Book length - 416 pages
Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - Gilded Cage (The Dark Gifts Trilogy) BLURB Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved. Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England's grandest estate lies a power that could break the world. A girl thirsts for love and knowledge. Abi is a servant to England's most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family's secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price? A boy dreams of revolution. Abi's brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution. And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts. He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy? MY REVIEW In a world where ordinary people must sacrifice a decade of their lives in service to the Skilled, we meet a host of addictive and compelling characters that bring this magical world to life in front of our eyes. The Hadley family make a choice to serve their ten years of service together and are happy to have gained a place serving one of the most powerful Equal families, the Jardines. But immediately things start to go awry when Luke is not allowed to accompany them and is shipped off to Millmoor, one of the many harsh slave towns that exist around Britain. And not everyone is as they appear to be. As Abi, Daisy, and their mum and dad try to settle in at Kyneston, their service may not be as harsh as that in Millmoor, but it is certainly just as complicated. With plenty of danger, rebellion, love, bitterness, and thirst for power, GILDED CAGE by Vic James is the stunning first instalment of The Dark Gifts series, which is sure to be an addictive fantasy trilogy. With excellent characters, some of which you will love to hate. plot twists, and otherworldly power, GILDED CAGE kept me easily enthralled throughout. I really hope that book two will be released soon as I cannot wait to get my hands on it! BOOK RATING - 📖📖📖📖📖 5+++++++ Author Bio: Vic lives in London’s Notting Hill, but her life is more action-adventure than rom-com. She studied History and English at Merton College, Oxford where Tolkien was once professor. Relocating to Rome, she completed her doctorate in the Vatican Secret Archives (they’re nothing like The Da Vinci Code), then spent five years living in Tokyo as a Daiwa Scholar. There she learned Japanese and worked as a journalist. Returning to the UK, Vic became investigations producer for Channel 4 News, then began directing current affairs documentaries for BBC1 and BBC2. She now writes full time. Vic has scuba-dived on Easter Island, camped at Everest Base Camp, voyaged on one of the last mailboats to St Helena, frolicked with sea-lions in the Galapagos, slept in a shipping container in the Falklands, driven a dog-sled in the Arctic, hang-glided across Rio de Janeiro, and swum the Hellespont from Europe to Asia. But there’s still little she loves more than lying in bed till midday with a good book and a supply of her favourite biscuits. For more information: Website - www.vicjames.co.uk Twitter - twitter.com/DrVictoriaJames Facebook - www.facebook.com/VicJamesAuthor *I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.com
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Book length - 212 pages
Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - Gilding the Lily BLURB A gripping mystery of jealousy, murder and lies. An invitation to her estranged, wealthy father’s surprise 75th birthday party in New York sees London-based Amelia and her husband, Jack, set off across the pond to meet a whole new world of family politics. Amelia, now a successful businesswoman, has guiltily never liked her father’s women, but does her upmost to give his new socialite partner, Evelyn, the benefit of the doubt. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could just all get along? But there’s something very dark, determined and dangerous about her… When Amelia’s father, Roger, becomes ill, Jack grows suspicious that there is more to it. Amelia understands why, but no one else will believe them. They travel back to America to piece together the puzzle, but when Roger goes missing, the couple are driven to their wit’s end. It takes a DEA officer and a secret assassin to bring them any answers. The ruthless truth is something no one expected… This fast-paced psychological debut will keep you guessing until the very end. MY REVIEW GILDING THE LILY by Justine John is a stunningly disturbing debut thriller, with twists and turns that you will never see coming. Amelia longs to feel close to her father and hopes that their trip to New York for his surprise birthday party will be the beginning of that. But things never seem to go to plan. Evelyn, her father's partner, is a complicated and jealous person who is determined to cut Amelia and her husband Jack, from his life. And as the story