When Simon reconnects with his first love Sylvie – the French pen pal he never met – he is determined to not let her go again.
Life may not be as straight-forward at sixty as it was at sixteen, but that won’t stop him.
Together with old school friend Ian, he sets off on the same bike ride – from Bristol to Bordeaux – that they attempted all those years ago.
But while they now have better bikes, more acceptable haircuts, and Google Maps, some things never change.
And it soon becomes clear that this trip will have even more bumps in the road than the first . . .
My thoughts: this was really fun, a clever road trip rom com, told from the male perspective and written by a man too. Which I really liked. Simon is 60, single after the death of his wife ten years before, running a very stressful B&B and in need of a change.
After an old school friend dies (I promise this book isn’t sad, there’s several laugh out loud moments) he and old pal Ian, decide to recreate a madcap adventure they had as boys and cycle to Bordeaux. Becoming MAMILs in the process (Middle Aged Men in Lycra – fetching, not!). They almost die a few times, and honestly it’s hilarious – there’s a bit where they camp out in a church and accidentally flash a congregation of French villagers and the priest.
I think the romance of letters, then emails, between Simon and Sylvie is very sweet but the real relationship here is the rekindled friendship between Simon and Ian – a bromance if you will. As they remember their teenage years, apologise for some terrible behaviour and bond in their adventures. There’s something very precious about friendships that last a lifetime, even when you don’t see each other for forty odd years in the middle.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Aunt Edwina’s Fabulous Wishes (Friesen Press, June, 2022), the first book in the uplifting Aunt Edwina series, begins when free-spirited painter Julie Fincher discovers that her fiancé is a gold-digger, and she reluctantly decides to go ahead with the wedding to please her ailing father. The day before the wedding, however, the family’s beloved ninety-two-year-old Lady Edwina Greymore passes away and everything changes.
After Aunt Edwina’s passing, Julie is appointed executrix of her large country estate and discovers an intricate family history treasure hunt with clues scattered all around southern England that she now must solve. Leaving her deceptive new husband behind, Julie sets out on the madcap adventure of a lifetime, together with her eccentric, karaoke-loving cousin. Along the way, they meet well-meaning aristocrats, experienced genealogists, a handsome antiques shop owner, and a verbose lawyer with a curious potbellied pig.
A clean, uplifting, humorous novel, readers will enjoy solving riddles while picking up a few basic tips about doing their own family history research along the way.
Q&A with Lynne Christensen
Question: What inspired the Aunt Edwina series?
Lynne Christensen: One day, I was standing in our vast home library packed with topography, genealogy, travel, archives and museum books and thought that it was a real shame more use wasn’t made of it. It dawned on me–I am the daughter of a worldrenowned genealogist and have spent my life visiting archives, historic places and museums all over the world. As a writer, it became instantly obvious that I was in a unique position to write a new uplifting series about family history. I’ve been a writer all my life, mainly in the corporate world, and saw a unique chance to write a novel series like no other.
Question: Your cover is so colorful! Why did you put a 92-year-old woman on the front?
Lynne: It made sense because she is the foundation of all that follows. Her family looks to Lady Edwina Greymore for guidance, composure and how to best serve the community. Of course they are a privileged family, but they know how to give back and include the people in their village and greater county. On a higher plane, ageism in entertainment needs to be halted, and it’s so scarily unusual to see a senior on the cover of a novel.
Question: Do you have to be an expert genealogist to understand this book?
Lynne: Absolutely not. It’s actually written for beginners, someone who’s starting to discover family history records, interviews, build a rudimentary family tree etc.
Question: What kind of fact-checking had to happen for this book?
Lynne: My mother, Penelope Christensen, PhD, has written 38 nonfiction research methodology books and is a world-renowned genealogy expert. I was fortunate to have her to rely upon for checking that the research sections were correct. I am by no means a genealogy expert myself but am extremely interested in historical lives, family heirlooms, social history etc.
Question: Who is your ideal reader?
Lynne: Readers today, I believe, are looking for an uplifting escape from all the challenges our world is experiencing. Aunt Edwina’s Fabulous Wishes is humorous family history fiction. It’s a niche category for those who love family history and all its twists, turns and eccentric characters. This book is a fun read filled with characters who will become friends.
Question: Is this a clean read, safe for all ages?
Lynne: Yes, there is no erotica, violence or profanity in this novel, making it easy to share with your children or grandmother without worrying about any dodgy bits! I understand that clean reads with substantive stories are in demand.
Question: When can we expect more from the Aunt Edwina series?
