Where the Magic Is - Giselle Green

Sofia’s due to marry rich Rio businessman, Cristian… only, she’s just learnt that her daughter Ida is about to lose her eyesight. When she decides to take Ida on one last ‘memory trip’ to the Scottish Highlands, Sofia’s impoverished family become alarmed. So close to the big wedding, she’s forced to keep the real reason for her trip a secret…

Handsome Scotsman Cal’s a dream tour guide… but he’s got some secrets of his own. Unknown to the others, caring Cal usually works as a male escort… a job which keeps him trapped and compromised, and also keeps any real chance of love at bay. Meeting the girls, Cal is poignantly about to reconnect with the side of him that once longed for more.

Meanwhile, Sofia’s faced with the dilemma of how best to support Ida whilst keeping her fiancé and family on side.

Questioning how ‘free’ she really is… Sofia’s now forced to consider what price she’s prepared to pay, to follow her conscience and her heart?

 

What did I think?

Where the Magic Is is a love story with a difference; set in Brazil and Scotland, it has family at its heart with two brilliant main characters, one who has lost his family and one who would do anything for hers.  I love Giselle Green's books, they really speak to the reader's heart whilst her characters experience a wealth of emotions.   

Sofia's upcoming wedding is a dream come true...for her family.  They are finally going up in the world as Sofia is about to marry into a rich and powerful family in Rio de Janeiro.  With wedding plans fully underway, Sofia's daughter Ida gets some distressing news: she is losing her eyesight and nothing can be done to save it.  Sofia is not willing to give up without a fight so she takes Ida to an experimental clinic in England, under the guise of a trip to the Scottish Highlands where Ida's favourite movie was set.

Former military man Cal is working as a male escort when he spots his commanding officer drowning his sorrows in the pub.  Ray can't afford to take time off from his job as a tour guide to recover from a back injury, so Cal offers to step in and cover for him.  One of Ray's jobs is take two Brazilians to the Scottish Highlands...

Of course, a romance blossoms between Cal and Sofia but it's not straightforward at all.  Sofia has Ida and her whole family to think of and Cal has demons of his own to face.  It was an absolute delight to see how Cal and Sofia's relationship grew, but it was Ida who stole the show for me.  Ida may be losing her sight, but she sees joy in everything.  Her enthusiasm is contagious, and the scenery is painted so vividly, that I felt as if I was touring the Highlands with them.

Truly magical from start to finish, Where the Magic Is is so beautifully written it completely warmed my heart and made me appreciate things that we usually take for granted.  Highly recommended.

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

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BLOG TOUR: Verity Vanishes (The Quirk Files Book 3) - A B Morgan

The Quirks are back, and there is another crime to solve for P.Q. Investigations.

When Verity Hudson goes missing, Peddyr Quirk – with assistance from his effervescent wife Connie – investigates a strange new case which unfolds in an unsavoury part of town. It soon becomes apparent that they are not the only ones looking for Verity.

A freelance researcher is searching for her birth mother.

An influential man of power and money is desperate to find his estranged sister.

A local politician is determined to expose a hidden tragedy.

A TV journalist will stop at nothing to expose the true story … if it can be uncovered.

Where is Verity, who is Verity, and who will find her first?

 

What did I think?

Verity Vanishes is the third book in the Quirk Files series but it is the first one I have read, so you can definitely read it as a standalone as I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Quirk by name and quirk by nature: you can't get more quirky than Peddyr and Connie quirk.  I really like the pairing of these unusual characters and it has definitely made me want to read more in the series.  With dogged determination, a handful of cunning and a sprinkling of humour, they investigate the disappearance of Verity Hudson and if anyone can find her, the Quirks can.

There is more than the Quirks looking for Verity which adds several layers onto an already intriguing storyline.  Reading Verity Vanishes is like peeling an onion, uncovering layer after layer of mystery as you turn each page.  As more of Verity's story is uncovered, it's quite heartbreaking to read as the story touches on mental health, but this is tackled sensitively and respectfully.

Verity Vanishes is a multi-layered mystery that is very cleverly plotted, delivering an abundance of shocks and surprises for the reader.  The addition of quirky humour perfectly balances the dark and mysterious storyline, resulting in an intriguing, addictive and entertaining read.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

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BLOG TOUR: The Reunion - Polly Phillips

A chance to reconnect.

A chance to get revenge . . .

Emily Toller has tried to forget her time at university and the events that led to her suddenly leaving under a cloud. She has done everything she can to forget the shame and the trauma – and the people involved. She has tried to focus on the life she has built with her children and husband, Nick.

