Tag: reviews

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Thornby Manor – Stephanie Bramwell-Lawes

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Warwickshire, 1891. Recently orphaned and left destitute, Briar Monroe accepts the protection of Lord Danville and the shadowed sanctuary of Thornby Manor.

The great house looms above a mist-shrouded lake, its corridors heavy with secrets – not least the mysterious death of Lady Elizabeth Danville, and the unspoken tensions between her formidable widower and his magnetic son, Gabriel.

As Briar navigates the undercurrents of a household ruled by watchful servants and locked doors, she is drawn ever deeper into a web of suspicion, desire and fear.

Whispers in the night, figures at windows, and a constant sense of being watched leave her questioning not only the truth about Thornby, but her own safety within its walls.

Atmospheric, intoxicating and laced with peril, Thornby Manor is a gothic tale of betrayal, obsession and a house that never forgets.

Stephanie Bramwell-Lawes grew up in the historic city of Bath and studied History and Ancient History at Exeter University.

A lifelong love of literature led to a career in publishing in 2009, and her passion for books has only continued to grow ever since. Her favourite novels include Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, and anything by Tracy Chevalier.

She currently lives in a restored asylum in Warwickshire with her husband and a small feline dictator named Ruby. Thornby Manor is her debut novel.

My thoughts: This is a suitably atmospheric Gothic novel, set in a brooding house on the edge of a wood, where strange things have supposedly gone on. Just beyond the woods is the local asylum for the mentally ill, indigent and of course inconvenient wives.

When Briar Monroe’s aunt is taken ill and cannot meet her, Lord Danville, whose late wife was her aunt’s friend, offers her a place to stay at his family home, Thornby Manor, which she accepts, keen to keep the realities of her family’s accounts from her sister in London.

However, Lady Danville has recently died, the servants all dismissed and the rumours about the house and its inhabitants are not good. When Danville’s son Gabriel returns, determined to find out the truth about his mother’s last months, Briar finds herself drawn into the hunt for answers.

There’s a suitably weird Mrs Danvers-esque figure in the shape of Clara Marie, governess turned companion to Lady Danville, who now wears her clothes and acts as a cross between Lady of the house and housekeeper, as well as its spymaster, watching the servants and guests.

Gabriel has his mother’s journal, full of strange fears of being followed by a man in a green hat, he was not permitted to see her before she died, and his grief has him imagining terrible things.

Mental illness is handled sensitively, certainly more so than in the period the characters inhabit, where just being a bit different could see you locked away in the asylum. Briar’s doctor father was interested in psychiatry, and shared his passion with his daughter. She would have liked to follow in his footsteps, but that path was not permitted to her.

There’s a lot of tragedy here, Briar has recently lost both her parents, and Lady Danville’s passing still troubles the house and the residents. In striving to protect his wife’s privacy, Lord Danville has caused all sorts of nasty rumours to develop, and Briar must help Gabriel sort the truth from the rest so he can mourn his mother and be reconciled with his father.

Fascinating, sad, moving and a bit creepy, Thornby Manor must now give up its secrets.

*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: Perotine – Dreena Collins

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Abandoned, faithful – and on trial for heresy.

On a bleak autumn morning in 1555, Protestant Perotine wakes to find her husband packed to leave.

Catholicism has returned to Guernsey, and, fearing for his life, he abandons Perotine, her sister and mother to face increasing hostility alone.

The three women endure a challenging winter of rain, isolation, and poverty – until a dramatic series of events draws unwanted attention. When a local woman asks Perotine to hide stolen goods, what
begins as a trial for theft spirals into accusations of heresy.

Secluded, steadfast, and terrified, the women face their plight with fortitude and prayers. Together.

But Perotine Massey holds a terrible secret. One that could bring a reprieve, or a fate worse than death.
And she’ll do anything to keep that secret safe.

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Author Bio –
Dreena Collins is a multi-genre author. Her short fiction has been listed and placed in numerous writing competitions, such as The Bridport Prize and the Bath Flash Fiction Award. She is also the author of a suspense novel, And Then She Fell.

As Jane Harvey, Dreena writes commercially successful, feel-good fiction: The Hummingbird House series. Books one and two of the series both won the Eyelands International Awards, Published
Novel of the Year (2021 and 2022).

‘Perotine’ is Dreena’s first full-length work of historical fiction, and a labour of love, retelling the powerful story of the Guernsey Martyrs of 1556. Shortlisted in the Flash 500 Novel Opening Competition, the manuscript was also a top ten finalist in the Marlowe and Christie prize.