progresses we get to see the lengths that she will go to to make this a reality. Amelia and Jack are deeply in love with each other, and it breaks Jack's heart to watch his wife suffer at the hands of this woman. But as her father's health takes a turn for the worst, they begin to fear that something a lot more sinister is going on. This story is fast-paced and really makes you feel like you are there as this mystery unfolds around you, but nothing prepared me for the ending! GILDING THE LILY by Justine John is an emotive psychological thriller and I cannot wait to read what the author has for us next. BOOK RATING - 📖📖📖📖📖 5+++ Author Bio: Justine John became a full time writer in her late forties, after a successfully running various businesses in London. Her first novel, Gilding The Lily, is a domestic noir suspense story. Animal lover Justine lives in the beautiful Surrey Hills with her husband, rides her two horses and walks her Dalmatians daily. For more information: Website - www.justinejohn.co.uk Twitter - twitter.com/justinecjohn Facebook - www.facebook.com/justinejohnauthor/ *I would like to thank Rachel from Authoright.com and the author, Justine John, for the opportunity to review this novel and be a part of the blog tour! Release date - 19th January 2017
Book length - 307 pages Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - The Secret Life of Lucy Lovecake BLURB Daisy Delaney's life is pancake-flat. A talented baker and passionate lingerie specialist, she has wound up with no one to bake for and a career that hasn't proved successful. But when she starts a delicious relationship with famous French author-chef, Michel Amiel, everything begins to look a bit more exciting. That is until Michel's bestselling cookbook is knocked off the top spot by newcomer 'Lucy Lovecake'. His outdated recipes slide down the charts, while the popularity of Lucy Lovecake's new dating cookbook is rising like the perfect sponge. As Daisy teeters on the brink of love, how can she ever tell Michel that she is the mysterious Lucy Lovecake? Could he ever forgive her for finishing off his career? And more importantly, does Daisy even want to be with a difficult, egotistical, down-on-his-luck Frenchman just as her career is beginning to take off? Especially when she has some other very interesting offers... MY REVIEW THE SECRET LIFE OF LUCY LOVECAKE by Pippa James is the perfect read for fiction fans everywhere. With scrumptious cakes, sexy lingerie, and characters that feel like your best friends, I completely fell in love with this story! Daisy Delaney has always wanted to be an author and when her first book on the history of lingerie fails to garner any interest, she begins to wonder whether her dream will ever happen. Broke and a little forlorn, it is fate that throws her in the path of antagonistic French chef Michel Amiel. As a strange friendship begins between them, inspiration hits Daisy for the perfect idea for a book, and before she knows it Lucy Lovecake and her baking/dating expertise is born. With Publishers fighting over her, it seems as if her every dream is coming true. But as Lucy Lovecake's real identity must remain a secret, Daisy finds herself lying to those who really matter to her, including Michel, but Daisy doesn't want to risk her book or her future for anyone. With drunken outbursts, house arrests, saucy secrets, and plenty more, THE SECRET LIFE OF LUCY LOVECAKE by Pippa James is hilarious from beginning to end and I adore the area of Primrose Hill and its fascinating inhabitants. I cannot wait to read more from Pippa James. BOOK RATING - 📖📖📖📖📖 5+ Author Bio: Pippa James is a full-time writer with a love for food, fashion and all things French. She is best known as Janey Louise Jones, author of the fantastically successful Princess Poppy series, with sales of over 4 million copies to date. Before Princess Poppy took over her life, Pippa James had always intended to write contemporary fiction and this debut novel is the start of a brand-new series, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Sophie Kinsella. For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/Pippajames7 *I would like to thank Janne at Black & White Publishing, and the author Pippa James, for the opportunity to review this fantastic novel and be a part of this special blog tour! Release date - 24th January 2017
