Top reads and new authors to me from 2021

Happy New Year's Eve & Happy new year when it comes, here is to 2022 being kinder to us all!

What a year this has turned out to be, the last four months have been really difficult for our family and my reading mojo went right out the window. If you know us personally or on our socials you will have been following our updates with Alex (my wee da). I cannot thank people enough for the kind messages sent to/for Alex, he loves it when I read them out and even posed with some books (and bought me some, wee scone). I am reading a book just now that I would normally have done before the bells however I doubt it will so can safely round up my 5 star reviews of 2021.

1st was actually my 1st read of 2021 Cold Shoulder by Lynda La Plante, read over 4 days, review HERE if you want to read.

2nd was Every Note Played by Lisa Genova, such an emotive read, read in under 1 day & I have only just noticed I haven't shared it on my blog so will fix this. Review on Goodreads, click HERE.

3rd was The Devil's Advocate by Steve Cavanagh. I LOVE Eddie Flynn and this one had echos of A Time To Kill, shockingly fab. My review HERE.

I had so many 4.5 and 4 star reads that are fantastic but I thought I would just add the 5 star reads. I am surprised I had any, not because of the books of which many were brilliant. More my concentration is off and have been struggling to read and get into books at all. It has absolutely been a case of it isn't them it is me. I don't often do lists and had I been a bit more prepared I could have done a top ten, instead it is a tiny wee my 5 star reads of 2021.

My Goodreads challenge is always +1 more than whatever we read the year before & we do the book jar challenge that I will empty tonight and sitting at £152, this money is usually used to support small businesses (often bookish), buy books from indie authors and maybe get something that I would nromally balk at spending so much on (one year it was the wizarding box another year it wass a £60 book box that went to charity).

I was introduced to a fair few new authors (new to me anyway). Abigail Deane - Girl A

Peter Benson - Isobel's Skin

David Nott - War Doctor Surgery on the front line

Marga Minco - Bitter Herbs

Stuart Johnstone - Out in the Cold

R G Adams - Allegations

Sarah A Denzil - You Are Invited

Ruth Druart - While Paris Slept

Michelle Medhat - The Trusted

Dan Farnworth - 999 My Life on the Frontline of the Ambulance Service

Catherine Bennetto - Make or Break

Victoria Cilliers - I Survived A True Story

Aoife Abbey - Seven Signs of Life Stories from ICU Doctor

Kia Abdullah - Take It Back

Sarah Leipciger - Coming Up For Air

Tim Wagonner - Your Turn To Suffer

Jennifer Saint - Ariadne

Louise Curtis - A Nurse's Story

That is most of the new authors up to March, I will need to add the rest when I get a chance however here is the link to my READ books on Goodreads so you can have a nosey if you so wish.

One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out as able over 5 days

Pages - 416

Publisher - HQN

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

For sisters Samantha and Ella Mitchell, Christmas is their most precious time of the year—a time for togetherness, love and celebration. Most of all, it’s about making up for everything their childhood Christmases lacked. But this year, they’ll be buying presents for the most unexpected guest of all—their estranged mother. It’s been five years since they last saw each other. But when their mom calls out of the blue and promises that this Christmas will be different, Samantha and Ella cautiously agree to spend it all together…

Gayle Mitchell is at the top of her career, but her success has come at a price—her relationship with her daughters. She never seemed to say or do the right things. Her tough-love approach was designed to make them stronger, but instead managed to push them away…until a brush with her own mortality forces Gayle to make amends. As the snowflakes fall on their first family celebration in years, the Mitchell women must learn that sometimes facing up to the past is all you need to heal your heart…



My review

Gayle is a career woman, top of her game that has come at quite a cost, a personal cost and Gayle hasn't spoken to her daughters in a fair few years. When Gayle takes unwell, publicly on a tv appearance and taken to hospital they reach out to her daughters, will this be what brings them together or is the troubled past about to be a troubled present?

Samantha and Ella have managed just fine without their mother, barriers built to protect themselves. Ella has a loving husband and little girl, Samantha is a bit like her mother in that her career is everything but so is happiness. Circumstances force a long awaited reunion over Christmas, Gayle hates Christmas and has never been an emotive demonstrative mother. The girls love Christmas and are the opposite of their mother who never embraced nor encouraged the spirit of Christmas. Oooft things are about to get hairy.

Family drama, relationships, unresolved anger, hurt, let down is just some of the issues these ladies are harboring and now about to be together, under one roof and at the time of year that cause them alot of bad memories/blood.

Gayle is a bit of a cold fish and at one point I wanted to slap her for what she said but as the book goes on and we learn more about the characters I thawed towards her a bit. Still livid at one particular thing. The family they are with in Scotland are just lovely and it was a nice contrast to the ladies.