She lives in Jersey with her spouse, a teenage son, and a grumpy white dog, where she also works as the Project Manager for a local charity.

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My thoughts: I didn’t know about the tragic story of the Guernsey Martyrs, despite they’re being Protestants and having been raised in the Church of England – my CofE school never mentioned them, which is strange, as they loved stories like this.

It is really sad, the three women, mother Catherine and her daughters Guilleman and Perotine are punished by their community for not converting to Catholicism like their neighbours under the auspices of Mary I. It was a terrible time of religious persecution that saw maybe 300 executed for their “crime”.

Guernsey isn’t a very big place and probably was barely thought about, but even there, religion caused tragedy. Perotine and her family are victims of cruelty and ignorance. Whether they knew they were supposed to attend the Catholic Mass or not, as they were poor and uneducated and presumably didn’t understand it was a legal requirement.

Their death scene is genuinely shocking, all three burning alive after the rope that should have hung them broke, the author recreates that terrible scene with empathy.

A moving and fascinating account of the lives and deaths of three innocent women forgotten to history.

*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 Other Killer – Heidi Field

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You can change your name. Change your life. But someone knows exactly who you are.

Twenty years ago, Mason Tucker was tried and convicted as the teenager who helped
lure young boys to the serial killer known as the Pied Piper of Peasedale. After serving his twenty-year sentence, Mason is freed and hopes to remain invisible while he rebuilds his life as an adult, hoping to become a man he can be proud of. A new town, a new flat, a new job and a new purpose.

But living with secrets is challenging, and protecting his anonymity, the woman who
stood beside him, and her child becomes impossible when the past pushes back. Hard.

Within days of his release, Mason suspects he’s being stalked. He’s threatened and
twice attacked. He never imagined being outside would be more dangerous than being in prison. The police aren’t an option. One headline will destroy him.
Someone wants him punished, not redeemed, and as danger closes in, you will never suspect where the next threat comes from.

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Heidi Field was raised in the beautiful countryside of the South of England with her parents and her two sisters. In her twenties she was a freelance Sports Massage Therapist. She achieved a Degree in Zoology at the age of thirty and then went on to raise two boys and became the
stepmother of three more young children. She still lives near her family home with her partner, their Great Dane and the children that have yet to fly the nest.

In her early forties Heidi completed a Masters in Creative Writing at Winchester University.
She entered the course hoping she would become a children’s fantasy writer and left with a burning desire to write contemporary mysteries and thrillers.
Heidi wanted to put relatable people in extraordinary situations, challenge them, push them to their limits and watch them fight for their sanity. The Other Boy is her first novel.

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My thoughts: It was interesting to read Mason’s perspective on the events that previously we’ve seen from the point of view of his mum and the parents of his friend Jamie (in The Other Boy and The Other Mother). He was groomed and manipulated, a victim too in many ways, of the same man who murdered all those young boys. But because he appeared to be an accomplice – due to his age, things he probably didn’t tell anyone, and the fact that he survived, he’s spent twenty years in prison.

Released and given a new identity and back story, the rest of his life is his to do with as he pleases. Mess it up, and he’s back inside.

He gets a job, has a flat, makes a few friends, but trouble is coming for him and there’s nothing he seems to be able to do to stop it. Befriending a teenage boy who reminds him of himself attracts attention from the wrong sort of person and unfortunately his true identity might have been uncovered.

Mason tries to steer clear, keep his head down and stay free, but deep down he’s a good person and doesn’t want to let anyone else suffer like he did. His choices aren’t going to make his life better, but they might just help someone else.

There’s a redemption arc here, and Mason has had plenty of time to reckon with his past actions and the awful things that went on in the creepy shack in the woods. We can see that he was targeted and groomed by a monster, but he couldn’t, not at the time, and that’s how things went so badly for him. I don’t think he’s even half as bad as people think, he just didn’t know where to turn and had no support. 

Fascinating to see the differing angles on the same events, how they affected the different characters and impacted their lives, and how they managed, or not, to move on and rebuild. 

*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: Happy Anniversary – Sonya Bateman

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Not all anniversaries are happy.

Three years ago today, my husband was murdered. He died on the same date I lost
my high-school best friend in a car crash.
I’ve rebuilt my life since then. I have a steady job as a make-up artist and friends who love me. I’m happy – mostly.

But today is still the anniversary of the two worst days of my life.

