Month: Feb 2025

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: If You Could See Me Now – Samantha Tonge

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A brilliant, beautiful story from the bestselling author of A Single Act of Kindness

How far would you go for a perfect life?

Back in her troubled school days, kind-hearted Violet always dreamed of a life where she was happy.
Now it feels like she’s just about getting there. She has her dream job working with books, and she’s living with her handsome boyfriend, Lenny.

But when her relationship with Lenny falls to pieces and he moves out, Violet, hurt and alone, decides it’s time to really take her happiness in hand. With help from her new flatmate, Bella, she changes her image and takes control at work, ready to show the world that she doesn’t need Lenny
in her life. And when she meets magnetic author Casey, she begins to wonder if all she needed all along was a makeover.

But – with Bella – all is not as it seems. And Violet too has a secret, one that dates right back to her childhood, which could change everything…

IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW is a powerful story about friendship, trust, and taking control of your life while not being afraid to stand out. Perfect for fans of Shari Low, Milly Johnson and Colleen Hoover.

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Samantha Tonge lives in Manchester UK with her husband and children. She studied German and French at university and has worked abroad, including a stint at Disneyland Paris. She has travelled
widely.
Samantha has sold many dozens of short stories to women’s magazines. She is represented by Darley Anderson Agency & Associates. In 2015 her summer novel, Game of Scones, hit #5 in the UK Kindle
chart and won the Love Stories Awards Best Romantic Ebook category. In 2020 one of her novels won the RNA’s Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award. Currently, Samantha writes uplifting, emotional
women’s fiction for Boldwood Books.

Facebook: SamanthaTongeAuthor
Twitter: @SamTongeWriter

Instagram: @samanthatongeauthor
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My thoughts: This is not the easiest book to read, it is really good but it does deal with some things that might be hard for certain readers like mental illness, eating disorders and anxiety/panic attacks. So just be prepared if any of those are issues you can’t read about comfortably.

I really empathised with Violet, having a relationship end quite suddenly is very hard and when things go wrong at work on top of that it is easy to fall into less than healthy habits and behaviours to cope. Violet is on anti-anxiety meds and has panic attacks (both things I have dealt with) and that doesn’t help either.

She has a really great group of friends and colleagues but pushes them away because she thinks they’re trying to sabotage her, which is a symptom of how unwell she’s becoming but she can’t see it. Besides, new flatmate Bella says she’s doing great, dropping dress sizes and changing up her look is a good thing. Until it isn’t.

Like I said at the beginning, this is a challenging book to read at points but it also is full of hope. Violet’s real friends rally around her, support her, love her even when she’s being quite unpleasant and want to help her get better and move forward. It’s all very hopeful and once they open her eyes to the damage she’s done to herself, she needs them more than ever, to be there for her when she struggles. It’s a wonderful gift, friendship and the book is decidedly hopeful.

*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: A Witch’s Penance – J.K. Divia

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Welcome to the tour for A Witch’s Penance by J.K. Divia. Read on for more details!

A Witch’s Penance

Publication Date: January 31, 2024

Genre: Paranormal Historical Fiction/ Witches

Tropes:

Family/generational curses, forgiveness, self discovery, paranormal vs psychological

Nina has grown up haunted by her family’s tragic past. Generations of misfortune and untimely deaths have woven a tapestry of grief and guilt around the women in her family, leading Nina to believe that her family is cursed.

Everything changes when Nina discovers her ancestor, Elspet Bruce, was an accused witch during the Forfar witch trials in the 1700s. As Nina’s imagination takes her deep into Elspet’s life, she experiences things that feel too real to be imagined, and the line between story and truth begins to blur.

Driven by a newfound determination, Nina embarks on a journey into her own spiritual and magical awakening to lift the curse that has plagued her family for centuries. Her quest leads her deep into the history of the Forfar witch trials, while a growing psychic connection with Elspet helps uncover the truth of what really happened.
As Nina unravels the mysteries of the past, she comes to understand that the curse afflicting her family is rooted in unresolved pain, injustice and guilt. And only she can break the curse.

