BLOG TOUR: Summertime at the Cornish Confetti Agency - Daisy James

I'm absolutely delighted to be taking part in the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour for Summertime at the Cornish Confetti Agency by Daisy James.  Read on to find out about the book and scroll down for my review.

It’s Summertime at The Cornish Confetti Agency!

When Lexie Harrington is asked to co-ordinate Kat and Dylan’s ‘English village fête’ wedding, she’s determined that this time everything will go according to her carefully laid plans; no ice bucket challenges, no whoopee cushions, and absolutely no googly eyes attached to everything in sight!

With gorgeous journalist-cum-wedding columnist Theo Barker to offer a helping hand, Lexie is optimistic that she can deliver the fairy tale wedding her clients have always dreamed of…. until the best man Noah is targeted by a loose hosepipe, the wedding rings go walk-about, and his beloved scarlet Porsche takes on a distinctly unpleasant aroma.

Can Lexie and Theo uncover what’s behind the mysterious goings on, or will the Cornish Confetti Agency be forced to close its doors to the future brides and grooms of glorious Cornwall?

What did I think?

I seem to make a habit of reading Daisy James books mid-series, but they're so easy to read that you can always catch up with the characters' histories and fully enjoy the fabulous story.  Summertime at the Cornish Confetti Agency is the second book in the Cornish Confetti Agency series and it can definitely be read as a standalone.  I haven't read the first book in the series but Daisy James paints a multi-coloured picture of events in the first book to ensure that readers picking up a book mid-series are not disadvantaged.

After losing her job, Lexie is looking after the Cornish Confetti Agency while its owner is away.  The first wedding didn't quite go to plan so Lexie is hoping to redeem herself by making sure that the village fete wedding she's planning for the vicar's daughter goes without a hitch.   Of course, some things are out of Lexie's control and when someone starts playing pranks on the best man, Lexie needs to identify the culprit before the wedding is ruined.

I think I put on a few pounds when reading this as Daisy James describes all of the mouthwatering cakes and pastries made by Scarlet, the local baker.  Daisy James has a real talent for describing sweet treats in the most delicious way; I was almost drooling at the thought of biting into a freshly baked croissant and experiencing the scrumptious flaky buttery pastry.  Daisy's delectable words describe the sights, sounds and smells so vividly that they leave little to the imagination and if you're really lucky you'll experience the most amazing smell hallucinations, like I did.  

I also have to mention the magical sleep fairies that Daisy James introduced me to in this book; the thought of chasing the sleep fairies when you're unable to sleep or being captured by them as you drift off is perfectly delightful.  I love this idea; saying that you've been chasing the sleep fairies is much better than simply saying you couldn't sleep - what beautiful unforgettable words from Daisy.

With a sprinkling of mystery and a dollop of romance, Summertime at the Cornish Confetti Agency is a fabulously entertaining book.  Daisy James writes with such exuberance and charm that you feel enveloped in the book as if it's a huge hug.  Summertime at the Cornish Confetti Agency is my favourite Daisy James book so far and I plan to read the first book in the series while I wait for the next fabulously festive instalment.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:
Amazon UK
Amazon US




About the author:

Daisy James loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. She especially likes to create sunshine-filled settings in exotic locations - the Caribbean, Tuscany, Cornwall, Provence - so she can spend her time envisioning her characters enjoying the fabulous scenery and sampling the local food and drink.

When not scribbling away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea - china plates and teacups are a must.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009889775019

Twitter @daisyjamesbooks

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

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BLOG TOUR: The Curious Case of Faith & Grace - David B. Lyons

The damppebbles blog tours Blog Tour for The Curious Case of Faith & Grace by David B. Lyons is visiting my blog today and I'm releasing my review as part of the tour.  This is my first David B. Lyons book and it definitely won't be my last.  It's an absolute cracker!  Scroll down to read my review of this outstanding book.

Pretty... or pretty twisted?

ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO FAITH AND GRACE TIDDLE ARRIVED HOME FROM THEIR USUAL SATURDAY MORNING DANCE CLASS TO FIND BOTH OF THEIR PARENTS FACE DOWN IN POOLS OF BLOOD.

Five days later, the twins — only nine years old at the time — were arrested for the double homicide.

