Seven Days to Tell You - Ruby Soames

When Kate marries the wild, sexy Frenchman she meets on holiday, everybody is stunned. Marc, however, is an attentive and adoring husband - until one morning he goes out, and doesn't come back. After three years of searching for him, Kate has to move on. She cuts her hair, throws away his things and finds new love. Then one morning she wakes up with Marc asleep in her bed. He asks for seven days to prove his love. Kate knows Marc is not the man she once fell in love with, but as he discovers, she too has changed.

What did I think?

This was a really intriguing idea for a story - a husband who disappears and then walks back in after 3 years as if nothing had happened.  The book is written as if in a letter from Kate to Marc and I really felt that Kate poured her heart out in it.  As it flicks back and forth between past and present we learn more about Kate and Marc, but the more I learned the more I disliked them.

I think a pivotal point in Kate's life was when she broke up with Dave in France, which is where she went on to meet Marc as she was making her way home alone.  I thought the stars had aligned and they were meant to meet, and perhaps they were, but as we learn how Marc came to be in the same place as Kate I wondered if perhaps he just latched on to the first woman he saw in order to escape his responsibilities.

As every facet of their relationship is disclosed, I found it really interesting that my feelings moved from dislike of the pair to hope that they had the strength to make their marriage work.  Kate and Marc are such individually flawed characters that perhaps their only hope of happiness is with each other as their secrets are revealed.

It's an interesting read analysing the flaws of a relationship and how maybe, in the words of John Lennon, love is all you need.

I received this book from the publisher, Hookline, in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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Behind Closed Doors - B A Paris

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do.

You’d like to get to know Grace better.

But it’s difficult, because you realise Jack and Grace are never apart.

Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.

What did I think?

I had noticed quite a few tweets about Behind Closed Doors so I hot-footed it over to NetGalley to pick up a copy for myself.  I completely agree with all my fellow bloggers, this book really is as good as they say.  I had to force myself to put it down on a night time or I would have read it from cover to cover in one sitting.

It was such a clever idea to start with Jack and Grace hosting a dinner party.  On first appearances they seem to be the perfect couple and very much in love.  It is only when the dinner party ends that the masks are dropped and we realise how very wrong their relationship is.  I almost felt chilled to the bone at times when the details of Jack and Grace’s real life were revealed.

This was so fast paced as it flipped between past and present; I couldn’t read it fast enough.  I wanted to know every single detail as quickly as possible and I feel like I really gave my eyes a good workout on this one.  I found myself questioning everything that happened and there were plenty of shocks and surprises in store to keep me engaged and entertained.  I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved the whole book and I can't wait to see what comes next from the pen of B A Paris.

I don’t want to give away one single detail that will spoil the enjoyment for another reader – it simply has to be read.  It's an absolutely gripping and outstanding debut - don’t miss it!

I received this e-book from the publisher, Harlequin, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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Follow Me - Angela Clarke

LIKE. SHARE. FOLLOW . . . DIE

The ‘Hashtag Murderer’ posts chilling cryptic clues online, pointing to their next target. Taunting the police. Enthralling the press. Capturing the public’s imagination.

But this is no virtual threat.

As the number of his followers rises, so does the body count.

Eight years ago two young girls did something unforgivable. Now ambitious police officer Nasreen and investigative journalist Freddie are thrown together again in a desperate struggle to catch this cunning, fame-crazed killer. But can they stay one step ahead of him? And can they escape their own past?

Time's running out. Everyone is following the #Murderer. But what if he is following you?

ONLINE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM …

What did I think?

This was an amazing debut by Angela Clarke, cleverly utilising the modern day obsession with social media.  I loved the acronyms at the start of each chapter, some I knew like OMG and BTW and others I had never heard of such as FOMO (fear of missing out).  The chapters are quite short and the fast pace of the book means that it falls into the never ending loop of 'just one more chapter'.

Freddie is a journalist who thinks in headlines.  Everything that happens to her causes a headline to jump into her head, especially when she gets caught up in the #Murderer case.  As she gets more involved in the investigation, the headline thoughts stop as she sheds her journalist skin and becomes a social-media advisor to the police.  It was fascinating to see Freddie evolve from a headline grabbing journalist to a compassionate human being.

When she meets up with her old friend, Nasreen, who is now a police officer, there is the added intrigue of what happened when they were younger to make them lose touch with each other.  It was excellent how the social media theme ran throughout the book, as I know all too well about the dangers of Facebook comments being taken the wrong way.

I had no idea who the #Murderer was and, at one time or another, my suspicions fell on almost everybody in the book as I looked at people close to Freddie for any hint or clue that they may have left.  It was a complete surprise when the #Murderer was revealed and I applaud Angela Clarke for successfully throwing me off the scent.

This is a fast-paced modern social media murder tale that had me on the edge of my seat throughout.  An absolutely cracking debut from Angela Clarke and I look forward to reading more from her.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Avon, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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Jakob's Colours - Lindsay Hawdon

Inspired by the lost voices of the Romany Holocaust this heartbreaking and tender novel will appeal to readers who loved Sophie's Choice, Schindler's Ark and The Book Thief.

