Category: reviews

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Death in Nonna’s Kitchen – Alex Coombs

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When famous TV chef Matteo McLeish turns up at the Old Forge Café and
offers chef Charlie Hunter a place in his kitchen for the duration of Hampden
Green’s local opera festival, she thinks it’s because he rates her cooking skills. In
fact it’s because he’s heard she’s good in a crisis. The wholesome star of Nonna’s
Kitchen is being blackmailed by one of his team.
Tempted by an improbably large pay cheque and the boost to to her CV, Charlie
accepts his offer. Does the threat lie close to home, or back in Italy with
Matteo’s culinary roots? And can Charlie find the blackmailer before she’s
swept up in an avalanche of death and scandal?

Alex Coombs was born in Lambeth in South London and studied Arabic at
Oxford and Edinburgh Universities. Murder on the Menu was his first book in the new series: the Old Forge Café Mysteries. Alex lives in the Chilterns.

My thoughts: this was a fun murder mystery set in the world of quality chefs and restaurants. Matteo McLeish is a TV chef with a well known back story, and a problem. He tells fellow chef, and amateur detective, Charlie Hunter (our protagonist and narrator) that he’s being blackmailed about his wife’s dodgy history, but when the bodies start piling up, it’s clear there’s more going on, and he won’t go to the police.

Charlie is trying to make the most of working with Matteo, but he’s hardly around and for the most part she likes his team, none of them seem to be blackmailer material. She’s starting to suspect something else is going on.

Throw in an enraged female Hell’s Angel, a creepy maitre’d, a handsome ex, a very efficient front of house manager, lots of delicious food and a lot of opera too. This is lots of fun, and really enjoyable. I liked Charlie a lot, I haven’t read book one in this series, but I will do now and eagerly await the next one!

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Long Live – V.B. Lacey

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To celebrate the release of Forever Reign this month, we’re going back to the beginning! There’s still time to read Long Live but you better hurry!

Long Live: An Elemental Magic Fantasy Romance (The Elementals of Iona #1)

Publication Date: June 2023

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

✨Forced Proximity
✨Witty Banter
✨One Cave
✨Multiple POVs
✨Anxiety
✨No Spice Romance
✨Morally Grey Characters
✨Elemental Magic
✨Plot Twists

Isla Belthare lives an ordinary life in her small village of Lockhurt. Since losing both her mother and the man she loved two years ago, all she wants is stability and peace. But her world is forever changed when her family is attacked on a journey away from home and she must travel to the Aataran mountain range to find them.

Across the realm, four ancient beings who control the elements of nature are awakening.

After a civil war that tore the humans apart, the elementals entered a thousand year slumber. Now, they are being summoned to prevent a dark force that is greedy for power and threatening to overturn the balance of nature.

When Isla’s path crosses with one of these elementals, she finds her fate is more entangled with theirs than she had ever imagined. As she risks it all to follow the elementals on their journey to defeat the unknown foe, she discovers that not everything may be as it seems. Isla is torn between protecting her loved ones or following her heart down a dangerous path of power and magic, of truth and lies.

What will they sacrifice to stop the coming storm?

Long Live is the first book in the Elementals of Iona duology, an epic fantasy romance that follows the journey of a young woman overcoming loss and anxiety and four immortal beings learning how to forgive and love again after their dark past. This enemies-to-lovers series is full of morally grey characters, witty banter, unique elemental magic, romantic tension, and twists you won’t see coming. Long Live is perfect for lovers of epic quests and character-driven stories, especially fans of Carissa Broadbent, Elise Kova, and Sarah J Maas.

Purchase Here!

 

About the Author

V.B. Lacey is an office manager by day and an avid reader-turned-writer by night. She grew up on stories of magic, love, and sarcasm, and equips her writing with all three. She lives in Texas with her supportive husband and two rambunctious dogs. When she’s not writing about morally grey characters and far-off kingdoms, you can find her reading (mostly fantasy and contemporary romance), playing board games, or spending time with friends.

Follow on Instagram: @vblacey.books

 My thoughts: I really liked Isla, she’s a determined, smart and despite feeling out of her depth, she tackles every new challenge and complication that comes her way. Not knowing that her ancestors were powerful and important, and not fully understanding the elementals history means she’s in the dark about quite a lot but gamely fights on, because her family are at risk and they matter the most to her. I also loved her friend Bri, who’s fierce and protective of Isla.

