#BlogTour: What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson @The_WriteReads @penguinplatform @coryanderwrites #WhatBeautyThereIs #CoryAnderson #TheWriteReads

Book Synopsis:

When everything you love is in danger, how long can you keep running to survive?

Life can be brutal
Winter in Idaho. The sky is dark. It is cold enough to crack bones.

Jack knew it
Jack Dahl has nothing left. Except his younger brother, Matty, who he’d die for. Their mother is gone, and their funds are quickly dwindling, Jack needs to make a choice: lose his brother to foster care, or find the drug money that sent his father to prison.

So did I
Ava lives in isolation, a life of silence. For seventeen years her father, a merciless man, has controlled her fate. He has taught her to love no one.

Did I feel the flutter of wings when Jack and I met? Did I sense the coming tornado?
But now Ava wants to break the rules – to let Jack in and open her heart. Then she discovers that Jack and her father are stalking the same money, and suddenly Ava is faced with a terrible choice: remain silent or speak out and help the brothers survive.

Looking back, I think I did . . .

Perfect for fans of Patrick Ness, Meg Rosoff and Daniel Woodrell, What Beauty There Is an unforgettable debut novel that is as compulsive as it is beautiful, and unflinchingly explores the power of determination, survival and love.

What Beauty There Is will be published on the 8th April 2021. You can pre-order your copy using the link below or through your local indie bookstore.

My Review:

I thought What Beauty There Is was an intense, gripping read which definitely packs an emotional punch and kept me reading far too late at night.

Firstly wow what an incredible story this was, I don’t think I’ve read many books which manage to be so gripping but also so emotional at the same time. It was very poignant to meet Jack and to follow him on his mission to try to make things better for his brother. It’s hard not to like Jack and I found myself wishing I could somehow go into the book to help him. His adventures often meant he put himself in a life threatening situation which made me feel very nervous for him. I found I wanted to keep reading as I wanted to ensure he’d be ok.

This story is told from the point of view of Jack, Matty, Ada and Sheriff Doyle who were all characters I grew to love. Jack and Matty are lovely main characters who I loved to read about, especially when the reader sees how much love there is between them. I wasn’t sure about Ava to begin with as I wasn’t convinced I could trust her but she grew on me as the story progressed.

The descriptions of the beautiful, harsh landscape of Idaho helped make the story more unique and created more atmosphere in the story. The unique quietness of the wilderness made me feel it was hiding something and I sometimes felt like it was holding its breath waiting to see what would be discovered. It sometimes felt like a rather volatile character itself as it appeared to be helping Jack on his journey sometimes but hindering him at other points too.

Overall I really enjoyed this gripping read that was very hard to put down. I was quickly drawn into the story and into the predicament Jack finds himself in. As a parent I found some of the scenes very hard to read and couldn’t believe the brothers had been out in such a perilous position. This made me feel more involved in what was happening as I felt almost responsible for making sure they were ok. This is unbelievably the author’s debut novel and I’m very excited to read more from her soon.

Huge thanks to The Write Reads for inviting me onto the blog tour and to penguin for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Cory Anderson is a winner of the League of Utah Writers Young Adult Novel Award and Grand Prize in the Storymakers Conference First Chapter Contest. She lives in Utah with her family. What Beauty There Is is her debut novel.

#BlogTour: The Summer Job by Lizzie Dent @DentLizzy @VikingBooksUK @EllieeHud #TheSummerJob #LizzieDent #5Stars

Book Synopsis:

Have you ever imagined running away from your life?

Well Birdy Finch didn’t just imagine it. She did it. Which might’ve been an error. And the life she’s run into? Her best friend, Heather’s.

The only problem is, she hasn’t told Heather. Actually there are a few other problems…

Can Birdy carry off a summer at a luxury Scottish hotel pretending to be her best friend (who incidentally is a world-class wine expert)?

And can she stop herself from falling for the first man she’s ever actually liked (but who thinks she’s someone else)

The Summer Job is a fresh, fun, feel-good romcom for fans of The Flatshare, Bridget Jones and Bridesmaids.

WANT TO ESCAPE REAL LIFE FOR A WHILE? RUN AWAY WITH BIRDY FINCH, A MESSY HEROINE WITH A HEART OF GOLD. THE SUMMER JOB IS THE HOTTEST DEBUT TO LOSE YOURSELF IN THIS YEAR.