So by the time I get home from work, all I want to do is curl up on my couch and
distract myself with snacks and cheesy movies.

I open my handbag and find something that shouldn’t be there. Something that sends a shiver down my spine.

A small gift box, my name written unevenly across the lid.

Inside is a message:
Happy anniversary.

Someone is trying to sabotage your life.
And they won’t stop until you’re destroyed.
And it’s written in a code my best friend invented before she died . . .

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Sonya Bateman is an award-winning copywriter and novelist, a mid-eighties to late-nineties fantasy movie enthusiast, coffee hoarder, and collector of cool rocks who spent a not-insignificant portion of her childhood climbing trees in order to read books in peace. She grew up in Central New York, where the seasons are Winter and Road Construction and “not the city” is officially part of everyone’s address.

Sonya has been writing professionally for more than 15 years. She currently lives in a big house in a little city, still in Central New York (not the city), with her husband,
son, and feline overlords. She writes fast-paced urban fantasy and twisty, shocking psychological fiction that may leave you suspicious of your friends and neighbors— and sleeping with the lights on.

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My thoughts: Indigo has had a lot of sad and terrible things happen to her – her mother died, her best friend was murdered and then so was her husband.

Her only support is her brother Ethan, who was dating her best friend when she died, and calls her to check in on the tragic anniversary.

But this one is different, someone has somehow put an old Nokia phone in Indigo’s bag and is trying to warn her of danger. Is everything she thought she knew a lie? Who is sending her messages and how do they know the code she and Saria invented as teenagers?

As Indigo tries to investigate and gets involved with an MLM scam that seems to have recruited everyone she’s ever met. At a conference, things start to unravel and Indigo finds herself at the centre of a web of lies and deception.

Filled with twists and turns, a likeable protagonist in Indigo and shocking revelations as she hunts for the truth.

*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: All Her Lies – Matt McGregor

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Brie wanted to start over. But not like this.
Drowning in debt and desperate to escape her controlling boyfriend, Brie MacKenzie jumps at a summer job at Pine Ridge Homestead.

The remote property offers a fresh start. And the owners, Grace and Bradley, seem like the perfect couple.

They’re not.

Locked doors. Veiled threats. And rumors of a young woman who vanished from the
property years ago—and was never seen again.

When Brie uncovers the couple’s dark secret, she understands they have brought her here to be a pawn in their twisted games.

As wildfires close in and cut off all escape, Brie realizes she has fled one trap to find herself caught up in something far more terrifying. Because in this deadly game, only one thing is certain—the pawn will be sacrificed.

All Her Lies – the chilling psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Nicola Sanders, John Marrs.

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Matt McGregor is a writer of psychological thrillers from New Zealand. Before
becoming a writer, Matt taught English (briefly), ran a nonprofit, worked with maps, and led a marketing team for a tech startup. Now, he mostly spends his time inventing surprising ways to murder his characters, which is totally fine and nothing for you to worry about. When he’s not writing in the third person, he likes to explore the local wilderness, swim in the sea, and play with his exhaustingly energetic young children.

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My thoughts: Nothing about this situation sounds like a good idea, but Brie is out of options. She’s desperate to get away from her controlling boyfriend Neil, and with little money and nowhere to go, her choices are very limited.

Taking a job from a listing that doesn’t give much in the way of details, on a farm in the middle of nowhere occupied by an English professor and his writer wife, there are a few red flags straight away, but Brie can’t be picky. She thinks it’ll be ok for now until she can get some money together and work out her next move.

Unfortunately she’s now caught up in the twisted relationship and strange games Grace and Bradley play. It seems as if Grace might just kill her, or gaslight her into a mental breakdown, but Bradley doesn’t act like his wife, and offers a way out. And that’s when things get really weird.

With few friends and no one able to help, Brie has to find a way to survive the mess she’s in and prove that none of it is her fault. If she doesn’t die in some horrible way first. 

When you’re mentally screaming “get out, run!” at a character because everyone around them is nuts, you know you’re hooked. I really liked Brie but she was really naive, Grace and Bradley were monsters and she just got caught in their web of disturbing weirdness. It’s hard to know who’s telling the truth, or which of them is worse. And then there’s creepy ex-boyfriend Neil. Brie – make better choices about the people in your life, you have a very rubbish crazy filter!

*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: Twenty-Six Years Living a Lie – Gina Cheyne

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In 1997, high in the alpine resort of Tignes, Cecily celebrates her third wedding anniversary with a night of passion. But in the morning her happiness turns to misery and shock when she find her husband Nick dead in the bed beside her, the victim of a sudden heart attack.

