I am a thirtysomething from London, with a cat, a husband, bookshelves which keep threatening to crush me under their load and chronic health conditions. Basically your average over stressed millennial. Welcome.
It’s our tenth wedding anniversary . . . and my husband is planning to kill me.
He’s planned the perfect cruise – and the perfect murder. His new girlfriend (my replacement) is waiting in the wings.
Our luxury cruise ship departs from Florida. Its destination – paradise. A surprise gift from Andre. Our first proper vacation in five years. A second honeymoon.
He’s bought me the perfect outfit. The champagne is flowing. Everything’s going to plan. Andre’s plan. He thinks he’ll get away with it. But he doesn’t know what I’m capable of. Not yet.
McGarvey studied voice at Manhattan School of Music and was later a theatre major in college. She pursued an acting career but later moved into a magazine and digital media career. During that time, she sold advertising and managed sales teams for companies like Conde Nast, WebMD and worked for brands including GQ, Travel + Leisure, and Allure. In between, she took a year off and backpacked alone around the world. Later, after having two children, she left media and became an executive recruiter for internet companies. In 2017, she began writing full time and has since published six novels.
My thoughts: Fibromyalgia is not a very nice condition to have, I know a few people with it and it can be really hard to manage. Becca has it, and her rather awful husband is an ableist monster who’d rather not have to support his sick wife, clearly his wedding vows don’t matter to him. So he plans an elaborate and rather over the top way to get rid of his wife and be with his annoying girlfriend, while also milking the victim card for all it’s worth.
Unfortunately for him, someone knows what he did, and they’re willing to make sure he, and the rest of the world know about his scheme and expose him for the murderous monster he is.
The plot twists and turns, and while Andre thinks he’s planned the perfect murder, he hasn’t thought of everything…
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Echoes of the past resonate across the centuries as Dr Anna Petersen, a medievalist and runologist, is struggling with past trauma and allowing herself to trust again.
When archaeologist Professor Matt Beacham unearths a 6th century seax with a mysterious runic inscription, and approaches Anna for help, a chain of events bring the past firmly back into her present. And why does the burial site also contain two sets of bones, one 6th century and the other modern?
As the past and present intermingle alarmingly, Anna and Matt need to solve the mystery of the seax runes and the seemingly impossible burial, and to discover the truth about the past.
But how is 6th century Lady Mildryth of Mercia connected to Anna? Can they both be the Daughter of Mercia?
Dr Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and the concept of resonances across time. She sees her author brand as a historical fiction writer of romantic mysteries that are character-driven, well-paced, evocative of time and place, well-researched and uplifting page-turners.
Her current series focuses on early medieval dual-time/time-slip mysteries. Julia read English at Keele University, England, specialising in medieval language/ literature/history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics. After a turbulent time in Ghana, West Africa, she became a school teacher, then a university academic and researcher.
Her break as an author came soon after she joined the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2015, with a three-book deal from Lume Books for a trilogy (Drumbeats) set in Ghana in the 1960s.
She has also indie-published three other books, including A Shape on the Air, an Anglo-Saxon timeslip mystery, and its two sequels The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone. Her latest, Daughter of Mercia, is the first of a new series of Anglo-Saxon dual time mystery/romances where echoes of the past resonate across the centuries.
Her books will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. Her readers say: ‘compelling character-driven novels’, ‘a skilled story-teller’, ‘evocative and well-paced storylines’, ‘incredible writing style’, ‘intricately written’, ‘absorbing and captivating’, and ‘an absolute gem of a trilogy’
My thoughts: I enjoyed the previous books Julia wrote and I knew I would like this one. Mercia is one of the kingdoms England was once split into, ruled by Saxons, roughly where the Midlands are today.
Archaeologists do indeed sometimes find amazing Saxon items buried in the ground, and sometimes farmers turn up things too! This time it’s the professionals but the grave makes little sense. There’s a seax (a knife or short sword) with an inscription that suggests an important woman is buried there, but no other grave goods, and there’s also the skeleton of a man, but further examination shows he’s from the modern day. This makes no sense at all as he seems to have buried as long as the female remains.
As Dr Anna Petersen and Professor Matt Beacham investigate the remains and the inscription on the seax, they uncover more of the mystery, could the modern bones belong to their missing, but not much missed, colleague? Has he somehow travelled back in time to the sixth century? Doubting anyone will believe their theory, they keep it to themselves, focusing on the female bones.
