Our Life in a Day by Jamie Fewery

Our Life in a Day by Jamie Fewery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 304

Publisher - Orion

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Our Life in a Day is a breathtaking, ten-year love story told in twenty-four individual hours - for fans of One Day by David Nicholls, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and The Note by Zoe Folbigg.

The rules are simple. Choose the most significant moments from your relationship - one for each hour in the day.
You'd probably pick when you first met, right?
And the instant you knew for sure it was love?
Maybe even the time you watched the sunrise after your first night together?

But what about the car journey on the holiday where everything started to go wrong?
Or your first proper fight?

Or that time you lied about where you'd been?

It's a once in a lifetime chance to learn the truth. But if you had to be completely honest with the one you love, would you still play?

For Esme and Tom, the game is about to begin. And once they start, there's no going back . . .


My Review

This one has sat on the review pile for a wee bit and I am glad I didn't leave it longer than I already had. I think because folk had been saying it was like "One Day" by David Nicholls (I wasn't a fan) I wasn't rushing to read it. Guys it is so far from "One Day" I really disliked that book but I thought this was really well done and doesn't read like a debut at all. Esme and Tom have been together for 10 years and to celebrate Esme has created a game in which Tom has to put together memories of their time. One story from a specific hour of any given day in their time together to make up 24 hours, each marked that hourly time. It can't all be good, it must be real, relevant to the hour time stamp and real to their relationship. The result is honest, brutal, emotive and allows the reader to delve into Esme and Tom's relationship warts and all.

It is pretty unique the way the author has created this. Timeline jumps can be difficult to pull off let alone jumping months/hours on the clock. There isn't a part of the story you get lost, the timeline is marked clearly at the start of the chapters. We meet at their anniversary and with Tom constructing the game we travel back and forth, to their meeting and the start of their relationship. They carve out ground rules very quickly and set the tone for their unique relationship. We know early on that Tom isn't telling everything to Esme and something has happened to him recently. As the book goes on and more hints are dropped by his family we get a bit more insight into who Tom is, what he has survived and his daily battle and how it affects him.

Male mental health is at the heart of this story, meshed in with his relationship with Esme, warts and all. They are chalk and cheese and Tom has pinned a lot of his hope for going forward on Esme, unknown to her as he tries to battle his illness, inner demons, protect her and keep the battle a secret from her. We see his inner turmoil and get a glimpse of what it is like for someone living with this and trying every day to stay on top.

If you have ever had depression or loved someone with it I think this book will pack a very emotive punch. If it is something you have never encountered it gives you an intimate look and bit of insight into what a battle like that is like and a small idea of why they do what they do. The way the book has been written is pretty smart, engaging and snapshots in and out of a ten year period. Like an onion it reveals another layer as you delve in and perhaps bringing a tear as you go. I think this book will evoke different emotions from readers depending on your life experiences but I challenge anyone to read it and not feel anything. 4.5/5 for me, I very much look forward to seeing what will come next from this author and will be keeping an eye out for their next offering!

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The Prison Doctor by Dr Amanda Brown

The Prison Doctor by Amanda Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 288

Publisher - H Q Stories

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Dr Amanda Brown has treated inmates in the UK’s most infamous prisons – first in young offenders’ institutions, then at the notorious Wormwood Scrubs and finally at Europe’s largest women-only prison in Europe, Bronzefield. From miraculous pregnancies to dirty protests, and from violent attacks on prisoners to heartbreaking acts of self-harm, she has witnessed it all. In this memoir, Amanda reveals the stories, the patients and the cases that have shaped a career helping those most of us would rather forget.


My Review

Meet Doctor Amanda Brown, a GP who set up her own practice and looked after thousands of patients in her community. When her partners focus more on bringing in money via bonuses than patient focus being number one she has had enough. After a few choices/actions Amanda takes the steps to working as a doctor in the prisons, these are her stories of just some of the things she has seen and done.