I found the elementals a bit less engaging, there’s a lot of back story there, and not knowing all the ins and outs of their history, puts the reader in the same place as Isla a lot of the time.

It starts off slow and then as the four elementals connect again, the plot really picks up, especially once they work out who the “dark god” is and what they’re hunting for.

It’s a fun, fast paced, complex fantasy, complete with confusing romantic options and mysterious plots and villains.

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IG: @vblacey.books @rrbooktours

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#rrbooktours #rrbtlonglive #longlive #theelementsofiona #vblacey #romanticfantasy #fantasybooks #booktropes #fantasyromance #romantasy #newadultfantasy

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Red Runs the Witch’s Thread – Victoria Williamson

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Paisley, Scotland, 1697. Thirty-five people accused of witchcraft. Seven condemned to death. Six strangled and burned at the stake. All accused by eleven-year-old Christian Shaw.

Bargarran House, 1722. Christian Shaw returns home, spending every waking hour perfecting the thread bleaching process that will revive her family’s fortune. If only she can make it white enough, perhaps her past sins will be purified too.
But dark forces are at work. As the twenty-fifth anniversary of the witch burnings approaches, ravens circle Bargarran House, their wild cries stirring memories and triggering visions.

As Christian’s mind begins to unravel, her states of delusion threaten the safety of all those who cross her path. In the end she must make a terrible choice: her mind or her soul? Poverty and madness, or a devil’s bargain for the bleaching process that will make her the most successful businesswoman Paisley has ever seen?

Her fate hangs by a thread. Which will she choose?

An eerie tale of lies, deception and the supernatural from award-winning author Victoria Williamson.

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The author

My thoughts: inspired by a true case in 17th century Scotland, Red Runs the Witch’s Thread follows Christian Shaw as she attempts to set up a business in Paisley, her father and brothers are dead and as the eldest, she is trying to revive her family’s fortunes and provide for her mother and sisters.

Her family is looked on with suspicion because as a child Christian claimed to be cursed by witches and accused 35 people of witchcraft, leading some to be burnt at the stake (which only happened in Scotland, in England they were hung).

Christian is having flashbacks to that time and the events that led to so many deaths by her hands, albeit indirectly. It’s causing her to hallucinate and act very strangely, frightening not only herself but her family and servants. She’s also becoming increasingly obsessive over the bleaching process for the thread her livelihood depends on. As she unravels, her past revisited, she starts to realise the truth of whose influence she has really been under.

Christian isn’t a hugely sympathetic character, her single mindedness and high handed way of talking to everyone – servant and family members isn’t very pleasant and it’s no surprise her sisters aren’t that fond of her. But her clearly troubled mind and conscience, are no surprise either. Eleven year olds tell lies, but the fact that so many adults, including supposedly educated ones, believed the terrible things she said is shocking.

There is an ongoing movement in Scotland to have the victims of the witch trials, Christian really did exist and really did have 35 people condemned to death, pardoned by the state and removed from the lists of convicted and executed criminals. Most of the “witches” were guilty only of poverty and of their circumstances. I would probably be among their number if I was in the 16th and 27th centuries so I have a lot of empathy for these men and women.

Victoria Williamson brings that era of superstition and suspicion vividly to life in Red Runs the Witch’s Thread as Christian attempts to rebuild her family fortune and her reputation.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Inheritance – Kevin Lynch

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You can bury the dead. But you can’t bury the past.

Jane’s father was murdered in cold blood at the family home. The killer was never found.

In the years since, Jane has done everything in her power to stay away from that house. To forget the nightmare and get on with her life.

But now she has to go back.

Her mother is ill and Jane must care for her. Her husband Joe goes with her but soon after they arrive at her family home, he begins to act strangely. Adding to her unease, Jane’s brother Dan is openly hostile.

Increasingly unnerved, Jane feels compelled to uncover the secrets of the old house. And discovers that her father may have been killed by someone close to her. Someone who’s been hiding in plain sight all these years.

Now it’s a race against time. Can Jane discover the shocking truth about her father’s death before it’s too late? Can she right the wrongs of the past?

Goodreads Buy Links

Kevin is a Guidance Counselor by day and a psychological thriller author during his off hours. He puts an original slant on some common experiences and creates engaging stories with a personal twist. Kevin lives in Dublin, Ireland with three great kids, a frenetic Westie, Alfie, and a wife who makes him laugh, which is really all he could ask for.

