1066: What Fates Impose - G.K. Holloway

England is in crisis. King Edward has no heir and promises never to produce one. There are no obvious successors available to replace him, but quite a few claimants are eager to take the crown. While power struggles break out between the various factions at court, enemies abroad plot to make England their own. There are raids across the borders with Wales and Scotland. 

Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, is seen by many as the one man who can bring stability to the kingdom. He has powerful friends and two women who love him, but he has enemies will stop at nothing to gain power. As 1066 begins, England heads for an uncertain future. It seems even the heavens are against Harold.

Intelligent and courageous, can Harold forge his own destiny – or does he have to bow to what fates impose?

What did I think?

Although it was never one of my favourite subjects at school, I've always had a keen interest in history.  I love reading and learning about the kings and queens of England but unfortunately the history syllabus at school was more concerned with the industrial revolution.  I've mainly read about post-Plantagenet kings and queens so an Anglo Saxon novel was something new for me.

We've all heard of the Battle of Hastings and I'm sure that many people will know this was in 1066.  Equally, we have all heard of King Harold and the arrow in his eye.  So I was really surprised, when reading this book, how little I actually knew about the Battle of Hastings and the events leading up to it.  It can get confusing at times as to who is who, but the author has very kindly listed all of the main characters at the beginning of the book.  This was an invaluable reference and I found that I frequently turned to it, mainly due to the Norse sounding names of this period.

The story begins in 1045 in the court of Edward the Confessor.  Edward is married to Edith of Wessex, but when they fail to produce an heir, due to Edward's famous piety, Edward names Edith's brother Harold as his successor.  This doesn't go down well with Edward's cousin's son, William (the Conqueror), and others who believe they have a claim to the English throne.  The story obviously ends in 1066 where the Battle of Hastings is laid out in such glorious detail that I almost felt as if I was watching the battle myself.  The strategies employed by each side and the sheer scale of the bloodiness gave us a 360 degree view of this famous battle.

The book feels so very well researched that I had no reason to doubt any of the facts therein.  Of course, records dating from this time are sketchy but with so much historical treachery and political intrigue surrounding the English throne I have no doubt that 1066: What Fates Impose is more fact than fiction.  

If you think King Harold was killed by an arrow in the eye, think the Battle of Stamford Bridge is a derby between Chelsea and Spurs, and think William the Conqueror was the only threat to King Harold's crown then you must read this book.  G. K. Holloway brings Anglo Saxon history to life in 1066: What Fates Impose and my knowledge of this period is now so much richer for having read it.  A tremendous 5 star read.

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

My rating:

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The Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame: The Greatest Classical Music of All Time - Darren Henley, Tim Lihoreau, Sam Jackson

The Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame celebrates classical music's unique ability to stir the emotions of a listener - whether it's the haunting melodies of Gorecki's Symphony of Sorrowful Songs or Purcell'sDido and Aeneas; the passionately charged opening bars of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5; dramatic operas such as Puccini's La boheme; the moving sounds of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Mozart's Clarinet Concerto; beautiful ballet scores from Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky; or blockbuster film soundtracks composed by John Williams and Howard Shore.

This new edition of the Sunday Times bestseller celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the Classic FM Hall of Fame. With a fully updated chart of the nation's 300 favourite works, based on votes cast by millions of listeners over the past twenty years, a revised introduction and beautiful new illustrations, this definitive collection encompasses a rich variety of classical greats, contemporary masters, lesser-known treasures and outstanding British composers to provide a fascinating insight into our relationship with the music we love.

Darren Henley, Sam Jackson and Tim Lihoreau guide us through the world of classical music and the people responsible for creating and performing it. Combining fascinating histories and biographies, recommended recordings and the ranking of the 300 pieces themselves, this book is as relevant to a new listener discovering the joys of classical music as it is to long-time lovers of the genre. The Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame is a beautifully illustrated testament to the enduring power of classical music to inspire, entertain, relax and invigorate us.

