The betrayals by Bridget Collins

 

The biding is a well known and hyped book and The Betrayals will be the same because many readers, including me, enjoyed the debut novel of the author.

I was so happy when I received an arc for this book and I Am very grateful to the publisher for it.

I haven’t read many fantasies/dystopian books so i didn’t exactly knew what to expect from this one, but I’m happy that i’ve chosen it because it’s a book that stays with me for sure.

The world building here is so well done that at times i felt like being there with the characters and the author has the power through her words to keep me engaged from the first page to the last.

 Even if not everything made sense for me and was confused or had to reread certain passages just to make sure that I’ve read that correctly, even if i have an aversion of rats, even if there are so many unanswered question, this book is a must read.

Told in now and then, so many lies and secrets, so many what ifs and why and how, the mystery of this story is so engaging that i hope we will have more in the future because it deserves more. 

The romance is a side story but a great one in my opinion because the author has fleshed two beautiful souls with all the ugly truth and what not in between and i loved the thoughts and so many feelings and emotions, in a world full of lies and decisiveness

Description

From the Number 1 bestselling author of THE BINDING

There’s a silence, like the gap between two ticks of a clock.

Then she turns away, unable to look at his face. 

Léo was once a student at Montverre, an exclusive academy tucked away in the mountains, where students learn an arcane and mysterious game. Now he returns in disgrace, exiled to his old place of learning. 

Claire is the first woman to serve as Montverre’s Magister Ludi. When Léo first sees Claire he senses a connection with her, though he’s sure they have never met before.

As secrets whisper in the walls and the legendary Midsummer Game, the climax of the year, draws closer, will Léo discover the truth about Claire – and will that truth destroy them both? 

Pre-order the stunning limited edition from Waterstones now. 

https://smarturl.it/BetrayalsWTS-signed

Crazy stupid bromance by Lisa Kay Adams

 Amazon uk

https://amzn.to/35PPfrT

Friends to lovers between two characters in the admired series of Bromance story. 

Alexis and Noah were two of my favourite characters from the previous books, and I was looking forward to reading how their story will expand. 

While it’s a charming and slow-burn romance, I felt like something was missing or was a bit too much at times, just like in the first two books. 

I loved the continuous bromance and support between the guys and the women at each turning point and how they look out for each other plus the interaction is as expected, full of smart replies and quirky dialogue. 

The story touches a lot more topics than just friends to lovers between Alexis and Noah, a heavy one that many people might find difficult to read but it adds a bit more reliably to the real-life issues and, as a medical staff member I know that we need more awareness of it, even if maybe, the author is trying to tell us her opinion regarding the topic, I can not fully agree with her, but that’s another story. 

I’m an easy rating usually but for books that are very hyped and loved, I’m more critical and this one felt a bit flat in parts for me, hence the 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

 DESCRIPTION

“[A] catchy premise with surprising wisdom and specificity.”--New York Times Book Review on The Bromance Book Club

A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Title 

A hacktivist and a cat café owner decode the friend zone in this romantic comedy from the author of Undercover Bromance.
 
Alexis Carlisle and her cat café, ToeBeans, have shot to fame after she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. When a new customer approaches to confide in her, the last thing Alexis expects is for the woman to claim they’re sisters. Unsure what to do, Alexis turns to the only man she trusts—her best friend, Noah Logan.
 
Computer genius Noah left his rebellious teenage hacker past behind to become a computer security expert. Now he only uses his old skills for the right cause. But Noah’s got a secret: He’s madly in love with Alexis. When she asks for his help, he wonders if the timing will ever be right to confess his crush. 
 
Noah’s pals in The Bromance Book Club are more than willing to share their beloved “manuals” to help him go from bud to boyfriend. But he must decide if telling the truth is worth risking the best friendship he’s ever had

The Chalet by Catherine Cooper

Amazon uk 

https://amzn.to/3oJscHW

The chalet by Catherine Cooper is an intriguing mystery story that I enjoyed.

 A missing person, twenty years forward, two brothers, one truth. That’s what this story is about, an interesting mystery with intriguing characters and told in dual pov as well in then and now chapters, I found myself was captivated by the characters and their views of the events, especially after so many years and was doubting their truth or lies, as i always do when i come across these kinds of stories.

I must admit that I was quite confused at the beginning, but after a certain point everything started to make more sense and was looking up to see if my predictions were right, and they were. 

The descriptions of the settings is so vividly pictured that I felt like i was right there with the characters at all times and that's a great achievement to draw my attention even more in a book.

