Release date - 22nd February 2018
Book length - 208 pages Publisher - www.sweetcherrypublishing.com Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Jess from Sweet Cherry Publishing for providing us with copies of these books for review. ABOUT THE BOOKS Here Comes Hercules When Tim Baker breaks his mum's favourite vase, it s the least of his problems. The Greek hero he's released is in danger of doing far worse. To the flowers, the rug Oh, no! Not the kitchen! Hercules is only trying to be helpful but he's just hopeless. It's time to send this dim demigod home before Tim becomes ancient history. Hera's Terrible Trap Tim Baker thinks his adventures are over until he hitches a ride to Ancient Greece on a stolen vase. Soon Tim finds himself trapped with an army of peacocks and a hero who can’t stop admiring himself. Put that mirror down, Theseus! OUR REVIEW There was a lot of excitement in our house when HERE COMES HERCULES and HERA'S TERRIBLE TRAP by Stella Tarakson popped through our letterbox. My eldest loves to read and was delighted to have a new book to dive into, and my youngest loves to listen to stories at bedtime, curled up in bed. So it was no surprise that we got started with the first story that evening. Tim Baker is a good kid who helps out with the housework as his mum works two jobs to make ends meet. So when he breaks her favourite vase, the one that his mum treasures more than anything, Tim is worried. But that is the least of his worries as the vase held a secret and that secret is out in the shape of Hercules, a Greek hero who tries to help Tim but always seems to make things a little bit worse with hilarious consequences. As soon as we finished with Hercules we jumped straight into HERA'S TERRIBLE TRAP for more madcap adventures when Tim finds himself in Ancient Greece with only Theseus to help him out. That is if Theseus can ever stop looking at himself long enough to be of any help! We all really enjoyed both stories and the layout of the books really worked well as there are lovely illustrations throughout which help to paint a picture of the trouble the characters are getting into. The stories move along at a good pace, and my children always wanted one more page. While there are plenty of laughs throughout, there are also more sensitive topics mentioned like the bully who targets Tim or the fact that Tim's mum has to work two jobs to pay the bills, and this was expertly handled by the author, and it provided me with an opportunity to chat about these things with my kids in a light way. My children found both books adventurous and funny, and it opened their eyes to mythology as they were eager to discover more about Hercules, Hera, and Theseus at different points of the stories. It is always great when you find a series to enjoy and the Hopeless Heroes series certainly gets a big thumbs up from this house. Bring on the next instalment!! Author Bio: This is where you can find out more about me – my books, awards, workshops, and my thoughts about this wonderful writing life! I entered the workforce armed with a law degree, but writing has always been my passion. It didn’t take me long to leave my sensible job and dive headfirst into the uncertain world of publishing – and I’ve loved every minute! I’ve had 30-something books published, and I still get a thrill when I see my name on a cover I’ve written non-fiction for both children and adults, and now I’m writing children’s fiction. I love researching and writing about things that interest, intrigue and excite me – there’s nothing better than sharing my fascination of the world with my readers! For more information: Website - stellatarakson.com Twitter - twitter.com/StellaTarakson Facebook - www.facebook.com/stellataraksonauthor/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!
