blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Scent of Youth – Mandi Martin

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Scorned for his unusual appearance and nature, young Josiah’s expulsion from school leads him to the grim world of rat-catching at the local orphanage. Amid new-found bonds and a simmering
animosity, a longing for independence draws him towards the quiet life of a nearby village.

Welcomed by kind souls, Josiah earns his keep as a skilled vermin remover and helpful stable hand.

But when a rat-borne illness strikes the town, Josiah’s unique abilities bring him to the attention of the imposing Duke.
Within the castle walls, caught in the strange dynamic between the Duke’s son Bergen and the formidable Helga – children and ogres in one – Josiah’s life takes an unexpected turn with the arrival
of the spirited Nadia. Their shared love of poetry ignites a passionate connection, but joy is fragile, and loss leaves an indelible mark.

Unbeknownst to Josiah, Helga’s deep-seated hatred of children is taking root within the Duke’s domain, setting in motion a chain of events that will irrevocably alter his destiny…

Waterstones Amazon UK Amazon US

I’m an Isle of Wight author with Birmingham roots. Writing became an outlet after a late diagnosis of autism, and it became more important after health problems also came about. I take my style and inspiration from classical novels and folklore. Some of my royalties are given to
charities that supported me, but my main aim is to take people on a journey.

Facebook – Mandi Martin

My thoughts: Josiah doesn’t have a happy childhood, his father is cruel and mistreats him, his mother is too timid to help him. So leaving to move elsewhere, even working as a rat catcher, something he seems to be very good at.

Unfortunately his employers are the new Duke and his ghastly wife – who hates children and decides what they need is someone to hunt them out and round them up so she doesn’t have to even see them in the distance.

This was an interesting story and I think I know which infamous character from fiction Josiah is inspired by (or perhaps becomes) but I’ll leave that for you to decide when you read it!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Malfunction – Orval Wax

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Welcome to the tour for The Malfunction, a dystopian sci-fi by Orval Wax! Read on for more details!

The Malfunction (Deilonium Trilogy Book 1)

Release Date: February 1, 2026

Genre: Science Fiction

  • Robot-hunter
  • Technology out of control
  • Billionaire oligarch taking over the world
  • Robots becoming human through uncontrolled AI learning
  • Nature vs. AI
  • Humans playing God and destroying the world

It was only supposed to be a simple intelligence boost – a routine procedure to make the lovebot better company outside of the bedroom.

And then something went wrong.

Whether it was through mathematical probability, or divine intervention, Lance the LUV U-69 amorous companion droid has accidentally been downloaded with enough brainpower and free will to crack open the lid on a very dangerous can of worms.

Unless AWOL Retentions Agent Charlie Bear Claw can stop him.

In Book One of The Deilonium Trilogy, the primitive hunter with a troubled past stalks his high-tech prey on a secret mission. But their personal struggles soon become trivial in light of the unholy force they find undermining the fabric of the world. As the pair draws closer to their showdown, both man and robot come to realize they are ultimately at war with a common maniacal enemy.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

 

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Cover Reveal: Prank Night – Kelly Coon

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We’re proud to present the cover for Prank Night by USA Today’s Bestselling author Kelly Coon! Coming March 2027!

Prank Night

Expected Release Date: March 30, 2027

Genre: YA Thriller

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books/ Simon & Schuster

Cover Designer: Greg Stadnyk

  • Elite high school secrets
  • Multi POV
  • Locked room
  • Everyone is a suspect
  • Unreliable narrators
  • Theater symbolism
  • Social exile
  • Class wars
  • Friend group implosion
  • Bloody murder
  • Justice vs. truth

Five Survive meets One of Us is Lying in this locked room thriller where someone is a killer and not everyone makes it out alive.

When a group of high school seniors, Mason (The Class President), Lucy (The Overachiever), Kenzie, (The Artist), Ian (The Slacker), Alex, (The Valedictorian), and Brady (The Tech Whiz) break into their suburban high school after hours to pull off what they think is a harmless senior prank, the night turns sinister when one of them is found dead at the bottom of the stairwell. As the night progresses, they realize they’re locked inside the school with a murderer who has a few more people in their sights. While everyone appears to be trying to escape, at least one of the teens is hunting for their next victim and any member of this group could be next.

