Snow Love Lost (Marram Bay Book 2) - Portia MacIntosh

Ivy, the owner of a year-round festive store, loves Christmas. When her mother passed away, Ivy vowed to take over her mother’s store and keep the Christmas spirit alive in the idyllic seaside town of Marram Bay, and she’s been running the place single-handedly ever since.

The only thing missing in Ivy's life is a dash of romance – something her twin sister, Holly, will not let her forget.

As Christmas approaches, an enigmatic businessman moves to town, threatening to bulldoze her beloved shop to make way for a holiday complex. Ivy must fight to save the store. But could this intriguing newcomer be hiding a softer side, one that just might grant all her holiday wishes?

 

What did I think?

I don't know how I haven't discovered Portia MacIntosh until now but I'm so pleased that I have as I absolutely loved Snow Love Lost.  It's the republished second book in the Marram Bay series but it can definitely be read as a standalone, although (like me) you will be adding the other two books (and more of Portia's) to your wishlist. 

The prologue is set in 1998 and introduces us to fraternal twins Holly and Ivy who couldn't be more different; for one thing, Holly dislikes Christmas and Ivy loves it.  It's a bit difficult to escape the festive period as their mum owns a shop called Christmas Every Day in the picturesque seaside town of Marram Bay.

Fast forward to the present day and Ivy is running the shop after buying out Holly's share when their mum passed away.  It is clear that this is more than a shop to Ivy as it's almost as if it holds some of her mum's spirit so she is prepared to fight with all she has to save the shop, despite dwindling sales and the landlord selling the building.

There is an amazing enemies to lovers trope when Seb walks into the shop one day with no intention to buy anything festive, but rather the whole building.  Ivy could maybe handle a new landlord but Seb doesn't want the building, he wants the land and his bulldozers are revving their engines.  Ivy would hate him if only he wasn't so hot!

Enemies to lovers comes hand in hand with a 'will they/won't they' vibe and I adored every second of it.  I completely fell in love with the characters and I think I must've had something in my eye at the end as my eyes were a little moist to say the least.

Funny, flirty and incredibly heartwarming, Snow Love Lost is a lovely read filled with heart and a sprinkling of Christmas pixie dust.  You've got a new fan right here, Portia MacIntosh!

I received a gifted paperback from the publisher that I chose to read; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: No Safe Place To Hide (The Philippines Thrillers Book 1) - Murray Bailey

A gripping noir thriller that exposes the dark heart of a nation in turmoil.

Journalist Martin Gillie has vanished, and his wife wants him found. It seems like a straightforward case for newly arrived Ash Carter. But in post-war Philippines, nothing is ever straightforward.

Carter follows a trail that leads from the smoky boxing rings of Manila to the rebel-haunted provinces. And as Carter digs, with each uncovered clue, the stakes rise higher. The police can't be trusted. The military has its own agenda.

Carter begins to wonder: Is Martin Gillie hiding from something—or someone? And if Carter finds him, will either of them live to tell the story?

 

What did I think?

If you haven't read any of Murray Bailey's Ash Carter Singapore series then you've missed out on some cracking thrillers BUT No Safe Place to Hide is a new spin-off series set in the Philippines that is going to result in a new legion of fans discovering Ash Carter.  You definitely don't need to have read any of the previous Ash Carter books to enjoy No Safe Place to Hide as it's absolutely brilliant.

Set in the 1950s it's like a full-colour step back in time as the story unfolds.  Ash Carter can't help getting himself into trouble but he's so quick-witted and clever that there's almost no situation he can't escape from.  He's supposed to have left the country but he ends up investigating a missing journalist and getting tangled up in political corruption.  The danger signs were flashing in front of my eyes and I had no idea who Ash could trust.

There is lots of action and plenty of shocks and surprises in this atmospheric, gripping and fast-paced thriller.  I couldn't put it down and I can't wait for the next book in the series.  Very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Into The Wild Woods: Rookscroft - Book Three - Jayne Siroshton

Spring was in the air that morning, though it was still cold outside. I made a fire in the library, where I spent a happy afternoon with Quentin and Robin, musing about adventure. A writing slope on the mantle had caught Robin's eye, and when I took it down and opened it, we found - much to our delight - a drawing of an enchanting cottage, along with a key and a map marking its location in the Wild Woods.

Of course, Robin wanted to go at once. After some persuasion, Quentin agreed to join us, and so the next morning we set out - across the fields, down the lane, and into the forest. What began as a lighthearted outing, with the promise of a picnic and a cozy night's stay in the cottage, turned to horror the following morning: little Robin was nowhere to be found!

At first, we followed his tiny footprints, but they stopped abruptly at the bank of a swift-flowing stream. From there, we found no trace.

