#BlogTour #Review The Holiday by TM Logan @TMLoganAuthor @Tr4cyF3nt0n

Title: The Holiday by TM Logan

Date Published: 25^th July 2019

Publisher: Zaffe Books 

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Description:

Packed with twists and turns, The Holiday is Logan’s most powerful thriller yet…

SEVEN DAYS

THREE FAMILIES

ONE KILLER

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday, dreamed up by Kate as the ideal way to turn 40: four best friends and their husbands and children in a luxurious villa under the blazing sunshine of Province.

But there is trouble in paradise. Kate suspects that her husband is having an affair, and that the other woman is one of her best friends.

One of these women is willing to sacrifice years of friendship and destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined.

Because someone in the villa is prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden.

Review:

So I really enjoyed TM Logan’s last book 29 Seconds (you can read my review here) so I jumped at the chance to read The Holiday.

The story opens with the discovery of a body at the bottom of a cliff, we don’t know who or why the body ended up there but it painted a really visceral and realistic picture and set the tension for the whole book.

We go back in time and follow Kate and her friends Rowan, Izzy and Jennifer with their families as they holiday in a Villa for their fortieth birthdays. But all is not right in paradise as Kate finds some messages on her husband Mark’s phone and believes he’s having an affair. Tensions simmer beneath the surface boiling over and resulting in the death of one of the people in the mansion.

The Holiday was a sun soaked thriller that for me was the perfect summer read. It’s full so full of tension that it had me on edge just waiting for the killer reveal.

It’s told mainly from Kate’s first person perspective, which we really get inside her head and I felt really connected to her. There even a scene where she’s standing over her son sleeping, with this irrational need to check he’s still breathing which I found myself going ‘oh my god, I do that sometimes with my own son!’

My only minor issue was I felt like the author kept me waiting for a little too long, not getting to the really juicy stuff until about the last quarter of the novel. Although I can safely say I did not guess the end of this book by a long shot!

Overall The Holiday is a slow burn tension packed thriller that will keep you hooked from beginning to end.

About the Author:

TM Logan was born in Berkshire to an English father and a German mother. He studied at Queen Mary and Cardiff universities before becoming a national newspaper journalist. He currently works in communications, in the field of higher education, and lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children.

His debut thriller LIES was a blockbuster bestseller, one of the top ebooks of 2017, and sold over 300,000 copies.

His second novel 29 Seconds was longlisted for the Specsaver National Book Award.

You can follow TM Logan on Twitter @TMLoganAuthor

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#BlogTour #Review The July Girls by Phoebe Locke @phoebe_locke @headlinepg #TheJulyGirls

Title: The July Girls by Phoebe Locke

Date Published: 25^th July 2019

Publisher: Wildfire

Genre: Psychological Thriller.

Description:

Every year, on the same night in July, a woman is taken from the streets of London; snatched by a killer who moves through the city like a ghost. Addie has a secret. On the morning of her tenth birthday, four bombs were detonated across the capital. That night her dad came home covered in blood. She thought he was hurt in the attacks – but then her sister Jessie found a missing woman’s purse hidden in his room. Jessie says they mustn’t tell. She says there’s nothing to worry about. But when she takes a job looking after the woman’s baby daughter, Addie starts to realise that her big sister doesn’t always tell her the whole story. And that the secrets they’re keeping may start costing lives…

Praise for Phoebe Locke:

‘a gripping read and almost impossible to put down’ Jo Jakeman, author of Sticks and Stones on THE JULY GIRLS

‘Beautifully written, not a word out of place, this deserves to be the summer’s breakout hit’ Fiona Cummins, author of Rattle on THE JULY GIRLS

‘An extraordinary novel that gets under your skin from the very first page. Shocking, yet subtle, the menace drips off every page, making it an almost unbearably good read. Such an intricate, absorbing story that more than delivers on its knock-out premise (and boy, is it a knock-out!)’ Caz Frear, author of Sweet Little Lies on THE JULY GIRLS

‘I have just ripped through The July Girls in less than twenty-four hours – what an absolute *corker* of a novel!’ Lisa Hall, author of Tell Me No Lies on THE JULY GIRLS

‘Phoebe Locke has knocked it out of the park once again with THE JULY GIRLS. Atmospheric and beautifully written, it really is stunningly good.’ Cass Green, author of In A Cottage In A Wood on THE JULY GIRLS