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Release date - 8th March 2018 (Paperback)
Book length - 432 pages Publisher - Penguin Books UK Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Sam from Penguin Books UK for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THE BOOK A heart-rending story of loss and enduring love, set between the darkest days of Paris and the sunshine of Provence. Her daughter disappeared four years ago. . . Since her daughter went missing four years earlier, celebrated photographer Kurtiz Ross has been a woman alone. Her only companion her camera. Since Lizzie disappeared, she has blamed and isolated herself, given up hope. Until, out of the blue, an unexpected sighting of Lizzie is made in Paris. Could this lead to the reconciliation she has dreamed of? Within hours of Kurtiz arriving in Paris, the City of Light is plunged into a night of hell when a series of terrorist attacks bring the city to a standstill. Amid the fear and chaos, a hand reaches out. A sympathetic stranger in a café offers to help Kurtiz find her daughter. A stranger's guiding light Neither knows what this harrowing night will deliver, but the other woman's kindness - and her stories of her own love and loss in post-war Provence - shine light into the shadows, restoring hope, bringing the unexpected. Out of darkness and despair, new life rises. New beginnings unfold. Dare she believe in a miracle? Set during a time of bloodshed and chaos in one of the most beautiful cities on earth and along the warm fragrant shores of the Mediterranean, Kurtiz discovers that miracles really can happen . . . MY REVIEW The Lost Girl by Carol Drinkwater is a layered and emotional story about relationships, both romantic and familial, and the horrors that existed in the past and now exist in the present. This is a story that will make you stop and think, really think about what has happened among the pages, it will make you hold your loved ones a little bit closer once you have stopped reading it, and it will make you realise that you should never put off until tomorrow what you can do now. Four years ago, Kurtiz's life was blown apart when her teenage daughter disappeared without a trace. On assignment abroad as a photographer at the time, Kurtiz rushed back but as days turned into months it became harder to remain optimistic. But Kurtiz was determined to keep searching and refused to believe that something horrific had happened to her little girl. With her marriage floundering before Lizzie's disappearance, it completely ended since she vanished. But when Kurtiz gets a tip-off from an old friend who she had distanced herself from, she finds herself in Paris waiting for her ex to find their daughter and bring them together. But what should be a happy reunion is destroyed when terrorists attack the city of light in a co-ordinated attack and Kurtiz finds herself rushing around in the madness trying to find those she loves. With the help of a quirky old lady, who shines a light on her own troubled past in an effort to distract Kurtiz and herself from the horror around them, it is just possible that hope will find a way through ... THE LOST GIRL by Carol Drinkwater has a lot of emotional elements running throughout this story - the loss of a daughter, the ordeals and abuse that Marguerite experienced and lived through which especially resonates today where women are finding their voices, and the horror of a terrorist attack that really happened which destroyed so many people's lives - but the author deals with it all in a beautiful and sensitive way and I definitely shed a tear along the way. The story flowed effortlessly from past to present and back again and added another extra special element to the narrative. Kurtiz is a tough character and as a mum, my heart broke for her, but she wasn't always likeable and made plenty of mistakes which makes her all the more relatable. Marguerite is a wonderful character as she recounts her life, love, and losses to us all and she definitely wormed her way into my heart. The drama in this story is intense but also sprinkled throughout with hope and happiness, and I did not expect the ending in any way which is always wonderful. THE LOST GIRL by Carol Drinkwater is a superbly written story about fear, loss, love, and hope, and I could not put it down. AUTHOR BIO: Anglo-Irish actress Carol Drinkwater is perhaps still most familiar to audiences for her award-winning portrayal of Helen Herriot in the BBC series All Creatures Great and Small. A popular and acclaimed author and film-maker as well, Carol has published nineteen books for both the adult and young adult markets. She is currently at work on her twentieth title. When she purchased a rundown property overlooking the Bay of Cannes in France, she discovered on the grounds sixty-eight, 400-year-old olive trees. Once the land was reclaimed and the olives pressed, Carol along with her French