But events like that can’t just be forgotten. Not without someone answering for what they’ve done. 

When an invitation arrives to a University reunion, everything clicks into place. Emily has a plan.

Because if you can’t forget – why not get revenge?

 

What did I think?

The idea of a reunion of any kind sounds like a horror story to me but I do love a good revenge story so The Reunion by Polly Phillips appealed to me.  It's the first book by Polly Phillips that I have read and it certainly won't be my last.

It's impossible not to get hooked when you pick up this book as 'something' happened to Emily when she was a student at Cambridge University and I couldn't read fast enough to find out what.  Not only that, Emily is out to get revenge on those who wronged her and the public forum of a reunion is the perfect place.

It's difficult not to feel sorry for Emily; her life could have been so different if her time at Cambridge hadn't set her on a different path.  You could argue that things turned out well for her anyway as she's married to a successful man and she's a mother to twins, but Emily is haunted by the life she could have had.

The cliques and drunken tomfoolery at university set a backdrop for the past timeline in the novel and it's a stark reminder of the dangers of alcohol, particularly for young adults who are not used to drinking and don't know their limits.  The present is all about revenge though and Emily has designed a plan to get her own back...but even the best laid plans often go awry.

Very well written, gripping and totally addictive, The Reunion hooked me from the start and I couldn't put it down until all had been revealed.  A recommended holiday read.

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

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BLOG TOUR: The Woman on the Bridge - Holly Seddon

How far would you go to save a perfect stranger?

Maggie is trapped. Dumped on her wedding day, rejected by her family and hounded by a man determined to make her suffer.

Charlotte is desperate. Double-crossed by her only friend and facing total ruin, she will go to any lengths to save what matters.

Two women, one night. A decision that will change everything. 

What did I think?

Holly Seddon is an author whose books I'm always excited to read and I don't even read the blurb as I know it'll be a good one.  The Woman on the Bridge drew me in straight away and as my sense of unease grew, I couldn't wait to find out how it would all end.

Charlotte has already had a bad day when she spots a woman in a wedding dress standing on the edge of the bridge, about to throw herself into the water below.  Like any good Samaritan, Charlotte attempts to talk Maggie down from the bridge and after a few scary moments, they are both safely ensconced in Charlotte's car.  Charlotte then takes leave of her senses and invites Maggie, a total stranger, into her home.

I can perhaps understand why Charlotte was looking for a friend in Maggie, as she had just been viciously stabbed in the back by her old friend Anne, but I wanted to scream at her for being so trusting and gullible.  Of course, the reader sees another side to Maggie, one that Charlotte cannot see.  Maggie is casting a net and Charlotte is about to get trapped.

The Woman on the Bridge is tense, creepy and twisty.  My virtual alarm bells were ringing from the start and I was suspicious of everyone.  The story is entertaining and, as you would expect from a Holly Seddon book, there are plenty of shocks and surprises in store for the reader.  It's an enjoyable, compelling read and a reminder of 'stranger danger'!

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

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BLOG TOUR: Dark Objects - Simon Toyne

An Impossible Crime Scene

A wealthy woman is found brutally murdered in the locked fortress of her London mansion. Surrounding her are four mysterious objects, including a book on forensics by Dr Laughton Rees.

An Inescapable Past

As a teenager, Laughton’s life was destroyed after witnessing her mother’s brutal murder. Now a mother herself and forensic analyst, she is an expert on how to read crime scenes – but never works live cases.

An Uncatchable Killer

Pressured by the lead detective to help with the investigation, Laughton begins to realise that the objects left by the body are not just about the victim, they’re also about her. Her childhood was destroyed by one killer. Now she must catch another before her daughter’s is destroyed too.

 

What did I think?

Yowzers what a book!  Dark Objects is fantastic!  I've had Simon Toyne on my radar for quite some time but this is the first book of his that I have read and I couldn't put it down.  I absolutely loved it and it's one of the best books I've read this year.

The murder of Kate Miller in a wealthy part of London shocks her neighbours and sends their WhatsApp group into a frenzy, especially when they discover that Kate's husband is missing and becomes the prime suspect.  The police have no leads as the crime scene is forensically clean, thanks to a book left at the scene that was written by Laughton Rees, the police commissioner's daughter.  Someone wants to drag Laughton back into the spotlight and into danger.

There's so much going on in this book that it's gripping from start to finish.  Aside from the murder and the tantalizing link to Laughton, there's her broken relationship with her father and her fractured relationship with her daughter.  The murder is very intriguing as it seems to be impossible to solve and I loved how it draws Laughton into working with the overworked and underfed DCI Tannahill Khan.