Dysfunctional families, secrets, love, lies, miscommunication, relationships - it has a blend of just about everything. 3.5/5 for me this time, read Morgan before and will read again.

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Last Place You Look by Louisa Scarr

Last Place You Look by Louisa Scarr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Canelo Crime

Source - Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

The man you love has been murdered. You’d do anything to find out the truth. Wouldn’t you?

A man lies dead in a hotel room, and the police attend his home address to inform the widow. Nothing unusual, until DC Freya West realises – too late – that the victim is the man she has been having an affair with. The future she imagined has been snatched away.

Meanwhile, her new boss, DS Robin Butler, is preoccupied with his own problems. Mistakes he thought buried deep in his past now threaten to be exposed. Before long, both Butler and West are keeping secrets that could end their careers – and worse.

When the detectives have a chance to tell the truth, they choose to keep quiet. But once that line is crossed, is there any going back? After all, breaking the law is easy when you know how to uphold it.



My Review

I hadn't heard of this author before and the book was on offer on Amazon and I am a sucker for crime and bargains! DC West is put to work with DS Butler her new boss. West is about to have her world turned upside down, she thought it was because the married man she has been having an affair with is leaving his wife. Actually he turns up dead and she is on the case with the new boss.

Ooooh there is a lot going on in this book and some mentions of sex (even a brief visit to a swingers pad) and West's love is found naked, dead in a hotel room! Accidental death on the surface but everything West knows about him she knows no way this can be true. How does she focus the investigation when she isn't meant to know him, she is grieving and her future is gone!

It is intense as we know one of the officers is hiding a secret but Butler also has things in his past he would rather be left there. As the investigation picks up we learn more about the central characters and things get dark and dodgy quickly.

I can't believe this is a debut, you would believe this author has been writing for years. Suspense, shock, characters with depth and unravelling their layers as you go. I got this because it was on offer, I ordered book two because I am very much looking forward to where the next stage of the story is going, 4.5/5 for me this time!

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I heart Christmas by Lindsey Kelk

I Heart Christmas by Lindsey Kelk
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 369

Publisher - Harper

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Angela’s planning her very own fairytale of New York…

• Enormous Christmas tree
• Eggnog
• Eccentric British traditions
• Gorgeous man

But Santa’s throwing her a few curveballs – new job (as if it’s not mental enough already), new baby-craze from her best friend Jenny, and Alex determined they should grow up and settle down. Once friends start turning up uninvited on her doorstep (and leading her astray), can Angela really have a merry little Christmas? So much for happy holidays – something’s got to give…


My review

This is book six in the series, you could read it as a standalone but I would read the previous so you know the backstory and appreciate it more. So things are going well for Angela, she is married to the stunning Alex. The magazine is going well and finally they are going to have a week off to be together and enjoy each others company, what could go wrong.

As always there is drama, family issues, relationship & friendship themes and all set in the run up to Christmas. An old nemesis raises their head and some things that have been in the past needs dealt with.

I thought Angela was a wee bit selfish in parts at this and if she had just dealt with how she was feeling and what she wanted so much would be avoided. Then it wouldn't have made for a good story though eh and people don't always do the most sensible action we, the reader, would have.

If you want to leave your life behind for a wee while then Angela and co provide that for you. Relatable for some of the issues, particularly the family/plans for Christmas. 3.5/5 for me this time, I think I have another one or two on the tbrm by this author.

View all my reviews I Heart Christmas by Lindsey Kelk
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 369

Publisher - Harper

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Angela’s planning her very own fairytale of New York…

• Enormous Christmas tree
• Eggnog
• Eccentric British traditions
• Gorgeous man

But Santa’s throwing her a few curveballs – new job (as if it’s not mental enough already), new baby-craze from her best friend Jenny, and Alex determined they should grow up and settle down. Once friends start turning up uninvited on her doorstep (and leading her astray), can Angela really have a merry little Christmas? So much for happy holidays – something’s got to give…


My review

This is book six in the series, you could read it as a standalone but I would read the previous so you know the backstory and appreciate it more. So things are going well for Angela, she is married to the stunning Alex. The magazine is going well and finally they are going to have a week off to be together and enjoy each others company, what could go wrong.

As always there is drama, family issues, relationship & friendship themes and all set in the run up to Christmas. An old nemesis raises their head and some things that have been in the past needs dealt with.

I thought Angela was a wee bit selfish in parts at this and if she had just dealt with how she was feeling and what she wanted so much would be avoided. Then it wouldn't have made for a good story though eh and people don't always do the most sensible action we, the reader, would have.

