Category: reviews

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Someone Like You – Rachel Dove

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One broken marriage. One broken heart. One chance to meet someone new.

Hannah leaves her unhappy marriage with her daughter Ava and moves to the village of Leadsham to start afresh. She plans to keep a low profile, focusing on Ava and making a new life for them, far away from her violent ex-husband.

What she hadn’t counted on was Andrew Brody. A police officer with a strict moral code, he knows something’s wrong as soon as he meets Hannah, and he wants to help. But Hannah has been let down by the police – and men – before, and pushes him away.

But the more Hannah tries to ignore Brody, the more she’s drawn to him. Caring, kind and patient, he’s nothing like the man she’s running from. Can Hannah finally put her past behind her, and open her heart to someone new?

My thoughts: as the author says, domestic violence can happen to anyone, but maybe that person will be as lucky as Hannah, whose friend Kate helps her leave and the new home she finds is full of kind people who want to help her, if she can just open up.

She finds new friends, a new job, and a new love, if she can let him, and his dog, in. Brody is a police dog handler, Bullet his partner and Hannah the mysterious woman he’s falling in love with. Bullet prefers baby Ava – notorious as babies are for dropping food, perfect pal for a hungry pooch.

Hannah’s running scared and can’t trust anyone but as she starts to settle in to her new life and the bruises fade, maybe it’s time to. As long as her awful husband doesn’t find them.

Written sensitively and with obvious compassion, this is the best possible outcome for someone fleeing violence, and Hannah finds a new home and a fresh start. Not everyone gets that, but this is a hopeful book, written with heart.

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

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Blog Tour: When Things are Alive They Hum – Hannah Bent

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Set between Hong Kong, London and China in the year 2000, When Things are Alive They Hum by Hannah Bent tells the story of two sisters, the grief that shapes them as children and the lengths to which they will go to save each other as adults. Of her debut novel, Hannah says ‘My inspiration is my sister Camilla who is living with Down syndrome. Our relationship has taught me so much about love, life and grief. I do hope that some of the gifts that Camilla has given me may now be passed onto you through this story.’

Harper, born with a congenital heart disorder and living with what she calls the Up syndrome, is happily living in Hong Kong and in a relationship. On the other side of the world, Marlowe is studying a rare species of butterfly when she is called home with devastating news — Harper’s heart is failing and she has been denied a necessary transplant because she is living with a disability. So begins a journey for the two sisters, both fiercely determined to protect the other no matter the sacrifice.

When Things are Alive They Hum poses profound questions about the nature of love and existence, the ways grief changes us, and how we confront the hand fate has dealt us. Intensely moving, exquisitely written and literally humming with wonder, it is a novel that celebrates life in all its guises, and what comes after.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hannah Bent completed her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and Film from Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in London. She undertook further study in both directing and screenwriting at the Australian Film and Television and Radio School and has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Technology, Sydney. She was the 2013 recipient of the Ray Koppe Young Writers Award for her novel as a work in progress. Instagram: @hannahbent_author Website: http://www.hannahbent.com

My thoughts: this was lovely, be warned you will need the tissues though. Love is a funny, complicated thing. Marlowe loves Harper, her younger sister, and would do anything for her, but the thought of Harper dying from the heart defect she was born with causes her to spiral.

Harper is very perceptive – she can see the pain her sister is in. Pain that dates back to the death of their mother when they were both very young. Marlowe has been carrying her grief around with her.

As Harper’s condition worsens, Marlowe takes things to an extreme, desperate to save her sister. But she isn’t listening to what Harper wants. It’s only when she starts, that she understands and can stop trying to fix everything.

Beautiful, sad, and intensely moving, this was a joy to read although it made me cry. Harper’s way of seeing the world is magical and colourful, all she wants is to be happy, to be with her family, her friends, her Louis, and her Marlowe. Tender and heartbreaking, I think we all need to try to be a bit more Harper.

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

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Blog Tour: A Lesson in Love and Death – W.H. Lockwood

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A Lession in Love and Death copy

Welcome to the book tour for the gorgeous, genre-blurring book, A Lesson in Love and Death by W.H. Lockwood! Read on for more details and a chance to win a $25 Amazon e-gift card!

Front Cover

A Lesson in Love and Death (Endymion College #1)

Expected Publication Date: September 26th, 2022

Genre: Cozy Horror Romance/ Dark Academia

Anna James dreamed of only two things in life: to read books and to not die.

The day she is offered a scholarship to study literature at the beautiful, exclusive and gothic Endymion College, is the happiest day of her life, but soon after arrival, Anna finds it is nothing like the brochure.