And now, twenty months on, the entire country awaits with bated breath as the jury are dismissed to deliberate their verdict on a case that has become a national phenomenon.

But if Lead Detective Denis Quayle — the man who knows the case better than anybody else — isn’t fully convinced of the twins’ guilt…

Can a twelve-person jury be?

GET READY TO EXPLORE…

THE CURIOUS CASE OF FAITH & GRACE

What did I think?

If you like thrillers set in the courtroom then The Curious Case of Faith & Grace is definitely the book for you.  I love virtually going to court so I was riveted from start to finish at the trial of 11 year old twins Faith & Grace Tiddle.  With a creepy cover that makes the twins from The Shining look like sweet little angels, David B. Lyons lets us examine the evidence to decide whether the Tiddle twins are angels or devils.

It seems inconceivable that two 9 year old twins could murder their parents and then calmly trot off to dance class, but this is what the prosecution would have us believe.  It is such a heinous crime that the case is being brought before Dublin's Criminal Court where a jury of 12 adults will deliberate the verdict.  With all but the lead detective on the case convinced of the twins' guilt, it should be an easy decision for the jurors to make...but one of them is being blackmailed.  If the twins are convicted her life will be destroyed.

What an excellent storyline; not only do you have the very intriguing murder case but the blackmailing of the juror took the story to another level.  I loved reading the deliberations of the jury and the counter-arguments that were being put forth to save the juror's own skin.  I really liked Detective Denis Quayle; he has his own personal problems but he never stopped believing in the twins and I loved how he fought to hold onto the case when a neighbouring station tried to take over.

With only two choices: guilty or not guilty, I must have changed my mind hundreds of times over the course of the book.  Creepy, chilling and compelling, The Curious Case of Faith & Grace is an outstanding novel that I won't forget in a hurry.  Very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:
Amazon UK
Amazon US




About the author:

David B. Lyons is an international bestselling author -- a writer of psychological thrillers.

He has reached No.1 in charts in Ireland, the UK, Canada and Australia.

David grew up in Dublin - the city his novels are set - but currently spends his time between Birmingham in the UK and the Irish capital. David is married to a Brummie, Kerry, and they have one daughter, Lola.

He has lectured in Creative Writing in colleges and universities in both Ireland and in the UK and coaches people how to write with free tutorials at TheOpenAuthor.com.

You can connect with David here:

Website: TheOpenAuthor.com

Twitter: @TheOpenAuthor

Facebook: AuthorDavidBLyons

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BLOG TOUR: The Heatwave - Katerina Diamond

One summer. One stranger. One killer…

Two bad things happened that summer:

A stranger arrived. And the first girl disappeared.

 

In the wake of the crime that rocked her community, Felicity fled, knowing more than she let on.

 

But sixteen years later, her new life is shattered by the news that a second girl has gone missing in her hometown.

 

Now Felicity must go back, to face the truth about what happened all those years ago.

 

Only she holds the answers – and they’re more shocking than anyone could imagine.

 

The heatwave is back. And so is the killer.

What did I think?

I absolutely love Katerina Diamond's DS Imogen Grey series so I was very excited to read her new standalone novel, The Heatwave.  Stepping away from a police procedural into a psychological thriller, Katerina Diamond's slow burning thriller The Heatwave absolutely blew me away.  It is THE book to read this summer!

Felicity is a very intriguing main character; there's definitely a lot more going on under the surface than it first appears.  When she leaves her husband and family behind to return to her hometown in the wake of a missing teenager, you just know that this is not the reaction of a normal person.  As we delve into Felicity's teenage past and the summer when a stranger comes to town and a teenager goes missing, Katerina Diamond turns the temperature up to boiling point in this scorching novel.

There are so many twists and turns in The Heatwave that you think you know where the story is going and then Katerina Diamond plants a landmine and you're off on a completely different tangent.  With a dual timeline set in past and present, Felicity's friendship with Jasmine during the summer heatwave is the focus of the 'past' storyline.  With teenage hormones in full flow and temperatures rising, the mysterious Tim (Jasmine's parents' lodger) becomes the focus of the girls' attention and their friendship comes under pressure.  When a teenager goes missing, Felicity leaves her hometown and Jasmine behind.  So why on earth does a missing teenager 16 years later make Felicity go back?  

