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.
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.
Lesley Hamilton is starting a new life in Florence when she discovers a dead neighbour. An inexplicable mistake leads her to Paolo Bianchi, an individual unaffected by usual human emotions. His involvement in crime leaves him living in the shadowy fringes of society where decisions are made for him. When he is left to his own devices, his actions lead to tragic consequences, not just for himself but also for all those lives he touches.
As Paolo’s life unravels, Gianfranco Valdi and his Caribinieri team must unpick the threads that lead to Paolo and his connection with organised crime.
Laura Jane Smith began writing seriously in 2019 when she took early retirement after a 34-year career in education. She lives in Perthshire in Scotland, where she enjoys gardening, walking, theatre and going to the cinema, as well as cycling and cross-stitching. Her interest in writing came not just from her own reading but also from the process of teaching others about reading, writing and understanding the written word. The ideas for her first novel came from her experiences in education and travelling in Europe, as well as her enjoyment of a well-told psychological thriller. She focuses on human behaviour and individual motivation when faced with life-changing events and difficult decisions. Relationships are at the heart of the novels. The decisions made by the characters and the relationships they develop drive the plot. The inspiration for this first novel, Listen to Mother, came initially from a trip to Florence in 2011. However, the main inspiration was a desire for others to experience the world from the viewpoint of someone with highfunctioning autism whose struggles with the reality of life result in his joining a world in the shadows
My thoughts: This was a really interesting way of writing a crime novel, setting it both before and after the central crime, giving the perpetrator all the opportunities to stop and reconsider his plan, and then showing the aftermath, the investigation, the pain wrecked on the victims’ families and the almost inevitable end for the killer.
Lesley has moved to Florence, a stunning city, with the intention of writing a novel, but discovering the body of a neighbour sets into motion a terrible chain of events. I’m not sure I’d agree with her actions and the decisions she makes, bringing into contact with a killer and also with the detective she falls in love with.
Paolo, our assassin, is a strange man, obsessive and still following instructions left by his dead mother (hence the title). It is only quite far into the book before anyone says that he’s autistic, and while his condition isn’t why he becomes a killer, it does govern how he goes about his job and the way in which he behaves when events get beyond him. I found him quite sinister, not because of his autism, more the stalking behaviour and the wearing of black leather gloves, even to do the gardening.
I liked Lesley and Diego, their deaths are awful, but the detectives who investigate were pretty decent and I like Gianfranco and Violetta a lot, I hope we see more from them in a future 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.
A whirlwind romance inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off about four friends whose hearts are broken and mended over the course of an epic senior skip day—from the bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules!
Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother—and if Grace finds out, it could ruin their friendship.
With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. All she has to do is convince Isa to help her kidnap Everett and outmaneuver James, who’s certain his sister is up to something.
In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly’s finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?
K.L. Walther was born and raised in the rolling hills of Bucks County, Pennsylvania surrounded by family, dogs, and books. Her childhood was spent traveling the northeastern seaboard to play ice hockey. She attended a boarding school in New Jersey and went on to earn a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia. She is happiest on the beach with a book, cheering for the New York Rangers, or enjoying a rom-com while digging into a big bowl of popcorn and M&Ms. And listening to Taylor Swift on repeat, of course.
My thoughts: I loved this, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of my favourite films (I’m a massive fan of the director John Hughes) so I was hoping for a great read, and I got one.
A gender swapped, set in Philadelphia not Chicago, 21st Century update of Ferris, with multiple narrators that is very funny, smart, charming and great fun.
Grace is student president, a brilliant student, popular and well thought of, so her deciding to take the day off, is completely out of character, and dragging her studious, going to an Ivy League, best friend along for the ride, even more so. Isa doesn’t ever skip school or a test, so hopefully their lies hold up. Kidnapping long time friend Everett while dressed as the Phillie Phanatic, is not even the craziest thing they do all day.
Grace’s brother James, formerly the final corner to their square, is furious when we works out what’s going on, and even though he keeps the secret, he’s determined not to completely miss out on the day’s hijinks. He just has to avoid the school principal first.
I had a ball reading this, and I spotted all the Ferris Bueller references (I think!)
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Iceland, 1910. In the middle of a severe storm two sisters – Freyja and Gudrun – rescue a mysterious, charismatic man from a shipwreck near their remote farm.
