Release date - 27th June 2019
Book length - 352 pages Publisher - Orion Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Tracy from www.compulsivereaders.com for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK Sometimes you have to risk everything to find your something... Andrew works with death for a living. Searching for people's next of kin and attending the funerals if they don't have anyone, he's desperate to avoid the same fate for himself. Which is fine, because he has the perfect wife and 2.4 children waiting at home for him after a long day. At least, that's what he's told people. The truth is, his life isn't exactly as people think and the little white lie he once told is about to catch up with him. Because in all Andrew's efforts to fit in, he's forgotten one important thing: how to really live. And maybe, it's about time for him to start. MY REVIEW Emotionally-charged, heartbreaking and yet uplifting at the same time, SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR by Richard Roper is a moving story that really got under my skin. Andrew understands loss in a way that a lot of people do not especially because his job centres around it - working for the council, he searches for the next of kin for people who have died in council housing, and he organises their funerals and even attends them if they don't have anyone (though this isn't part of his job description). Andrew lives a very isolated life and the only people he has dealings with are his work colleagues who irritate him and a few people from his model train forum whom he has never met in person. He doesn't need anyone. Well, except for his fictional wife and children whom he accidentally created on the day of his interview and has had to keep 'alive' ever since. But when tragedy strikes and then Andrew actually makes a friend in the form of his new colleague Peggy, he may just be forced to face up to the reality of his life. And for the first time in a long time, Andrew might wonder if there could be something more for him if he was just brave enough to reach for it. This book really hit me in the heart and my eyes filled more times than I could count which is a testament to the skill of Richard Roper in creating characters that burrow into your soul. Andrew is a loner who doesn't want or need anyone. He has an ordered existence which works for him and he goes that extra mile for those people who have nobody. Yet with this imaginary family that he didn't mean to create, he finds the life he wished he had which is truly heartbreaking and he wonders if he will end up like the people he discovers at work. I loved the friendship that sparks between Andrew and Peggy as she is everything he needed even though she has her own issues to deal with. There are funny moments (the dinner parties! lol), moments of grief and sadness, and moments of solid friendship and love that will have you reading this stunning story in one sitting, and I would love to see this appear on my tv screen someday soon. SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR by Richard Roper is a beautiful and thought-provoking story about life and what we make of it and I cannot wait for more from this talented author. AUTHOR BIO Richard Roper was inspired by an article he read about the council workers who deal with situations when someone dies alone. Their days are spent sifting through the ephemera of those who've slipped through the cracks, searching for clues to a next of kin. Council workers are under no obligation to attend the funerals. Yet they do, sometimes dozens of them a year, just to make sure at least someone is there. Richard Roper lives in London. SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR is his first novel. For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/richardroper DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!!
0 Comments
#Blogtour #Review: Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams @laurajaneauthor @AvonBooksUK @Sabah_K #OurStop14/6/2019 Release date - 13th June 2019
Book length - 368 pages Publisher - Avon Books UK Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Sabah from www.avonbooks.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 THIS BOOK What if you almost missed the love of your life? Nadia gets the 7.30 train every morning without fail. Well, except if she oversleeps or wakes up at her friend Emma’s after too much wine. Daniel really does get the 7.30 train every morning, which is easy because he hasn’t been able to sleep properly since his dad died. One morning, Nadia’s eye catches sight of a post in the daily paper: To the cute girl with the coffee stains on her dress. I’m the guy who’s always standing near the doors… Drink sometime? So begins a not-quite-romance of near-misses, true love, and the power of the written word. MY REVIEW The perfect depiction of the modern world of dating with a little old-school romance added for the extra special something, OUR STOP by Laura Jane Williams is an exciting and fun read which will leave you smiling. Have you ever spotted someone on your commute or across a crowded square and feel a connection? Well, that is exactly what happened to Daniel and he knows that if he could just meet this beautiful woman in person, it may just be the best thing that could happen in his life, especially since he has been a little lost since his dad died. But he doesn't want to approach her on the tube like some creep so he places an ad in Missed Connections - a lovely section of the paper for this exact situation. All she has to do is read it and realise it is him ... Nadia is finally feeling ready to date after her ex had destroyed her self-confidence with his controlling and