“A Witch’s Penance” is a gripping tale of heritage and healing, blending historical intrigue with paranormal thrills. It explores themes of resilience, forgiveness, and the enduring power of family bonds across time.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

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Book Review: Pagans – James Alistair Henry

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James Alistair Henry’s debut Pagans is a set in an alternative 21st century Britain where Christianity, The Norman Conquest and The Industrial Revolution never happened, but where crimes still need to be solved.  

 The small, mostly unimportant, island of Britain is inhabited by an uneasy alliance of Pagan tribes – the dominant Saxon East, the beleaguered Celtic West, and an independent Nordic Scotland – with tensions increasing by the second. Supermarket warpaint sales are at an all-time high, mead abuse shortens the lives of thousands, and social media is abuzz with conspiracy theories suggesting the High Table is putting GPS trackers in the honeycakes. 

 Amid this febrile atmosphere, a serial killer is on the loose, and the brutal murder of a diplomat from the Celtic West, has drawn the attention of two mismatched police detectives: Detective-Captain Aedith, Saxon daughter of the powerful Earl Lod of Mercia and Inspector Drustan, a heavily tattooed police officer from the Celtic West.

For fans of Game of Thrones, The Last Kingdom, Terry Pratchett, Pagans is currently optioned for a major Apple TV series by Media Res (The Morning Show, Pachinko, Extrapolations, Scenes from a Marriage) with a cast announcement due in early 2025.

James Alistair Henry is the writer behind smash hit comedies including Green Wing, Smack the Pony, Bob The Builder, Hey Duggie, Sean the Sheep, cult comedy TV hits Delivery Man (ITV 1), Piglets (ITV 1) and Campus (C4), and who regularly writes for BBC Radio 4.

My thoughts: I thought this was great. Really well written (no surprise considering the author’s other work), clever, funny and entertaining.

Wondering, what if the Normans never bothered conquering Britain and the Saxons carried on ruling, keeping things pretty much as they were. Scotland still a separate country, Wales too. They have technology, but worship the old gods as well as the Christian one (He predates 1066 so still arrived), carrying seaxes (basically a big knife for fighting and also cutting up your dinner) and tribal life.

Once you get to grips with the idea of modern Saxons (I had quite a lot of fun imagining them) and that Britain never did any of the things it has (no Empire here, but plenty of African Brits still as instead empires have risen in Africa and the Middle East that weren’t conquered and oppressed and people still move around).

Then it’s also a crime novel – pairing Saxon detective Aedith with Celtic Inspector Drustan, as the victims are visiting Celts in town for a summit. Lovely political chaos on top of the killing kind.

Aedith has a lot to deal with, her dad’s the Earl of Mercia, which means a lot of people are hoping she messes up, and there’s pressure from him to do well, as he’s got his own schemes and ambitions. She’s also got to deal with the anti-Celtic sentiment, her new partner isn’t exactly subtle with his tattoos and accent.

I was fascinated by all the differences between history as we know it and a potential other version of events, and I love a good crime read, so this was a really good blend of fantasy and police procedural. Can’t wait to see how this develops and how the partnership between Aedith and Drustan continues.

Out now from all the usual places.

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

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Blogathon: Leave No Trace – Jo Callaghan

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One detective driven by instinct, the other by logic.
It will take both to find a killer who knows the true meaning of fear . . .

When the body of a man is found crucified at the top of Mount Judd, DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock – the world’s first AI detective – are thrust into the spotlight with their first live case.

But when they discover another man dead – also crucified – it appears that the killer is only just getting started. When the Future Policing Unit issues an extraordinary warning to local men to avoid drinking in pubs, being out alone late at night and going home with strangers, they face a hostile media frenzy. Whilst they desperately search for connections between the victims, time is running out for them to join the dots and prevent another death. 

And if Kat and Lock know anything, it’s that killers rarely stop – until they are made to.

My thoughts: Another absolutely brilliant case for Kat, Lock and the team. Now more established after the successful conclusion of their last big case, and their unit is able to command more resources supposedly, but it still comes down to the key group of Kat, Lock, the professor and Kat’s two detectives, Debbie and Hassan.

The team are searching for a killer who’s leaving men in open, but remote spaces, crucified. They’re sending a message, but to who?

It’s the first live case the team has been given, and the press are very intrigued, cue an awkward press conference. One reporter in particular seems to be ahead of the team, knowing facts about the case almost too quickly.