From just knowing this is about health care in a prison everyone should know it is likely to be brutal, it is. Some of the things that happen to these people, how desperate they are and some of their own behaviors is pretty distressing.

It takes a very brave person to work in a prison and we see through Doctor Brown and her colleagues the passion and drive they have to do so. This is not a book for someone with a weak stomach or easily upset. There is violence, abuse, self harm, blood, distressing scenes and the stark reality of what it is like giving care to those who are in prison.

Compelling reading, really sad in places to be honest and dark. Whether you work in a healthcare setting or do something completely different I think this book is an eye opener and many people would find it interesting, I don't want to say would like it as it isn't the appropriate word due to some of the content. 4/5 for me, I would absolutely read more by this author or around this type of topic.

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The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter Blog Tour

About the book




The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable war for generations. The lucky ones are born gifted: some have the power to call down dragons, others can be magically transformed into bigger, stronger, faster killing machines.

Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Tau Tafari wants more than this, but his plans of escape are destroyed when those closest to him are brutally murdered.

With too few gifted left the Omehi are facing genocide, but Tau cares only for revenge. Following an unthinkable path, he will strive to become the greatest swordsman to ever live, willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill three of his own people.

THE RAGE OF DRAGONS LAUNCHES AN UNMISSABLE EPIC FANTASY SERIES ABOUT A WORLD CAUGHT IN AN ENDLESS WAR AND THE YOUNG MAN WHO WILL BECOME HIS PEOPLE'S ONLY HOPE FOR SURVIVAL

You can buy the book in ebook and tree book from AMAZON now.

About the author




You can find Evan on Twitter or at his website or give his Facebook page a wee like


Today, for my stop on the tour I have my review, enjoy.

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 544

Publisher - Orbit

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

Game of Thrones meets Gladiator in this debut epic fantasy about a world caught in an eternal war, and the young man who will become his people's only hope for survival.

The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable fight for almost two hundred years. Their society has been built around war and only war. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.

Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He's going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn't get the chance. Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He'll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.



My Review

If you have a Game of Thrones hole in your life then you NEED to pick up this book. The war has been going for years, you have dragons, warriors (both men and women), the gifted ones, the ones who can change, becoming physically stronger, immense at fighting. The lessers and ungifted ones are often the first to die in the constant war, Tau is one of the ungifted. He just wants the girl, a quiet life and peace. When someone he loves dies Tau no longer has a choice and is driven by the need for revenge, finely tuning his body and skills he will avenge his people.

So, first things first there is a lot of terminology to get your head around. I kept thinking a glossary would have been so helpful and after over a quarter of the book I realised there was one at the back. It does help and I started to get my head around the terms but I would like to see a bigger glossary, explaining the differences between the gifted, ungifted, all of the in world terminology as it did get a bit confusing and I couldn't find all of the meanings or terms in the glossary. That said it is a blinding and bloody read.

Tau is the underdog, puny in comparison to many, he just wants a "normal" life. When the event kicks off that changes everything we see an epic personal journey, strength, honour, self discipline as he becomes focused on his one goal.

The book is blood soaked, death, murder, honour, fighting, warriors, magic, love, relationships, friendships and that is just for starters. For a debut and a fantasy one at that Winter has done an epic job creating a whole new world with magic, gladiator style battled with a mix of game of thrones and a wee pinch of dragons.

I think this is the start of what may well be a fantastic series. I am looking forward to book two and hope we see a glossary of full terms, families, words etc maybe on the website? 4/5 for me this time, if you like war, fantasy and one of the most driven needs for revenge, look no further!

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Black Summer by M W Craven

Black Summer by M.W. Craven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 352

Publisher - Constable

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

After The Puppet Show, a new storm is coming . . .

Jared Keaton, chef to the stars. Charming. Charismatic. Psychopath . . . He's currently serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of his daughter, Elizabeth. Her body was never found and Keaton was convicted largely on the testimony of Detective Sergeant Washington Poe.