Lynne: Book 2 is already at the publishers and should hopefully be out late 2022. The Greymore team is in full action helping two new characters pursuing more family history adventures and knowledge.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynne Christensen is a world traveler who enjoys visiting museums and archives. She grew up roaming around graveyards in Europe with her genealogy-loving parents in search of elusive ancestors. A lifelong learner, she earned both Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Commerce degrees plus has over twenty-five years of experience in marketing and corporate communications. Her writing is published in numerous magazine articles, case studies, advertisements and technical manuals. She lives on the West Coast of Canada in a house full of fascinating books.
Connect with Lynne at http://www.auntedwina.com and on Twitter (@LVChristensen), Instagram (@lynnevchristensen), and LinkedIn.
Aunt Edwina’s Fabulous Wishes will be available wherever books are sold.
My thoughts: I was sent this book for review, so thank you to the PR team. It sounded like lots of fun so I was happy to share it with you all.
After Julie discovers her brand new husband is cheating on her, and her grandmother/aunt Edwina has just passed away, she takes off a treasure hunt with her eccentric cousin Gertie to discover Edwina’s secrets and a forgotten love story.
The book is very funny and clever as Aunt Edwina’s clues have the duo meeting all sorts of interesting people from antique dealers, aristocrats turned hoteliers, and a lawyer who never uses one word when six will do! There’s also escaped rabbits, runway pigs, a lost puppy and a diversion to Scotland for the no good husband and his mistress.
Taking in parts of southern England, from Kent across to Devon, visiting the places the mysterious artist ‘E.E.’ painted and finding all sorts of keys and locks along the way. This was a fun and clever book, very enjoyable and accessible.
His secret could destroy them, but her truth is even harder to bear…
One year ago, my husband Jack left. I’ve longed for the moment he would walk through the door and tell me all he ever wanted was to be with me.
Now he’s back, but this isn’t the reunion I had dreamt of…
Jack has been in a hit and run accident. He doesn’t remember we aren’t together, has no clue about his other family, and no recollection of the phone call he made before the crash – I made a terrible mistake that I can’t put right. All I can do is get out.
Jack is different to the man that walked out and I’m certain he’s hiding something too.
But I finally have my husband by my side, and with Jack suffering from amnesia, surely the easiest thing would be to stay quiet…
But can you really trust a man who simply vanished from your life? And should he even trust me?
My thoughts: this was a very clever book with two unreliable narrators in Caitlin and Lydia – the only one who knows the whole truth is Jack and he can’t remember.
With suspicious goings on, angry lingering exes, in the form of Owen, a teenage boy with his own plan, memories surfacing even in those without amnesia, and ends being manipulated all over, this is a twisting tale of love, violence, truth and lies.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
You thought you were safe. Until he moved in next door…
I haven’t lived here long. The house is small and a little rundown, but each piece of faded floral wallpaper I peel away feels like unwrapping the second chance I never thought I’d get. I’m finally free to wear what I want, and I don’t flinch when I accidently burn dinner. My new home is warm, and the kids are safe inside. Anywhere would feel idyllic after the nightmare marriage I’ve just escaped.
But then I see my ex-husband Craig stroll past my window and let himself into the house next door. Fear chokes me. How did he find me? Does he want me back, or to destroy me for good?
As the removals van pulls away, Craig tells me it’s just a coincidence, that we can all get along and be good neighbours. But at night I lie awake listening to the sound of laughter and lovemaking through the thin wall that separates us, wondering if his new girlfriend is safe. And in the morning, I rifle through his trash, trying to guess his next move. I know how crazy I look, but I’d do anything to protect my children.
Weeks later, when the night air fills with smoke, and this quiet street dances with blue and red flashing police lights, all the secrets behind our two closed doors will be revealed. But after everything that’s happened, will anyone believe I’m innocent?
An absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller from an Amazon No1. bestseller that will keep you turning pages long into the night. Fans of The Wife Between Us, The Family Upstairs and The Girl on the Train will be totally hooked!
Samantha Hayes grew up in a creative family where her love of writing began as a child. Samantha has written eight thrillers in total, including the bestselling Until You’re Mine. The Independent said “fantastically written and very tense” while Good Housekeeping said “Her believable psychological thrillers are completely gripping.” Samantha’s books are published in 22 languages at the last count.
When not writing, Samantha loves to cook, go to the gym, see friends and drink nice wine. She is also studying for a degree in psychotherapy. She has three grown-up children and lives in Warwickshire.
My thoughts: Leah’s life becomes a living nightmare after her monstrous ex-husband moves in next door – terrorising her and attempting to destroy her life. From claiming she’s mentally ill, digging up her garden, sleeping with her solicitor, all manner of awful things.