The Summer Job is published in ebook and hardback on the 15th April 2021. You can purchase your copy using the link below or through your local indie bookstore.

My Review:

The Summer Job is a heart warming, escapist and funny read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was just what I needed to get lost in after a few hectic days over Easter.

I always love books that make me feel like I’m actually there so much so that I start to wish I can experience exactly what the characters in the book are. This book was no exception and I soon found myself wishing I was able to work in a remote Scottish hotel, working alongside the lovely team Birdy meets there. The beautiful descriptions of the rugged Scottish landscape surrounding the hotel were very vivid which further helped draw me into the story as it was easy to visualise the hotel and it’s surroundings.

The thing I most liked about this book were the wonderful characters and the descriptions of the amazing team they made which was heartwarming to read about. I really liked the way they welcomed Birdy and helped her settle into her new job. My favourite character had to be the lovely Birdy who was such a real, down to earth character who I absolutely fell in love with. I was routing for her from the start and found I wanted her to be successful at the hotel.

Overall I found this a fantastic read that was hugely enjoyable. Birdy’s antics often me laugh out loud and while her often self debasing attitude ensured I was firmly on her side. While I did guess that the book would end the way it did I liked the subtle way the book ended and I especially liked that the book continued for a little bit after so we could see how the characters were doing. I really hope this isn’t the last we hear from Birdy and her friends!

Huge thanks to Ellie Hudson from Viking for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Lizzy Dent (mis)spent her early twenties working in Scotland in hospitality, in a hotel not unlike the one in this novel. She somehow ended up in a glamorous job travelling the world creating content for various TV companies, including MTV, Channel 4, Cartoon Network, the BBC and ITV. But she always knew that writing was the thing she wanted to do, if only she could find the confidence. After publishing three young adult novels, she decided to write a novel that reflected the real women she knew, who don’t always know where they’re going in life, but who always have fun doing it. The Summer Job is that novel.

#BlogTour: Watch Her Fall by Erin Kelly@mserinkelly @HodderBooks @HodderPublicity @eleni_lawrence #WatchHerFall #ErinKelly

Book Synopsis:

Swan Lake is divided into the black acts and the white acts. The Prince is on stage for most of the ballet, but it’s the swans audiences flock to see. In early productions, Odette and Odile were performed by two different dancers. These days, it is usual for the same dancer to play both roles. Because of the faultless ballet technique required to master the steps, and the emotional range needed to perform both the virginal Odette and the dark, seductive Odile, this challenging dual role is one of the most coveted in all ballet. Dancers would kill for the part. 

Ava Kirilova has reached the very top of her profession. After years and years of hard graft, pain and sacrifice as part of the London Russian Ballet Company, allowing nothing else to distract her, she is finally the poster girl for Swan Lake. Even Mr K – her father, and the intense, terrifying director of the company – can find no fault. Ava has pushed herself ahead of countless other talented, hardworking girls, and they are all watching her now. 

But there is someone who really wants to see Ava fall . . .

Watch Her Fall is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below of through your local indie book store.

My Review:

Watch Her Fall is an incredibly addictive, gripping thriller that I really enjoyed. I read this book over a couple of days which is no mean feat for a mother of three. It’s going to be hard to review this book as I don’t want to give anything away.

I was quickly drawn into the book and into the competitive world of ballet which is something that has always intrigued me. I loved learning more about how a ballet company is run and to learn about the interesting relationships that exist there despite being tainted by underlying competitiveness. Its definitely a world that I’m glad I don’t inhabit so I was happy to be able to experience it through the characters. The book isn’t just set in this world though and I enjoyed the other setting that the author describes throughout the book too.

The characters were very interesting creations that kept surprising me. The author has a clever way of letting the reader understand them and their background so that you start to feel that you know them well. I don’t think I particularly warmed to any of the main characters which meant I didn’t take anyones side so I could try to work out what was going on without any bias. There were some character’s I loved to hate and would have loved to meet in real life so I could give them a piece of my mind and others who I’m very glad I haven’t come into contact with yet.

The story goes back and forth in time as we visit different characters to learn about what happened from their point of view. The author slowly reveals the truth of what happened, gradually chipping away at what the reader believes to be true until the whole story is revealed. I have to confess to being a little confused when this first happened as it meant that the story went in a completely different direction then it had been but I soon got used to the changes.

