#BlogTour #Review A Little Hotel In Cornwall by Laura Briggs @rararesources @PaperDollWrites #PublicationDay

Title: A Little Hotel In Cornwall by Laura Briggs

Date Published: 30^th April 2019

Genre: Chicklit

Description:

Struggling American waitress and aspiring novelist Maisie Clark dreams of becoming a full-time writer — even though in real life she’s just lost her chance at an exclusive writer’s mentorship program that would give her novel its big break. Desperate, she decides to take a chance and ask her favourite writer, a celebrated but reclusive English novelist, to help her find a second chance. 

When she receives the author’s reply in an envelope with a Cornish postmark, Maisie decides not to take the writer’s half-hearted ‘no’ for an answer. With nothing to lose, she takes off for the author’s last known location, a beautiful hotel on Cornwall’s western coast. But when the hotel mistakes her for the latest applicant for a maid’s position, Maisie finds herself given an opportunity too good to lose … and a chance for a summer adventure far bigger than she ever imagined.

Surrounded by breathtaking Cornwall and working in an elegant hotel, Maisie’s world becomes one of secret identities, quirky friends, and unintentional mishaps — and despite reminders of past relationship disasters, a certain handsome, charming local resident Sidney Daniels has her conflicted about her heart’s desires, too. 

Will Maisie find the chance she’s been waiting for — and a possible new romance — in her perfect Cornish summer?

Purchase Link: http://smarturl.it/alittlehotelbook1

Review:

So if you’ve heard of Laura Briggs before, you may know she does have another set of novels with Cornwall in the title but this is a completely new series with a new cast of characters to get to know.

Masie Clark wants nothing more than to be an author. In an attempt to find a mentor she journeys to Cornwall, to find her favourite author the mysterious Alistair Davies. When she gets there a case of mistaken identity means she’s offered a job as a maid with a probationary period of two weeks. That should be enough time to find Alistair Davies, right?

Wrong! No matter what she does disaster ensues, then she bumps into her ex boyfriend Ronnie. She becomes torn between him and local lad Sidney Daniels. Will she find the love she’s always wanted and get the publishing contract of her dreams?

The theme of this book is all about taking chances, you never know what might happen!

The beautiful Cornish coast really is the perfect setting for this lovely little novella. It’s so well described, I really want to visit there now!

Maisie is one of the those characters you just automatically root for, I especially enjoyed the fact she was a wannabe author like myself. Her supporting cast of characters are also a good mix of the eccentric and interesting.

I have to be honest, the introduction of her ex boyfriend, I mean he happens to be at the same hotel as Maisie at the same time, felt a little too convenient and a little contrived but of course that’s just my opinion.

A little hotel is Cornwall is the light hearted read that will make you fall in love with the characters and Cornwall itself!

About The Author:

Laura Briggs is the author of several chick lit and romance stories, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller ‘A Wedding in Cornwall’. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, caring for her pets, going to movies and plays, and trying new restaurants.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaperDollWrites

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurabriggs/

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#BlogTour #Review Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech @LouiseWriter @OrendaBooks @annecater #RandomThingsTours

Title: Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech

Publisher: Orenda Books

Date Published: 18^th April 2019

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Description:

Tonight is the night for secrets…

Pregnant Victoria Valbon was brutally murdered in an alley three weeks ago – and her killer hasn’t been caught. Tonight is Stella McKeever’s final radio show. The theme is secrets. You tell her yours, and she’ll share some of hers.

Stella might tell you about Tom, a boyfriend who likes to play games, about the mother who abandoned her, now back after twelve years.

She might tell you about the perfume bottle with the star-shaped stopper, or about her father …

What Stella really wants to know is more about the mysterious man calling the station … who says he knows who killed Victoria, and has proof. Tonight is the night for secrets, and Stella wants to know everything…

With echoes of the chilling Play Misty for Me, Call Me Star Girl is a taut, emotive and all-consuming psychological thriller that plays on our deepest fears, providing a stark reminder that stirring up dark secrets from the past can be deadly…

Review:

I want to thank Anne Cater for inviting me on this blog tour and Orenda books for providing me with a copy of Call Me Star Girl.

So this is actually the first novel I’ve read by Louise Beech and her first foray into psychological thrillers.