Lock is definitely developing a personality, even using sarcasm and humour, so the learning part of his programming is working, but curiously he seems to be wrestling with something.

Kat is also learning, learning how to be alone, now that her son Cam is at uni. She keeps buying food no one eats, and is struggling with the empty house and the quiet.

But the case gives her something to focus on for now, as the body count increases. And her new friendship with the pathologist, means she has at least one person to talk to apart from Lock.

It’s winter, and the killer is utilising the cold to help them finish off their victims, as snow sets in and one of the team falls into the killer’s clutches, can the others save them before they too succumb?

More gripping, clever and deeply interesting stuff. Lock grapples with the concept of humanity, the team are locked in a desperate race against time, the ideas that this series has, the thoughts I keep having while reading it, so, so good. Hooked.

*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 General – Israh Azizi

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We are thrilled to share the second epic installment in the Heroes of the Empire series, The General by Israh Azizi!

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The General (Heroes of the Empire Book 2)

Publication Date: November 2023

Genre: YA Fantasy/ Epic Fantasy

THE EMPIRE IS CRUMBLING, AND THE FATE OF A KINGDOM RESTS IN THEIR HANDS.

Tropes:

Morally Grey Characters, Mistaken Identity, Royal Intrigue, Multiple POV, Chosen One, Slow Burn Romance, Found Family, Warring Kingdoms, Forbidden Love, Hidden Powers, Character Driven

Mordon dedicated his life to his father; his only dream was to prove himself worthy of Verin’s general. But with the ruthless Tariqin attack comes a brutal awakening. Captured by enemy forces and dragged into a war camp full of the people he was trained to kill, his hopes of proving himself worthy are dashed to pieces. When the enemy offers him a chance for a grand future, he’s faced with a test that stretches him beyond his limits.

Coralie’s burden has never been heavier. After the Dark Lord Prolus’s recent assault and her uncle’s declining health, it is up to her to keep her kingdom together. The inevitable return of the Tariqin army lurks at their doorstep and her time is running short. Coralie turns to the newest residents of Verintown for assistance. Branded traitors and hated by many in the castle, they may very well be her downfall. Using their pledge for change in her favor, she tasks them with a mission most would consider a death sentence.

Two determined warriors separated by a river of blood. Mordon must risk everything to become the man he yearns to be, and Coralie must fight to become the queen she was born to be.

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Blogathon: Vanished – Lynda La Plante

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When an eccentric widow claims she is being stalked by her former lodger, Detective Jack Warr is the only person who believes her wild claims.

Days later, she is found brutally murdered in her home.

When the investigation uncovers an international drugs operation on the widow’s property, the case grows even more complex. And as the hunt for the widow’s lodger hits dead end after dead end, it seems that the prime suspect has vanished without a trace.

To find answers, Jack must decide how far is he willing to go – and what he is willing to risk – in his search for justice. Because if he crosses the line of the law, one wrong move could cost him everything . . .

My thoughts: Book three and a rather peculiar case for Jack and his team. Avril is a pain in the neck for her local police station, and now she’s claiming her former lodger is stalking her, breaking into her house, stealing odds and ends. Jack gets asked to speak to her and see if he can’t make some sense out of all her strange stories.

Then she’s murdered, and now it’s much more serious. Especially when they discover a greenhouse full of weed and a secret basement pill plant. Who was Avril really and was this her lodger’s business?

Taking in organised crime, the drug squad, forcing Jack to once again work with other teams, as he hunts down the lodger and unravels Avril’s life in the search for her killer. This is another brilliant, clever, compelling case with the truly interesting detective.

His moral compass is wobbling, will he cross the line and conceal things from his colleagues, giving into the criminal biological father he never knew but feels lurks inside him, or stay true to who his adoptive parents raised him to be? A father himself now, he has to wrestle with his conscience and do what is legally right or what he feels is morally so? 