I found this story to be completely addictive and often found myself trying to fit a few more pages in when the kids were occupied or sneaking to the toilet so I could read some more. I really wanted to find out what would happen next and often found myself completely wrong footed when a new twist was revealed as I never saw them coming.

I’ve read all of this author’s previous books and I’d definitely be recommending this to everyone to read. In fact I have already purchased copies for my sister and my mum as I think they would enjoy it. I think it would make a good book club read as there would be lots to discuss.

Huge thanks to Eleni from Hodder and Stoughton for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Erin Kelly is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Poison Tree, The Sick Rose, The Burning Air, The Ties That Bind, He Said/She Said, Stone Mothers and Broadchurch: The Novel, inspired by the mega-hit TV series. In 2013, The Poison Tree became a major ITV drama and was a Richard & Judy Summer Read in 2011. He Said/She Said spent six weeks in the top ten in both hardback and paperback, was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier crime novel of the year award, and selected for both the Simon Mayo Radio 2 and Richard & Judy Book Clubs. She has worked as a freelance journalist since 1998 and written for the Guardian, The Sunday Times, Daily Mail, New Statesman, Red, Elle, Cosmopolitan and The Pool. Born in London in 1976, she lives in north London with her husband and daughters. erinkelly.co.uk twitter.com/mserinkelly.

#BlogTour: You Let Me Go by Eliza Graham@eliza_graham @rararesources #YouLetMeGo #ElizaGraham #Hisfic

Book Synopsis:

A secret family history of love, anguish and betrayal.

After her beloved grandmother Rozenn’s death, Morane is heartbroken to learn that her sister is the sole inheritor of the family home in Cornwall—while she herself has been written out of the will. With both her business and her relationship with her sister on the rocks, Morane becomes consumed by one question: what made Rozenn turn her back on her?

When she finds an old letter linking her grandmother to Brittany under German occupation, Morane escapes on the trail of her family’s past. In the coastal village where Rozenn lived in 1941, she uncovers a web of shameful secrets that haunted Rozenn to the end of her days. Was it to protect those she loved that a desperate Rozenn made a heartbreaking decision and changed the course of all their lives forever?

Morane goes in search of the truth but the truth can be painful. Can she make her peace with the past and repair her relationship with her sister?

You Let Me Go is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below or through your local indie bookstore.

My Review:

This was a very absorbing and well written story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

As frequent readers of my blog will know I’m a huge fan of dual historical fiction especially if it is set during the second world war so this book really appealed to me from the start. I would love to have a relative who I could investigate from this period so I loved living through Morane as she tried to find out more about her grandmother.

Normally in a dual timeline story I find I like the historical side of the story the best but in this book I actually found both storylines very intriguing. It was very interesting to follow Rozenn through her war time experiences and learn more about what life was like under the German occupation but it was also fascinating to follow Morane in her investigations. There are perhaps a few lucky discoveries in her investigation but I liked seeing the two stories come together and to start to understand more about Rozenn’s past and why she made the decisions she did.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and will definitely be recommending it to other fans of historical fiction. The ending was very interesting and I liked finding out the truth about Morane’s grandmothers and making some surprising discoveries about her life. The ending was very interesting and I liked the way the author came to a neat, satisfying conclusion.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy of this book and to Amazon Publishing for my copy of this book through Netgalley.

About The Author:

Eliza Graham’s novels have been long-listed for the UK’s Richard & Judy Summer Book Club in the UK, and short-listed for World Book Day’s ‘Hidden Gem’ competition. She has also been nominated for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction.

Her books have been bestsellers both in Europe and the US. 

She is fascinated by the world of the 1930s and 1940s: the Second World War and its immediate aftermath and the trickle-down effect on future generations. Consequently she’s made trips to visit bunkers in Brittany, decoy harbours in Cornwall, wartime radio studios in Bedfordshire and cemeteries in Szczecin, Poland. And those are the less obscure research trips.

It was probably inevitable that Eliza would pursue a life of writing. She spent biology lessons reading Jean Plaidy novels behind the textbooks, sitting at the back of the classroom. In English and history lessons she sat right at the front, hanging on to every word. At home she read books while getting dressed and cleaning her teeth. During school holidays she visited the public library multiple times a day.  