Instantly thrust into a dangerous conspiracy, sent to live in a haunted dormitory with a captivating rival, Anna struggles to keep control of her only chance at a better life and to maintain her already tenuous grip on reality.

Things soon go from bad to worse when a séance goes awry, and finding herself pursued by a terrifying spectre, Anna finds comfort and a kindred spirit in her professor of literature: young, devastatingly handsome and completely off-limits.

Anna must find a way to fight both her desire and a relentless supernatural force out for blood, all while completing her work on time to hold on to her precious scholarship.

Darkly humorous, crushingly awkward, deeply romantic, Endymion College: A Lesson in Love and Death is a celebration of the books we love and an action-packed, supernatural, feminist, horror story all rolled into one.
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Teaser

“Name?”

“Anna James.”
“Anna… Ah, I see your roommate has already been and got her key. One moment.”
The handsome yet bored-looking man disappeared into a dimmer and smaller room, only to return seconds later with a faded envelope. “So, we have a small problem, Anna. Your key is missing. Whoever had it last year didn’t bring it back. But it’s all right. We found this one. Except it comes with a warning.”
The man, clearly amused, leaned close in a conspiratorial manner, and raised one expectant eyebrow at Anna as she took the faded envelope from him. The words ‘Do Not Open’ were written across the front in beautiful cursive. Anna’s big eyes and delicate fingers traced over the words.
“Don’t worry, it’s not as sinister as it sounds,” he continued. “In here is, or should be, a skeleton key. It will open all the doors in your apartment. Which is fine, because there are only two, but one of those is the old hanging door.”
“Hanging door?”
“Hanging door. You’ll see when you get there. You’re on the second floor. There used to be a staircase leading up the exterior of the building to the door. That staircase has long since rotted away, and now only the door remains. A hanging door. A door to nowhere.” He smiled a dashing smile and Anna couldn’t decide if he had gone insane with boredom or if he was flirting. Or both.
“Oh, I see.”
His tone and face changed in an instant. “Do not open that door. I don’t care what happens. Don’t let the air through, don’t look at the view, don’t touch the thing. Health and safety, you know? It’s rotting in its hinges and it could fall out at any moment. I shouldn’t even be giving you this, but, well, I know how it is. You can’t always rely on your roommate.” He tapped on an old, laminated map that was stuck to the counter with brown, peeling sticky tape. “You’re in the old building, here.”
“Older than this building?”
“Oh yes. A good two hundred years older. Go back the way you came and straight across the courtyard. Your building is opposite this one. You will be in the east wing, so turn right when you go inside. You’re on the top floor at the very end of the building. You have the corner view.”
Anna was absolutely delighted. She signed for her key, thanked the man, and made to leave.
“Ms James?”
“Yes?” As Anna looked at him, she noted a strange intensity in his manner, in his stormy, blue eyes.
“That key—that’s our little secret. Really, I probably shouldn’t have given it to you. Don’t tell anyone and don’t let anyone else borrow it. Not even your roommate. And whatever you do, don’t bring it back here…”

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About the Author

Author

W.H. Lockwood writes feminist gothic and historical fiction, dark academia and cosy horror, all with a romantic twist.

Raised on a diet of Point books and Pepsi, only willing to leave her den to attend chess club at public school, W.H. Lockwood started writing at a young age and has kept this passion throughout her life.

Always a voracious reader, she obtained an undergraduate degree in literary studies from a gorgeous sandstone university, following that with a master’s degree in publishing and editing, then another master’s degree in astronomy, thus uniting her two great loves of the arts and science, leaving her utterly unqualified to cope with the real world.

These days, W.H. Lockwood works as a professional editor and can often be found aimlessly wandering through the coffee shops and bookstores of the beautiful city she calls home.

WH Lockwood | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter | Facebook

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My thoughts: Anna wins an illustrious scholarship to Endymion College, all excited to study literature and make new friends. Given a mysterious key that unlocks a door to nowhere, she soon finds herself in the middle of the strange relationship between her roommate Candi (Candide) and tutor Evelyn (like Waugh). There’s also a ghost haunting their room and possibly a demon. In between classes they’re fighting evil. If Candi and Eve can stop bickering long enough.

I liked Anna, completely out of her depth with everything but keen to tackle it head on and make a fresh start. Despite her attraction to Eve and hunky priest Joe. There’s a lot of hanging around waiting to fight the demon in their apartment and ward off the resident ghosts. Candi and Eve were a bit harder to like, they both keep a lot hidden and their relationship is messy and strange. Looking forward to book two though and what new chaos they get into.