*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: The Defiant and the Damned – E.C. Garrett

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The Defiant and the Damned is now available! Read the whole series now on Kindle Unlimited

The Defiant and The Damned (The Dragon Queen #2)

Publication Date: February 24, 2025

Genre: NA Dark Fantasy/ Gridmark Fantasy

🖤Morally Gray Cast
🖤Reluctant Antiheroine
🖤Vengeance Plot
🖤Multi-POV
🖤Sapphic & Queer
🖤Dragon Lore
🖤Heist
🖤Found Family
🖤NA & Spicy w/ Medium-Burn
🖤Inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy: Purgatory
🖤 Feminist John Wick meets Eragon and Game of Thrones

*The following blurb contains spoilers for The Forgotten and the Feared.

Amalia Roth is dead.

She died alongside the Crimson Queen in the arena two years ago. Donning her Gray Wytch persona, Amalia and the Dragon Ryu have spent the past year hunting down the Fae who wronged her. All the while, Amalia struggles not to crumble under the weight of grief.

Across the Midheym Sea on the isle of Elysium, Dyana grapples with her newfound magyk under the guidance of the ancient dragon, Vesimyr. She quickly learns that Elysium isn’t paradise – it’s a prison. Trapped under the claws of the Dragon Regent, she cannot leave. But Dyana knows Amalia is alive and will stop at nothing to get back to her sister – even if it means taking on the Regent alone.

The rebel Mirielle has lost everything. Her life’s goal was to take down the High Council, but doing so only made things worse. Lost and alone, Mirielle begins plotting a way back home, regardless of the risk.

With the High Council gone, the Archmage has risen. Storms shake the continent as the situation grows more dangerous by the day. Ur Daoine lies on the brink of civil war. In secret, the heretic Prince Nyall Drayven leads the growing rebellion. After Nyall convinces Amalia to join him at the front, a divide within the rebel factions, and his carefully built control begins to crumble.

When one of the rebels’ carefully planned missions goes wrong, a familiar face steals Ryu and reveals a truth that will change everything; someone from Amalia’s past is alive.
FROM ASHES AND PAIN, AMALIA ASTEROTH HAS RISEN.

Return to a world full of romance, rage, rebellion…and Dragons, in the stunning sequel to EC Garrett’s debut novel, The Forgotten and The Feared.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

TD&TD is extremely dark & violent. The Dragon Queen series is set in a Grimdark, medieval fantasy world, with a high amount of violence, gore, and danger. All incidents involving animals are inspired by the real-life cruelty animals in our world experience every second of every day. If The Dragon Queen series was a movie, it would be rated R or NC-17 due to graphic violence, graphic sex, language, and dire situations. The full TW list can be viewed at the beginning of the book or on my website. https://authorecgarrett.com/pages/trigger-warnings

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Book Blitz: The Quasi-Crystal – J.D. Rasch

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The Quasi-Crystal by J.D. Rasch is now available! If you enjoy fantasy adventure with themes of magic, morality, and self-determination, this one’s for you!

The Quasi-Crystal

Publication Date: February 25, 2025

Genre: Fantasy/ High Fantasy

The Moment changed everything. But was it enough?

Bracat has changed since the Moment-the collective joining of minds-opened up new possibilities of peace for its people. Even the rogue wizard Malzus is seeking forgiveness for his past sins. But this new feeling of unity is tentative, and the future is never certain . . .

In the midst of this change, gem cutter Theb discovers something curious: It looks like an ordinary stone, but he knows it is something extraordinary. A crystal that exists in two realms at once, but only Theb can see its uniqueness.

Then Theb begins to have dreams of a woman, calling for help from a deserted island far away from Bracat. An impenetrable fog is threatening the island, and the strange crystal seems to be the only answer.

There are others who hear the woman’s call. To find the source, Theb joins with a reformed wizard, a former thief, and an old enemy. Together, they vow to find the voice, braving the turbulent ocean to discover what is hidden behind the fog.

The Quasi-Crystal is a literary fantasy adventure with themes of magic, morality, and self-determination. It is the third book in The Wanderer series, which uses the structure of the fantasy genre to explore social justice issues.

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Blog Tour: The Antique Hunter’s Death on the Red Sea – C.L. Miller

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Freya and Carole are back on an antique hunting adventure in the sequel to the international bestseller, The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder.

When a painting vanishes from a maritime museum, and a dead body is found nearby, the newly established Lockwood Antique Hunter’s Agency, Freya Lockwood and her aunt Carole, are called to investigate. Following a lead that takes them aboard a glamorous antiques cruise sailing toward the Red Sea in Jordan, they quickly discover that the ship‘s art gallery is filled with stolen antiquities.

