BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Summer That Changed Us (Changing Tides Book 1) - Billie Swann

Ellie never stopped loving Jackson. She’s just learned how to live without him.

Seventeen years after the summer that shattered everything, Ellie has built a life she can control. She runs The Beach House Café on the Dorset coast, keeps her world small, and tells herself she’s fine. Love, motherhood, and the future she once imagined all feel impossibly out of reach, buried beneath years of guilt.

Then Jackson walks back into her life.

He’s not the lanky schoolboy she remembers. He’s all grown up now with broader shoulders and striking hazel eyes shot through with gold, but he has that smile that makes her forget to breathe. Despite having every reason to hate her for what she did, he still looks at her like she’s the only person in the room.

The connection between them is impossible to ignore. As old feelings resurface, so does the secret Ellie’s been hiding since they were teenagers – a secret that sent their lives spiralling in opposite directions.

Now Ellie must decide whether she’s brave enough to risk everything for the man she never stopped loving.

Sometimes love isn’t about getting a second chance. It’s about finding the courage to take it.

What did I think?

What a fabulously heartwarming book this is!  The Summer That Changed Us isn't a hearts and flowers love story; it's a romance that deals with some serious issues with grit, sensitivity and warmth.  This is Billie Swann's debut novel and I'm delighted to see that she has more books planned in the Changing Tides series.

Seventeen years ago, Ellie and Jackson were childhood sweethearts but they are driven apart by a shattering event that shaped their lives.  Ellie shies away from relationships and concentrates on running her beach café but when trade starts to fall off she discovers that there's a rival café close by and running it is none other than Jackson.

Oh it's really painful to see Ellie and Jackson skirting around each other as if they are strangers.  The chemistry is clearly still there but they have been hurt terribly before and it looks like neither of them are willing to take the risk of having their heart broken again.  It's like they are both wearing magnets though and as much as they pull away from each other, they are drawn back together.

The history behind Ellie and Jackson is so sad and I struggled to hold in my tears as events played out during their teenage years.  It's a shame they were so young as they might have reacted differently and got through it together rather than alienating each other and working through their pain separately.  Hindsight is a wonderful thing though and you can't turn back the clock.

Whilst this is a romance novel, there's a lot of angst and difficulties for the characters to overcome.  It makes it quite realistic as life is all about the ups and downs and I really warmed to both main characters and others in the periphery.  

Compelling, heartwarming, poignant and uplifting, The Summer That Changed Us is an accomplished and flawless debut novel from Billie Swann and I'm excited to read more in the series.  A very highly recommended read.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Like Me (The Millingham Series book 1) - Katharine Light

When exhausted single-mum Jess returns to Manchester for her twenty-year school reunion, she’s hoping for nothing more than a well-deserved break from reality. What she’s not expecting is to bump into her secret teenage crush, hot single-dad Sam, or to remember quite how much they have in common. 

But they live so far apart, their kids aren’t always easy, and there are events in their shared past it’s best not to revisit. Surely the idea of a future together is just a crazy dream in their messy, adult lives? 

Though when Sam invites Jess to accompany him to a mutual friend’s high-profile wedding, the years they spent apart once again melt away. What will it take for them to be together? Can they use their second chance to finally get it right?

 

What did I think?

Like Me is a superb debut novel from Katharine Light that is filled with drama, insecurities and romance.  You could call it a slow burn as the chemistry between the two main characters smoulders from start to finish.

Jess has always had a crush on Sam since they were at school together.  They have a bit of history as teenagers but it is very much a what might have been.  The school reunion brings Jess up from London to Manchester and her attraction to Sam has clearly not waned over the years.

I had my fingers crossed that Jess and Sam would finally get together this time but old insecurities resurface and it's almost like they revert back to having the feelings they had as teenagers.  With secrets and traumas buried in their pasts, neither of them have the confidence to declare their feelings.

Katharine Light's characterisation is outstanding and I was really invested in both characters as if they were real people that I knew.  Like Me isn't a simple love story; it is reminiscent of the trials and tribulations of real life and I couldn't put it down until I found out how it would end.

Like Me is an engaging and emotional romance novel that held my interest and introduced me to characters that I genuinely grew to care about.  It's well worth a read and I'm glad that the author has decided to make it into a series with another set of characters taking centre stage in the sequel, Me Too.