So when a young woman staggers into a remote police station with irrefutable evidence that she is Elizabeth Keaton, Poe finds himself on the wrong end of an investigation, one that could cost him much more than his career.

Helped by the only person he trusts, the brilliant but socially awkward Tilly Bradshaw, Poe races to answer the only question that matters: how can someone be both dead and alive at the same time?

And then Elizabeth goes missing again - and all paths of investigation lead back to Poe.




My Review

Tilly and Poe are BACK! An old case of Poe's comes back to bite him and he needs help. Calling in Tilly - Poe has to investigate, delicately, whilst having to answer to his colleagues, judgement and the horrific possibility he got it wrong and an innocent went to jail.

Poe is a good cop, he has great instincts and he knows he put a bad guy behind bars yet proof has come to light he got it wrong. The dynamic duo, Tilly & Poe have to work together to investigate how this could happen.

Chapter one, oh dear Lord, I had the boke! There is a scene in a restaurant and they talk about a dish that is barbaric to the animal in the prep of it. If you struggle with animal cruelty you may want to skip past when they start talking about it, it will stay with me a long time. I thought how lobsters were done was bad, this is the thing of horrors, be warned. That said, there isn't much in the way of animal cruelty after this and we get back to the meat of the story.

The uniqueness that is Tilly Bradshaw and her friendship with Poe is one of my fav things about these books. Tilly is a one of a kind, socially inappropriate at times, funny, caring, innocent, super smart and fiercely loyal. I love their interaction and when the story kicks off I was hooked pretty quick wanting to know how, how could this happen. I think if you snag your reader quickly you know you have a winning formula, Craven seems to have this knack, certainly with this series. I need to check out his other books! Fast paced, interactions with a psychopath, police investigations and the long awaited Tilly & Poe bantz, 4/5 for me, roll on book 3!

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All That's Dead by Stuart MacBride

All That’s Dead by Stuart MacBride
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages -400

Publisher - Harper Collins

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

The stunning new Logan McRae thriller from No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller Stuart MacBride.

Scottish crime fiction at its very best.

Darkness is coming…

Inspector Logan McRae was looking forward to a nice simple case – something to ease him back into work after a year off on the sick. But the powers-that-be have other ideas…

The high-profile anti-independence campaigner, Professor Wilson, has gone missing, leaving nothing but bloodstains behind. There’s a war brewing between the factions for and against Scottish Nationalism. Infighting in the police ranks. And it’s all playing out in the merciless glare of the media. Logan’s superiors want results, and they want them now.

Someone out there is trying to make a point, and they’re making it in blood. If Logan can’t stop them, it won’t just be his career that dies.



My Review

I have missed a few of the books, this is book 12, I can't remember which one I last read but i has been a few, I will need to go back and catch up. Logan is day one back at the job after being off with a horrendous injury. He is with Professional standards but as he is monitoring one of the police he is in the midst of the action rather than a fence sitter. A gobby professor who is very action online and vocal on politics has gone missing, blood found in his kitchen, the investigation is on.

We flip between the police investigation, Logan dealing with being back on the job and his lasting effects from his injuries and the bad guy. Now let me say straight out the book is filled with a lot of political stuff from different angles, online stuff, the peoples views, zenophobia, hate and they all go hand in hand. I am not a huge fan of political stuff, I don't always get it, some of it is above my head and if I am honest I get bored with it very quickly. So for me it is surprising I got on so well with the book. I think because the political stuff comes from the angle of their beliefs and we hear the why behind some of it. Whilst they are clearly bams for the hate/violence done in the name of beliefs it gives you a bit of insight into that frame of mind, utter madness but MacBride helps paint a picture so you can peek behind the curtain most of us genuinely couldn't fathom.