Sixty-five years later, a young woman – Sigga – is spending time with her grandmother when they learn a body has been discovered on a mountainside near Reykjavik, perfectly preserved in ice.
Moving between the turn of the 20th century and the 1970s as a dark mystery is unravelled, The Swell is a spellbinding, beautifully atmospheric read, rich in Icelandic myth.
My thoughts: A powerful and fascinating story of sisters and family. In 1910 sisters Freya and Gudrun live on their father’s smallholding in Northern Iceland, when they rescue a young man from a sinking ship, his presence changes their lives.
Years later, Sigga, a teenager in a changing Iceland, spends time with her grandmother and learns a bit more about her life. She’s a survivor and raised her son, Sigga’s father, alone, after the deaths of her family, never naming his own father. Could the body recently found on a remote mountain near to where she lived, be someone she knew?
As Sigga struggles with her own brother and makes decisions about her own future, we see how the events of 1910 affect Freya and Gudrun, how their guest’s presence changes things in the village forever.
Moving back and forth, the two narratives, weave an inventive and captivating story of siblings and the complicated bonds between them. There is a third narrative of sorts too – a founding tale of Iceland, that weaves through the other stories. Sigga has won a prize for her version of the story, and the sisters refer to the same tale in their time too, adding to the interconnected nature of the 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.
An atmospheric and captivating old-house mystery, layered with romance and secrets.
Secrets lurk in the shadows at Rookswood House…
When Kate goes to look after her estranged sister’s children in their creepy old house, she takes a photo of what seems to be a ghost. Frightened yet intrigued, Kate undertakes to uncover the secrets of the house and the two mysterious sisters who lived there over a hundred years before.
But like the illusions of light and shadow in the sisters’ strange and disturbing Victorian post-mortem photography, Kate discovers that all is not what it seems. Someone – or something – has their own plans for Rookswood House – and for Kate.
With a potential developer circling around, her teenage niece in danger from an unseen force, and new love on the horizon, Kate must unravel the secrets and lies of her own and Rookswood’s past before she loses everything she holds dear.
If you like historical mysteries by Eve Chase, Rachel Burton and Harriet Evans, you’ll love Lauren Westwood.
My thoughts: I liked Kate, I felt awful bit sorry for her, estranged from her only family, but I know that sisters can be very hard work (personal experience has taught me that!) and that things are not always as they appear. When she steps in to take care of her niblings, while her sister gets better, she’s not entirely sure how to deal with teenagers.
Their dishy headteacher on the other hand, she’s intrigued by. And the crumbling old house her sister bought is also fascinating. Rookswood House was home to an earlier pair of sisters – one of whom was a photographer and worked with early special effects to create some unusual images. Victorians did some pretty weird things – like taking photos with their recently deceased loved ones as though they were still alive, but this early science and imagination also created some incredible things.
Ada might be dead, but part of her remains trapped in her home, unable to move on without her sister, lost to her years ago. Kate picks up on this energy and wants to help Ada move on, so Rookswood can too. Luckily headteacher, photographer and amateur historian Matthew does too. As the pair search for answers, they grow closer. Then Kate’s sister comes home and a few secrets and home truths need to be shared.
Pairing Kate’s story with Ada’s is interesting, the different relationships they have with their younger sisters, the struggles they both share as women who haven’t followed the expected paths in life (both unmarried, both working women) despite their different centuries. I really liked that aspect of the story – things don’t change as much as we sometimes would like.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
No book review here just a little update on what I’m hoping to do with this blog.
I’m planning on applying for my PhD soon, once I get this insane proposal written, it’s got to be almost as long as my thesis will be! Which means a lot of work for me. So I’m going to be less free to read and review books BUT I will still do as much as I can.
Ramblingmads started out as a sort of lifestyle/beauty blog and evolved into a book blog, which is what you seem to enjoy. There will still be reviews and blog tour posts, cover reveals, all of that, just potentially less often.
I will be trying to post more on Instagram as it works well for shorter reviews, life updates etc.
I will also be trying to write at least one longer form piece on Substack on a roughly monthly basis. I’m not currently going to charge for this, but if it gets a bigger following or I write more often, I may change this plan.
If you would like to support my work, which would be incredibly generous and kind and hugely appreciated as I am not currently paid for any of it, then I have both PayPal and Kofi accounts you can use. Or message me for another option. I am always checking my emails so feel free to get in touch.