husband, Michel, became the producers of top-quality olive oil. Her series of memoirs, love stories, recounting her experiences on her farm (The Olive Farm, The Olive Season, The Olive Harvest and Return to the Olive Farm) have become international bestsellers. Carol's fascination with the olive tree extended to a seventeenth-month, solo Mediterranean journey in search of the tree's mythical secrets. The resulting travel books, The Olive Route and The Olive Tree, have inspired a five-part documentary films series entitled The Olive Route. Carol has also been invited to work with UNESCO to help fund an Olive Heritage Trail around the Mediterranean with the dual goals of creating peace in the region and honouring the ancient heritage of the olive tree. For more information: Website - www.caroldrinkwater.com Twitter - twitter.com/Carol4Olivefarm Facebook - www.facebook.com/olive.farm DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!! Release date - 8th February 2018 (Paperback)
Book length - 416 pages Publisher - Avon Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Sabah from Avon Books for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book for review. I also have a great extract for you all to enjoy which you can read further down. ABOUT THE BOOK A sparkling story about what happens when you let someone into your life… but they turn out to want more than you’d bargained for! Sarah Keyes has the perfect life. A high-flying job in a law firm, a beautiful daughter and a house to die for. So how does she find herself looking in through the kitchen window while another woman enjoys it all? When Sarah takes pity on a struggling young graduate who can’t get a job, she thinks she’s doing the right thing. She’s being kind, generous and helpful to others, as she always is. But as Sarah allows the younger woman into her home, her law firm and even her family, is there more to this pretty youngster than meets the eye? And could this be a good deed that goes further than expected? Claudia Carroll does it again with a sparkling new novel about what happens when your life becomes up for grabs… MY REVIEW OUR LITTLE SECRET by Claudia Carroll is most certainly the best book ever from this author!!! Compelling, addictive, and completely entertaining, OUR LITTLE SECRET is everything you want in a great novel and more, and this would make the perfect tv drama. Sarah Keyes adores her career and works very hard both in her law firm and volunteering as free legal aid. The only thing more important to her is her beautiful teenage daughter, Darcy. But ever since the separation from her husband, Darcy has been pulling away from her and giving her attitude at every turn, but Sarah will keep working hard and being kind and open-hearted because that is just who she is. So when she accidentally meets Lauren, a bright and considerate young woman who yearns to work in law, Sarah takes her under her wing and goes above and beyond to become her friend and confidant. Everything finally seems to be back on track as Lauren slots perfectly into her life, but when something seems to be too good to be true, it often is and Sarah's life soon takes a drastic turn ... Thanks to the Beast from the East storm, I was lucky enough to have plenty of reading time which was perfect timing because as soon as I started OUR LITTLE SECRET there was no way I was putting it down until the very end. I loved the fresh plot and the characters were riveting. I particularly loved Sarah's best friend Liz, who I completely related with, and I found myself shouting at Sarah in exactly the same way that Liz was too. The plot is dynamic and disturbingly possible which made it all the better. With plenty of ups and downs, this story of secrecy, family, and friendship really is superb and I highly recommend OUR LITTLE SECRET by Claudia Carroll to fiction fans everywhere. READ ON FOR A SNEAK PEEK FROM THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THIS INCREDIBLE BOOK. EXTRACT Sarah Saturday morning and with yet another long, lonely day stretching out ahead of me, I was out of bed early and stuck into work not long after. By eleven, I was fully up to speed on one case and by early afternoon, not only had I drafted a rough brief for our Defence, but I’d even got around to hoovering the entire house, changing the bed sheets and doing a perfunctory tidy on Darcy’s room, which she’d doubtless crucify me for when she got home. (‘Mum, you were AT MY STUFF!’). I can remember particularly wanting to get all the Saturday chores out of the way because that day, I was a woman on a mission. In spite of all Tom’s forebodings, I still hadn’t forgotten about Lauren, that lovely, sweet girl in the nail salon from the day before. I couldn’t; she’d been on my mind all night. So why not go back there, I thought? Why couldn’t this be my good deed for the day? After all, it was firm and guiding principle of mine that we were all put