BLOG TOUR: All Feathers and Hats: Rookscroft - Book One - Jayne Siroshton

It began one morning in late summer, when a pheasant appeared at my studio window. At first, I was startled - "but my surprise quickly turned to delight when I noticed he was wearing a top hat, pulled down quite low.

I hurried to the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of him as he fled. But to my astonishment, when I opened it, he was standing there on the mat. There was a pause. He looked me over, blinked - and then, he began to speak.

He introduced himself as Vernon Cotterill and asked if I would be willing to paint his portrait, an offer I joyfully accepted, and that, my friends, is how this whole adventure began.

 

What did I think?

What an absolutely delightful book!  All Feathers and Hats is an illustrated book that is aimed at readers aged 6 to adult and it's a book that everyone will enjoy.  If you think it looks stunning from the outside, just wait until you see inside.  The illustrations are exquisite and they seem to capture the very essence of the characters themselves.

Jayne Siroshton has both imaginatively written and beautifully illustrated the book showing there is no end to her creative talent.  Jayne is also a character in the book which adds an air of authenticity and makes you believe that it could be real...if you believe in talking animals of course and who doesn't?

Vernon Cotterill, a hat wearing pheasant, appears at Jayne's door one day asking her to paint his portrait.  Vernon is so pleased with the result that it isn't long before other animals are appearing at Jayne's door.  As well as lots of fun elements to the story, there's also a sprinkling of romance that is simply lovely.

All Feathers and Hats has the feel of a timeless, ageless classic and it's the first book in a series so there are more delightful tales to come.  Jayne Siroshton reminds me of a modern-day Enid Blyton and I wouldn't be surprised to find Rookscroft books on myriad bookshelves for many years to come.

A very highly recommended read for readers of all ages.  I certainly plan to read it again and it is going straight onto my favourites shelf. 

I received a gifted hardback to read and review for the Love Books Tours blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Rookscroft

Amazon

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The Vanishing Act - Jo Jakeman

Life as a missing person is absolute murder...

When artist Eloise Ford hears that human remains found in an abandoned mine are believed to be those of long-missing teenager Elizabeth King, the shock sends her reeling.

It can't be true. Eloise knows this for a fact because... she is Elizabeth King.

Now, her carefully curated life in Cornwall is falling apart. Her husband is acting strangely, her children aren't speaking to her and she can't sell a painting for love nor money. But much more worrying are the signs that someone knows exactly who she is... and why she had to vanish thirty years ago.

Eloise needs answers. Is her son's ex-girlfriend just plain annoying... or does she know something? Will the detection skills of the online 'Truth Seekers' group prove more than amateurish? What's the real story behind those village newcomers?

And just how far would she go to keep her family, her friends, and her fraudulent life, safe?

 

What did I think?

I picked up The Vanishing Act solely on the cover (without reading the blurb) so one of the twists that is mentioned in the blurb was a complete shock to me.  I simply couldn't put it down and read it in a couple of hours so be prepared to do nothing but read when you pick up The Vanishing Act.

The story is told from the points of view of Eloise Ford and Holly Bond.  Both women have a keen interest in the human remains that have been found close to where they live but there's more to this story than meets the eye.  I loved the relationship between Eloise and her son's ex-girlfriend Holly.  Eloise really didn't like Holly to start with but she certainly grows on her.

It's pretty creepy and a little scary that Eloise doesn't know who she can trust as she struggles to hold on to the perfect life that she has built over the past 30 years.  I think it must have been quite exhausting to maintain the perfection that she has strived for but I can understand her motives for doing so.

The pacing is blisteringly fast once the book gets its hooks into you, which for me was just a few pages in, and I read it so much quicker than I expected which is always the mark of a good book.  Holly is part of a Facebook group about missing people and I loved reading the posts between them; each character has their own writing style and unique voice and it feels as if they were written by real people.

Completely gripping and incredibly addictive, The Vanishing Act is as unputdownable as it is unpredictable.  I absolutely loved it and can't recommend it highly enough - it's easily one of the best books I've read this year.  The Vanishing Act is my first Jo Jakeman book and I will definitely be looking at her back catalogue on the strength of this novel.

Many thanks to Hannah Hargrave PR for sending me a gifted hardback to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Cat Fight - Kit Conway

When the peace shatters in suburbia, the claws come out . . .

Coralie King, Emma Brooks and Twig Dorsett are friends. Sort of. They're neighbours on an exclusive Sevenoaks estate who get along. It's convenient.

But one May bank holiday, Coralie's husband insists he saw a panther on the bonnet of his car. And cracks between the elite of the Briar Heart Estate begin to emerge.

As the summer wears on and there are more sightings, the big cat frenzy reaches a fever pitch. Tensions between neighbours threaten to boil over. Everyone is watching their back. But is the real predator a seventy-kilo cat with razor-sharp claws? Or is the actual danger of a much more domestic variety?

