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Blog Tour: The Translator – Harriet Crawley

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A passionate love story, centred on a devastating Russian plot to sabotage the undersea communication cables linking the US to the UK.

Clive Franklin, a Russian language expert in the Foreign Office, is summoned unexpectedly to Moscow to act as translator for the British Prime Minister. His life is upended when he discovers that his former lover, Marina Volina, is the interpreter to the Russian President.
Together they will try to stop the attack that could paralyse communications and collapse the Western economy.

A fluent Russian speaker and former journalist, Harriet Crawley lived and worked in Russia for twenty years. She sent her son to state school in Moscow which, until 2016, was her second home.

My thoughts: set in a fictional version of the real Russia, with stand in names for real people, and our translator protagonist thrust into the heart of high level negotiations between the British and Russian governments.

Having taken a sabbatical to translate Chekhov, Clive Franklin is summoned to Whitehall, the usual translator having had a nasty accident. He’s reluctant to return to Moscow and the delicate balance that is diplomatic work but it isn’t optional.

There he meets former lover Marina Volina, working in the same role for Russian president Surov. Her proximity to the throne means she’s the perfect person to assist in getting information the British need about Russia’s plans.

But it is incredibly dangerous, especially as the head of the FSB (the Russian secret service) is gunning for her. She needs to stay one step ahead of him even as she and her foster son hacker Ivan act to neutralise the general and provide the information Clive needs to satisfy his bosses.

Tense, gripping and bang up to date as the targets are vital data cables in the Atlantic, there are emails and texts whizzing around and secure apps are used to organise protests and spread news that the Kremlin doesn’t want shared.

As someone with a long fascination with Russia and its history (and present) this was totally compelling reading and written by someone who knows the country well, having lived and worked there adds authenticity to the story. It’s hinted at the end that there will be more for Clive and Marina and I hope there is as I thoroughly enjoyed this.

*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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Blog Tour: Grave-Reaping Guardian – Everlyn C. Thompson

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We’re celebrating the release of Grave-Reaping Guardian by Everlyn C. Thompson! Read on for more details!

Cover

Grave-Reaping Guardian (Grave Reaper Series Book 3)

Publication Date: March 25, 2024

Genre: Urban Fantasy

⭐ Curvy FMC

⭐ Forced Proximity

⭐ Family Found

⭐ One Bed

⭐ Touch Her & ☠

⭐ Fae Guardians

⭐ Surly Vampires

⭐ Homeless Shifters

⭐ Broken Ghosts

⭐ Evil Fae Queen

When the gate between Earth and Fairie blows up and traps Theodora Edwards in the mystical realm, she must work together with her guardian and the dark prince to locate and safeguard a magical key that powers the Light Court. While learning to properly use her fae magic, Theo is forced to fend off an abduction attempt by wraiths, locate a missing castle, tame a dragon king, and have a friendly chat with the dead queen.

But with all of Theo’s efforts going toward protecting those she loves, she struggles to find time to explore the possibility of a romantic relationship—and the insecurities that come with it.

Content Warnings:

The themes and tropes explored in this book include a curvy FMC with low self-esteem regarding her body. If you find self body-shaming triggering, this series probably isn’t for you. If you find the subject of infertility triggering, again, this series probably isn’t for you. The intimate scenes (books 1 & 3) are intended for 18+.

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Get it on Amazon

About the Author

Born and raised on the beautiful Canadian prairies, Everlyn prefers to spend her time outdoors with her family kayaking, skating, fishing, and hunting. She loves reading and writing about vampires, witches, fae and zombies that get to find their own version of happily ever after.

Everlyn C. Thompson

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Book Blitz: The Shepherd and the Horned Girl – Breanna Bright

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Now this a book you can sink your teeth in! Pun intended. Make sure you add this one to your TBR or better yet, your cart!

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The Shepherd and the Horned Girl (The Tales of the Shepherd #1)

Publication Date: March 3, 2023

Genre: YA Horror/ Zombies

Ivas Sbarg has seen a monster…

In the quaint seaside town of Loch Lomond, an ominous fog descends, shrouding the landscape in mystery and fear. As the locals whisper of lurking terrors within its depths, the fog thickens, casting an eerie pall over the town.

When a girl goes missing, simple shepherd Ivas Sbarg has the only clue to what happened, and he ventures into the mist to find her. He stumbles upon a chilling revelation: something far more sinister than the monstrous fog is on the horizon, and it hungers for the souls of all who dwell in Loch Lomond.