My thoughts: moving in to her childhood home to care for her ailing mother brings all sorts of memories back for Jane, not least the murder of her father on the driveway, never solved, it still haunts her.

Her husband Joe resents being expected to help care for his mother-in-law and has plenty of secrets of his own, as their marriage struggles, he withdraws further.

Then there’s Jane’s odd brother Dan, always in his cycling gear, despite supposedly having a high flying finance job, he has plenty of time to pop in at random points during the day, make creepy comments and then cycle off.

As the family soldier on, Jane’s mother’s health continues to fail, she drinks too much despite the medication she’s on and her memory wanders, does a care home feature in her future sooner rather than later?

Joe confides in Dan, which can’t end well, and Jane wants to confront her husband about his secrets. As things come to a head, will Jane finally learn the truth about her dad’s death and will everyone survive the answers?

Gripping and full of twists and turns, this is a sinister and tragic family thriller.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Calliope Wakes – Constance Kersaint

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Welcome to the tour for Calliope Wakes by Constance Kersaint! Read on for more details!


Publication Date: February 23, 2024
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy

The gods are alive, and they’re in Michigan.

Something is wrong in Bellhaven, and Callie doesn’t know how to stop the nightmares. She just wants to be safe in her small city by Lake Michigan, but there are strangers in town and evil around the corner. Is she causing the troubles or is there something more sinister? Erik has come back into her life and seems to know more about her bursts of insanity than her, but she doesn’t know if she can trust him or if he’s trying to distract her.
Then buildings are collapsing, wolves are attacking, people are dying and only Callie can save them. Will this time be different? Will they finally live to see the sun rise on All Hallows’ Eve?

GET IT HERE

My thoughts: blending Celtic (Irish and Welsh) with Norse mythology is interesting, all these reincarnated gods and frost giants roaming around, desperate to break a curse thousands of years old, mostly by murdering one of both of two teenagers, none of whom asked for any of this, to escape their fates. 

Callie is 18, trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, and then she’s told that she’s the reincarnation of the Welsh goddess Branwen – doomed to fall in love with a Viking god’s reincarnation and get him killed by his own family, thus creating this looped curse that has kept them all trapped for centuries. Oh, and she can’t leave town – the curse won’t let her.

Her childhood best friend Erik is the other half of the doomed couple, but they haven’t even spoken in four years, so how can they be fated to fall in love? And her whole family turn out to be gods too – at first she thinks she’s losing the plot, but a blow to the head brings back her memories.

Callie is determined to figure a way out of the curse for everyone, a way that doesn’t require her or Erik to be murdered, even if his cousins are gunning for her, and his ex-girlfriend Helena – who’s also Hel, goddess of the underworld. Lovely.

As Samhain approaches and Callie and Erik become even more entwined by the curse, Callie must figure out how to survive, even if Ragnarok will come for them sooner or later instead. 

It’s helpful to know a bit about mythology reading this, I’ve read the Mabinogion, the Welsh myth cycle, some Irish myths and Norse myths before, all of which was a bit helpful, as the three overlap a bit here, which is a little confusing at times. Especially as more gods and monsters come to town, but I liked Callie and Erik, as well as Erik’s brother, who was always making stupid jokes.

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IG: @constancekersaintauthor @evernightteen @rrbooktours
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#rrbooktours #calliopewakes #yaurbanfantasy #yaparanormal #youngadultbooks #yafantasy #ireadya #yabookstagram

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Ha-Ha – Tom Shakespeare

ramblingmads

Meet Fred. He is about to turn forty and has invited an eclectic group of friends to celebrate at a rented stately home. He is a wheelchair user after being paralysed in a road traffic accident, has been busy at work at his memoir and is longing to reconnect with long-standing university crush, Heather, a high-flying TV foreign
correspondent. What should have been a jolly weekend in the country starts getting decidedly more complicated when Heather realises that the publication of Fred’s book could threaten her career ambitions.

The Ha-Ha is a thoroughly engaging and very entertaining novel about friendship, sex, hallucinogenic drugs, marriage and putting the past behind you. There is also a very hungry pig who may or may not have eaten Fred’s stolen memoir.
It also proves that you can write about disability without making a big fuss of disability and that you can pay tribute to the immortal world of Blandings without ever including a PG Wodehouse character.