As with his previous books I have read we get the inappropriate unpc humour, bad language, swearing and misbehavior from some of the characters we know and love from the series. I started reading MacBride years ago and fell away when I discovered new authors after reading this it was like putting on an fav blanket and catching up with old friends. Brutal violence, shocking beliefs, hate and anger mixed with swearing galore - if these guys had a swear box they would be minted, and dark humour. All the things in MacBride books that fans came to love from book one, 4/5 for me this time.

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You'll Never See Me Again by Lesley Pearse

You'll Never See Me Again by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Penguin

Source - From a fellow bookworm

Blurb from Goodreads

Betty Wellows is running for her life . . .

Young Betty dreams of settling down to an ordinary life in Hallsands with her fisherman husband. But when he returns broken and haunted from the Great War, she finds herself persecuted by his distraught mother - and yearns to escape.

It is only when a storm devastates the village that Betty sees her chance. Fleeing to Bristol and changing her name to Mabel Brook, she seeks a new life - only to discover destiny has other plans.

Penniless and alone, Mabel suffers a brutal attack before being rescued by a psychic named Nora Nightingale. She gets her first taste of those who receive messages from the dead and realizes she may have this power herself.

But Mabel fears her gift may be a terrible curse as it becomes ever harder to hide from the truth about who she once was - and the tragic life she left behind.

Soon Mabel receives her own message and is forced back to the very place she has escaped. A place of heartbreak and perhaps even murder - but to secure her future Mabel must confront her past one last time.


My Review

Betty is living under the hateful eye o her mother in law. Her husband is a shadow of the man he used to be after coming home hurt from war. Betty has an opportunity to flee and become Mabel leaving everything behind. A new village, a job and an eye opening to life outside the one she knew as Betty, Mabel meets danger, friends and love before being "called" back to where it all began. You can run but you cannot hide from your past, this is Betty's story.

There is a lot going on in this wee book, the effects of war, working life, psychic's, love, friendship, love, loss! Pearse creates yet another world of characters that, like or hate, you get immersed in and want to know what is coming next. Some characters got me so riled, the way some people behave and others where a breath of fresh air.

The thing with Pearse is she always creates worlds that shines a light on human behaviour, good and bad which makes for compelling reading. 3.5/5 for me this time, I need to check my read pile and see which books I still have to read of hers.

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The Missing Wife by Sam Carrington Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for The Missing Wife by Sam Carrington, for my stop I have my review, enjoy.

The Missing Wife: The gripping new psychological thriller with a killer twist by Sam Carrington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

You think you know those closest to you. You are wrong…

A sleep-deprived new mother approaching her fortieth birthday, the very last thing Louisa wants to do is celebrate.

But when her friend Tiff organises a surprise party, inviting the entire list of Louisa’s Facebook friends, Louisa is faced with a room full of people she hasn’t spoken to in years – including someone she never expected to see again: her ex-boyfriend, Oliver Dunmore.

When Oliver’s wife Melissa goes missing after the party, everyone remembers the night differently. Someone knows what happened to Melissa, and Louisa is determined to find them. But the truth could be closer, and the deception more devastating, than she’d ever imagined…

A gripping psychological suspense novel, perfect for fans of Samantha Downing’s My Lovely Wife, Lucy Clarke’s You Let Me In and Linda Green’s The Last Thing She Told Me.



My Review

The last thing Louisa needs is a surprise party, she is overwrought, drained, up and down and looking after her wee baby, teen and husband. Time off work and trying to adjust to being mum to a baby again, emotions and nerves are fraught. When her bestie and husband arrange a surprise 40th Louisa can't imagine anything worse, she is wrong. Her ex and guy who broke her heart not only gets invited and comes with his new wife. Louisa gets smashed, remembers little of the actual party and now her ex, Olivers wife is missing. Louisa is having flashbacks, her emotions are all over the place, Oliver is at every turn and Louisa seems to be getting further away from the very people she should be able to trust.

Oh I feel for Louisa, she seems so vulnerable, trying to keep her crap together and her emotions in check. She is shattered, her family not helping out and even her bestie isn't as understanding as you would like. People seem to be against her and as the reader you can't help but wonder is it because Louisa is losing it or is it the folk around her we shouldn't choose.

