It’s our tenth wedding anniversary . . . and my husband is planning to kill me.
He’s planned the perfect cruise – and the perfect murder. His new girlfriend (my replacement) is waiting in the wings.
Our luxury cruise ship departs from Florida. Its destination – paradise. A surprise gift from Andre. Our first proper vacation in five years. A second honeymoon.
He’s bought me the perfect outfit. The champagne is flowing. Everything’s going to plan. Andre’s plan. He thinks he’ll get away with it. But he doesn’t know what I’m capable of. Not yet.
McGarvey studied voice at Manhattan School of Music and was later a theatre major in college. She pursued an acting career but later moved into a magazine and digital media career. During that time, she sold advertising and managed sales teams for companies like Conde Nast, WebMD and worked for brands including GQ, Travel + Leisure, and Allure. In between, she took a year off and backpacked alone around the world. Later, after having two children, she left media and became an executive recruiter for internet companies. In 2017, she began writing full time and has since published six novels.
My thoughts: Fibromyalgia is not a very nice condition to have, I know a few people with it and it can be really hard to manage. Becca has it, and her rather awful husband is an ableist monster who’d rather not have to support his sick wife, clearly his wedding vows don’t matter to him. So he plans an elaborate and rather over the top way to get rid of his wife and be with his annoying girlfriend, while also milking the victim card for all it’s worth.
Unfortunately for him, someone knows what he did, and they’re willing to make sure he, and the rest of the world know about his scheme and expose him for the murderous monster he is.
The plot twists and turns, and while Andre thinks he’s planned the perfect murder, he hasn’t thought of everything…
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Echoes of the past resonate across the centuries as Dr Anna Petersen, a medievalist and runologist, is struggling with past trauma and allowing herself to trust again.
When archaeologist Professor Matt Beacham unearths a 6th century seax with a mysterious runic inscription, and approaches Anna for help, a chain of events bring the past firmly back into her present. And why does the burial site also contain two sets of bones, one 6th century and the other modern?
As the past and present intermingle alarmingly, Anna and Matt need to solve the mystery of the seax runes and the seemingly impossible burial, and to discover the truth about the past.
But how is 6th century Lady Mildryth of Mercia connected to Anna? Can they both be the Daughter of Mercia?
Dr Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and the concept of resonances across time. She sees her author brand as a historical fiction writer of romantic mysteries that are character-driven, well-paced, evocative of time and place, well-researched and uplifting page-turners.
Her current series focuses on early medieval dual-time/time-slip mysteries. Julia read English at Keele University, England, specialising in medieval language/ literature/history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics. After a turbulent time in Ghana, West Africa, she became a school teacher, then a university academic and researcher.
Her break as an author came soon after she joined the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2015, with a three-book deal from Lume Books for a trilogy (Drumbeats) set in Ghana in the 1960s.
She has also indie-published three other books, including A Shape on the Air, an Anglo-Saxon timeslip mystery, and its two sequels The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone. Her latest, Daughter of Mercia, is the first of a new series of Anglo-Saxon dual time mystery/romances where echoes of the past resonate across the centuries.
Her books will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. Her readers say: ‘compelling character-driven novels’, ‘a skilled story-teller’, ‘evocative and well-paced storylines’, ‘incredible writing style’, ‘intricately written’, ‘absorbing and captivating’, and ‘an absolute gem of a trilogy’
My thoughts: I enjoyed the previous books Julia wrote and I knew I would like this one. Mercia is one of the kingdoms England was once split into, ruled by Saxons, roughly where the Midlands are today.
Archaeologists do indeed sometimes find amazing Saxon items buried in the ground, and sometimes farmers turn up things too! This time it’s the professionals but the grave makes little sense. There’s a seax (a knife or short sword) with an inscription that suggests an important woman is buried there, but no other grave goods, and there’s also the skeleton of a man, but further examination shows he’s from the modern day. This makes no sense at all as he seems to have buried as long as the female remains.