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September 19th

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September 20th

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September 21st

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September 22nd

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September 23rd

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Blog Tour: The Santa Killer – Ross Greenwood

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The Santa Killer is coming to town…
One night less than two weeks before Christmas, a single mother is violently assaulted. It’s a brutal crime at the time of year when there should be goodwill to all. When DI Barton begins his investigation, he’s surprised to find the victim is a woman with nothing to hide and no reason for anyone to hurt her.
A few days later, the mother of the woman attacked rings the police station. Her granddaughter has drawn a shocking picture. It seems she was looking out of the window when her mother was attacked. And when her grandmother asks the young girl who the person with the weapon is, she whispers two words.
Bad Santa.
The rumours start spreading, and none of the city’s women feel safe – which one of them will be next?
He’s got a list. It’s quite precise. It won’t matter even if you’re nice.
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Ross Greenwood is the author of crime thrillers. Before becoming a full-time writer he was most recently a prison officer and so worked everyday with murderers, rapists and thieves for four years.
He lives in Peterborough.

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My thoughts: a final case for DI Barton and the team before he takes a job at force HQ with regular hours and less danger (trainees can be lethal!). It’s Christmas and someone dressed as Santa is bopping women over the head and leaving them bloodied and terrified.

Barton is soon on the case, digging into suspects and it all seems to centre on a bathroom and kitchen shop just outside town. Both victims worked there. Something isn’t right and Barton is keen to find out. A similar spree of violence across several counties seems to be headed towards Peterborough. Can Barton identify the perpetrator in time?

Another excellent read, lots happening and suspects abound. Barton continues to be a strong protagonist and holds the story together well, it’s a shame this is the last in this series – although I’m looking forward to the author’s next project.

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

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Blog Tour: This Is Us – Helen McGinn

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A story about friends, sisters, motherhood and starting again – one day at a time…
Stella fell in love with Simon hard and fast. He was everything she wanted in a husband, and he seemed to feel the same way about her. More than a decade of marriage later, life is sweet. They
have three much-wanted children, a successful business, and a comfortable London home. What more could Stella possibly want?
But then, out of the blue, Simon is gone. Vanished. No one knows where he’s gone or why.
Now Stella, with the help of her friends and family, has to pick up the pieces of her and her children’s life, all the while wondering what she missed. Was her husband who he said he was, and
can she trust her own memories of their life together?
Helen McGinn’s latest novel is a love story to friendship, sisters, motherhood and starting again – one day at a time. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Noble, Cathy Kelly and JoJo Moyes.
Purchase


Helen McGinn is a much-loved wine expert on TV and in print and an international wine judge. She spent ten years as a supermarket buyer sourcing wines around the world before setting up her
award-winning blog (and now best-selling wine book) The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club. She is the drinks writer for the Daily Mail and regularly appears on TV’s Saturday Kitchen and This Morning.
Helen lives in the New Forest.

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My thoughts: as someone whose husband recently left them, I totally resonated with Stella. Although I don’t think mine has done all of the awful things Simon has. I loved her hilarious group of friends – Sarah, Lucy and Bridget, and even her supposedly uptight but actually rather nice sister too. The kids were sweet and well behaved and the dog. The trip to Florence sounds amazing (I went when I was 14 but need to go again as a grown up) and her trip to Oban to solve the mystery of Simon’s past gave her a new friend and some answers.

A really enjoyable, light hearted book about friendship, sisters, family and beginning again, but in a good way. Stella is warm and kind and knows what she wants. As we all should.

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

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Blog Tour: Three Small Bones – Jennifer Chase

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Smoke curls from what’s left of the beautiful family home on the edge of the woods. The heat is unbearable as she descends the stairs to the basement, past a set of bicycles––two big, one small. That’s when she sees three little white bones in the cracked earth at her feet, turning her blood to ice…

When firefighters tackling a blazing house in a quiet suburb of Pine Valley, California discover human remains, Detective Katie Scott races to 717 Maple Street. She calls a halt to the excavations the moment she sees the full number and size of the bones; someone has buried a whole family down here.

Working night and day, it’s up to Katie to prove her theory that the fire was no accident, that someone wanted to expose the secret in the basement. Tiny traces of explosives residue found at the scene is all the proof she needs. But the Cross family have been missing for months––leaving friends and loved ones in agonizing pain––what twisted soul would do this now? And why?