PRE-ORDER HERE

 

CONTENT WARNINGS:

  • Violence and murder
  • Gun violence (including on-the-page shooting)
  • Blood and graphic injury descriptions
  • Death of teenagers
  • Psychological distress and unreliable perception of reality
  • Grief and trauma
  • Bullying and social isolation
  • Classism / socioeconomic discrimination
  • Emotional abuse / strained parent-child relationships
  • References to domestic abuse (off-page)
  • Panic attacks and medical distress

 

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blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Death’s Shadow – TA Müller-King

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Summertime in London. Alfresco drinks, park picnics, and a killer getting away
with murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Parker is hunting a ghost. A violent murderer who leaves no
DNA at the crime scenes and evades CCTV. How is that possible in one of the most
surveilled cities in the world?

There’s nothing to connect the victims either, other than a card with the female symbol on it left in each one’s mouth.

With few clues, the investigation is floundering. Can DCI Parker stay focused even when everything connected to the case starts to feel too close, too familiar, bringing up dark memories he’d rather forget?

To prevent another gruesome crime, he’s going to have to set aside his emotions. But that’s assuming the killer will let him…

Goodreads Purchase

TA Müller-King was born in Cape Town, did a post-graduate degree at the London
School of Journalism, and worked in magazines for many years.

But an obsession with crime novels was a lifelong thing. As was the desire to merge fiction with real issues, to create stories that entertain but also make you think.

In her first series, that happens with the help of DCI Spider Parker and DS Grace Regan, who stepped out of her head and came to life on the page.

She writes in London and Spain, where she lives with her family – her husband and
their two cats.

Website

My thoughts: In a world where violence against women and girls seems never-ending, it’s not really a surprise that someone (even fictionally) decides to take revenge on the sort of people who add to the misery, like a judge who let’s a rapist walk.

Unfortunately taking the law into your own hands is a crime and DCI Peter Parker, known as Spider (for obvious reasons) and his team are assigned the case, which is tricky as there’s not a lot to go on. The killer seems to be forensically aware and leaves no trace, just a sort-of calling card.

As Spider works on the case, he’s distracted by other things, often disappearing on his team, and being unfocused when he is there.

This was a really interesting read and there’s a huge twist that made me gasp. I don’t know where the author intends this series to go next but I’m intrigued to find out.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Book Blitz: Scarlet Wards – Sorcha Reagh

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We’re thrilled to share an amazing book rec with you all today! Scarlet Wars by Sorcha Reagh is now available and we’re gifting one lucky reader a paperback editions of books one and two of The Sapere Series.

Read all three books on Kindle Unlimited now!

Scarlet Wars (The Sapere Series Book 3)

Author: Sorcha Reagh

Release Date: June 5th
Genre: Epic Dark Romantasy

TROPES

● Forbidden Love
● No more hidden world.
● “Mine.”
● Touch Him and Burn to a Crisp
● Touch Her and Lose some Limbs
● Forced Proximity
● Only One Boathouse
● Hand Necklaces
● Grief Rep
● Who Did This to You?
● He Falls First
● Secrets & Plot Twists
● Last Naming
● Slow Burn
● Badass FMC
● “Fuck It.” (With a Twist.)
● Fist Clench
● Dirty Talk
● feminine rage
● Yes sir vs good girl

The secret is out.

Magi no longer hide in the shadows, and the world is breaking fast.

Fear spreads. Alliances shatter.

Magi choose sides as humans prepare for war, and the spark holding the match at the edge has a name: Emma Thompson.

She’s powerful. Watched. Feared.

Hunted for reasons she doesn’t understand, Emma’s life fractures, leaving her with more grief, and more trauma than she ever believed she could survive.
In the wreckage, she’s forced to choose: a new bond to endure what’s coming, or the love her heart refuses to deny.
Her choice will either save the people she loves…or ignite the impending war.