Flawlessly written and intricately plotted, Dark Objects is as impossible to predict as it is to put down.  If I could only recommend one book this year, Dark Objects would be a very strong contender.  Very highly recommended and a well deserved five stars.

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

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BLOG TOUR: From Sorrow's Hold (Louise Miller Crime Series Book 2) - Jonathan Peace

December, 1988

Christmas beckons

What should be a time of excitement and joy is forever tainted when a teenager's body is found in the graveyard of Ossett's Holy Trinity Church.

A suspected suicide

As they respond to the devastating event, WDCs Louise Miller and Elizabeth Hines, together with psychologist Karla Hayes, each use their own experiences of suicide to help the wider community as it struggles to understand the terrible choice that was made.

Another missing teenager

Louise starts to believe there is something even more sinister behind the events...

 

What did I think?

From Sorrow's Hold is the second book in the Louise Miller Crime Series but it can definitely be read as a standalone.  I really enjoyed the first book, Dirty Little Secret, and From Sorrow's Hold is even better so I'm very excited to see this series go from strength to strength.

Set in the 1980s, it's incredibly nostalgic but it's also shocking the way that women are treated, especially those in the police force.  Louise Miller and Elizabeth Hines are fantastic detectives but it feels like they constantly have to prove themselves to be worthy of working in a man's world.

Touching on themes of mental health and suicide, it is dark and difficult to read at times.  It is, however, important to keep reminding us of the pain that people can carry inside them and how they keep it hidden from the outside world.  I found this quite emotional to read but it is written very sensitively and respectfully.

I really enjoyed getting to know more about Louise in this book and her adopted cat provides some light entertainment to balance the dark storyline.  The plot is sharp and gripping and the writing is word perfect; I raced through it, devouring every single word and enjoying every second of it.

From Sorrow's Hold is an outstanding novel in a very exciting new series.  I'm delighted to hear that Jonathan Peace hopes to write 41 books in the Louise Miller series, covering the years 1987 to 2023, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where the series goes.  

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

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BLOG TOUR: Listen to Me (Rizzoli & Isles book 13) - Tess Gerritsen

The murder of Sofia Suarez is both gruesome and seemingly senseless. Why would anyone target a respected nurse who was well-liked by her friends and her neighbours? As Detective Jane Rizzoli and Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles investigate the baffling case, they discover that Sofia was guarding a dangerous secret -- a secret that may have led the killer straight to her door.

Meanwhile, Jane's mother Angela Rizzoli is conducting an investigation of her own. She may be a housewife, not a police detective, but she's savvy enough to know there's something very strange, perhaps even dangerous, about the new neighbours across the street. The problem is, no one believes her, not even her own daughter.

Immersed in the hunt for Sofia's killer, Jane and Maura are too busy to pay attention to Angela's fears. With no one listening to her, and danger mounting in her neighbourhood, Angela just may be forced to take action on her own...

 

What did I think?

There's a very good reason why Tess Gerritsen is a bestselling author: her books are outstanding and the thirteenth novel in the Rizzoli & Isles series Listen to Me is no exception.  It is simply brilliant and I couldn't put it down.

It's a long time since I read a Rizzoli & Isles book, and I haven't read all of them, so you can most definitely read Listen to Me as a standalone if you're new to the series.  The characters of Jane, Maura and Angela are obviously well-developed but their personalities jump out from every page, especially Angela who I absolutely love.

Jane, with the help of Maura's forensic expertise, is investigating the brutal murder of a nurse whilst trying to dodge calls from her mother Angela.  Angela is concerned about her new neighbours and she is convinced that something isn't right but nobody, not even her daughter Jane, will listen to her.  The two strands of the story are both gripping and ensure that the pages turn at high speed.

Although I did work out a little bit of the plot, there were still plenty of shocks and surprises in store for me and I absolutely loved this book.  It has made me want to restart the whole series now and watch the tv series that I bought on dvd but have never had the chance to watch.  I'm going to make time for more Rizzoli & Isles after reading Listen to Me.

Tense, gripping and incredibly entertaining, Listen to Me is an outstanding novel.  Expect to see this one at the top of the bestseller charts.  Highly recommended and an easy five stars.

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

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About the author:

Bestselling author TESS GERRITSEN is also a physician, and she brings to her novels her first-hand knowledge of emergency and autopsy rooms. Her thrillers starring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles inspired the hit TV series Rizzoli & Isles. But Tess’s interests span far more than medicine and crime. As an anthropology student at Stanford University, she catalogued centuries-old human remains, and she continues to travel the world, driven by her fascination with ancient cultures and bizarre natural phenomena.

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