abusive behaviour. But after listening to her friends dating woes. there definitely doesn't seem to be many nice guys out there. And then she sees a message in the paper and wonders if it could be her. And when her friends respond for her it will set off a chain of events that proves that the course of true love really never runs smooth. Witty, relatable, and warm in all of the right places, I thoroughly enjoyed OUR STOP by Laura Jane Williams. While this is definitely a romance at heart, it does not bombard you with love hearts but tells a story about friendship, self-belief, loss, and knowing what you want out of life, and there are moments which will make you laugh-out-loud which is always a plus for me. Yes, there were times when I yelled 'oh, come on just let them get together!' but as the threads of these two characters lives gently combine, I have to say the build-up was worth it. Funny, enjoyable, and a must for fans of modern romance, OUR STOP by Laura Jane Williams is a cracking read and I cannot wait to read more from this talented author. AUTHOR BIO Laura Jane Williams is the author of cult non-fiction memoirs Ice Cream for Breakfast and Becoming, as well as rom-com Our Stop. Our Stop is a HELLO! Magazine summer book club pick, and RED Magazine called it “a must read”. For more information: Website - www.superlativelyrude.com/ Twitter - twitter.com/laurajaneauthor Facebook - www.facebook.com/laurajaneauthor/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/laurajaneauthor/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!! Release date - 13th June 2019
Book length - 464 pages Publisher - Zaffre Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Sahina from www.bonnierbooks.co.uk for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK Accountant Bilal Hasham and his journalist wife, Mariam, plod along contentedly in the sleepy, chocolate box village they've lived in for eight years. Then Bilal is summoned to his dying mother's bedside in Birmingham. Sakeena Hasham is not long for this world but refuses to leave it until she ensures that her son remembers who he is: a Muslim, however much he tries to ignore it. She has a final request. Instead of whispering her prayers in her dying moments, she instructs Bilal to go home to his village, Babbels End, and build a mosque. Mariam is horrified. The villagers are outraged. How can a grieving Bilal choose between honouring his beloved mum's last wish and preserving everything held dear in the village he calls home? But it turns out home means different things to different people. Battle lines are drawn and this traditional little community becomes the colourful canvas on which the most current and fundamental questions of identity, friendship, family and togetherness are played out. What makes us who we are, who do we want to be, and how far would we go to fight for it? MY REVIEW If there is a book that the world needs right now, it is THIS GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND by Ayisha Malik. Bilal and his family have integrated easily into the small, quaint village of Babbels End. They are on all of the committees, work in the community and feel a part of it all. But when Bilal's mother dies, he struggles with his grief and his identity because his mother's last request is for him to return to Babbel's End and build a mosque. A little lost Bilal believes that in honouring his mother's last wish he will find the sense of peace that he has been searching for but he never expected the opposition that appears in the shape of some of his friends. As most of the community close ranks and demand that he forgets all about building a mosque in their village, Bilal and his family must decide whether to stand up for their rights to pray in their hometown, or whether to walk away from it all. But you cannot walk away from who you are. As more trouble brews and Bilal's marriage begins to show cracks, he will question whether all of this trouble is worth it. Can a community with different beliefs and traditions find a way to come together? THIS GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND by Ayisha Malik is such a powerful and emotional story told in a gentle and almost hypnotic way that you find yourself really emotionally invested without even realising it. This story delves into faith, grief, loss, and uncertainty in such a way that makes you stop and think and really feel what is happening in these characters lives. But there are also moments of laughter and light in the shape of Bilal's extended family, and Khala Rukhsana is a treasure and I loved the gentle part she plays throughout because she often had the greatest impact with her kindness. In a world full of divides, THIS GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND by Ayisha Malik is a book that should be in every library and every bookstore. An exquisite story of tradition, beliefs, and hope for the future. AUTHOR BIO Ayisha is a British Muslim, lifelong Londoner, and lover of books. She read English Literature and went on to complete an MA in Creative Writing (though told most of her family it was an MA in English Literature – Creative Writing is not a subject, after all.) She has spent various spells teaching, photocopying, volunteering and being a publicist. Now, when she isn’t searching for a jar of Nutella in her cupboards, she divides her time between writing and being managing editor at Cornerstones Literary Consultancy. For more information: Website - www.ayishamalik.com Twitter - twitter.com/Ayisha_Malik Facebook - www.facebook.com/AyishaMalikAuthor/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/ayisha82/ Release date - 1st June 2019