Tom Shakespeare CBE is a social scientist and bioethicist, an academic who writes and talks and researches mainly about disability, but also about ethical
issues around prenatal genetic testing and end of life assisted suicide.
Born in 1966 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, he studied at Cambridge
University and has lived in Gateshead, Geneva and Norwich, while working at
Universities of Sunderland, Leeds, Newcastle, then at World Health Organisation in Geneva, afterwards at UEA Medical School, and presently as Professor of Disability Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Tom has presented programmes and documentaries on BBC Radio and has
written for publications including The Guardian and The Lancet, alongside talking to academic, professional and lay audiences around the world.
He has been a stand-up comedian, an actor, a dancer, and an artist. A father of
two grown-up children, he now lives in London.

Website

My thoughts: this was a fun, and funny, read about a group of people, who mostly went to the same university years ago, gathering for their friend Fred’s fortieth. Fred is probably the nicest one of the lot, and deserves better friends and certainly a better brother. Unfortunately it doesn’t work for that.

I felt quite sorry for Fred, and not because he’s disabled (I know far too many wheelchair users) but because he’s throwing his own party and nothing goes to plan. He’s rented a beautiful old house, planned delicious meals, wants to do a bit of kayaking, maybe play Scrabble, explore the grounds, dress up for dinner in period costume and generally have a nice time.

But the rabble he’s invited instead fall out with each other, steal the manuscript of his memoir, end up in A&E, and other associated chaos. The seven year old might be the most mature one of the lot!

Luckily, as the Bard said, all’s well that ends well, and Fred makes a connection with Nel, the keeper of Vietnamese pot-bellied pig Vin Pong, who has bonded with pug Humphrey, and his friends return to their homes more or less intact. He might even have got his book back in one piece.

Realising the brothers were called Frederick and Roderick (Fred and Roddy) made me groan, but there are people out there who do that – my dad is one of 4, all with names that start with P.

The rest was however very funny, the characters were all pretty shallow but in different ways – Roddy is a wannabe MP (Labour not Tory) but a terrible person, his poor long suffering wife Charlotte (Lottie) deserved more, even if she was a bit of a snob. My favourite was the boyfriend of Robin, Fred’s old pal, Costa Rican chef Alberto, who overhears some of the book snatching plot and thinks Fred’s life is in danger, going completely crazy trying to safeguard him, all while his friends steal the manuscript.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The New Son – Iain Maitland

ramblingmads

Nina always wanted a child of her own. Now she has one.

 Nina feels trapped. Her partner Gary is controlling, his daughter hates her, and she’s recently suffered a miscarriage. Just as her life seems hopeless, Alex, the son she gave up for adoption nearly 20 years ago, shows up at her door. Somehow, he has tracked her down.

 Their reunion is everything Nina has hoped for. Now she has a child of her own, someone in the family who really cares about her.

 But honeymoons are brief and this one is no exception.

 Far from welcoming him, Gary is hostile to Alex and as their arguments become increasingly vicious, it soon becomes clear that Nina must choose between them.

But how will the abusive Gary react if she rejects him? And can she trust Alex? Is he really the loving son he seems to be – or does he have a sinister agenda of his own?

Goodreads Buy Links

Iain Maitland is the author of three previous psych thrillers for Inkubator Books: The Soulmate, The Perfect Husband and The Girl Downstairs.

 Iain is also the author of two memoirs, Dear Michael, Love Dad, a book of letters written to his eldest son who experienced depression and anorexia, and (co-authored with Michael) Out Of The Madhouse.

 He has also written a semi-autobiographical novel, The Old Man, His Dog & Their Longest Journey.

 He is an Ambassador for Stem4, the teenage mental health charity. He talks regularly about mental health issues in schools and colleges and workplaces.

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My thoughts: Nina hasn’t had a very happy life, her parents were very strict and used their religious beliefs as a stick – and when she got pregnant as a teenager sent her to an even stricter aunt and forced her to give up her son. She even lost her boyfriend when his family moved away.

Now she’s in a relationship with the rather repugnant Gary and his awful daughter Chloe is also living in her house. She’s recently lost a baby, one she wanted.

When a young man knocks on the door and claims he’s her long lost son Alex, she’s overcome. And immediately feels a connection – instantly feeling as though everything’s coming together.