I received a gifted paperback for the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Purchase link: https://amzn.to/3XRgWwC

About the author:

Katharine Light was born in Glasgow and lived there until her family moved to Manchester when she was ten. While in her teens, she began writing stories for her younger sister Emma. These mostly centred around a naïve heroine and a 1980s pop star (some would say the hero was modelled on John Taylor of Duran Duran).

She did a degree in psychology at University College London, and after a year travelling, worked in corporate film production for several years, before taking a break to raise her children. 

For many years she wrote mainly during the holidays, around her busy work for a local church.

Her first novel Like Me, published in 2023, was shortlisted for The Selfies Book Awards 2024. Her short story My arms are empty which is based on an episode from her second novel Me Too recently won the City University competition City Writes. 

She is a director of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, with responsibility for organising their conferences, gatherings and awards ceremonies. 

Katharine lives in London with her husband and quite often at least one of their adult children. She loves singing, walking, painting, looking at art, and going to the theatre.

Social Media Links – 

Instagram/Threads – katharinelightwrites1

Facebook – Katharinelightwrites

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BLOG TOUR: Healing Hearts on Thistledown Lane - Holly Hepburn

Maura has everything she ever wanted from life – a quirky cottage in Edinburgh’s picturesque Dean Village, a thriving career as a potter and a contented relationship with her childhood sweetheart, Jamie. Never mind that the cottage is damp, her pots aren’t selling and Jamie prefers a night down the pub with his rugby mates to an evening in with her.

But everyone wishes things were just a tiny bit better, right?

When Maura reunites with Fraser Bell at a Hogmanay party, she’s instantly transported back to her school days. And when he proposes she makes ceramic ghosts to complement his city ghost tour business, she’s tempted. At first, everything goes smoothly but it’s not long before their new partnership causes problems that ripple through every aspect of Maura’s life. The ghosts go viral, so she has more orders than she can fulfil and Jamie is not thrilled that she’s spending all her time in her studio. But when Edinburgh Castle shows an interest in Maura’s work, things begin to spiral out of control.

Can Maura really have it all or will she regret wishing for more?

 

What did I think?

Healing Hearts on Thistledown Lane is just the kind of book you need to warm your heart on a chilly winter's day and I absolutely loved it.  It is wonderfully uplifting and incredibly romantic.

Written with a dual point of view and a past and present timeline, this is Maura and Fraser's story.  Maura and Fraser went to the same school and, although they were aware of each other, their paths barely crossed.  Many years later, Maura is a talented potter and Fraser is an actor who has returned to Edinburgh to run ghost tours of the city.  When they run into each other at a party the chemistry virtually sizzles off the page but neither of them are single, however, it is clear to the reader that they are both with the wrong people.

Oh this is just a gloriously heartwarming book with an entertaining storyline and fabulous characters.  I loved Fraser's idea for Maura to make ghosts for his business and if you thought the scene with with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in Ghost was romantic, just wait until you read about Maura teaching Fraser to make a ghost.  Will either of them be brave enough to declare their feelings?  You will have to read the book to find out.

Bursting with romance and filled with charm, I adored Healing Hearts on Thistledown Lane from the very first page.  Holly Hepburn always brings locations to life and this is her love letter to Edinburgh.  An unmissable read for fans of romance and very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Family Traits - Sarah Jones

Two families destroyed by the disappearance of a daughter and the suicide of a son.

Seventeen years ago, the Webster family found themselves in a nightmare when Chris Webster’s protégé, Sam Chappel, disappeared after the school summer ball. Just two weeks later, Chris’s son Jez committed suicide at the family holiday home. 

Now Chris Webster is dead, and vicious rumours are starting to circulate about his involvement in Sam’s disappearance.

Nat Morton, journalist with the local paper, has decided that Sam’s story is just what she needs to revive her ailing career. It just means ignoring any loyalty she may feel towards the Websters, who treated her as part of the family when she was growing up.

After the death of her father, Caro Webster is spending the summer at the ‘Beach Hut’, which has been left empty since the suicide of her brother there. She is distraught at the allegations against her beloved father - but far from laying the past to rest, she is discovering disturbing parts of a puzzle that she doesn’t want to piece together.

When Sam Chappell is finally found, the discovery changes everything they thought they knew. And someone is determined that the secrets of the past should stay buried.

 

What did I think?