Claustrophobic isn't the word I want to use but it is closest to describe how I felt reading this book, imaging how Louisa feels. I felt so distrustful of almost everyone and then wondered is it because they are dodgy people or am I looking through Louisa's eyes. I questioned so much and absorbed page after page to see where it was going, what was coming next and what exactly had happened to Oliver's wife.

This was my first dance with this author, it won't be my last, a tension that starts almost from the very beginning and pulls you in bit by bit, 4/5 for me this time.

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Fixed Odds by William McIntyre Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Fixed Odds by William McIntyre




Book blurb:

George ‘Genghis’ McCann has stolen – and lost – a priceless masterpiece. Snooker champion Oscar ‘The Showman’ Bowman is charged with betting fraud. With a second baby on the way, and promises of great rewards if he wins Bowman’s case and recovers the painting, defence lawyer Robbie Munro has never been so tempted to fix the odds in his favour.

About the author:




William McIntyre is a partner in Scotland’s oldest law firm Russel + Aitken, specialising in criminal defence. He has been instructed in many interesting and high-profile cases over the years and now turns fact into fiction with his Robbie Munro legal thrillers. He is married with four sons.
Twitter handles William McIntyre: @best_defence
Sandstone Press: @SandstonePress
Ceris Jones: @cerisanne

Available to buy now on AMAZON, ebook and treebook format.

Fixed Odds by William H.S. McIntyre
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 304

Publisher - Sandstone Press

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads


George ‘Genghis’ McCann has stolen – and lost – a priceless masterpiece. Snooker champion Oscar ‘The Showman’ Bowman is charged with betting fraud.

With a second baby on the way, and promises of great rewards if he wins Bowman’s case and recovers the painting, defence lawyer Robbie Munro has never been so tempted to fix the odds in his favour.


My Review

Robbie Munro is a defence lawyer, defending Genghis McCann a small time crook who is at the rob again. These guys are Munro's normal clientele, up next is a high profile case, a famous snooker player who is accused of throwing games, if Munro doesn't win the client's work rep is over and the world is watching.

So this is part of a series but I have never read any of MacIntyre's previous books and don't think I lost out on anything by starting with this one. Robbie is a family man and with a second baby on the way he needs to knuckle down, get work in and provide for his family. Outwith the courtroom we have some drama's and Robbie is hilarious in some of his interactions, chat and just thought process in how to goes about stuff. He is around enough shady people that you can't help but have some kind of tarnish but he is an actual good guy and you are rooting for him throughout.

His clients are characters and have a lot of personality, I hated the famous client, what an arrogant rude individual but you can imagine this to be what some clients are like, coming from money or not. I liked the wee characters that don't have huge parts in the novel but the parts they are in have a lasting effect, well they did for me. Whilst this is my first by this author it won't be my last, I will be buying the back catalogue of the series, 4/5 for me this time.

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July giveaway is now live

Sorry it is late, we have been having such a crap time just now. Random Act's of Kindness always make me feel better and this book has raised more than a few laughs from pretty much everyone who has read it.




Up for grabs is x1 pre loved paperback copy of the newest book by author Helen Fitzgerald, "Worst Case Scenario" as pictured.




I am trying to be as inclusive as possible and seeing more Facebook groups doing the same for readers who are visually impaired and use screen readers. The above photo has the back of the book and blurb on it. The blurb is:

Mary Shields is a moddy, acerbic probation officer, dealing with some of Glasgow's worst cases, and her job is on the line. Liam Macdowall was imprisoned for murdering his wife, and he’s published a series of letters to the dead woman, in a book that makes him an unlikely hero – and a poster boy for Men’s Rights activists.
Liam is released on licence into Mary’s care, but things are far from simple. Mary develops a poisonous obsession with Liam and his world, and when her son and Liam’s daughter form a relationship, Mary will stop at nothing to impose her own brand of justice … with devastating consequences.
A heart-pounding, relentless and chilling psychological thriller, rich with deliciously dark and unapologetic humour, Worst Case Scenario is also a perceptive, tragic and hugely relevant book by one of the most exciting names in crime fiction.