Austria, 1944. Jakob, a gypsy boy - half Roma, half Yenish - runs, as he has been told to do. With shoes of sack cloth, still bloodstained with another's blood, a stone clutched in one hand, a small wooden box in the other. He runs blindly, full of fear, empty of hope. For hope lies behind him in a green field with a tree that stands shaped like a Y.

He knows how to read the land, the sky. When to seek shelter, when not. He has grown up directing himself with the wind and the shadows. They are familiar to him. It is the loneliness that is not. He has never, until this time, been so alone.

'Don't be afraid, Jakob,' his father has told him, his voice weak and wavering. 'See the colours, my boy,' he has whispered. So he does. Rusted ochre from a mossy bough. Steely white from the sap of the youngest tree. On and on, Jakob runs.

Spanning from one world war to another, taking us across England, Switzerland and Austria, Jakob's Colours is about the painful legacies passed down from one generation to another, finding hope where there is no hope and colour where there is no colour.

What did I think?

I rarely sneak a peek at a book as it drops through my letterbox but the mesmeric cover of Jakob's Colours attracted me like a moth to a flame.  Once I had sneaked a peek there was no going back as chapters flipped back and forth between 'This Day' and 'Before' and I just had to find out what had happened.

Eight year old Jakob is alone at the beginning of the book so it is clear that something awful has happened to his family, and the book is about the Romany Holocaust after all.  In the chapters 'Before' and 'Long Before', Lindsay Hawdon has made sure that the voices of Jakob's mother and father, Lor and Yavy, are heard so evocatively that you forget you are hurtling towards a shocking ending.  As we discover how Lor and Yavy met, the inclusion of authentic Romany language adds additional depth to these already colourful characters.

Jakob is an amazing boy who has survived against the odds during World War II.  There is a part of the story where an old man has hidden Jakob, and two others, in a cupboard so the Germans don't find them.  The compassion that Markus shows is humbling, as he shares his food with his hidden visitors and takes beatings from the German soldiers.  Jakob's will to survive helps him to cope with his self-enforced captivity and he draws strength from his fellow captives, who are willing to sacrifice everything so that Jakob can be free.

Completely devastating and utterly compelling, Jakob's Colours is a book that stayed with me long after reading the final page.  At times shocking, it gives a powerful voice to all those poor souls who unnecessarily lost their lives during World War II.

I received this book from the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, via Bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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Natalie's Getting Married - Rosa Temple

Career minded, Natalie Spencer, had never been in love. She could never understand what all the fuss was about. But when she met Jackson Humphries during Fresher’s Week at university, that all changed.

Utterly infatuated, Natalie quickly discovers the meaning of love and, before she knows it, she's heading up the aisle – for the first time, that is.

This is a tale about four wedding dresses, a runaway groom and a girl who got so carried away, she couldn’t see true love staring her right in the face. 

What did I think?

Well this was a surprising little gem of a book; I simply couldn't put it down.  I fancied a bit of chicklit for a change but didn't expect to be so engrossed in the story that I read late into the night.  This only usually happens to me with a thriller.  So what was different about this book?  It just had that little bit of magic sprinkled throughout, and with Natalie being so desperate to be part of a couple she can't see true love hiding in plain sight like a pantomime villain - it's behind you!

I think we can all recognise something of Natalie in ourselves.  I'm sure we've all longingly mooned over a dreamy boy at school or, in Natalie's case, university.  For Natalie, her dream, and in a way ours, comes true!  Dreamy boy, aka Jackson, finally notices Natalie, falls in love with her and proposes faster than the speed of light.  Dream come true!  Then real life descends in the form of a future mother-in-law from hell.  Will Mummy Dearest convince Jackson to call off the wedding or does he truly love Natalie?

After Jackson comes Liam.  He's perfect and dependable but he just didn't set my, or Natalie's, heart on fire.  It's one of those occasions where he feels more strongly about her than she does about him - eek, time for a sharp exit.  At a New Year's Eve party Liam catches Natalie unawares, and slightly inebriated, and proposes.  Natalie accepts but you just know her heart is not fully committed.  I was crying 'call it off' right until she walks down the aisle.

So after wedding number 2, Natalie leaves London for LA hoping to put her past mistakes behind her.  She can run but she can't hide from love!  Of course, the ending was predictable but I was just ready for a happy ending and this book succeeded in leaving a massive smile on my face.

With misunderstandings, relationship mistakes and wedding dress shopping reminiscent of Narnia, this book will delight and enchant.  It has the perfect mix of laughter and tears, making it a book I will read again in the future when I need a little pick-me-up.

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

My rating:

Published 14th March 2016 - preorder now from Amazon

The Queen's Choice - Anne O'Brien

Her children or her crown

France, 1399: The Duke of Brittany is dead and his widow, Joanna of Navarre, has inherited control of their land – a testament to her intellect, integrity and political prowess.