In a desperate bid to unravel the mystery and save their town from impending doom, Ivas, a girl with horns, and an incredible cast of villagers, must navigate the treacherous fog and confront otherworldly forces. But as they delve deeper into the heart of darkness, they soon realize that the true enemy may lie closer than they ever imagined.

A gripping tale of unlikely alliances and unwavering courage, The Shepherd and the Horned Girl plunges readers into a world of ancient legends and supernatural horrors. With its richly developed characters and palpable sense of dread, this haunting narrative explores themes of grief, resilience, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship.

Prepare to be ensnared by the chilling atmosphere and heart-pounding suspense of The Shepherd and the Horned Girl—a mesmerizing journey that will leave you hooked until the very last page.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

About the Author

Breanna Bright is the author of ‘In The End’ and ‘The Shepherd and the Horned Girl’. She lives in the American Midwest but is always on the move with travels and adventures, searching for the next story.

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Blog Tour: Hotel Arcadia – Sunny Singh

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A terrorist siege in a luxury hotel. Among the victims, two survivors…

Sam is a war photographer, famous for her hauntingly beautiful pictures of the dead. After a particularly gruelling assignment she has checked into the hotel, hoping to unwind with a few days of solitude.

Abhi, the hotel manager, is desperate to keep the guests safe. He never wanted to be a hero; he just wants to avoid disappointing his father and brother any more than he has already. But when gun-wielding terrorists run amok through the hotel, and five-year-old Billy is found alive under the bodies of his parents, Abhi and Sam know it will take all they have to protect him from the mounting violence. If they make it out alive, none of them will ever be the same.

Published for the first time in paperback, Singh’s explosive thriller has lost none of its topicality, exploring how acts of terrorism are reported by the media and the role of photography in shaping the news. 

 Described as “an intelligent person’s Die Hard,” this gripping story of two unlikely heroes, captures the extraordinary capacity of humans to retain compassion in extreme circumstances. 

 

SUNNY SINGH is a London-based writer, journalist and academic. She is the author of three critically acclaimed novels: Nani’s Book of Suicides, Krishna’s Eyes and Hotel Arcadia, which was first published by Quartet in 2015.  She has written several books of non-fiction and is cofounder of the Jhalak Prize for Book of the Year by a Writer of Colour. Her pioneering study of a study of the Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan (2017) was published by BFI Bloomsbury Film Stars Series. Her book on Indian cinema titled A Bollywood State of Mind was published in October 2023 by Footnote Press.

 

Sunny Singh on the inspiration for HOTEL ARCADIA:

‘I spent over two decades researching, not only terrorism and terrorists but also photography and its ethics, inspired by brilliant war photographers such as Margaret Bourke-White, Robert Capa and Marie Colvin, and conflicts in Vietnam, Guatemala and Syria, and back in time beyond WWII.

Despite the narrative driver being a terrorist incident, Hotel Arcadia deliberately does not focus on the terrorists. As I went about my research, I realised perpetrators of violence do not interest me, as their motivations, interests and stories are all too often predictable. Instead, I want to portray survivors, and especially those who do not fit our stereotypes of the ‘ideal’ victims.  Sam and Abhi are complex people. They are both vulnerable, damaged and isolated in different yet strangely similar ways. But, brought together by chance and extreme circumstances, they find the courage, resilience and strength they never knew they had.’

My thoughts: told through the perspectives  of two very different people – war photographer Sam and hotel manager Abhi, as they hide from a group of murderous terrorists in the luxury Hotel Arcadia, Sam in her room and Abhi in his office watching on the CCTV. They communicate by phone as Sam sneaks through the corridors to take photos and then to rescue a young boy trapped on another floor. Abhi guiding her with the cameras, monitoring the whereabouts of their hunters, both to keep Sam safe and to let the outside security forces know as they plan their approach.

As the two lost souls make it through the long hours awaiting rescue they bond, leading to Sam making her most daring trip through the corridors. Neither will be the same after this, if they make it safely through.

Intense and utterly gripping, the story rolls between the two characters as they revisit their pasts, Sam thinking about the trips she’s been on, the terrible things she’s seen and feels numb to, her long love affair with David, a man she can never truly have.

Abhi – his family, the complicated relationships he has with his military hero father and soldier brother, his mother a ghostly figure in the background and his lover Dieter, who was also in the hotel when the gunmen arrived and may well now be dead.