‘Loved it as much as THE TALL MAN. Chilling, gripping and unputdownable, with a wonderful protagonist. A must-read this summer’ Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect Girlfriend on THE JULY GIRLS

‘An original take on the serial thriller killer that grips and disturbs, filled with characters who will linger long after “The End”. As a reader I’m so excited that I’ve discovered Phoebe Locke’ Catherine Ryan Howard, author of Distress Signals on THE JULY GIRLS

‘The July Girls is a page-turning, atmospheric thriller about a serial killer, but at the same time a sensitively written coming of age story with a wonderful central character.’ Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing Girl on THE JULY GIRLS

‘Stayed up late last night to finish THE JULY GIRLS, a beautifully written, expertly crafted thriller packed with genuine surprises. I also loved the contemporary London setting and how the book showed the coming of age of the heroine, and the city itself’ Amy Heydenrych, author of Shame on You on THE JULY GIRLS

‘Thrilling, poignant and unpredictable, Phoebe Locke takes this serial killer chiller to a whole new level. I loved the Tall Man, The July Girls is even better.’ Chris Whitaker, author of All The Wicked Girls on THE JULY GIRLS

‘One of the most atmospheric and original thrillers I’ve ever read, THE JULY GIRLS is full of twists and turns, and memorable, realistic characters. I didn’t want it to end. It’s a book I’ll be thinking about for a long time. I can’t wait to read what Phoebe writes next’ Charlotte Duckworth, author of The Rival on THE JULY GIRLS

Review:

I want to thank Anne Cater for inviting me on this blog tour and Wildfire for providing with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve heard lots of good things about Phoebe Locke and after reading this I can’t wait to get stuck into her first thriller The Tall Man.

It is difficult to do The July Girls justice in my review but I’ll try my best!

We follow Addie starting around her tenth birthday, getting to know her sister Jessie and her dad who always seems to be working leaving Jessie to look after her little sister. On the night of Addie’s birthday, 7^th July 2005, terrorists attack the city of London. Her father comes home covered in blood.

Unable to leave it alone Addison digs and finding out that women have been disappearing every year on the 7^th July. Could her dad be the serial killer they nicknamed Magpie?

The novel is told through Addison’s point of view, with snippets from a ‘true crime’ book and interspersed with little insights into the killers mind.

The July Girls starts off as quite a slow burn novel but it was Addison’s narration that kept me absorbed from the start. She was such a compelling character, her voice really comes off the pages making her feel almost real.

Also using the events going on in 2005 and the subsequent years it really adds to the novels authenticity and atmosphere.

I will say this is probably leaning towards domestic drama rather than psychological thriller but it is still a great read and my goodness it was one of the best endings I’ve read in a while.

The July Girls is a complex and emotional tale with realistic characters and settings that will keep you enthralled until the end.

About The Author:

PHOEBE LOCKE is the pseudonym of full-time writer Nicci Cloke. She previously worked at the Faber Academy, and hosted London literary salon Speakeasy. Nicci has had two literary novels published by Fourth Estate and Cape, and also writes YA for Hot Key Books. She lives and writes in Cambridgeshire. THE JULY GIRLS follows Phoebe Locke’s debut thriller THE TALL MAN.

Find Phoebe on Twitter on @phoebe_locke

#BlogTour #Review Best Served Cold by Pat Adams-Wright #newrelease

Title: Best Served Cold by Pat Adams-Wright

Date Published: 7^th July 2019

Genre: Police Procedural

Description:

DCI Kirsty Savidge and her team (MCTF – Major Crimes Task Force) are tasked with solving the murder of Avril Webb, the third member of a vicious, bullying school gang from twenty-five years ago, to be killed in a matter of weeks. Although two previous deaths are brought to her attention by pathologist Dr Benedict Aldredge (Benny), they have been ruled a drowning and a gang-related murder in another district. Once Kirsty is aware of them, her detective instincts begin to kick-in, but because of the different Modi Operandi, she’s not sure she’ll be able to convince her superior Chief Superintendent Alison Fry, of a connection. The two women have history and cooperation is rarely a given. However, during the interviews into Avril’s death the remaining members of the gang are adamant about a link between the deaths and press Kirsty to investigate further. This gives Kirsty a legitimate reason to ask for the other two cases to be reviewed although none of those in the higher echelons would want to hear the term ‘serial killer’.