Also up for grabs is a green silicon book mark, it has a wee hand so if you have to stop mid chapter, the hand can point at the last line you read, how smart is that? Now the giveaway is for X1 green bookmark however I have used my own blue one, on a kindle, to show what it looks like.





I will open this up to worldwide, use Rafflecopter below to enter. Good luck and thank you again so much to everyone who reached out when we lost Trixie, it is so quiet without her but the amount of people who have reached out has been lovely. We had messages across the globe from folk who follow this and her adventures on the other accounts. Have a good day guys xxx


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Come Back For Me by Heidi Perks Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for "Come Back For Me" by Heidi Perks, this is the last day of the tour, please check out the other stops as we all offer different content.





Come Back For Me by Heidi Perks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Cornerstone

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

A shocking discovery.
An island wrapped in secrets.

A tiny island community is stunned by the discovery of a long-buried body.

For Stella Harvey, the news is doubly shocking: the body was found in the garden of her childhood home.

The home her family fled without explanation twenty-five years ago.

Now, questioning her past and desperate to unearth the truth, Stella returns to the isolated Dorset island. But she quickly finds that the community she left isn’t as welcoming as she remembers – and that people in it will go to any length to protect their secrets.

But one thing rings true…
You can’t bury the truth forever.


My Review


Stella and her family had to leave the island when she was just a little girl, late in the middle of the night, dangerous weather to be sailing. No explanation, no looking back, now twenty five years later a body has been found in her garden. After seeing it on the news Stella HAS to go back to the island to try and get some answers. Islands are notorious for keeping things private and Stella is no longer one of them, will she get any answers or wish she had never gone looking in the first place?

We flip between then, when Stella and her family lived on the island and the run up to what made them leave to present day, Stella trying to make sense of her past and going to the island, trying to get answers. From the beginning we know something isn't right, her relationship with her sister is questionable, she doesn't come across as a very nice person. She is pretty rude, curt or dismissive yet Stella continues to be her strongest support. Her father can't give her much in the way of information so the island is her only option.

I think many can relate to Stella, in parts, the needing to know, the longing for the place you grew up even if you have been away from it longer than you lived there. When we get to the island it becomes a wee bit "we only like locals" and she gets no support from home either. I really felt for her, I would want to know too, reconnect with old friends and families. I would even want to go back to my old home and have a look, well maybe not if they found a body!

You feel, well I did, there is something big going on that Stella has unwittingly found herself drawn into but as well as the whole there is a body it is her personal journey. The need for closure, re-connection, relationships lacking or missing in her adult life I felt that was what urged her back to the island. I do like a mystery/thriller where you know there is skulduggery and some kind of danger hinted or looming but I think it a great thing when the author interweaves a personal side to it all.

Islands and small communities always have secrets, Stella is desperate to find out what theirs is, loyalty is huge and sometimes some people will do anything to protect a secret. Whilst I can't say I loved any of the characters I did sink into their lives and feel as much frustration as Stella to uncover the mystery of her old home and her family. This was my first dance with this author, it won't be ,my last, 4/5 for me this time. A psychological thriller with lots of family drama, dynamics, relationships, secrets and what can happen when you don't let go of the past!

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Betray Her by Caroline England

Betray Her by Caroline England
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 368

Publisher - Piatkus

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

Best friends forever.

That's the pact you made.

You'd do anything for her.

(And you have)

She has it all.

If you could take it for yourself . . . would you?



