REVIEW: My Secret Ex by Daniel Hurst

My Secret Ex by Daniel Hurst

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 20th May 2025

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Published: 12th April 2025

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Some secrets never stay buried...

When I met Dermot, I was finally ready to move on from my troubled past. He seemed like a great guy - funny, charming, handsome - and he was the man I felt I deserved. He was nothing like my ex...

My relationship with my previous boyfriend, Carlton, has been over for years, but that doesn't mean it's been easy to forget about him. Not with how it ended. But I've tried my best. I've also tried my best to make sure my new man does not know about him. It's safer that way...

But as my relationship with Dermot deepens, my past with Carlton begins to intertwine and suddenly, my secret ex is not so secret anymore. Now we're all in danger - me, my son, my new boyfriend - everybody

A fast-paced and twist-filled psychological thriller from the author of The Couple's Revenge, The Baby Swap and the #1 bestseller The Doctor's Wife

MY THOUGHTS:

Some secrets never stay buried...

...and some people are just born stupid. I think just about everyone in this book must have been. It's hard to feel much sympathy for any of them with the situation in which they find themselves completely of their own making.

Marissa is a 37 year old single mum to seven year old George. Life is going swimmingly for them...until it doesn't. If only they'd left things as they had been. If only she never decided to go on that blind date. If only she never slept with Dermot. If only she never told him about Carlton. If only she wasn't so easily led. If only she stayed at home until George was 30. If only, if only, if only.

If only she hadn't met Dermot.

Dermot is a single guy who matched with Marissa on a dating app. He's had his fair share of setbacks in life and now he's put them all behind him and has started afresh. Marissa is his first date since his divorce. And on their date he opens up freely about that and why. And Marissa, being the kindhearted gentle soul that she is, feels his pain and applauds him his bravery at owning up to his mistakes, picking up and moving on. And for trusting her with this part of his life. It's his transparency and their easy camaraderie that cements the knowledge that she is sure to see Dermot again. She likes him and, judging by their easy banter, he likes her too. And he has opened up to her about a very painful time in his life. Which makes her secret sit all the more heavy in her baggage. She's sure than as soon as she reveals that part of her life to him, she can kiss goodbye to any chance with him. He is sure to run a mile.

The fact is both Marissa and Dermot have baggage. A lot of baggage. And it's that baggage - for both of them - that catches up with them, changing the course of their lives forever.

And then there is Carlton. He is serving time in prison for some rather heavy crimes. Until he receives something that sets the wheels in motion for a pretty wild ride. And he isn't stopping until he gets what he wants and comes out on top. No one gets the better of Carlton O'Connor. And no one takes what's his - ever.

OK, I'll be honest. This was not Daniel Hurst's best work. It's not even one of his better books. But it is a quick and easy read. The first half is fairly mundane, switching between Marissa and Dermot respectively on their date. And then when they went home. And then the ensuing days. And their next date...and so forth. Until it got just a little more interesting. Things ramped up a notch more but only slightly. I wasn't overly excited by things and both Dermot and Marissa made some stupid decisions. When she was in that police station asking for protection, nothing (and I mean NOTHING) should have made her leave again! Not until she got the desired result or the police did. And she certainly didn't know Dermot enough to trust him completely...especially given his reaction. And Dermot? Did he really think nothing was going to happen to him if he did as he was asked?

This book was more of a telling of what happened rather than a showing of events and I really felt it was lacking what I know this author is capable of. The twists weren't really twists and I wasn't shocked by anything other than the characters' gullibility. Having said that, I was still compelled enough to read to the end. I did like the final showdown (hats off to Mr Edwards), which was a nice touch.

And unlike others, I certainly hope the story ends there and that there is no book 2. There is honestly nothing more to tell here. End of.

I love Daniel Hurst's thrillers but even our favourite authors can deliver something that doesn't excite us while another of theirs can blow our mind. Specifically "The Passenger" or "The Couple in the Cabin" or "The New Friends"  or his freebie book (when you sign up to his newsletter) "Just One Second"- to name a few.

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.

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: The Girls who Dared to Love by Diney Costeloe

The Girls who Dared to Love (Girls Who Dared #2) by Diney Costeloe

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 13th May 2025

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Amazon

Published: 5th September 2024

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Three girls seem to have the world at their feet in the summer of 1914. But World War I is coming and things will change forever – especially for women.