Book length - 400 pages Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - A Harvest of Thorns Amazon US - www.amazon.com BLURB A beloved American corporation with an explosive secret. A disgraced former journalist looking for redemption. A corporate executive with nothing left to lose. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, a garment factory burns to the ground, claiming the lives of hundreds of workers, mostly young women. Amid the rubble, a bystander captures a heart-stopping photograph—a teenage girl lying in the dirt, her body broken by a multi-story fall, and over her mouth a mask of fabric bearing the label of one of America’s largest retailers, Presto Omnishops Corporation. Eight thousand miles away, at Presto’s headquarters in Virginia, Cameron Alexander, the company’s long-time general counsel, watches the media coverage of the fire in horror, wondering if the damage can be contained. When the photo goes viral, fanning the flames of a decades old controversy about sweatshops, labor rights, and the ethics of globalization, he launches an investigation into the disaster that will reach farther than he could ever imagine—and threaten everything he has left in the world. A year later, in Washington, D.C., Joshua Griswold, a disgraced former journalist from the Washington Post, receives an anonymous summons from a corporate whistleblower who offers him confidential information about Presto and the fire. For Griswold, the challenge of exposing Presto’s culpability is irresistible, as is the chance, however slight, at redemption. Deploying his old journalistic skills, he builds a historic case against Presto, setting the stage for a war in the courtroom and in the media that Griswold is determined to win—both to salvage his reputation and to provoke a revolution of conscience in Presto’s boardroom that could transform the fashion industry across the globe. MY REVIEW A HARVEST OF THORNS by Corban Addison is a riveting novel centred around corporate values, greed, and power. When a factory fire in Bangladesh occurs, images are captured of a broken girl lying on the ground with an American piece of clothing wrapped around her head, and it breaks hearts around the world but causes a media nightmare for Presto Corporation. Why was their clothing being made in a factory that was not fit for purpose? How did this happen? Cameron Alexander, counsel for the company, is determined to find out the truth and he discovers a lot more than he bargained for. Add in a journalist who is desperate to redeem himself with a story of this magnitude, and the hunt to blow this story wide open to the world is on. A HARVEST OF THORNS by Corban Addison is a complex, powerful story about right and wrong, about how far our moral compass goes astray at the feet of commercialism and corporate greed and will leave you questioning where your fashion comes from, and at what cost to those who make them. A compelling and uncomfortable read. BOOK RATING - 📖📖📖📖 4 Author Bio: Corban Addison is the internationally bestselling author of four novels, A Walk Across the Sun, The Garden of Burning Sand, The Tears of Dark Water (winner of the inaugural Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Award), and the forthcoming A Harvest of Thorns, all of which address some of today’s most pressing human rights issues. An attorney, activist, and world traveler, he is a supporter of numerous humanitarian causes, including the abolition of modern slavery and labor rights and supply chain transparency in the global economy. He lives with his wife and children in Virginia. For more information: Website - corbanaddison.com Twitter - twitter.com/CorbanAddison Facebook - www.facebook.com/CorbanAddison/ *I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.com Release date - 7th February 2017 Book length - 352 pages Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - The Lost Girl of Astor Street (Blink) BLURB Lydia has vanished. Lydia, who’s never broken any rules, except falling in love with the wrong boy. Lydia, who’s been Piper’s best friend since they were children. Lydia, who never even said good-bye. Convinced the police are looking in all the wrong places, eighteen-year-old Piper Sail begins her own investigation in an attempt to solve the mystery of Lydia’s disappearance. With the reluctant help of a handsome young detective, Piper goes searching for answers in the dark underbelly of 1924 Chicago, determined to find Lydia at any cost. When Piper discovers those answers might stem from the corruption strangling the city—and quite possibly lead back to the doors of her affluent neighborhood—she must decide how deep she’s willing to dig, how much she should reveal, and if she’s willing to risk her life of privilege for the sake of the truth. From the glitzy homes of the elite to the mob-run streets of 1920s Chicago, Stephanie Morrill’s jazz-age mystery shows just how far a girl will go to save her friend. MY REVIEW I haven't read much YA fiction but if THE LOST GIRL OF ASTOR STREET by Stephanie Morrill is an indication of the genre, that is certainly going to change. Superb narrative, a gripping plot, and characters that really make you emotional and caught up in the action are just some of the wonderful aspects of this fantastic story. In Chicago in 1924, Piper Sail is determined to find her best friend Lydia, who has disappeared