 Release date - 20th June 2017
Book length - 202 pages Publisher - Self-Published Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK Here, it isn't the battle of who has the Rolls-Royce of strollers...these children actually roll in Rolls-Royces! When 33-year-old Sophie Bennett moves from a sleepy suburb of Toronto to glitzy West London, she doesn't know where she has landed, Venus or Mars. By a stroke of good luck, her three-year-old daughter Kaya attends Cherry Blossoms Nursery, the most exclusive nursery in London - hence the world - where she meets a sea of Alpha mums: Super Successful, Super Skinny and Super Rich. There, not is all as it seems, and she has to fight against the lure of a cult, a two headed dragon and Mumsolini's dictatorship. When Sophie struggles to fit in and starts to feel deeply lonely, she starts an anonymous blog, The Beta Mum, dissecting the lives of the Alpha Mums, especially Kelly's, the blonde, beautiful and bitchy class rep who constantly makes her feel like a second class citizen. When Sophie's marriage starts to falter, she engages in an email relationship with one of her readers. But then, one of her blogs goes viral and her blog becomes more and more successful; how long will it be until they discover her true identity? Is her marriage strong enough to survive her reader's advances? And will she ever fit in with the Alpha Mums? MY REVIEW THE BETA MUM ADVENTURES IN ALPHA LAND by Isabella Davidson is hilariously witty, engaging, and compelling, and is definitely a must-read for mums around the world. Meet Sophie Bennett. In her early thirties, she is happy living in Canada with her loving husband Michael, and her little girl Kaya. Insecure as a teenager, she is now more comfortable in her skin and content with her family and friends. But when Michael gets a job offer that he cannot turn down, Sophie finds herself transported to London in the UK, with Kaya attending one of the most prestigious nursery's in the country, courtesy of Michael's employers. Suddenly all of Sophie's shyness and insecurities come rushing back as she feels she cannot compete with these picture-perfect, slim, millionaire mummies who seem so strange to what she is used to. As she struggles to make new friendships and connections, her little girl is struggling too, and as Michael seems to be working more and caring less, it is not long before Sophie feels like she is losing everything she holds dear. But when she starts to blog anonymously about her feelings and bizarre experiences as a beta mum in an alpha world, Sophie starts to claw back some semblance of normality and even manages to make some online friends. But everything comes with a price. And as Sophie's feelings change, and her blog becomes well-known among the Alpha set, could it cost Sophie everything? Funny, moving, and thoroughly entertaining, THE BETA MUM ADVENTURES IN ALPHA LAND by Isabella Davidson really hit the perfect note for me. Sophie was likeable and really relatable, and the other assortment of characters in this novel were superb too. The world of the rich and famous was opened up in front of my very eyes but like all things in life, nothing is ever quite what it seems. Well-paced and entertaining from start to finish, THE BETA MUM ADVENTURES IN ALPHA LAND by Isabella Davidson is the perfect tonic after a hard day, and I highly recommend it. Author Bio: Isabella Davidson is the author of the popular blog, Notting Hill Yummy Mummy, which chronicles the entertaining lives of west London residents. Through the blog she has written features for The Times, The Saturday Times Magazine, Corner Magazine, and has been interviewed by Financial Times, Harper's Bazaar, The Spectator, The Times and many more. She started The Beta Mum during the six-month Faber Academy writing course. Prior to starting to writing career, she worked for a Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian organisation and as a doctor for the National Health Service. She grew up on four continents before settling down in London fifteen years ago. She currently lives in west London with her husband and her two small children. For more information: Website - nottinghillmummy.com Twitter - twitter.com/NHyummymummy Facebook - www.facebook.com/Notting-Hill-Yummy-Mummy-485953751528011/ *I want to thank the author Isabella Davidson for the opportunity to review this wonderful book.