on this earth to help each other. And maybe Tom was right and maybe the young one was completely fantasising about her legal qualifications, but what was so wrong with seeing her again and just hearing what she had to say? I’d be out and about anyway and it wasn’t that far out of my way to go back to the salon. So I drove to Mountjoy Street, found parking, then braced myself for the icy cold as I retraced my steps back towards the Indian takeaway, which was directly below the salon. Funny how it all came back to me, the smell of garlic and ginger that seeped out onto the street and the dingy looking bookies shop next door, where shouts of encouragement were being yelled at some horse race that was in full swing on the telly inside. As it happened I shouldn’t even have been there in the first place the previous day; Phibsboro wasn’t in my neck of the woods at all. But I had a meeting with an inmate in Mountjoy Prison who needed my help with some free legal aid work, and I could only get parking on the same street where the salon was. Then while I was walking back to my car after the meeting, I noticed that the nail bar were doing SHELLAC manicures for just €20, ridiculously cheap for Dublin. I was on my lunch break, I’d a bit of time to spare, and I just walked in off the street, simple as that. For the second time in twenty-four hours, I found myself tripping up that dangerously uneven staircase, with the paint peeling off the walls and an overriding stench of damp, all the way up to the salon above. When I stepped inside, the same surly looking receptionist who’d been there the previous day was still sitting behind the desk, looking bored and thumbing through OK! magazine. ‘Hi there,’ I said, ‘I was in here yesterday having my nails done and I’d just like to—’ ‘Is there a problem?’ she interrupted, eyeing me up and down suspiciously as if I’d come to shut the place down. She was skeletally thin, this one, and middle-aged, with a headful of badly dyed orange hair, grey roots clearly on show. AUTHOR BIO: Claudia Carroll is a number one bestselling author in Ireland and a top ten bestseller in the UK, selling over 670,000 copies of her paperbacks alone. She was born in Dublin where she still lives and where she has worked extensively both as a theatre and stage actress. She now writes full-time. Her 2013 novel ME AND YOU was shortlisted for the Bord Gais Popular Choice Irish Book Award. Her previous novel ALL SHE EVER WISHED FOR spent 12 weeks at the top of the Irish charts. For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/carrollclaudia?lang=en Facebook - www.facebook.com/Claudiacarrollbooks/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/claudiacarrollbooks/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!! Release date - 1st March 2018
Book length - 292 pages Publisher - Sapere Books Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Caoimhe from saperebooks.com for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with an e-copy for review. ABOUT THE BOOK No one had expected Ernest to die, least of all Ernest… Ernest Bentley was a pillar of the community. But when he suddenly dies of a heart attack his wife Annie refuses to have the words ‘beloved husband’ added to his gravestone. Their son, Billy, is exasperated with his mother and worries about how she will cope on her own. Unwilling to take time out of his own busy schedule to take care of her, he enlists the services of the local vicar, Andrew, to keep an eye on her. Before she knows what is happening, Annie finds herself telling the vicar things she has kept hidden for years. Dark secrets that had plagued her sixty-year marriage to Ernest. When Annie’s estranged granddaughter, Ophelia, turns up for a visit, the two bond over their mutual contempt for Billy and his controlling behaviour. But when Ophelia meets Andrew, the unhappily married vicar, things start to get very complicated… What is the truth about Ernest? Why is Annie behaving so strangely now that he is dead? And how can Andrew reconcile his growing feelings for Ophelia with his respect for his marriage and his religion? Spanning from the Second World War to the present day, Dead Ernest is a poignant, moving and, at times, very funny look at what really goes on behind closed doors in the ordinary lives of ordinary people. MY REVIEW In a picture-perfect English village, Annie suddenly finds herself a widow when her husband of sixty years, Ernest, drops dead outside the local fish and chip shop. But Annie takes it all in her stride. Actually, she seems to be coping just fine, a fact which is irritating her overbearing son Billy no end. Shouldn't she be grief-stricken, lost, heartbroken? So when he mentions this to the local vicar, Andrew, who has his own marital problems, Andrew decides to look in on Annie and see if she needs to talk. As Annie begins to confide the truth about Ernest and their marriage, long-buried secrets will