But Gary is suspicious of this sudden “cousin” who is now staying with them. And despite his own nastiness, might be right. Monsters often recognise each other. As the situation in the house deteriorates, and Gary’s past starts to catch up with him too, Nina feels like she’s losing something. A chance encounter with her lost love, Ryan, her teenage boyfriend (and Alex’s father) gives her a spark of hope, but it might be too late…

Loads of shocking twists and turns, that I did not see coming, this is gripping, OMG stuff, clever and well written, and with an ending that throws in more surprises, I felt so bad for Nina, nothing in her life has gone well and she’s so desperate for happiness.

Click to access more info on the tour

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Empire of Shadows – Jaquelyn Benson

ramblingmads

We’re celebrating the release of Empire of Shadows this week and if you love swashbuckling adventure stories packed with slow burn witty banter, flesh-eating beetles, and real history, this is a MUST READ!

Empire of Shadows (Raiders of the Arcana Book 1)

Publication Date: April 2, 2024

Genre: Historical Fantasy/ Gaslamp Fantasy

Nice Victorian ladies don’t run off to find legendary lost cities.

One trifling little arrest shouldn’t have cost Ellie Mallory her job, but it’s only the latest in a line of injustices facing any educated woman with archaeological ambitions.

When Ellie stumbles across the map to a mysterious ancient city, she knows she’s holding her chance to revolutionize Pre-Colombian history. There’s just one teensy complication. A ruthless villain wants it, and Ellie is all that stands in his way.

To race him to the ruins—and avoid being violently disposed of—she needs the help of maverick surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling rogue who can’t seem to keep his dratted shirt on.

But there’s more than Ellie’s scholarly reputation (and life) on the line. Her enemies aren’t just looters. They’re after an arcane secret rumored to lie in the heart of the ruins, a mythical artifact with a power that could shake the world.

Between stealing trousers, plummeting over waterfalls, and trying not to fall in love with her machete-wielding partner, will Ellie be able to stop the oracle of a lost empire from falling into the wrong hands?

Empire of Shadows is the first book in Jacquelyn Benson’s smart, swashbuckling Raiders of the Arcana series. Read it now and dive into a rip-roaring historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Romancing the Stone and The Mummy.

 

Purchase Here!

 

About the Author

Jacquelyn Benson writes smart historical fantasy where strong women confront the stranger things that occupy the borders of our world.

She once lived in a museum, wrote a master’s thesis on the cultural anthropology of paranormal investigation, and received a gold medal for being clever. She owes a great deal to her elementary school librarian for sagely choosing to acquire the entire Time-Life Mysteries of the Unknown series.

When not writing, she enjoys the company of a tall, dark, and handsome English teacher and practices unintentional magic.

Jaquelyn Benson

 My thoughts: this was so much fun, a bit The Mummy (the Brendan Fraser one), a bit Indiana Jones but with a brilliant female protagonist set in an era when women were expected to get married and have children and be satisfied with their lot.

Ellie is a historian, archivist and budding archaeologist, if society would just let her. When she finds a mysterious map showing what she thinks is a Mayan secret city in British Honduras (modern day Belize), and is followed by a scary figure who seems to be after the map, she immediately books passage on the first ship across the Atlantic.

Once there she meets Adam Bates, the deputy surveyor and recruits him to help her find the city. Only she’s using a fake name, he went to Cambridge with her brother, and they’re being followed by the same sinister man she saw in London.

He’s got a whole crew of miscreants with him, and is searching for a magical item hidden in the city. Luckily some of his crew know Bates and with their help, and that of a local native priest, they just might escape in one piece.

I loved Ellie and Adam, they spend all their time bickering and falling in love, while on the adventure of a lifetime, full of terrifying moments and heart stopping risk. It’s absolutely marvellous. I cannot wait for the next one!

Tour Organized By: @rrbooktours

 

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IG: @jbensonink @rrbooktours

 

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

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Book Blitz: Maid of Steel – Kate Baker plus Giveaway!

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It’s 1911 and, against her mother’s wishes, quiet New Yorker Emma dreams of winning the right to vote. She is sent away by her parents in the hope distance will curb her desire to be involved with the
growing suffrage movement and told to spend time learning about where her grandparents came from.