It’s full of twists, some unexpected, some not so much, but overall it’s a great story that many readers will enjoy.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

Description

Four friends. One luxury getaway. The perfect murder.

‘Pure adrenaline’ ERIN KELLY 
‘I was gripped from start to finish’ CASS GREEN

French Alps, 1998

Two young men ski into a blizzard… but only one returns.

20 years later

Four people connected to the missing man find themselves in that same resort. Each has a secret. Two may have blood on their hands. One is a killer-in-waiting.

Someone knows what really happened that day.

And somebody will pay.

An exciting new debut for anyone who loves Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, and C.L. Taylor

 

Mistletoe and Mr Right by Sarah Morgenthaler

Amazon uk

https://amzn.to/35MloRe

I enjoyed this slow-burn romantic comedy with great characters and funny moments. I mean, from the first paragraph you just start bursting into laughter because that’s a catchy introduction to a new book. 

It’s a well-written novel with characters that made appearances in the previous book, it has a lot of interesting moments about life and how the family dynamics can change at any point in one’s life. I can’t say that I’ve got to love them both but I felt for Rick and Lana’s way of finding love throughout the story, overcoming their past and looking forward to a future together. 

If you are looking for a good holidays romance, this is the book for you. 

Many thanks to the publisher @sourcebookscasa for my review copy. 

DESCRIPTION

“Fresh, fun and romantic.”—SARAH MORGAN, USA Today bestselling author of A Wedding in December

How the moose (almost) stole Christmas.

Lana Montgomery is everything the quirky small town of Moose Springs, Alaska can’t stand: a rich socialite with dreams of changing things for the better. But Lana’s determined to prove that she belongs…even if it means trading her stilettos for snow boots and tracking one of the town’s hairiest Christmas mysteries: the Santa Moose, an antlered Grinch hell-bent on destroying every bit of holiday cheer (and tinsel) it can sink its teeth into.

And really…how hard could it be?

The last few years have been tough on Rick Harding, and it’s not getting any easier now that his dream girl’s back in town. When Lana accidentally tranquilizes him instead of the Santa Moose, it’s clear she needs help, fast…and this could be his chance to finally catch her eye. It’s an all-out Christmas war, but if they can nab that darn moose before it destroys the town, Rick and Lana might finally find a place where they both belong…together.

Readers are falling in love with The Tourist Attraction:
“Utterly charming—a delightful debut.”—LAUREN LAYNE, New York Times bestselling author of the Central Park Pact series
“An enchanting romcom debut! I loved it.” —TERI WILSON, award-winning author of The Accidental Beauty Queen
“After reading Sarah Morgenthaler’s darling debut, I wanted to hop a plane to Alaska and find my own grumpy cinnamon roll hero!”—MELONIE JOHNSON, award-winning author of Smitten by the Brit
“Prediction: Readers will stampede to Alaska looking for The Tourist Trap and their own Graham after they read the first chapter of The Tourist Attraction. Sarah Morgenthaler’s Alaska is so vivid and amusing that it really should be a real place in the world!”—SARINA BOWEN, USA Todaybestselling author of the True North series

The haunting of Brynn Wilder

 

Amazon uk

https://amzn.to/34MCWxz

A very interesting story as I don’t usually read time travel book but this one caught my attention and hold on to it til the last page. 

At the beginning I thought it’s more of an obsession love or lust but it’s so much more than that. 

The suspense and twists kept coming up with each chapter and I really wanted to know what actually happened and how everything will unfold. 

It’s a great story that I highly recommend but bare in mind that it’s heavy on the romance side so don’t start trashing it because you don’t read/like romance 

DESCRIPTION

From the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of Daughters of the Lake comes an enthralling spellbinder of love, death, and a woman on the edge.

After a devastating loss, Brynn Wilder escapes to Wharton, a tourist town on Lake Superior, to reset. Checking into a quaint boardinghouse for the summer, she hopes to put her life into perspective. In her fellow lodgers, she finds a friendly company of strangers: the frail Alice, cared for by a married couple with a heartbreaking story of their own; LuAnn, the eccentric and lovable owner of the inn; and Dominic, an unsettlingly handsome man inked from head to toe in mesmerizing tattoos.

But in this inviting refuge, where a century of souls has passed, a mystery begins to swirl. Alice knows things about Brynn, about all of them, that she shouldn’t. Bad dreams and night whispers lure Brynn to a shuttered room at the end of the hall, a room still heavy with a recent death. And now she’s become irresistibly drawn to Dominic—even in the shadow of rumors that wherever he goes, suspicious death follows.