The Heatwave is a completely masterful novel showing that Katerina Diamond is at the top of her game.  She is such an accomplished and talented writer that I'm sure Katerina Diamond could turn her venomous pen to any genre.  Make sure to grab a copy of The Heatwave; you don't want to miss what is sure to be the hottest book of the year.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Death of a Mermaid - Lesley Thomson

When Freddy Power was eighteen, her father threw her out. Her sin had been to fall in love with a woman. Freddy waited for two decades to be invited back into the family. The summons never came.

But now, in the wake of her parents' death, Freddy feels the call of home like a siren's song. The ferry from France emerging out of the mist. Fisherman unloading trawlers down at the harbour. Her childhood friends, Mags and Toni, walking on the cliffs at sunset.

Yet when she arrives in Newhaven, she finds that time has not stood still. After twenty-two years of silence, her brothers exclude her, and Mags and Toni feel like strangers. But then Mags goes missing, and old secrets – and old passions – are reignited. Freddy is determined to lead the hunt for the woman who was her first love. Even if it means confronting the past, and facing up to the truth about her family.

What did I think?

Death of a Mermaid is my first Lesley Thomson book and what a cracker it is!  Death comes to Newhaven, a channel ferry port in East Sussex, so put on your Sou'wester and travel to this south coast fishing town with Lesley Thomson.

A bone chilling prologue sets the scene for a very dark and menacing story that gripped me by the throat and refused to let go until I had turned the final page.  I almost forgot to breathe towards the end as I let out a shaky breath I didn't realise I had been holding.  That is how gripped by the story I was.  Lesley Thomson drew me in with her mesmerising words and captured me in her net, resigned to my fate of not being able to put the book down until this outstanding story had concluded.

Freddy Power as a schoolgirl was a member of a group called the Mermaids; a trio of friends who were obsessed with the film The Little Mermaid.  The group broke up suddenly when Freddy unexpectedly left home and lost contact with her friends and family.  When Freddy returns for a family funeral, it's not exactly a joyous reunion with fellow Mermaids, Mags and Toni, and even Freddy's brothers don't want her there.  When Mags goes missing, after a suspicious double death in the town, Freddy decides to stay in Newhaven rather than return to her controlling partner in Liverpool.  Freddy is determined to prise all of the secrets from the town's icy grip and she must confront her past before she can finally be free.

What a book!  The storyline is absolutely superb; it's tense, menacing and completely gripping.  I loved The Little Mermaid thread running through it, from ornaments in a fish tank to the disc in the dvd player; it oozed a sense of nostalgia that kept me anchored when my brain wanted to sail away on the story.  I love books filled with secrets and Death of a Mermaid has enough secrets to blow your socks off.

Death of a Mermaid is atmospheric, compelling and moving and I can't recommend it highly enough. 

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: I Know the Truth - M.A. Comley

From NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Justice series, M A Comley, who has sold over three million copies worldwide.

She escaped his clutches.

Now she hides under a new name.

For the past five years, Lucy has lived in fear of her past.

But all that changes when Matthew enters her life.

Is she able to trust another man after...

Should she listen to her head or her heart?

As she fights for her future, someone is lurking in the shadows with their own agenda.

And they will determine whether she lives or dies.  

What did I think?

I've had M.A. Comley on my radar for a while now but she's written so many amazing books that I didn't know where to start.  So with her latest novel , I Know the Truth, being a standalone psychological thriller I was very excited to get my hands on a copy.

Lucy is a great main character; she's very careful with money and men so it's quite out of character for her to meet a man on her night out with her best friend, Trisha.  There's something about Matthew that just clicks with Lucy, but she's understandably nervous about starting a new relationship.  Although I found it a bit odd that Lucy was so trusting of a man she had just met, especially with her history, Matthew puts her at ease and things go swimmingly until she meets his family.  If I was Lucy, I would have run a mile if my boyfriend had brought a member of his family on our second date, but Lucy thinks Matthew is worth it.  The story is written with so much menace, that I just hoped she was right.