At Oxford University she studied English Literature, which didn’t teach her much about writing a modern novel, but expanded her knowledge of the literary canon and how people have used books and words to communicate with one another since Saxon times.

She has worked as a ‘Saturday’ girl in Marks & Spencer, an entrance-hall cleaner, a trainee banker and as a PR consultant and business writer, covering subjects from long-tail insurance risks to jumbo factory loo rolls.

Eliza lives in an ancient village in the Oxfordshire countryside with her family. Not far from her house there is a large perforated sarsen stone that can apparently summon King Alfred if you blow into it correctly. Eliza has never managed to summon him. Her interests still mainly revolve around reading, but she also enjoys walking in the downland country around her home and travelling around the world to research her novels.

Find out more about Eliza on her website: http://www.elizagrahamauthor.com. You can also follow her on Twitter: @Eliza_Graham.

#MusicMonday: Bad For Me by Dead Shoto @ShotoDead #BadForMe #DeadShoto #TwitchStreaner #originalmusic

Good evening everyone and welcome to another Music Monday. Today I’m featuring the fantastic new single by Dead Shoto, a rapper from New York who’s clever lyrics always make me smile.

Dead Shoto also streams games on twitch and his streams are always entertaining to watch especially because of the easy banter between the members of his party.

If you would like to watch Dead Shoto on twitch you can do so by clicking on the link below.

https://www.twitch.tv/ideadshoto?sr=a

Bad For Me:

At the moment Bad For Me is only available on YouTube but it will be available as part of a new album coming out in the summer. Have a listen and enjoy the video below.

How To Listen:

Although Bad For Me isn’t available on streaming platforms yet, Dead Shoto has lots of other fabulous songs for you to enjoy. To listen click on the links below!

Spotify:

Amazon Music:

ITunes:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/good-but-evil/1535495011?uo=4

SoundCloud:

https://m.soundcloud.com/deadshoto/sets/good-but-evil

Music Monday:

You can now listen to Dead Shoto and all previously featured Music Monday artists on a special playlist in Spotify. If you like what you hear why not give the playlist a follow!

#BlogTour: Memoirs Of A Karate Fighter by Ralph Robb @RalphSRobb @rararesources #MemoirsOfAKarateFighter #RalphRobb

Book Synopsis:

Memoirs of a Karate Fighter is a gripping and hard-hitting story of karate training in one of Europe’s toughest dojos during the 1980s. The author is the novelist Ralph Robb, who, in his much younger days, was a Wado Ryu karate champion (UKKW 1982) and a European all-styles silver medallist. Ralph gives an insight into the training methods and philosophy of the Wolverhampton YMCA karate club which was once the top club in Britain. The YMCA won innumerable tournaments but amongst its greatest achievements were two All-styles British Clubs championships, five UK Wado team titles and one Shotokan national team championship (1976 GB Shotokan Karate International)- the only team in the history of British karate not to practise that style ever to do so. Within its ranks were one world, twelve national and three European champions.

Memoirs Of A Karate Fighter is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy via the link below or through your local indie bookstore.

My Review:

Memoirs Of A Karate Fighter was a very intriguing, absorbing read that went much deeper than I expected it too.

I’ve always wanted to learn a martial art so this book really appealed to me. I really enjoyed learning more about the sport and as well as the culture that surrounded it. It was quite eye opening at times and I found it very interesting learning what being a karate fighter involved.

This was more than just about Karate however and it was this that really intrigued me and made the book stand out for me. It was fascinating to learn more about the culture of the 80s and to see what it was like to be a black karate fighter at that time. I was actually an 80s baby but I think I was too young to notice a lot of what was happening. It was therefore quite eye opening to realise how hard it was and to see what people’s attitudes were.

Overall I thought this was a raw and very honest account of the author’s experiences. In a lot of ways it read a bit like a coming of age story as we follow the author from a kid into adult hood. I thought it was a very gripping account and I found it very hard to put down as I felt invested in the story. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I am now very excited to read more from him in the future. I would recommend this book to everyone, not just those interested in Karate as it is a very interesting read.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

My original idea was to write a novel with a karate theme but with the encouragement of my publisher I decided to write an autobiographical account of my time practising karate. Sometimes it was a very painful experience for me and now with the hindsight of 25 years it is easy to see how some of the opinions I had about the world and karate were wrong – although a few may have been right. A lot of the views about karate in the book are – and were – not mine but I have done my best to convey the thinking of the time, as in the case of women competitors. Personally I never had a problem with it but it is easy to recall how many I knew did.
Quite obviously, I have made mistakes in my life, as every young man does, but perhaps what I wish to convey, is that despite all its problems and often very petty prejudices and squabbles, the practise of karate was a very positive influence in my younger life.
On reflection my tournament successes mean very little, it is what I learned about life that was the greatest prize I attained.