WOW!  I could not put this book down.  I usually write notes as I'm reading but my notebook remained resolutely blank as I didn't want to tear my eyes away from the pages of this gripping book for a single second.

It's a lot darker than it looks from the cover and it is filled with secrets (my favourite type of book).  There's the mystery of a missing teenage girl, the suicide of a teenage boy, the parentage of Caro's son and a whole web of secrets and lies to uncover.  I'm going to keep my review brief so as not to inadvertently release any spoilers but suffice to say I was shocked, surprised and horrified.  Bravo, Sarah Jones!

I loved the friendship dynamic between Caro and Nat; Caro is so self-centred and I really didn't like her at all whereas Nat is thoughtful and friendly but she's a journalist so she's always on the lookout for a big scoop.  There's such a lot going on with the various threads of the storyline that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

Beautifully written and perfectly plotted, Family Traits is a compelling, intriguing and poignant psychological thriller.  With a book of this calibre, Sarah Jones is an author to watch and I can't wait to see what she writes next.  In the meantime, I'm adding her debut A False Reflection to my TBR.  A very highly recommended read and an easy five stars.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: No One Keeps a Secret - Denise Brown

In a town full of whispers, silence speaks volumes…

When three teenagers track down a missing chihuahua to an abandoned theme park, they discover a corpse strangled by his own camera strap and find themselves caught up in a murder investigation. The victim was supposed to be 400 miles away in London. He'd promised a lot of people a lot of money. And every single one of them has an alibi. Haigh, Cherry, and Sunrise soon discover that their rural village isn't quite as dull and predictable as they thought it was.

 

What did I think?

Well this was a surprisingly fast-paced read; I read it cover to cover in a couple of hours as I couldn't put it down.

The story is told from alternating points of view of 16 year old Haigh and his friend Cherry.  I loved both main characters: Haigh is neurodivergent, always hungry and a little accident prone and Cherry is biracial, fiercely loyal and missing her late mum every day.  There's a non-human character who almost steals the show: Wolfie the chihuahua who treats people like Marmite - he either loves them or hates them.

When Wolfie goes missing, Haigh and Cherry promise his owner that they will find him.  Wolfie is found terrorising a sheepdog who belongs to Sunrise's gran.  Sunrise (such a great name) is staying with her gran for the summer and she quickly becomes friends with Haigh and Cherry when Wolfie runs off and discovers a dead body at the old theme park.

I loved the friendship that forms between the trio as Haigh and Cherry welcome Sunrise into their select little group.  They have something to keep them occupied over the summer when they decide to investigate the murder themselves.  I couldn't read fast enough as the investigation progresses and I really didn't guess the outcome at all.

Fast-paced, addictive and intriguing, No One Keeps a Secret is a superb YA thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.  It's so vividly written that my eyes were on stalks near the end and I can totally see it being made into a film.  It's well worth a read, even if you don't usually read YA books.

I received a gifted paperback 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

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BLOG TOUR: Got What Was Coming - Hilly Barmby

 

Got What Was Coming alternates between past and present.

Three young women, Mali, Star and Abeba, receive an email from the school they’d attended as kids. It is an invitation to the tenth anniversary of the inauguration of ‘The Second Chance Cafe’, which they’d set up to help disenfranchised kids.

It is an exciting but ultimately tragic story that covers the complex lives and inter-relationships of four teenage girls and their mothers. The book reaches its climax with the death of another girl and the realisation of the role the others all played in her death and the impact on their lives through to adulthood.

What did I think?

Since I first discovered Hilly Barmby's book, I just can't get enough of them so I was delighted to received an early copy of her new self-published novel, Got What Was Coming and it's no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's a very intriguing story with three main characters who are are all very different.  Mali, Star and Abeba may not have started off as friends at school but they are linked by a tragic event.  Via a dual timeline we find out exactly what happened in the past to make them into the women they are today.

With bullying at the heart of the story, it's often difficult to read as events play out and the tragedy is fully revealed.  It's very thought-provoking to see that although a particular person may not have been an active bully they are most definitely complicit by either standing by and doing nothing or pushing another person into the bully's sights to draw attention away from themselves.  

Incredibly poignant and compelling, Got What Was Coming is an eye-opening and thought-provoking story about human nature and the regrets that shape who we are today.  Never has that well-known phrase 'survival of the fittest' held so much meaning and chilled me to the core.  A highly recommended read and one that will stay with me for a long time.