Meanwhile for us, a secondary plot unfolds back in the sixth century settlement ruled by the Lady Mildryth, whose father is the king of Mercia. She tries to govern the way she believes her father would want her to, but a newcomer to the village turns her head and causes her to take foolish risks. Who is the man she names Theowulf, and where did he come from?
As both stories start to provide more answers than questions, we can fill in the gaps and solve the mysteries that haunt the characters. And as Anna and Matt grow closer, finding plenty to bond over, could he be the one to mend Anna’s broken heart?
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own
We’re celebrating the release of V.B. Lacey’s new fantasy romance with a tour this week. Make sure to check out Of the Curse or the Crown!
Of the Curse or the Crown (A Veridian Empire Novel)
Release Date: July 24, 2025
Genre: Fantasy Romance/ Standalone
👑 Princess Diaries 2 meets King Midas
✨ Forbidden love
👑 No spice but swoon worthy romance
✨ Single dad
👑 She’s a fox shifter
✨ Mysterious curse
👑 Meddling Fates
✨ They’re stuck in a cave
👑 Mental health rep
✨ Witty banter
An heir. An Empress. A Queen.
As a former rebel leader, Clarissa Aris is no stranger to power. She’s ready to reclaim the throne of the Veridian Empire and is eager to guide her people out of a past of violence and into a better future.
But when a mysterious king unexpectedly asks for her hand in marriage to restore peace between their two lands, she chooses to accept. Clarissa travels to meet him in Mysthelm, a realm they had been cut off from for centuries, and is thrust into a foreign kingdom with secrets around every corner, a betrothed she isn’t sure she can trust, and brewing tension with his handsome best friend and advisor.
Clarissa’s search for answers uncovers the truth behind a deadly blight sweeping Mysthelm and a centuries-old curse threatening to destroy the people she’s come to care for. When she learns her magic may be the only cure, she’s determined to both rescue this kingdom from danger and keep her Veridian Empire safe from meddling forces.
Time is running out. Which will fall first: the curse or the crown?
On a cold winter’s day, a storm is brewing in the village of Weirbridge…
Georgie Dern has the chance to swap her empty nest for the job of a lifetime in Los Angeles. Can she chase her dream if it means letting down the woman who has given her the world?
Jessie McLean should be counting down the hours until she jets off to spend her retirement years in the sun. But when a devastating betrayal resurfaces, she has to choose between a fresh start and staying behind to settle old scores.
Alyssa Canavan has spent years building the business she adores. Now a legal letter has threatened her home and livelihood, but how does she fight a family that doesn’t give a damn?
Lachlan Morden is forced to return to Scotland to face the people who almost destroyed him. Will coming home reopen old wounds, or will a memory from the past lead him to the perfect revenge?
One snowy day, four lives, but who will have a bright new future when the snow is gone?
Shari Low is the multi-million copy bestselling author of over 30 novels, including the #1 bestsellers One Day with You, One Midnight with You and One Day and Forever.
My thoughts: Those of you who read my reviews regularly will know I love Shari’s books, and this one, filled with some familiar faces, is another charming, hug in a book.
Jessie and her husband Stan are due to jet off to a retirement in the sun, or are they? It’s Jessie’s birthday and there’s a party to get ready for, but a few things need sorting out before the cast of characters can dance the night away. An unwelcome reminder of past indiscretions, a rubbish ex-husband, a job offer, an eviction and other distractions mean before Jessie, her pals Val and Cathy, and her family, can don their gladrags, there’s some tough conversations to have, some decisions to make and before midnight strikes, everyone’s lives might be a bit different.
Loved it, of course I did, there are some very naughty triplets, lots of snow, cake, cups of tea, glasses of wine, confessions, heart-to-hearts and hugs doled out by the various members of Jessie’s family and friends, some of it while Shania Twain is being given a remix on the dance floor!
Shari’s books always have lots of twists and turns, but there’s a HEA not far away, so you know you’re in safe hands, it might currently be August outside, but in here it’s December, the snow is falling, and we’re getting cosy.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own
Where books are borrowed, and friendships are forged…
When her beloved grandfather dies, Ana Meštrović buys a catamaran in his memory, which she names Dida Krila – Grandad’s Wings.