Scarlet Wars, the third book in the Sapere Series, is a gripping romantasy filled with rising war, forbidden love, and impossible choices—where magic stands exposed and love defies every rule.

Amazon

The Crafty Bookstore




● Cover artist @jaquelinekropmanns.coverdesign
● Jess Rollins @rollinsreadsbooks for art on Silver Tiers and Scarlet Wars + James’s Skindo CT & Emma’s Skindo in ST + NSFW in SW
● Courtney Hicks (illustrator) @courtney.e.hicks Cerulean Truth James and Emma character art + full scene CT
● Katarina @_KatArtDesigns_  James, Emma, Caden and Group Scarlet Wars
● @bombitart_by_sasha.volodarska  James and Caden Ch 61 Scarlet Wars

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

• Abduction
• Abuse
• Alcohol
• Blackmail
• Blood
• Blood loss
• Death of children (mentioned)
• Death or dying
• Decapitations
• Experiments on people
• Exploding body parts
• Forced egg harvesting
• Forced pregnancies: Not our FMC. (Yet?)
• Gore
• Grief
• Gun violence
• Jealousy
• Killings
• Massacres & mass murder
• Masturbation
• Mind-rape (on page)
• Panic attacks:
• Physical assault
• PTSD/Trauma
• Sexual assault (not between MCs)
• Sexually explicit language
• Sleep disorders
• Strangulation
• Torture
• Violence
• War

🔥PAPERBACK COPIES OF CERULEAN TRUTH & SILVER TIERS (INTL GIVEAWAY)🔥Head over to Instagram to enter!

IG: @sorchareagh @rrbooktours

TIKTOK: @sorcha.reagh.auth @rrbooktours

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Cover Reveal: An Arc of Ash – Hailey Jade

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We’re pleased to share the blurb and cover for An Arc of Ash, a dark academia romantasy by Hailey Jade!



An Arc of Ash (An Arc of Ash Book One)

Expected Release Date: January 11, 2027

Genre: Gothic Dark Academia Romantasy

Tropes:
Obsession
Rivals to lovers
They make each other worse
Morally grey MMC
Ambitious FMC
Deadly trials
Gothic dark academia
Magic academy
Slow burn
Sassy talking cat



When Ashlyn arrives at Delghara she has nothing but ambition and a desperate determination to prove herself. The Dominion’s elite magic wielders hold positions of immense power and influence, and Ash intends to claim a place among them. But first, she has to survive an institution that erodes loyalty, normalises sacrifice, and turns students into weapons.

Then she meets Xave Gable.

He’s brilliant, ruthless, and impossible to shake once he’s decided something is worth his attention. He’s also the first person to recognise the hunger lurking beneath her controlled exterior and seems intent on seeing just how deep it goes.

As deadly trials claim lives around them and Delghara’s secrets begin to surface, rivalry gives way to fascination, then fascination gives way to obsession.

And obsession has a way of demanding more than anyone intended to give.

An Arc of Ash is a dark academia romantasy featuring deadly trials, forbidden magic, buried secrets, a dangerously ambitious heroine, and a slow-burn romance built on rivalry, obsession, and the terrifying experience of being truly seen.


Triggers:
Violence
Gore
Character Death
Self-inflicted Injury
Psychological Themes
Pre-Order Link: https://mybook.to/z86x


IG: @haileyjadeauthor @rrbooktours

TIKTOK: @rrbooktours

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Then There’s Trust – Susan Gray

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A forbidden love…a relationship in jeopardy…a tested trust

Darcy Dukas is fearless and feisty – but can she be trusted? Left bereft after a personal
disappointment, her vulnerable mindset causes her to seize an opportunity to pursue her dream career.

When Marcel Duval arrives in Durham to establish his detective agency, she agrees to work
with him. But is she prepared for the risks she will encounter? Risks for her safety…risks for her young marriage…and risks affecting her family’s trust?

In 1952 Josh Smallwood, Darcy’s brother, returns home after completing his national service. Trying to sort his future, he begins working on the family farm and befriends Judy, a young nurse. He is
baffled to discover any liaison with her is forbidden by her family. This mystery fuels an intense, secret relationship…can they overcome obstacles to be together?

