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Book length - 367 pages Publisher - Penguin Books Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Katie from www.penguinrandomhouse.co.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 In this compulsively readable debut, set between London and Sicily over one blood-drenched week in the dead of summer, an identical twin reveals the crazy lies and twists she'll go through to not only steal her sister's perfect life, but to keep on living it. Alvie Knightly is a trainwreck: aimless, haphazard, and pretty much constantly drunk. Alvie's existence is made even more futile in contrast to that of her identical and perfect twin sister, Beth. Alvie lives on social media, eats kebabs for breakfast, and gets stopped at security when the sex toy in her carry-on starts buzzing. Beth is married to a hot, rich Italian, dotes on her beautiful baby boy, and has always been their mother's favorite. The twins' days of having anything in common besides their looks are long gone. When Beth sends Alvie a first-class plane ticket to visit her in Italy, Alvie is reluctant to go. But when she gets fired from the job she hates and her flatmates kick her out on the streets, a luxury villa in glitzy Taormina suddenly sounds more appealing. Beth asks Alvie to swap places with her for just a few hours so she can go out unnoticed by her husband. Alvie jumps at the chance to take over her sister's life--if only temporarily. But when the night ends with Beth dead at the bottom of the pool, Alvie realizes that this is her chance to change her life. Alvie quickly discovers that living Beth's life is harder than she thought. What was her sister hiding from her husband? And why did Beth invite her to Italy at all? As Alvie digs deeper, she uncovers Mafia connections, secret lovers, attractive hitmen, and one extremely corrupt priest, all of whom are starting to catch on to her charade. Now Alvie has to rely on all the skills that made her unemployable--a turned-to-11 sex drive, a love of guns, lying to her mother--if she wants to keep her million-dollar prize. She is uncensored, unhinged, and unforgettable. MY REVIEW This book is crazy! Now I mean this in the best possible way as you become addicted and trapped in this surreal world with a character that is off her rocker, rude, self-absorbed, and unknowingly funny, but this book is definitely off the charts on the crazy factor so if being realistic and true to life is important to you in a novel, than this one is probably not for you. Alvie hates her twin sister Beth with a passion. Always has and always will. Having grown up in a household where Beth was the perfect one who got their mother's love and attention as well as all of the presents, Alvie learned to release her anger and resentment in many ways (like with fire!!) but she never loved her sister. But when she loses her job and is about to be thrown out of her disgusting flat-share, an email from her perfect sister is the last thing she needs. But Beth wants her to come out to Sicily to stay for a while and she sounds desperate. Can Alvie spend time with the twin she despises and watch Beth with her husband, the man that should have been Alvie's? Too right she can. After all, Alvie can milk it for all that it is worth and when the trip takes a very deadly turn, maybe Alvie will have the life she always knew she deserved ... MAD by Chloé Esposito is a madcap adventure through the eyes of a woman who sees her actions as perfectly plausible and acceptable. There is sex, mobsters, murderers, and art theft, all set against the opulent backdrop of Italy, with some serious sibling rivalry and betrayals seething just below the surface ready to explode. To really enjoy this story you will have to suspend reality a little bit and you will struggle to relate to Alvie as she really is so unique (I hope!!) but that doesn't mean you won't enjoy her story and you will certainly get caught up in the craziness of it all. MAD by Chloé Esposito is exactly like the title describes and I completely understand why it has been optioned as it would certainly make a cracker of a film. I cannot wait for the next instalment!!!! AUTHOR BIO Chloé Esposito is from Cheltenham and now lives in London. She has a BA and MA in English from Oxford University, where her dissertation focused on 19th-century feminist writers. She has been a senior management consultant, an English teacher at two of the UK's top private schools and a fashion stylist at Condé Nast. She is 32, a graduate of the Faber Academy and is now writing full-time. For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/ChloeJEsposito Facebook - www.facebook.com/ChloeEspositoAuthor/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!!