As Dr Anna Petersen and Professor Matt Beacham investigate the remains and the inscription on the seax, they uncover more of the mystery, could the modern bones belong to their missing, but not much missed, colleague? Has he somehow travelled back in time to the sixth century? Doubting anyone will believe their theory, they keep it to themselves, focusing on the female bones.
Meanwhile for us, a secondary plot unfolds back in the sixth century settlement ruled by the Lady Mildryth, whose father is the king of Mercia. She tries to govern the way she believes her father would want her to, but a newcomer to the village turns her head and causes her to take foolish risks. Who is the man she names Theowulf, and where did he come from?
As both stories start to provide more answers than questions, we can fill in the gaps and solve the mysteries that haunt the characters. And as Anna and Matt grow closer, finding plenty to bond over, could he be the one to mend Anna’s broken heart?
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own
We’re celebrating the release of V.B. Lacey’s new fantasy romance with a tour this week. Make sure to check out Of the Curse or the Crown!
Of the Curse or the Crown (A Veridian Empire Novel)
Release Date: July 24, 2025
Genre: Fantasy Romance/ Standalone
👑 Princess Diaries 2 meets King Midas
✨ Forbidden love
👑 No spice but swoon worthy romance
✨ Single dad
👑 She’s a fox shifter
✨ Mysterious curse
👑 Meddling Fates
✨ They’re stuck in a cave
👑 Mental health rep
✨ Witty banter
An heir. An Empress. A Queen.
As a former rebel leader, Clarissa Aris is no stranger to power. She’s ready to reclaim the throne of the Veridian Empire and is eager to guide her people out of a past of violence and into a better future.
But when a mysterious king unexpectedly asks for her hand in marriage to restore peace between their two lands, she chooses to accept. Clarissa travels to meet him in Mysthelm, a realm they had been cut off from for centuries, and is thrust into a foreign kingdom with secrets around every corner, a betrothed she isn’t sure she can trust, and brewing tension with his handsome best friend and advisor.
Clarissa’s search for answers uncovers the truth behind a deadly blight sweeping Mysthelm and a centuries-old curse threatening to destroy the people she’s come to care for. When she learns her magic may be the only cure, she’s determined to both rescue this kingdom from danger and keep her Veridian Empire safe from meddling forces.
Time is running out. Which will fall first: the curse or the crown?
On a cold winter’s day, a storm is brewing in the village of Weirbridge…
Georgie Dern has the chance to swap her empty nest for the job of a lifetime in Los Angeles. Can she chase her dream if it means letting down the woman who has given her the world?
Jessie McLean should be counting down the hours until she jets off to spend her retirement years in the sun. But when a devastating betrayal resurfaces, she has to choose between a fresh start and staying behind to settle old scores.
Alyssa Canavan has spent years building the business she adores. Now a legal letter has threatened her home and livelihood, but how does she fight a family that doesn’t give a damn?
Lachlan Morden is forced to return to Scotland to face the people who almost destroyed him. Will coming home reopen old wounds, or will a memory from the past lead him to the perfect revenge?
One snowy day, four lives, but who will have a bright new future when the snow is gone?
Shari Low is the multi-million copy bestselling author of over 30 novels, including the #1 bestsellers One Day with You, One Midnight with You and One Day and Forever.
My thoughts: Those of you who read my reviews regularly will know I love Shari’s books, and this one, filled with some familiar faces, is another charming, hug in a book.
Jessie and her husband Stan are due to jet off to a retirement in the sun, or are they? It’s Jessie’s birthday and there’s a party to get ready for, but a few things need sorting out before the cast of characters can dance the night away. An unwelcome reminder of past indiscretions, a rubbish ex-husband, a job offer, an eviction and other distractions mean before Jessie, her pals Val and Cathy, and her family, can don their gladrags, there’s some tough conversations to have, some decisions to make and before midnight strikes, everyone’s lives might be a bit different.
Loved it, of course I did, there are some very naughty triplets, lots of snow, cake, cups of tea, glasses of wine, confessions, heart-to-hearts and hugs doled out by the various members of Jessie’s family and friends, some of it while Shania Twain is being given a remix on the dance floor!