Book length - 432 pages Publisher - Century Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Rachel from Arrow Books for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK A shocking discovery. An island wrapped in secrets. A tiny island community is stunned by the discovery of a long-buried body. For Stella Harvey, the news is doubly shocking: the body was found in the garden of her childhood home. The home her family fled without explanation twenty-five years ago. Now, questioning her past and desperate to unearth the truth, Stella returns to the isolated Dorset island. But she quickly finds that the community she left isn’t as welcoming as she remembers – and that people in it will go to any length to protect their secrets. But one thing rings true… You can’t bury the truth forever. MY REVIEW Atmospheric, chilling, and completely addictive, COME BACK FOR ME by Heidi Perks is the kind of story that hooks you unknowingly in the first few pages and holds you captive to the very end. The isolated island of Evergreen meant everything to Stella Harvey. She loved its beauty, its wildness, and its small community. But when her parents flee from their home one day when she is eleven, Stella will never truly stop thinking about the only place that she calls home, even though she is all grown up now. And she will always wonder why her family left such a happy place when leaving meant their family split apart at the seams. When Evergreen is catapulted to fame because of the discovery of a dead body, Stella is compelled to finally return home. But this community now regards Stella as an outsider and they are closing ranks to anyone who is asking questions. But Stella wants to know what happened all those years ago and who the body buried at the bottom of her old garden really is. But the truth could blow Stella's world apart and put her in danger from those who will do whatever it takes to keep their secrets hidden. There is an eerie calm that surrounds every word of this book which really had me on tenterhooks as I turned each page. The characters are all struggling to deal with their own failings and secrets, and Stella is an admirable character in that she won't be deterred from uncovering the truth even when she realises it may just be the last thing she wants to know. COME BACK FOR ME by Heidi Perks is the perfect storyline for the next big tv drama and there are so many excellent undertones to delve into in this story that I think it would translate wonderfully onto our screens. COME BACK FOR ME by Heidi Perks is an excellent story and I cannot wait for more from this talented author. AUTHOR BIO Heidi Perks was born in 1973. She lives by the sea in Bournemouth with her husband and two children. Heidi graduated from Bournemouth University in 1997 with a BA (Hons) in Retail Management, and then enjoyed a career in Marketing before leaving in 2012 to focus on both bringing up her family and writing. Heidi successfully applied for a place on the inaugural Curtis Brown Creative online Novel Writing Course and after that dedicated her time to completing her first novel, Beneath The Surface. She has a huge interest in what makes people tick and loves to write about family relationships, especially where some of the characters are slightly dysfunctional. For more information: Website - www.heidiperksauthor.co.uk Twitter - twitter.com/HeidiPerksBooks Facebook - www.facebook.com/HeidiPerksAuthor/ Release date - 13th June 2019
Book length - 320 pages Publisher - Orion Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Tracy from www.compulsivereaders.com & Alainna from www.orionbooks.co.uk for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review via Netgalley. ABOUT THIS BOOK One perfect villa, four old friends, and a holiday that will change everything... Amy, Linda, Kate and Jane were best friends at school. Now, years later, they have grown apart. When Amy discovers her husband has been stealing from her successful interiors business, and with a milestone birthday looming, she decides it is the time to reach out to her old friends once again. So, she decides to invite the other three to her beautiful villa in Mallorca for a reunion weekend. As the four friends gather, secrets are unearthed, old scores settled and new friendships forged. Will this holiday bring them together or tear them apart? And will each of them grasp their second chance for happiness...? MY REVIEW An entertaining story about friendship and life, A SUMMER REUNION by Fanny Blake is a delightful read for the summer. Amy, Linda, Kate, and Jane are all now in their sixties and when they were at school they were inseparable until that one day that changed the course of Amy's life. Now Amy's life is undergoing another change and it has made her think about her old school chums, some of whom she has remained loosely in contact with. Needing a break Amy invites the three other ladies to spend some time with her in Mallorca hoping to reconnect and uncover what happened all those years ago. But each one of these women has their own turbulent and emotional issues going on in their own lives and coming together may just blow the lid off their polite camaraderie. Each character is very different and relatable, and some are definitely more likeable than others. There is plenty of drama, laughs, misunderstandings, and secrets along the way, all set against the beautiful backdrop of sunny Spain where some of them may even find the missing piece in their lives while on this holiday. A SUMMER REUNION by Fanny Blake is sure to entertain fiction fans and I enjoyed this novel. AUTHOR BIO Fanny Blake was a publisher for many years, editing fiction and general non-fiction before becoming a freelance journalist and writer. She has written several bestsellers and acted as ghost writer for a number of celebrities. She is also Books Editor of womanandhome magazine. Her novels include The Secrets Women Keep (Orion) and With a Friend Like You (Orion). For more information: Website - www.fannyblake.co.uk Twitter - twitter.com/FannyBlake1 Facebook - www.facebook.com/FannyBlakeBooks Instagram - www.instagram.com/fannyblake1/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!! Available Now