I’m not currently active on Twitter, although I haven’t deleted my account yet, but it’s so full of adverts and unpleasantness that I don’t really check it much these days. I am on Threads and BlueSky (still getting used to this one) and you can follow me on both if you’d like. The cat pictures will remain mostly on Instagram, he’s a total poser!
I think that’s everything. Hope you’re all doing well.
Ex-intelligence agent James Ryker has done many things in the past he’d prefer to forget.
The last time he saw Gregor Minko – son to one of Ukraine’s most dangerous and politically influential arms dealers – Gregor was a scared 6-year-old boy in need of protection. But Ryker had to walk away. The boy wasn’t the mission.
Twenty years on Ryker is approached by two strangers in Antibes, France, asking for his help in finding Gregor – now going by the name of Gregor Rebrov. With a back catalogue of ‘crimes against the Russian state’, Gregor has escaped from a gulag in Siberia and is now in the wind.
Fuelled by old demons and painful memories of his own brutal actions in the past, Ryker finds himself once again in the thick of a complicated race against time and who knows how many of the world’s secret services, to find Gregor and get some answers.
As answers turn into more questions, they lead Ryker closer to home… and he can’t shake the feeling that he may be to blame.
Rob Sinclair is the million copy bestseller of over twenty thrillers, including the James Ryker series. Most recently published by Bloodhound, Boldwood will publish his latest action thriller, Rogue Hero, in June 2024 and will be republishing all the James Ryker series over the coming months.
My thoughts: James Ryker’s past as an undercover agent comes back to haunt him when he’s approached to look for a missing Russian prisoner. Gregor Rebrov escaped from a Siberian gulag and vanished. He’s an enemy of the Russian state, as was his oligarch/gangster father.
So Ryker heads to war torn Ukraine – the last place Gregor was seen. But he’s not been given all the information and Gregor isn’t an innocent by any means.
Ryker also isn’t operating with full cooperation of any government or agency, his boss Winter has agreed to give him some assistance, but he’s essentially on his own. And things do not go well.
There’s twists and turns, some harrowing moments and Ryker also relives his involvement with Gregor’s parents and the six-year-old Gregor in Cyprus. Gregor’s plan for revenge is pretty scary too – especially in a post-Covid 19 world and considering the way that things are at the moment, not too hard to imagine. Totally gripping, thrilling, will keep you on the edge of your seat!
*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 upcoming release of Reformed, book one in The Rift Wars series by Holly Monroe! Pre-order or get it February 21st!
Reformed (The Rift Wars Book 1)
Expected Publication Date: Feb 21
Genre: PNR/ Why Choose/ Academy
– Why choose
– MFMMM
– Academy (prison reform school)
– Mythology and folklore inspiration
– Slow burn
– Virgin MMCs
– Shy cyclops
– Golden retriever reaper
– Hot for teacher
– Mystery to solve
– Politics and subterfuge
In a realm where being supernatural is all but illegal, Stella Mikers has hidden her supernatural spirit and done it well for over a decade. Up against the wire to produce a piece of hard-hitting journalism to solidify her career and no other ideas, she decides it’s time to come out of hiding and embrace what she truly is – a Valkyrie.
She dusts off her wings and goes undercover at Robert Sinclair’s Reformation Academy, the prison alternative that boasts the ability to turn supernaturals into simplynaturals, removing what makes them different and allowing them to better assimilate into society.
But there is something fishy about a vampire who can now be a phlebotomist and a necromancer who works as a mortician. Stella is determined to discover what is going on behind those golden gates and expose the Academy to the realm.
What she didn’t expect to find at the Academy were starving vampires who wanted to feed from her feet, a shy cyclops suitemate, or a reaper who is sunshine personified. Even one of her simplynatural professors draws her attention in a way she can’t explain. Stella’s plan didn’t include making friends, but now that she has, she’s dead set on doing whatever it takes to keep them safe.
Robert Sinclair’s Reformation Academy has a dark secret, and it’s up to Stella to uncover it before all of them are reformed.
Reformed is the first book in a planned four book why choose paranormal romance series, meaning Stella will not have to choose between her love interests. This slow-burn MFMMM book is intended for adult audiences and contains explicit content.
