Excerpt reveal: A Dream of Lilies - Petra March

 

The Blurb

 

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.

 

(Ages 17+)

 

Release Date: June 21st, 2016

 

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Romance

Series: A Touch of Cinnamon

Edition: eBook

 

 

The Excerpt

Lily Brightwell stretched her arms up to the pulsing lights, then waited for the music to graze her fingertips. She closed her eyes and smiled, as the loud notes penetrated her skin and ran throughout her veins, along with her blood, guiding its course and speed. Her body swayed to the music, as her eyelids fluttered, then finally her pale-blue eyes opened to take in the crowd around her.

The club was filled with bodies, perfumes, and colors. As she danced, Lily's gaze carefully searched for a suitable partner. As she considered the enchanted faces, Lily made her way through the throbbing crowd, still letting her body follow the pattern painted by the music. While she moved, a young man with dark hair and flushed skin – his dancing endearingly clumsy – smiled at her, but soon looked away. A warm hand stroked Lily's, catching her attention; Lily turned and met a beautiful woman with short, blond hair. The woman's long, lithe fingers stroked Lily's white strands, while her eyes considered Lily's features , the features of a twenty-four-year-old woman. “Lovely,” the woman mouthed, then backed away and into the arms of another lady.

Lily grinned and for a moment forgot her goal, as the music faded then grew into another rhythm. Lily let the new melody fold her into its hot embrace, and danced for a long while.

At last, determined brown eyes captured hers.

The man was tall, lean, and elegant; he wanted her and his entire body declared so. For a brief moment, however, Lily's resolve faltered. So, to regain her courage, she conjured the images of two young men – one was her age, the other a bit older. They lived far away from her, yet on this particularly painful night, Lily and the two men were linked by deep, unspeakable, immense grief.

On this night, Lily – just like the two men, she believed – was looking for a necessary relief; that's why she finally nodded to the elegant man, and smiled when she glimpsed his acceptance of her muted invitation.

 

A Dream of Lilies:A Novella, by Petra March
Copyright 2016 Petra March(aka Petra F. Bagnardi). All Rights Reserved.
Series: A Touch of Cinnamon
Publisher: Self-pub.
Editors:
CeeCee Lawson (The Literary Melting Pot)
Sharon Taylor Xuereb (Sharon's Book Nook)

 

About the Author
Petra March studied Screenwriting and History of American Cinema at UCLA and NYU. Presently, Petra keeps traveling and dreaming through her novels. Her characters are deeply in love with Europe and the USA, just like Petra is.

Petra March is the Award Winning Author of the A Touch of Cinnamon Series.
Book 1: A Veil of Glass and Rain(Special Edition)
Book 2: All the Skies I will not See:A Novella - Winner of:
-Pacific Book Awards (2016):Best Short Story.
-Pinnacle Book Achievement Award (Summer 2015):Best Novella.
-Literary Classics Seal of Approval (August 20, 2015).
-Readers' Favorite 5-Star-Review Medal.
-Shelf Unbound Notable Top 100 Book (2015).
-The Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards Finalist (2015).

Connect with Petra:

www.authorpetramarch.weebly.com

www.facebook.com/AuthorPetraMarch

 

Read my review of A Veil of Glass and Rain here and All The Skies I Will Not See here.

 

 

 



The Sister - Louise Jensen

"I did something terrible Grace. I hope you can forgive me ..." 

Grace hasn't been the same since the death of her best friend Charlie. She is haunted by Charlie's last words, and in a bid for answers, opens an old memory box of Charlie's. It soon becomes clear there was a lot she didn't know about her best friend. 

When Grace starts a campaign to find Charlie's father, Anna, a girl claiming to be Charlie's sister steps forward. For Grace, finding Anna is like finding a new family, and soon Anna has made herself very comfortable in Grace and boyfriend Dan's home. 