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 Release date - 31st July 2017
Book length - 298 pages Publisher - Self-Published Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK Cash and Tally return in Losing Game, the second novel in The Winning Ace Series Can love overcome betrayal, or are some things broken beyond repair? Too hurt to look into who might have sent photos of Cash Gallagher kissing another woman, Tally McKenzie flees to a secret hideout in Brighton and tries to forget her lover. Stubborn to the last, Cash tracks Tally down and wins her back by confessing his darkest secret. Now he can only hope his demons don’t become headline news and threaten his role as the reigning bad boy of centre court. Can Cash and Tally's deepening relationship survive all the challenges, or is the hot tennis ace about to discover that the prospect of losing his precious career is the least of his woes? Losing Game is the second novel in the Winning Ace series. To have the best reading experience, the books are best read in order MY REVIEW Tally and Cash return with a bang in the second book of the intoxicating Winning Ace series, and I literally did not put this book down until I had reached the very last page - but beware, it will leave you desperately wanting the third book! Tally is heartbroken when she sees photos of Cash's betrayal and needs time to get her head straight. Hiding out in Brighton she just cannot understand why he would do that to her after everything that had happened between them? But looks can be deceiving and with Cash hot on her heels desperate to tell her the truth once and for all, Tally will soon learn all there is to know about the man she adores. The road to love and happiness is never straightforward and as Cash and Tally vow that their love will stand strong against anything that life throws at them, little do they realise that this will soon be tested. With ups and downs, love and heartbreak, will love win the day for Tally and Cash, or is it game, set and match on their relationship for the final time? Smooth, exciting, and sexy as always, LOSING GAME by Tracie Delaney is everything I hoped it would be and more. I fell even more in love with the characters (if that was possible) and this series at every turn of the page, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book! LOSING GAME is perfectly paced with something for everyone (sport, romance, drama), and is a must-read for all romance fans. Author Bio: Tracie Delaney is the author of the Winning Ace trilogy. She loves nothing more than immersing herself in a good romance, although she sometimes, rather cheekily, makes her characters wait for their HEA. When she isn’t writing or sitting around with her head stuck in a book, she can often be found watching The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones or any tennis match involving Roger Federer. Her greatest fear is running out of coffee. Tracie studied accountancy, gaining her qualification in 2001. Her maths teacher would no doubt be stunned by this revelation considering Tracie could barely add two plus two at high school. Tracie lives in the North West of England with her amazingly supportive husband. They both share a love of dogs, travel and wine. For more information: Website - www.traciedelaneyauthor.com Twitter - twitter.com/tracie_delaney Facebook - www.facebook.com/TracieDelaneyAuthor/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/tracie_delaney_author/ *I want to thank the author Tracie Delaney for the opportunity to review this exciting book and series!  Release date - 27th July (Paperback) Book length - 368 pages Publisher - www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk/publishers/michael-joseph/ Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK 'Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella . . . the feel-good book of the summer' Cathy Kelly, Number One bestselling author Everything is going to plan - until she marries the wrong man . . . Jenny Sparrow can tell you her future: 1. Meet soulmate at 25 2. Move in with him 3. Marry him this year . . . According to the plan Jenny made at thirteen, it's time for her to get married. But when her boyfriend proposes a break instead of a wedding, a girls' weekend in Vegas is the only solution . . . until she wakes up in a stranger's bed, and discovers that this is the year she gets married - to the wrong man. Jenny wants a quick divorce and her old boyfriend back. But what if her accidental husband has other ideas? MY REVIEW If you are in the mood for a book that will make you laugh and hit all the right notes from start to finish, then JENNY SPARROW KNOWS THE FUTURE by Melissa Pimentel is exactly what you need. Endearing characters, witty and clever dialogue and plenty of unexpected action are just some of the reasons why this wonderful novel will burrow into your heart, and brighten up your day. Jenny Sparrow knows exactly how her life will pan out because she planned it down to the finest detail when she was a young girl, and everything has happened according to her list ever since. Living in London with her boyfriend, Jenny is excitedly waiting for him to propose but when things take a wrong turn, she finds herself on a break instead of celebrating an engagement. Convinced by her best friend Isla that a long weekend in Las Vegas is just what the doctor ordered, Jenny finds herself questioning everything in her life. If she doesn't get married this year then her life plan is thrown into disarray, and she cannot let that happen. But when she wakes up after