As Leah tries to stop him, she’s in further trouble when a body is found in her garden, burnt beyond recognition. Is it Craig? The police are soon asking lots of questions and her answers don’t add up.
Craig is possibly the most unpleasant, manipulative man I’ve read of recently. I can completely understand why Leah is so terrified when he moves in next door and why the police are suspicious of her. He’s convinced so many people that he’s the good guy and she’s the worst wife ever. And he just won’t stop. This is a twisted and rather awful story of one man’s monstrousness and how a victim can only do so much. That said the ending was very satisfying all round. I just hope the chickens are ok.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
I am thrilled to share this gorgeous cover for an upcoming release called House of Badawi by C.J. Khemi! This beauty will be gracing shelves this October!
Rumors about women are rarely true, but should whispers about powerful men be adhered to?
Valxina Kulrani wants nothing more than to join the Keepers, an all women legion that protects the House of Badawi’s spring of immortality. The Keepers prevent rival kingdoms from using the spring to create immortal armies—an undertaking forbidden by the King, for only he and his chosen are allowed to use the spring’s waters.
When Valxina finally achieves her dreams, she expects safety and protection after a life of poverty. But Valxina soon discovers that her new existence isn’t what she thought. Keepers are vanishing in the dead of night—including Valxina’s superior, Sera.
Worried that her status won’t keep her safe and that she and the other new Keepers could be the next to disappear, Valxina devises a plan: seduce the Lord of Badawi, Zessfar, into telling her what he knows about the disappearances. As she grows closer to Zessfar and they put together the pieces of Sera’s disappearance, Valxina realizes she might be falling for him.
But things in the House of Badawi are never as they seem. Whispers spread like wildfire behind the marble walls—about the true cost of the spring’s waters, and the lengths that the House of Badawi is willing to go to keep those secrets quiet. Valxina must learn to separate truth from deception in a court where the truth could get her killed.
C.J. Khemi is the debut author of House of Badawi. She’s Indo-Trinidadian-American, a native New Yorker, and is currently living out her cottage-core dreams in a home outside of NYC.
Khemi holds a M.A. in International Affairs and a B.A. in Psychology. She is a content writer by day, covering current affairs and politics in the United States.
When C.J. is not working or writing, she is out walking at her local nature preserve, trying to perfect her mom’s curry chicken recipe (which she has yet to get just right), and binging her latest obsession with her cat, Moon.
‘There is no me; there is no you. There is only us.’ The Maids of Biddenden is inspired by the real-life story of conjoined twins Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst, born in 1100 into a wealthy family from a small Kent village. Joined at the hip, the sisters overcome fear and hostility to grow into gifted and much-loved women – one a talented musician and song-writer, the other a caring healer and grower of medicinal plants. Entangled in the struggles for power and influence of the great Kent nobles of the time, they achieve much in their lifetimes and leave behind a legacy in Biddenden that survives to this day. This is the heart-warming and inspirational story of two remarkable women leading one joint life, challenging adversity to become the best they can be.
I became a full-time author in 2016, publishing three novels under the pen name GD Harper. I have been both a Wishing Shelf Book Award finalist and Red Ribbon winner, been shortlisted for the Lightship Prize, longlisted for the UK Novel Writing Award and longlisted for the Page Turner Writer Award. The Maids of Biddenden was a finalist in this year’s Page Turner Book Award for unpublished manuscripts, longlisted for the Exeter Book Prize and the Flash 500 Novel Award, and shortlisted for the Impress Prize.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed this, Eliza and Mary are brought vividly to life, kind and brave, enduring people’s stares and comments all their lives. All they want is to be happy, to live in their village with their family and devote themselves to music (Eliza) and healing plants (Mary).
Conjoined twins are very rare and in the 12th century seen as either divine marvels or tools of the Devil. Luckily for the Chulkhurst sisters, most seem to see them as marvels, and treat them kindly. It helps that they’re clearly intelligent, gentle and care for others. Their father is a decent man and even their stepmother comes to love them and feel terrible guilt about her earlier treatment.
They are talented and meet many important figures of the day, including the Queen, in this novel inspired by their lives, although they most likely merely lived quietly in Biddenden, and never achieved such fame. But by creating a version of the world where they do meet notable people, their world is much bigger than one Kent village and they interact much more widely than you would expect. I liked their courage in the face of their differences, their bond with each other and the way they worked together to be both be happy.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Welcome to the book tour for Dead Drift by Kelly Romo! The perfect vacation read! Grab yourself a copy and make sure to enter the giveaway at the end!