This was such a beautifully written and at times poignant story, which surprised me how emotionally invested I got with the characters.

We follow Stella for her last broadcast, going backwards and forwards in her life and how she ended up at this point. The mystery of the death of pregnant Victoria Valbon hangs over her, a man phones the station claims he knows what happened to Victoria that night. Stella wants to know what he know but what will happen when she knows everything?

Stella is a damaged individual, abandoned by her mother when she was twelve, she never knew her father. She’s determined to not bore anyone and flits from one relationship to the other not getting close, that is until Tom. Their relationship is intense, dark and even at times a little disturbing, constantly playing games with each other.

Then her mother reappears in her life. I can’t say I much liked her, hate would probably be too strong a word. As a mother I found it hard to compute abandoning your child for whatever reason, even now when son is a moody teenager 99% of the time!

My only complaint was I felt the mystery aspect was not the strongest in the overall story, in fact I found I wanted a little bit more from it, I’m greedy I know!

Call Me Star Girl is a beautiful and at times haunting story, that will chill you to your core.

About The Author:

Louise Beech is an exceptional literary talent, whose debut novel How To Be Brave was a Guardian Readers’ Choice for 2015. The follow-up, The Mountain in My Shoe was shortlisted for Not the Booker Prize. Both of her previous books Maria in the Moon and The Lion Tamer Who Lost were widely reviewed, critically acclaimed and number-one bestsellers on Kindle. The Lion Tamer Who Lost was shortlisted for the RNA Most Popular Romantic Novel Award in 2019. Her short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice. Louise lives with her husband on the outskirts of Hull, and loves her job as a Front of House Usher at Hull Truck Theatre, where her first play was performed in 2012.

#BlogTour #Review #TheRingmaster by Vanda Symon @vandasymon @OrendaBooks #SamShephard #RandomThingsTours

Title: The Ringmaster by Vanda Symon

Publisher: Orenda Books

Date Published: 25^th April 2019

Genre: Police procedural

Description:

Marginalised by previous antics, Sam Shephard, is on the bottom rung of detective training in Dunedin, and her boss makes sure she knows it. She gets involved in her first homicide investigation, when a university student is murdered in the Botanic Gardens, and Sam soon discovers this is not an isolated incident. There is a chilling prospect of a predator loose in Dunedin, and a very strong possibility that the deaths are linked to a visiting circus…

Determined to find out who’s running the show, and to prove herself, Sam throws herself into an investigation that can have only one ending…

Rich with atmosphere, humour and a dark, shocking plot, The Ringmaster marks the return of passionate, headstrong police officer, Sam Shephard, in the next instalment of Vanda Symon’s bestselling series.

Review:

After reading the first in this series, Overkill (you can read my review here), I jumped at the chance to read this one. Even though it is the second in the series it can quite easily be read as a stand-alone without feeling that you’ve missed too much.

The Ringmaster is a solid police procedural set in New Zealand, which like the first novel is really conveyed well, with it’s unusual plants and wildlife, I almost felt like I was there while reading this book!

The character of Sam really makes this novel. She’s so life like and likeable, with a sharp wit and plenty of sarcasm, you kind of wish that you actually knew her. She really struggles in this book, going from the small town of Mataura where she was the sole police officer to the relatively big city of Dunedin. Her boss seemed to have it out for her, making her do menial and pointless jobs when she wants to be out there solving the case.

If that wasn’t tough enough, the investigation centres around the circus, a tight community who don’t trust outsiders which Sam has to try and gain their trust and uncover their secrets.

I have to be honest, I kind of pegged who the killer was quite early on and didn’t have quite as many shocks and surprises as the first one but it was still an engaging read.

I’d recommend The Ringmaster to anyone who loves realistic characters and settings that will entertaining you from beginning to end. I’m looking forward to book three!

About The Author:

Vanda Symon is a crime writer, TV presenter and radio host from Dunedin, New Zealand, and the chair of the Otago Southland branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors.

The Sam Shephard series has climbed to number one on the New Zealand bestseller list, and also been shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award for best crime novel. She currently lives in Dunedin, with her husband and two sons.

