 Release date - 22nd July 2021
Book length - 386 pages Publisher - Orion BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com UK - www.amazon.co.uk US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Virginia from www.orionbooks.co.uk for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK Theo has been living in his parents' shed, nursing a broken heart and a wounded ego, convinced life can't get any worse. Then he gets evicted on his 30th birthday. Theo thinks he's done with the real world - until it shows up on his doorstep... Joel is a successful TV scriptwriter, still in love with his teenage sweetheart. A proper grown-up - and yet he's falling apart at the seams. He's headed home to reconnect with best friend Theo - except they haven't spoken since the summer they turned 16. One of them is keeping a secret, and the other is living a lie. But can the promise they once made to walk all 184 miles of the Thames Path help them find their way back to the truth - and to their friendship? MY REVIEW An emotional read which you will become deeply invested in, WHEN WE WERE YOUNG by Richard Roper, will keep you hooked from the very beginning and have you reading into the wee hours of the morning because you simply cannot put it down. When Theo's parents tell him that it is time for him to vacate their shed and start living again, he isn't fully convinced. He is comfortable in his little bubble with his family where nothing ever changes and he won't get hurt or have to take any risks. But under the surface, he recognises that his life has stalled but he isn't sure how to get it kick-started again. And then Joel arrives unexpectedly on his doorstep. Joel, his childhood best friend, his only true friend who accepted Theo for who he was. His friend who ruined everything and whom he hasn't seen or spoken to in years. But Joel has an offer that Theo can't refuse and this could be just what he needs. From the outside, Joel has got it all - a successful TV career, a beautiful girlfriend who he wants to marry, and a lifestyle that everyone would crave. But Joel is keeping a secret and it has forced him to reevaluate everything, including his past. Wanting to reconnect with Theo, his former best friend, and find a way to get their friendship back on track, he comes up with the idea to walk the Thames Path together, while scriptwriting a new show together. But as these two old friends will soon find out, it is impossible to move on without resolving old pain, and as secrets and lies come to the surface, things may not be as straightforward as they one thought. In Something to Live For, Richard Roper's first book, he had a way of creating characters that evoked the deepest of connections and emotions with his readers, and WHEN WE WERE YOUNG is no different in this regard. I instantly liked both Theo and Joel and wanted to understand what could have gone so wrong between them all those years ago, and desperately wanted them to be able to find a way to reconnect again. The Thames Path setting is excellent in its simplicity and its effectiveness as a place where there is nowhere for Theo and Joel to hide, and I felt like I was a part of it all as they journeyed along. I smiled, I cried, and was left reeling while reading WHEN WE WERE YOUNG but as always with Richard Roper's writing, it also made me stop and think about how precious life truly is. An excellent story from beginning to end. AUTHOR BIO Richard Roper grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon, before studying English at the University of Sheffield. He now lives in London, where he works as an editor. His first novel, SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR, was widely acclaimed and has been translated into 19 languages. To keep up-to-date with this author, you can follow here: Website - richardroperauthor.com Twitter - twitter.com/richardroper Instagram - www.instagram.com/richardroper/
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 Release date - 8th July 2021
Book length - 448 pages Publisher - Penguin BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com UK - www.amazon.co.uk US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Jen from www.penguin.co.uk for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK What would you do to protect your family? ANYTHING. During a family holiday in Italy, you get an urgent call from your sister. There's been an accident: she hit a man with her car and he's dead. She's overcome with terror - fearing years in a foreign jail away from her child. She asks for your help. It wasn't her fault, not really. She'd cover for you, so will you do the same for her? But when the police come calling, the lies start. And you each begin to doubt your trust in one another. What really happened that night? Who is lying to who? Who will be the first to crack? MY REVIEW Your sister rings you frantic and upset. There's been an accident and she needs your help. She needs you to fix this for her. She needs you to cover it up. Would you do it? Does family come before all else? Well sit down with a cup of tea and delve into THAT NIGHT by Gillian McAllister, and it might help you answer those