 

What did I think?

Cat Fight is THE most difficult book to read on a readalong as I couldn't put it down.  It's like Desperate Housewives with neighbours who don't really like each other.

Most of the characters have either secrets or history and if that wasn't enough of a hook, the chapters are interspersed with transcripts of people discussing them that made me put on my virtual running shoes and race through the book.  I couldn't read fast enough to discover what everyone was gossiping about.

One of the neighbours claims that he saw a huge black cat that becomes known as The Sevenoaks Panther but it was dark and he's not the most reliable witness.  When more sightings start being reported, you really start to wonder whether there is a wild cat on the loose but some of the neighbours' actions keep adding sprinklings of doubt.

I absolutely LOVED this book.  I have seen Kit Conway referred to as the British Liane Moriarty and that is spot on.  There is so much mystery, suspense and doubt to untangle to get to the bottom of the Mystery of the Sevenoaks Panther.

Intriguing, suspenseful and completely addictive, Cat Fight got its claws into me at the start and refused to let go until I turned the final page.  Even then, I almost wanted to read it again as I read it so fast and might have missed things along the way.  What an outstanding debut (yes it is, I had to check) - Kit Conway is an author to watch and Cat Fight is not to be missed.

I received a gifted ARC for the Insta Book Tours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: All Wrapped Up - Heidi Swain

In Wynbridge, the scent of autumn is on the breeze and love is in the air…

 

Clemmie Bennett has been renovating beautiful Rowan Cottage on the outskirts of the small town of Wynbridge, for eighteen months following a very public heartbreak back in her childhood hometown. The popular Instagram influencer, lost her husband, sold their home, and has been cosied up the Fens and living a very private life, but now she feels it’s time for a change.

 

A chance encounter with co-owner of The Cherry Tree Café, the bubbly Lizzie Dixon, pulls her into organizing Wynbridge’s first-ever Autumn Festival, and her once quiet life is soon a distant memory. With the whole town rallying behind the event, she discovers a new sense of purpose.

 

And when local vet Ash falls hard for Clemmie, she begins to wonder if she’s ready to move even further on from her past and fall in love again…

 

This autumn, cosy up with Heidi and this perfect seasonal romance. 

 

What did I think?

There is a Heidi Swain book for all seasons and her twenty-first novel All Wrapped Up is Heidi's first autumn book.  It is filled with colour, fun and community spirit and I adored my visit to the fictional Norfolk town of Wynbridge.

Reading a Heidi Swain novel is like catching up with old friends as there are returning characters from other books as well as an introduction to new characters in the current book.  Every book can be read as a standalone but it's lovely to recognise names from previous books I have read.

Clemmie loves autumn so much that she has an Instagram account dedicated to this colourful season.  After a tragedy in her personal life, she wants to remain anonymous and has moved to Wynbridge to heal at her own pace.  Wynbridge has a way of working its way into your heart and it isn't long before Clemmie becomes a valued member of the community when she is tasked with organising the Autumn Festival with the local vet Ash.

There is amazing chemistry between Clemmie and Ash but Clemmie has her reasons for keeping their relationship a platonic one.  The magic of Wynbridge might have other ideas though and rather than a 'will they/won't they' I got definite 'when will they' vibes.  Well it wouldn't be a Heidi Swain book without a good sprinkling of romance, would it?

Beautiful inside and out, All Wrapped Up is a veritable love letter to the often overlooked season of autumn and it left me with a smile on my face and a warm glow in my heart.  It has certainly made me fall in love with the season more after seeing it through Heidi's pumpkin coloured glasses.  I highly recommend that you snuggle up with Heidi Swain this autumn!  

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: The Transcendent Tide (The Enceladons Trilogy) - Doug Johnstone

It’s been eighteen months since the Enceladons escaped the clutches of an American military determined to exterminate the peaceful alien creatures.

Lennox and Vonnie have been lying low in the Scottish Highlands, Ava has been caring for her young daughter Chloe, and Heather is adjusting to her new life with Sandy and the other Enceladons in the Arctic Ocean, off the coast of Greenland. But fate is about to bring them together again for one last battle.

When Lennox and Vonnie are visited by Karl Jensen, a Norwegian billionaire intent on making contact with the Encedalons again, they are wary of subjecting the aliens to further dangers. But when word arrives that Ava’s daughter has suffered an attack and might die without urgent help, they reluctantly make the trip to Greenland, where they enlist the vital help of local woman Niviaq.

It's not long before they’re drawn into a complex web of lies, deceit and death. What is Karl’s company really up to? Why are sea creatures attacking boats? Why is Sandy acting so strangely, and why are polar bears getting involved?