My Review


Jo and Kate met at boarding school when they were little girls, Kate coming from a more upper class and money type family, Jo a bit scruffy and feeling out of place. A friendship cemented and now we are decades later, the ladies are in their thirties and living very different lives. Kate seems to have it all, Jo struggling personally and her icy exterior and chip on her shoulder still impacting on here life choices/happiness. As Jo spends more time with Kate she realises her friends perfect life may not be so perfect and just how well do they know each other?

A psychological thriller that focuses heavily on friendship and family. We go between present and past getting more of a feel for the girls and how their friendship cemented and endured their hard times at school. There are a lot of twists along the way and lets the reader see sides of the ladies that helped shape who they are now.

In the present day, even though the ladies are close, some of their interactions, how they spoke to each other, for me there seemed an undercurrent. Supportive words but just a hint of something being a bit off but I couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly. For me I really didn't like Jo, she seemed to look down on people and have a massive attitude because of her experiences as a kid which you can understand to a degree but still. Kate I flipped a wee bit about as she seems like the sweet one, caring, housewife, family orientated but was it because I disliked Jo so much. I flipped back and forth on both the characters as England gave a bit more on one, then the other, then flung a curve ball every now and again. A book that keeps you on your toes, the timeline jumps are done well and flow so as not to distract from the flow of the story and gives you more insight into why they are as they. 4/5 for me this time, I have another of this authors on my tbrm, I need to bump it up, a story that will keep you guessing to what is coming next.

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RIP to our Trixie paws

8/1/2001 - 4/7/2019





Princess, Princess Trixie, Miss Paws, Wee Betty, Wee Pie - she had a million names but there was only one of her. She had an acute event yesterday, we rushed her to the vets but as soon as I seen her I knew. She was at deaths door many times and every time she fought it, I don't think any of us ever thought the day would come she would go. 18 years and 5 months, a multitude of health issues, more sass than any furbaby I have ever had, I loved the wee one and haven't stopped crying since yesterday.





We got to be with her on her final journey and even at the very end she gave a wee throaty growl/sass to the vet. My little book "helper" poser and legend, our home is empty and my heart is broken. We have already had so many messages and love from folk, some who never got the pleasure of meeting her but followed her antics online and got invested in all of her health ups and downs.





The last week she spent mostly sleeping on our bed which she never did and we were so lucky to get as long as we did with her. She posed with so many books, scattered so much about and had she been at herself I am sure she would have took out my new trolley accessory. Her wee claws firmly got into our hearts. Gone but never forgotten, absolute legend and furry book geek.

A Random Act of Kindness by Sophie Jenkins Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for A Random Act of Kindness by Sophie Jenkins, please check out the other stops as we all offer different content.





A Random Act of Kindness by Sophie Jenkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages -400

Publisher - Avon

Source - Arc copy

Blurb from Goodreads

It only takes a moment, to change a life for ever…

Fern is too busy making sure other people feel good about themselves to give much thought to her own happiness. But somehow, without her noticing, life has run away from her.

Suddenly, Fern realises her vintage clothes business is struggling, and the casual relationship she’d always thought she was happy in doesn’t look so appealing.

But sometimes, karma really does come through. And when Fern goes out of her way to help 85-year-old Dinah, little does she realise their new friendship will change her life.

Dinah may have troubles in her past, but she’s lived and loved to the full. Can Dinah show Fern that even the smallest acts of kindness can make the world a better place?

If you liked Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine or How to Be Happy, you'll love A Random Act of Kindness.



My Review

I had never read this author before but I was drawn by the books title, who doesn't like a RAK (Random Act of Kindness). Fern is our main character, she is a bit of a wee chop, nice enough girl just trying to do her own thing and selling clothes she loves, vintage, to people and making them happy. Fern has always been a disappointment to her controlling mother, Fern is too short to be a model and using her fashion knowledge to grab bargains and sell them on her wee stall, embracing her love of all things fashion. Fern isn't about money she genuinely loves helping people and getting them into clothes just right for them. When her RAK brings her again into contact with 85 year old Dinah a friendship commences that will have big changes ahead for both of them.