#BlogTour: Nighthawking by Russ Thomas @thevoiceofruss @simonschusterUK @RandomTTours #Nighthawking #RussThomas #RandomThingsTours

Book Synopsis:

The new must-read novel from the bestselling and highly acclaimed author of FIREWATCHING
 
Sheffield’s beautiful Botanical Gardens – an oasis of peace in a world filled with sorrow, confusion and pain. And then, one morning, a body is found in the Gardens. A young woman, dead from a stab wound, buried in a quiet corner. Police quickly determine that the body’s been there for months. It would have gone undiscovered for years – but someone just sneaked into the Gardens and dug it up.
 
Who is the victim? Who killed her and hid her body? Who dug her up? And who left a macabre marker on the body?
 
In his quest to find her murderer, DS Adam Tyler will find himself drawn into the secretive world of nighthawkers: treasure-hunters who operate under cover of darkness, seeking the lost and valuable . . . and willing to kill to keep what they find.

Nighthawking is published in hardback and ebook on the 29th April 2021. You can pre-order your copy using the link below or from your local indie bookstore.

My Review:

I was a huge fan of Firewatching so I was incredibly excited to read Nighthawking the second book in the series, though a little nervous that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. I needn’t have worried as Nighthawking was every bit as brilliant as the author’s first book.

It was really nice to be back with Adam and Mina and be able to observe them solving another cold case. They make such a great team and it was lovely to see their relationship develop. I really like Adam who despite being a mysterious character at times shows a lot of kindness at times, especially towards Mina. I was slightly frustrated with him in this book as he seemed to be on a mission to find out what happened to his dad and this seemed quite self destructive sometimes. I found myself holding my breath, worrying he was going to be found out. Mina is another wonderful character who I felt really came into her own during this book. She is a very strong women and I loved that she was starting to make an impact in the team so that people actually listened to her. She has to deal with a lot of the work herself in this book and I enjoyed watching her trying to solve the case on her own.

I hadn’t actually heard of Nighthawking before so I enjoyed learning more about it in this book. The information about what type of things had been found with a detector was really interesting and I would actually like to try it myself one day, though in a legal way with the hope of not finding a dead body.

The plot develops at a great pace and I loved watching all the pieces come together. The story is really clever and I found myself marvelling at how the author had managed to write such an intriguing story. The tension in the story slowly builds until it becomes almost unbearable. There are lot of twists in the story that kept me guessing until the shocking, brilliant ending that was so well done. The book does end on a cliff hanger and I can’t wait to read the third book in the series now.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Russ Thomas was born in Essex, raised in Berkshire and now lives in Sheffield. He grew up in the 80s reading anything he could get from the library, writing stories, watching large amounts of television, playing videogames, and largely avoiding the great outdoors. He spent five years trying to master playing the electronic organ and another five trying to learn Spanish. It didn’t take him too long to realise that he’d be better off sticking to the writing. After a few ‘proper’ jobs (among them: pot-washer, optician’s receptionist, supermarket warehouse operative, call-centre telephonist and storage salesman) he discovered the joys of bookselling, where he could talk to people about books all day. ​ His debut novel Firewatching is the first book in the D/S Adam Tyler series.

#BlogTour: The Book Of Longing by Sue Monk Kidd @suemonkkidd @headlinepg @RandomTTours #TheBookOfLonging #SueMonkKidd #RandomThingsTours

Book Synopsis:

An inspiring story set in the first century AD about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings

Ana is born in Galilee at a time when women are seen as possessions, only leaving their fathers’ homes to marry. 
Ana longs to control her destiny. Taught to read despite her mother’s misgivings, she wants to be a writer and to find her own voice. A voice that will speak for the silenced women around her.