What did I think?

I admit it took me quite a while to read this cover to cover, but once I did I found that it will be a book I refer to time and time again.  It's almost like an encyclopedia of composers' best works - I just have to think of a composer and I can turn to their entry in the Hall of Fame to find out all about them.  To accompany the entries, there are some absolutely beautiful artistic depictions of some of the most well-known pieces of music.

Each piece of music has a little narrative describing it and its inspiration, along with where you might have heard it (such as Prokofiev's Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet being the theme tune of The Apprentice and also the music that Sunderland, my football team, play when they run on to the pitch during home games).  The recommended recording to fully appreciate each piece is also stated along with the chart position.

There are so many interesting facts to learn in The Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame - all of the best known classical composers have a dedicated page with their own mini biography and a 'Did You Know?' fact.  The most jaw-dropping moment for me was discovering that George Frideric Handel, of Messiah and Water Music fame, was a British citizen.

The Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame is a stunning companion to the Easter weekend top 300 chart and a book to refer to again and again.  It has reawakened my love for classical music as I remembered long forgotten pieces and found some new favourites.  Thanks to The Ultimate Classic FM Hall of Fame, I now tune in to Classic FM for my daily commute.

I received this book from the publisher, Elliott & Thompson, in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Empathy Problem - Gavin Extence

Driven by money, power and success, Gabriel has worked ruthlessly to get to the very top of the banking game. He's not going to let the inconvenience of a terminal brain tumour get in his way.

But the tumour has other ideas. As it grows, it appears to be doing strange things to Gabriel's personality. Whether he likes it or not, he seems to be becoming less selfish, less mercenary, less unlikeable.

Once he could dismiss the rest of humanity as irrelevant. Now he's not so sure. Women, in particular, are becoming worryingly three-dimensional. And none more so than Caitlin, the 'unremarkable' girl he sees busking on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral. When she plays her violin, Gabriel could almost believe that he has a soul...

But as each day that passes brings him closer to his last, has time run out for second chances?

What did I think?

This was actually a bit of a wake up call for me as I saw so much of myself in Gabriel - not his power and success but definitely putting work before health.  Getting the work life balance is something that many people have off to a tee but for the small number of workaholics out there it's something that is very difficult to do, even when you have a health scare.

Gabriel simply doesn't have time for a brain tumour, it will involve taking too much time off work.  Gabriel will allow absolutely nothing to interfere with his work, not even any treatment that might extend his life or make him more comfortable - treatment can be done on a Saturday, can't it?  (Anyone who knows me will be seeing the similarity to me right about now).  The brain tumour, however, does not love work as much as Gabriel.  As the tumour grows, Gabriel begins to experience emotions he didn't know he possessed and it causes him to make some very surprising decisions.

All of this is going on at the time of the anti-capitalism Occupy protests in London in 2011 to 2012 as thousands of people took to the streets to protest about inequality and corporate greed following the banking crisis.  Gabriel's luxury office overlooks the Occupy camp and he is in effect one of the bankers that they are protesting about.  As Gabriel's emotions start to change, he takes a walk through the square and hears the most beautiful music.  He is inexplicably drawn to Caitlin, a talented busker, who he then scarily stalks.  You could really feel him losing control of the rational part of his brain at this point.  His stalking actually proves useful when Caitlin is mugged and Gabriel, lurking behind in the shadows, challenges her attacker.  Caitlin and Gabriel strike up a friendship that is both hilarious and despondent as Gabriel tangles himself into a web of lies.

I'm not a big fan of politics and there's a large part of the storyline that's dedicated to the anti-capitalism protests, however, it wasn't overbearing.  There's enough going on with Gabriel's rainbow of emotions to hold the reader's interest.  It's so intriguing to see the experiencing of emotions that you or I may see as ordinary being shown as completely alien to Gabriel.  It's powerful and fascinating to see that, as human beings, we're all capable of feeling the same emotions but for some more than others they're buried so much deeper.