Debutante Lucinda McFarlane is engaged to be married to Major Sir David Melcome, but their society wedding has to be scaled right down when war is declared and David is recalled to his regiment.

Mabel Oakley, once a maid for the McFarlanes, has inherited Thomas Clarke's printing works, but an unexpected turn of events leaves her at the mercy of her father's old enemy, solicitor John Sheridan. What can she do?

Lady Diana Fosse-Bury is incredibly beautiful and reckless. When war is declared she immediately wants to be in the thick of it. Can her budding romance with Lucinda McFarlane's brother Iain survive the Western front?

With war coming, the destinies of these three girls will soon be entwined forever, but only if they dare to love in the face of the dangers ahead of them.

MY THOUGHTS:

The world is their oyster, but war is coming...

London 1914: Once the McFarlane's maid, Mabel Oakley now owns and runs her own printing business which she had inherited from dear friend Thomas Clarke. But the world is still very much a man's one and for the sake of propriety she has retained the business name "Thomas Clarke, Printer". Along with the business, Mabel was also bequeathed a house far bigger than that which her family lived in on Cockspur Lane. So it went without saying that the family moved to her new home where her father would have more room to move about in his wheelchair, gifted to them by the late Mr Clarke.

It also meant each had their own room - and with room to spare! So when her father Andrew's nurse Dorothy Finch told them she had a notice to vacate her home of 30 years within seven days, Mabel didn't think twice about offering he the unused rooms on the top floor. But Mabel's generosity didn't end there. Along the way, she also picked up another couple of waifs and strays and offered them a place to stay for the foreseeable. One of them being her old schoolfriend Annie after she lost her husband at the Front. Life was good for Mabel. William still came calling, with an understanding that she was not yet ready to settle down but he came biding his time and safe in the knowledge that they had an understanding.

Until Mabel meets Charlie "Chas" Sheridan, son of her father's former employer John Sheridan. And that was when Mabel really knew what love was. But the hostilities between her father and John Sheridan would thus make any relationship between them difficult, if not impossible. Would they find a way to somehow be together?

Lucinda McFarlane was preparing for her introduction to society with her first London season whilst her mother hoped for a suitable husband for her daughter, preferably a Duke. But when Lucinda met Major Sir David Melcome it was love at first sight for the couple. However, Sir David's reputation preceded him in that he flirted but never settled and her mother was against the match. But in Lucinda, Sir David had found his match and looked no further. And so with her father Sir Keir's blessing, a wedding was planned to coincide with Lucinda's 18th birthday. But when Sir David received word that he was to rejoin his regiment and head to France, the wedding was brought forward to become an intimate one at their country seat - not the lavish London society wedding that Lady McFarlane had planned. Still, the couple enjoyed a six day honeymoon at his country retreat in Buckinghamshire before he left for France. Lucy missed her husband terribly, but the couple wrote often, and hoped that the war would end soon.

The lives of both women do no cross again as they had in the first novel but they do run alongside one another, along with a growing storyline involving Iain, Lucinda's brother, who had up until now always held a torch for Mabel. Until he met Lady Diana Fosse-Bury who was a match for his own wit and recklessness. Definitely not someone his mother would approve of. Iain continued to hold Mabel in high regard and was even on hand when she asked for his advice on a matter concerning her trust left to her by the late Mr Clarke.

When I received this book I had no idea it was the second in the series so I promptly sought out the first one and read that one and then this one. Having never read Diney Costeloe before I was not disappointed. She has most certainly been added to my list of go-to historical authors. I love the era this novel is set before women came into their own but were beginning to stand up regardless. And the naivety of those concerning the war that was about to change all their lives.

This tale was one that gave you all the heartwarming emotions and the not-so-pleasant ones when faced with certain characters. You cry tears of joy and heartache along with Mabel and Lucinda, both of whom we get to know more. While it doesn't feature the servants quite as much as the first one since Mabel left the McFarlane's employ, it still has that Downton Abbey-esque vibe which makes the story all the more heartwarming.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent with Mabel, Chas, Lucinda and David and those around them. There is certainly more to their story and hope that Ms Costeloe will deliver us with more from them in the near future as I eagerly await to rejoin them again soon.

A well deserved five stars!