If you want to leave your life behind for a wee while then Angela and co provide that for you. Relatable for some of the issues, particularly the family/plans for Christmas. 3.5/5 for me this time, I think I have another one or two on the tbrm by this author.

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The Merry Christmas Project by Cathy Bramley

The Merry Christmas Project by Cathy Bramley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - Orion

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Christmas has always meant something special to Merry - even without a family of her own. This year, her heart might be broken but her new candle business is booming. The last thing she needs is another project - but when her hometown's annual event needs some fresh festive inspiration, Merry can't resist.

Cole loves a project too - though it's usually of the bricks and mortar variety. As a single dad, his Christmas wish is to see his kids again, so getting the new house finished for when they're all together is the perfect distraction.

But this Christmas, magic is in the air for these two strangers. Will it bring them all the joy they planned for . . . and take their hearts by surprise too?

After all, anything can happen at Christmas. . .



My Review

Merry is taking a huge leap of faith, after stepping down from her job and living with her boyfriend she is giving it her all to set up her new candle business. When she thinks things are going in the right direction with her relationship fate has other ideas. Focusing on keeping busy she steps up to help arrange a festive memorial special event for the whole town. Cole is spending this year alone, his ex is with the kids far away from their wee town. Soon Cole gets swept up with the community festivities and a friendship with Merry and co.

If you want a bit of escapism with some Christmas spirit, relationships, friendships and a wee tug at some heart strings (nothing too heavy) then this is a perfect read for you. Merry is such a sweetheart and Cole's family is lovely too. It is a nice cast of characters and I think I needed that because there have been some belters of late. A community pulling together for this time of the year when it means so much to so many.

I liked reading about Merry's candle making too, it doesn't feature hugely in the book (I mean the actual process) but what it does I liked. I burn a fair few candles but never really thought about what all goes into the nor the tweaking, I liked how Merry came up with one particular scent inspiration.

This is my first dance with Bramley, it won't be my last. A nice wee break from reality read and ticks a good bit of the festives, 4/5 for me this time.

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The Story of Silence by Alex Myers

The Story of Silence by Alex Myers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - as able over 10 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Harper

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

A knightly fairy tale of royalty and dragons, of midwives with secrets and dashing strangers in dark inns. Taking the original French legend as his starting point, The Story of Silence is a rich, multilayered new story for today’s world – sure to delight fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale.

There was once, long ago, a foolish king who decreed that women should not, and would not, inherit. Thus when a girl-child was born to Lord Cador – Merlin-enchanted fighter of dragons and Earl of Cornwall – he secreted her away: to be raised a boy so that the family land and honour would remain intact.

That child’s name was Silence.

Silence must find their own place in a medieval world that is determined to place the many restrictions of gender and class upon them. With dreams of knighthood and a lonely heart to answer, Silence sets out to define themselves.

Soon their silence will be ended.



My Review

Silence, born a girl, raised a boy. The laws of the land that only males could inherit therefore Silence MUST be a boy. I had never heard of this medieval poem so this retelling was shiny brand new to me from all angles. We open in an old tavern with a bard telling the story of Silence and we go back to Silence's birth, why the law came into play that only males can inherit and Silence's life.

This is brilliant, different, unique (I felt) going back to a time when there is war, inheriting through marriage, birth, titles, land. Being raised as a boy, knowing you are different but not exactly why and living your life a lie, trying to constantly prove your worth. It is emotive in places, I really felt for Silence. Nothing was good enough, just wanting approval, only wanting to be a knight. Silence is such a good person, kind, honest and it is almost constantly used against them.

I don't generally read books like this and I am glad I got a chance to, historical fiction (I am coming more around and enjoying this genre), fantasy, gender vs sex, adventure, friendship, relationships, deceit, betrayal and even a wizard! There is just so much and for me it was fresh, different, new. I read a lot of books across genres but this was really different. I plan to hunt down the poem and have a read at it. When reading this I did find myself pondering life/situations for Silence then and for those in the LGBTQIA community now. I don't know if that was one of the authors goals in writing this but it certainly left me deep in thought. Sometimes you don't realise how much you take for granted purely because of how you were born/raised. 4.5/5 for me this time, this was my first time reading this author, I will be looking at their other work and other books in this kind of vein. It is thought provoking read and I think I will be thinking about this long after I put it down.

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Additional Giveaway

As apology for later posting competition this is an additional giveaway, open worldwide.

Up for giveaway is x1 facemask of the ones shown, the winner will choose ONLY ONE from the four available, this is open world wide.

Two are festive themed, one is a cat with a christmas hat on.

Or a seasonal snowflakes on a blue background.

The other two are non festive, one is a Ouijja board print.

Or lastly a black cat with beautiful purple eyes and a pentagram star print.