Having previously read The Mirror World of Melody Black, I find Gavin Extence to be a completely unique author.  His writing is so thought-provoking, engaging and witty that his books are impossible to put down.  I read The Empathy Problem in less than 24 hours but the story within will stay with me for a lot longer than that.  

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon


About the Author:

Gavin Extence lives in Sheffield with his wife, children and cat. 


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BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY: Before You - Kathryn Freeman

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 7^th June 2016

Publisher: Choc Lit

When life in the fast lane threatens to implode...

Melanie Hunt's hob working for the Delta racing team means she is constantly rubbing shoulders with Formula One superstars in glamorous locations like Monte Carlo.  But she has already learned that keeping a professional distance is crucial if she doesn't want to get hurt.

New Delta team driver Aiden Foster lives his life like he drives his cars - fast and hard.  But, no matter how successful he is, it seems he always falls short of his championship-winning father's legacy.  If he could just stay focused, he could finally make that win.

Resolve begins to slip as Melanie and Aiden find themselves drawn to each other –with nowhere to hide as racing season begins. But when a troubled young boy goes missing, everything is thrown into turmoil, including Aiden’s championship dream.

What did I think?

You don't have to be a Formula One fan to enjoy Before You, but if you're glued to the tv when there's a race on then you're going to absolutely love this.  Needless to say, with my love of F1, I whizzed through it like Jenson Button in a half-decent car.  Kathryn Freeman has certainly done her homework; it was impeccably researched without getting too involved for non-racing fans.  In fact the racing/romance story was as well balanced as Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes.  I have to give a special mention to the gorgeous cover with a lovely shot of the famous Fairmont Hairpin in Monte Carlo.

Mel Hunt (homage to the great James Hunt, perhaps?) is a press officer for the Delta racing team.  She has been there, done that and shrunk the t-shirt when it comes to dating a Formula One driver after a heartbreaking relationship with Viper driver Carlos Ferrer, a Spaniard with an eye for the ladies.  Aiden Foster is new to the Delta team; he has a lot to live up to as he is the son of five times World Champion, Seb Foster.  Aiden barely remembers his dad as Seb Foster crashed and lost his life at the Monaco Grand Prix almost twenty years ago, when Aiden was just ten years old.  Now Aiden is driving for his dad's old team and he wants to win the Championship as well as the girl.  Aiden and Mel have an obvious attraction right from the start but Mel doesn't want to get her heart broken again and Aiden has a playboy image to live up to.  The pages positively crackle with all the sexual tension of the will they/won't they storyline.

Before You has to be the fastest-paced romance novel I have ever read.  The excitement of the races and the buzz of the track, coupled with the many misunderstandings and undeniable attraction between Mel and Aiden, ensures that the story hurtles along at lightning speed.  No sooner had the five red lights gone out than the chequered flag was being waved and the Championship was decided.  Who will end up on the top step of the podium?

I absolutely loved Before You; it's a fabulous romance set over the course of a whole Formula One season.  The insecurities of both Mel and Aiden added another dimension to the story, although I'm not sure that I could have forgiven Mel's insecurity when it put a damper on the end of season party.  It just shows that sometimes things are not as they appear but oh, how we do love to jump to conclusions.

I would personally like to thank Kathryn Freeman for writing such an excellent story for us female racing fans.  I'm the first person to jump up and down when incorrect terms are used when talking about my beloved sport, so for Kathryn Freeman to not get a single technical term out of place whilst still holding the attention of non-racing fans is no mean feat.  An exceptional story in a unique setting, Before You has certainly earned its place on the top step of my podium.

I received this e-book from Brook Cottage Books in exchange for an honest review and I am releasing my review as part of the blog tour.

My rating:

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK
AMAZON US

ABOUT KATHRYN FREEMAN

I was born in Wallingford but have spent most of my life living in a village outside Windsor. A former pharmacist, I’m now a medical writer who also loves to write romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero…

I’ve two teenage boys and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to bother buying a card again this year (yes, he does) so the romance in my life is all in my head. Then again, my husband’s unstinting support of my career change goes to prove that love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes can come in many disguises.