Perfect for fans of Rosie Clarke, AnneMarie Brear, Dilly Court and Francesca Capaldi.

I would like to thank #DineyCosteloe, #Netgalley and #AriaFiction for an ARC of #TheGirlsWhoDaredToLove in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Diney Costeloe is the daughter of a London publisher and has been surrounded by books all her life. Encouraged by her father, she has always written stories and poems. 

She says, "Encouraged by my publisher father, I have been writing all my life. When I was five, he took my first effort to his office and brought it back in a cardboard cover with the label, 'Tom's Party'written by Diney, published by Daddy. I've never looked back and always have some writing on the go."

When Diney left school she trained as a primary school teacher, and taught in the East End of London and in Somerset. 

She has three children and seven grandchildren, so is always busy with the family.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Venice Murders by Merryn Allingham

The Venice Murders (Flora Steele #11) by Merryn Allingham

Genre: Cosy mystery

Read: 5th May 2025

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Amazon

Published: 9th May 2025

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Amateur detective and bookshop owner Flora Steele, and her dashing new husband Jack Carrington, are finally embarking on the honeymoon of a lifetime. But will gorgeous gondola rides be ruined by their most heart-stopping case ever?

Venice, 1959: As Flora and Jack step onto the beautiful, historic streets of Venice, they vow to put sleuthing aside to finally enjoy their honeymoon. But on their very first sun-soaked morning, whilst enjoying sparkling wine and mouthwatering pastries, they’re interrupted when hotel receptionist, Franco Massi, is discovered floating face-down in the Grand Canal.

Remembering poor Franco’s kind demeanour when they checked into the Cipriani Hotel, Flora quickly realises her honeymoon phase is over: she must solve the case. She saw a hot-headed restaurant owner arguing with Franco the night he died. Could their mysterious argument have gone too far? Or could it have been Franco’s jilted ex-fiancée Bianca, who acted so coldly at news of his death? Was it a crime of passion that sent him tumbling into the waters?

When Flora learns from a priest that a priceless painting has disappeared from his church along with his elderly housekeeper, she begins to marry together the clues that will lead her to a dangerous family that will stop at nothing to get their revenge. Will Flora and Jack crack the case before the killer claims another victim? Or will it be ‘death do us part’ for this crime-solving couple?

A completely gripping and totally charming cozy murder mystery novel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and J.R. Ellis!

MY THOUGHTS:

Gorgeous gondola rides along the Grand Canal...and a murder on their doorstep...

Flora and Jack are finally embarking on their honeymoon of a lifetime! To beautiful Venice, gorgeous gondolas and cosy cafes in market squares. To anyone this is a trip of a lifetime, but when the hotel receptionist Franco Massi is found dead having drowned in the Grand Canal, the evening before, Flora can hardly resist the urge to investigate and uncover the truth. Jack is vehemently against it but when his mother's new husband Count Falconi arrives at their illustrious hotel to beg for their help in a cause of his own, he reluctantly agrees to see what they can do. Little, is what he hopes, unlike Flora who intends uncovering the truth.

But if a visit from an Italian count wasn't enough, then Jack's estranged mother Sybil pops up to put her two pence worth in, in the hope the couple would "do what they do" and help with the recovery of the church painting and the parish priest's housekeeper. Sounds a little like an episode of Father Brown with Flambeau hot on the trail of some illustrious treasure.

So with all that in mind, Flora is determined to get to the bottom of the murder and the disappearances of both the painting and the housekeeper, all of which she believes is linked to a village from which they all come.

While there is plenty of action and a lot going on in this book, I felt the location and all its attributes took away from the cosiness of the mystery which I found somewhat lacking this time round. I absolutely adore Jack and Flora and their sleuthing partnership, but I could have done without the Lonely Planet guide to Venice. 

This wasn't my favourite of the books and I must admit I was much happier to see Jack and Flora return home to Abbeymead and all the familiar nooks and crannies there. I can't wait to see what's in store for the couple in Book 12! I can hardly believe this is book 11, as it seems like yesterday we were introduced to Flora and the grumpy and reclusive crime fiction writer Jack.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.

Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.

Social Media links:

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PUBLISHER:

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SPOTLIGHT: The Venice Murders by Merryn Allingham

 

The Venice Murders (Flora Steele #11) by Merryn Allingham

Genre: Cosy mystery

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 9th May 2025

DESCRIPTION:

Amateur detective and bookshop owner Flora Steele, and her dashing new husband Jack Carrington, are finally embarking on the honeymoon of a lifetime. But will gorgeous gondola rides be ruined by their most heart-stopping case ever?