Six weeks later, Cecily learns she is pregnant.

Twenty-six years later, her son Charlie takes a DNA test alongside his uncle Adam, Nick’s identical twin. The results shatter everything he thought he knew: Charlie is not related to Adam. If Nick wasn’t his father, then who was?

Cecily insists she was faithful, and the timing points only to that single night in Tignes. Desperate for answers, she turns to the SeeMs Detective Agency. Could someone have entered her room that night
without her knowing? And if so—who? And why?

As the detectives dig deeper, they uncover a web of conflicting memories, buried secrets, and dangerous lies. Slowly they discover other people are in danger and if they don’t find out very soon what really happened in that wonderful night in Tignes two, or maybe more, lives will be lost.

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This is Gina Cheyne’s seventh novel in the SeeMs Detective series (the agency that
looks behind what seems to be true). Gina’s family are keen and dedicated skiers and this book was inspired by a holiday in Tignes in France.

Gina has worked as a physiotherapist, a pilot, freelance writer and a dog breeder.
As a child, Gina’s parents hated travelling and never went further than Jersey. As a result she became travel-addicted and spent the year after university bumming around SE Asia, China and Australia,
where she worked in a racing stables in Pinjarra, South of Perth.

After getting stuck in black sand in the Ute one time too many (and getting a tractor and trailer caught in a tree) she was relegated to horse-riding work only. After her horse bolted down the sand, straining a fetlock and falling in the sea, she was further relegated to swimming the horses only in the pool. It was with some relief the race horse stables posted her off to Thailand… after all what could go wrong there?

In the north of Thailand, she took a boat into the Golden Triangle and got shot at by bandits. Her group escaped into the undergrowth and hid in a hill tribe whisky still where they shared the ‘bathroom’ with a group of pigs. Getting a lift on a motorbike they hurried back to Chiang Rai, where life seemed calmer.

After nearly being drowned in a fiesta in Ko Pha Ngan, and cursed by a witch in Malaysia, she decided to go to Singapore and then to China where she only had to battle with the language and regulations.

Since marrying life has been calmer. She became a writer because her first love was always telling a good yarn!

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My thoughts: This was quite a shocking case for the ladies of SeeMS Detective Agency. Cecily comes to them for help, her son has taken a DNA test and it seems he isn’t related to her late husband. The only thing is as far as she knows she didn’t sleep with anyone else. How on earth can this be true?

As the team dig into the events of 26 years ago, they discover a terrible deception, a cruel act and devastated family members. What happened in Tignes more than two decades ago affected a lot of people, some who have never talked about it – until now. Can the team unmask a killer before he claims another victim? 

The case is quite dark and when they piece together the exact events, it was genuinely quite disturbing. The perpetrator in this case is a very unpleasant individual and I am very glad he’s fictional. Cecily and her family, as well as quite a few others have had to live with unanswered questions for too long.

Well written as always, and full of twists and turns, like a ski slope, but with a pretty grim resolution that shocks everyone involved.

*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: Don’t Shoot the Messenger – Rob Harris

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They’ve changed. He hasn’t. And that’s the problem.

Alan Hope has spent his entire working life as a reporter for the local newspaper. Now in his early sixties, he’s the newsroom dinosaur, firmly out of touch with the TikTok generation. So when his editor insists he starts an online blog, Alan treats it like free therapy. It’s not like anyone is actually going to read it… right?

Wrong! Because the more Alan’s life unravels – both personally and professionally – the more his brutally honest posts explode in popularity. Suddenly, the tight-knit town of Bashford is reading Alan’s innermost thoughts…

His wife announces she no longer wants to grow old with him. His two grown children
are more like strangers. His colleagues are mortified at the oversharing. Then he’s forced to work with fellow reporter Lisa – young, ambitious and the epitomise of modern life.

Everything Alan is not.

But can someone from a completely different generation help Alan reconnect with his own family? And can Alan – a newspaper relic who now actually hates newspapers – help Lisa uncover the truth about her father?

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Rob Harris grew up in the Forest of Dean but now lives in Oxfordshire with his wife
and daughter. For more than 15 years he worked on regional newspapers as a
journalist, sports editor and sub-editor and he is a former editor of The Forester
newspaper. He’s also been named Gloucestershire Media Sports Writer of the Year.