Shari’s books always have lots of twists and turns, but there’s a HEA not far away, so you know you’re in safe hands, it might currently be August outside, but in here it’s December, the snow is falling, and we’re getting cosy.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own
1922, London. Evelyn Bloom lies dying in her Mayfair flat.
A decade earlier, she had the world at her feet – a dazzling celebrity who socialised with royalty, ignited scandalous love affairs, and filled headlines with her daring exploits.
Now, surrounded by the faded mementoes of a brilliant life cut short, Evelyn is left to wonder: How did it all go so wrong? And why, when she had everything, has she been left to die alone?
A breath-taking and unputdownable WWI historical novel, perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Natasha Lester, and Mandy Robotham.
Lisa Brace is an award-winning writer, who combines penning novels with running her own business in the beautiful surroundings of West Sussex.
Her third novel The Fastest Girl on Earth, is out now. Her second book, SWIM, a historical fiction novel was finalist in Best Historical Fiction and Best General Fiction in the New Generation Indie Book Awards 2025 and runner up as Historical Novel of the Year 2024 (Eyelands Book Awards). Her debut novel, The Fame Trap, a dark women’s fiction novel was published in March 2024.
Lisa runs writing retreats and workshops in West Sussex with fellow author and friend, Daisy White. In between running her PR company and thinking up ideas for historical novels she can be found wandering in the woods with her dog and baking elaborate cakes (though not at the same time)
My thoughts: I thought this was great, inspired by the exploits of a couple of real life daredevil female drivers and pilots, the story of Evelyn Bloom, the fastest girl in the world, breaking records and winning races on land and sea, who takes up flying, becomes a spy during the First World War, and somehow loses everyone she loves, is smart, funny, surprising and bittersweet.
Evelyn thinks she’s been hired as a secretary, but instead becomes a race car driver, showing off the cars and boats her employer makes, before deciding to learn how to fly. Her terrible contract means she doesn’t get to keep the prize money, and her affair with the boss breaks her heart.
She’s co-opted into the spy trade by the man she eventually marries, and runs some risky missions, including flying into occupied France and having to escape from enemy soldiers. Her husband is reported missing and she spends the rest of her days (and money) trying to find him. Leaving her penniless and alone at forty.
Her exploits are a delight, she’s a darling of the pre-war years, but even her closest friends fall away. A bittersweet ending to an eventful, adventurous life.
They say sharing is caring, but sharing a husband? That’s a grave mistake.
And Hell hath no fury like three widows with a murder to solve . . .
Albert Franklynn’s sudden and mysterious death leaves everyone in the pretty village of Monksworthy in shock — especially his wife Sylvie, who runs the local tearoom.
But the real surprise comes at the mortuary, where not one, but three grieving widows show up to identify his body.
It turns out that Albert wasn’t just a devoted husband to Sylvie . . . He had two other wives as well.
As everyone reels from the revelation of Albert’s double — or triple — life, three widows reluctantly team up to investigate a mystery more tangled than the village’s gaudy bunting: who killed Albert — and why.
It turns out Albert’s list of enemies is longer than the village bake sale sign-up sheet. Can these three unlikely sleuths resolve their differences to become partners in crime-solving . . . before the killer writes them out of the story for good?
The start of an unmissable cosy crime series, this gripping mystery about murder, mayhem and marital mischief is perfect for fans of Faith Martin, the Reverend Richard Coles, Kristen Perrin, Veronica Heley or Fiona Leitch.
Gaynor Torrance lives near Cardiff with her husband and their rescue cat, Cleo. The area is the setting for her Detective Inspector Jemima Huxley Crime Thriller series of books. Like Gaynor, Jemima has a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Though, apart from them both having a keen interest in human behaviour, that’s where any similarity ends. When she’s not writing or glued to her Kindle, Gaynor enjoys listening to music, playing the piano, walking, travelling, and eating far too much chocolate.