a crazy night to find herself married to a stranger, this isn't exactly what she had planned. Determined to get a quick divorce and fix everything with her boyfriend back in London, is it possible that fate has other plans for the woman who likes to control every little detail? JENNY SPARROW KNOWS THE FUTURE by Melissa Pimentel is a story of friendship, love, and letting yourself open up to the possibility of failure. The characters are likeable and vivacious, and the plot line is pacy and exciting which combine to make you want to put real life on hold so you can finish this excellent story. JENNY SPARROW KNOWS THE FUTURE by Melissa Pimentel is the perfect read for a summers day or any day for that matter - an excellent all-rounder. And lucky for you I have a giveaway!!!! One lucky reader will win a paperback copy of this wonderful novel. All you have to do for a chance to win is comment on this blog post below. This competition is open internationally and is the sole responsibility of Books Of All Kinds Blog. The winner will be randomly chosen on Wednesday 2nd August 2017. Author Bio: Melissa Pimentel grew up in a small town in Massachusetts in a house without cable and therefore much of her childhood was spent watching 1970s British comedy on PBS. At twenty-two, she made the move to London to do an MA in Modern Literature at University College London. She has lived there happily for ten years, though she still adamantly refuses to eat a scotch egg. Before meeting her fiancé, she spent much of her time trawling the London dating scene for clean, non-sociopathic sexual partners and blogging about it, which became the inspiration for her first novel. These days, she spends much of her time reading in the various pubs of Stoke Newington and engaging in a long-standing emotional feud with their disgruntled cat, Welles. She works in publishing. For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/melispim Facebook - www.facebook.com/MelissaPimentelAuthor/ *I want to thank Olivia from Michael Joseph and the author, Melissa Pimentel, for the opportunity to review this fantastic novel and take part in this wonderful blog tour. Don't forget to check out the other stops along the way!    Release date - 19th July 2017
Book length - 352 pages Publisher - www.noexit.co.uk Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK 'Outstanding' – New York Times 'Gripping' – Associated Press 'Powerful' – Publishers Weekly One man is dead. But thousands were his victims. Can a single murder avenge that of many? Scarborough Bluffs, Toronto: the body of Christopher Drayton is found at the foot of the cliffs. Muslim Detective Esa Khattak, head of the Community Policing Unit, and his partner Rachel Getty are called in to investigate. As the secrets of Drayton's role in the 1995 Srebrenica genocide of Bosnian Muslims surface, the harrowing significance of his death makes it difficult to remain objective. In a community haunted by the atrocities of war, anyone could be a suspect. And when the victim is a man with so many deaths to his name, could it be that justice has at long last been served? In this important debut novel, Ausma Zehanat Khan has written a compelling and provocative mystery exploring the complexities of identity, loss, and redemption. Winner of the Barry Award, Arthur Ellis Award, and Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best First Novel MY REVIEW When Christopher Drayton's body is discovered at the bottom of the bluffs, it appears to be a clean cut case of accidental death. So why are Detective Esa Khattak and his partner Rachel Getty investigating? As they begin to pick apart Mr. Drayton's life they will unearth secrets and horrifying acts from many years ago. And how exactly do you search for a killer when you start to realise that perhaps the victim deserved what happened to him? THE UNQUIET DEAD mixes crime and traditional police work with harrowing accounts of what actually took place during the Bosnian War in the 1990s, which makes for a compellingly unique novel that will make you uncomfortable and gripped all at once. The detective duo of Esa and Rachel really worked for me as they appear to be opposites in the way that they deal with a case, but have so much in common in both their personal lives and their personalities at times. The writing is appealing and really pulls you in, and the mixture of truth with fiction added an extra layer of terror to the story. THE UNQUIET DEAD by Ausma Zehanat Khan is a dark criminal story that will haunt and torment you and it is a must-read for crime fiction fans everywhere. Author Bio: Ausma Zehanat Khan is a British-born Canadian living in the United States, whose own parents are heirs to a complex story of migration to and from three different continents. A former adjunct professor at American and Canadian universities, she holds a Ph.D. in International Human Rights Law, with the 1995 Srebrenica massacre as the main subject of her dissertation. Previously the Editor in Chief of Muslim Girl Magazine, Ausma Zehanat Khan has moved frequently, traveled extensively, and written compulsively. The Unquiet Dead is her first mystery novel featuring Inspector Esa Khattak and Sergeant Rachel Getty. A follow-up is in the works. For more information: Website - www.ausmazehanatkhan.com Twitter - twitter.com/ausmazehanat Facebook - www.facebook.com/ausmazehanatkhan *I want to thank Maddy from No Exit Press and the author, Ausma Zehanat Khan, for the opportunity to read and review this gripping story.  