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

Twitter: @kathrynfreeman1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7373990.Kathryn_Freeman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-freeman-2962209

GIVEAWAY

A paperback copy of Search for the Truth (open internationally)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dear Amy - Helen Callaghan

FIRST CLASS PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE FROM A MAJOR NEW VOICE IN FICTION

In her guise as 'Dear Amy', agony aunt for a local newspaper, Margot Lewis has dealt with all sorts of letters - but never one like this...

Dear Amy,

I've been kidnapped by a strange man. 

I don't know where I am.
Please help me,

Bethan Avery

This must be a cruel hoax. Because Bethan Avery has been missing for nearly two decades.

But as the present-day search intensifies for another missing schoolgirl, Margot is unnerved enough to take the letter to the police, hoping they will dismiss it as a sick joke.

Instead, they let Margot in on a little secret. One that confirms her darkest fears and tangles her up in the search for the sender, which could save one young girl's life and cost Margot her own...

What did I think?

Although I read it quite quickly, I didn't really lose myself in Dear Amy as much as I expected.  I didn't really feel any emotions for any of the characters, not even missing girls Bethan Avery or Katie Browne.  I thought the story itself was a good enough idea but it was just too easy to guess the outcome, even for me who doesn't usually see most things coming.  I do, however, have to give Helen Callaghan special kudos for making me gasp out loud towards the end of the book when I drew in my breath as fast as the gunshot I had just heard in my head.

Margot Lewis is a teacher at a local school when one of her pupils, Katie Browne, goes missing.  Everyone thinks Katie ran away so the police aren't really looking that hard for her.  Margot, in the form of Amy, agony aunt of the local newspaper, then starts to receive letters from Bethan Avery, a girl who was kidnapped twenty years ago and never found.  Could Bethan still be alive?  Is her case linked to Katie's?  Margot, however, has problems of her own - she's going through a messy divorce and popping sleeping pills like smarties. Will Katie be found before Margot unravels?

Dear Amy is a fast-paced thriller with a few shocks and surprises that really did make me gasp out loud.  Although it never quite caught me within its grasp, it was an enjoyable, albeit slightly predictable, read.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

The Unravelling - Thorne Moore

Genre: Domestic noir

Release Date: 21 July 2016

Publisher: Honno Press

From the Top Ten Bestselling Author of A Time for Silence

When they were ten everybody wanted to be Serena’s friend, to find themselves one of the inner circle. But doing so meant proving your worth, and doing that often had consequences it’s not nice to think about – not even thirty-five years later.

Karen Rothwell is randomly reminded of an incident in her childhood which just as suddenly becomes an obsession. It takes her on a journey into a land of secrets and lies; it means finding that gang of girls from Marsh Green Junior School and most importantly of all finding Serena Whinn.

Praise for Thorne Moore’s novels

A true page turner’– www.gwales.com

The most chilling part of Thorne Moore's skill is the way that she represents evil' – Helen Tozer, sideline jelly

What did I think?

We all know how cruel children can be and since time began there's always been a circle of friends envied by those who are not part of the group.  Karen Rothwell can't believe her luck when she's invited to join the inner circle of Serena Whinn, but something happened at junior school in 1966, something so terrible that Karen has removed it from her memory.  When Karen's memory is suddenly jogged, she tries to trace her old schoolfriends to find out what really happened; but how honest are her old friends being and will this result in more questions than answers?

I loved the way that The Unravelling completely played with my mind.  It was written so cleverly that I was as surprised as Karen when I found out what had happened in 1966.  Although I'm more of a younger generation, it reminded me of the fascination with the occult that many teens and pre-teens had in my day.  I've never done it, but I know many people my age who dabbled with a Ouija board in their youth.  Thorne Moore perfectly conjures the excitement and terror in the Ouija board scene where the girls are so scared but at the same time reluctant to remove their hands from the glass.  It certainly sent shivers down my spine!