into thin air. With the help of a dashing young detective, some new friends, and her own dogged determination to uncover the truth, we are swept into her journey of mobsters, love, and heartbreak. With colourful descriptions and the full array of emotions displayed throughout, THE LOST GIRL OF ASTOR STREET by Stephanie Morrill is sure to keep you mesmerised from beginning to end. With intrigue, loss, love, secrets, and friendship at its core, this novel has got it all, and a main female character that is completely kick-ass and admirable. I cannot wait to read more from this author. BOOK RATING - 📖📖📖📖📖 5++++ Author Bio: Stephanie Morrill is the author of several young adult novels, including the 1920's mystery, The Lost Girl of Astor Street (February 2017, Blink/HarperCollins). Despite loving cloche hats and drop-waist dresses, Stephanie would have been a terrible flapper because she can’t do the Charleston and looks awful with bobbed hair. She and her near-constant ponytail live in Kansas City with her husband and three kids. For more information: Website - www.stephaniemorrill.com Twitter - twitter.com/stephmorrill/ Facebook - www.facebook.com/StephanieMorrillAuthor/ *I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.com Release date - 13th January 2017
Book length - 192 pages Amazon UK - Dead to Begin With (A Country Gift Shop Cozy Mystery series, Book 1) BLURB Looking for a new fun cosy crime series? Then spend some time at the coast with Vicky Simmons amateur sleuth! Coming home can be murder. Vicky Simmons is looking for the simple life. She’s ready to trade in London for a slower pace by opening a British Country Gift Shop in her old hometown on the coast of Maine. Little does she know a few old faces are back in Glen Cove, including unrequited teenage crush Michael Danning—having taken over the local Gazette and looking better than ever. All is looking rosy until Vicky finds herself face-to-face with a dead body and Michael is the prime suspect. When the sheriff links the motive for murder to the unsolved disappearance of a teenage girl twenty years ago, Vicky must turn amateur sleuth. She’ll stop at nothing to save Michael…and unmask the real killer! MY REVIEW DEAD TO BEGIN WITH by Vivian Conroy is a wonderful cosy mystery novel with plenty of action and small-town antics to keep you hooked from the very first page. Vicky Simmons has returned to her childhood home to open a British gift shop but it seems that her timing isn't exactly perfect. As an old disappearance case from twenty years ago is making headlines again, and the community starts pointing fingers at each other, it isn't long before things start to get a little more dangerous. With an arson attack, a dead body, new friendships, and old secrets, life at Glen Cove is anything but dull. But can Vicky and her little band of sleuths unravel the mystery before someone else is hurt? With great characters, a stunning setting, and plenty of intrigues to keep a reader guessing, I couldn't put this book down. DEAD TO BEGIN WITH by Vivian Conroy is a wonderful story, perfect for fans of Murder She Wrote, and I cannot wait for the next in the series!! BOOK RATING - 📖📖📖📖📖 5++ Author Bio: Vivian Conroy discovered Agatha Christie at 13 and quickly devoured all Poirot and Miss Marple stories. Over time Lord Peter Wimsey and Brother Cadfael joined her favorite sleuths. Even more fun than reading was thinking up her own fog-filled alleys, missing heirs and priceless artifacts. So Vivian created feisty Lady Alkmene and enigmatic reporter Jake Dubois sleuthing in 1920s London and the countryside, first appearing in A PROPOSAL TO DIE FOR (published by Carina UK/Harper Collins). For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/VivWrites *I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.com Release date - 17th January 2017 Book length - 224 pages Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - Mr. Dangerously Sexy (Dangerous Bachelors Club) BLURB He’ll keep her safe…but can he keep his distance? When Addison Cobalt learns she has a potentially volatile stalker, she tries to hide it from her business partner, Logan Dane. The hyperprotective, supersexy cohead of their security company will only try to take control of the situation—and her. Which is exactly what Logan does when he finds out about the stalker. Addison craves the safety of Logan’s body, but that doesn’t mean she’s willing to give up her independence, or all of her secrets, for him. She has a few ways to shake Logan’s iron control, but it’s a wicked and risky game. Because the only thing more dangerous than her stalker is Mr. Dangerously Sexy himself! MY REVIEW MR. DANGEROUSLY SEXY by Stefanie London is the fourth and final instalment of The Dangerous Bachelors Club series and in my opinion, the best of the bunch. Addison and Logan have a tempestuous relationship but