questions. Cathy, Joe, and Frannie are siblings who work together in the family business and holiday together too. When Cathy and Joe get a terrifying call from their sister Frannie, they rush out to find her standing over the body of a man that she has hit with her car. Frannie pleads with them to help her, to hide the body, and pretend like this never happens and while horrified at the idea, they don't want to see Frannie rotting in an Italian prison, taken away from her child. So they make a choice. A choice that will change all of their lives in ways that they could never possibly imagine. Intriguing, compelling, and with characters that draw you in even when you dislike them (intensely at times), THAT NIGHT by Gillian McAllister is the kind of story that you can really sink your teeth into and feel very invested in the outcome. Told from different points of view and at different time periods, there is a tension that permeates from the page and will leave you on edge until you find out how it all ended, and whether justice would prevail. There is plenty of misdirection and misleading behaviour, and at no point was I confident that I could trust the characters in this story and what they were telling me, which all adds to the mystery of the plot. THAT NIGHT by Gillian McAllister is that book that will keep you up reading into the early hours of the night. It is that book that will leave you questioning what you would do in the same situation. And it is that book that you hope to see on your tv or movie screen at some point in the future because you know that it would work so well. An excellent story by an excellent storyteller, THAT NIGHT, is a must-read for fiction fans everywhere. AUTHOR BIO Gillian McAllister has been writing for as long as she can remember. She graduated with an English degree before working as a lawyer. She lives in Birmingham, where she now writes full-time. She is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Everything but the Truth, Anything You Do Say, No Further Questions, The Evidence Against You and How To Disappear. To keep up-to-date with this author, you can follow here: Website - gillianmcallister.com Twitter - twitter.com/GillianMAuthor Facebook - www.facebook.com/gillianmcallisterauthor Instagram - www.instagram.com/gillianmauthor/  Release date - 24th June 2021 Book length - 272 pages Publisher - Headline BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com UK - www.amazon.co.uk 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 an e-copy of this book for review via Netgalley. ABOUT THIS BOOK Time is no barrier for a love that is destined to be. When jewellery designer Sara Mattsson is propelled back to the ninth century, after cutting herself on a Viking knife she uncovers at an archaeological dig, she is quick to accept what has happened to her. For this is not the first Sara has heard of time travel. Although acutely aware of the danger she faces when she loses the knife - and with it her way to return to her own time - this is also the opportunity of a lifetime. What better way to add authenticity to the Viking and Anglo-Saxon motifs used in her designs? As luck has it, the first person Sara encounters is Rurik Eskilsson, a fellow silversmith, who is also no stranger to the concept of time travel. Agreeing that Sara can accompany him to Jorvik, they embark on a journey even more perilous than one through time. But Fate has brought these two kindred spirits together across the ages for a reason... MY REVIEW The third book in this exciting time-slip series, WHISPERS OF THE RUNES by Christina Courtenay, is everything I wanted it to be and more. When Sarah finds herself transported back in time, she isn't unduly shocked and is determined to make the most of her time there, learning about the Viking world, specifically their talents in design. And when she finds what she needs to transport her back to her own time, she will have learned firsthand everything she needs to know to make her own jewellery authentic. It's all quite simple really. Rurik understands heartache and hardship in ways that Sarah could never imagine, but when he stumbles across this strange girl with her strange clothes, he understands what has happened to her and feels the need to keep an eye on her, even if it is begrudgingly at first. As they travel together and danger begins to thwart their adventure, a gentle heat slowly starts to build. But how can they ever be more? Has fate placed them together or will fate tear them apart? A time-slip romance that will effortlessly transport you to a different place and time, WHISPERS OF THE RUNES, is brimming with detail perfectly woven throughout the story so that you can picture it all in your mind's eye like a movie. The characters are likeable and strong-willed, which I love, and it was such a pleasure to watch them learn to trust each other with their hearts. With plenty of excitement and danger along the way, this historical romance has something for everyone, and as soon as I turned the final page, I wanted more. WHISPERS OF THE RUNES by Christina Courtenay is the kind of story that you want to curl up on the couch with and savour, and