Dead Drift (Whitewater Thriller #1)
Publication Date: May 15, 2022
Genre: Thriller/ Serial Killer
Two teenage girls on the run with fake IDs and a beater car…what could go wrong?
Emmy has always been impulsive. She is no longer a minor and has aged out of foster care. When her best friend, Amber, is the target of a perverted uncle who lives in the basement of her group home, they plan her escape.
They head for Canada, where Amber will be safe, and the foster care system can no longer control their lives. When they come across a whitewater rafting brochure, they decide to take a detour for one last adventure before leaving the country. Emmy and Amber have no idea it will be a decision that will forever change their fates.
The rafting town is so far in the middle of nowhere that Emmy’s car radio catches nothing but static. They consider turning around until a truck pulls up, loaded with hot whitewater rafting guides and rubber rafts–just the fun they were looking for. Ignoring every instinct, they turn off the pavement and follow the truck down an isolated dirt road. They end up in Lodell, the town where a girl went missing the previous summer…and she will not be the last.
There are five stages of drowning: surprise, involuntary breath-holding, unconsciousness, hypoxic convulsions, and finally, death.
Shawna’s hair spreads out in a halo of jet-black strands lit by the moon and rippling in the current. There is no fear or panic in her. I spared her of that. Her death is beautiful and silent as I hold her in my arms and cradle her beneath the surface. I put my lips to hers and inhale her very last breath before she gasps and draws my water into her lungs. She becomes heavy then seizes like a fish. My blood surges and thunders inside me. I have never felt so alive. Shawna finally relaxes, surrenders, and becomes mine forever. I hold and comfort her through it all. Binding her to me was easier than I thought. I should have done this years ago.
I raise Shawna up. Her nose, lips, and tits break the surface, all slick and shiny in the moonlight. I give her one last kiss, then take her nipple between my lips and flick it with my tongue. I wish I could keep her longer, but she is losing her warmth. I take a clump of her jet-black hair and wind it tight around my finger until the tip of it goes numb. I yank it from her head. It is surprising how easily it comes out and hangs from my hand, as black and shiny as tar. It will be perfect.
Shawna is mine forever, for I am the river, and the river is me. It is the fluid, and I am the flesh.
Giveaway: Click the link below to enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Dead Drift and something creepy and unique from the “killer’s” Etsy shop! Good luck!
Kelly Romo grew up in California but has lived in Oregon for over twenty-five years. She teaches writing, literature, and social studies. She is the mother of three grown children: Brittany, Brennan, and Ryan. She is an avid outdoorswoman who loves to kayak, hike, and fish.
Kelly has a Master of Fine Arts in Writing (Fiction) and a Master of Arts in Teaching, both from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon USA.
My thoughts: this was a clever, dark, twisted thriller. Set in a small town where tourists come to ride the rapids every summer and girls seem to go missing every year too. When Emmy and Amber, heading to Canada, stop by to explore the river, they find more than they bargained for. Amber goes missing and Emmy can only vaguely remember the night before – did the girls really hurl their new shoes into the tree? And why would Amber, afraid of the water, risk the river?
As a year goes by, Emmy’s memories remain fuzzy but a new summer brings more tourists and more girls go missing. Can Emmy solve the terrible mysteries and save another girl from Amber’s fate? Can she stop a killer?
I didn’t see the killer at all, all the hints pointed in several directions and the sunny, tourist friendly nature hid a really disturbing dark side – one that needed Emmy’s outsider perspective to finally be revealed and stopped. Very enjoyable.
Scarlett’s aunt lived – and was brutally murdered – in the apartment upstairs. But Scarlett is determined that life should return to some kind of normal, even if that means living with just a ceiling between her and the scene of such a devastating crime.
After all, this is her home. She’s safe here. Isn’t she?
Dee is busy balancing her job as a funeral director with organising an event to mark the disappearance of her best friend, ten years ago. She’s got enough on her plate without worrying about the threatening messages that are appearing on her company’s Facebook page.
When Scarlett approaches Dee about planning her aunt’s funeral, an unexpected link emerges between them. Together, the two women could uncover secrets that have long been buried. Even while someone wants to stop them digging . . .
LESLEY KARA is the author of Sunday Times bestsellers The Rumour and Who Did You Tell? Her debut, The Rumour, was also a Kindle No.1 bestseller. She is an alumna of the Faber Academy ‘Writing a Novel’ course. She lives on the North Essex coast. You can follow Lesley on Twitter @LesleyKara or visit her website at www.lesleykara.com
My thoughts: this was a clever, gripping story that twisted and turned, leading you on a strange journey into the case of a missing woman and a murder-suicide that might not be so clear cut.