My thoughts: This is a very funny and rather clever book. Albert has (at least) three wives – Sylvie and Harriet, and the mysterious Tess, who does a bunk after identifying his body.
But Sylvie and Harriet find common ground, not least because they have children (all grown up) to think about. Albert has a list of secrets as long as his arm, including what he actually did for a living, and the fact his mother and brother are very much alive.
As Sylvie and Harriet carry out their own investigation, along with Sylvie’s friend and business partner Liz, they think they may have found a black widow in the absent Tess, with multiple identities and presumably in search of a new victim. With a little help from pal Barney, they alert well to do men on their own to be wary of this woman and try to get the police to take them seriously.
I really enjoyed this book and if the trio are going to be having more adventures – then I’ll be there to read them!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Welcome to the book tour for the newest swoon-worthy release by D.L. Houpt, The Stardust of Dawn! Read both books now on Kindle Unlimited!
The Stardust of Dawn (The Heir of Darkness #2)
Release Date: July 10, 2025
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
💛 You will cry 💛 Slow burn 💛 Bodyguard romance 💛 Villain origin/prequel to book 1 💛 He’d burn the whole damn world for her (duh) 💛 The juiciest f*ck it moment 💛 Did I mention you’ll cry?
Even the most beautiful flowers have petals that rot.
Tethys, Patron Goddess of Venia, has always lived a life of duty—until she meets Araes, an honorable yet infuriatingly ambitious mortal lieutenant. When children begin vanishing from Venia, she is forced to set aside her hatred. But the deeper she searches for answers, the more secrets she uncovers—from her sister Polaris’s self-imposed isolation to the hidden histories of the primordial gods.
Inspired by Ares and Aphrodite, the second installment in the Heir of Darkness trilogy is an epic prequel of love and the fight for freedom, exploring the delicate balance between following one’s heart and the true power of a woman scorned.
We’re celebrating the release of this epic finale with a tour and giveaway! The Legacy of Ophelia is available on August 7th, and you can read the entire series on Kindle Unlimited!
The Legacy of Ophelia is the fifth and final book in the epic romantic fantasy series, The Curse of Ophelia. Start the quest today with book one The Curse of Ophelia where we follow a cursed warrior on a quest with her found family to try to find the boy she loved and restore her clan to glory before her curse takes her life, but she ends up exposing ancient prophecies and political schemes instead.
🪽 Meddling angels
🏛️ Curses & quests
🪽 Warrior clans
🏛️ Found family
🪽 Multiple slow burn romances
🏛️ High stakes fantasy
*SPOILERS*
A forgotten myth resurrected. A legacy to conquer them all.
Ophelia and Malakai have been ripped from their loved ones and are at the mercy of a vengeful god.
But they quickly discover that in order to uncover secrets buried among realms, that may be precisely where they need to be. Even if it jeopardizes all they have fought to become.
Meanwhile, their friends receive a surprise visit from a potential ally that spurs them to rekindle partnerships, deny the bounds of power, and push love to the brink of destruction.
With myths resurrected and the very fabric of Ambrisk at risk, can the warriors survive their final battle against the deities? Or are they fated to become the legends stories are written of?
Everything culminates in this high-stakes, realm-shattering conclusion to the Epic Romantic Fantasy series, the Curse of Ophelia. With a loveable found family, scorching slow burn romances, and inspiration from Greek mythology, this series introduces a universe full of twisted lore and ancient battles that is perfect for fans of Chloe C Penaranda, Sarah J Maas, and Melissa K Roehrich.
The remote village of Didsbrook is thrown into turmoil after its best-known resident, the former actress turned best-selling novelist Jocelyn Robertshaw, is found dead under mysterious circumstances.
Villagers are appalled to learn that the charismatic Jocelyn died from Hemlock poisoning. Police claim she shot and ate a quail that had ingested hemlock. A theory disputed by all who knew her well. The animal-loving Jocelyn would never kill anything, but due to the lack of forensic evidence, police rule death by misadventure.