Betrothed to an elderly widower, Ana almost despairs. But an encounter with a charismatic young carpenter in Nazareth awakens new longings in her, and a different future opens up. 

Yet this is not a simple love story. Ana’s journey will bring both joy and tragedy, but it will also be enriched by the female friendships she makes along the way. 

The Book of Longings is an exquisite tale of dreams and desire, and of the power of women to change the world.

The Book Of Longing is available in all formats now. You can purchase your copy using the link below of through your local indie book store!

My Review:

The Book Of Longing is a beautifully written book from a very gifted writer. I was intrigued by this book from the start as I thought it was a very interesting concept and I was interested to see how it would unfold. I’m not religious so knew nothing of the story of Anna before reading which, from the sound of other reviews, was to my advantage as I didn’t know what was going to happen next.

The story follows Anna, a very strong independent women in a time when women were meant to be submissive and quiet. She is determined to help give women the voice they need and improve things from the women around her. Regular readers of my blog know that I’m a huge fan of strong female characters and therefore quickly warmed to Anna. I loved following here throughout the book and often found myself cheering for her as I read. Her relationship with Jesus was lovely to read about and I enjoyed following their blossoming relationship. It was refreshing to read about a supportive husband and I loved the imagined conversations between them especially the gentle way they had of teasing each other. Part of me wished there was more of this in the book but I think it would have made it a completely different story.

The biblical setting in this book has obviously been well researched and imagined so that I felt like I was really there following Anna. I liked the biblical and historical references that the author includes into the story which makes it seem very realistic. The book has a great pace to it and I found myself quickly absorbed into the story. I especially liked how the female relationships were described and the bond that existed between the women. It was lovely to see how the supported each other through difficult situations.

Overall I really enjoyed this book which I though was an absorbing and intriguing read. I think this would make a great book club read as I feel there would be lots to discuss. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Headline for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Sue Monk Kidd’s first novel, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, spent 2.5 years on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold over 8 million copies worldwide. THE MERMAID CHAIR, THE INVENTION OF WINGS and THE BOOK OF LONGINGS were all New York Times bestsellers. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES was long-listed for the Orange Prize (now the Women’s Prize for Fiction), and was turned into an award-winning film.

Sue is also the author of several acclaimed non-fiction books including the New York Times bestseller TRAVELLING WITH POMEGRANATES, co-written with her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor. Sue lives in Florida with her husband Sandy. 

http://www.suemonkkidd.com
Twitter @suemonkkidd

#BookReview: Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid @kileyreid @BloomsburyBooks @CornyEarsMusic #SuchAFunAge #KileyReid #BuddyRead

Good afternoon everyone I’m excited to share Bethan and my review of Such A Fun Age which we buddy read together recently. If you’d like to read more of Bethan’s book reviews please follow her on instagram using the link below.

https://www.instagram.com/booklogblog/

Book Synopsis:

When Emira is apprehended at a supermarket for ‘kidnapping’ the white child she’s actually babysitting, it sets off an explosive chain of events. Her employer Alix, a feminist blogger with the best of intentions, resolves to make things right.

But Emira herself is aimless, broke and wary of Alix’s desire to help. When a surprising connection emerges between the two women, it sends them on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know – about themselves, each other, and the messy dynamics of privilege.

Such A Fun Age is available in all formats now. You can purchase your copy using the link below of through your local indie bookstore.

Bethan’s Review:

I won’t summarise because everyone and their dog has read Such A Fun Age. I really liked the characterisation (not the personality) of Alix (for 90% of the book) because she’s a character I haven’t seen much and a different portrayal of racism than a lot of books represent. It felt very applicable to people you know, not racist bogeymen. Her internal dialogue often felt very real to me and could be super revealing; I think Reid drew her very well. I also loved Briar and her relationship with Emira was cute.

I never fully gelled with Emira. She was seen through Alix’s eyes half the time and maybe because of that I just never felt that she was fully realised. I enjoyed her friend Zara’s scenes more (fan of friend groups generally). Mixed feelings re the ending, and I’m not a fan of books that wrap up what everyone got up to for the next 10 years unless the whole book has been saga style, it just feels like the author needs to tell you where their characters ended up. But your mileage may vary on that.

Despite not loving it, I’d still recommend this as I do think Alix was a very interesting character in her own right and a great way of looking at “woke” racism and privilege. 