Across the Atlantic – Queenstown, southern Ireland – hotelier Thomas dreams of being loved, even noticed, by his actress wife, Alice. On their wedding day, Alice’s father had assured him that adoration comes with time. It’s been eight years. But Alice has plans of her own and they certainly don’t include the fight for equality or her dull husband.

Emma’s arrival in Ireland leads her to discover family secrets and become involved in the Irish Women’s Suffrage Society in Cork. However, Emma’s path to suffrage was never meant to lead to a
forbidden love affair…

Publisher’s link Amazon UK Amazon US
Waterstones

Author Bio

Maid of Steel is Kate’s first full length novel to be published. She also writes short stories and is presently drafting a second novel.
She writes at a desk covered in to-do lists and lights candles in the hope the lists disappear in the shadows.
She lives in East Anglia in the UK with her husband where they attempt to look after farmland for generations to come.
A small, very small, dog can be frequently found on Kate’s lap. Otis is her first miniature dachshund.

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My thoughts: I loved Emma, she has suffered a terrible loss with the death of her brother and then after the factory where she works catches fire, in a manner similar to the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, she loses her best friend too.

Sent to Ireland, where her grandparents emigrated from, to recover from her grief, she looks into her grandmother’s stories and becomes involved in the suffrage movement, as she was in New York.

I didn’t really warm to Alice, she’s cruel and capricious and treats Thomas appallingly, while there are reasons to some of her behaviour, it’s not enough. Although she thankfully redeems herself somewhat later on. 

Both women’s lives intertwine as they live in Alice and Thomas’ hotel and as Emma extends her stay, having made new friends and become very involved in the fight for the right to vote. There are some sad moments and some shocking twists too, as both women try to live their lives on their own terms in a time when stepping outside of convention could be almost impossible.

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Maid of Steel, candle and lipsil (Open to UK Only)

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

***Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The
winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by
Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources
reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal
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BBNYA Blog Tour: Second Star to the Left – Megan Van Dyke

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BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

 If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Tinker Bell, banished from her homeland for doing the unthinkable, selling the hottest drug in Neverland—pixie dust—wants absolution.

 Determined to find a way home, Tink doesn’t hesitate to follow the one lead she has, even if that means seducing a filthy pirate to steal precious gems out from under his…hook.

 Captain Hook believes he’s found a real treasure in Tink. That is, until he recovers from her pixie dust laced kiss with a curse that turns the seas against him. With his ship and reputation at the mercy of raging storms, he tracks down the little minx and demands she remove the curse. Too bad she can’t.

 However, the mermaid queen has a solution to both of their problems, if Tink and Hook will work together to retrieve a magical item for her.

 As they venture to the mysterious Shrouded Isles to find the priceless treasure, their shared nemesis closes in. However, his wrath is nothing compared to the realization that achieving their goal may mean losing something they never expected to find—each other.

Amazon: Canada USA UK

Goodreads The StoryGraph

Megan Van Dyke is a fantasy romance author with a love for all things magical and romantic, especially fairytales and anything with a happily ever after. Many of her stories include themes of family (whether born into or found) and a sense of home and belonging, which are important aspects of her life as well. When not writing, Megan loves to spend time with her family, cook, play video games, and explore the great outdoors. Megan currently lives with her family in Florida.

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My thoughts: first of all, despite being inspired by Peter Pan, this is not suitable for children, there are sex scenes and adult themes (I have my doubts about J.M. Barrie’s book being for children, but that’s a post for another time).

Set before Pan, this finds Tinker Bell trapped in Neverland, desperate for a way back home, she sold her pixie dust to rescue her cousin Lily from Blackbeard the pirate and his crew, but was banned from the Sylvann Vale without a chance to explain herself.

Now she’s after a magical necklace that Captain Hook has, because the mermaids have agreed a trade that might get her home. But stealing from Hook has consequences too. Kidnapped and forced to accompany him to the mermaid lagoon in the hope of getting a curse lifted, the two find themselves drawn to one another.

Sent on another quest by those same mermaids, they try to resist the attraction but ultimately fail, falling head over wings, and hook, for one another. Blackbeard is on their heels however, and they will have to risk everything to stay alive and together. 

This was a fun romp of a read, quite a spicy one too, with pirates and betrayal, lifelong friends and very demanding mermaids. Hook comes across as nowhere near the villain we all think of him as, and Tinker Bell is a kind hearted, brave and loyal pixie. Rather sweet, the love story too. 

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