A shroud of guilt clings to Chantal Martin – will she ever be free from its taint? As an unmarried mother, her once tenacious trait seems to have deserted her. Striving towards the final hurdle, an unexpected decision and an untimely event threaten to blight her resilience…can her trust be
rewarded?

Then There’s Trust is a gripping, emotional story of love, fidelity and trust set in 1950’s northeast England.

Amazon UK Amazon US 


‘Never too old to follow your dreams’ has become Susan Gray’s mantra since beginning to write novels after celebrating a significant birthday. Susan endeavours to entwine the genres of mystery and romance and sets her books in the Twentieth Century.

She lives with her husband in northeast
England, setting her books in this picturesque area. She has a son and daughter, both married, two granddaughters and a grand dog. When not writing she loves to spend time reading, puzzling, walking and catching up with friends over a coffee. She enjoys travelling and tries to include many of
the places she has visited in her books.

Her plots are inspired by ‘life’ and how her characters navigate the waters. She loves to ‘people watch’ and creates her characters based on the many
strangers she has observed.

She has written eight novels, but only four are published so far. SPANISH HOUSE SECRETS was her debut novel. BLOSSOMING OF TRUTH, HOPE ON HOPE and THEN THERE’S TRUST are a series.

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My thoughts: I haven’t read the previous two books in this series, so I wasn’t familiar with the characters and how they’re all connected, so it took me a little while to get them all sorted in my head.

The story itself was a lot of fun to read, even the sad bits, because it was so engaging and full of energy and excitement.

There’s thwarted love, undercover shenanigans and drama at every turn. The members of this extended family don’t exactly live quiet, easy lives. Darcy is an investigative journalist, who after a terrible loss, decides to raise awareness of how women like her are treated, determined to make change. She also assists a private detective in some of his cases, even though she’s put in danger by doing so. She’s a very modern woman trapped by the mores of the 1950s.

Her brother, Josh, also struggles against the rules, few young women these days would allow their fathers to behave as his girlfriend, Judy’s does. Controlling and even kidnapping her because he doesn’t like Josh’s family. Although after some digging into the past, things change.

Then there’s Darcy’s aunt, Chantal. Her partner Sam is still married to his miserable wife in Scotland, who won’t grant him a divorce, even though she lied to get him to marry her. Chantal has to live with the stigma of being unmarried and a mother to twins. Nowadays it’s not such a big deal and Sam would probably find it easier to get a divorce too.

All of these characters are trapped by the social conventions and attitudes of their time, pushing against the way society perceives them. But they’re also very lucky to have each other for support and aid when they need it.

An interesting and enjoyable read, strange to think things were so different not so long ago.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Under the Blazing Sun – Jenny Lund Madsen, translated by Paul Russell Garrett

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Hannah is miserable. Her love life is in ruins, her contract demands a sequel to her bestselling crime debut – and she’s out of ideas.

After a mortifying TV interview, her agent ships her off to a sun-drenched Sicilian villa with a simple order: finish the book. No distractions. No excuses. But inspiration doesn’t strike – murder does.

When a night out ends in murder, Hannah finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation … again.

The police want her out of the way, and the only person who seems to believe her is a young but charming Italian police officer. That is, until she doesn’t.

Soon Hannah is chasing suspects, fleeing crime scenes, and doing whatever it takes to avoid becoming the next victim. She came to write a crime novel. Now she’s trapped inside one.

Jenny Lund Madsen is one of Denmark’s most acclaimed scriptwriters (including the international hits Rita and Follow the Money) and is known as an advocate for better representation for sexual and ethnic minorities in Danish TV and film. She made her debut as a playwright with the critically acclaimed Audition (Aarhus Teater) and her debut literary thriller, Thirty Days of Darkness, first in an addictive new series, won the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel of the year, was shortlisted for the coveted Glass Key Award, longlisted for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger, and won the Crime Fiction Lover Award for Best Crime Book in Translation. She lives in Denmark with her wife and young family.