#BlogTour #Giveaway #Review Flying by the seat of my knickers by Eliza Watson @ElizasBooks @rararesources

Hi lovelies! Not only do I have a review today, I also have a fabulous giveaway which is open internationally (details at the bottom of this post) but first a bit about the book:

Title: Flying by the seat of my knickers by Eliza Watson

Date Published: 20^th February 2016

Genre: Humour/women’s fiction

Description:

Why run from your troubles when you can fly instead? 

When Caity Shaw is fired from her first job that doesn’t require an elf uniform, her older sister, Rachel, an event planner, hires her to work a meeting in Dublin. Caity jumps at the opportunity to travel abroad and escape her pathetic life. However, even four thousand miles from home, there’s no avoiding debt collectors, an overbearing mother, and haunting memories of a controlling ex.

While in Dublin, Caity suffers a series of humiliating mishaps, causing her to lose even more faith in herself. Caity struggles to earn Rachel’s respect—and to keep Declan, her hot Irish coworker, at arm’s length. Declan repeatedly saves Caity’s butt and helps boost her self-confidence, making it difficult to keep her distance from the charming womanizer. When Declan helps her research her Irish grandmother, Caity discovers the mysterious past of the courageous woman she barely knew might hold the answers to her future.

Flying by the Seat of My Knickers will be Free worldwide for the duration of the blog tour on 21st April:

It’s available on all Amazon sites here’s US and UK:

US: https://www.amazon.com/Flying-Knickers-Travel-Mishaps-Caity-ebook/dp/B01C1YGTMA

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flying-Knickers-Travel-Mishaps-Caity-ebook/dp/B01C1YGTMA

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/flying-by-the-seat-of-my-knickers

AppleBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/flying-by-the-seat-of-my-knickers/id1309645540?mt=11

B & N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flying-by-the-seat-of-my-knickers-eliza-watson/1123454668?ean=2940157829667

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Eliza_Watson_Flying_by_the_Seat_of_My_Knickers?id=piJ1DwAAQBAJ&hl=en

Review:

I want to thank Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me on this blog tour.

I pick up this book awhile ago, because I just loved the title but unfortunately it’s been sitting on my kindle for a while now but like most things I haven’t got around to it until now.

Caity has just escaped from her controlling ex, in desperate need of money, she takes a job with her sister at her event planning business.

She jumps at the chance to go to Dublin for a week but when she gets there she gets into mishap after mishap.

Can Caity get her self confidence back and put her past behind her?

This is quite a short and fun read, which is set in Ireland, a place I’ve always wanted to visit. While at times it is light hearted, it also covers the serious topics of toxic relationships and emotional abuse.

Caity is flawed and slightly vulnerable character, who seems to have disaster after disaster. I did keep wishing something would go right for her but on the other hand I couldn’t help but giggle at some of the things that went wrong.

I have to be honest at time I felt it was hard to like Caity because she felt quite judgy towards other women yet she kind of falls at the feet of Declan when he gives her the slightest bit of encouragement…it just slightly irked me.

Overall flying by the seat of my knickers is quirky and entertaining read, perfect if you’re looking to escape from reality for a few hours.

About The Author:

Eliza Watson is a USA Today Bestselling Author. When Eliza isn’t traveling for her job as an event planner, or tracing her ancestry roots through Ireland, she’s at home working on her next novel, bouncing ideas off her husband, Mark, and her cats Frankie and Sammy. Learn more about Eliza’s books at elizawatson.com.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/ElizaWatsonAuthor/?ref=bookmarks

https://twitter.com/ElizasBooks

https://www.pinterest.com/authorelizawatson/

Giveaway:

Win Irish wool blanket from Avoca Mills in Ireland. – Open Internationally:

Just click the link below to enter:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/391e20c86/?

#BookReview Dead Memories by Angela Marsons @bookouture

Title: Dead Memories (Kim Stone 10) by Angela Marsons

Publisher: Bookouture

Date Published: 22^nd February 2019

Genre: Police Procedural

Description:

She ruined their lives. Now they’re going to destroy hers.

‘Someone is recreating every traumatic point in your life. They are doing this to make you suffer, to make you hurt and the only possible end game can be death. Your death.’

On the fourth floor of Chaucer House, two teenagers are found chained to a radiator. The boy is dead but the girl is alive. For Detective Kim Stone every detail of the scene mirrors her own terrifying experience with her brother Mikey, when they lived in the same tower block thirty years ago.