Each antique is also listed in Freya’s late mentor’s journals that detail unsolved cases. In chasing a murderer with a stolen painting, they may have found something more sinister than they could’ve imagined . . .

Their hunt soon turns deadly when they learn the enigmatic and dangerous art trafficker named The Collector could be on board. But on a ship full of antiques enthusiasts – plus some unexpected familiar faces – will Freya and Carole be able to discover The Collector’s identity and stop his murderous plans before the ship docks? Or will the killer strike again?

Cara Miller started working life in publishing as an editorial assistant for her mother, Judith Miller, on the Miller’s Antique Price Guide to Europe before she went into hospitality and events. After she had children, she decided to follow her long-held dream of becoming an author and began writing full-time. She was an Undiscovered Voices winner in 2022 and was showcased in the UV 2022 anthology. She lives in a medieval cottage in Suffolk with her family.

This book was written in consultation with international antiques expert Judith Miller (1951–2023), a regular specialist on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. Judith was also the co-founder of the bestselling annual Miller’s Antiques Price Guide, which started in 1979. She went on to write more than 120 books on antiques and interiors.

My thoughts: Freya and Carole are settling into their new lives in Arthur’s antique business and looking for their next case, which comes in the form of a stolen painting at a maritime museum. There’s also been a murder, but the police are dealing with that, so they can focus on the painting.

It’s listed in one of Arthur’s journals, and the trail leads them to a cruise down the Nile to Jordan, where several experts are due to give talks on antiques and a range of items is on display. Stolen items, including the painting.

Chasing it will lead them into danger, as there’s plenty of people on board with their own motives, interests in the antiquities and possibly even the mysterious Collector. Friendly FBI agent Phil also happens to be on board, along with furious thief Bella.

Freya has tech support in the form of new employee Sky, but is she who she claims to be, or is she somehow connected to the Collector?

Carole is even more flamboyant than ever in kaftans and neon, while Freya is having to overcome her natural shyness and give talks in Arthur’s stead, as well as risk her life to expose the criminals in their midst and attempt to get the painting back for the museum, even if it isn’t exactly authentic.

Arthur had a lot of secrets, and was probably double crossing some very dangerous people, some of which Freya encounters on this adventure  – not that staying home is much safer, thank goodness for the villagers.

Great fun, funny and witty. I’m already looking forward to the next book, when they head off to Scotland following the next of Arthur’s journals and his list of stolen treasures.

*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: Masquerade of Bones – J. Ember Hintz

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We’re celebrating the release of Masquerade of Bones with a tour this week! This gorgeous fantasy romance is available February 25th in all formats!

Masquerade of Bones

Publication Date: February 25, 2025 (Print, ebook and audio)

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Tropes:

  • Enemies to lovers
  • Villain gets the girl
  • Shadow daddy
  • Heists
  • Royalty,
  • Found family
  • Quest
  • One bed/horse/tent
  • Magic
  • Outlaws
  • Dragons

Vibes:

Six of Crows (but make it spicy) x Beneath Black Sails (but wild west outlaws instead of pirates)

A Blood Oath ~ A Botched Heist ~ A Dangerous Deal with the Enemy

Everly Thorn knew she was doomed when she came down with witch fever. She’s spent the last ten years hiding her symptoms and will do anything to keep her cursed gift a secret for fear of being conscripted into the military and used as a weapon to hunt others like her.

Reeling from the death of her parents and a broken betrothal, she’s racked up a fortune in gambling debts. Her job at the Menagerie of Magical Beasts doesn’t pay enough to keep the collectors from threatening to take her home—the only thing she and her brother have left.

Silas Drake is an infamous outlaw in need of a witch with a unique set of skills and exactly the kind of man Everly has vowed to stay away from—tall, dark, and deadly. He’s determined to steal a powerful dragon relic being held in the Menagerie’s vault.

When he discovers Everly’s secret, the ruthless shadow summoner presents her with an impossible choice—swear a blood oath to him and help his crew steal the relic in exchange for paying off her debts or be handed over to the crown.

Everly, however, is done with men who want to control her and refuses to accept her fate without a fight.

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