Another murder occurs quite soon, again with a different MO. At the same time, Kirsty becomes aware she’s had an intruder in her home, but she and DS Danny Hewitt decide to put off any investigation until the current case is finished. Also, Chief Superintendent Fry appears to be having some personal problems when Kirsty spots her wrist wrapped in bandages and bruising on her neck. The inclement weather is also having an effect on the investigation, as some people are having to work from home, including Savidge and Fry, who finds herself stranded at Kirsty’s cottage because of the heavy snowfall. Fry brought news Kirsty could proceed with linking all the cases. Members of the now covert group (nobody is aware in the present that these people are still linked and running false businesses for their leader, Chris Shaw), are now beginning to take care of their own security turning down protective custody. The police become suspicious.

Throughout, there is a running commentary from the murderer, about his methods and reasoning. Kirsty has her suspicions and is convinced one of the gang members is carrying out the murders. Only when information from those badly bullied at school does the method of the killings fall into place. Background information on two of suspects is proving illusive. A failed copy-cat attack narrows Kirsty’s choice to one and covert surveillance is set-up. At the time of Avril’s funeral the next day, it’s revealed the man watching the suspect has been murdered and the suspect has disappeared. He’s gone to Plan B – murdering the rest of the gang at the funeral. He kills two more using sniper-fire, then escapes. At the airport he is apprehended and held at gunpoint by two armed response officers, but is then shot himself when one officer mistakes a remote-control for the handle of a gun. The suspect’s lap-top reveals all, in the form of two books so all questions can be answered at a meal supplied by the Chief Superintendent. At the end of the book we are left wondering whose Kirsty’s intruder was and also who had leaked information to allow a copy-cat attack.

Amazon universal link – http://mybook.to/Best-served-cold

Review:

Kirsty Savidge, and her team are tasked with investigating the brutal murder of Avril Webb. The killer is forensically aware and leaves behind no clues.

During the investigation more deaths come to light but they seem to be accidents. Kirsty convinced there’s a connection tries to link the cases together. Can Kirsty stop the killer before they claim any more victims?

This was a solid police procedural that really focused on the process of a murder investigation.

I really liked Kirsty. She’s clever, intuitive and doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone especially her immediate superior Chief Superintendent Alison Fry who seem to butt heads at every opportunity.

It’s not exactly the most fast paced, in fact there were times when it was a little slow and my attention waned a bit but of course that’s just my opinion.

I’d recommend for anyone who enjoys a British police procedural with a strong female lead character.

About The Author:

Pat Adams-Wright was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK, on the 15th October 1954, in Wellesley Barracks, to a sergeant major father and a working mother. Teacher trained in Liverpool, she actually taught very little during the austere period for practical subjects, doing any work she could find to keep the wolf from the door. However, this did provide plenty of experience and writing material. Finally settled into a teaching job, disaster struck after an accident left her disabled. After many years of using writing to distract her from pain, she successfully completed her debut novel, Run, which was published on the 18th April, 2015.

LINKS

Website: https://pat-adams-wright-author.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.adamswright.5

Twitter: @WritePAW

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46777472-best-served-cold

#Review The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg @JessRothenberg #SciFi #YA

Title: The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

Date Published: 11^th July 2019

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books

Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Mystery

Description:

“Disney on steroids… a sure fire discussion starter about desire and power.” Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Welcome to the Kingdom, a dazzling fantasy theme park where ‘happily ever after’ is not just a promise, but a rule . . .

It’s a fairytale which ends in murder as the one of the ‘Fantasists’ goes renegade… Ana, a half-human, half-android princess, is tasked with entertaining visitors and making wishes come true but now she’s on trial, after finding herself experiencing emotions and romantic feelings against all her programming.

Told through court testimony, interrogation records and fragmented flashbacks, The Kingdom has the futuristic appeal of Westworld and the twists and turns of a true-crime thriller.

Review:

On the surface the kingdom and it’s princesses (or fantasist as they’re called) are perfect but it soon becomes clear all is not well. Sinister things start happening around the park culminating in a murder. What is really going on in The Kingdom?

I really enjoyed The Kingdom! Part mystery, part science fiction, the two genres are blended nicely together to make a really entertaining story. I’m always on the lookout for mystery books with a twist or a combination of genres like this.

The story is told in an interesting way with a mix of flashbacks, courtroom scenes and post trial interviews.

I was really intrigued by the main character Ana. She’s never questioned her life as a fantasist, obey the rules, doing what she’s told. She thinks she’s safe within the walls of the kingdom. Then things start to happen, her sister and best friend Nia starts acting strangely and accidents happen around the park. Then she meets Owen and starts having feeling that she shouldn’t. She begins to question everything, is the world outside as bad a place as she’s been told?