I didn't think I was going to love this to be honest, each chapter starts with a garment being described and there is a lot centered around outfits, clothing, fashion. I am not into stuff like that but it is written in a way and woven into the story that I really enjoyed reading/visualizing the garments. Fern is selling her vintage clothes in a wee market stall, next to David, there is something about him that Fern can't help but notice. That said she has a casual boy friend type who plays in a band on the go and David happens to be with someone she was friends with. Drama all round, you have the actress neighbour, the mother we would all dread to have and all the daughterly hangups that come with it. The dad who takes a back seat and her eccentric friend she gains from a chance encounter.

I loved the older characters in this book, not her mum, Kim and his pals who don't make a huge appearance but when they do I did smile. The book tackles a few subjects, friendship, relationships (both boyfriend type and family) and Fern carving her own place in the world through her love of clothing and just trying to do Fern!

I would love to read more of these characters to be honest, it was nice to dip into a world I normally wouldn't be anywhere near. It also made me want to look into vintage garments and a bit more of the history of some of the biggest named designers, who even am I!?!?! Whilst this was my first dance with Jenkins it won't be my last, 4/5 for me this time. Easy reading

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Child's Play by Angela Marsons

Child's Play by Angela Marsons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - as able over 2 days

Pages - 359

Publisher - Bookouture

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

Finally we’re playing a game. A game that I have chosen. I give one last push of the roundabout and stand back. 'You really should have played with me,’ I tell her again although I know she can no longer hear.

Late one summer evening, Detective Kim Stone arrives at Haden Hill Park to the scene of a horrific crime: a woman in her sixties tied to a swing with barbed wire and an X carved into the back of her neck.

The victim, Belinda Evans, was a retired college Professor of Child Psychology. As Kim and her team search her home, they find an overnight bag packed and begin to unravel a complex relationship between Belinda and her sister Veronica.

Then two more bodies are found bearing the same distinctive markings, and Kim knows she is on the hunt for a ritualistic serial killer. Linking the victims, Kim discovers they were involved in annual tournaments for gifted children and were on their way to the next event.

With DS Penn immersed in the murder case of a young man, Kim and her team are already stretched and up against one of the most ruthless killer’s they’ve ever encountered. The clues lie in investigating every child who attended the tournaments, dating back decades.

Faced with hundreds of potential leads and a bereaved sister who is refusing to talk, can Kim get inside the mind of a killer and stop another murder before it’s too late?


My Review

We kick off with a pretty brutal murder, in a play ground leading us, the team, to our newest investigation. Stone is under orders to keep an eye on her team, rest them, no excessive working hours and we have a newbie added to the squad. She is young, full of life, energy and new annoying habits. In between our team working on the gruesome playground murder one of our team, Penn, is attending court for a previous case, the killing of a shop keepers son. The difference in how Penn and Stone liase with the victims family and indeed the characters themselves are night and day. Two different stories, side by side and the layers of everything else in between. The team dynamics, new working relationships, new conditions and another body along the way, just another day in thew office for Stone and co.

I love Stone, the team, Betty the plant (may she live and be fought over forever!) and the difference in interactions with the officers and the victims family (from one case to the other). There is always minimally one complex character and whether you like them or not you can help but be drawn to them, their disclosures or what they are hiding, why are they hiding something, are they hiding something. Eek you are reeled in like a fish pretty much from page one, a style we have come to know and expect from Marsons.

Murder, police investigation, teamwork, relationships and as with all that we still get the personal insights, albeit briefly for some, for me it gives the story some heart. We know they work hard and it is awesome seeing them as cops but I love we get to see parts of them outwith the team, makes the characters more human. That and how they do their job, I just love pretty much the whole team, the writing, the build up of the story and the pace it keeps. If you haven't read Marson's before you could start here but you would be doing yourself and the series a disservice, book one is Silent Scream go check it out, 4.5/5 for me this time, great series, great book, roll on number 12 already.

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