The storyline is very intriguing and held my interest, although it did take me a few chapters to get into the rhythm of the book as the prose is quite heavily conversation based.  As the threats and danger increase, Lucy's fairytale turns into a nightmare.  Only Trisha knows Lucy's past so my mind was whirring nineteen to the dozen as I tried to work out who was threatening Lucy.  It was clearly someone who would go to any lengths to ruin Lucy's life and I had my suspicions who it was, but of course I was wrong!  

Fast-paced and fraught with danger, I Know the Truth is a pulse-rocketing psychological thriller.  I'm definitely going to be adding more M.A. Comley books to my ever-expanding TBR pile.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author

M A Comley is a KINDLE UNLIMITED ALL-STAR author as well as being a New York Times, USA Today, Amazon Top 20 bestselling author, she has topped the book charts on iBooks as a top 5 bestselling and reached #2 bestselling author on Barnes and Noble. Over two and a half million copies sold world wide. She’s a British author who moved to France in 2002, and that’s when she turned her hobby into a career. 

When she’s not writing crime novels as well as caring for her elderly mother, she’s either reading or going on long walks with her rescue pup Labrador, Dex.

Here is a list of her books, Cruel Justice, Impeding Justice, Final Justice, Foul Justice, Guaranteed Justice, Ultimate Justice, Virtual Justice, Hostile Justice, Tortured Justice, Rough Justice, Dubious Justice, Calculated Justice, Twisted Justice, Prime Justice, Heroic Justice, Shameful Justice, Immoral Justice and Overdue Justice. There are several novellas and short stories in the series too.

No Right To Kill, Killer Blow, The Dead Can’t Speak, Deluded and The Murder Pact in the DI Sara Ramsey series. 

Her other successful series are: The DI Sally Parker thriller series, which includes WRONG PLACE, NO HIDING PLACE, COLD CASE, Deadly encounter and Lost Innocence

The DI Kayli Bright Trilogy – The Missing Children, Killer on the Run, Hidden Agenda, Murderous Betrayal and Dying Breath. 

The Hero series, TORN APART, END RESULT, IN PLAIN SIGHT, DOUBLE JEOPARDY and CRIMINAL ACTIONS.

There are three books in the Intention series, Sole Intention, Grave Intention and Devious Intention.

Plus a couple of standalone novels – EVIL IN DISGUISE and FOREVER WATCHING YOU.

She has also penned a cozy mystery Private Investigator series – Murder at the Wedding, Murder at the Hotel and Murder by the Sea.

As well as co-authoring the Deception Series co-authored by fellow NY Times bestselling author, Linda S Prather Clever Deception, Tragic Deception and Sinful Deception.

You can follow M A Comley via:-

Twitter: @ComleyMel

Blog: http://melcomley.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://smarturl.it/sps7jh

Newsletter: http://smarturl.it/8jtcvv

BookBub: www.bookbub.com/authors/m-a-comley

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The Constant Rabbit - Jasper Fforde

England, 2020.

There are 1.2 million human-sized rabbits living in the UK.

They can walk, talk and drive cars, the result of an Inexplicable Anthropomorphising Event fifty-five years ago.

And a family of rabbits is about to move into Much Hemlock, a cosy little village where life revolves around summer fetes, jam-making, gossipy corner stores, and the oh-so-important Best Kept Village awards.

No sooner have the rabbits arrived than the villagers decide they must depart. But Mrs Constance Rabbit is made of sterner stuff, and her family are behind her. Unusually, so are their neighbours, long-time residents Peter Knox and his daughter Pippa, who soon find that you can be a friend to rabbits or humans, but not both.

With a blossoming romance, acute cultural differences, enforced rehoming to a MegaWarren in Wales, and the full power of the ruling United Kingdom Anti Rabbit Party against them, Peter and Pippa are about to question everything they'd ever thought about their friends, their nation, and their species.

It'll take a rabbit to teach a human humanity . . .

What did I think?

I've been expanding my reading genres to include fantasy novels recently and Jasper Fforde's new standalone novel, The Constant Rabbit, caught my eye.  With his previous novels having humourous literary themed titles, I've wanted to read a Jasper Fforde novel for a while and The Constant Rabbit is a great introduction to the bestselling author.

You've got to expect the unexpected when giant rabbits (and a few other animals) are living and working among humans.  They may have human attributes, as in the ability to walk and talk, but they still have their animal instincts.  So putting a fox in charge of the Rabbit Compliance Taskforce is really just asking for trouble! 