The case takes another heart-shattering turn when Katie’s suspicions over recent renovation work on the house leads to the discovery of more bodies in the back yard: two little girls, buried years apart. What other devastating secrets are hidden in this perfect family home? It’s a dead end at every turn as Katie tracks down anyone who knew the family. Just when it looks like all hope is lost, reports of the Cross’s landlord harassing the family before they went missing gives Katie a crucial lead. With a menacing grey sedan following her every move, how many more innocent lives will be lost before Katie can dig up the truth?

An absolutely gripping and totally addictive thriller from a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author. It will keep you racing through the pages all night long––fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh will devour in one sitting!Amazon

Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and best-selling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master’s degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent psychopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells.

In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling. She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists, and member of the International Thriller Writers.

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My thoughts: I love this series, I can’t decide if Cisco or Gav is my favourite though, Katie has the best dog and detective partner! This time they’re looking for a killer who buried his victims under a house. There’s four bodies, a family and a set of bones that’s significantly older.

As Katie and Gav investigate, their team become targets. Is it the killer? Witnesses aren’t safe either. Someone doesn’t want anyone to find out what they’ve done.

I was totally gripped as always, the tension rachets up as more people face the killer and he keeps slipping away. Can Katie and Gav stop him before he kills again? More please!

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

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Blog Tour: Buried Deception – Amanda McKinney

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In the pulse-racing first installment of the On the Edge series, a criminal psychologist teams up with a former marine on a deadly wildland mission. Not even their hearts can stay out of harm’s way.

In the swamps of East Texas, alligators aren’t the only danger lurking in the shadows.

After a young woman is brutally attacked on a popular hiking trail, the evidence points to the notorious Black Cat Stalker. The town of Skull Hollow enlists Dr. Mia Frost to provide a psychological profile and assist in the investigation.

When another person goes missing, Mia partners with Easton Crew, former marine and current CEO of a tactical tracking company. Both Mia and Easton are stubborn, strong-willed, and independent, but neither can deny the smoldering attraction between them.

As professional lines blur, Easton starts to question Mia’s motives and worries she’s getting too close to the investigation. The mystery begins to unravel, but so does Mia’s mental health as the clues dredge up her own haunted past.

It soon becomes evident that things aren’t as they seem … and people aren’t always who they say they are.

My thoughts: I found Mia and Easton an interesting pairing – she’s determined to hide her traumatic past from everyone, and yet he breaks her down without even trying. The case they’ve become embroiled in is awful, violent and cruel. And it triggers her PTSD in the worst way.

But they’re both determined to help the cops catch the Black Cat Stalker and bring his reign of terror on the hiking trails to an end. If they can learn to work together and trust each other.

Dark and gripping, with twists and turns, this is a clever and heart racing thriller.

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

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Blog Tour: The Countess of the Revolution – Lana Kortchik

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Russia, 1917

Petrograd is on the eve of revolution. For Countess Sophia Orlova, the city of her childhood – the only home she has ever known – has become her deadly enemy. The mob are ready to get rid of anyone connected to the old regime, including Sophia.

When rebels threaten to shoot Sophia and her husband, they are saved by Nikolai, a fervent supporter of the revolution. Determined to help Nikolai’s cause, Sophia sets up a hospital wing in the house, nursing injured victims by his side.

Her kindness has captured Nikolai’s heart, but their burgeoning romance is forbidden. With battle lines drawn between the new and the old, both their lives are in danger…

Will their love be strong enough to overcome the horrors of war?

My thoughts: this was really interesting, I studied the Russian Revolution at school and have been fascinated by the country ever since. I’ve been to St Petersburg aka Petrograd, and it is a beautiful place. They’ve preserved many of the old historic buildings like the Winter Palace – which houses the Hermitage museum. Places Sophia would recognise, a real blend of the old and new. Which was what was happening in the novel. As Lenin and his Bolsheviks seized power during the First World War, taking Russia out of the international conflict and into its own civil war, the old – represented by the tsar and the countless princes and princesses in their palatial homes, and the new – Lenin and the rise of the working people, collide.

Nikolai is Sophia’s brother-in-law, but she falls for him the moment he saves her life and that of her husband Dmitry. The two brothers fall either side of the political divide but their relationship, complex as it is, means the Count and Countess survive. But Sophia is not simply the well dressed, spoilt woman she appears. She works as a nurse, caring for soldiers returned from the front. She volunteers to help care for Nikolai’s men and they bond.