come to the surface, and when Ophelia arrives to spend time with her grandmother, this will set off an altogether different chain reaction ... DEAD ERNEST by Frances Garrood is a well-developed, thought-provoking story with characters that will worm their way under your skin and make you feel connected to their lives. Even though we all know the saying that 'Looks can be deceiving', this story will really make you stop and think about it. Ernest was a pillar of the community, a well-respected man who lived a quiet life with his gentle wife, but as Annie peels away the layers of her life, we get to see the truth. DEAD ERNEST by Frances Garrood is a story of family, secrets, and what truly happens behind closed doors and I thoroughly enjoyed this rich drama. I look forward to more from this author. AUTHOR BIO: My main career was nursing, but I also trained and worked for many years as a relationship counsellor with Relate. Widowed in 1992, I re-married and now live with my husband in Wiltshire, where I enjoy riding my horse in the beautiful Pewsey Vale, reading, writing, and keeping up with my grandchildren. I also write regularly to a prisoner on Texas Death Row. I first started writing as a child; mainly poetry, but there was one horrific novel (mercifully, never finished) in which a woman gives birth to a hideously deformed child in a thunderstorm. While I was bringing up my four children, I began writing and selling short stories to magazines before the enforced immobility following a fractured spine gave me the time to tackle my first novel. All my books are very strongly relationship-based. My writing has also been affected by my widowhood, and my books sometimes include issues of death and bereavement. Strangely (and not by design) they all seem to include pet animal funerals (not a subject which normally occupies my mind!). For more information: Website - www.francesgarrood.com Facebook - www.facebook.com/FrancesGarroodAuthor/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!! Available Now
Book length - 315 pages Publisher - HQ Digital Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Rachel from www.rachelsrandomresources.com for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book from Netgalley.com ABOUT THE BOOK After two long years spent in a secret British prison, Nadia Laksheva is suddenly granted her freedom. Yet there is a dangerous price to pay for her release: she must retrieve the Russian nuclear warhead stolen by her deadliest enemy, a powerful and ruthless terrorist known only as The Client. But her mysterious nemesis is always one step ahead and the clock is ticking. In 37 hours, the warhead will explode, reducing the city of London to a pile of ash. Only this time, Nadia is prepared to pull the trigger at any cost… The deadly trail will take her from crowded Moscow to the silent streets of Chernobyl, but will Nadia find what she is looking for before the clock hits zero? MY REVIEW Nadia Laksheva is back in 37 HOURS by J.F. Kirwan and this book is even more explosive than the first in the series. It has been two very long years in a secret British prison for Nadia but when she is needed to track down a Russian nuclear warhead, she finds herself free and fighting against the clock. Because in 37 hours this warhead will detonate, killing millions, and their lives are depending on Nadia's success. Chasing her nemesis, Nadia always seems to be one step behind but as danger closes in, will she succeed in her mission or will life as we know it change forever? I enjoyed the first book in this series but 37 HOURS is even better! Gripping, action-packed, and punchy with plenty of danger and grit, I devoured this book and had it finished in no time. Nadia is such a complex and fascinating character and in this book, we get to delve a little more into her personality. With plenty of twists and turns and misdirections, you will never know exactly what is going to happen and I love that in a spy thriller. 37 HOURS by J.F. Kirwan is a kick-ass spy thriller and a must for fans of the genre. AUTHOR BIO: J. F. Kirwan is the author of the Nadia Laksheva thriller series for HarperCollins. Having worked in accident investigation and prevention in nuclear, offshore oil and gas and aviation sectors, he uses his experience of how accidents initially build slowly, then race towards a climax, to plot his novels. An instructor in both scuba diving and martial arts, he travels extensively all over the world, and loves to set his novels in exotic locations. He is also an insomniac who writes in the dead of night. His favourite authors include Lee Child, David Baldacci and Andy McNab. For more information: Website - jfkirwan.com Twitter - twitter.com/kirwanjf Facebook - www.facebook.com/kirwanjf/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/jfkirwan/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!! |
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