Venice, 1959: As Flora and Jack step onto the beautiful, historic streets of Venice, they vow to put sleuthing aside to finally enjoy their honeymoon. But on their very first sun-soaked morning, whilst enjoying sparkling wine and mouthwatering pastries, they’re interrupted when hotel receptionist, Franco Massi, is discovered floating face-down in the Grand Canal.

Remembering poor Franco’s kind demeanour when they checked into the Cipriani Hotel, Flora quickly realises her honeymoon phase is over: she must solve the case. She saw a hot-headed restaurant owner arguing with Franco the night he died. Could their mysterious argument have gone too far? Or could it have been Franco’s jilted ex-fiancée Bianca, who acted so coldly at news of his death? Was it a crime of passion that sent him tumbling into the waters?

When Flora learns from a priest that a priceless painting has disappeared from his church along with his elderly housekeeper, she begins to marry together the clues that will lead her to a dangerous family that will stop at nothing to get their revenge. Will Flora and Jack crack the case before the killer claims another victim? Or will it be ‘death do us part’ for this crime-solving couple?

A completely gripping and totally charming cozy murder mystery novel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and J.R. Ellis!

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.

Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

PUBLISHER:

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

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

REVIEW: The Girl Who Dared to Dream by Diney Costeloe

The Girl who Dared to Dream (Girls Who Dared #1) by Diney Costeloe

Genre: Historical fiction

Read: 8th May 2025

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Amazon

Published: 13th October 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A captivating novel from Diney Costeloe, bestselling author of The Throwaway Children and The Girl With No Name.

In London in 1912, Mabel Oakley and her family are typical of their time. Her father Andrew is a solicitor's clerk, her mother Alice keeps the home fires burning and her brothers plan to become skilled apprentices. Mabel would rather die than go into domestic service like her cousin, and is determined to train as a secretary.

But one February morning, a terrible tragedy strikes Andrew on the way to work and the lives of the Oakley family are forever changed. Swallowing her pride, Mabel takes on a position as a maid and finds it every bit as unpleasant as she expected. But when help comes from an unexpected direction, Mabel finds her dreams might not be lost after all…

MY THOUGHTS:

This is the first time I've read Diney Costeloe and I loved every page. She's an author I've often heard about but never actually picked up...until now. I will be adding her to my historical authors list, that's for sure. I love her easy style and the heartwarming essence to her characters.

1912: Fifteen year old Mabel Oakley has dreams. She wants to continue her schooling beyond the basics, to study and complete her exams and become a secretary. Her father has agreed to her going onto the secondary school and her entrance exam is set. Mabel is going places...only the direction is about to change course.

Andrew Oakley works as a senior clerk for Sheridan, Sheridan and Morrell solicitors and has done for nigh on twenty years. But a mistake made has cost him dearly, in more ways than one, and on his way home his steps in front of a brewer's dray without thinking.

Mabel is all excited that she is going to continue her schooling to become a secretary and earn a living for herself. She has been busy chattering and making plans with her mother before heading upstairs to do her homework. When she returns to the kitchen for tea, she finds her mother looking out into the street wondering what's keeping her father. He's not yet home, so maybe he's working late again.

News of Andrew's accident reaches his wife Alice by way of a neighbour and after visiting him in the hospital, she learns his fate. He will live but he will no longer walk. Alice must be strong and band their children - Mabel, Eddie and Stephen - together to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, as well as care for their father.

It isn't long before Mabel's dreams of becoming a secretary dissolve into a cloud of dust. With her father's accident and no longer able to keep his family, it's up to the rest of them to pull their weight. And so when her cousin Lizzie tells of a maid's position coming up for the family she works for in Mayfair, Mabel does what she always vowed she wouldn't do - go into service.

Mabel hates the job and misses her family. The hours are long with hardly any time off and arduous but she knows her family are relying on her. Her cousin Lizzie has given her the rundown of the house and the servants - who to watch and who to steer clear of, their employer's son Iain being one of them. And it was when she was steering clear of Iain's playful advances that she was seen coming out of a room she had no place being in. Then when she returns from a weekend off she is greeted by the stern housekeeper and accused of theft - from the room she'd previously had no business being in! Mabel swears she's innocent but one of the items was found in her bedside locker and so she was dismissed without reference.