Then comes an unprecedented proposal from Henry IV, King of England. The price of becoming his Queen? Abandoning her homeland, leaving her children and sacrificing her independence.

Henry's hold on the crown is unsteady and war is brewing. With the constant threat of rebellion, Henry will trust no-one – not even his new Queen. Crossing the channel is a dangerous prospect. But the union between Joanna and Henry would bring the chance of a vital alliance between two proud states – if they will allow it.

One question. Two paths. A choice that will make history.

What did I think?

I am a big fan of historical books, both fiction and non-fiction, but I don't have a lot of knowledge of English history prior to the War of the Roses so I was intrigued to read a novel of Henry IV and Joanna of Navarre.  Indeed, it was Henry IV’s grandson, Henry VI, who reigned during the War of the Roses so I have Anne O’Brien to thank for expanding my historical knowledge of this fascinating period of English history.  I've also had my eye on Anne O'Brien for a while and have picked up a few of her books on Amazon to read, and I will get round to them a lot quicker now that I have read this one.  I wasn’t surprised to learn that Anne used to be a history teacher as each chapter starts with a location and date, and I do find it really useful to have such a timeline when reading historical fiction.

The Queen’s Choice is a very comprehensive account of this period in history and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It gives an insight into the strained relations with France as well as the competition for the English crown.  The paranoia surrounding the monarch, who has been labelled as a usurper, must have been difficult to live with and I can see why Henry wanted to keep his crown close to him at all times.  I almost expected it to be prised from his cold dead fingers at the end.

Henry IV has to take a back seat in this novel as Joanna takes centre stage, being the subject of the book’s title.  Joanna is an unbelievably strong woman for her time – as Duchess of Brittany she was instrumental in helping her husband with his decisions but found that her voice wasn't heard when she became Queen of England.  Joanna’s story is quite tragic; she left her sons in France to become Queen of England and marry the man that she loved.  Although due to Henry constantly fighting rebellion, she didn’t see him as often as she would have liked and therefore didn’t give Henry the child that she craved.  Tragically, Henry is struck down with a deadly skin illness and Joanna shows that her love for him is more than skin deep.

Anne O’Brien brings history to life in this vivid portrait of Joanna of Navarre.  I felt that I had stepped in Joanna's shoes and lived life through her eyes for a short period of time.  It’s a royal love story with all the treachery and treason of the English medieval court.

I received this e-book from the publisher, MIRA, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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Battle for Rome (Twilight of Empire III) - Ian Ross

The Roman Empire is on the brink of civil war. Only Maxentius, tyrant of Rome, stands between the emperor Constantine and supreme power in the west.

Aurelius Castus, promoted from the ranks for valour and loyalty, is now a tribune in Constantine's army. But great honour brings new challenges: Castus is tormented by suspicions that his aristocratic wife, the mother of his child, has been unfaithful. And as Constantine becomes increasingly devoted to Christianity, Castus is forced to ask himself whether he is backing the wrong man.

All know that the coming war will decide the fate of empire. But Castus's own battle will carry him much further - into the shadowy realms of treachery at the heart of Rome itself.

The third book in the brilliant Twilight of Empire.

What did I think?

I've always enjoyed historical fiction and as a lover of Roman history, it's quite surprising that I've never read any Roman historical fiction.  I don't usually like to start reading mid-way through a series but I enjoyed this book so much that I don't think it was a necessity to read books 1 and 2 first.  I'm sure it would enhance the story by reading them in order, but Battle for Rome was immensely enjoyable as a standalone novel.

Castus is a very strong character - he commands the page as he does his army.  Although the book has a lot of fighting in it, and it's no surprise given the title of Battle for Rome, there is the human element of Castus and Sabina's marriage.  As Castus has been fighting across the Roman Empire, it has clearly left a strain on his marriage.  Has Sabina started to look elsewhere for comfort or has Castus' absence left her weak to corruption?

The only time I felt that I was missing something by not having read the earlier books was when Nigrinus was introduced.  I felt that there was some history between Castus and Nigrinus as they clearly detest each other, but there is so much treachery and backstabbing that nobody can be trusted.  I really enjoyed part 3 of the book when Castus is forced to work with Nigrinus and goes on a mission to Rome.  There were plenty of shocks and surprises in store to keep my heart racing.

Ian Ross has written a masterpiece that effortlessly transports the reader from the comfort of their home in 2015 to the Roman Empire in 312AD.  Every clash of sword and shield resounds from each page and, through Ian's descriptive writing, I could almost smell the blood and sweat of the Roman army.  This book has everything you would expect from a Roman epic - there is the opulence and splendour of Rome, power and riches of senators, madness of emperors and the brutality of battle.  I absolutely raced through it and definitely want to read the two earlier books in the series.

Special thanks go to Suzanne from Head of Zeus for sending me a treasured signed copy in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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