This getting compared to Westworld a lot but as someone who’s never seen the movie and only watched one episode of the show, I don’t like westerns even if they do have robots in them, I preferred the Disney like setting.

I did guess the ending about half way through but I just really enjoyed the characters and the story so it didn’t bother me too much.

My only issue was what the Fantasists actually were. Only now I’ve re-read the synopsis, I know that they’re part human, part robot but for a good chunk of the book I thought they were brain washed humans. I just wanted a bit more clarity there within the story.

I think The Kingdom will appeal to anyone who loves a different kind of mystery.

About The Author:

Jess Rothenberg is a writer and freelance editor. A former editor of books for young readers, including the bestselling Vampire Academy series, she was also the author of The Catastrophic History of You & Me, published in more than a dozen countries and The Kingdom, a futuristic thriller. She lives in New York City with her husband and son.

#BlogTour #Review Dead & Talking by Des Burkinshaw @DesBurkinshaw @rararesources #Giveaway

I’m very excited to be bring you my review of Dead & Talking by Des Burkinshaw along with a fab giveaway (see bottom of the post).

Title: Dead & Talking by Des Burkinshaw

Date Published: 10^th March 2019

Genre: Mystery/Humour/Paranormal

Description:

If a ghost appeared from nowhere, rescued you from suicide and then ordered you to start solving crimes to help dead people, what would you do?

When it happens to Porter Norton, he just wants to put his head in his hands and have nothing to do with it. But now he has to atone for the family curse that has seen all the men die at their own hands for five generations.

The Gliss, the sarcastic spirit that rescues him, says he can now and see and hear the Dead – if he’s close to their remains. Porter has to use his unwelcome gift to clear up past injustices. Or else.

Forced to investigate the murder of a WW1 British Tommy executed for spying in 1917, he begins to suspect the case has links to his own family history. Along the way, Porter enlists the help of a bickering group of misfits, who struggle to stay involved – because only fools believe in the supernatural, don’t they?

Full of pop culture references, banter and twists, the story takes us from present-day London and Flanders to scenes from World War 1.

As Porter, The Gliss, and friends, get deeper into the explosive case, they discover their own lives and sanity are at stake. An evil from WW1 pursues them all.

Purchase Links:

US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PLLNB4M

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PLLNB4M

Review:

Porter Norton is at the end of his tether. He’s lost his girlfriend, he’s about to lose his job and career as a solicitor and the worst thing a girl died because of his mistake. Unable to take it any more he attempts suicide, only to be saved by a ghostly robot called The Gliss.

He tells him that he’s invoked an ancient curse which means he has to make up for the hurt that his family has caused over the years. First is investigating the death of a young soldier Max Cartwright but someone or something doesn’t want the truth coming out and will stop at nothing to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Dead & Talking is an absolute gem of a novel! It doesn’t specifically fit into any genre which I really enjoy when an author shakes it up a bit. There’s mystery, ghostly happenings, historical scenes and sarcasm by the bucket load.

I found each and everyone of the characters memorable from Porter’s strait laced solicitor Namita, to Porter’s new friend Feng, the sceptic ghost hunter even Porter’s very unlikeable sister Cherry. I also loved the back and forth between The Gliss and Porter, genuinely had me chuckling out loud.

There is also some good historical research in the book too, it really gets across grim realities of the first world war.

Also just a little warning, there are some complex and emotional issues discussed during the  book, like rape and suicide that some people may find upsetting.

There was one very minor character who really annoyed me and I felt that he was just put into the novel to be vile but of course that’s just my opinion.

Dead & Talking is a book packed with action, ghostly goings on that had me fascinated from beginning to end.

About The Author:

Born in the middle of the Summer of Love on a pre-fab council estate in Luton, teenage bitterness and a chance viewing of the Watergate movie, All the President’s Men, made him vow to become a journalist and bring down the government.

First he had to pay for his journalism course, so he became a civil servant. Literally the day he had enough for his fees, he packed it in.
Twelve years on from watching the film, he was a journalist at The Times and had a big hand in bringing down John Major’s government. News ambitions sated, he packed that in too. 

Several years of working for Channel 4, ITV and the BBC as a senior producer saw him working across the world, but he eventually got fed up with asking bands how the new album was coming along, and packed it in. 