For the summer months, it will be transformed into a travelling library, delivering books to children living across the Croatian islands.
Joined by crew members Natali, a young mechanic afraid of her own shadow, and Lloyd, an older widower who needs a fresh start, the newly-formed trio all have their own reasons for needing the floating library to be a success.
Embarking on an adventure that will change them for good, they each discover that a new chapter is only a boat ride away…
Publication Dates – 16th January 2026 (ebook) 29th January 2026 (paperback)
Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.
Set mainly in Croatia, her contemporary stories are more about friendship than romance, the coming together of people through shared interests, and the opportunity to make fresh starts in their lives. A love of books is a common theme too, so her publisher, One More Chapter, has christened them the Bookish Escapes collection which currently includes The Dubrovnik Book Club, and The Santorini Writing Retreat, with The Croatian Island Library to be published in January 2026.
In addition Eva has written two Second World War dual timeline romances, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter, and a new beginnings novel entitled The Olive Grove. All are set in Croatian, a country she loves.
Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with more than thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.
We have a fantastic book rec for you all today and a HUGE box of goodies for one lucky person! Check out The Seer by Liliyana Shadowlyn!
The Seer by Liliyana Shadowlyn (Tales Vs Time Book 1)
Release Date: May 28, 2025
Genre: NA Contemporary Fantasy
LGBTQIA+ Rep
Non-Binary BFF
Witch
Prophecy
Chosen Duo
You can’t outrun your family curse.
I thought high school was hard enough. At least I had my BFF Andy by my side, and we’d be attending the same college in the fall. What started with a family reunion has turned into the adventure from hell.
I didn’t ask for this. The prophecies. The magic. The obsession. The dragons. The warring deities. I just wanted to be a normal teenager. But because of who I am, the family I was born into, I’ve been caught up in a story that began centuries before I was born. It’s up to me to break the family curse, and I will let no one, man nor god, stop me.
1922, London. Evelyn Bloom lies dying in her Mayfair flat.
A decade earlier, she had the world at her feet – a dazzling celebrity who socialised with royalty, ignited scandalous love affairs, and filled headlines with her daring exploits.
Now, surrounded by the faded mementoes of a brilliant life cut short, Evelyn is left to wonder: How did it all go so wrong? And why, when she had everything, has she been left to die alone?
A breath-taking and unputdownable WWI historical novel, perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Natasha Lester, and Mandy Robotham.
Lisa Brace is an award-winning writer, who combines penning novels with running her own business in the beautiful surroundings of West Sussex.
Her third novel The Fastest Girl on Earth, is out now. Her second book, SWIM, a historical fiction novel was finalist in Best Historical Fiction and Best General Fiction in the New Generation Indie Book Awards 2025 and runner up as Historical Novel of the Year 2024 (Eyelands Book Awards). Her debut novel, The Fame Trap, a dark women’s fiction novel was published in March 2024.
Lisa runs writing retreats and workshops in West Sussex with fellow author and friend, Daisy White. In between running her PR company and thinking up ideas for historical novels she can be found wandering in the woods with her dog and baking elaborate cakes (though not at the same time)
My thoughts: I thought this was great, inspired by the exploits of a couple of real life daredevil female drivers and pilots, the story of Evelyn Bloom, the fastest girl in the world, breaking records and winning races on land and sea, who takes up flying, becomes a spy during the First World War, and somehow loses everyone she loves, is smart, funny, surprising and bittersweet.
Evelyn thinks she’s been hired as a secretary, but instead becomes a race car driver, showing off the cars and boats her employer makes, before deciding to learn how to fly. Her terrible contract means she doesn’t get to keep the prize money, and her affair with the boss breaks her heart.
She’s co-opted into the spy trade by the man she eventually marries, and runs some risky missions, including flying into occupied France and having to escape from enemy soldiers. Her husband is reported missing and she spends the rest of her days (and money) trying to find him. Leaving her penniless and alone at forty.
Her exploits are a delight, she’s a darling of the pre-war years, but even her closest friends fall away. A bittersweet ending to an eventful, adventurous life.
A world on the brink of war. One woman whose courage could change everything.
Paris, 1938. As the world teeters on the edge of war, Lady Pamela More knows her latest assignment is her deadliest yet. Her days as a London society columnist are merely a cover. She must infiltrate the decadent Parisian circles of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor as they openly cavort with fascists and voice dangerous Nazi sympathies.