Rob’s first novel, The Absurd Life of Barry White, was published July 2024 by
Bloodhound Books. The sequel, Barry White is Still Absurd, came out in June 2025.

Rob previously wrote a memoir about the rare highs and frequent lows of being a
committed but ultimately frustrated village cricketer – called Won’t You Dance for Virat Kohli?, which was published in 2021 by Pitch.

He still knocks around on village cricket grounds, allegedly ‘for fun’.

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My thoughts: This had quite a few funny moments as Alan, a formerly good reporter slowly loses the will to write for the local paper and starts writing a blog, that ends up derailing everything. He doesn’t think anyone is reading his thoughts, but really he has thousands of dedicated fans, especially in India, where the papers owners are based. 

His editor is horrified at the airing of the papers secrets, the way Alan is so rude about their ultimate bosses, and tries to rein him in, but Alan won’t do as he’s told and as his personal life collapses and he moves into his shed, things go from bad to worse.

A bit silly, but very entertaining, this is one man’s breakdown that will take everyone with it. Even being assigned to teach new reporter Lisa how newspapers work won’t stop Alan unleashing his real opinions on his blog and bringing chaos to the quiet town of Bashford. 

*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 Mysteries of Ravenfield – N.D. Thompson

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Ten standalone mysteries. One haunting conspiracy.

Welcome to Ravenfield, a quiet Yorkshire town surrounded by endless moorland. To
outsiders, it is peaceful. To those who live there, it is haunted by secrets.

Rachel Cooper, a young police officer, arrives determined to solve her father’s unsolved murder — even if it costs her career. Her only lead points to Ravenfield, but what she finds is far stranger than she imagined.

Paranormal investigator Chris Silversmith has spent his life studying the town’s unexplained phenomena, and he believes those mysteries are tied to Rachel’s father’s death.

Together with Rachel’s sceptical partner, Chris’s loyal friend, and a woman who can speak to the dead, they form an unlikely alliance to uncover Ravenfield’s truth. But the deeper they dig, the more dangerous their search becomes.

Watching from the shadows is The Management — a clandestine group determined to keep Ravenfield’s secrets buried forever.

Told across ten chilling episodes, each a standalone mystery yet bound together by a dark overarching conspiracy, Book One of The Ravenfield Chronicles launches a gripping saga of murder, mystery, and supernatural horror — where uncovering the truth may cost more than your life.

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N.D. Thompson is a horror and dark fiction writer from West Yorkshire, publishing
under his independent imprint, Darker Realms Press. His work has drawn
comparisons to Stephen King, Richard Laymon, and James Herbert—delivered with a distinctly Yorkshire voice that infuses his supernatural stories with grit, atmosphere, and authenticity.

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My thoughts: This was an enjoyable blend of paranormal mystery and police procedural crime novel. When officer Rachel Cooper arrives in town, hoping to unravel the mysteries surrounding her father’s death, she ends up clashing with DI Armstrong, a man with a lot of secrets.

As she carries out her job, she encounters Chris Silversmith, University lecturer and paranormal investigator with his sidekick Alexis. They join forces after discovering that a series of deaths have a definite touch of the supernatural, despite the DI dismissing them as accidents or suicides.

Each of the cases builds up the conspiracy, the hidden secrets of Ravenfield slowly coming to light through the diligent and sometimes dangerous investigating of Rachel, Chris and their friends. What is really going on in this small Yorkshire town and why can’t anyone remember what they’ve seen?

Clever, entertaining and mysterious. You’ll want to know the secrets of Ravenfield too.

*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: Must Love Lavender & Little Lies – Maisy Magill

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We’re celebrating the release of Must Love Lavender & Little Lies by Maisy Magill!

Must Love Lavender and Little Lies (Moonshine Hollow Book 3) 

Release Date: April 14, 2026

Genre: Cozy Fantasy Romance

  • Fake Fiancée
  • Friends to Lovers
  • Orc MMC
  • Magical Spring Festival
  • Enchanting Small Town
  • Shrieking Goats
  • Farmcore & Cottagecore Aesthetics
  • Orcish Shenanigans
  • Forced Proximity
  • Guaranteed HEA
  • Medium Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️

She’s his bestie.
He’s her rock.
And now? They’re accidentally engaged.