The terrifying situation they find themselves in making them odd allies who might otherwise never have confided like this in one another, this bond keeping them both going from one tense moment to the next. 

*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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Blog Tour: Mother of the Bride – Samantha Hayes

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My mother is obsessed with every detail of my wedding – controlling my dress, my ring, my happiness. But when the day finally comes, will she really let me go? Last year, my sister’s fiancé was murdered on his wedding day. And I found my mother’s corsage next to his body…

I’m beaming as I walk down the aisle, but my smile masks a prickling fear, even though this is supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

My husband-to-be, Owen, is everything to me, with his sandy hair and sparkling blue eyes. He keeps telling me it will all be fine. I pray he’s right as I slip a gold band onto his finger with trembling hands.

Please let me be wrong about what my mother did. Please let Owen be safe.

But when the priest asks if anyone objects, I turn to look at my mother. Her eyes are icy beneath the brim of her hat, and she’s staring right at me.

Is my husband’s life in danger? Or is it mine…?

A page-turning, addictive psychological thriller from an Amazon no. 1 bestseller with twists that will have your head spinning until the very end. Fans of The Housemaid, The Family Upstairs and The Perfect Marriage will be absolutely gripped!

Amazon

Audio UK Audio US  🎧 listen to a sample here

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.

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My thoughts: Moving back home with her loving fiancè, to live with her impossible, manipulative mother, who might be a murderer, Lizzie and Owen are determined to make the best of a bad situation. Even if Lizzie’s mother insists on organising their wedding herself.

Lizzie harbours plenty of suspicions about her mother, especially as she never really knew what was going on in her parents’ life, her dad’s currently in a psychiatric hospital, her sister avoids their mother and now she’s completely paranoid.

But she thinks she’s right to be. There are a lot of questions about her mum, why she left her job so abruptly, blaming Lizzie, whether she was involved in the tragic death of sister Shelley’s fiancè Rafe on their wedding day a year before, and more.

As she starts to dig into her mother’s history, asking her dad some questions too, and the police are asking a few questions about Rafe’s death again, perhaps she’ll finally get some answers, but it isn’t until her wedding day that the truth will all be revealed…

If you like complicated domestic thrillers, where the characters aren’t asking the right questions and a very dysfunctional family, who could all do with some communication lessons and probably therapy, a lot of secrets and tragedy, then you’ll enjoy this, with its twists and misdirection.

*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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Blog Tour: The General – Israh Azizi

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We are thrilled to share the second epic installment in the Heroes of the Empire series, The General by Israh Azizi!

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The General (Heroes of the Empire Book 2)

Publication Date: November 2023

Genre: YA Fantasy/ Epic Fantasy

THE EMPIRE IS CRUMBLING, AND THE FATE OF A KINGDOM RESTS IN THEIR HANDS.

Mordon dedicated his life to his father; his only dream was to prove himself worthy of Verin’s general. But with the ruthless Tariqin attack comes a brutal awakening. Captured by enemy forces and dragged into a war camp full of the people he was trained to kill, his hopes of proving himself worthy are dashed to pieces. When the enemy offers him a chance for a grand future, he’s faced with a test that stretches him beyond his limits.

Coralie’s burden has never been heavier. After the Dark Lord Prolus’s recent assault and her uncle’s declining health, it is up to her to keep her kingdom together. The inevitable return of the Tariqin army lurks at their doorstep and her time is running short. Coralie turns to the newest residents of Verintown for assistance. Branded traitors and hated by many in the castle, they may very well be her downfall. Using their pledge for change in her favor, she tasks them with a mission most would consider a death sentence.

Two determined warriors separated by a river of blood. Mordon must risk everything to become the man he yearns to be, and Coralie must fight to become the queen she was born to be.

GET IT HERE

About the Author

Israh Azizi resides in the land of ten thousand lakes with her family and five cats. Since she was a little girl she has been a lover of words and fanciful tales. It was her dream to one day share a story of her own with the world. With sheer determination, lots of love, and a decent amount of caffeine, she managed to make that dream come true. Besides reading and writing, she has a dizzying number of hobbies, some of which include bossing around her younger siblings, experimenting with new baking recipes, and playing board games with her family and close friends. When life’s plot twists don’t cross her path and her fingers aren’t dancing across the keyboard building a fantastical adventure, she can usually be found in a quiet corner with a good book and a steaming cup of coffee.