Returning home, Mabel instead stops by her friend Mr Clarke's in the printshop by the railway and confides in him - how miserable she is and of the accusations against her. He listens with a friendly ear, gives advice and tells her that it's not forever, that things will get better; that there may be something better for her on the horizon. But Mabel can't see it just now. All she knows is that she had a job she hated and now she has let down her family who were relying on her income. What was she going to do?

This is a heartwarming and touching tale from start to finish. The author pens her characters with such warmth while others with abhorrence. It is easy to feel sympathy where it's due and none where it isn't. She delivers a heartfelt story of a working class family and their struggles, and one girl's strength and determination to rise above her odds.

I picked up this book as I had the second one to read but on discovering this came first I decided to read them in order. And I'm glad I did.

Perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Catherine Cookson and Francesca Capaldi.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Diney Costeloe is the daughter of a London publisher and has been surrounded by books all her life. Encouraged by her father, she has always written stories and poems. 

She says, "Encouraged by my publisher father, I have been writing all my life. When I was five, he took my first effort to his office and brought it back in a cardboard cover with the label, 'Tom's Party'written by Diney, published by Daddy. I've never looked back and always have some writing on the go."

When Diney left school she trained as a primary school teacher, and taught in the East End of London and in Somerset. 

She has three children and seven grandchildren, so is always busy with the family.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Stolen Baby by L.G. Davis

Stolen Baby by L.G. Davis

Genre: Domestic suspense

Read: 1st May 2025

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Amazon

Published: 24th January 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

I told everyone she is my baby. I lied.

My life changes forever when my little girl appears in a basket on my doorstep, her long lashes fluttering, only a few hours old. She’s so tiny and precious; my heart is hers in an instant.

My husband Tom and I have always longed for a child, so we agree not to tell the authorities. We won’t risk them taking her away. And I know if they find out my history, they’d never let me keep her…

I’m so grateful to have my beautiful baby, who we call Daisy. But while Tom refuses to talk about it, I can’t stop wondering who her biological parents are and why they left her with us?

Then someone sends me a message, enclosing it in a funeral programme I find on my kitchen table. Now I know the terrible truth about what happened to Daisy’s parents, and it’s closer to home than I could ever have imagined.

I thought I could protect us all, despite my past mistakes. But when the secrets I uncover put my family’s lives at risk, how far will I go to keep the little girl I love?

An utterly heart-pounding and twisty psychological suspense novel from bestseller L.G. Davis. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, Teresa Driscoll and Freida McFadden.

MY THOUGHTS:

She's not mine...but I'll do anything to keep her...

Nora was just sixteen when she had Isobel, who is the light of her life, and for twelve years it had just been the two of them before she met and married Tom eight years ago. Now after suffering several miscarriages, Nora fell pregnant again and it was looking very likely that she would carry this one to term. But just a couple of weeks ago, she suffered a late term miscarriage and was left desolate.

Nora has struggled with severe depression for years and her miscarriages have only fuelled her depression, leaving her grappling with anxiety and the depth of the abyss into which she often finds herself. Isobel is worried sick about her and is hesitant about leaving her alone, deferring her own studies to care for her mother. For a long time, it had only been her and her mother and she knows Nora gave her everything she could growing up, so being there for her is the least Isobel could do for her now.

And then just when Nora is at her darkest, the doorbell rings. Dragging herself from the couch she opens the door and finds a basket with a newborn baby and a note saying that her name is Daisy and to please take care of her. Nora takes this as a sign - she was meant to have this baby. The mother couldn't care for the child herself and for some reason believed Nora was the perfect one to take care of her. It isn't hard to convince Tom or even Isobel to keep little Daisy. And after a week of no police reports of missing babies, they decide to keep Daisy and raise her as their own.

OK, yes. You really do need to suspend reality here. In what world would three people all agree that taking someone else's baby and raising them as their own is a good idea?

There isn't much more I can say about the story from here on in as I would be venturing into spoiler territory. But what I can say is nobody seems to have an iota of common sense! And I really mean no one! They are all aboard the crazy train even if they do disembark at different stations. Plenty of eye-rolling is to be had and face slapping is needed for every single one of them!