A disgraced former MP, Teddy Chesterton, is dying. He wants to put things right with his ex-wife, Laura, the only woman he has ever loved, but who left him after believing he deceived her. Teddy finds out that Laura has recently been widowed and invites her to come with him to Venice. To his surprise, she accepts.
They first meet at a gallery where Teddy’s university friend, Paul Merrick works, and Laura is offered the chance to work in London to help stage an exhibition of paintings by Tiepolo. Paul asks Laura to do him a favour and authenticate a sketch by the younger Tiepolo. She is told subsequently that what she believed to be a genuine Tiepolo was a fake, and her reputation in the art world is ruined. She blames Teddy for his part in getting her involved with Paul. They divorce, and Teddy goes to prison for money laundering.
Upon his release, he visits Paul, who explains that he had nothing to do with the sketch being a fake and that it was copied by a forger to whom he had unwittingly sold the original.
In Venice, Teddy gives Laura a pile of papers that prove Paul did not set out to deceive her about the sketch he asked her to authenticate. Teddy knows that he has done what he set out to do, even if everything is just too late.
Apart from three years studying History of Art and Philosophy at University College London, I have lived my entire life in the North West – born in Warrington, lived and worked in Manchester, and fourteen years ago moved to north Cumbria.
After several years of freelance arts journalism, I ran a NW-based public relations agency called Lawson Leah in the 1990s, then worked for various organisations in the construction industry, as CEO of Construction for Merseyside Ltd and then Director of the Civil Engineering Contractors’ Association. I have been a guest lecturer on urban regeneration and chaired a housing association for three years, and now work part-time as a consultant.
I have had articles on a range of topics, including the arts, construction, engineering, housing and economic development published in numerous magazines, as well as poetry and a guidebook to waterway walks in the NW.
My approach to writing tends to involve identifying a problematic situation and then finding a means of resolving it. I derive particular pleasure from finding the right words to achieve that. I was first inspired to write, as a teenager, after reading The Catcher in the Rye, and latterly find inspiration in the daunting novels of Bellow, Nabokov and Pynchon.
My thoughts: Teddy invites his ex-wife Laura to join him on a short trip to Venice, she is the only woman he’s ever loved and he doesn’t blame her for divorcing him when she did.
The story of their relationship is told in turns by them, the story of how a Jewish New Yorker art historian met a Home Counties Tory MP (as he became). It’s bittersweet as you know from the beginning that they aren’t together any more and that Laura moved on. It’s also the story of an art fraud that they were implicated in, one that could have ended very badly.
Teddy is dying, something he keeps from Laura even as they relive their previous trips to Venice and their life together. He leaves her with the proof that the art fraud that destroyed their marriage was not done with malice towards them, that it was in fact the buyer of the piece that perpetrated it and they were merely caught up in. While we’re not given Laura’s reaction, after everything else we as readers know, it would be a shock.
Once you get into the narrative flow, and the way it passes back and forth between Teddy and Laura, between the past and the present, it’s a well written and quite engaging story, Teddy is a bit of a rogue and Laura slightly naive and unworldly, but somehow it worked and they have two adult children together, keeping them always just in each other’s lives long after their marriage ended. A fascinating and thoughtful read.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Can Lucy find her second-chance romance in the glamour of the French Riviera? When aspiring author Lucy attends a rich friend’s 50th birthday party in glamorous Monaco, she has no idea that her life is about to change forever.
Heartsore after a broken marriage, she is not looking for love so when she meets Elias, and he offers to take her sailing on his employer’s boat, she agrees only as research for the book she desperately wants to write. They bond over their adult children – who seem to want to clip their wings and force them into living like pensioners – and the chemistry is undeniable. But is he all he seems? And is she ready to trust again?
An uplifting, later-in-life romance perfect for fans of Milly Johnson, Jo Thomas and Julie Caplin.
Helga Jensen is an award-winning British/Danish best-selling author and journalist. Her debut novel was a winning entry in the 2017 Montegrappa First Fiction competition at Dubai’s Emirates Literary Festival. Her debut was also a contender for the coveted 2021 Joan Hessayon Award for new writers. Helga’s best-selling novel, Fly me to Paris, was a finalist for the 2024 Popular Romantic Fiction Award. Helga holds a BA Hons in English Literature and Creative Writing, along with a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. She is currently finishing a PhD.
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