Israh Azizi

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Blog Tour: In The Lives of Puppets – TJ Klune

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In a small home, built into the branches of a tree, live a human named Victor and
three robots. These are a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, a small vacuum
desperate for love and attention, and a fatherly inventor-android named Giovanni
Lawson. Together they’re a family, hidden and safe.
Then Vic salvages an unfamiliar android labelled ‘HAP’. He learns that Hap and Gio
share a dark past, where they hunted humans. And Hap unwittingly gives away Gio’s location. Before they know it, robots from Gio’s former life arrive – to capture and return the android to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams.
The rest of the unconventional family must travel across an unforgiving and
otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommissioning. Or worse, reprogramming.
Along the way, Vic must decide if he can handle his feelings for Hap – even if they
come with strings attached.

Inspired by Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, In the Lives of Puppets
is a masterful standalone fantasy adventure from the author who brought you The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door.

Special Paperback Feature: This paperback edition includes the beautifully poignant
short story ‘Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!’ set in the extraordinary world of In the Lives of
Puppets.

TJ Klune is the New York Times and USA
Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award winning author of Under the Whispering Door, The House in the Cerulean Sea, The
Extraordinaries, Wolfsong and more. Being queer himself, TJ believes it’s important – now more than ever – to have accurate, positive, queer representation in stories.

My thoughts: this was a slow burn read for me, it took a while to understand the setting and the situation the characters were in. But once I started to understand the life Vic, his friends Nurse Ratched and Rambo (who I loved, if you’re a Wall-E fan, Rambo is Wall-E with a voice) were living in their forest home with Vic’s dad Gio, it’s an enchanting story inspired by Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, Top Hat (although my favourite Fred & Ginger film is The Gay Divorcee – it’s pure dancing silliness) and magic. Found family is a huge theme too, as that’s who Vic and Co are, especially when they add Hap to the mix.

After the Authority take Gio away, Vic and his family travel to the City of Electric Dreams to rescue him, and maybe learn a bit about Hap too. They’re kidnapped by the Coachman, who actually isn’t too awful, then have to sneak into the city and find the Blue Fairy.

Much like the original Pinocchio story, this isn’t for children. Bits of it were creepy and scary, and the Blue Fairy is more monstrous than fae.

But it’s message of love, hope and family is strong and together the robots and their boy are able to win against impossible odds and escape to make a new home in the belly of a whale.

Also I need more Nurse Ratched and Rambo stories, I loved them so much, Rambo is the bravest little vacuum cleaner ever and Nurse Ratched is terrifying for all the right reasons – who said robots can’t love to your entrails? They bring so much humour and lightness, much better than Jiminy Cricket.

The short story in the paperback edition – Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! was, if anything, more traumatic and sad. I don’t think the robot utopia is very nice, thank you. Maybe read something cute and fluffy after reading In The Lives of Puppets to recover. But do read it.

*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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Cover Reveal: Hers to Rule – Coral Alejandra Moore

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Who doesn’t love a good monster romance and this cover is so cute! Make sure to pre-order Hers to Rule today!

Hers to Rule 2000 x 3000 eBook JPG

Hers to Rule (Scorching in Sin City Book 1)

Expected Publication Date: June 3, 2024

Genre: PNR/ Monster Romance

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Cover Designer: @night.witchery

Soulbonds ⛓️

Polyamory 💞

Emotional Scars 💔

Healing Together 🩹

Forbidden Love 💗

Grumpy/Sunshines ☀️

Touch Them and Die 💀

Found Family 😊

Spicy, Fast Burn 🌶️

Discovering Her Power ✨

Secrets and Intrigue 🔍

A valiant protector. A reluctant queen. A broken heart.

When Mariana’s gargoyle crush Cisco kills her father, he frees her from the cycle of abuse that held her captive. Cisco urges her to flee Las Vegas before anyone can stop her.

But Mari knows two things for certain: if she leaves Cisco won’t survive, and she can’t live with that. The opportunity to transform her city with the person she’s yearned for so long ignites a fiery passion she can’t resist.

She decides to rule the Demon King’s criminal empire by Cisco’s side and heal the harm her father caused. His cruel legacy runs deep—right through the heart of Rio, a puma shifter who was the first to see the gentle soul beneath Cisco’s rocky exterior.

The steamy moments of solace the three share don’t last long, because the city is crawling with her father’s allies, out seeking fortune and revenge. Mari must race to unlock the secrets of her sensual powers before everything they’ve strived for is ripped away.