But something isn't right. Things disappear, Dan's acting strangely and Grace is sure that someone is following her. Is it all in Grace's mind? Or as she gets closer to discovering the truth about both Charlie and Anna, is Grace in terrible danger? 

There was nothing she could have done to save Charlie ...or was there? 

A compelling, gripping psychological thriller perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, I Let You Go, and The Girl With No Past. 

What did I think?

I couldn't resist delving straight into this book after I saw the cover of a striking pink envelope against a black background.  There's just something so very dark and mysterious about it and the dark, mysterious theme continues inside the book.  With alternating 'then' and 'now' chapters it's a very quick read as you simply can't put it down!

Charlie and Grace are best friends at school and they decide to bury a memory box and make a promise that the pair of them will open it together when they are older.  When Charlie passes away suddenly, the promise is broken as Grace is left to open the memory box on her own.  What will Grace find inside the box?  With Charlie's unstable Mum, Lexie, blaming Grace for her death I was eager to find out what on earth could have happened but that's only half the story.

As Grace struggles to cope after Charlie's death she, and her partner, Dan, set up a campaign to find Charlie's father.  Surprisingly quickly, Grace finds Anna who claims to be Charlie's sister.  Of course I was naturally suspicious of Anna - she may look like Charlie but she seems to have a hidden agenda.  As Anna steps up her game with Grace I wouldn't have been surprised to find a bunny boiling on the stove.  Who is she?  What does she want?  These questions and more kept the pages turning late into the night.

There's so much going on in this book that my eyes were racing down the pages so I could unearth the whole story as quickly as possible.  There are twists and turns that had me guessing right up to the very end and I had tears in my eyes as I relived Charlie's last moments.

The Sister is an exceptional debut; just when I thought I had something worked out another twist popped up to shout 'aha you're wrong'.  It's an addictive page-turner that begs time and again for just one more chapter until the whole book has been devoured and thoroughly enjoyed.

I received this ebook from the publisher, Bookouture, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins

Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough.

Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar.

Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…

What did I think?

I'm a bit late to the party on this one but, with the volume of books rotating through my family, it was inevitable that my path would cross with The Girl on the Train at some point.  So many thanks to Aunty M for lending it to me.

Rachel is the girl on the train, travelling in and out of London each day passing her old house.  A house she used to live in with her husband, Tom, until Tom met Anna.  As the train stops at the signals, Rachel looks into one of her neighbours homes and sees a loving couple.  It is not long before Rachel conjures up a story about the couple, naming them Jason and Jess.  One day Rachel spots 'Jess' with someone who isn't her husband and is completely devastated that Jason and Jess are not the perfect couple she though they were.  Then when a local woman, Megan Hipwell, is reported missing, Rachel's breath catches in her throat as she sees a photo in the newspaper, because Megan is 'Jess'.

Told from the point of view of the three ladies in the story; Rachel, Anna and Megan, with each voice being so completely and perfectly distinct from the others.  Rachel is an alcoholic and is held together by sticky tape; I thought if she got stuck in a shower she'd become unstuck and fall to pieces.  Anna thinks she's won, going from the other woman to the wife, but she doesn't seem very confident in her relationship and is constantly on the lookout for Rachel so she can complain to Tom.  Megan is so guarded and confused, I felt like she was a shadow of herself and an almost empty shell of a person.  As her story progresses, it becomes clear why I would think this.

I can see why there has been so much excitement about The Girl on the Train; it is written in such a way that it feels like the book is actually talking to you.  Rachel's alcoholism was revealed warts and all, sometimes shockingly so, but it made your heart go out to her. She feels like her life is falling apart and as she rapidly loses control she regularly drinks herself into oblivion.  When Rachel reveals what she knows about Megan's mystery man and his link to her disappearance, her reliability is called into question but Rachel actually knows more than she realises.  If only she hadn't been drunk that night she might have remembered a crucial piece of evidence that is so far remaining agonisingly out of reach.