Release date - 27th July 2017 Book length - 415 pages Publisher - www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk/publishers/michael-joseph/ Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK 'It ranks with The Stepford Wives and Gone Girl as a terrifying look at what it really means to say "I do"' Joseph Finder, bestselling author of The Switch It's the perfect wedding gift. Newlyweds Jake and Alice are offered membership of a club which promises members will never divorce. Signing The Pact seems the ideal start to their marriage. Until one of them breaks the rules. Because The Pact is for life. And its members will go to any lengths to ensure nobody leaves . . . MY REVIEW OH MY GOD!!!! After finishing THE MARRIAGE PACT by Michelle Richmond, these are the first words that come to mind so I will say them again: OH MY GOD!!! From the description of this book, I expected a relatively decent psychological thriller but not this deeply disturbing, hypnotically powerful novel that would completely take over my mind until I reached the very last page. Meet Jake and Alice, a newly-married couple from quite different backgrounds who are deeply in love and determined to make their love stand the test of time, even if they are unsure exactly how to go about doing it. When a gift from a client gives Alice and Jake the opportunity to join an exclusive group known as The Pact they are both unsure what to think about this strange choice. But if The Pact can teach them how to be the best spouse they can be, what harm could come from it? But signing on the dotted line will change their lives forever as nothing is quite as it appears. For The Pact take marriage very seriously and there are serious repercussions if you do not follow the rules... THE MARRIAGE PACT by Michelle Richmond is nothing like what I expected. The plot which is totally out there completely works, the chapters are short and snappy which really helps to amp up the dangerous and tense atmosphere that permeates every page, and the characters are likeable and relatable even if you will spend half of your time screaming at them to stop and think about what they are doing! While you will question how two intelligent people have managed to get themselves into this situation, as Alice's past comes to life we begin to understand her desperation to succeed in her marriage, as well as her propensity for being impulsive, and how the idea like The Pact may appeal to her. As for Jake, he is so determined to keep Alice in his life and by his side that he also falls for the lure of The Pact. As the story continues and we begin to see beneath the shiny facade, the dark and perturbing cracks begin to show and the pace of the story accelerates. THE MARRIAGE PACT by Michelle Richmond is an absorbing, terrifying, and ominous story posing the question, how far would you go to achieve the perfect marriage? THE MARRIAGE PACT is one book you should not miss out on. Author Bio: Michelle Richmond is the New York Times bestselling author of five novels and two award-winning story collections. Her novels include the 2014 literary thriller GOLDEN STATE, which imagines modern-day California on the brink of secession from the United States, and the international bestseller THE YEAR OF FOG. Her debut story collection The Girl in the Fall-Away Dress(2001) won the AWP Award for Short Fiction, and her latest story collection, HUM, received the Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize. Her novels are set in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives, and in the South, where she grew up. Michelle’s new novel, THE MARRIAGE PACT, will be published by Bantam in July of 2017, with foreign editions forthcoming in 27 languages and film rights optioned to Twentieth Century Fox. She holds an MFA from the University of Miami, where she was a James Michener Fellow. She has received the Hillsdale Award for Fiction from the Fellowship of Southern Writers and the Mississippi Review Fiction Prize. Michelle was born and raised in Alabama and has made her home for eighteen years in Northern California, where she lives with her husband and son. For more information: Website - michellerichmond.com Twitter - twitter.com/michellerichmon Facebook - www.facebook.com/AuthorMichelleRichmond/ *I want to thank Jenny from Michael Joseph Books, and the author Michelle Richmond for the opportunity to review this novel and take part in this blog tour. Don't forget to take a look at all of the other stops along the way!   Release date - 10th August 2017 (Paperback)
Book length - 384 pages Publisher - www.harpercollins.co.uk Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK New York Times bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL, Mary Kubica is back with another exhilarating thriller as a widow's pursuit of the truth leads her to the darkest corners of the psyche. "The bad man, Daddy. The bad man is after us." Clara Solberg's world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident…until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon. Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick's death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more important, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out—and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit. Told in the alternating perspectives of Clara's investigation and Nick's last months leading up to the crash, master of suspense Mary Kubica weaves her most chilling thriller to date—one that explores the dark recesses of a mind plagued by grief and shows that some secrets might be better left buried. MY REVIEW Clara Solberg loves her life - married to the love of her life Nick and caring for her beautiful little girl Maisie and the gorgeous new addition to the family, baby Felix. But when a knock on the door changes her life forever, Clara must face this new world of grief and anger as a single parent. Thankful that she didn't lose her precious daughter in the same accident as her husband, it is only when her little girl starts having nightmares screaming about the bad man that was chasing them, that Clara begins to suspect foul play. Determined to uncover what happened on that lonely country road, Clara must dig deeply into her husband's life, but as she begins to discover the truth, she must face up to the fact that maybe she never really knew him at all... Mary Kubica weaves an emotional and cryptic tale in her novel EVERY LAST LIE which lured me in and held me entranced to the very end. Slowly-paced with richly developed characters and detailed descriptions, this is not an action packed thriller that will jolt you out of your chair, but rather a front row seat watching what seems to be the perfect family slowly start to crumble around them at every turn. Clara's grief and desperation to know the truth is so gritty and raw that I found myself tearing up often as she struggled to put one foot in front of the other. There were plenty of twists and layers to keep you gripped and even though I only planned to read a few chapters I had finished it before I knew it. EVERY LAST LIE by Mary Kubica is perfect for suspense fans everywhere and I look forward to reading more from this author. Author Bio: Mary Kubica is the bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL (2014) and PRETTY BABY (2015). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature. Mary lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children and enjoys photography, gardening and caring for the animals at a local shelter. For more information: Website - marykubica.com Twitter - twitter.com/MaryKubica Facebook - www.facebook.com/MaryKubicaAuthor/ *I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.com  Release date - 27th July 2017
Book length - 384 pages Publisher - www.littlebrown.co.uk Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK When Louise Williams receives a message from someone left long in the past she feels sick. Maria Weston wants to be friends on Facebook. Because Maria Weston has been missing for over twenty years. She was last seen the night of a school leavers' party, and the world believes her to be dead. Particularly Louise, who has lived her adult life knowing herself responsible for Maria's disappearance. But now Maria is back. Or is she? MY REVIEW FRIEND REQUEST by Laura Marshall is a very current, fresh, and compelling psychological thriller that will reel you in from the very first line and keep you interested to the very last sentence. Louise Williams is a divorced, single mum who runs her own business and is slowly building up her confidence after all that she has been through. But when she receives a Facebook friend request from an old school mate Maria Weston, all of her insecurities and fear from the past spring to life again. Louise has tried hard to forget about that time of her life and how is this even possible? After all, Maria has been dead for over twenty-five years... With the perfect timing of her old school reunion, Louise must revisit her teenage years and all of its ugliness if she is to protect herself and her little boy, but as she starts to delve into the past and what happened to Maria, danger seems to be waiting. FRIEND REQUEST by Laura Marshall jumps from past to present, giving the reader the full experience of what happened to the characters - from bullying to that desperate search for popularity, we feel it all alongside those that it is happening to. There is a tense atmosphere present on every page and I found myself urging Louise to face the past head on yet there was still something extremely unlikeable about Louise's character, and most of the characters in this novel. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers then FRIEND REQUEST by Laura Marshall is well worth a read. Author Bio: Laura Marshall grew up in Wiltshire and studied English at the University of Sussex. After almost twenty years working in conference production, in 2015 Laura decided it was time to fulfil a lifetime's ambition to write a novel, and enrolled on the Curtis Brown Creative three month novel writing course. Her first novel, Friend Request, was shortlisted for both the Bath Novel Award 2016 and the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize 2016 and will be published by Little, Brown in the UK in 2017, as well as by Grand Central Publishing (Little, Brown) in the USA, Blanvalet (Random House) in Germany and Fleuve Editions (Univers Poche) in France. Laura lives in Kent with her husband and two children. For more information: Website - www.lauramarshall.co.uk Twitter - twitter.com/laurajm8?lang=en Facebook - www.facebook.com/lauramarshallauthor *I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.com  Release date - 22nd June 2017 Book length - 356 pages Publisher - www.accentpress.co.uk Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com ABOUT THE BOOK An emotional and evocative story about the deepest bonds of friendship. Abandoned as children, Kat and Jamie were inseparable growing up in foster care. But their bond couldn’t protect them forever. From a troubled upbringing to working in a London greasy spoon, Kat’s life has never been easy. On the surface Jamie’s living the high-life, but