In this chilling season of love, transformation, and fear, something is calling for Brynn. To settle her past, she may have no choice but to answer.

Puzzling ink by Becky Clark

Amazon uk 

https://amzn.to/2HNtYHm

3.5 stars 

Puzzling Ink by Becky Clark is my first book by the author and I’m glad i’ve taken a chance on it. I don’t make cozy mysteries stories my favourite or my priorities but every now and then I’m looking up some interesting ones and this book is as engaging as interesting in so many ways.

A young woman, living with her parents and being on the spectrum of OCD, running a restaurant as a waitress and creating solving puzzles for the local magazine, finds herself into a very unsettling situation. A man is found dead on one of her tables and her boss is incriminated. Being a master at solving puzzles, she starts her own investigation about the murder, even if it looks way too dangerous for her own good. 

It’s a funny, light read with an interesting mix of characters as her parents and unusual baking recipes, a lot of mysteries and suspenseful moments that the author has made them look easy to navigate through despite the dangerous topic. Adding real life struggles of the OCD moments, made the heroine more lovable and sympathetic.

A fast paced, well written story, perfect for the lovers of the genre.

Description

1 DOWN: DEATH BY HOMICIDE
 
Quinn Carr wishes her life could be more like a crossword puzzle: neat, orderly, and perfectly arranged. At least her passion for puzzles, flair for words—and mild case of OCD—have landed her a gig creating crosswords for the local paper. But if she ever hopes to move out of her parents’ house, she can’t give up her day job as a waitress. She needs the tips. But when a customer ends up dead at her table—face down in bisquits and gravy—Quinn needs to get a clue to find whodunit . . .
 
6 LETTERS, STARTS WITH “M”
 
It turns out that solving a murder is a lot harder than a creating a crossword. Quinn has plenty of suspects—up, down, and across.  One of them is her boss, the owner of the diner who shares a culinary past with the victim. Two of them are ex-wives, her boss’s and the victim’s. A third complication is the Chief of Police who refuses to allow much investigation, preferring the pretense their town has no crime. To solve this mystery, Quinn has to think outside the boxes—before the killer gets the last word . . .
 
“FRESH, FAST, AND FURIOUSLY FUN . . . Becky Clark writes with wry wit, a keen eye, and no shortage of authority.”
—Brad Parks , Shamus Award-winning author (on Fiction Can Be Murder)
 

 

Chasing the moon by SM Soto

Amazon uk

https://amzn.to/3ecxbMs

Chasing the moon is another great second chance romance by a favourite author. 

There are so many things that I could say about it but you kinda have to read it because I won’t be giving spoilers at all. 

A second chance at love and life even, because destiny has other plans for young lovers and, in a way, it was probably better than everything evolved like that. 

It’s sweet (and steamy at times), with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments, with two characters that find their way back to each other after a bumpy road and life experiences that aren’t easy for everyone but it has that well deserved happily ever after that my heart craves so much. 

DESCRIPTION

A modern-day retelling of the Greek Myth of Selene and Endymion.

He was the sun, and she was the moon. A love like theirs was never destined to last. 

Selene Drake has always been the girl that blends into the background.

The wallflower.

Quiet.

Unnoticed.

Sweet as can be.

It never bothered her, she preferred slinking into the shadows.

When she first laid eyes on Endymion Black, she fell irrevocably in love with him.

The bad boy.

Cold.

Distant.

Handsome as ever.

For years, she pined after the unattainable boy who had somehow burrowed his way into her heart.

Until everything changed.

One unforgettable night bridled with passion and forbidden lust destroyed her naïve heart and reshaped her innocent soul. It sent her fleeing from the only town she’d ever truly known.

Six years later, Selene is back in Dunsmuir and the boy she spent years loving in silence, has now turned into a man. A man with his sights set on her. Somehow, the tables have turned, and this time around, he’s the one doing the chasing, determined to claim her heart as his. Only, he doesn’t realize, she has a secret of her own. 

One with the potential to change their lives forever.

Chasing the Moon is a full-length standalone romance with a guaranteed HEA

 

The chocolate box by Isabella May

 

Ellie Sanchez wants revenge. Spurned during her school days at prestigious Monty’s academy when she was plain Eleanor Finch, and played second fiddle to her idol, Barnaby Westwood, and his show-off sister, Clementine, Ellie will stop at nothing to turn the tables now she’s all grown up. The siblings and their snubbing have been the catalyst for everything that’s gone wrong in her life, from parental neglect to her divorce.

When the Westwood travel merchandise company advertises for a new HR manager, Ellie decides her unique combo of karma and Law of Attraction has finally come good. And she’ll be bagging herself a cherry-on-the-cake, second, and richer, husband in the process - once Barnaby sees how much she’s changed, anyway.

Fast forward six months and he STILL doesn’t recognise her!

Fast forward six months and the company is in a financial mess.

Last Chance Saloon-style, Ellie coerces the siblings and their older sister, Brooke (the perpetual spanner in her works) to a rustic gîte in Normandy for a spot of team-building… over a very ‘special’ box of artisan chocolates.

Cue ALL the fireworks in the cocoa bean version of Jumanji...

"Scrumptious, enchanting and beautifully written." - Lizzie Chantree, bestselling author

4.5 stars

Who doesn’t love chocolate? I know i do and the flavours and all the descriptions in this book are just making me wanting to try out everything and go on a splurge buying of chocolate.

It's my first book by the author and i didn't knew what to expect but i'm quite impressed by the story overall.

It's so much more than a woman fiction or chick lit story, it has so much more deep and feels more reliable in some ways.

The family connection and their interaction, the friendship and everything that comes along with the ups and downs and expectations as well as the childish revenge, everything adds up for a great few hours of a compelling read.

If you're looking for a great story with characters that stay with you for a while, this is a book for you.

The tower of fools by Andrzej Sapkowski

 

The Tower of Fools is coming out next week and this book is so addictive in the best  way. 

I usually read a story in one day, but this one took me almost a week because I didn’t want to rush it and miss any details. 

It’s very long as well, almost double as usual but that didn’t discourage me to enjoy the rich characterization of some of the oldest countries in Europe and the mix of part fiction, part real history. 

There’s so much to take in here, so many fascinating characters, and the interaction is just so easy to follow and understand nothing like other novels where I need a thesaurus next to me. 

The maturity and real-life scenes are vividly illustrated and some topics left me a bit speechless as I didn’t expect to read about them but they exist since the word was built and even if it’s still a taboo matter for so many civilizations, the author made it authentic and part of life in every scene that matter. 

I’m so looking forward to the next books in the trilogy and I couldn’t recommend it enough. 

It’s so real and atmospheric, full of twists and historical issues that many people will enjoy.

Very grateful for my review copy to the publisher @orionbooks through @netgalley 

Description

A brand-new historical fantasy from a legend of the genre. Fans of Bernard Cornwall, Conn Iggulden and Joe Abercrombie will love this. 

Reinmar of Bielawa, sometimes known as Reynevan, is a doctor, a magician and, according to some, a charlatan.

Discovered in bed with the wife of a high-born knight, he must flee his normal life. But his journeys will lead him into a part of Europe which will be overtaken by chaos. Religious tension between Hussite and Catholic countries is threatening to turn into war.

Pursued not only by the affronted Stercza brothers, bent on vengeance, but also by the Holy Inquisition, and with strange, mystical forces gathering in the shadows, Reynevan finds himself in the Narrenturm, the Tower of Fools. The Tower is an asylum for the mad, or for those who dare to think differently and challenge the prevailing order. The 'patients' of this institution form a gallery of colourful types including the young Copernicus, proclaiming the truth of his heliocentric solar system.

But can Reynevan escape the Tower, and avoid being drawn in to the conflict around him, without losing his own mind?

The first in an epic new trilogy set during the vibrantly depicted Hussite Wars by Andrzej Sapkowski, author of the bestselling Witcher series that has become an international phenomenon and inspired a bestselling videogame and Netflix show.

Translated by David French, who worked with Sapkowski on six Witcher books.

* * * * * * * * *

'A ripping yarn delivered with world-weary wit, bursting at the seams with sex, death, magic and madness' Joe Abercrombie

The cabin by Jasinda Wilder

 

The cabin is a book that I’ve read today because many blogger friends recommended it and I must admit I was intrigued to know why. 

It’s not the first book with this plot and won’t be the lat for sure but it still touched me in many ways. Think PS I love you and Post Scriptum combined. It’s a romance that happened because of someone else’s  love had no limits and wasn’t selfish about his destiny. 

I’m going to leave it at this because if you are in a mood for a great angsty romance story, this one is the perfect book to read. 

Description 

One year ago, I buried my husband.

One year ago, I held his hand and said goodbye.

Now I spend most of my days lost somewhere between trying to remember every smallest detail of our lives, and trying to forget it all. I fill my hours with work until I’m too exhausted to remember him, to feel anything at all.

One year, 365 days--and then one knock at my door changes everything. A letter from him, a last request, a secret will:

My dearest Nadia,

Trust me, my love. One last time, trust me. Sometimes the epilogue to one story is the beginning of another.

This time next year by Sophie Cousens

This time next year by Sophie Cousens is available now. 

A sweet and enjoyable romance story between two characters full of life and so different in any possible way. We all know how opposite attracts but still, these two have another kind of connection that it’s more rare to find. 

They were born at the same time in the same hospital and over the years their path have crossed many times but in their adult life, at the age when they should start to think about having a family of their own, they meet again and everything changes. 

There are many moments that I really enjoyed reading about them, their interaction with the families and all the ups and downs and experience and expectations for an young adult nowadays it can be read on the story. 

Because I love romance, i would say this story it’s more woman fiction with a couple looking for that romantic elements in their relationship.

It’s a good book for escaping in a fictional world for few hours spent in these uncertain moments.

Very grateful to the publisher @penguinrandomhouse and @rachelkennedy90 for my review copy❤️

Publisher Description

Their lives began together, but their worlds couldn’t be more different. After thirty years of missed connections, they’re about to meet again...

Minnie Cooper knows two things with certainty: that her New Year’s birthday is unlucky, and that it’s all because of Quinn Hamilton, a man she’s never met. Their mothers gave birth to them at the same hospital just after midnight on New Year’s Day, but Quinn was given the cash prize for being the first baby born in London in 1990--and the name Minnie was meant to have, as well. With luck like that, it’s no wonder each of her birthdays has been more of a disaster than the one before. 

When Minnie unexpectedly runs into Quinn at a New Year’s party on their mutual thirtieth birthday, she sees only more evidence that fortune has continued to favor him. The gorgeous, charming business owner truly seems to have it all--while Minnie’s on the brink of losing her pie-making company and her home. But if Quinn and Minnie are from different worlds, why do they keep bumping into each other? And why is it that each fraught encounter leaves them both wanting more?

A moving, joyful love story, This Time Next Yearexplores the way fate leads us to the people we least expect--no matter what the odds

 

These violent delights by Chloe Gong

 

A retelling of Romeo and Juliet, but more darkly and mysteriously. 

I was captivated by this story from the beginning to the end. The heroine is nothing like Juliet, she’s more strong, smart and opinionated, she’s a fighter and knows what exactly she wants and how to get it. 

Overall, the story seems quite a dark historical rivalry between two gangs of powerful characters and it reminded me about Gangs of New York especially since it’s set in 1920 but in Shanghai and this adds even more to the story as I haven’t read or know much about their culture. 

I enjoyed it, the suspenseful moments and interaction are great and the writing is very good and easy to follow. I’m looking forward to reading more by the author and I recommend this book to anyone.

Description

Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang-a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette's first love . . . and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns-and grudges-aside and work together, for if they can't stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

'Heady, smart, and vicious, These Violent Delights strikes every note with precision, layering romance and politics into a roaring 20s Shanghai of both monsters and monstrous imperialism' Tessa Gratton, author of The Queens of Innis Lear

'A deliciously dark twist on Romeo and Juliet that feels vibrant, modern, and wholly exciting' Natasha Ngan, New York Times bestselling author of Girls of Paper and Fire

'Chloe Gong's These Violent Delightsplants a Shakespearean classic in the rich soil of 1920s Shanghai, allowing her characters to grow, flourish, and steal your heart while warring against their own' Joan He, author of Descendant of the Crane

The housewarming by SE Lynes

 As a mother and parent I Can say that this book is definitely chilling. 

I’ve read other books by the other and always enjoyed her writing style as well as the stories, but this one is different from her usual mystery crime ones. 

It’s a domestic thriller that kept me up just to find out if my suspicions were proven or not and, because I read a lot of them, I was right. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying the heart pounding, twisted plot. 

One of the biggest fear of any parent is to find out that their kids are gone missing and the finding them and accept that they are gone for good its terrifying and seems surreal. 

Another great story from a now favourite author.

Description

Everyone is going to the housewarming party.

All the same people who lived on the street the day Abi vanished…

Will her mother finally learn the truth?

Ava only left her daughter in the pushchair for five minutes. The buckle was fastened, and she was sure it was safe. But when she came downstairs, the door was open and Abi was gone – she walked down the road, past the Lovegoods’ house, and was never seen again.

A year later, the Lovegoods throw a housewarming party, showing off the results of their renovation. Ava doesn’t want to go. She can’t bear to look down that end of the road, to see the place where Abi vanished, and she doesn’t want to spend time with people who don’t share her grief. Her husband Mattpersuades her: he’s worried about her. A night out might do her good.

But as her friends and neighbours chat, and the drink and gossip flows, Ava learns something new about the day she has re-lived a thousand times. A throwaway comment which could change everything.

Ava thought she knew every last detail of that day.

She’s about to find out she was wrong…

Brilliantly dark and moving suspense fiction for fans of Gillian Flynn, Claire McGowan and Lisa Jewell, The Housewarming will have your pulse racing and your heart in your mouth from start to finish

The coral bride by Roxanne Bouchard

 4.5 stars

This book is just amazingly done. I haven't read the first book in the series but now i really want to do it, because i need to read more about the main character and how everything started.

This story is much more than a usual mystery crime book, it has much more deep and there are so many paragraphs that i have highlighted because i'm a big fan of crime stories but haven't found any that kept me so invested like this one.

The mix of characters with the magical spell the sea has over any seaside town that lives from it, it made even dreaming about visiting and maybe living in a similar one.

The mysteries and secrets, the investigation procedure and the character's personal life entwined with the professional one adds up for a favourite series and new author to follow in the future.

Description

In this beautiful, lyrical sequel to the critically acclaimed We Were the Salt of the Sea, Detective Moralès finds that a seemingly straightforward search for a missing fisherwoman off Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula is anything but … ‘Wonderfully atmospheric … I genuinely couldn’t put this book down’ Gill Paul ‘You might want to grab this release if you’ve read everything by Louise Penny and need more Quebecois noir to feed your crime-loving tendencies’ Crime Fiction Lover _________________ When an abandoned lobster trawler is found adrift off the coast of Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, DS Joaquin Moralès begins a straightforward search for the boat’s missing captain, Angel Roberts – a rare female in a male-dominated world. But Moralès finds himself blocked at every turn – by his police colleagues, by fisheries bureaucrats, and by his grown-up son, who has turned up at his door with a host of his own personal problems. When Angel’s body is finally discovered, it’s clear something very sinister is afoot, and Moralès and son are pulled into murky, dangerous waters, where old resentments run deep.Exquisitely written, with Bouchard’s trademark lyrical prose, The Coral Bride evokes the power of the sea on the communities who depend on it, the never-ending struggle between the generations, and an extraordinary mystery at the heart of both. _________________Praise for Roxanne Bouchard: ‘Colourful, authentic characters with the kind of flavour that can only be inspired by real locals. So good it’ll make you want to pack your bags and drive straight to the seaside’ Journal de Montréal ‘Lyrical and elegiac, full of quirks and twists’ William Ryan ‘Asks questions right from page one’ Quentin Bates ‘An isolated Canadian fishing community, a missing mother, and some lovely prose. Very impressed by this debut so far’ Eva Dolan ‘A tour de force of both writing and translation’ Su Bristow ‘The translation from French has retained a dreamily poetic cast to the language, but it’s det-fic for all that, as DS Joaquin Morales, transplanted from balmy Mexican shores to a remote Quebecois fishing community, investigates a woman’s death at sea. This is the first book by Bouchard, renowned Canadian playwright and author, to be translated into English’ Sunday Times ‘Characters are well-drawn, from Moralès, the cop, and his sturdy inspector, Marlène, to the husky fishermen who were Marie’s devoted suitors three decades ago. There’s a comic element: the chef at the bistro, a mine of misleading information; the alcoholic priest who was never ordained - and the appalling undertaker who was once a used-car salesman and never forgot the spiel … An exotic curiosity, raw nugget’ Shots Mag

The seven doors by Agnes Ravatn

 

I love when I discover novels written by non-English authors because it gives so much more insight in their country and culture, in their education and how they experience their life. 

Lately I’m becoming quite interested in nordic authors, and this book is clearly one of the finest that I’ve read this year. 

It’s so atmospheric and the setting on the Norwegian winter is disturbing but also compelling. 

The story it’s told in short chapters easy to follow and the mystery and domestic thriller it’s done at its best because I was so drawn into the plot that I finished it in one sitting. 

The author has managed to create a dark investigation taken on a personal account after a chance encounter between Nina, our heroine and Mary, a missing person than is not who she assumes to be, so the enigmas and secrets add up with each chapter.

It’s atmospheric and a great psychological thriller that many lovers of the genres will appreciate.

Description 

When the tenant of a house that university professor Nina owns with her doctor husband goes missing after an uncomfortable visit, Nina starts her own investigation ... with deeply disturbing results. The long-awaited new thriller from the bestselling author of The Bird Tribunal.The Times Book of the Month*NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER IN NORWAY*WINNER of the Norwegian Booksellers’ Award‘A clever, quirky mystery, full of twists and reminiscent of Agatha Christie at her best’ The Times‘Ravatn, one of Norway’s premier crime writers, manages to conjure up an extra level of chilling atmosphere that will make you want to put the heating on ... The Seven Doors packs a brutal punch’ The Sun‘Wrenching and tense, a psychological chiller with multiple layers unpeeling graciously to reveal further strata of emotional bleakness and enigmas ... this tightly wound thriller echoes through increasing levels of anxiety and grief to fill a week of sleepless nights’ Maxim Jakubowski, CrimeTime______________University professor Nina is at a turning point. Her work seems increasingly irrelevant, her doctor husband is never home, relations with her difficult daughter are strained, and their beautiful house is scheduled for demolition.When her daughter decides to move into another house they own, things take a very dark turn. The young woman living there disappears, leaving her son behind, the day after Nina and her daughter pay her a visit.With few clues, the police enquiry soon grinds to a halt, but Nina has an inexplicable sense of guilt. Unable to rest, she begins her own investigation, but as she pulls on the threads of the case, it seems her discoveries may have very grave consequences for her and her family.Exquisitely dark and immensely powerful, The Seven Doors is a sophisticated and deeply disturbing psychological thriller from one of Norway’s most distinguished voices.______________Praise for Agnes Ravatn‘An unrelenting atmosphere of doom fails to prepare readers for the surprising resolution’ Publishers Weekly‘Unfolds in an austere style that perfectly captures the bleakly beautiful landscape of Norway’s far north’ Irish Times‘Reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith – and I can’t offer higher praise than that – Agnes Ravatn is an author to watch’ Philip Ardagh‘A tense and riveting read’ Financial Times‘Crackling, fraught and hugely compulsive slice of Nordic Noir ... tremendously impressive’ Big Issue‘Beautifully done ... dark, psychologically tense and packed full of emotion both overt or deliberately disguised’ Raven Crime Reads‘Intriguing ... enrapturing’ Sarah Hilary

Forget about me by Karen Grey

Forget about me is the second book in the Boston Classic novels series and can be read as a stand-alone but I’m going back to read the first one as well because I’m hooked to know more about these characters. 

My favourite trope is second chance romance and this book has a bit of everything. From great character development, angsty moments, a cute meddling puppy and the expected laugh out loud moments to a beautiful love story of redemption and chemistry between them after so many years apart. 

Contemporary romance lovers will enjoy this quick read perfect for the cold weather and a cup of hot chocolate.

Description 

Ben Porter may be living the dream, but it’s not his.His dad’s health scare might not be the ideal reason to come home for the summer, but it’s a welcome break from the stellar glitz of Ben’s life in Los Angeles. Even if modeling has him rivaling Marky Mark’s fame, posing isn’t his passion. Landing a role with a Boston Shakespeare theater brings him closer to fulfilling his dreams of being a real actor.Facing the reason he went west in the first place? That’s another story.Lucy Minola’s dreams were shattered seven years ago when a drunk driver smashed into her brother’s car. She knows it was her fault. So as penance, she works hard to care for her family, goes to confession faithfully, and buries all the feelings she had for the person who left when she needed him most: her brother’s best friend.When an injured dog brings them back together, Lucy’s good-girl facade begins to crack. Women everywhere are obsessed with the rad body they see in magazines, but she’s the only one Ben... 

 

Five little words by Jackie Walsh

Five little words by Jackie Walsh is available now a great mystery story. 

Moving in a new place, new small town and having a baby it’s overwhelming for anyone, especially when you don’t know anyone around but your husband and his family. 

She started to receive mysterious cards in the mail along with the usual congratulations for the newborn baby and those are a bit intriguing because they incriminate her new husband, the one she thinks she knows so well but , like most of people, there are so many secrets and untold stories that sometimes people keep to themselves. 

Battling between what ifs and a intruding mother in law, our heroine has a few secrets of her own as well and the only person that she’s close with it’s her sister but she’s not of much help actually and I find a bit unnecessary her adding because it’s not adding much to the story in my opinion as the heroine goes in blind and with her intuition about to solve the mysteries. 

It’s twisted and many turns are predictable but it also has some great interesting moments that many lovers of the genre will enjoy. 

Description

...Can destroy your life

When new mother, Laura Caldwell, opens the card dropped through her letterbox, she expected to see a heartfelt note, congratulating her on the birth of baby Shay. 

Instead, she sees a message that makes her blood run cold. 'Your husband is a murderer.' It couldn’t be true, could it? Not Conor, her adoring husband. He couldn’t be behind the brutal killing of local barmaid, Vicky. Not him. 

But while Laura fights to discover the truth about her husband, she’s also holding dark secrets of her own; secrets she’s spent years trying to hide. Could the card be a desperate attempt at revenge – or could her husband really be a murderer? There’s a tangled web between this perfect couple – and the truth might just destroy them...

 

City of ghosts by Ben Creed

 

This book is just amazing. 

I don’t read many historical fiction books because I find myself a bit lost in that time as I wasn’t a big fan of history in my school time but I was born and raised in an easter European country and the setting for this story is very close from home, and the description made me want to give it a try and read it. I can’t even explain how much I love it. 

The research for it is just perfect to the smallest things and I could feel and vision all the settings while reading, it brought so many childhood memories, so many stories that my grandfather used to tell me from the after the second war and even now, my father remembers parts of the life from those years. 

The dialogue and every interaction from the story are so reliable for those times, they all were so wary about everything and everyone as you couldn’t trust anyone, you didn’t know if a family member or friend was your ally or your enemies. 

Even from the first paragraph, the author sets the story on the high-quality mystery and crime thrillers, it’s dark and whimsical in many ways but it also has moments of humanity when our hero is transported so many times in his early years and all the events he thought he left behind. 

I find the music addition in this story just brilliant because, in my opinion, it makes the whole book more interesting and original. 

There are many questions and secrets to be unveiled but I’m here for all of them. 

Thank you so much Welbeck  publisher for my review copy, I love this book. 

Description 

Leningrad, Russia, 1951.

The shadow of war lingers. Revol Rossel – once a virtuoso violinist with a glittering future – is now a humble state militia cop, forced to investigate desperate crimes in this desperate era.

But when five frozen corpses are found neatly arranged between railway lines, Rossel is faced with the most puzzling – and most dangerous – case of his career. His hunt for the truth leads him to the dark heart of Leningrad's musical establishment, and, ultimately, to the highest levels of the Kremlin itself.

It's a world he knows intimately. A world where his dreams were shattered.

A world where a killer may now be hiding...

'A worthy successor to Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko ... A fine and often moving thriller' FINANCIAL TIMES

'Reminded me of Gorky Park, only I liked this tense, complex thriller even better' JAMES PATTERSON 

'Gripping ... with historical heft, plenty of twists along the way, and a uniquely ingenious code left behind by our murderer. An excellent start to a new historical crime series' VASEEM KHAN

Return to Virgin River by Robyn Carr

 

Return to Virgin River by Robyn  Carr is available now and such a beautiful story. 

I’ve watched the Netflix series first because everyone was talking about it and how much they loved the books years ago. I enjoyed it and had to read the book as well. I can only say that it didn’t disappoint and it lived up to the hype. 

Now, Return to Virgin River is a beautiful story, addictive and so atmospheric that I’ve read in one sitting. 

Wanting a change a scenario for her mental health and to cure the writer block, she settles for a small town that welcomes her with open arms. 

A second chance at love and life arise when Kaylee meets Landry and everything spirals pretty quick from here onwards. 

This is a great story about new opportunities and tiding loose ends, about finding love in less expecting places and dreaming of a future full of accomplishments next to a person that accepts you the way you are, with all the good and the bad things that comes along.

For the lovers of Virgin River, you will enjoy this story even more. 

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy 

Description

#1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr returns to the beloved town of Virgin River with a brand-new story about fresh starts, new friends and the magic of Christmas.

Kaylee Sloan’s home in Southern California is full of wonderful memories of the woman who raised her. But the memories are prolonging her grief over her mother’s recent death. A successful author, Kaylee hoped she could pour herself into her work. Instead she has terrible writer’s block and a looming deadline.

Determined to escape distractions and avoid the holiday season, Kaylee borrows a cabin in Virgin River. She knows the isolation will help her writing, and as she drives north through the mountains and the majestic redwoods, she immediately feels inspired. Until she arrives at a building that has just gone up in flames. Devastated, she heads to Jack’s Bar to plan her next steps. The local watering hole is the heart of the town, and once she crosses the threshold, she’s surprised to be embraced by people who are more than willing to help a friend—or a stranger—in need.

Kaylee’s world is expanding in ways she never dreamed possible. And when she rescues a kitten followed by a dog with a litter of puppies, she finds her heart opening up to the animals who need her. And then there’s the dog trainer who knows exactly how to help her. As the holidays approach, Kaylee’s dread turns to wonder. Because there’s no better place to spend Christmas than Virgin River