to withhold something from him when he wakes up.  Will's surgery is successful but he has lost all of his memories from the last 7 years; understandably confused to wake up with a girlfriend he doesn't recognise by his side, he asks Ava to promise to always tell him the truth.  What a double whammy!  Poor Ava.

My heart really went out to both Will and Ava.  As lovely as it was to see Will fall in love with Ava all over again, it was heartbreaking when he admits that wasn't able to experience the simplest of emotions: happiness.  Ava is torn between keeping her promise to Will before the op and keeping her promise to Will after the op.  I certainly didn't envy her that moral dilemma!  I loved how Ava confides in gardener, Harry, who has memory loss issues of his own.  Harry has some amazing words of wisdom for Ava, which is food for thought for her and the reader.   

The Girl You Forgot is a beautiful story, beautifully written by Giselle Green.  It's full of heart being heartbreaking, heart-wrenching and heartwarming in equal measure.  

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

Giselle Green is an award-winning, bestselling contemporary women's fiction author. Mum to six boys (half of whom have flown the nest) and owner of one bright orange-and-cinnamon canary who hopefully never will, Giselle enjoys creating emotionally-gripping storylines about family and relationships.

Social Media Links – 

Twitter Profile: @gisellegreenUK

Website: https://gisellegreen.com/

Facebook Profile: Giselle Green Author

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/giselle-green

Newsletter sign up: https://bit.ly/GiselleGreenNewsletter

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