When the bodies of a middle-aged couple are discovered in a burnt-out car, Kim can’t ignore the chilling similarity to the death of Erica and Keith – the only loving parents Kim had ever known.

Faced with a killer who is recreating traumatic events from her past, Kim must face the brutal truth that someone wants to hurt her in the worst way possible. Desperate to stay on the case, she is forced to work with profiler Alison Lowe who has been called in to observe and monitor Kim’s behaviour.

Kim has spent years catching dangerous criminals and protecting the innocent. But with a killer firmly fixed on destroying Kim, can she solve this complex case and save her own life or will she become the final victim?

The heart-stopping and totally addictive new crime thriller from multi-million copy number one bestseller Angela Marsons will have you completely hooked.

Review:

Usually I say this could be read as a stand alone but this book does contain a lot of villains from earlier novels which may spoil them for you if you haven’t read them, so I recommend you read the other books in the series first. You’re probably thinking but that’s nine other books but I can guarantee that if you love fast paced, action packed novels you will enjoy this series.

I absolutely flew through this book, with Angela Marsons usual short, sharp chapters and compelling storyline it was hard to put down.

I’m calling this book Kim Stone greatest hits, or maybe greatest heartaches would be a better way to put it. A killer is recreating all the past traumatic events in her life, starting with the death of her twin brother.

Kim really goes through it in this book. She never one for showing feelings, preferring to keep everything inside, it all bubbles to the surface and we get a rare show of raw emotion.

My only issue with the whole book was the ending, I wasn’t entirely convinced by the motive or in fact the killer itself but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book.

Overall Dead Memories is a whirlwind of a novel, with plenty of thrills and spills that is a must read series for fans of police procedurals.

About The Author:

Angela Marsons is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of the DI Kim Stone series and her books have sold more than 3 million in 3 years.

She lives in the Black Country with her partner, their cheeky Golden Retriever and a swearing parrot.

She first discovered her love of writing at Junior School when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read “Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people’s”.

After years of writing relationship based stories (The Forgotten Woman and Dear Mother) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away.

She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 16 books in the Kim Stone series and her books have been translated into more than 27 languages.

#BlogTour #Review The Golden Hour by Malia Zaidi @MaliaZaidi @damppebbles #LadyEvelynMysteries #damppebblesblogtours

Title: The Golden Hour (Lady Evelyn Mysteries #4) by Malia Zaidi

Date Published: 26^th March 2019

Genre: Historical Mystery/Cosy Mystery

Description:

London 1927

Lady Evelyn Carlisle has barely arrived in London when familial duty calls her away again. Her cousin Gemma is desperate for help with her ailing mother before her imminent wedding, which Evelyn knew nothing about! Aunt Agnes in tow, she journeys to Scotland, expecting to find Malmo Manor in turmoil. To her surprise, her Scottish family has been keeping far more secrets than the troubled state of their matriarch. Adding to the tension in the house a neighbour has opened his home, Elderbrooke Park, as a retreat for artistic veterans of the Great War. This development does not sit well with everyone in the community. Is the suspicion towards the residents a catalyst for murder?

A tragedy at Elderbrooke Park’s May Day celebration awakens Evelyn’s sleuthing instinct, which is strengthened when the story of another unsolved death emerges, connected to her own family. What she uncovers on her quest to expose the truth will change several lives forever, including her own.

With the shadow of history looming over her, Evelyn must trust in her instinct and ability to comb through the past to understand the present, before the murderer can stop her and tragedy strikes again.

You can buy your copy here:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Golden-Hour-Evelyn-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07NQRQH8L/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1552557558&sr=8-1

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Hour-Evelyn-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07NQRQH8L/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=the+golden+hour+malia+zaidi&qid=1552557603&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

Review:

So this is the fourth in the Lady Evelyn Carlisle mystery series but having not read the first books in the series, I can say it can be read as a stand-alone, as the author gives enough background about the character without spoiling the other books.

At a loose end after finishing her degree, Lady Evelyn finds herself travelling to Scotland to see her Aunt Iris who her cousin Gemma claims is acting strangely. When she arrives at Malmo Manor there is an underlying tension which may have something to do with Elderbrooke Park which has been opened up to injured veterans of the Great War.

In an attempt to win over the villagers, Elderbrooke park is opened up to the public as part of the May day celebrations but tragedy strikes as Lady Evelyn stumbles across the body of a young girl.