To enter please use a the Rafflecopter below.


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December Giveaway

Just a wee simple straight forward giveaway, apologies it is late.

Up for grabs is x1 £5 Amazon voucher. Sadly Amazon will not allow me to gift outside my own country so this one is open to UK ONLY. However I will be listing another competition tonight that will be open to all.

As always - please use Rafflecopter below to enter the competition.

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Your Neighbour's Wife by Tony Parsons

Your Neighbour’s Wife by Tony Parsons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Tara Carver seems to have the perfect life. A loving mother and wife, and a business woman who runs her own company, she's the sort of person you'd want to live next door to, who might even become your best friend.

But what sort of person is she really?

Because in one night of madness, on a work trip far from home, she puts all this at risk. And suddenly her dream life becomes a living nightmare when the married man she spent one night with tells her he wants a serious relationship with her. And that he won't leave her or her precious family alone until she agrees.

There seems to be only one way out.
And it involves murder...



My review

Wow this is an intense read so buckle in! Tara Carver is an independent business women, she runs a dating agency app whilst her stunning, fit husband Christian looks after their wee boy. When Tara flies to Japan for a business convention and meets James, well when the cat is away....... Tara has never done anything like this in her life, she is happy in her marriage and quickly regrets her one night with James. However Tara is about to learn that actions come with consequences and James isn't willing to let her go.

Oh Tara Tara Tara what a nightmare. James seems lovely but dear Lord how appearances can be deceiving. Even when Tara leaves Japan and thinks it is over but really it is just starting. The chapters flip between Tara and Christian as the story unfolds, the tension and steaks run high and things just go from bad to worse. You initially find it hard to have sympathy for Tara, she did cheat on her husband but things get dark really quickly and it isn't just impacting on Tara but those around her and she loves.

It is a pretty dark book, some really shady characters/actions throughout, Parson's brings swipe after swipe and things go from bad to worse to really really bad. Pretty short chapters and you are hooked in really quickly. It has been ages since I read Parson's and don't remember that book being anything like this. Really engaging, shocking, page turner and Parson's shows us again and again how things can just keep getting worse! 4/5 for me this time, I will be having a nosey at their back catalogue, my reading mojo has taken a kicking just now with stress etc but this was a book I found I could loose myself in for a wee while. If you think things aren't great yourself at least we aren't Tara ooft!

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Dark Pines by Will Dean

Dark Pines by Will Dean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 5 days

Pages - 328

Publisher - Point Blank

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

An isolated Swedish town. A deaf reporter terrified of nature. A dense spruce forest overdue for harvest. A pair of eyeless hunters found murdered in the woods.

It’s week one of the Swedish elk hunt and the sound of gunfire is everywhere. When Tuva Moodyson investigates the story that could make her career she stumbles on a web of secrets that knit Gavrik town together. Are the latest murders connected to the Medusa killings twenty years ago? Is someone following her? Why take the eyes? Tuva must face her demons and venture deep into the woods to stop the killer and write the story. And then get the hell out of Gavrik.


My Review

This is my first dance with this author. Tuva Moodyson is our main character, a journalist in a small isolated Swedish town. Twenty years ago there were some grisly murders and then nothing. Now a body has been found in the woods with echoes of the killings years ago, is it coincidence, is it a copycat? Tuva needs to get to the bottom of it but will all small towns they all have their secrets and some secrets are worth killing over.

Tuva is a different character to any I have read before, she is deaf although with the use of hearing aids she can hear. Through her character portrayal we get a small insight into the way people treat others with hearing impairments, discrimination and downright rudeness/ignorance! It really opened my eyes and be more appreciative to issues a person with this particular impairment. Tuva is a really strong independent character and the way she uses her disability to her advantage at times, faces head on peoples ignorance and manages it all with grace and strength. She is a great read and I look forward to the next few books exploring more of her character.

It is hunting season in the book and a huge part and history to this small town and its residents, I struggled with some of the animals parts, I always do in books/movies. I loved the scene settings, when in the woods the writer creates such vivid descriptions you have no problems transporting to it.

Some of the characters are unsettling, not overly nice and some just a bit strange. The troll sculptures made me wonder if this is something the author has came across in real life, they are such weird creations as art often is. They unsettle Tuva and I did visuals how creepy it would be if someone bought, gifted or just left one for you, shudders.

I have the rest of the series on my tbrm and look forward to getting round to them. The book itself covers so many themes, murder, death, creepiness, relationships, bizarreness, friendships and a fair amount of suspense especially the scenes in the woods. The opening chapter, in the car with the elk, my heart was in my mouth, Dean certainly knows how to create tension! 3.5/5 for me this time!

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