Hers to Rule is the scorching introduction to a series that explores the intimate lives of the paranormal denizens of Sin City. If you enjoy spicy, fast burns with a side of action, a sassy heroine finding her power, and multiple partners, this book is for you.

PRE-ORDER FROM YOUR PREFERRED RETAILER

About the Author

Coral Alejandra Moore writes character driven stories of connection and triumph. All of her books are kissing books.

Currently she lives in the beautiful state of Washington with the love of her life and a dangerously smart Catahoula Leopard Dog where she rides motorcycles, raises chickens, and drinks all the coffee.

CORAL ALEJANDRA MOORE

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Book Blitz: A Sword of Shadow and Deceit – Lucy Smoke

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Yay! A Sword of Shadow and Deceit is now available and you need this book in your life!

ASOSAD

A Sword of Shadow and Deceit (Mortal Gods #1)

Publication Date: March 21, 2024

Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance/ Why Choose

🖤Dark Fantasy Romance

🗡️Assassin FMC

☠️Anti-Hero

🚫Forbidden Existence

❤️Enemies-to-Lovers

🔥Why Choose

Desperation makes warriors of captives.

The Gods split the skies and rained down tyranny upon the mortal realm long ago. Ever since then, the only thing worse than being human is being of Divine Blood.

For someone like me—an undocumented God child, indebted to the Underworld Assassination Guild—that means only one thing: A life in the shadows.

Or so it should have been … until Mortal Gods Academy. Until them.

The Darkhaven Brothers are truly the worst of all the Gods’ spawn. Arrogant. Wicked. Violent.

To them, I’m nothing more than a human plaything meant for torment. For me … they’re the path and the key to my freedom.

But if any of them find out who I am, what I am … even the shadows won’t be able to save me.

*Please note this is a DARK Fantasy Romance with themes of a dark nature, death of loved ones, and other various themes that may be triggering. Please check trigger warnings and read responsibly*

GET IT HERE

About the Author

Lucy Smoke, also known as Lucinda Dark for her fantasy works, has a master’s degree in English and is a self-proclaimed creative chihuahua. She enjoys feeding her wanderlust, cover addiction, as well as her face, and truly hopes people will stop giving her bath bombs as gifts. Bath’s get cold too fast and it’s just not as wonderful as the commercials make it out to be when the tub isn’t a jacuzzi.

When she’s not on a never-ending quest to find the perfect milkshake, she lives and works in the southern United States with her beloved fur-baby, Hiro, and her family and friends.

Lucy Smoke/ Lucinda Dark

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Blog Tour: Kookaburras, Cuppas and Kangaroos – S. Bavey

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Fueled by her spirit for adventure and with her £10.00 ticket in hand, Elizabeth Isle leaves 1960s England, determined to see it all, not just Australia and New Zealand, but as much as she can on the
way, too. She surrenders her passport to the Australian government and must find work to support herself on the other side of the world from her family and friends. There can be no going back for two years.

Join this intrepid young woman on the adventure of her lifetime. Share her amazing experiences, discover what exotic animals await, get travel tips and meet her new friends through her letters home and over plenty of cups of tea. Beware – the travel bug might prove infectious!

Purchase


Sue Bavey (writing as S. Bavey) a British mother of two teenagers, now living in Franklin, Massachusetts, having moved to the US in 2003. Writing as S. Bavey, she won a gold award from Readers’ Favorite for her grandfather’s biography: Lucky Jack (1894 – 2000), which she wrote during
COVID lockdown. She also has a number of non-fiction stories published in various anthologies.
Kookaburras, Cuppas & Kangaroos is the story of her late mother’s emigration from Yorkshire to Australia in 1960 for three years, told via airmail letters and travel diary entries.
A free prequel to Kookaburras, Cuppas & Kangaroos”, called “A Yorkshire Lass: The Early Years” is available for free download from http://www.suebavey.com.

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My thoughts: compiled from letters and diary entries her mother wrote while living and travelling in Australia as a Ten Pound Pom in the 1960s, Sue Bavey has given us a real treat. Her mother, Liz, had a wonderful time exploring Australia and New Zealand as a young woman.

She takes on various jobs to fund her trip, making friends and visiting relatives, exploring the landscape by train, boat and car, having lots of adventures and documenting it all in photos and letters home to her parents and sister.

I really enjoyed this adventurous young woman’s time Down Under, in a place I’ve never been and probably won’t go (Australia seems to want to kill you via its wildlife, weather and landscape – I don’t think we’d get on) at a time I didn’t experience (far too young).

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