The story unfolds through Nora's perspective and then Isobel's. Both women are guilty of jumping to conclusions along the way with no one coming up with any kind of resolution. I wanted to smack everyone so much for their plain stupidity. But having said that, regardless of how irritating everyone could be, the story was still addictive enough to keep me turning the pages.

Another quick and easy read from Liz!

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Liz's story began in a refugee camp in Angola, where she spent the first eight years of her life. After that, she spent some years in Namibia (her home country), South Africa, and Germany. Liz wrote her first full-length novel at eighteen and hid it in a box under her bed. Several others soon followed it. Her passion lies in writing edge-of-the-seat psychological thrillers that give readers the same rush they would get on a rollercoaster.

She now lives in Vienna, Austria, with her husband and two children. 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: The Lost Story of Sofia Castello by Siobhan Curham

The Lost Story of Sofia Castello by Siobhan Curham

Genre: Dual timeline, Historical fiction, Contemporary fiction, WW2

Read: 24th April 2025

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Amazon

Published: 25th April 2025

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The warm sea breeze ruffles the pages of my notebook as I meet the bright eyes of the elderly lady sat opposite me on the porch. Sofia has been keeping a devastating secret for over sixty years. Why did she fake her own death during the war? And why is she back now to finally tell her story?

Writer Lily Christie is at rock bottom when she’s tasked with the job of a lifetime writing the memoir of Sofia Castello – once world-famous in the war years for singing across Europe, until her tragic death in 1941. So Lily is shocked to hear Sofia is actually in her eighties, living in secret, in a blue-tiled cottage on the Portuguese coast.

Lily listens in fascination as the feisty woman spins an unbelievable tale of fear-filled days spent caring for a young orphaned German girl, and nights performing to crowds of Gestapo agents: until she risked it all, using her fame to help the Allies. Then a tragic betrayal changed the course of her life forever…

But as Lily starts to open up to Sofia about her own private heartache, she realises that Sofia is not being entirely honest with her. And when Sofia refuses to say why she really hired Lily, her fears start to grow. Sofia’s remote beach home, accessed only by a bumpy dirt track, is miles away from anyone. She is clearly still hiding from someone, but who? And could Lily now be in danger too?

What is the final secret haunting Sofia? And can Lily uncover the devastating truth, before her time with Sofia runs out?

A totally gripping and emotional tale of lost love, tragedy and secrets hidden for decades. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Lorna Cook and The Letter will adore it.

MY THOUGHTS:

A wartime secret must be told before it's too late...

I love a good dual timeline tale weaving the past with the present and a few secrets along the way. The premise to this one drew me in as something a little different. The war is merely a backdrop for this story not the main event. And it serves to depict a heartbreaking tale that is emotionally charged as well as mysterious.

Lily is looking to leave her pitiful life behind and embark on a holiday in the sun after nursing a broken heart for the past ten months. So when she walks into her agent's office overlooking the dreary London landscape, the offer Jane makes her is one that is too good to refuse.

Lily has been asked for personally by name to ghostwrite the autobiography of wartime singing sensation Sofia Castello, who tragically died in a plane crash flying from Lisbon to London in 1941. Or did she? The journey she takes to Portgual to meet the elusive Sofia is one of love, grief, friendships, betrayal and secrets.

Stepping into the Portuguese sunshine, Lily feels at once rejuvenated and that this ghostwriting job came at just the right moment in time for her. But little did she know the part she would play in rewriting history or that she would find happiness there herself.

The setting in Portgual is just perfect. I could feel the sunshine on my face, the water lapping at my feet and immersing myself in the sapphire seas. The colours so richly depict the character, the personalities and reflect the resilience of this beautiful story.

There is so much to say about this book that I think is best left to experience for oneself.

A beautiful tale that will stay with me for some time to come.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, ghost writer, editor and writing coach. She has also written for many newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Guardian, Breathe magazine, Cosmopolitan, Writers’ Forum, DatingAdvice.com, and Spirit & Destiny. 

Siobhan has been a guest on various radio and TV shows, including Woman’s Hour, BBC News, GMTV and BBC Breakfast. And she has spoken at businesses, schools, universities and literary festivals around the world, including the BBC, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Bath Festival, Ilkley Festival, London Book Fair and Sharjah Reading Festival.

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