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:

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: While We're Young - K.L. Walther

A whirlwind romance inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off about four friends whose hearts are broken and mended over the course of an epic senior skip day—from the bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules!

Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother—and if Grace finds out, it could ruin their friendship.

With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. All she has to do is convince Isa to help her kidnap Everett and outmaneuver James, who’s certain his sister is up to something.

In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly's finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?

 

What did I think?

As soon as I saw that While We're Young was inspired by Ferris Bueller's Day Off I just had to read it and I was not disappointed; it was everything I expected it to be and more.  It may be a YA book but adults will love it too.

Anyone who has seen the film will notice some similar scenes and the scattering of references that pay homage to the John Hughes classic.  I absolutely loved these little nods to one of my favourite films but there is so much more to this wonderful book.

The characters are so well developed they almost pop out from the page and they all have their own little hangups and characteristics that really endeared them to me.  Grace is the main character but I also loved her brother James and her two best friends Isa and Everett who haven't been speaking to each other since they dated and broke up.  Grace sees an opportunity to bring her little friendship group back together again but it will involve them all bunking off school.

Incredibly entertaining, sweet and heartwarming, While We're Young is so much fun to read and it left me with a great big smile on my face.  I definitely plan to read it again to relive the fun, high jinks and emotion that delighted me from start to finish.  

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

K.L. Walther was born and raised in the rolling hills of Bucks County, Pennsylvania surrounded by family, dogs, and books. Her childhood was spent traveling the northeastern seaboard to play ice hockey. She attended a boarding school in New Jersey and went on to earn a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia. She is happiest on the beach with a book, cheering for the New York Rangers, or enjoying a rom-com while digging into a big bowl of popcorn and M&Ms. And listening to Taylor Swift on repeat, of course. 

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Deadly Deep (Dread Wood Book 4) - Jennifer Killick

The brand new must-read middle-grade novel from the author of super-spooky Crater Lake. Perfect for 9+ fans of R.L.Stine’s Goosebumps and Stranger Things!

It’s summer term and time for a school trip with a difference! Year 8 are on a boat off the coast of France, learning about ocean life. But things are about to get WEIRD . . .

Who is the creepy man on board the ship? And what IS the vast, shadowy creature seen lurking at the bottom of the ocean?

When the ship is sunk Club Loser realise that they are the only ones who can save the day, and their classmates. Can they outwit and defeat a giant, deadly sea monster from the depths? It’s a fight for survival and if they fail, Club Loser will find themselves in a watery grave . . .

 

What did I think?

Deadly Deep is aimed at 10-12 year olds but I’m in my fifties and I loved it.  I actually didn’t realise this was book four in the series when I ordered it, but I didn’t feel at a disadvantage at all having not read the first three books as I quickly got to know the vividly drawn characters.

The classmates from Dread Wood High are onboard a boat on a school trip and this is one trip they will never forget.  They are set to learn much more than they expected about ocean life as they get up close and personal with one particular creature of the deep.

I found this book incredibly entertaining and could totally visualise everything that was happening on board the boat.  So much so that my heart was pounding and my pulse was racing as events unfolded.  

The only thing I struggled with (as an oldie) was some of the teenage slang words but I made a good guess at their meanings as I didn’t want to stop reading to look them up.

Deadly Deep is massively entertaining, incredibly funny and a little bit scary.  I really enjoyed it; it’s something completely different for me and I’d highly recommend it.

My rating:

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Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Reunion - M. J. Arlidge and Steph Broadribb

A skull looks up at Jennie from the trench, but it's not the chalk-white bone and grimacing teeth that send her reeling. It's the heart-shaped gold pendant, its delicate chain snapped in two. The necklace Hannah never took off. It can't be Hannah. But it is.

When Jennie Whitmore arrives at her school reunion, she immediately regrets her decision. Why would she choose to surround herself with people who were never nice to her? Who still aren't, even now she's a police officer? The only person who truly looked out for her all those years ago was charming, beautiful Hannah. Until the day she disappeared.

Jennie is ready to finally put White Cross Academy behind her, the old school building demolished the morning after the party. But with the demolition comes a call: a teenage girl's remains have been found on the grounds.

The instant drop in Jennie's gut tells her that the remains might be Hannah's, but when she's called in to examine them, the truth becomes undeniable. Hannah didn't run away and abandon Jennie thirty years ago; in fact, she never left White Cross at all.