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Release date - 7th June 2018
Book length - 480 pages Publisher - Sphere (Little Brown) Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Clara from www.littlebrown.co.uk for providing me with an e-copy of this book via Netgalley. ABOUT THE BOOK A story about family, love and finding magic in everyday life, Days of Wonder is the most moving novel you'll read all year. Tom, single father to Hannah, is the manager of a tiny local theatre. On the same day each year, he and its colourful cast of part-time actors have staged a fantastical production just for his little girl, a moment of magic to make her childhood unforgettable. But there is another reason behind these annual shows: the very first production followed Hannah's diagnosis with a heart condition that will end her life early. And now, with Hannah a funny, tough girl of fifteen, that time is coming. Hannah's heart is literally broken - and she can't bear the idea of her dad's breaking too. So she resolves to find a partner for Tom, someone else to love, to fill the space beside him. While all the time Tom plans a final day of magic that might just save them both. Days of Wonder is the stunning follow-up to Keith Stuart's much-loved debut A Boy Made of Blocks - and a book to fall in love with. MY REVIEW Alright everyone, grab yourself a cup of tea and a slice of cake, have the tissues close by and be prepared to fall in love with the stunning new novel from Keith Stuart, who has a way with words that defies description. It has been Tom and is little girl Hannah for as long as anyone can remember and when Hannah was diagnosed with a heart condition that will limit her life, Tom throws himself into making every day as magical as he can for his daughter. Managing the local theatre makes it a very important place for both Tom and Hannah as the magic and mayhem of plays, stories, and life come alive on the stage for them both, keeping the dark and harsh reality of Hannah's condition at bay. But now Hannah is fifteen and needs to stand a little more on her own two feet for whatever time she has left, and she doesn't want her Dad to be alone whenever the day will come that she will no longer be there so a little matchmaking is in order. Add in young love, deep friendships, a waterlogged stage, and a close community and who knows what miracles could happen ... I laughed, I cried, and I felt every single word on every single page of DAYS OF WONDER by Keith Stuart. The characters are relatable, loveable, and completely realistic and I fell in love with them from the beginning. The writing in this novel really has its own unique quality which is difficult to describe so I will stick with this one word: magical. DAYS OF WONDER is the stunning new story from the author who melted my heart with A Boy Made of Blocks, and I will be shocked if it does not become a bestseller immediately!!! AUTHOR BIO Keith Stuart is an author and journalist. His heartwarming debut novel, A Boy Made of Blocks, was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and a major bestseller, and was inspired by Keith's real-life relationship with his autistic son. Keith has written for publications including Empire, Red and Esquire, and is the former games editor of the Guardian. He lives with his wife and two sons in Frome, Somerset. For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/keefstuart Instagram - www.instagram.com/keef.stuart/ Release date - 2nd June 2018
Book length - 129 pages Publisher - Retreat West Books Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Anne from randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.com for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review. ABOUT THE BOOK Separated From the Sea is the debut short story collection from award-winning author, Amanda Huggins. Crossing oceans from Japan to New York and from England to Havana, these stories are filled with a sense of yearning, of loss, of not quite belonging, of not being sure that things are what you thought they were. They are stories imbued with pathos and irony, humour and hope. Evie meets a past love but he's not the person she thinks he is; a visit to the most romantic city in the world reveals the truth about an affair; Satseko discovers an attentive neighbour is much more than that; Eleanor’s journey on the London Underground doesn't take her where she thought it would. MY REVIEW SEPARATED FROM THE SEA by Amanda Huggins is an eclectic collection of short stories that span the kaleidoscope of emotions and is a book to be treasured. Spanning continents, these stories are brimming with emotions and you will feel these character's sorrow, loss, yearning, as they search for what is missing which is often impossible. From old lovers to a grieving mother, from familiar places and situations to the exotic, there really is something for everyone among these pages. Some stories are more powerful and haunting than others but there is something about each and every one which will make you stop and take your time to really get to the heart and meaning of the tale in question. SEPARATED FROM THE SEA by Amanda Huggins is a must-read collection for short story fans but also for readers, like myself, that don't always venture into the short story genre - these stories may not be long but they are powerful. AUTHOR BIO Amanda Huggins lives in Yorkshire and works in engineering. Separated From the Sea is her first full-length short story collection. Her fiction and travel writing have been published in a number of literary journals, guidebooks and anthologies, as well as in magazines and newspapers including The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Mslexia, and Wanderlust. In 2014 Amanda won the British Guild of Travel Writers New Travel Writer Award, and her flash fiction collection, Brightly Coloured Horses, was published by Chapeltown Books in 2018. For more information: Website - troutiemcfishtales.blogspot.com Twitter - twitter.com/troutiemcfish DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!!! #Review: The Night of the Party by Rachael English @EnglishRachael @HachetteIre #TheNightOfTheParty5/6/2018 Release date - 3rd May 2018