Book length - 448 pages Publisher - Simon & Schuster UK Worldwide - 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 a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK Welcome to Brew, a cafe where kindness is almost as important as coffee... almost! Meet the three women whose lives are about to change forever: Abbie has fled London and the humiliation of not being able to make rent after being made redundant. Her sister, Louise, unlucky in love, has thrown herself into her career at the local hospital. And Eszter, who has travelled from Hungary with her daughter Zoe, hoping to fulfil her husband's dying wish... to reunite his family. This summer these three very different women are inspired by the random acts of kindness written up on the Kindness Board at Brew, and decide to make a pact to be kinder to others and to themselves… Can a little bit of kindness really change your life? Eszter, Abbie and Louise are about to find out! MY REVIEW After reading SUMMER AT THE KINDNESS CAFÉ I can safely say that I am now a HUGE Victoria Walters fan because this story captivated me from the very beginning and I loved every page of this excellent story. When Abbie loses her job, her boyfriend, and her fast-paced life in London, she is a little lost and decides to stay with her sister, Louise, in the quaint community of Littlewood so she can figure out her future. But when an act of kindness inspires another, Abbie finds herself helping out the local Lord of the Manor save his estate and there is something about him that makes her smile. But she belongs in London, doesn't she? Louise is excited to spend time with her sister because when she isn't working hard as a nurse to sick children, she is lonely. But after what happened with her ex, Louise knows that relationships aren't for her and only end in sadness. And no matter how kind and handsome the local vet is, it is just not worth risking her heart, right? Eszter and her lovely little girl have arrived in Littlewood to fulfil the final request her husband asked of them before he passed away - to find his estranged mother and make peace with her. Eszter has no idea what reception she is likely to receive but she will spend the summer here for Nick. And who knows, maybe they will be able to find a new beginning for themselves ... The setting is stunning and I adored the idea of a community which bases itself around the premise of kindness and spreading joy wherever possible. The café and the manor are wonderfully descriptive and I could picture everything in my mind as I read. But it is the characters that are the crowning glory in this story. They are relatable, loveable, and engaging from the very start and by the end I really didn't want to say goodbye to them - I desperately hope that there will be more from the community of Littlewood. Grief, heartache, and the fear surrounding new beginnings are all excellently handled and my heart broke for Eszter and Zoe at times but they are such strong and resilient characters that they made me smile a lot too. SUMMER AT THE KINDNESS CAFÉ by Victoria Walters is like being enveloped in a huge hug when you need it the most and is definitely going on my list for top books this year. AUTHOR BIO Victoria Walters was discovered in a short story competition run by Simon & Schuster's The Hot Bed. Her first novel, The Second Love of my Life was published by Headline, and she returns to the fold with Summer at the Kindness Café, her second novel. For more information: Website - victoria-writes.com Twitter - twitter.com/Vicky_Walters Facebook - www.facebook.com/VictoriaWaltersAuthor/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/vickyjwalters/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!! Release date - 13th June 2019
Book length - 32 pages Publisher - Blue Falcon Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Claire from bluefalconpublishing.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 THIS BOOK Ahoy there me hearties! Are ye brave? Are ye strong? Can ye sing a pirate's song? Will ye search for treasures old, jewels and trinkets, pearls and gold? Then climb aboard and join our crew. Quickly now, there's work to do! If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a pirate or fancied hauling anchor and sailing the seven seas, then this is just the tale for you! This bright and beautiful rhyming picture book from award-winning children's author, Justin Davis, will capture the imagination of any budding sea dog! MY REVIEW Adventure, beautiful illustrations, and even some fun activities for the kids to do at the end, A PIRATE'S SONG by Justin Davis is sure to delight children everywhere. Written in rhyme, this book tells the story of secret treasure as the pirate crew battle the storms to find it. The illustrations are really colourful and eye-catching and will definitely have your little ones asking questions and pointing out something different each time you read it. Fun, feisty, and full of mischief, A PIRATE'S SONG by Justin Davis is a wonderful addition to any child's bedtime routine and I highly recommend it. AUTHOR BIO The fourth children's book from Northamptonshire-based Justin has been published. His previous books have both attracted praise and won him a rapidly growing young fan base. Escape from Nettle Farm, prequel to Spy Danger, won a Red Ribbon in the 2016 Wishing Shelf Awards, and was a finalist in the 2017 People’s Book Prize. My Bunny, a beautifully illustrated rhyming picture book, was a finalist in the 2017 Wishing Shelf Awards. Justin is currently working on two more books, due for release in 2020. For more information: Website - www.justindavis.co.uk Twitter - twitter.com/jdavisauthor Facebook - www.facebook.com/authorjustindavis Instagram - www.instagram.com/authorjustindavis/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!! Release date - 6th June 2019