My thoughts: Hannah wrote a brilliant crime novel after her involvement with a murder in Iceland, but now she’s stuck again. She’s under contract for another crime novel, but wants to go back to her literary fiction roots. So her agent, Bastian sends her to a friend’s villa in Sicily to write. 

And she gets involved in another murder. She’s even a suspect, which is crazy because she barely knows the victim. The police don’t believe her, her lawyer doesn’t seem bothered either. What can she do? Well, she’ll just have to solve the case and prove her own innocence. Obviously. And then write a book all about it.

Chaos ensues, especially after her Icelandic lover (with husband and children in tow) shows up, Hannah has a holiday fling with the one police officer who believes her, and after discovering whose house she’s staying, calls the one person she vowed never to, because she really needs help.

Hannah’s life is completely crazy, despite her insistence that it isn’t, and maybe she should stop leaving home as she seems to encounter murder everywhere she goes.

It’s actually a really funny book and would make a great movie on Netflix, the sort of film I would definitely watch (I love a crazy crime caper). More please!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blogathon: Nowhere Girl – Ruth Dugdall

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From the top of the Ferris wheel, Ellie can see everything. Her life, laid out beneath her. Ellie looks up. She wants freedom.

Down below, her little sister and mother wait, watching as people bundle off the wheel and disappear into the crowd. No Ellie. Must be the next box.

But the Ferris wheel continues to turn.

When Ellie goes missing on the first day of Schueberfouer, the police are dismissive, keen not to attract negative attention on one of Luxembourg’s most important events.

Probation officer, Cate Austin, has moved for a fresh start, along with her daughter Amelia, to live with her police detective boyfriend, Olivier Massard. But when she realises just how casually he is taking the disappearance of Ellie, Cate decides to investigate matters for herself.

She discovers Luxembourg has a dark heart. With its geographical position, could it be the centre of a child trafficking ring? As Cate comes closer to discovering Ellie’s whereabouts she uncovers a hidden world, placing herself in danger, not just from traffickers, but from a source much closer to home.

My thoughts: Cate has left the probation service and her messy family court case behind and moved to Luxembourg with her daughter Amelia and boyfriend, police detective Olivier.

When the older sister of Amelia’s school friend goes missing at the carnival, Cate is dragged into the case via her sort of friendship with the girls’ mother Bridget. Olivier is leading the case but won’t discuss it with Cate.

As the days pass, it becomes increasingly less likely that Ellie will be found, and that’s before Bridget confesses something that changes how the police view the case.

Meanwhile a newly arrived teenage girl attempts to understand her new life and the world of undocumented migrants that she finds herself in.

Clever and relevant, this is another brilliant book from Ruth Dugdall that had me absolutely gripped and will get its hooks into you too. By placing the reader right there in the middle of everything, with sweet Amina who just wants a better life, with terrified Ellie who wants to go home and with Cate, who thought she was doing the right thing in leaving Suffolk, but realises that she was really just running away from her troubles. Cannot wait for the next book.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: From the Depths – Emily Renk Hawthorne

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Happy release week to author Emily Renk Hawthorne! From the Depths is now available!

If you enjoyed Black Water Sister, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, or The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, you will enjoy Of Mountains and Seas—a Chinese mythology–inspired urban fantasy duology set in California.

From The Depths (Of Mountains and Seas #2

Release Date: June 9, 2026

Genre: Urban Fantasy

In the wake of a failed coup, peace comes at a cost.

A new regime enforces order by erasing the memories of every Shifter.

But Nivi remembers everything.

Immune to the memory-wiping tincture that silenced her kind, Nivi carries the weight of the past alone. Her powers set her apart, but so does the truth she can’t forget. Once again, Nivi finds herself isolated from her family and friends, and something begins to fracture, within herself and within the forest of her hometown Yuras.

Strange happenings are accumulating. A road of abandoned homes in Yuras. A missing crabbing crew in Alaska. A student abduction at the local Shifter school.

With danger creeping closer and reality unraveling for both Shifters and Statics, will the fight for what’s been lost be worth unearthing truths they fear?

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