Never mind The Girl on the Train, I felt like I'd been hit by a train at the end.  I was tootling along nicely grasping at snippets as Rachel remembered them, then BAM! No way!  I totally didn't see it coming and I then questioned everything I'd picked up as the book went along.  A top psychological thriller, The Girl on the Train deserves every accolade that comes its way.  I know that I will be talking and thinking about this one for a long time.  

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Simply Modern Patchwork Bags - Janet Goddard

Everyone loves a bag! Why have one when you can have ten? Different bags are needed for various activities in our day to day lives - shopping, working, relaxing, socialising, for home or holiday and my aim has been to put together a book showcasing ten different patterns; each one for a different purpose. There is a bag for every occasion.

Simply modern patchwork means fresh, bright fabric choices with simple, stunning patchwork designs. This has been coupled with stylish, practical bag designs. I have chosen fabrics and bag designs that I love and I hope that you will too.

Patchwork involves using two or more fabrics with a number of shaped pieces. Some of the bag patterns in this book use a selection of fabrics and it is the use of two, three or four fabrics and sometimes more which make the patchwork. Some bags feature squares, triangles or rectangles in a variety of patterns and the patchwork then is a real focal point in the bag.

What did I think?

I was delighted to receive this book from the publisher to review; it is filled with inspiring photographs of some lovely bags and pouches, and has excellent instructions throughout. There are 10 projects; five easy and five more advanced but each project is listed step-by-step with illustrations for any tricky parts. I love the handy hints that give ideas for changes to the bags or to tips to enhance the finished item. Each project is shown as a full page photograph so you can see exactly what the finished item will look like.

I haven't had time to make anything yet, but the instructions are so incredibly detailed that I don't think I will encounter any problems at all. All you need is a sewing machine, a cutter, some fabric and a little bit of imagination. Although not to worry if you are stuck for ideas as the author puts fabrics together that I would never have thought of, so there is lots of inspiration inside the book. This truly is a book for beginners and experienced seamstresses alike. Now what shall I make first?

I received this book from the publisher, Search Press, via #ReviewItFriday in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Crash & Burn (Tessa Leone #3) - Lisa Gardner

My name is Nicky Frank.

I'm in hospital, afraid. All I can think about is Vero. I have to save her but I can't find her. She's just a little girl. The man by my bed tells me we're married and there is no Vero. He says that six months ago I suffered a brain injury, that I have dramatic mood swings and large gaps in my memory. I get angry and I drink. All of which explains the car crash that put me here.

Now a Sergeant Wyatt Foster has questions about the accident. He has concerns about my husband. And he's worried about a missing girl. He would like to know what happened to me. So would I.

This is my life. Watch me crash and burn.

What did I think?

I have been a fan of Lisa Gardner for some time now and although this is the third book in the Tessa Leone series it is the first one that I have read.  I don't feel like I was at a disadvantage by not having read the prior books, as that is the beauty of Lisa Gardner - it's not so much that the story carries on, it is just that the main character links the books together.  Crash & Burn must have one of the best first sentences I have seen for a long time; it starts with the sentence "I died once." immediately drawing the reader in and giving me goosebumps in the process.

The story starts with Nicky waking in a hospital bed with scant recollection of what has happened to her.  All she can think of is the mysterious Vero and I could feel her distress creeping out of the pages like curling tendrils of smoke as she wondered what had happened to her.  As officers investigate the car accident that brought Nicky into the hospital, there is no sign of anybody else being in the car at the time of the accident.  So who exactly is Vero and what has happened to her?

The way the story evolves made me question not only Nicky's sanity but her very identity.  There is a lot of mystery surrounding her and her husband so my mind was working overtime as it tried to figure things out.  I got some things right and other things way wrong! Although I didn't think this was one of Lisa Gardner's best books, it was a satisfying twisty story with a good amount of surprises.

Crash & Burn tied my brain in knots as I tried to work out the story but, with Lisa Gardner pulling the punches, you really can expect the unexpected.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

My Girl - Jack Jordan

Paige Dawson: the mother of a murdered child and wife to a dead man.