Jocelyn’s young protégée, Lucy Fothergill, determined to discover the truth about what happened to her mentor, discovers a hidden stash of Jocelyn’s notebooks, revealing jaw-dropping secrets from Jocelyn’s past. The impression Jocelyn gave the world that she lived a near-perfect life was an Academy Award-winning performance.
RBelieving the events from Jocelyn’s past may have led to her death forty-eight years later, Lucy begins to piece together the clues that lead to the truth.
The sleepy village of Didsbrook is about to wake up!
Tessa Barrie was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, and despite her parents uprooting her at the age of three and moving her down south, she is proud of her Yorkshire heritage.
Growing up, she recalls her family life being more Little House on the Prairie than The Waltons because her early years were fraught with drama. However, intermingled with all the emotional disruption, she remembers humour squeezing its way through the frayed feelings.
So, incorporating humour in her writing has become very important to her as she believes that, however dark a story gets, there should always be a subtle sprinkling of humour.
In June 2021, Tessa self-published her debut novel, Just Say It, a bittersweet family saga, and her second novel, The Secret Lives of the Doyenne of Didsbrook, a quirky murder mystery, is currently on pre-order and is due for release on 1st July 2025. Her third novel, The Rebuilding of Freya Michaels, will be published in 2026.
My thoughts: When former actress turned author Jocelyn Robertshaw is found dead at home one Sunday morning, the police suspect foul play as she was in good health and the autopsy reveals she was poisoned by hemlock. From this I learned that quail are one of the few species that can eat hemlock and not be affected by it, I have never eaten quail, and just to be on the safe side, I don’t think I ever will.
Her protégée Lucy inherits Jocelyn’s writing studio, Manderley (named after the house in Rebecca, which seems a bit ominous) and finds her mentor’s diaries, all of her past and her secrets laid bare. They give a member of the community, later seen trying to break into Manderley, a serious motive, and armed with the facts, Lucy confronts the suspect at the local writers’ group. Could she be right? Are the secrets Jocelyn kept in her notebooks the reason for her death all these years later?
With lots of twists and turns as we learn, along with Lucy, the story of Jocelyn’s life and loves, the secrets she kept till the very end, have implications for many of the other villagers and her family.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Frank Armstrong, a successful but self-important portrait painter, is horrified to discover that Martin, a former student, has painted them together in an exposing scene as past lovers.
Despite his efforts, he is unsuccessful in persuading Martin not to exhibit the painting named ‘The Art Lovers.’ The matter escalates further when Martin has an accident and ends up in hospital in a coma, and the police investigate Frank as a suspect.
Once free from the police and their questioning, Frank is commissioned to paint a series of murals for the nuclear industry and rents a flat in Cumbria. But he soon finds himself amidst protesters and living in an environment very different to the one he grew up in as a child in Kendal.
Things are spiralling out of control when the building to house the murals he painted is burnt to the ground. However, thanks to his resourceful wife, Louise, and the efforts of two crafty art dealers, Frank muddles his way through the setbacks and is surprised to realise a newfound fame which leads to an unexpected reconciliation with Martin.
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: A group of grumpy old artists are stirred up when one of their former students paints a portrait implying that he, Martin, and his former tutor, Frank, had a relationship back when they were younger. Frank is horrified by this and confronts Martin, but his wife Louise is unbothered. When Martin suffers an accident and ends up in hospital in a coma, the police think Frank is involved, but thankfully the evidence points elsewhere. Another member of their group decides to put the cat among the pigeons and then mysteriously disappears.
Meanwhile Frank is commissioned to paint a series of landscapes, despite normally being a portrait artist, to encourage people to think positively about nuclear power. He is required to return to Cumbria, where he grew up, but finds a very different place to the one he knew. Then the building planned to house his work is burnt down and stuck with a series of paintings he doesn’t want, his agent conspires to include him in an art exhibition of queer artists, despite Frank not being one – because of the slightly infamous “Art Lovers”.
Filled with dry humour, grumpy old men and their much smarter wives and daughters, this was an interesting read, all about complex relationships.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 