Juniper runs the village apothecary, and Granik grows lavender on his farm. These two plant lovers have always had each other’s backs. When orcish custom demands Granik get married, Juniper does the only logical thing to save her best friend: she proposes a fake engagement. Brilliant plan, right? The only trouble is that in orcish customs, engagements are binding and there’s no such thing as fake. Now they have to find their way out of a major mess. That proves harder than anticipated when Granik’s family comes to celebrate the spring Greening festival. Juniper and Granik must convince everyone they’re madly in love. But the longer they pretend to be a couple, the harder it becomes to remember why they were faking it in the first place.

Must Love Lavender and Little Lies is a spicy cozy fantasy romance full of farmcore vibes, gentle magic, mischievous shrieking goats, and a love story that will warm your heart.

Must Love Lavender and Little Lies is book 3 in the enchanting Moonshine Hollow series. Each novel in the series can be read as a standalone. Different couples and storylines

Perfect for lovers of wholesome spice and cozy romantasy! Fans of Kimberly Lemming, Heather Fawcett, J Penner, and Tee Harlowe will devour this perfectly cozy and deliciously passionate tale of magic, friendship, and learning what you really want in life.

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My thoughts: This is another cute fantasy romance in the Moonshine Hollow series, this time with a fake relationship trope.

Orc Granik must pick a wife in this, his thirtieth year, or his family will arrange one for him. His best friend Juniper offers to help him out by playing the role of his fiancée, and they’ll call the whole thing off after a while. Until they learn that orc custom means ending an engagement would bring shame on the whole family. 

And then Granik’s entire family come to visit and now they’re planning a wedding, for this Saturday. What are they going to do?

Everyone thinks they’d be perfect for each other but in true rom com When Harry Met Sally style, they can’t see what’s right in front of them. With a meddling grandmother and friends who are determined to give them a magical wedding, perhaps it might be time to admit their true feelings?

Cute, funny and romantic, this is charming and has delightful characters and a sweet little puppy, magic cows and screaming goats too.

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*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 Review: Lochbound – Rebecca Templeton

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There is no happily-ever-after…

Kilmara, Scotland. 1725. For fifty years, Iris has accepted the curse that blighted her life. By night, she is a heartbroken woman, destined to walk the misty shores of Kilmara without growing older. By day, she is Moireach, a terrifying monster imprisoned in the murky depths of Loch Moine. When bodies begin appearing on the shore, the villagers are convinced Moireach is responsible.

So a hunter – the rugged, ruthless Henry Carver – is summoned to slay the monster of the loch. Iris must break her curse before she is killed for crimes she cannot believe she has committed. But as Kilmara’s hunt for the monster becomes ever more fevered, she and Henry are drawn together in a dangerous game of impossible attraction. And when a figure from Iris’s past suddenly reappears, she must choose what – or who – she is willing to sacrifice to win her freedom…when you are the monster.

Rebecca Templeton has had a love of books from a very early age and had lofty childhood aspirations of being a writer, though she ended up joining the legal profession instead. When her husband encouraged her to start writing again, she rediscovered her creative outlet and hasn’t looked back since.

When not writing or working, Rebecca can usually be found crocheting giant blankets, baking or watching Gilmore Girls. She is also owned by a couple of very energetic children.

My thoughts: This blends a retelling of the Little Mermaid with elements of Scottish folklore, Beauty & the Beast, Snow White, and other fairy tales.

Iris is cursed to spend her days as Moireach, a terrifying creature that dwells in the loch, and her night’s hiding from the villagers, who don’t know about her secret. They most likely think she’s long dead. She wants to break the curse, but doesn’t know how. Her only friend is Duncan, her childhood friend now grown old.

When bodies start being found around the loch, a monster hunter is summoned to rid the village of its murderous creature. Only Iris doesn’t think she is the killer. And soon, neither does the hunter, Henry Carver.

After Iris saves his life, and they meet, there’s an instant connection. Can they defy the odds, break the curse and solve the murders?

It’s a really interesting blend of fantasy, fairy tale and folklore, there’s hints of lots of different stories, and Iris is an interesting protagonist, she’s smart about certain things, but naive in other ways. Duncan is her only contact and friend, she isn’t aware of much that has happened since she was cursed, he controls her access to information and news, and manipulates her.

Her relationship with Henry gives her hope after a long time and refuels her desire to break her curse, causing her to return to the village for the first time in fifty years and search for answers, breaking free of the secrets she has been carrying for so long.

It’s interesting to have the woman as the monster – although I don’t think Moireach is really a monster, she’s just trying to survive in a world not designed for her, fighting against nasty kelpies in the loch and the ignorance of villagers who would destroy her.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.