Fleeing St Petersburg puts them in more danger and they have to keep running from the Red Army as it progresses across Russia. But despite her attempts to be a good wife and resist her feelings, Sophia can’t stop falling harder and harder for Nikolai. Will she swap sides and brothers?

Gripping, sweeping historical fiction with a heart wrenching love story at its centre.

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

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Blog Tour: The Whisperling – Hayley Hoskins

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When you’re dead, you’re dead. When you’re gone, you’re gone. Unless, of course, you’re not. And that’s where I come in.

The year is 1897, and Peggy Devona can speak with ghosts.

She hides her gift from those afraid of a girl with such powers, terrified of the secrets the dead could reveal through her. But when her best friend is accused of murdering her rich mistress, Peggy knows only she – a  hisperling – can save her.

Peggy escapes to her uncle’s psychic emporium in the city, seeking out new ghosts to help her solve Sally’s case.

Yet time is running out, and each step towards uncovering the truth also brings Sally one step closer to the gallows. . .

Long listed for the Bath Children’s Novel award, Hayley Hoskins writes in the space between family and work, with much support from her writing group.

Mum to a teenage boy, she spends a disproportionate amount of time hoping that her son’s life is far less complicated than those of the characters in her books, and trying to ensure he becomes a ‘good egg’.

 Originally from the Forest of Dean, Hayley lives with her family and hairy breezeblock of a dog in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Twitter

My thoughts: inspired by the real life executions of teenage girls in the past and the Victorian fascination for séances and the afterlife, this is a clever, fun story of a young woman with an extraordinary gift and how she uses it to get justice for the living and the dead.

Peggy Devona has inherited the family gift for talking to the dead – she’s a Whisperling – and while it isn’t as bad as being a 17th century witch, there are still those who see it as evil. Like the local vicar, Tate, who has a real issue with Peggy. And a few other people.

Sent to live with her uncle at his psychic emporium (he has two clairvoyants living and working there – Oti and Cecily, who are a joy fyi) for her own safety, she is determined to save her best friend Sally from the noose after she is accused of murdering her employer.

But in order to solve the crime, she must give in to the power of the Devonas and allow the dead to speak. Assisted by her friends and family, can she stop Sally’s terrible fate and right a wrong?

Really enjoyable, lots of fun and Peggy is a great protagonist. Her gift frightens her, not unsurprisingly, and in embracing it she realises she can do good and help people. She also discovers she is surrounded by people who love her – living and dead.

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

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Blog Tour: The Rise – Shari Low & Ross King

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When we bury our secrets, they always come back to haunt us…
Their rise was meteoric.
Only a few years before, they had been three friends from Glasgow, just trying to survive tough lives of danger and dysfunction.
But on one Hollywood evening in 1993, they were on the world’s biggest stage, accepting their Oscar in front of the watching world.
That night was the beginning of their careers. But it was also the end of their friendship.
Over the next twenty years, Mirren McLean would become one of the most powerful writers in the movie industry.
Zander Leith would break box-office records as cinema’s most in-demand action hero.
And Davie Johnson would rake in millions as producer of some of the biggest shows on TV.
For two decades they didn’t speak, driven apart by a horrific secret.
Until now…
Their past is coming back to bite them, and they have to decide whether to run, hide, or fight.
Because when you rise to the top, there’s always someone who wants to see you fall.
An exciting new glam thriller for the fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Liane Moriarty and Jo Spain
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Shari Low and Ross King MBE is a writing partnership forged in a friendship of over 30 years. Scottish author Shari is the bestselling writer of over thirty novels including bestsellers My One Month
Marriage, One Summer Sunrise and The Story of our Secrets. Los-Angeles-based Ross King is a four times news Emmy award-winning TV and radio host, actor, producer, writer and performer, and is
currently the Los Angeles correspondent for ITV’s Lorraine and Good Morning Britain. They are publishing their Hollywood thriller trilogy with Boldwood, the first of which is called The Rise and is
due for release in September 2022.

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My thoughts: this was a lot of fun. I love Shari’s books and this had her trademark humour mixed with a shot of Hollywood glamour. Three friends from a rough Glasgow council estate escape their lives and with a script based on a terrible incident somehow blag their way to fame and fortune and then never speak again.

Until a journalist starts digging, wanting to write about their upbringing, dig up the past. Something they would do anything to stop. Might be time to catch up.

I was hooked, this was so good, written like a thriller but with lots in common with vintage Jackie Collins or Taylor Jenkins Reid, that behind the scenes everything is falling apart vibe, the glitz is fake feel to it. And it’s really shocking too. I won’t go into details but wow. Lots of twists you will not spot.

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