Jasper Fforde's humour is evident throughout the novel, from laugh out loud funny to more subtle quips.  I particularly liked the Star Wars references and always find them a welcome addition to any novel.  I made a note when I was about a quarter of the way through the book: 'Animal Farm on crack'.  That pretty much sums it up and like Animal Farm, The Constant Rabbit does have some serious and thought-provoking issues at its heart.

When a rabbit family moves into the village of Much Hemlock, the villagers just want to get rid of them whatever the cost.  I was so mad that the rabbits weren't accepted in the village, simply because they were rabbits, giving a prejudice and discrimination slant to the story.  Written with such satirical humour, I guess it can be as light or as dark as you want it to be as I would never have imagined saying a novel about talking rabbits is very thought-provoking.

One thing that simultaneously amused and annoyed me were the footnotes.  When reading on kindle, the footnote wasn't always on the same page so I often missed the humour by reading the note a few pages after the point it referred to.  When the note did appear on the same page they were a brilliant addition to the story, but I don't think they really worked in kindle format.

The Constant Rabbit is witty, satirical, highly original and cleverly thought-provoking.  It encourages further discussion and consideration of how anyone 'different' is perceived and treated on sight without even getting to know them.  I'm so pleased that I have added fantasy to my reading genres as The Constant Rabbit is a gem (lettuce) of a book.  Well I had to get a rabbit pun in there somewhere!

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Up Close & Personal - Kathryn Freeman

For pure escapism and to take a break from reading crime and thriller novels, I always have time to read a Kathryn Freeman book.  I was so excited to get a spot on the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour for Kathryn Freeman's latest novel, Up Close & Personal, so scroll down to read my review.

British actor Zac Edwards is the latest heartthrob to hit the red carpets. Hot, talented and rich, he sends women wild…all except one.

Close protection officer Kat Parker hasn’t got time to play celebrity games. She has one job: to protect Zac from the stalker that seems to be dogging his every move.

Zac might get her hot under her very starched collar, but Kat’s a professional – and sleeping with Zac is no way part of her remit…

What did I think?

Kathryn Freeman always seems to be able to tap into our long forgotten memories of teenage (and not so much teenage) crushes, whether it's a sports star, a musician or, in this case, a movie star.  We've all dreamed of meeting our idol and having them fall madly in love with us, but as you grow older you realise that their public and private personas are very different.

Before Kat Parker literally bumps into movie star Zac Edwards, she had only ever seen him on the big screen.  Zac sounds even more attractive in person but he has attracted the attention of a stalker who seems to know his every move.  When the stalker finds out where Zac lives, the studio call in a personal protection company and Kat is assigned to be Zac's bodyguard.

Kat is naturally attracted to Zac but, aside from the fact that it would be unprofessional to fall for a client, she is deeply traumatised from her days in the army.  Zac is also afraid to get too close to anyone as he would very much like his dark and disturbing secret to remain hidden.  Battling their hearts and minds sets up Kat and Zac for a fabulous will they/won't they storyline.

I do love Kathryn Freeman's style of romance; the characters are very insecure despite the confidence they display to the outside world.  There are plenty of 'nearly' moments when their hearts rule their minds but neither character wants to give anything away.  It's almost as if they are holding onto the darkness in their pasts to inflict self-harm when they feel unworthy of being loved.

Due to the bodyguard and client setting, Kathryn Freeman injects a bit of danger and mystery into Up Close & Personal.  There are some heart in the mouth moments as it gets surprisingly dangerous at times.  I really enjoyed this mystery element around who was stalking Zac and why they were doing it; it certainly ramped up the pace of the story and it became quite a page turner in the end.

Up Close & Personal is a fabulous novel written in Kathryn Freeman's inimitable style but with a twist; it's not just heart-warming, it's also surprisingly thrilling.  An easy to read romance with a hint of danger, Up Close & Personal is pure escapism and I enjoyed every minute of it.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:
Amazon UK
Amazon US




About the author:

A former pharmacist, I’m now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero.

I’ve two sons and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), so any romance is all in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes come in many disguises.

Social Media Links –

Website:  http://kathrynfreeman.co.uk

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KathrynFreeman1

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