Profound, ambitious and moving, The Transcendent Tide is the epic conclusion to the Encedalons Trilogy, and a final showdown between the best and worst of humanity, the animal kingdom and the Encedalons. The future of life on earth will be changed forever, but not everyone will survive to see it...

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, I really didn't want this fantastic book to end so I was torn between gobbling up every word as if I hadn't read for months and savouring every single word so I could make it last longer.  The Transcendent Tide is the perfect ending to an epic and unforgettable trilogy.

You do need to read the books in order to get the most out of the incredibly powerful storyline and to fully understand the characters, which is why I felt so many different emotions whilst reading.  I was shocked, angered and upset as I lived and breathed every moment of this magnificent journey with Sandy, the Enceladons and their friends.

The writing is flawless and the plotting sublime as Doug Johnstone takes the reader on a memorable journey through the Arctic.  I felt like I needed my thermals on as I kept getting goosebumps as the vivid scenes were described.

Haunting, poignant and powerful, The Transcendent Tide is a highly original book and an outstanding finale to an epic trilogy.  It has a tentacle in so many genres that it will appeal to all readers and leave a lasting impression.  I can award nothing less than five stars for this amazing novel.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Orenda Books

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Doug Johnstone is the author of 18 previous novels, most recently Living Is a Problem (2024) and The Collapsing Wave (2024). The Big Chill (2020) was longlisted for Theakston Crime Novel of the Year, and Black Hearts was shortlisted for the same award. Three of his books, A Dark Matter (2020), Breakers (2019) and The Jump (2015), have been shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year.  

He’s taught creative writing and been writer in residence at various institutions over the last decade, and has been an arts journalist for over twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with six albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. He’s also co-founder of the Scotland Writers Football Club, and has a PhD in nuclear physics. He lives in Edinburgh. 

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Witchborne - Rachel Grosvenor

In medieval Locklear, Agnes harbours a dangerous secret—she can touch fire without being burned. As war rages beyond the town and whispers of witchcraft echo through its streets, Agnes navigates arranged marriages, rivals' schemes, and the threat of the hangman's noose.

When a desperate bargain with a local widow goes awry, Agnes's world erupts in flames—she is accused of witchcraft. In a society that fears female power, can Agnes find the strength to forge her own destiny?

 

What did I think?

I absolutely loved Rachel Grosvenor's magnificent debut, The Finery, so I couldn't wait to read her next novel, Witchborne and it is as stunning as I thought it would be.  I love novels about witches/healers and their persecution so Witchborne is going straight on my favourites list.

17 year old Agnes has been born with the gift of fire but it's a gift that she must keep hidden or she will be accused of being a witch.  With her brother away fighting in the war against the crown, it falls to Agnes to bring back respectability to her family by being matched with the tanner's son at the Spring Feast.  Nobody asks Agnes how she feels about this, she is just expected to go along with the arrangement.

Agnes is very feisty and I loved her.  She shouldn't have to keep her gift hidden but the consequences of showing who she really is could be deadly.  It's heartbreaking to think how women were treated in the past and even something as innocent as visiting a local healer to help conceive could see both women branded as witches.  It made me ask myself the question: "What makes a woman a witch?" and the answer "the church" springs to mind.  Heaven forbid people should believe in something other than whichever god is being forced down their throats.

Mesmerising, compelling and immersive, Witchborne is a hugely atmospheric novel that immediately draws the reader in and refuses to let go.  I really couldn't put it down once I picked it up and I read it in two sittings (it would've been one sitting if I'd picked it up earlier in the day).  A very highly recommended read and another magnificent novel from Rachel Grosvenor.

I received a gifted ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Fly on the Wall Press (use code BOOKMAGNET10 for 10% off)

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

COVER REVEAL: The Pumpkin Pact - Charlie Dean

It's the 1st of September and the start of autumn so I'm delighted to be taking part in the Rachel's Random Resources cover reveal for The Pumpkin Pact by Charlie Dean.  Scroll down to have a look at the cover and to find out more about the book.

Doesn't it look gorgeous?

Here's a little bit about the book:

Welcome to The Pumpkin Patch at Pickle Grove.

Andi is worried that her relationship with Drew has become dull and boring. They never do anything exciting these days, in or out of the bedroom. So when a swoon-worthy stranger appears she is instantly swept off her feet.

When they unexpectedly meet again, they realise they have more in common than they thought possible so draw up a pact to spice up their lives! The plan they conjure up while working together at The Pumpkin Patch, to make their partners jealous, brings them closer than ever.

Andi plucks up the courage to finish with Drew but there are no signs of Andrew doing the same and she thinks she’s lost him forever.

With meddling exes, misunderstandings and miscommunication getting in the way, can The Pumpkin Pact bring them back together?

Purchase link:

https://amzn.eu/d/iAh5Mtx

Follow Charlie Dean on X:

https://twitter.com/CharlieADean