Can Lady Evelyn stop the murderer before they strike again?

The Golden Hour really reminds me of the classic whodunnits, especially Dorothy L Sayers, with it’s vivid descriptions, red herrings and an upper class sleuth.

Lady Evelyn is a fascinating character, educated at Oxford, a rarity even for those women with money in those days, she also suffered a terrible loss of her parents when she was young. There’s also a kindness to her, not shying away from the wounded soldiers living in Elderbrooke park, when most people looked upon them with suspicion and scorn.

I do feel however, at times it was a little slow and you get a little distracted from the mystery by Lady Evelyn and her families problems but of course that’s just my opinion.

Overall The Golden Hour is an intriguing story, for those who enjoy a mix of historical fiction and some good amateur sleuthing.

About Malia Zaidi:

Malia Zaidi is the author of the Lady Evelyn Mysteries. She studied at the University of Pittsburgh and at the University of Oxford. Having grown up in Germany, she currently lives in Washington DC, though through her love of reading, she resides vicariously (if temporarily) in countries around the world.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaliaZaidi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/maliazaidiauthor/about/?tab=page_info

Website: https://www.maliazaidi.com/

Blog: https://www.princessandpen.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14197546.Malia_Zaidi

#Review #Taken by Tony Parsons @TonyParsonsUK

Title: #Taken by Tony Parsons

Publisher: Conerstone

Date Published: 1^st March 2019

Genre: Police Procedural

Description:

#taken in the night

They thought they were kidnapping the mistress of one of London’s most powerful gangsters. But they’ve taken the wrong woman. And crossed the wrong detective.

#taken underground

Detective Max Wolfe’s hunt for the missing woman takes him from New Scotland Yard’s legendary Black Museum to the glittering mansions of career criminals, from sleazy strip joints to secret sex dungeons – and to unspeakably dark deeds committed decades ago.

#taken to the limit

It’s a world of family secrets, sexual jealousy, and a lust for revenge – which might also become Wolfe’s grave…

Review:

So when I got approved for this on NetGalley, I kind of dropped everything I else I was reading to start this because I absolutely LOVE this series. I can’t recommend it enough if you enjoy a thrilling police procedural. The first review on my blog was actually The Hanging Club back in 2017, which I have since deleted because it was awful, I hope I do a better job on this review!

This is the sixth in the series but I would highly recommend that you’ve read at least the previous book Girl On Fire, as there are minor spoilers for it in this one.

A beautiful young mother, Jessica Lyle, is abducted in broad daylight. Was it a case of mistaken identity or something more sinister?

Max and his boss DCI Whitestone are still hurting from their last case when they get the call that Jessica has been abducted. To make matters worse her father is an ex copper and is making it even harder for them.

If a high profile kidnapping wasn’t enough Max, his ex wife is back in his life, trying to get to know their daughter Scout who she abandoned to start a new family when she was four. Personally I would have told the woman to get lost and if she wanted to see her daughter, she should see a solicitor but under all that gruff exterior Max is so sentimental and keeps thinking things will turn out different.

Whenever I read these books, I always wonder why this hasn’t been made into a TV show??? I would definitely watch it.

Taken is non stop action from beginning to end with plenty of shocks and surprises that will have you saying to yourself ‘just one more chapter’. I actually devoured it in two sessions, I just didn’t want to put it down!

I have to be honest, while the ending ties up any loose ends, it did feel a little too neat and tidy. I know I moan a lot about unanswered questions after I’ve read a novel but I know real life is not quite that cut and dry, so occasionally I don’t mind if a few things slip by the wayside.

Overall Taken is a thrilling and gritty police procedural that will have you hooked from that very first chapter.

About The Author:

Tony Parsons left school at sixteen and his first job in journalism was at the New Musical Express. His first journalism after leaving the NME was when he was embedded with the Vice Squad at 27 Savile Row, West End Central. The roots of the DC Max Wolfe series started here.

Since then he has become an award-winning journalist and bestselling novelist whose books have been translated into more than forty languages. The Murder Bag, the first novel in the DC Max Wolfe series, went to number one on first publication in the UK. All of the DC Max Wolfe novels have been Sunday Times top five bestsellers.

Tony lives in London with his wife, his daughter and their dog, Stan.