Scarlett’s aunt Rebecca was murdered by her partner, who then killed himself, and Scarlett has returned to her flat in the house the two women shared. Her aunt lived upstairs and to allow Scarlett to better manage her ME, she lived downstairs. But a chance discovery of a card from a missing woman – Gina, sparks an investigation that could have dire consequences.
Dee runs an ethical funeral business with her best friend Lindsay, their other best friend was Gina. When Scarlett hires them to bury her aunt, they don’t realise the connection. Once they do, questions arise.
At times I couldn’t figure out where this was all going – was Scarlett’s brother Ollie responsible for Gina’s disappearance? Why was he so agitated about the summer house? Would Scarlett be ok? What about Dee? But as the answers were revealed and the truth brought to light, the cleverness of the plotting was also laid out.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Sometimes it isn’t just good police work that catches criminals. Sometimes you just have to watch them. This is the strategy DCI Steve Burt uses when presented with two different and equally baffling cases.
The DCI takes on a case unofficially as a favour to an ex-colleague that involves the disappearance of an official of the Bank of England and the theft of gold bullion from the bank. The other is a baffling case involving multiple murders at the country home of a peer of the realm.
Steve and his team must navigate a trail of misleading clues and blind alleys involving suspected terrorism, kidnapping, conspiracy and international intrigue, as they strive to solve both cases. His boss becomes increasingly annoyed with Steve’s unconventional approach to police work, but the DCI knows he has to put his career on the line in order to solve these two very different and difficult cases.
John Reid is the creator of the DCI Steve Burt series of thriller and suspense crime fiction at its very best.
Retirement has given John the time to fulfil his passion for writing, creating the mystery series through his unique creative process. Each main character is fully developed at the beginning of the writing process, with the part they play in each journey evolving organically within the confines of the underlying plot line. This freedom and flexibility creates inventive and compelling story telling that keeps the reader intrigued throughout.
John was born in Scotland and, after serving in the Army, embarked on a career in industry. He has worked in several different sectors in senior roles and was latterly CEO of a large international data capture company. He retired for the first time in 1995 to take on a consultancy designed to help new businesses become established. In 2018 he finally retired from business life to become a full-time author. John lives in Scotland and Portugal with his wife, and they have two grown-up sons.
My thoughts: taking on a missing person’s case for an old colleague leads in unexpected directions for DCI Burt and his team. The missing man works for the Bank of England and a huge shipment of gold bullion is due to be sent at the end of the week.
Complicating matters is the murder of a government minister and his wife at a country house. The murderer has to be one of the guests or the hosts, but why would someone kill them?
Torn between the two cases, trying to keep his superiors off his back and somehow get some sleep, Burt and his tiny team pull in all the additional resources they can, sending officers off to be the watchers of the title – keeping all the suspects under constant surveillance as the DCI tries to work out the plan and the motives of both crimes. Time is of the essence.
Rattling along at a pace, the plot is clever and the characters interesting, although I really wasn’t interested in the murderer’s incredibly overinflated sense of his own importance and intelligence. I know some incredibly bright people who can’t always remember to put socks on in the morning, being a member of Mensa doesn’t actually mean you’re any more intelligent than anyone else. So he was very annoying.
Especially as Burt was a lot smarter and cleverly worked out both the bullion heist and the murders with the evidence available to him and the assistance of his colleagues. All he really needed was some confessions and then it’s the lawyers’ problem!
One summer’s day seventeen years ago Edie and Joel meet. Their connection is instant and a friendship is born, although Edie can’t help but wish for more. But just as she builds up the courage to lay her heart on the line, one night changes everything…
Edie’s moved on from the heartbreak of years ago. So the last thing she expects to receive on her thirty-fifth birthday is an email… from her eighteen-year-old self. As more emails arrive, she starts to remember what – or rather who – she left behind.
Following her own advice, Edie heads back to the place where it all began, and finds her path unexpectedly crossing with Joel’s once more. Could this finally be their chance at love? Or are some things better left in the past?
My thoughts: this was a fun concept for a rom com – emails set to be sent from your own past self, which inspire Edie to look up an old friend and take a few chances in life, and love.
As she starts to reconnect with the teenager she was before her mum’s sudden death, she starts to realise things need to change – from her job to her relationship. Reuniting with old friends and the man she once thought might be something special cause Edie a lot of confusion and then clarity. Fun and entertaining.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 