She has nothing left to live for… until she finds her husband’s handgun hidden in their house.

Why did Ryan need a gun? What did he know about their daughter’s death?

Desperate for the truth, Paige begins to unearth her husband’s secrets.

But she has no idea who she is up against, or that her life isn’t hers to gamble – she belongs to me.

From the bestselling author of Anything for Her, Jack Jordan's My Girl is the new chilling thriller that you won't want to miss.

What did I think?

After naming Anything For Her as one of my top reads of 2015, I could hardly contain my excitement when Jack Jordan asked me if I would like to read his new book.  The answer was of course 'yes please' as I checked my email every hour to see when My Girl would drop through my virtual mailbox.  I am releasing my review as part of the blog tour so please do follow all the stops on the posters at the end of my review.

Paige feels like her life is falling apart.  Her daughter, Chloe, went missing and Paige never found out what happened to her.  This all became too much for Paige's husband, Ryan, as he chose to end his life leaving Paige struggling to cope without her family.  As Paige feels her life spiralling out of control she turns to drink and drugs to numb the pain, even resorting to desperate measures to obtain them.  She sobers up pretty sharpish when she finds a gun in Ryan's office and strange things start to happen in the house, leaving Paige questioning her sanity and fearing for her own safety.  Luckily she has family she can turn to...

I think one word that a lot of people will use to describe My Girl is 'unputdownable'; I read it in one sitting over a couple of hours and don't think I even stopped for a beer - that's praise indeed coming from me!  As part one drew to a close you could have knocked me down with a feather - I so didn't see that coming!  My jaw hit the floor and my eyebrows shot up to the sky - not a pretty look but one that many thriller readers will recognise and the mark of a very good book!

There will inevitably be parallels drawn between My Girl and a well known book that shall not be named as it will give one of the twists away.  My Girl has the benefit of the element of surprise as up until part two I would never have thought the book was going in that particular direction.  Now you will have to read My Girl to find out what on earth I am talking about.

My Girl is certainly a strong contender for my top reads of 2016, in fact I'd say it is one to beat.  Jack Jordan is really getting a name for himself as a very talented psychological thriller writer.  With twists and shocks galore, My Girl will keep you riveted from start to finish and I urge you to read it for yourself - you won't regret it (although you may have a late night of reading).

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

My rating:

Released 4th July 2016 - preorder from Amazon now by clicking here.

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BLOG TOUR: The Flower Seller - Ellie Holmes

What a wonderful blog tour that Brook Cottage Books have instore for you lovely readers.  Not only do you get to read reviews of a fabulous book, you can also read an excerpt and enter a giveaway to win your very own signed paperback copy (UK only).  You don't want to miss this one!

Genre: Commercial Romantic Fiction

Release Date: 2^nd June 2016

All she wanted was a love she could BELIEVE IN.

Jessie Martin believes that when it comes to love there are three types of people: the skimmers, the bottom dwellers and the ones who dive for pearls. Jessie is a pearl diver. She had thought her husband William was a pearl diver too. But when William leaves her for a younger woman, it’s not just Jessie’s heart that is broken, her ability to trust is shattered too.

Refusing to retire from the battlefield of life, Jessie resolves to put her heartache behind her. She doesn’t want to be that woman who was too scared to love again. There has to be another pearl diver out there; all she has to do is find him.

When fate brings handsome flower seller Owen Phillips into her life, Jessie believes he may be the one but is her fragile trust about to be shattered all over again?

The Flower Seller is a warm, engaging read about love, deceit, betrayal and hope.

EXCERPT

It had been her daughter Hannah’s idea to put an advert in the Abbeyleigh Gazette. ‘It’s time to take yourself out of your comfort zone, Mum. Why don’t you get Anne to give you a hand with the ad?’

Sucked into the vortex of her daughter’s enthusiasm, Jessie had agreed before she could talk herself out of it.