He set up his own production company magnificent! in 2002 and simultaneously worked on the BBC Live Events team for another 10 years. But then six years of work on the Olympics came along, so he packed the BBC in. Again. 

Des has jammed with many of his heroes from Paul McCartney to Brian Wilson, Queen to Nancy Sinatra. He has interviewed many A-listers, including David Bowie, Michael Caine, John Cleese and even Noam Chomsky. 

He has directed/produced a fairly long list of people – Muse, Coldplay, Michael Jackson, Jay-Z, produced BBC3’s Glastonbury coverage for a couple of years, made films about leprosy in India, comedy shorts with Miranda Hart and Lenny Henry and played guitar for Chas and Dave at the Hackney Empire. 

He has made 300+ short films for the Queen, MI5, the BBC, Sky, Discovery, EMI, the British Academy and dozens of authorities, charities and private sector firms. His most recent publication was a series of interviews with leading academics like Mary Beard on the state of the humanities which was published as a standalone magazine by the British Academy.

Fed up with travelling and determined to be a half-decent dad, he now works in London as often as he can. He runs the Young Directors Film School making movies with young people and is about to head up the Digital Film and Video MA at Tileyard. An avid musician and producer, he releases his third album as Romano Chorizo (he plays drums, bass, piano, guitar and really bad sax). 

He hates to be pigeon-holed, thinks creativity is a learned state of mind and wishes they would teach people memory and learning techniques at school. 

Dead & Talking is his first novel, the first in a series of Porter & The Gliss investigations.

Social Media Links –

www.desburkinshaw.com

twitter.com/DesBurkinshaw,

facebook as Des Burkinshaw

Giveaway to Win 3 x Signed Copies of Dead & Talking (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494246/?

#BlogBlitz #Review How NOT To Write Female Characters by Lucy V Hay @LucyVHayAuthor @rararesources

Title: How NOT to write female characters by Lucy V Hay

Date Published: 23^rd August 2018

Genre: Non-Fiction/Writing

Description:

Female characters. When fifty per cent of your potential target audience is female, if you’re not writing them in your screenplay or novel? You’re making a BIG mistake!

But how should you approach your female characters? That’s the million-dollar question … After all, women in real life are complex, varied and flawed. Knowing where to start in creating three dimensional female characters for your story is extremely difficult. 

So … perhaps it’s easier to figure out how NOT to write female characters?

Script editor, novelist and owner of the UK’s top screenwriting blog http://www.bang2write.com, Lucy V Hay has spent the last fifteen years reading the slush pile. She has learned to spot the patterns, pitfalls and general mistakes writers make when writing female characters – and why.

In How Not To Write Female Characters, Lucy outlines: 

•WHO your character is & how to avoid “classic” traps and pitfalls
•WHAT mistakes writers typically make with female characters
•WHERE you can find great female characters in produced and published content
•WHEN to let go of gender politics and agendas
•WHY female characters are more important than ever

Lucy is on a mission to improve your writing, as well as enable diverse voices and characters to rise to the top of the spec pile. 

REVIEWS FOR LUCY V’S WRITING ADVICE: 

‘A timely guide to creating original characters and reinvigorating tired storylines. ‘
– Debbie Moon, creator and showrunner, Wolfblood (BBC)  

‘Lucy V. Hay nails it’
– Stephen Volk, BAFTA-winning screenwriter: Ghostwatch, Afterlife, The Awakening 

‘Packed with practical and inspirational insights’
– Karol Griffiths, development consultant and script editor, clients include ITV, BBC, Warner Brothers 

‘A top-notch, cutting-edge guide to writing and selling, not just practical but inspirational. Lucy’s distinctive voice infuses the entire journey. Quite brilliant. Here’s the woman who’ll help you make things happen.’
– Barbara Machin, award-winning writer & creator of Waking the Dead 

‘Delivers the stirring call to arms that writers must not only write, but take their work to the next level themselves, making sacrifices and taking risks if they want to see their stories on screen.’
– Chris Jones, Filmmaker, Screenwriter & Creative Director at the London Screenwriters Festival 

‘Writing and Selling Thriller Screenplays is a must-read for any writer, producer or director looking to create (or in the process of creating) a thriller production. It could also be immensely useful for those generally curious about the genre or looking to learn more.’ – Film Doctor

‘Lucy V Hay explains what a script reader and editor’s role in filmmaking, tells you to work on your concepts and that dialogue is the last thing to work on in her new book.’ – Brit Flicks

Review:

So as a wannabe author, I’m always on the lookout for books to help with my writing journey. How NOT to write female characters is definitely one of those books.