Suddenly, Jennie has a murder to solve. The murder of her best friend. But can she do so before her colleagues discover just how closely connected she is to the victim? Before a mystery stalker makes good on his threats to silence her for good?

The Reunion is a gripping mystery perfect for fans of THE SANATORIUM, Lucy Foley, and Ruth Kelly.

 

What did I think?

I love both M.J. Arlidge's and Steph Broadribb's books so it's a booklover's dream to see these two authors collaborate to create a bone-chilling thriller.  As if the thought of a school reunion isn't horrifying enough, the partygoers are about to sober up pretty quickly when a body is found buried within the school.

Jennie is hoping her old friend Hannah will turn up to the school reunion so she can finally understand why Hannah didn't turn up the night they planned to run away to London.  The explanation is hiding beneath her feet and it's the worst one that Jennie could have imagined: Hannah was murdered on that fateful night.  

This murder is personal so Jennie is determined to lead the case despite her conflict of interest, which she hides from her boss.  As she plays down her relationship with Hannah and starts investigating Hannah's last known movements, she starts to wonder whether they were even friends at all.

The writing is seamless and if there weren't two names on the cover, you would never guess that it had two authors.  The plot twists and turns like a slithering snake and just when you think you have it all worked out, the truth slithers out of your grasp again.  

Gripping, chilling and twisty, The Reunion is a brilliant thriller that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish.  I would definitely recommend it but be prepared to be unable to put it down once you pick it up.

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 authors:

M.J. Arlidge has worked in television for the last twenty years, specialising in high-end drama production, including prime-time crime serials Silent Witness, Torn, The Little House and, most recently, the hit ITV show Innocent. In 2015 his audiobook exclusive Six Degrees of Assassination was a number-one bestseller. His debut thriller, Eeny Meeny, was the UK's bestselling crime debut of 2014 and has been followed by ten more DI Helen Grace thrillers - all Sunday Times bestsellers.

Steph Broadribb was born in Birmingham and grew up in Buckinghamshire. Most of her working life has been spent between the UK and USA. As her alter ego - Crime Thriller Girl - she indulges her love of all things crime fiction by blogging at www.crimethrillergirl.com

Steph is an alumnus of the MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) at City University London, and she trained as a bounty hunter in California. 

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BLOG TOUR: Guilty - Ruby Speechley

“You’re invited to my farewell party. I’ve got something to tell you before I die…”

Heather wants to leave this world with a clear conscience.

One confession. One secret. Two scores to settle.

Heather accepted the fate of her terminal diagnosis long ago, but now the time is nearing, she arranges a huge farewell party for her nearest and dearest.

She wants to say goodbye to everyone personally, but there’s another reason she wants the people in her life to gather.

She knows who killed young Simon Eyre all those years ago, and she needs to tell. The boy deserves justice.

But she doesn’t realise that by freeing her own inner demons, she’s unleashing much worse secrets, and putting everyone at risk…

 

What did I think?

I absolutely love a book filled with secrets so I couldn't put Guilty down once I picked it up.  There's a big whopper of a secret and a bucketful of smaller secrets and lies to be revealed so put on your virtual running shoes when you pick up this incredibly addictive book.

As awful as it is to die too soon, Heather has the chance to say goodbye to all of her family and friends when she receives her terminal diagnosis.  Heather doesn't just want to say goodbye though, she wants to confess...

To say things don't go to plan is a bit of an understatement and all of the added drama made my eyes zip down the page faster than they already were.  I'm surprised I didn't have a blister on my finger from turning the pages so fast!  I loved how just when I thought I had everything worked out, Ruby Speechley threw another spanner in the works.  Great stuff!

Addictive, entertaining and blisteringly fast-paced, Guilty may be my first Ruby Speechley book but it won't be my last.  I couldn't put it down and I loved every minute of it.  A recommended read but make sure you block out a few hours so you can read uninterrupted.

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

My rating:

Purchase link:

https://mybook.to/Guiltysocial

About the author:

Ruby Speechley is a bestselling psychological thriller writer, whose titles include Someone Else’s Baby. Previously published by Hera, she has been a journalist and worked in PR and lives in Cheshire.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063999185095 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rubyspeechley 

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

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ruby-speechley 

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Her Deadly Friend (The Gloucestershire Crime Series Book 1) - Rachel Sargeant

A random sequence of murders rocks West Gloucestershire. First one, then another. From calculated and clinical, to opportunist and frenzied. As the body count tops five, Detective Inspector Steph Lewis’s investigations point to Amy Ashby as chief suspect for the rampage.