I found myself completely riveted to the page as events from 1966 were revealed and the true colours of some of the friends were shown.  Let's just say, it's not Karen who should be questioning her sanity!  The power of the mind is a wonderful thing and The Unravelling really brought it home how the human brain can protect us from distressing events.

With a disturbing fast-paced storyline, The Unravelling is a book that is virtually impossible to put down.  Chock-full of suspense and with more than its fair share of surprises, it's certainly one that I would recommend.

I received this e-book from Brook Cottage Books in exchange for an honest review and I am releasing my review as part of the blog tour.

My rating:

 

BUY LINKS

HONNO PRESS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

BOOK DEPOSITORY

WORDERY

ABOUT THORNE MOORE

Thorne Moore was born in Luton but has lived in in the back of beyond in north Pembrokeshire for 32 years. She has degrees in History and Law, worked in a library and ran a family restaurant as well as a miniature furniture craft business, which is still in Production, but she now concentrates on writing psychological crime mysteries.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thorne.moore.7

Twitter: @ThorneMoore

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6562052.Thorne_Moore

Blog: http://thornemoore.blogspot.co.uk/

The Girl in the Painting (NightHawk book 4) - Rachael Richey

While her husband Gideon is recording a new album with his band NightHawk, Abi Hawk is busy getting her own career as a portrait painter back on track.

Following the death of her father, which coincides with the opening night of her first exhibition in London, Abi and her daughter come across an old painting in his attic that sets them on a journey of discovery to Paris. They uncover an astonishing and unexpected love story, one that has repercussions to the present day.

Meanwhile Gideon, in America to promote the new album, ignores Abi’s warnings and manages to put himself in a vulnerable situation that threatens to rock the stability of their marriage. Separated from Abi by nearly five thousand miles, and unable to speak to her, will he be able to resolve the situation before any real damage is done?

What did I think?

I cannot begin to express how much I love the NightHawk series; it is pure escapism and I have loved every single instalment that Rachael Richey has written.  You could, I suppose, read The Girl in the Painting as a stand-a-lone but to get the most out of the series you really should read them in order: Storm Rising, Rhythm of Deceit and Cobwebs in the Dark.  They all got 5 star reviews from me, and many other readers, so take my advice and read them all.  I really couldn't choose a favourite - they each have different qualities and each one is as captivating as the next.

This instalment is the story of Abi's grandmother, Janet.  Abi never knew her grandmother as she died before she was born, but when Abi and Tasha uncover a very personal painting of a mysterious redhead in Abi's Dad's loft they are determined to find out more.  As their search for Janet's story leads them to Paris, where Abi is exhibiting her own paintings, they find a lot more than they bargained for.  As we're swept away to glamorous Paris at the end of the 1920's, I was as eager as Tasha to discover Janet's story.

While Abi and Tasha are uncovering their own family history, Gideon is across the Atlantic in America promoting his new album.  He is planning to stay with his old friends, Kurt and Sonia, a fact that Abi is not best pleased about.  Abi tells Gideon that Sonia is attracted to him, but he doesn't listen and gets himself in a sticky situation.  When Sonia won't take no for an answer, she follows him to Seattle and the press wonder who the mystery woman is and what she means to Gideon.  With Abi in Paris, the time difference means that Gideon can't get in touch with her to explain about Sonia - will Abi believe him or is there no smoke without fire?

The Girl in the Painting is a truly magnificent book; it's such a captivating story that effortlessly spans the decades as it transports the reader to another time and place.  Rachael Richey is quite the expert at keeping us in suspense with her expressive writing style, resulting in a breathtakingly beautiful story that is slowly revealed like the unfurling petals of the most precious rose.  I didn't think you could get more heart-warming or romantic than Abi and Gideon's story - but I was wrong!  Rachael Richey continues to amaze with her superb NightHawk series.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon