REVIEW: Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm by Rosie Clarke

Love and Duty at Blackberry Farm (Blackberry Farm #3) by Rosie Clarke

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Wartime fiction, WW2

Read: 27th September 2023

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Published: 29th September 2023

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Cambridgeshire – 1942

As a new year begins and the war continues, young Artie Talbot feels trapped. In his heart he longs to fight, like his two brothers, for his king and country but is duty tied to Blackberry Farm.

As feelings grow between Artie and Jeanie Salmons, Artie wonders if marriage will help him to finally accept his lot and settle down.

Meanwhile, his brother John Talbot must come to terms with the tragic loss of a lost love. Can he overcome his trauma and begin to build a new life for himself and his new born son?

Frances Grant, a new mysterious land girl arrives hoping to escape a violent past. Surely the countryside will offer her the safety and anonymity she craves. But someone is vengeful and eager to settle an old score…

As a terrible shock rocks the family, will love and duty be enough to get the family through the dark days ahead?

MY THOUGHTS:

As the men fight and the war rages, there are some new arrivals on the farm...

The third in this delightful saga series by saga queen Rosie Clarke sees us returning to Cambridgeshire in the winter of 1942. Of course it can suffice well enough as a standalone but for full character development and backstory progression, I do recommended starting them from the beginning. I enjoyed revisiting with the Talbolts and their charges at Blackberry Farm. It was like meeting up with old friends.

In the last book we saw the brutal murder of Faith, John Talbolt's betrothed, and how she lived long enough to birth their baby son before succumbing to her head injuries inflicted by her uncle Ralph, who later perished in a car accident. 

The Talbolts all banded together to help with the baby they didn't want to name as that honour should be reserved for his father when he returned home. However, John was recuperating in hospital some miles away after very nearly dying on a mission which saw him land in enemy territory and being rescued by French nuns who hid him before having him transported to Switzerland and then back to Blighty. When he was deemed physically well enough he was discharged and returned home to recuperate...setting eyes on his baby son for the first time. In the interim, the family had named him Jonny as he couldn't very well be called "baby" indefinitely. John was happy enough to keep the name they had given him though he found it difficult to bond with his son as he reminded him so much of his mother, who should have been here nursing him and caring for him.

Tom Gilbert, Pam's eldest, had been injured on duty and now is utilising his skills by training up others, for which everyone is grateful. It meant Tom stayed on home soil and out of the firing line so to speak. He had just become a father himself when his wife Lizzie gave birth to their own baby son, Archie, and he intended to be around to watch him grow up. Until he was given a mission to act as a supply chain to the Desert Rats... He promised Lizzie he wouldn't volunteer but if he was asked to go abroad he wouldn't refuse.

Meanwhile, Artie has finally found the courage to propose to land girl Jeanie Salmons and the farm is busy with wedding preparations - both sewing bridesmaid dresses and amassing food for the celebrations after the ceremony. Pam has been storing up her coupons so that she could give them a good spread.

A new land girl has also arrived at Blackberry Farm and she does so under a cloud. Frances Grant brings with her an air of mystery and a secret she must keep at all costs because should the Talbolts find out the truth about her she'd be out on her ear. Artie and Jeanie aren't at all sure what to make of her but they believe she is hiding something. Pam takes the young girl under her wing knowing that it's the love of a good family that she needs. When a trip to Ely sees Frances jump into the cold waters of the river to save a young boy from drowning, the local paper runs a piece on her complete with her photo which somehow makes it way to a national paper...and has the propensity to bring the cosiness of the world she has come to know and love crashing down. If her past could catch up with her here, then she would have no alternative but to leave Blackberry Farm.

As is the Farm isn't heaving with people as it is, Pam receives word that one of her estranged sisters has died and she is to receive charge of her 8 year old son George. Pam is devastated by the loss of her sister and if taking on George keeps him out of the orphanage then that is what she must do. What's one more mouth? Pam has always enjoyed a big family...now it is just extended. The more the merrier.

Life at Blackberry Farm has its ups and downs but their fighting spirit remains. With the new airfield nearby, Pam welcomes the airmen should they need a place to recharge or in need of a homecooked feed. Artie toys with the idea of following his brothers to fight for King and country but news at home puts things into clearer focus for him as he takes on more responsibility as well as providing for Jeanie.

I love Rosie Clarke and I love being transported back in time and witness the simplicities of life during wartime along with its hardships. But the amount of time food was discussed made it very difficult as I kept wanting to eat every time they gathered around the table for my own portion of poached eggs, bubble and squeak and streaky bacon. I could just smell the bacon, it made my mouth water. lol 

Once again, I enjoyed this installment just as much as the first two though I did feel it dragged a little, but that could just be me as I've had some sadness of my own in the past week making it hard for me to concentrate. This is still a wonderful read and I enjoyed my time at Blackberry Farm and cannot wait to return...especially to Pam's kitchen. Hahaha...

I would like to thank #RosieClarke, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #LoveAndDutyAtBlackberryFarm in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Rosie Clarke has been writing for several years and has written under various names for a variety of publishers.  She lives in Cambridgeshire, is happily married and enjoys life with her husband.  She likes to walk in the Spanish sunshine and eating out at favourite restaurants in Marbella is a favourite pastime, but writing is her passion.

Rosie loves shoes, especially those impossibly high heels you can buy and has a gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choos but can't wear them so they sit on the mantlepiece.

Rosie also writes under the name of Anne Herries and Linda Sole.

 

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Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Boldwood Books by following them on these social media accounts.

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REVIEW: Missing by Ruby Speechley

Missing by Ruby Speechley

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 25th September 2023

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Amazon

Published: 27th September 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Single mum Ellie is shown a missing person post on Facebook.

It’s of her three-year-old son, Tyler…

But he’s right there, holding her hand.

Surely this is some kind of prank – she knows her friend Louise can go too far with her jokes sometimes. And Ellie is used to the other mums gossiping at the school gates…

But now the other parents are questioning whether Tyler is really her child.

Ellie does everything she can to prove the post is fake, but the longer it goes on she knows it is malicious. Who would do this to her? And why?

It could be her ex, Darren, but deep down she knows it must be linked to what happened all those years ago – the night she’s been doing her best to forget…

All she knows is that she has to keep her son safe – no matter what.

MY THOUGHTS:

It's every mother's worst nightmare...

Except Ellie is having different kind of nightmares. Ones featuring clowns and snake tattoos and a very heavy sense of deja vu. And then there is the daytime nightmare where whispers at her son's nursery lead a friend to show her a Facebook post in which a missing person poster has been shared around. A missing person poster with her son's photo on it! But Tyler is not missing. He's right here holding her hand and climbing into the back seat of her car. Surely this is a prank...isn't it? 

But the other mums are not seeing the funny side of it as they each pass judgement on Ellie. She's used to them gossiping but now they are questioning whether Tyler is really her son. Some hurl vicious accusations her way while others merely insinuate.

With the help of her friend Louise, Ellie tries to prove that the post is fake but that means reactivating her Facebook account which she deactivated when she was harrassed by someone she thought was her friend. But the longer this goes on and the more the post is shared, the harder it is going to be to narrow it down and find just who has it in for her.

Ellie is a single mum and lives alone with her 3 year old son Tyler. His father, Darren, has never admitted paternity and has refused to pay any child maintenance but Ellie is getting to the point that she is going to need his financial help with the raising of their son. But the more she tries to contact him, the more vitriol she receives back from his new girlfriend. And Darren is more vehement than ever that he is not Tyler's father. But Ellie knows she was not unfaithful...so who else could it be? Unless...no.

The shadow of a memory lingers in the back of her mind from four years previously on the eve of her weekend away to Jersey with best friend Molly. What happened that night? If anything? And is it linked to what is plaguing her now? 

This is a fairly easy and quick read that does bare some sinister and creepy undertones. Things like stalking, rape, revenge porn to name a few. That and that the internet is forever. I liked Ellie and Katie but the two were also infuriating. For example, the incident with Ellie's flat key that Katie lost...why did she not see why Ellie was so upset? And then leaving Ellie's son in the care of her boyfriend, someone Ellie had never met, and thinking that was OK? And Ellie made me scratch my head on occasion too.

The writing is an easy style and the chapters short and snappy (my favourite kind). I am always a sucker for missing child tropes, although the said child is not actually missing, but it is still a good read. The twists were fairly predictable but it didn't ruin my enjoyment of a good story.

Overall, a quick easy read with a satisfying end.

I would like to thank #RubySpeechley, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #Missing in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ruby Speechley, graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in 2009, with an MA in Creative Writing. She is a Faber Academy alumna and prolific writer whose work has been longlisted for the Lucy Cavendish College Fiction Prize, the Exeter Novel Prize, the Caledonian Novel Award, the Bath Novel Award and has won the Retreat West First Chapter Competition.

Ruby is a mum of three was born in Lisbon, Portugal at the time of the first earthquake there in 200 years! She has been a journalist and worked in PR.

Ruby’s debut novel Someone Else’s Baby, a chilling psychological thriller, follows a young woman, Charlotte who has always dreamed of becoming a surrogate. When she and her partner Steve, choose Malcolm and Brenda, a middle-aged couple who they find on a surrogacy forum to become the intended parents, Charlotte believes she is about to fulfil her dream of helping a loving couple finally become a family, only to find that her act of kindness comes with devastating consequences.

Ruby’s debut was published by Hera in ebook in July 2019, and following a fantastic digital run, was published in paperback in January 2020. She now publishes with Boldwood Books.

Ruby’s second novel, Every Little Secret, was published in April 2020. Her next novel, A Mother Like You, published in November 2020. Ruby’s fourth novel, The Face at the Window was published in July 2021! Her most recent book, Gone, was published in February 2023.

Ruby lives in Cheshire with her husband and two of her three children and two Springer spaniels. She has an older son and two grandsons.

Social media links:

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REVIEW: The Playground by S.D. Robertson

The Playground - S.D. Robertson

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 24th September 2023

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Amazon

Publsihed: 26th September 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

He saved my little girl when I couldn’t. I invited him into our lives. But I had no idea he knew my darkest secret…

It is an ordinary September morning when I nearly lose my little girl. My mouth is dry, my hands shake when I see that she has darted unexpectedly into the playground…

The place where my own childhood ended.

Where I can’t set foot inside.

As she wobbles on top of the climbing frame about to fall, a silent scream freezes in my throat. So when a stranger hears her cries and rushes to help, I feel weak with relief.

I thank him as my daughter presses her tear-stained face into my skirt. Looking into his warm brown eyes and gentle smile, I feel an instant connection. When our paths cross again, I invite him for dinner. I’ve been so lonely since the breakdown of my marriage. What harm could come of it?

Soon we are seeing each other daily and I feel a spark grow between us. But then he says something that makes my heart beat fast in my chest. Something that makes me think he knows my secret.

That he knows what really happened at the playground all those years ago.

And if he knows that, he could destroy my precious family in a second…

A completely unputdownable page-turner about the terrible secrets that any family can hide. Fans of Lisa Jewell, K.L. Slater and Gillian McAllister will be hooked on The Playground!

MY THOUGHTS:

He saved my little girl when I couldn't...I invited him into our lives...but I had no idea he knew my darkest secret...

Beth is walking her 8 year old daughter Daisy back to school after a dental appointment. When she takes a call, Daisy runs into the nearby playground and onto the swings. Upon realising where her daughter is, Beth panics. She cannot enter the playground. Not ever. It's a place of nightmares that haunt her, where something happened when she was a teenager and since that day she has never stepped foot inside a playground...ever. And as her vision clouds, her breath begins to quicken. She falls to the ground. She cannot reach her daughter.

And then arms find her and catch her before she hits the ground. The smiling face looks like that of her father. But it can't be...can it? Is she dreaming? And then she hears screams coming from the playground. Daisy! The stranger runs into the playground to where her daughter is now perched atop the climbing frame while two teenage boys encourage their dog to nip at her daughter's feet, laughing as she screams. The stranger sees the teenagers flee with their dog before helping Daisy down from the frame and back to her mother.

And that is how Beth and Daisy meet Billy. He has become Daisy's knight in shining armour while beth herself finds herself attracted to the man who is clearly younger than she is. When she learns he is knew to the neighbourhood, she invites him to dinner by way of a thank you. However her 14 year old son Ethan is not thrilled by the idea of another male muscling in on what he feels is his dad's rightful place, despite his parents being separated. While Daisy has handled the separation well enough, Ethan is angry about it. He's become sullen and secretive.

As Beth and Billy's friendship develops, Beth begins to wonder if it could become something more intimate...until Billy makes a shock confession that changes her entire perspective of the life she knew.

And then there is Beth's inherent fear of playgrounds. What is it that happened to her all those years ago to create such an impact that would cause her never to enter one ever again? She clearly still has nightmares about it and it's never far from her mind. 

What she doesn't realise is just how close the past and the present are about to come...and how much it will change her life.

A delightfully twisty psychological thriller that had me at the "playground". I'm not sure what I expected - probably something more to do with kids from the title - but this was such an entertaining read I thoroughly enjoyed. Even though I had some terrible circumstances in RL taking place in the middle of it that stopped me reading for three days, when I picked it up this evening it took my mind off what was going on in my reality for a couple of hours and it was refreshing. I didn't see the twist at the end...whether that was down to me being off my game at the moment or the skill of the writer...it was a good solid read either way and the fact that it took me away from the pain of my own reality just now is a good thing.

A definite well worth it read!

I would like to thank #SDRobertson, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ThePlayground in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Former journalist S.D. Robertson is a USA Today and #1 Kindle bestseller. He quit his role as a local newspaper editor to pursue a lifelong ambition of becoming a novelist – and he’s never looked back. Stuart, whose work has been translated into ten languages, is a reluctant DIYer and unofficial tech support provider for his family. He lives in a village near Manchester and is married with one daughter. There’s also his cat, who likes to distract him from writing by any means possible.

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REVIEW: Her Hidden Shadow by Carla Kovach

Her Hidden Shadow (DI Gina Harte #14) by Carla Kovach

Genre: Crime fiction, Crime thriller

Read: 17th September 2023

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Published: 20th September 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Her perfect night out just became her worst nightmare…

Lauren returns home from celebrating her engagement with friends and stumbles as she gets out of the taxi. So what if her best friend Sienna didn’t show up? Lauren had a good night anyway. As she walks towards the small house she shares with her fiancé, Robbie, she’s surprised to see every window in total darkness. And when she calls his name, the house remains silent. Where is Robbie?

Kicking off her red heels, Lauren heads towards her bedroom, feeling more nervous with every step. And when she opens the door, she immediately knows something is very wrong. The sickly metallic smell sobers her up instantly. And there is someone in her bed…

Moving closer, her heart races in her chest. Instead of her fiancé, in the bed lies the lifeless body of a young woman, and although long dark hair covers her face, Lauren can already see who it is… her best friend, Sienna.

As Lauren’s scream breaks the silence, someone stands outside the bedroom, tracking her every move. Did Lauren’s perfect little home just become the most dangerous place she could be?

Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Cara Hunter and Clare Mackintosh, Her Hidden Shadow will have you hooked from the very first page.

MY THOUGHTS:

Her perfect night out just became her worst nightmare…

Lauren is on a night out with her friends to celebrate her engagement. She returns home, kicks off her shoes and climbs into bed sidling up to her sleeping fiance. She finds his leg is stone cold and there's a sticky patch by her head. When she turns on the lamp she is shocked to discover not Robbie in bed beside her but her best friend Sienna...and she's dead! Lauren screams and calls 999 in hysterics. 

DI Gina Harte is called to the scene in the early hours and is shocked by the appearance of her DS, Jacob Driscoll. He looks like he'd eaten a bad kebab and upon stepping into the crime scene, he had to be excused before being sick. Something was amiss with her DS but she'd speak to him later. For now her focus was on the murder of Sienna and the hysterical Lauren in the back of the ambulance. She'd been out celebrating her engagement with friends. So why wasn't Sienna amongst them if she was her best friend. And if she thought she was climbing into bed with her fiance, where was the said fiance now?

It isn't long before the team discover that Sienna had been stalked by a visiting colleague. They had lived together for a short time but she left when he became too controlling. Their focus were on him and that of Lauren's missing fiance Robbie.

And then in questioning one of Lauren's friends who was also supposed to be with them that night but called off sick, it seemed that there is a link between Sienna's murder and an historical attack on friend Tiffany four years before. 

Then just as the team are gathering information to question their lead suspect, new information comes to light that throws everything they thought they knew out the window. And two new members join them from Hereford to oversee the investigation. A Detective Superintendent Sullivan, who had been a thorn in Gina's side when she was a trainee DC, and a DI Collier. Gina was no longer running this investigation and Sullivan was out to bring her down with relish. But can Gina solve the murders before it's too late?

This 14th outing with Gina Harte and her team is just as thrilling as all the previous ones. Though it is a series, it can easily be read as a standalone as you don't really miss anything otherwise, except for maybe character development and their backstories. I admit to forgetting what happened to Jennifer with the hit and run from a previous book and I still can't recall it. But she is a minor character that we don't really see and is only mentioned from time to time.

I did easily work out half of the twist but I must say I was surprised by the other half of it. Hats off to you Ms Kovach for pulling that one off.

The tension is ramped up a notch in this installment but it comes at a cost...and one I hate to see in series and is often why I don't read many series. The in-house politics and discord amongst the ranks is something I loathe. That's why I love this series so much because Gina's team all work well together without that angst. But bringing in two outsiders who want nothing but to set a cat amongst the pigeons and watch the fallout just makes my skin crawl. The inclusion of Sullivan and Collier didn't have to be so horrible but it was, and I felt it ruined what would otherwise have been a 5 star read. The rest of the story itself was second to none and I loved it.

Overall, a compelling read that is edge of your seat and page turning and another outstanding addition to the series. I can't wait to see what's next for Gina and her team.

I would like to thank #CarlaKovach, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #HerHiddenShadow in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carla Kovach was born in Birmingham, UK and now resides in Redditch, Worcestershire. She started writing more seriously ten years ago after having flirted with musical theatre and occasional writing in her youth.

Since then she has written & produced several stage plays, has four self-published books, has acted in several independent films and is currently in the final stages of production of her feature horror film, Penny for the Guy.

She now writes full time as well as co-owning a film, photography & video production company located in the heart of Redditch town centre. 

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REVIEW: The Baby Left Behind by Jen Craven

The Baby Left Behind by Jen Craven

Genre: Domestic suspense, Domestic drama, Contemporary fiction, Women's fiction

Read: 15th September 2023

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Amazon

Published: 20th September 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Take him. Please forgive me. Cate grips the note with trembling hands, looking down at the delicate bundle on her doorstep. As she reaches down to the baby, she knows she has finally got everything she’s ever wished for. But is he hers to take?

Cate tries not to cry as she closes the door on the nursery room once again. All she has ever wanted is to be a mother. Cursed with a medical condition that means she is unable to have children, her only option is to wait for a call from the adoption centre. But that call feels like a lifetime away.

Then she hears a faint cry from outside her house. She’s convinced she’s imagining it, that the grief is starting to overwhelm her. But when she opens her door and looks down, her heart swells. By her feet is the most perfect baby curled up in a soft blanket.

As the newborn’s eyes light up, Cate feels instant love for him. She knows she can’t just accept a stranger’s baby – she has to call the police. But as she picks him up, it all finally feels right. This is where the baby belongs.

But when her darling baby is rushed into hospital, Cate knows that in order to save his life, she needs to expose the lie she has been so desperate to hide. Can Cate discover who the child’s real mother is? And if so, will she be able to make the hardest decision of her life to protect the child?

An emotional story about family, secrets and what makes a good parent. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Jojo Moyes and Kate Hewitt.

MY THOUGHTS:

He's all you ever wanted...but can you keep him...?

"I was six when I first stuffed a balloon under my shirt pretending to be pregnant. I was sixteen when I found out that would never be possible. The burn has followed me ever since."

The opening lines after the heartbreaking prologue was enough to make one grab the tissues and keep them close by for the duration of this one. I was all set for a domestic suspense, and it is partly that, but it is also wrapped up in women's fiction tied up with a suspenseful bow. I felt Cate's pain because I've been there. It too was all I ever wanted - marriage, children and a white picket fence. But unlike Cate, I've long moved past it. Yes, so many unwanted babies born in the world to women seemingly less deserving of a child when so many want-to-be mothers who can't be are left without. It doesn't seem fair when 15 year olds can get knocked up just by looking at the opposite sex. But it is what it is.

Being a mother was all Cate Connally ever wanted. But her dream was shattered in her teens when her monthly visitor failed to show and her world came crashing down. Desperate to experience motherhood, adoption was her only answer. The book opens with a prologue so heartwrenching it was difficult not to feel the emotion running thick. One year earlier, Cate was in the delivery room as teenager Hadley gave birth to the baby girl Cate was to adopt. But as Cate looked into her newborn daughter's eyes she heard a guttural sob and saw the pain and look of apology in the young girl's eyes. Cate's dream ends just like that.

A year on and still Cate lives with the hope that she will get the call that will surely change her life. Being a mother is all she ever wanted. And then that day comes again. A baby boy has just been born and he's hers. She's going to be a mum! She could barely sleep the night before going to pick him up. Her family wanted to accompany her but this is something Cate wants to do alone. Then just as she's about to leave, the phone rings. No...not again. This cannot happen twice. But it does.

Childless once again, Cate is inconsolable. Throughout the day she receives a bombardment of beeps with excited text messages from her mum, her sister and her best friend Ryan. Are you home yet? Have you got him? Can we come see him? She silences her phone and cries herself into oblivion. 

And then she hears a sound. She's so rattled with grief, her brain is conjuring up babies and she's hearing them everywhere. But no, there's the sound again. It's coming from outside. She opens her front door and there on her doorstep, in the freezing January cold, is a car seat with a screaming baby inside...and a note that reads: "Take him. Please forgive me." She looks up and down the silent street. There's no one. What choice does she have?

Cate does what anyone would have done. She takes in the crying infant and does her level best to console him. All at once she tries drawing on her past memories and experience with her nephews. What does he want? Nappy change. Nope. Still screaming. Of course... that crimson rage on his face means he's hangry. So she feeds him and bathes him, clothes him and loves him. It's not all smooth sailing but to Cate, in this moment, it was if it was meant to be. So when her family turn up unexpectedly the next morning without warning, after a sleepless night of tears, Cate forgot that she never told them about the adoption falling through. Her parents swoop in and take charge of the angelic babe in her arms and shower her with a thousand questions. Now would be a good time to tell them...wouldn't it? But the words don't come. And before she knows it, the truth becomes a lie and she chooses to carry on the charade passing the baby off as her new adoptive son.

Then we meet Jada, who has not had the privileged life Cate has. Her story is a sorry one in which she was born to a single mother under the most horrific circumstances and for which she blames herself. On her seventeenth birthday she was introduced to "Aunt Hazel" (heroin) and as a result is now a recovering addict. She's been clean for two years, has a good job at the clinic. Life is looking up. But the surprise appearance of a baby after what she thought was food poisoning from a spicy chipotle threw her world into a tailspin. A baby? What the hell was she supposed to do with a baby? After almost a week locked in her apartment with incessant screaming demands from the infant and Jada unable to decipher what he wants, her old friend comes calling and she makes a snap decision. Jada knows Cate from the clinic and is familiar with her history. She'll make a good mum for her baby.

But then a chance meeting in a hospital corridor changes everything. After abandoning him, now Jada wants her son back. But Cate will not give up without a fight. Who will come out fighting? The recovering addict who left her baby on a doorstep in the cold? Or the woman who took him in, cared for him and loved him as her own?

One cannot help but think of the parable of the two mothers as told by King Solomon from the Bible. Two women who both claimed to be the child's mother but clearly only one was. King Solomon decreed to have the child cut in two knowing that the child's real mother would not let that happen. And when the woman said that "no, let her have him", Solomon knew she was his true mother. OK so it was a different case here but the reasoning was the same. Both claimed to love the child and that they were the one best placed to care for him. But which of them would do so?

This is a heartbreaking gut wrenching story that will indeed require tissues. While Cate adjusts to motherhood and the lie with which she is now living, Jada is just trying to adjust to life, period. There are those who will boo the outcome but was it ever going to go any other way? I wasn't a fan of Jada and I was rooting for Cate but do the ends justify the means? Or in Cate's case, the means justify the ends?

Unfolding through the eyes of both women, Cate and Jada, this tale is heartwrenching and emotive, just like a Lifetime movie. You will laugh, you will cry and you will be shaking your head in parts. But it does give one food for thought...what would you do if a baby was left on your doorstep? 

I would like to thank #JenCraven, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheBabyLeftBehind in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jen Craven is the author of emotional and suspenseful women's fiction, stories where one decision changes everything. A former college instructor, she loves dark campus novels, which led to her contemporary debut, Best Years of Your Life, published in August 2022. Her writing style blends poignancy with drama to create what-would-you-do narratives of the human experience.

side from fiction, Jen has personal essay bylines in national outlets, including The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, Scary Mommy and many more.

She writes from northwestern Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and three children. When not working on her books, she can be found thrift shopping, taking long walks, and beating her kids in backgammon.

Social media links:

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REVIEW: The Family Guest by Nelle Lamarr

The Family Guest by Nelle Lamarr

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 13th September 2023

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Amazon

Published: 21st September 2023

★★★ 3.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

I’ve never met her before, but I know who she is. Because our new guest is the spitting image of the daughter I lost. Long blonde hair. Sparkling dark eyes. Perfect pearly-white teeth. And that’s exactly why I invited her into our home.

From the moment our exchange student Tanya arrives, I feel like my daughter has come back to life. With her brown eyes and slender frame, she looks so much like Anabel that sometimes I can almost pretend she didn’t die in that tragic accident.

Tanya really is the perfect guest – kind, polite, and always happy to help me in the kitchen. At last, a member of the family who compliments my beautiful house and enjoys my homemade dinners. And when she asks questions about my life, I feel I’ve finally found someone I can confide in.

My younger teenage daughter, Paige, isn’t so happy about our guest. She thinks it’s strange that Tanya looks like Anabel, and she hates it when she wears her sister’s old clothes. And now she’s convinced herself that Tanya isn’t who she says she is.

But I learnt a long time ago that it’s best not to ask questions you don’t want to know the answer to.

And while I’m growing suspicious that our new guest has a secret, I’m certain that it’s nothing in comparison to mine…

The absolutely unputdownable, page-turning and twisty psychological thriller that will have you guessing until the very last page. Perfect for readers who love gripping suspense and fans of Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid, The Girl on the Train and Colleen Hoover’s Verity.

MY THOUGHTS:

She's in your house...but do you know why...?

Ooooh, sometimes it's the characters who make your blood boil are the most memorable. I'm not sure if I will remember this one...I hope I don't because she's just, well, makes my blood boil. And to be honest, there are enough of those in fiction.

From the first moment we meet Tanya, we know she's up to no good. It's blindingly obvious that this cuckoo in the nest is going to create merry havoc with the Merritt family if they're not careful. And of course, they aren't. Nat and Matt (I know, I couldn't make up this stuff) are naturally blind to the gushing Tanya but sixteen year old Paige and her twelve year old brother Will are not. Normally, I am not a fan of teenagers, their moody broodiness and stroppy attitude have me reaching for a pack of valium, but these two cluey kids show more maturity than their parents and see could see right through the fake foreign exchange student from the UK...in a town where fakeness makes a living!

Tanya is adept at manipulation and she had me tearing my hair out on more than one occasion. I even felt like DNFing because she annoyed me that much. But I ploughed on. But boy, what a bumpy journey we had along the way.

So Tanya arrives at LAX fresh off the plane from London for a year's exchange student program. The Merritts are hosting but didn't quite know what they were letting themselves in for. It didn't take Paige and Will long to see through her...and take steps to uncover the truth about their family guest. So many times Paige smugly threw a grenade at Tanya and relished watching her flounder whilst Tanya was oblivious. Driving on the other side of the road? How difficult it must be getting used to the opposite side? Blank stares. Any my favourite...

...I turned to Tanya, who looked bored and totally zoned out.

"Tanya, do you like Harrods?"

She jolted. "Huh? I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

I repeated my question.

She squirmed in her seat. "Um...yes."

"What's your favourite floor?"

"Papa and I like to stay in the penthouse whenever he's in town."

Both my mom and Trevor shot her a perplexed look. I wished my grandma could have heard that one. Every Brit in the world knew that Harrods was London's famous department store, not some five-star hotel...

Why no one didn't call her out on it then, I've no idea. And why Nat and Matt weren't immediately suspicious upon hearing that, I've even less idea. Those two were seemingly too wrapped up in their own lives to see anything else. Nat was still obviously grieving for her eldest daughter Anabel whom they lost tragically two year before. And why she then put Tanya into her favourite daughter's shrine of a bedroom...words failed me. 

Honestly, Tanya was a rude, self-obsessed bitch. She had an agenda, that much was clear but what it was we were yet to find out. Stick around long enough and you'll piece it together too. The first half of the book was Tanya beguiling the Merritts and manipulating them to her will, not to mention the spoiled brat drama she induced. But then things ramped up a notch or three when she began to show her true colours. Just what secrets were they trying to hide?

By the end, things were neatly wrapped up...all except for one thing which I felt was a moot point if it wasn't going to go anywhere. And it didn't. So why mention it? All I will say is it was to do with a fling in London two decades before. It never grew legs so I didn't see the point of it even being in the story. I did figure out one of the major plot twists as it was fairly obvious to me.

THE FAMILY GUEST is a sinister tale that is twisted in so many ways. Be warned, there is the poisoning of the family dog but I am happy to report that he survives the ordeal. I have no qualms including that as part of my review because I for one want to know if anything happens to any pets in a story and will not read it if it includes an untimely death of one.

Not a bad read. Compelling and page-turning enough to keep you hooked, even with the eye-rolling amounts of drama taking place.

I would like to thank #NelleLamarr, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheFamilyGuest in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Nelle Lamarr is the pen name for Nelle L’Amour, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, who has sold over 350,000 books worldwide. Her books feature flawed, complex characters and nail-biting twists you won’t see coming. A former executive in the entertainment industry, she lives in Los Angeles with her Prince Charming-ish husband, beautiful twin princesses, and a bevy of royal pain-in-the-butt pets. When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading gripping thrillers by her favorite authors with a cup of coffee or glass of wine.

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REVIEW: The Passenger by Daniel Hurst

The Passenger by Daniel Hurst

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 19th September 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 28th March 2021

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

She takes the same train every day. But this is a journey she’ll never forget.

Amanda is a hardworking single mum, completely focused on her job and her daughter, Louise. She’s been saving for years and now, finally, she can afford to give up work and chase her dream.

But then, on her commute home from London to Brighton, she meets a charming stranger - who seems to know everything about her.

He delivers an ultimatum . She needs to give him the code for the safe where she keeps her savings before the train reaches Brighton - or she’ll never see Louise again.

Convinced that the threat is real, Amanda is stunned, horrified. She knows she should give him the code, but she can’t. Because she also knows there is a terrible secret in that safe which will destroy her life and Louise’s too…

The Passenger – the stunning psychological thriller with a nerve-shredding climax. Perfect for fans of Mark Edwards, K.L. Slater, Miranda Rijks.

MY THOUGHTS:

All aboard for THE PASSENGER!!!

Wowsers! Now THIS is Daniel Hurst at his best. Of course I enjoy all his books, as entertaining and quick reads as they are, but this one is just pure genius. Everything about it is sheer brilliance. I have read plenty of commuter-type tales, the last being by his own dad Mark with his short story "The Last Woman". I did wonder if it was going to be something "The Girl on the Train" which many tried to replicate in their own unique ways and failed. But neither of those even come close to THE PASSENGER.

I really should have been focusing on getting my Netgalley shelf down but I decided one Daniel Hurst book wasn't enough so after finishing my previous read by him, his more recent "The Perfect Escape", I decided to rewind the clock a bit and go back to an earlier book by him knowing those were some of his best...and I was not wrong. I only came across him later the same year that this one was released with "The New Friends" then "The Break" and I was impressed. Anyway, I digress.

The story begins on the evening commute from London to Brighton. It's a journey that Amanda knows well having done it for years, all the while saving every spare penny she could so she could follow her dream of becoming a published author. And that dream is about to be realised because in two days' time Amanda will finish her boring office job and the dull commute to and from the capital each day. And then she can focus on being a full time author hopefully with publishers knocking at her door. It's been a hard slog to save the money that will make it possible for her to give up the steady income that has given her the financial security she needed to bring up her daughter as a single mum. Not that she has gotten any thanks on that score.

Louise is seventeen going on twenty five. She thinks she has her life all mapped out but she doesn't have the means to accomplish that. But her mum does. But her mum won't give her any of what she has stashed away so she can go travelling and enjoy herself. No, her mum told her that if she wants to go travelling then she needs a job to earn the money to pay for it. But why should she when her mum already has that money sitting in her safe in her bedroom? Louise clearly doesn't see anything wrong with this picture. She thinks the money that her mother has taken pains to earn and put aside by scrimping and saving is there for the taking for her to have a share in. Which is why she chucked in college and now stays at home all day, waiting for her mother to relent and give her the money to go see the world on her penny.

Little do either woman know is that their world is about to thrown into utter chaos before the evening commute is over. Because on Amanda's journey home she is going to meet "The Stranger" who will disarm her with his charm, a few winks and share in a few chuckles...before he reveals the true nature of the task at hand. For the Stranger knows all about Amanda, her daughter, her job, her commute and her aspirations of becoming a published author. He has been keeping a close eye on her for the past few weeks and has discovered that she is a creature of habit. So today on this evening's commute home, he is going to give Amanda an ultimatum that she cannot refuse...not if she wants to see her daughter alive again. 

But the Stranger has has made a grave mistake. He has underestimated his opponent. She is not the predictable creature of habit he has assumed her to be. When he chose Amanda to swindle out of her life savings, he picked the wrong woman. She is nothing if not formidable...and resourceful. Because inside that safe is a secret that she will stop at nothing to protect.

Tagged as "a quick-paced psychological thriller with an ending you won't see coming", I wholly agree. For once I didn't see what was coming. I swiped those pages faster than the speed of light to see what was coming next, holding my breath in parts and cheering the women on in others. As the story unfolded I could see no way out without Amanda giving him what he wanted...but this is Daniel Hurst! There has to be something jaw-dropping coming our way. And boy, was there ever! I could not predict how it would turn out and as I swiped the final page, I finally let out the breath I'd been holding.

Intricately plotted, THE PASSENGER unfolds through the eyes of four narratives in which we are drip-fed information throughout as the twists are relentlessly delivered. No stone is left unturned in this one and you will be in no doubt as to who is who or who does what and why. It all becomes profoundly clear and it is sheer and utter genius. It's a quick read, as most of his books are, but it is still entertaining and engaging while still being able to shock and surprise. I read this in just about one sitting it is that easily devoured.

I would love to tell you what happens and how on edge I was all the way through...but of course I won't. I'll just tell you that this book needs to go on your TBR list of "must reads". It's so good it's that good it's brilliant! It's Daniel Hurst at his best...and I absolutely loved every thrilling minute of it!

Now I really need to get back on course with my tour books...but I want so much to devour another Hurst thriller after that one!! An easy five star read!

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Daniel Hurst was born in the northwest of England, a part of the world famous for its comedians, pasties and terrible weather.

He has been employed in several glamorous roles in his lifetime, including bartending, shelf stacking and procurement administration, all while based in some of the most exotic places on the planet, like Bolton, Preston and South London.

Daniel writes psychological thrillers and loves to tell tales about unusual things happening to normal people. He has written all his life, making the progression from handing scribbled stories to his parents as a boy to writing full length novels in his thirties. He lives in the North West of England and when he isn’t writing, he is usually watching a game of football in a pub where his wife can’t find him.

Since following his lifelong passion for writing in 2020, he has amassed a loyal and devoted set of readers, and regularly has several books in the top 100 of the Psychological Thriller Charts on Amazon. His title The Passenger became the #1 selling psychological thriller in the UK in October 2021. The Doctor's Wife is his first publication with Bookouture.

A prolific writer, Daniel likes to keep readers on their toes by self publishing even more books in between those released through his publisher.

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REVIEW: The Wedding Guest by Kathryn Croft

The Wedding Guest by Kathryn Croft

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 10th September 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 14th September 2023

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

I’m lying to the man I’m about to marry. I’m not the woman he thinks I am. But my secret’s safe. Isn’t it?

I feel like the perfect bride as I drift across the beach towards my handsome new husband, the sand warm between my toes, my ivory slip wedding dress showing off my suntan. Today is the beginning of my new life. My dark past can no longer touch me.

When I reach my husband, we kiss against the perfect backdrop of the shimmering turquoise sea. The congregation clap and I turn to smile at them.

Then my smile freezes. I see him. Sitting there amongst my loved ones. An uninvited guest who knows the truth about me and the terrible thing that happened ten years ago. The man who won’t ever let me be happy.

And as he steps forward, asking for everyone’s attention, my legs buckle. I know he wants to destroy my perfect new life.

But how can I stop someone who will never let me go? And how far will I go to keep my secrets?

If you love Lisa Jewell, K.L. Slater and Daniel Hurst, you’ll love The Wedding Guest.

MY THOUGHTS:

My perfect day...his chance for revenge...

An ivory dress. A bouquet of pink peonies. A handful of guests. A wedding on the beach to the perfect man. Emily can finally close the chapter on her past and welcome the new life that's ahead of her by Jeremy's side and his ten year old daughter Lexi. Their wedding in Kefalonia is like a dream come true. it is perfect. Until Emily sees a face from her past amongst the guests.

Christian Holmes knew Emily back in their university days when they dated for two years. And he knows things about Emily that she won't want anyone from her new life to know about. Ever. So why is he back after fifteen years of silence? And why now? It seems the secrets of her past are about to come back to haunt her unless she does his bidding. But what exactly does he want from her? And how far is he willing to go to get it?

As the uninvited wedding guest, Christian's role is central to the entire plot. But boy what an irritant he was! This is one book where I couldn't wait to finish just to wash myself of him whilst at the same time being unable to put it down. And the whole way through, you don't know who is gaslighting who...or if the author is even gaslighting YOU! A bit of clever plotting there by Ms Croft.

The entire drama was played out over the course of dual timelines of BEFORE and NOW and you just want to scream at Emily for some of the stupid and naive decisions she made. I mean, you want to escape, take your keys with you. Not put them in your bag and then leave it hanging for all and sundry to rummage through it. And then you're surprised when the keys have somehow disappeared? That's only one of her stupid decisions. She makes worse, believe me. The culmination of events plays out in the Lake District where they are seemingly trapped and what? Suddenly two other people just turn up out of nowhere. I didn't understand how that happened. I also didn't understand what really went on with Emily roommates from uni.

The ending was a little confusing where everything was turned A-about, leaving me a little puzzled. How did that happen? I mean I could see it but it didn't seem to make a lot of sense. What it did appear to be was a tangled mess. And I couldn't quite unpick it. 

A promising start, an intriguing plot but the ending I felt let it down. That aside, this one is filled with plenty of secrets and lies and deception throughout, tinged with gaslighting and coercive control. Cleverly done, though, even if the ending left me feeling adrift.

I would like to thank #KathrynCroft, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheWeddingGuest in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kathryn is the bestselling author of ten psychological thrillers and to date she has sold over one million copies of her books. Her third book, The Girl With No Past spent over four weeks at number one in the Amazon UK chart, and she has also appeared on the Wall Street Journal's bestsellers list.

Kathryn writes full time and is now hard at work on her next book.

After twelve years living in London, she now lives in Guildford, Surrey, the place she grew up, with her husband, two children and two crazy cats.

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