‘So, what have you got so far?’ Anne had asked over margaritas in Spike’s Bar.

‘Newly single brunette, slim, attractive, early forties, non-smoker, good sense of humour, would like to meet man thirties/forties for friendship and maybe more,’ Jessie read aloud.

Anne pretended to fall asleep and Jessie slapped her arm.

‘Bit dull, sweetie!’ Anne said with a smile. ‘For starters, you should put early thirties. Everyone knocks a few years off. And do you really want to say slim? It’s practically shorthand for flat-chested and you’re not. How about “great figure” instead?’

‘That’s a bit conceited, isn’t it?’

Anne threw her a look. ‘It’s an advert, Jessie. You’re meant to be selling yourself.’

‘Blimey! I’ll just get some fishnets and a red light, shall I?’

‘You know what I mean. You should put something in there about being outgoing. That usually leads to some interesting propositions.’

‘But I’m not outgoing,’ Jessie said.

‘For goodness’ sake, outgoing just means you’re up for a bit of fun. I’m not suggesting for a moment that you put “open-minded”. Now that would lead to some replies that would make your hair stand on end. And obviously your WLTM has to be a man in his late twenties or early thirties.’

‘Has to be? This is my advert, remember? Not yours!’

Anne smirked. ‘So you’d prefer “Recently dumped flat-chested brunette, early forties, lives life with the handbrake on, would like to meet man forties/fifties for visits to the library”?’

‘I’d prefer not to be doing it at all.’

Anne squeezed her hand. ‘I know, sweetie. And you can stick another pin in your effigy of William when you get home but right now we need to get you back out there before life passes you by.’

ABOUT ELLIE HOLMES

Ellie Holmes writes commercial women’s fiction and romantic suspense. She takes her inspiration from the beautiful Essex countryside and the sublime Cornish coast. The Flower Seller is Ellie’s first full-length novel. Ellie is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and the Romantic Novelists’ Association. To find out more please visit www.ellieholmesauthor.com

AUTHOR LINKS

https://www.facebook.com/EllieHWriter

https://www.twitter.com/EllieHWriter

https://pinterest.com/EllieHWriter

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15076107.Ellie_Holmes

MY REVIEW

There was something so very appealing about this book - the colours of the cover are so very striking and the lonely lady on the front suggests a story of love and loss.  So if books were made of metal and I was a bookmagnet, I would be so pleased to be attracted to The Flower Seller.

Jessie finds herself newly single after finding out that her husband has been cheating on her with a younger woman.  As they go through the pain of a divorce and try to split assets, tempers fray and ornaments are thrown.  It's alright for William, he has a new life now with his young lady friend so he'd be quite happy to see Jessie living out her remaining days as a single lady.  So when Jessie meets Owen, it takes her a while to trust him as he is younger than her, and William doesn't take it well at all.  Is Owen too good to be true?  William certainly thinks that Owen is not as perfect as he seems, so he does a bit of digging...just what will he uncover and by doing this does it mean that he still loves Jessie?  

My heart went out to Jessie as her marriage fell apart and she struggled to get back in the dating game.  Jessie is a lot stronger than she thinks, both personally and professionally; she takes her work very seriously and is clearly very good at her job.  She certainly has morals which are often lacking in many people today.

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel; the writing flows so easily and I was completely drawn into the story after only a few pages.  I really liked Jessie and, to be honest, I wasn't sure which man I would prefer to see her end up with.  William has hurt her deeply and I wasn't sure if she would ever be able to forgive and forget, whereas Owen seemed lovely but he was very guarded and appeared to be hiding something, so I doubted whether Jessie could truly love him if she didn't really know him.  Of course, there are always two sides to every story...

The Flower Seller is an impressive debut novel; Ellie Holmes has managed to weave many emotions into this raw examination of the hurt caused by a marriage breakdown and the hope of a new relationship.  Heartfelt and emotive, you don't want to miss The Flower Seller.

I received this e-book from Brook Cottage Books in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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