My Review:

Such A Fun Age is a book that I had been hearing a lot about and was very intrigued by, particularly because of the recent discussions about racism in the Media. I have to say that this book wasn’t at all what I had been expecting, in a good way. Due to the hype surrounding it and the awards that it has won I was expecting a very deep, hard to read book when in fact the opposite was true. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was an intriguing, absorbing and thought provoking read.

The characters in this book were great creations that I enjoyed reading about even though I didn’t particularly warm to any of them. They were quite complex characters and I liked that the author gave the reader access to their thought process so we could understand more about where they were coming from. Alix was particularly baffling for me as on one side she seemed to be this very professional, together women but on the other seemed to only care about her looks and getting a teenage girl to like her. As a mother myself I really disliked her for her casual attitude towards her children particularly her eldest. I didn’t understand how a mother could act like that and some of the scenes involving this made me feel quite sick. Emira was probably my favourite character and I particularly liked her friends who seemed absolutely hilarious. Her relationship with Alix’s little girl warmed my heart and I loved how much she seemed to care about her. I didn’t like she put herself down so much for not having a career when she seemed happy and was pleased when she did stand up for herself about this.

It did take me a little while to get into the writing style of this book but once I was in I found the book very absorbing and hard to put down. I quickly found myself wrapped up in the lives of the character and I liked the way that the author kept changing my mind about whose side I was on. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next and which way things would go. I’m glad I read this as a buddy read as this book did raise a few questions for me and I was happy to have someone to discuss stuff with. For this reason I think it would make a great book club read as there would be lots to discuss.

Huge thanks to Bloomsbury Publishers for giving me a copy of this book via Netgalley and to Bethan for buddy reading this book with me.

About The Author:

Kiley Reid earned her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was awarded the Truman Capote Fellowship and taught undergraduate creative writing workshops with a focus on race and class. Her short stories have been featured in Ploughshares, December, New South, and Lumina. Reid lives in Philadelphia.

#BlogTour: The Whispers by Heidi Perks @HeidiPerksBooks @arrowpublishing @Rachel90Kennedy #TheWhispers #HeidiPerks #5Stars #mustread

Book Synopsis:

A MISSING WIFE. FOUR FRIENDS. WHO IS TELLING THE TRUTH?

Anna Robinson hasn’t been seen since she went on a night out with her four closest friends.
She has a loving husband and a son she adores. Surely she wouldn’t abandon them and her perfect life. . .

But what has happened to her?

At the school gates, it’s not long before the rumours start. Anna’s oldest friend Grace is beside herself with worry – desperately searching for answers, and certain that someone is hiding the truth. 

With each day that passes, Anna’s life is under increasing threat. And as the pressure mounts, it won’t be long before something cracks. . .

The Whispers is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below or through your local indie bookstore.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author so I was very excited to read The Whispers her latest thriller. Although hard to believe, as she’s written some amazing books, I think this one is her best yet. It’s going to be a hard book to review as I really don’t want to give anything away.

The story is told from the point of view of both Grace and Anna who were childhood friends before Grace emigrated with her family to Australia. I really felt for Grace and how strange it must have been to be back in her childhood town but not to know anyone. Her sadness and confusion about Anna’s unenthusiastic reaction to her being back is almost palpable at times which made me warm to her early on. The author does a great job of describing how complicated and toxic female friendships can be so that I felt I was watching a real friendship group. The scenes at the school gates were particularly hard hitting for me as I know how cliquey such situations can be.

This book gripped me from the start with the tension slowly increasing so that the book became impossible to put down. I kept changing my mind about what had happened and who was responsible throughout the book. The author does a great job of keeping the reader in suspense and drip feeding them clues so that I only started to see the full story in the last part of the story. The final twist was amazing and one I definitely didn’t see coming. I’ve continued to think about the book long after I’ve finished reading and I want to reread the book again soon now that I know the ending to see if I could have figured it out sooner.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Arrow publishing for inviting me onto the blog tour. If you like gripping, clever and twisty thrillers then you’ll love this book!

About The Author:

Heidi Perks worked as a marketing director before leaving to become a full-time mother and writer. Her first novel, Now You See Her, was a Sunday Times bestseller and a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. Heidi is a voracious reader of crime fiction and thrillers and endlessly interested in what makes people tick. She lives in Bournemouth with her family, where she writing her next thriller.