blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Fresh Start – Johnny Worthen

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A ship, a gun, and a nice teal robe to find one killer on a planet of criminals: will Qays Mendoza get the answers he is looking for? New novel from the bestselling author of the Coronam series.

On the edges of mankind’s domain there is a penal planet called Fresh Start where a sentence is at best exile to five generations, but more likely death in its harsh unforgiving wastes. It is to this planet the empire sends the worst of the worst and it is on this planet that Qays Mendoza searches for his old captain.

The galactic empire is falling, civilization contracts. Fresh Start is abandoned. Without oversight, the planet is wild, without guards; the Oubliette, the supermax prison on the supermax planet, lies open, and the Butcher of Raznak, a killer worse than the one Qays seeks, is on the loose.

With the help of a street waif called Patience, Qays seeks answers. His soul is stained with guilt and his spirit broken by complicity. Religion did not have the answer; duty did not explain it. Birthright and station were not enough. His answers lie somewhere on Fresh Start.

Johnny Worthen is an award-winning, multiple-genre, tie-dye-wearing author, voyager, and damn fine human being! Trained in literary criticism and cultural studies, he writes upmarket fiction, long and short, mentors others where he can and teaches at the University of Utah.

My thoughts: This was a lot of fun, I really liked Qays and Patience and their mad adventure across a penal planet gone rogue. Qays is searching for the captain of a ship he served on as a marine. Along the way there are run-ins with dangerous mad men and helpful and fairly well behaved criminals and their descendants, who help them out and even save their lives.

Qays might not be as holy as his monk’s robes suggest, but he is trying to figure things out and would rather not kill anyone, but unfortunately he has to contend with a former military captain who was sent to Fresh Start for the massacre he led.

It was a funny book, lots of humour, mostly in the relationship between Qays and Patience as they get to know one another and dodge death. I’d love a sequel that chronicles the adventures the two of them get up to as they travel the slowly disintegrating Empire and try not to get into too much trouble.

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

books, reviews

Book Review: Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine – Mo Fanning

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Lisa Doyle is fine. Absolutely fine.

At least, that’s the story she’s been telling herself.

Her best friend is getting married. Everyone around her seems to have a partner, a plan, and a life that makes sense. Lisa, meanwhile, has four glasses of wine in her, a talent for making bad situations worse, and a growing sense that she is being left behind.

So she does what any sensible woman in a crisis would do. She announces that she’s engaged.

There is only one problem.

Brian does not exist.

Now Lisa needs a fiancé before the wedding, her actor flatmate is far too willing to get involved, and the real Brian, who is very much married and very much her boss, is starting to look at her in ways that suggest this lie may have got seriously out of hand.

Warm, witty, and painfully recognisable, Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine is a grown-up romantic comedy about love, pressure, friendship, and the exhausting performance of holding everything together when you’re quietly falling apart.

Perfect for readers of Mhairi McFarlane, Beth O’Leary, and Marian Keyes.

Amazon

About the author

Mo Fanning’s contemporary fiction blends wit, emotional honesty, and a strong sense of place, often exploring love, friendship, and the pressure to have life neatly figured out. Based in the West Midlands, he writes character-driven stories for readers who like their romance funny, thoughtful, and grounded in real life.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book, I felt for Lisa, one too many glasses of wine, a bout of feeling a bit shit and she’s conjured up a fiancè who doesn’t exist. Disaster!

Cue her flatmate (who happens to be an actor) donning a fake beard and glasses in order to convince everyone that he’s real and she’s not completely nuts. Only it all falls apart after the mean girl from school (now a mean woman) tries to blackmail her, leading to Lisa needing to tell everyone the truth.

In deciding to come clean, Lisa also has to have it out with her boss, Brian, whose evil soon to be ex-wife is trying to get her sacked, and well, there might be something between her and Brian if he can save her job and get rid of the ex-wife (not like that – there are no murders here, except of fake fiancés).

It’s funny, a bit sad, Lisa has been a bit shut off emotionally and didn’t think anyone really cared but her friends and family are actually pretty good people and love her. So I have hope for Lisa, and when you’ve read this, you will too!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for reading and reviewing, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: A Killer Plot – E.C. Nevin

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In the follow-up to A Novel Murder, mystery author Jane Hepburn is back and determined to keep her sleuthing skills in the pages of her novels. That is, until she’s invited to a prestigious literary party in London—where the gathering of glamorous attendees may be hiding a killer.

Jane Hepburn has almost made it. After solving the murder of her literary agent at last season’s crime-book festival, Jane receives a burst of internet fame that lands her an invite to a splashy book launch in London. Visiting beloved bookstores along the winding alleyway of Cecil Court, and brushing shoulders with famous writers and the editors and agents who made them stars, Jane is looking forward to a fun, murder-free weekend and a distraction from her own writer’s block. The party might not be for her novel, but still, Jane’s happy to celebrate her far more successful friend with free wine and plenty of books.

However, things take a turn for the worse when the hotshot editor is nowhere to be seen. And they really go south after Jane discovers a body in the bookshop cellar.

To ensure that another event isn’t overshadowed by an unsolved murder, Jane and her two friends—debut novelist and star of the party Natasha Martez and clumsy publicity assistant Daniel Thurston—must put their sleuthing skills to the test. But nothing is as it seems at a party full of attendees with secrets they’d do anything to keep.

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.

blog tour, books

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

 

BOOK TOUR ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS

 

books

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

 

COVER REVEAL ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS

 

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.

books

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

books

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.