Steph and Amy were arch enemies at school.

Amy, still seething with fury about what Steph did back then, refuses to let the detective stand in the way of her current hunt for a new man and a fresh start. This time, it is for keeps.

As the evidence mounts, Steph is convinced of Amy’s guilt. But is Steph obsessed with a schoolgirl vendetta that could wreck her career and destroy her family? Or is she closing in on a deadly killer?

Her Deadly Friend is the first book in the Gloucestershire Crime Series, featuring DI Steph Lewis, a spirited, no-nonsense detective with secrets of her own.

What did I think?

Wow!  This book is absolutely fantastic!  Even better, it's the start of an exciting new crime series and I'm already chomping at the bit to visit the fictional town of Gleveham again.

The story begins with a bullying incident at school.  Steph and her friend appear to be bullying Amy, but you get the feeling that you're not quite seeing the whole picture...and indeed you're not.  Rachel Sargeant cleverly puts an element of doubt in your mind, making you wonder what really happened and who is telling the truth.  Almost 30 years later Steph and Amy are about to cross paths again and sparks are sure to fly.

There is so much going on in this book; it has more hooks than a fisherman's tackle box and I was hooked from page one.  There's more to the bullying story from the past than meets the eye, both Steph and Amy are unknowingly being stalked and Steph is investigating a series of murders.  Murders that lead Steph to Amy's door and old wounds are reopened.  Is Steph targeting Amy once again?

I just couldn't read Her Deadly Friend fast enough.  I tore through it at a rate of knots and enjoyed every minute of it.  The writing is flawless and the plot is so twisty and original that I didn't see any of it coming.

Unpredictable and unputdownable, Her Deadly Friend is a fantastic police procedural and an outstanding start to an exciting new series.  Very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: The Philosophy of Love - Rebecca Ryan

What is love? Is it something spiritual or wholly physical? Can our feelings be explained and quantified? Or are we all actually two halves of a whole?

Ask Alice and Luke and you’d receive vastly different answers.

Despite her world having been recently dismantled by a messy break-up, Alice would tell you that love is the most important – albeit ineffable – human experiences. But when she once again crosses paths with her old school nemesis, Luke, he challenges this. Luke is a scientist and he’s certain love can be measured and explained – just like everything else.

So the two decide to make a bet: they’ll each venture back into dating and if one of them falls in love, Alice wins, if not, then Luke does.

But can anyone win when you’re playing with emotions?

 

What did I think?

I absolutely loved Rebecca Ryan's debut novel, My (extra)Ordinary Life, so I was very excited to read her new book, The Philosophy of Love.  Well, just imagine my delight when I found out that it was set just a few miles down the road in Easington Colliery.  What a lovely surprise!

After breaking up with her boyfriend, who was also her boss, Alice suddenly finds herself homeless and unemployed.  So, she packs her meagre belongings and leaves London to live with her parents in a little village in County Durham.  It's not long before Alice bumps into her old schoolfriend Luke and the sexual tension between them virtually sizzles off the page, although neither of them can see it; they're too busy trying to win a bet about love.

The chemistry between Alice and Luke is like a smouldering candle just waiting for a little draught of air to ignite it, but the last place that Alice thinks to look for love is right in front of her.  Of course it would have been a very short story if she had fallen for Luke right away!

As well as the wonderful romance, there's a really strong sense of family and community in the book as the villagers all come together to save their local community centre.  I loved how Alice's family all rallied around her, along with her friends new and old.  Village life in the north-east is depicted beautifully in this book as well as the warmth and friendliness of the people in the region.

Rebecca Ryan admits to using a lot of artistic license to recreate Easington for her readers and her writing is so wonderfully vivid that it really brings the village to life.  Whilst I understand the need to change and embellish some things in the village, it's a shame that the names of a north-east landmark and university were changed.  It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book at all though, it's just that I get a kick out of seeing places I know in print. 

                  

Funny, flirty and completely captivating, The Philosophy of Love is filled with north-eastern charm and wit and it delighted me from start to finish.  Rebecca Ryan is certainly one to watch and I definitely consider myself a fan.

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

My rating:

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