Book length - 400 pages Publisher - HQ Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Joe from Harper Collins UK for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK Sometimes going home is just the beginning… Boskenna, the beautiful, imposing house standing on the Cornish cliffs, means something different to each of the Trewin women. For Joan, as a glamorous young wife in the 1960s, it was a paradise where she and her husband could entertain and escape a world where no one was quite what they seemed – a world that would ultimately cost their marriage and end in tragedy. Diana, her daughter, still dreams of her childhood there – the endless blue skies and wide lawns, book-filled rooms and parties, the sound of the sea at the end of the coastal path – even the family she adored was shattered there. And for the youngest, broken-hearted Lottie, heading home in the August traffic, returning to Boskenna is a welcome escape from a life gone wrong in London, but will mean facing a past she’d hoped to forget. As the three women gather in Boskenna for a final time, the secrets hidden within the beautiful old house will be revealed in a summer that will leave them changed for ever. MY REVIEW Gripping, fresh, and completely unputdownable, THE PATH TO THE SEA is my favourite novel by Liz Fenwick thus far. Boskenna is a stunning house on the Cornish cliffs that calls back three generations of women to face their pasts and their future. Joan is dying and wants to make amends to her strong, tough daughter for secrets that have kept them at a distance for far too long but she worries that the past will make things even worse between them. Diana knows what it is like to have your heart destroyed when you lose someone so has kept up her walls with her mother and even her own daughter, Lottie. But Diana feels ready to face the haunting feeling that she gets when she is in Boskenna and she wants answers about the death of her father. But is she ready for the truth? And then there is Lottie whose life is upside down but she feels she cannot burden her grandmother whom she adores and her mother who always judges her too harshly. Lottie loves coming back to Boskenna even though it will break her heart to say goodbye to her grandmother who raised her. But a blast from the past in the form of her first love brings back that awful night ten years when everything started to fall apart for Lottie. Is she brave enough to deal with what happened? Switching from past to present and between the different characters was a genius way of opening up Boskenna and all of the people that have lived and loved there. There are secrets and subterfuge, love and friendship, heartache and tragedy all encased among the walls, and as I got to know each and every character, I felt like I was there, a part of it all, experiencing the whole thing alongside them which is no easy feat for an author. All of the characters are excellently portrayed but it was Joan and Lottie's characters which stood out as just that extra bit special. THE PATH TO THE SEA by Liz Fenwick is brimming with strong women who make life-changing decisions, wanting to protect those they love even though it may not seem like it at the time, and I completely fell under the spell of this captivating story that broke my heart at times. THE PATH TO THE SEA by Liz Fenwick is bewitching from beginning to end and is one of the best books I have ever read in this genre. AUTHOR BIO I was born in Massachusetts and after nine international moves - the final one lasting eight years in Dubai- I now live in Cornwall and London with my husband and a cat. I made my first trip to Cornwall in 1989, bought my home there seven years later. My heart is forever in Cornwall, creating new stories. My debut novel THE CORNISH HOUSE was followed by A CORNISH AFFAIR, A CORNISH STRANGER and UNDER A CORNISH SKY, A Cornish Christmas Carol (novella), and The Returning Tide. All published by Orion in English. There are editions in Dutch, German, Portuguese, French, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Estonian, Latvian, Turkish, Serbian, Czech and soon Hungarian. My latest novel is One Cornish Summer out 8th March 2018. For more information: Website - lizfenwick.com Twitter - twitter.com/liz_fenwick Facebook - www.facebook.com/liz.fenwick.author?fref=ts Instagram - www.instagram.com/liz_fenwick/ |
WelcomeHi fellow bookworms. My name is Linda and I'm a reviewer & blogger, wife & mother who loves all things books! Currently ReadingUPCOMING BLOG TOURS
Privacy PolicyNo-one may use Books Of All Kinds content without my permission. Books Of All Kinds does not share personal information with third parties nor do I store information about your visit to this blog for use other than to analyse content performance through the use of cookies, which you can turn off at anytime by modifying your internet browser's settings. Books Of All Kinds is not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other Web sites or media without our permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice.
Archives
November 2023
|