The focus of the book is looking at clichés surrounding female characters from kiss ass hottie to adding a female just for the sake of it.

Even though I am female, I still found this book extremely helpful and Lucy V Hay really uses her years of writing expertise to create this informative read. It’s a quick, straight to the point read, written in a no nonsense style which took me less than an hour to read.

I feel like a lot of the advice can be used not just for female characters, but to create any fully rounded character in general, so it’s definitely worth a read.

How NOT to write female character is a quick read, written in a clear and straight to the point style that I’d recommend to anyone who has an interest in writing.

About The Author –

Lucy V. Hay is an author, script editor and blogger who helps writers via her Bang2write consultancy. Lucy is the producer of two Brit Thrillers, DEVIATION (2012) and ASSASSIN (2015), as well as the script editor and advisor on numerous other features and shorts.  Lucy’s also the author of  WRITING AND SELLING THRILLER SCREENPLAYS for Kamera Books’ “Creative Essentials” range, as well as its follow ups on DRAMA SCREENPLAYS and DIVERSE CHARACTERS.

Social Media Links –

www.instagram.com/Bang2write

www.twitter.com/Bang2write

www.facebook.com/groups/Bang2writers

#BlogTour #Review Stilettos and Stardust by D.L Pitchford @dlpitchford #RandomThingsTours #StilettosAndStardust

Title: Stilettos and Stardust by D.L. Pitchford

Publisher: Straight on till Morningside Prints

Date Published: 19^th May 2019

Genre: YA Romance

Description:

A modern day Cinderella with a twist…

When high school seniors Noah Barton and Eden Prince’s academic rivalry ruins a thermodynamics demo, their physics teacher decides to help them get along. By forcing them to be lab partners.

As graduation approaches, Noah and Eden are too busy figuring out college to deal with each other. Noah’s football-loving dad sabotages his chance to win a big scholarship. Eden’s traditional mother cares more about finding her a serious boyfriend than encouraging her dreams.

Winning big at the regional science fair is their last hope.

Will Noah follow in his astronaut mother’s footsteps? Can Eden show her parents the environment is more important than any relationship? Will Noah and Eden finally learn to work together?

Follow Noah and Eden’s budding romance in this emotionally charged, gender-swapped retelling of Cinderella.

Review:

I jumped at the chance to read Stardust and Stilettos as Cinderella is one of my favourite Disney movies and just reminds me of my childhood. There’s also the added bonus of being a gender swap retelling too which I’m always a fan of.

Poor Noah, his mum, a famous scientist and astronaut, dies after a mission gone wrong. He gets an acceptance letter for the same university as his mum went to but his father refuses to pay for it, determined to go he goes about trying to win the money.

His only problem standing between him and his goal is his high school competitor and nemesis Eden. He thinks she arrogant, selfish and basically insane.

They are forced to be lab partners but as they find themselves growing closer, is there more to their relationship than they first thought?

Now I went into this thinking it was going to be a light fluffy read but there’s actually a lot more emotional depth in this story.

It’s told from both Eden and Noah’s perspectives so you really get to know the characters a lot better and get both sides of the story.

Yes it does have the trope of a dead/seriously ill parent but I think the author makes this her own, really communicating her characters pain and the different ways people grieve.

I have to be honest it wasn’t until after I’d read it and really thought about it I got a few of Cinderella references but I wouldn’t have said this was an obvious retelling.

Stilettos and Stardust is a really emotional and compelling story and a must for fans of YA romance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

YA and NA author D. L. Pitchford is best known for her brutally honest stories and realistic characters.

Throughout her childhood, art and literature were encouraged in every form. Pitchford fell in love with The Lord of the Rings, The Dark Is Rising, and Harry Potter. By age ten, she wrote her first fantasy book. Her love of writing grew exponentially.

In 2013, Pitchford received her BA in English, Writing, and Fine Arts from Drury University. During her studies, she focused on the human condition and penned the first scenes of her debut novel. IF WE HAD NO WINTER released April 2017 and has been commended for its gritty tone and character growth.

Pitchford lives with her husband and two sons in Springfield, Missouri, where she continues writing young and new adult novels.

Website: http://www.dlpitchford.com/

Twitter @dlpitchford

Author Page on Facebook

Instagram @dlpitchford