The nation’s security could be compromised — and Lady Pamela must uncover what, or whom, they might betray. In the glittering salons of Paris, amidst the clink of champagne glasses and careless gossip, dark allegiances fester. The Windsors are charming — and cunning — and Pamela walks a delicate line between loyalty and deception.
But as she steps back into a life of shadows, old temptations resurface, including charismatic American Sid White, whose presence reawakens more than just memories.
Surrounded by spies, traitors and the ghosts of her past, Lady Pamela must decide: how far is she willing to go to protect a country that may never thank her before the city falls to the Nazis?
Originally from Chicago, Sarah Sigal works across theatre, film and fiction. She has a BA in Theatre Arts and English Literature from Gettysburg College and an MA in Writing for Performance and a PhD in Theatre and Performance, both from Goldsmiths College University of London. She teaches at a number of universities across the UK and is the author of WRITING IN COLLABORATIVE THEATRE-MAKING (Bloomsbury, 2016), as well as numerous plays and 2 short films. THE SOCIALITE SPY (Lume Books, 2023) is her first novel, the first in a series about the lead character, the socialite spy herself–Lady Pamela More. She lives in London.
We’re thrilled to present the cover for A Poem Penned in Poison by R. Dugan! Pre-order today!
A Poem Penned in Poison (Tales of Wonder and Woe Series)
Expected Release: October 31, 2025
Genre: Dark Romantasy/ Fantasy Horror
Enemies to Lovers
Forced proximity
Grumpy x sunshine
Assassin x healer
Reluctant partners
Masquerade ball
He falls first AND harder
Villain romance
Social Recluse x social butterfly
Touch her and die
Poet x muse
NAOMI WEATHERS is running from something—and no one knows it.
THE POET POISONER is on the hunt…and Naomi has just stepped into his path.
In the enchanting and deadly third installment of the TALES OF WONDER & WOE, a healer and a poisoner clash in a wicked struggle for survival…a struggle that might be a blade in both of their hearts.
They say sharing is caring, but sharing a husband? That’s a grave mistake.
And Hell hath no fury like three widows with a murder to solve . . .
Albert Franklynn’s sudden and mysterious death leaves everyone in the pretty village of Monksworthy in shock — especially his wife Sylvie, who runs the local tearoom.
But the real surprise comes at the mortuary, where not one, but three grieving widows show up to identify his body.
It turns out that Albert wasn’t just a devoted husband to Sylvie . . . He had two other wives as well.
As everyone reels from the revelation of Albert’s double — or triple — life, three widows reluctantly team up to investigate a mystery more tangled than the village’s gaudy bunting: who killed Albert — and why.
It turns out Albert’s list of enemies is longer than the village bake sale sign-up sheet. Can these three unlikely sleuths resolve their differences to become partners in crime-solving . . . before the killer writes them out of the story for good?
The start of an unmissable cosy crime series, this gripping mystery about murder, mayhem and marital mischief is perfect for fans of Faith Martin, the Reverend Richard Coles, Kristen Perrin, Veronica Heley or Fiona Leitch.
Gaynor Torrance lives near Cardiff with her husband and their rescue cat, Cleo. The area is the setting for her Detective Inspector Jemima Huxley Crime Thriller series of books. Like Gaynor, Jemima has a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Though, apart from them both having a keen interest in human behaviour, that’s where any similarity ends. When she’s not writing or glued to her Kindle, Gaynor enjoys listening to music, playing the piano, walking, travelling, and eating far too much chocolate.
My thoughts: This is a very funny and rather clever book. Albert has (at least) three wives – Sylvie and Harriet, and the mysterious Tess, who does a bunk after identifying his body.
But Sylvie and Harriet find common ground, not least because they have children (all grown up) to think about. Albert has a list of secrets as long as his arm, including what he actually did for a living, and the fact his mother and brother are very much alive.
As Sylvie and Harriet carry out their own investigation, along with Sylvie’s friend and business partner Liz, they think they may have found a black widow in the absent Tess, with multiple identities and presumably in search of a new victim. With a little help from pal Barney, they alert well to do men on their own to be wary of this woman and try to get the police to take them seriously.
I really enjoyed this book and if the trio are going to be having more adventures – then I’ll be there to read them!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 