I cannot wait for more from this talented author. AUTHOR BIO Christina Courtenay lives in Herefordshire and is married with two children. Although born in England, she is half Swedish and was brought up in Sweden. In her teens, the family moved to Japan and she had the opportunity to travel extensively in the Far East and other parts of the world. Christina is a former Chairman of the Romantic Novelists' Association and has won several of their prizes - the Elizabeth Goudge Trophy for a historical short story in 2001, the Katie Fforde Bursary in 2006 and the RoNA for Best Historical in 2012 and 2014 (see below). Her debut novel Trade Winds, a historical romance and adventure story, was short-listed for the Pure Passion Award for Best Historical Fiction 2011. Her second novel, The Scarlet Kimono, received the Best Historical Fiction prize for the Big Red Read 2011. Her novels Highland Storms and The Gilded Fan both won the RoNA (Romantic Novelists Association Award) for Best Historical Romantic Novel (Highland Storms in 2012 and The Gilded Fan in 2014), while The Silent Touch of Shadows (time slip) won the Festival of Romance award for Best Historical in 2013. Christina also writes contemporary YA and New England Rocks was shortlisted for the RoNAs in the YA category in 2014. (The second book in the series, New England Crush, was published under a different name - Pia Fenton.) As well as her novels, Christina has had four Regency novellas published, all available in Large Print and as ebooks. Her hobbies include genealogy, archaeology (the armchair variety), listening to loud rock music and collecting things. She loves dogs, reading and chocolate. To keep up-to-date with this author, follow here: Website - www.christinacourtenay.com Twitter - twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay Facebook - www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor Instagram - www.instagram.com/christinacourtenayauthor/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!!   Release date - 1st July 2021 Book length - 362 pages Publisher - Mills & Boon BUY LINKS: Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com UK - www.amazon.co.uk US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Rachel from www.rachelsrandomresources.com for the opportunity to take part in this publication day push and for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK A dashing new neighbour… Temptation on her doorstep! To avoid an unwanted suitor at a ball, Hope Brookes asks another gentleman to rescue her. He obliges – with a surprisingly passionate kiss! Revealed as her sinfully handsome new neighbour, Lucius, Marquess of Thundersley, they forge a friendship over their balconies. It’s refreshing that Lucius is more interested in her writer dreams than her looks, so why can’t she stop thinking about that kiss? MY REVIEW If you want a Regency setting with loveable characters, excellent wit, and the type of romance that will warm your heart, then THE MARQUESS NEXT DOOR by Virginia Heath is the perfect book for you. Hope Brookes is sick of the gentlemen of society who only see her body and have no interest in her mind or creativity. Belonging to a wonderfully artistic family has its challenges for Hope but writing her gothic novel is truly her passion. When another Lord makes his unwanted advances, Hope finds a stranger and asks for his help, and his help in the form of a kiss is beyond her wildest expectations. And when Hope realises that her rescuer is her new next-door neighbour Lucius, Marquess of Thundersley, an unexpected friendship begins to blossom across their balconies. Lucius has worked hard to get where he is today and is fascinated by Hope and her family. While he cannot help his attraction to Hope physically, it is her clever wit and personality that makes her shine so brightly in his eyes. But true love never does run smooth, and will some misunderstandings stop this burgeoning friendship from becoming something so much more special? As always with Virginia Heath's books, the setting comes alive on the page and I felt like I was there every step of the way throughout this beautiful romance. I loved both of the main characters equally and there was an excellent thread of humour throughout this story that worked perfectly for me. The second book in this series, THE MARQUESS NEXT DOOR can easily be read as a standalone but why have one great book when you can have two? THE MARQUESS NEXT DOOR by Virginia Heath is Regency romance at its best and I look forward to more from one of my favourite authors in this genre. AUTHOR BIO When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Twenty books and two Romantic Novel of the Year Award nominations later, and it still takes her forever to fall asleep. Her new Regency Romcom for St Martin's Press ~ Never Fall For Your Fiancée ~ is on sale November 9, 2021 To keep up-to-date with this author, follow here: Website - www.virginiaheathromance.com Twitter - twitter.com/VirginiaHeath_ Facebook - www.facebook.com/virginiaheathauthor/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/virginiaheathwrites/  |
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