Desperate to find our friend, we journeyed deep into the dark, foreboding Wild Woods - from snowy mountain tops to the churning green sea. Along the way, we met many new companions who guided and helped us in our urgent quest. But were we too late? Would we ever see dear little Robin again? Or would our lives be changed forever?

 

What did I think?

Into The Wild Woods is the third book in the amazing Rookscroft series that continues the adventures of artist Jayne and her feathered friends.  Whilst you can read Into The Wild Woods as a standalone book, this is a series not to be missed and it's much better to read the books in order. 

Jayne, Quentin the golden pheasant and Robin the quail are about to set off into the wild woods armed with a drawing of a cottage, a map and a mysterious key.  The Wild Woods are filled with danger though so it doesn't turn out be quite the charming adventure that they expected as events take a much darker turn.

The book is beautifully illustrated to accompany the evocative prose and I was so worried about some of the characters.  It might be a bit too scary and traumatic for younger readers as I even held my breath on occasion.

Into The Wild Woods is a charming illustrated tale filled with danger and adventure.  This instalment of the Rookscroft series is more dark than magical but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  A very highly recommended read in a very highly recommended series.

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

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BLOG TOUR: Just a Taste - Anise Starre

A Christmas romance featuring a personal chef who is snowed-in with her least favourite client – a sexy but miserable technopreneur.

The only thing personal chef Noelle Jones loves more than cooking is Christmas. She has a roster of extremely wealthy clients, including the elusive and stoic Alexander Hoxton.

When he asks her to cook a last-minute business meal he’s having, offering triple her pay for the short notice, Noelle jumps at the chance. It’s easy money, one of her favourite dishes and she'll still have plenty of time to get to her family’s annual Christmas reunion.

But, when a sudden blizzard leaves Noelle snowed-in with Alexander, she quickly realises he wants absolutely nothing to do with anything festive. Stuck with a veritable grinch, she’s sure this Christmas is about to become one of her worst . . .

 

What did I think?

Wrap up warm when you pick up Just a Taste; you're about to get snowed in with a sexy businessman and his personal chef.  The heating might go on the blink but Alex will get your blood flowing and Noelle will keep you well fed.

I loved both Noelle and Alex.  Noelle is a talented chef who is very family oriented and humble.  Alex is a brooding businessman who makes Mr Darcy look positively cheerful.  The story is written with a dual point of view so the reader knows what's going on in their heads despite their frosty actions towards each other.  

The forced proximity trope is in full force when Noelle gets snowed in with Alex a few days before Christmas.  Noelle just wants to get to her Gran's house to celebrate Christmas with her family and Alex just wants to be by himself to forget that it's even Christmas.  As his reasons for hating Christmas come out, I wanted to reach into the book and give Alex a huge hug but Noelle got there first!

The sexual tension sizzles throughout as neither character wants to cross the employee/employer line but the heart wants what the heart wants!  I definitely saved a few pence on the central heating while I was reading as there's so much heat that the book almost spontaneously combusted in my hands.

Just a Taste is a festive, fun and flirty feast.  It would make a fabulous Christmas movie and I'd love to see it on my screen in the future.  A highly recommended read for the festive season.

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

My rating:

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PUBLICATION DAY: Labyrinth - A. G. Riddle

I am delighted to be talking part in the Random Things Tours Publication Day Shout Out for Labyrinth by A. G. Riddle.  I think this book sounds brilliant and I'm definitely adding it to my wishlist.  Scroll down to find out about the book and the author and make sure to check out the other bloggers on the tour for reviews, excerpts and giveaways.

 

From the bestselling author of Lost in Time and Quantum Radio comes a new mind-bending thriller: a group of strangers with tinnitus begins seeing numbers - numbers they soon realize are a code that will change the world.

Alan Norris has lost everything. Except for his daughter. And he's willing to do anything to protect her.

The day of his wife's funeral, as he's walking to give the eulogy, the ringing in his ears starts. His tinnitus began when he was in the Marines, the day a roadside bomb went off. Usually, it's a low whine - a tea kettle that never quite boils. But as his prosthetic and his good leg sink into the soggy grass, the ringing changes. That afternoon, the ringing only he can hear sounds like three jagged rocks dropped in a tin can and shaken.

When the rattling hits a crescendo, he sees a series of numbers: 12122518914208.

He assumes it's a stress reaction. A hallucination. He's wrong about that. And several other things.

The ringing and the numbers are a mystery, but the worst part is that when that unseen hand shakes the can, Alan begins to lose time.

A few minutes at first.

Then longer.

Until one night, he wakes up next to a dead body.

He could call the police. Or run. He doesn't do either. Because he doesn't know what happened to his daughter during the time he lost, leaving him no choice but to dig deeper.