appearances can be deceiving. When they unexpectedly reunite, their feelings become too intense to ignore. But as secrets come back to haunt them, are they destined to be separated once more? Perfect for fans of Hilary Boyd and Nicholas Sparks. MY REVIEW SAFE WITH ME by Grace Lowrie is a story about friendship, love, and strength as the past and present collide with endless possibilities. Kat and Jamie both grew up in the foster care system, two abandoned children who found each other and provided each other with much-needed love. But when Jamie finds a loving adoptive family, Kat is left alone and bereft. Fast-forward to their adult lives and they could not be more different. Jamie has a successful career and a glamorous girlfriend, and a loving family, but when his dad passes, he is left alone in this world and finds himself pondering on the girl who was there for him all those years ago. Kat's life went from bad to worse after she married young to escape the horrors of living on the streets but ended up in a completely different type of hell, with a husband who abuses her daily and works her to the bone. Unsure of how she could ever escape this prison, she has never forgotten the little boy whom she always protected, and wonders what his life is like now. If only there was some way for them to meet... SAFE WITH ME by Grace Lowrie has compelling characters, an excellent plot that is both harshly realistic and heartwarmingly optimistic at the same time. My heart broke for Kat and I yearned for her to break free and I desperately wanted Jamie to find that special love that would enable him to take down his barriers. The story is relatively evenly-paced but has some prolonged, more descriptive moments in the later parts of the novel, which may slow it down a little too much for some readers, but which really worked for me. SAFE WITH ME by Grace Lowrie is an enjoyable read with plenty of drama and romance to keep you entertained from beginning to end. Author Bio: Having worked as a collage artist, sculptor, prop maker and garden designer, Grace has always been creative, but she is a romantic introvert at heart and writing was, and is, her first love. Safe With Me, the first women’s fiction novel in The Wildham Series, is published by Accent Press, who also released her debut contemporary romance novel, Kindred Hearts, in 2015. A lover of rock music, art nouveau design, blue cheese and grumpy ginger tomcats, Grace is also an avid reader of fiction – preferring coffee and a sinister undercurrent, over tea and chick lit. When not making prop costumes or hanging out with her favourite nephews, she continues to write stories from her Hertfordshire home. For more information: Website - gracelowrie.com Twitter - twitter.com/GraceLowrie1 Facebook - www.facebook.com/GraceLowrieWriter/ I am delighted to close out this amazing blog tour for SAFE WITH ME, and I am very lucky to have a wonderful guest post from the author Grace Lowrie about the importance of garden centres in her life. You can read it here: GUESTPOST A Trip to the Garden Centre Plant nurseries and garden centres have a special place in my heart. My aunt and uncle started their own nursery from nothing and built it up into one of the largest and most successful garden centres in the country. For me as a child many a happy summer’s day was spent exploring the polytunnels and behind-the-scenes areas and watching staff cheerfully help customers pick out plants. As a teenager I even spent one summer employed there in order to gain some valuable work experience – though I suspect I was more of a hindrance than a help. It was only later in my twenties, after university, that I was drawn back into the world of gardens – working in maintenance, training to become a garden designer and taking up a part-time role in a garden centre close to home. Such environments are not as idyllic as you might think, when you work there week-in-week-out. At the mercy of the seasons they are hot and muggy in summer; cold, damp and draughty in winter; hectically busy at Easter and Christmas and quiet mid-week, and yet, I believe they are very special places. Aside from providing me with a regular income, my job as a plant sales assistant had the added advantage of feeding my thirst for horticultural knowledge. Where better to keep up to date with the latest plant varieties, pest treatments and gardening trends? And the staff and customers are likely to be some of the friendliest individuals you’ll ever meet. In my experience people who gain pleasure from the quiet patience of growing plants, tend to be lovely human beings. Even those who have no interest in doing anything green-fingered, will take a trip to a garden centre for the pure enjoyment of seeing flowers in full bloom and inhaling their evocative scents. Often these places provide a green oasis – an antidote – to the hustle and bustle of a busy town – a space to slow down, relax and literally smell the roses. Perhaps it’s no wonder, then, that I was keen to write Safe With Me – a book set in a fictional nursery and garden centre – a place to escape to. I WANT TO THANK KAREN FROM ACCENT PRESS AND GRACE LOWRIE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THIS EXCELLENT STORY AND TAKE PART IN THIS BLOG TOUR, AND ALSO FOR WRITING THAT FASCINATING GUEST POST FOR MY BLOG. DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE EARLIER STOPS ON THIS TOUR!!  |
WelcomeHi fellow bookworms. My name is Linda and I'm a reviewer & blogger, wife & mother who loves all things books! 
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