Book length - 400 pages Publisher - Hachette Ireland Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Susie from Plunkett PR & www.hachettebooksireland.ie for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THE BOOK January 1982: In the village of Kilmitten, the Crossan family are holding their annual party during the biggest snowstorm Ireland has seen in decades. By the end of the night, the parish priest, Father Leo Galvin, is dead. The lives of four teenagers - Tom, Conor, Tess and Nina - who had been drinking beer and smoking in a shed at the back of the house, will never be the same. But one of them carries a secret from that night that he has never shared. The friends go on to lead very different, separate lives - some quiet, others in the media spotlight - but the four remain connected by what happened during the time of the big snow. As the thirty-fifth anniversary of Father Galvin's murder approaches, Conor, now a senior police officer, becomes obsessed with the crime his father failed to solve. He believes that Tom can help identify Father Galvin's killer. But does Tom wish to break his silence? His dilemma draws the four friends back together, forcing them to question their lives and to confront their differences. But only Tom can decide whether Kilmitten's secret will finally be revealed. MY REVIEW THE NIGHT OF THE PARTY by Rachael English is a story that pulls you in, makes you feel like you are part of the story, and then shocks you to the core with secrets that you cannot imagine. Four friends growing up in a tiny village in 1980s Ireland have to make their own fun so on the annual big party night in their community, they gather in a shed with a stolen beer and some smokes. But what happens that night will forever change them and bind them together in ways that they can never truly imagine. As the story moves from their lives as children to their lives as adults you cannot help but notice that they have grown and changed in so many ways but that lingering question about who really killed the parish priest all those years ago never really goes away and for one of them, holding his silence has certainly had its toll. But after all these years can the truth ever really surface and can damaged friendships ever truly mend? Gripping, dynamic, fresh, and with characters that you can really relate to, THE NIGHT OF THE PARTY by Rachael English is an astounding novel that hits on so many important changes in Irish society across the decades as well as in the characters lives themselves. There is drama, secrets, lies, love, and above all friendship that creates such an engaging narrative that will leave you feeling like you know these characters in real life. Hard topics are confronted alongside those of family and the mistakes of life, and I could not put this book down. THE NIGHT OF THE PARTY by Rachael English is a masterpiece of Irish fiction and I cannot wait for Rachael's next book as she never disappoints. AUTHOR BIO Rachael English is the authour of four novels. She lives in Dublin, but was born in England and grew up in County Clare. Her first novel, GOING BACK, was shortlisted for the most-promising newcomer award at the 2013 Bord Gáis Irish Book Awards. Her third novel, THE AMERICAN GIRL, reached number one on the Irish paperback best sellers list. Like many many writers, Rachael also has a day job. She's a presenter on Ireland's most popular radio programme, Morning Ireland. For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/EnglishRachael Facebook - www.facebook.com/rachaelenglishwriter #Review: The Sister Swap by Fiona Collins @FionaJaneBooks @HQDigitalUK #TheSisterSwap #Netgalley2/6/2018 Release date - 1st June 2018
Book length - 384 pages Publisher - HQ Digital Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley. ABOUT THE BOOK Two sisters. Two very different lives… Meg simply doesn’t have time for men in her life. Instead, she has a strictly one-date rule, survives on caffeine and runs one of the biggest model agencies from her smart office in London. That is, until she collapses one day at work and the doctor orders her to take some R&R in the country… Sarah is used to being stuck behind tractors and the slow pace of her cosy village life. But now her children are all grown-up (and her ex-husband long forgotten) she’s ready to change things up a bit – starting with taking back her old job in the city! After a devastating falling out, the sisters haven’t spoken in years. Swapping houses, cars, everything is the only option – surely they’ll be able to avoid bumping into each other? MY REVIEW THE SISTER SWAP by Fiona Collins is an absorbing, witty, and engaging contemporary story about family, life, and love with characters that you will take into your heart. Meg left her old, restricted life behind, as well as her older sister Sarah when she ran off to London all those years ago. Now she is a successful businesswoman running a top model agency and she barely has time to eat, let alone keep in touch with her only sibling. But when she collapses at work and is ordered to rest and relax in the countryside for at least eight weeks, there is only one place that she knows that fits the bill, and that's her childhood home ... Sarah had a successful career before her parents had unexpectedly passed away and she had to return to mind her rebellious younger sister Meg. But after Meg had left, Sarah had found herself in love, married, and pregnant with twins in the blink of an eye and the countryside was everything she wanted. But now her children are adults with their own lives, her husband is now her ex, and she has lost that spark that makes life interesting, so when she applies for her old career in London and gets the job, Sarah knows this could be just the beginning of a whole new chapter in her life. But first she needs somewhere to stay and her sister is the only person she can think of ... As the sisters swap homes for the foreseeable future they plan to avoid each other and the breakdown of their relationship at all costs, but as they both take time for themselves and rediscover who they are and what they want from life, maybe, just maybe, they can find a way to be a family again. With hilarious shenanigans, backstabbing, secrets, and a little romance to add some spice, THE SISTER SWAP by Fiona Collins is everything you want in a good novel and that little bit more. The characters are relatable, sometimes frustrating, very likeable and the plot moves along at a lovely pace from start to finish. Definitely a must for contemporary fiction and romance fans alike. AUTHOR BIO Fiona Collins lives in the Essex countryside with her husband, three children and the noisiest cat in England, but also finds time for a loving relationship with a Kindle. She likes to write feisty, funny novels about slightly (ahem) more mature heroines. She writes furiously at her kitchen table whilst the children are at school. She often startles the postman by coming to the door wearing a hideous cardigan and shortbread crumbs. Fiona studied Film & Literature at Warwick University and has had many former careers including TV presenting in Hong Kong; talking about roadworks on the M25 on the radio; and being a film and television extra. She has kissed Gerard Butler and once had her hand delightfully close to George Clooney’s bum. When not writing, Fiona enjoys watching old movies and embarrassing her children, especially when they have friends over. She dreams of hiring a cleaner and someone to pick pants off the floor. For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/FionaJaneBooks Facebook - www.facebook.com/fionacollinsauthor/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/fionacollinsauthor/ |
WelcomeHi fellow bookworms. My name is Linda and I'm a reviewer & blogger, wife & mother who loves all things books! Currently ReadingUPCOMING BLOG TOURS
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