Alan soon discovers he's not the only one seeing the numbers. And that the sequence is key to a conspiracy with far-reaching consequences. For him and the entire world.

Visit A.G. Riddle’s website here for all buy links.

About the author:

A.G. Riddle spent ten years starting and running internet companies before retiring to focus on his true passion: writing fiction. He is now an Amazon, Wall Street Journal and Sunday Times bestselling author with nearly five million copies sold worldwide in twenty languages. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Author's social Media Accounts

X: @Riddlist

Facebook: @agriddle

Instagram: @riddlist

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BLOG TOUR: Rainforest - Michelle Paver

The jungle watches. The dead remember.

The virgin rainforest seems a paradise to Englishman Simon Corbett. A last chance to salvage his career. A final refuge from a terrible secret.

But the jungle is no Eden. It hides secrets of its own. It does not forgive.

As Simon is drawn deeper into its haunted shadows, he learns to his horror that the past will not stay buried. For there are places in the forest where the line between the living and the dead is thinner than the skin of water.

 

What did I think?

Rainforest is the first Michelle Paver book I have read, although I've had my eye on her back catalogue for a while.  It was the stunning and mesmerising cover that drew me in but it was the vivid and immersive writing that kept me turning the pages.

It is set in the 1970s and follows Dr Simon Corbett to the South American rainforest where he is studying mantids.  Simon is a tortured soul, clinging on to a creepy talisman of his lost love, and he is a brilliantly unreliable narrator.  I wasn't sure what was real and what was in his head.  I was desperate to find out what had happened to Penelope and couldn't read fast enough to discover both Simon's and the rainforest's secrets.

Dark and disturbing, Rainforest is a haunting tale of obsession and regret, set in a location that is filled with mystery and secrets.  Secrets that must remain hidden at any cost.  It's a great book for the dark nights as it definitely creeped me out!

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Catch Series - Douglas Roberts

A minor crime deserves a minor punishment and a serious crime a more serious punishment. But you have to get caught first and it certainly helps if you get someone else to do your dirty work for you. Then there’s the question of who is going to catch you, and if caught, one has to be particularly devious to be able to get away with it. Even if one is as powerful a Member of Parliament and cabinet minister as Maurice Hamilton.

Abhorrence is a way of life for those with such a black heart which feeds off the goodwill of others but vengeance is a two-edged sword which can cut you down in the blink of an eye.

What did I think?

Catch of the Day is the first book in The Catch Series and it certainly got me well hooked as I couldn't put it down.  I absolutely loved it and I don't even like politics but MP Maurice Hamilton is one of those detestable characters that you love to hate.

The first couple of chapters set the scene and it soon becomes clear that there are a lot of people who would want to kill Maurice 'bloody' Hamilton.  Getting close enough to do so when he's a Member of Parliament needs an ingenious plot and this one is sublime.  

DI Patricia Eyethorne is a talented young detective who teams up with Justin Crawford from Hamilton's security team to try to foil the plot.  I loved seeing the romantic relationship between Patricia and Justin blossom despite being put under so much stress in their jobs.  It definitely made me want to read the next book in the series to see where life would take them next.

Catch of the Day is tense, suspenseful and action-packed; it's a cracking political espionage thriller and I couldn't put it down.  I almost forgot to breathe near the end as Patricia and Justin race against time.  Brilliant!  Well worth a read.

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

My rating:

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Is the assassin manipulating the world price of platinum and how many has he murdered? Many such questions challenge Inspector Eyethorne OBE and her Fiancée who haven’t yet decided upon a name for their detective agency and neither have they had the time to fix a wedding date. Their pan-European investigations reveal that the answers are connected and despite Special Branch directing operations, they find themselves being pursued by ruthless gangs across London. Their only options are high-level escapes. Cabinet minister Maurice ‘bloody’ Hamilton enters this toxic mix and he’s out to make a killing; in both senses of the word.

 

What did I think?

Having read Catch of the Day, I raced straight on to Slipscatch to continue The Catch Series.  It's difficult not to compare the sequel to the first book as I absolutely loved Catch of the Day but Slipscatch didn't grip me as much.  It's still a good thriller though.

I loved catching up with Patricia Eyethorne and Justin Crawford as they investigate a platinum mining conspiracy.  Of course if there's something dodgy going on, you just know that Maurice 'bloody' Hamilton is in thick of it (spoiler alert: he didn't get killed in the first book).

The plotting is very sharp and the action is fast-paced as danger increases with every turn of the page.  I didn't quite find my reading rhythm for various reasons so I didn't race through it as quickly as the plot perhaps warranted.   

Slipscatch is like a cross between Spooks and 24 so it would be great to see it made into a series.  It is very tense and suspenseful and I can't wait to read the next book, Hamilton's Deep Catch.

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

My rating:

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