together they run an extremely successful security company. But since her father died two years ago and Logan broke her heart after their one night together, Addison is even more determined to become independent and take control of her future. Even if that means walking away from Cobalt & Dane...and Logan. But when Addison finds herself stalked by a madman with a vendetta, Logan refuses to leave her side. He promised her father, the man who was like a father to him too, that he would always protect Addison, and he will not let him down. No matter how difficult it is for him to be around the one woman who sets his soul on fire. But Logan knows from experience that loving someone only leads to hurt and loss when you lose them - that's why he ran away from her two years ago. This time he will rein in his need for her and keep her safe. But with intense sexual chemistry, will this be possible? And with a dangerous man seeking revenge, will Addison and Logan survive to figure out exactly what they mean to each other? MR. DANGEROUSLY SEXY by Stefanie London is a sassy, exciting, passionate story about two people who are headstrong, determined, and independent, but also afraid of opening themselves up to love and all that it entails. A thoroughly enjoyable read. BOOK RATING - 📖📖📖📖📖 5 Author Bio: USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance with humour, heat and heart. Also llamas. Originally from Melbourne, Australia Stefanie now lives in Toronto, Canada with her wonderful husband. She loves to read, collect lipsticks, watch zombie movies and drink coffee. Her bestselling book, Pretend It's Love, is a 2016 Romantic Book of the Year finalist with the Romance Writers of Australia. For more information: Website - stefanie-london.com Twitter - twitter.com/Stefanie_London Facebook - www.facebook.com/StefanieLondonAuthor *I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.com Release date - 10th January 2017
Book length - 352 pages Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon.co.uk - Her Every Fear BLURB Trading apartments with her Boston cousin seemed like a good idea to Kate. She might finally shake off the nightmares that have haunted her. On arrival, she discovers that the woman in the next apartment has been brutally murdered. Kate’s worst fears are about to be realized, as the police come to suspect her cousin as the killer. There are other bodies in his past that she has yet to learn of. HER EVERY FEAR is a classic nail-biter about a troubled young woman in jeopardy. This novel echoes those of Patricia Highsmith at her best. MY REVIEW HER EVERY FEAR by Peter Swanson is a harrowing, terrifying tale that will keep you on tenterhooks to the very end. Kate Priddy has cheated death once when her ex-boyfriend locked her in a cupboard and threatened to kill her but committed suicide instead. Trying desperately to move on with her life, she impulsively agrees to house swap with a cousin she has never met, who lives in Boston. She understands that this will not be easy but it is only when she arrives in America that she realises how tough it will actually be. For Kate, panic attacks, anxiety, and believing the worst will always happen, are the norm. But she hopes to find some way to combat her problems. However, Kate's life is about to take another terrifying turn when the girl in the apartment next door is found murdered. As the days pass, Kate cannot help but wonder if her cousin could have had anything to do with it? Add in a neighbour who also had a fascination with the victim, and a stranger who seems to be hanging around, and Kate's nerves are stretched to the limits. But the truth is so much worse than what you could imagine, and this evil killer will stop at nothing to get what he wants. HER EVERY FEAR by Peter Swanson had me squirming in my seat as I tried to figure out how the story would end. Completely gripping and so creepy, this book really is a psychological thriller that will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck! An excellent read. BOOK RATING - 📖📖📖📖📖 5++ Author Bio: Peter Swanson is the author of three novels: The Girl With a Clock For a Heart, an LA Times Book Award finalist; The Kind Worth Killing, winner of the New England Society Book Award, and finalist for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger; and his most recent, Her Every Fear. His books have been translated into 30 languages, and his stories, poetry, and features have appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, The Atlantic Monthly, Measure, The Guardian, The Strand Magazine, and Yankee Magazine. For more information: Website - www.peter-swanson.com Twitter - twitter.com/peterswanson3 Facebook - www.facebook.com/petermswanson/?ref=page_internal *I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgally.com |
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