I am delighted to share my review today for No Such Thing As Perfect by Emma Hughes. This is a book that was not originally on my #20booksofsummer reading list, but is now another one I have swapped in!
I requested an advance copy of this book from Random House via NetGalley. My review is my own.
No one’s life is as perfect as it looks.
Least of all Laura Morrison’s. (Although she’s not sure how perfect hanging onto your job by a thread and sleeping on an air mattress at your sister’s looks, in all honesty.)
When Laura gets the chance to trial Cupid – a high-tech new dating service which will draw on everything she’s ever done online to find her perfect match – she figures it’s got to be worth a try.
She can’t believe her luck when good-looking, kind considerate Adam turns up for their first date. On paper he’s…well…perfect.
But when Laura develops feelings for the person who led her to Adam in the first place, familiar doubt creeps in.
Maybe for life to start falling into place, Laura has to learn to let go…
My Review…
As the synopsis for this book tells you, life for Laura hasn’t been great. So when an invite to trial a new dating service arrives she decides to give it a go. Laura is a journalist and she can use her experience of the service to hopefully help her keep her job.
This is a light and fun read. Following Laura as she goes through her days and then her meeting with her potential perfect match. As this is supposed to be an easy way of meeting and finding your partner it is supposed to take the some of the doubts and lies out of the start of a new relationship.
I liked the idea of this book, using algorithms to find a potential match is great. As we know, algorithms are great but that do have peculiarities so I was waiting for a twist along the way.
Laura has other problems in life and this did help bring other characters into the story along with family and friends. These characters add a good range of personalities and give different advice and opinions.
Overall a light-hearted story that had a few surprises. If you are a fan of contemporary romance then I do think this is one you would enjoy and it’s one I would recommend.
Many thanks for reading my post, a alike or share would be amazing 🙂 xx
I am delighted to share my review today for Would I Lie To You? by Aliya Ali-Afzal. This is a book I requested to read from House of Zeus via NetGalley and I am so glad I did because it is fabulous.
I am including this as part of #20booksofsummer reading challenge, this is a change to my list! 🙂
From fresh new voice Aliya Ali-Afzal, Would I Lie to You? is a page-turning, warm and funny debut about what happens when you have your dream life – and are about to lose it.
At the school gates, Faiza fits in. It took a few years, but now the snobbish mothers who mistook her for the nanny treat her as one of their own. She’s learned to crack their subtle codes, speak their language of handbags and haircuts and discreet silver watches. You’d never guess, at the glamorous kids’ parties and the leisurely coffee mornings, that Faiza’s childhood was spent following her parents round the Tooting Cash ‘n’ Carry.
When her husband Tom loses his job in finance, he stays calm. Something will come along, and in the meantime, they can live off their savings. But Faiza starts to unravel. Raising the perfect family comes at a cost – and the money Tom put aside has gone. When Tom’s redundancy package ends, Faiza will have to tell him she’s spent it all.
Unless she doesn’t…
It only takes a second to lie to Tom. Now Faiza has six weeks to find £75,000 before her lie spirals out of control. If anyone can do it, Faiza can: she’s had to fight for what she has, and she’ll fight to keep it. But as the clock ticks down, and Faiza desperately tries to put things right, she has to ask herself: how much more should she sacrifice to protect her family?
My Review…
This is a debut and one that I immediately fell for as I began reading. The pages flew by as I read this over the course of one day. The author made it so easy to submerge me into the life of Faiza’s life.
Faiza is a character who is so desperate to fit in, no matter the cost. This isn’t really a problem until her husband Tom loses his job. Their savings have been decimated as Faiza gets sucked into keeping up with the elite mums at school. Wanting to be one of the clique. Not wanting to be on the outside, to be part of a group and to feel as good as those around her.
Initially, I couldn’t understand why Faiza would want to be part of this group of upper-class mothers until I got further into the story. I started to understand her upbringing and the reasons behind her spending. Faiza is a Pakistani Muslim, she is in a multicultural marriage and has three children. She, as many other parents stay at home, runs the house, looks after the children and her husband works long hours to provide for them. They do have a lavish lifestyle and not wanting others to notice the lack of money Faiza does what she can to keep the charade of “being fine” going as long as she can.
The author has brought many things to this story, money worries that lead to marriage problems, arguments, stress and keeping their heads above water. Having a change of roles for the parents was such a good route to go down, but then this route turned dark and highlighted other issues. Being a woman working in a high powered city job has a whole set of other problems.
This is a brilliant story, one that had me engrossed from start o finish. It has such good pacing to it and it reflects the spiral and panic as Faiza tries to keep juggling various problems. Cultural differences become a problem and Faiza is not the only one to notice this, rather than confront it head-on, the author uses Faiza to approach this in a different way. There are several eye-opening moments in the book and not just the more obvious ones either.
This is a great read and I am really looking forward to reading more by this author. This is one for readers who like contemporary fiction, family life and relationships. It is one I would definitely recommend.
Many thanks for reading my post, a like or a share would be amazing 🙂 xx
I am delighted to be one of the reviewers opening the Blog Tour and to share my review today for The Face at the Window by Ruby Speechley. The cover and synopsis were intriguing when I saw the email for this and joining the Blog Tour. My huge thanks to Sarah at BOTBSPublicity for my spot on the tour and for arranging my e-copy.
They’re in your house.
They want your life.
And now, they have your baby.
To the world, I’m @HappyWife. Online, people only see my picture-perfect home, my handsome husband, Nick, and my beautiful baby, Thomas.
They don’t see the real Gemma Adams. They don’t see my past, the dark secrets I’m hiding in my marriage. They don’t see the fear I live in every single day.
But I know someone is watching me. And now, they’ve taken Thomas.
I just don’t know why.
But I’m going to stop at nothing to get my baby back.
Even if it destroys everything I’ve got to find him.
A compelling thriller, packed with suspense – fans of K.L. Slater and Lisa Jewell won’t be able to put it down.
My Review…
The cover for this book definitely caught my eye. It has an unsettling synopsis and one that made me intrigued before I even started it.
Gemma is married to Nick, and everything about being a mum to Thomas is new. He’s only 5 days old and she is trying to do some shopping. When one of her employees spots her and offers to help, Gemma is only too happy to. After all, she knows this person and trusts them!
This is a suspense novel that is told in differing timelines and from differing perspectives. It caught me initially but as I got to know the characters I was able to differentiate between them.
The author has woven a story that is about a missing baby. It does, however, have more to it than that, it does sound like I am downplaying the severity of the baby, honestly, I am not. The baby is the finale in some ways even though it’s at the beginning. The story that follows is the lead up to that climax and you get all the whys, who’s and where’s.
His was a story that definitely hooked me. Even though you will guess early who he who is going to about the journey that takes place between the characters.
This one was an addictive read as I was so curious. Took a route I didn’t expect and it was a route I enjoyed. This is one for readers who like mystery, intrigue and stories set in a domestic setting. I would happily recommend this book.
About the Author…
Ruby Speechley is the author of four psychological thrillers published by Hera Books. She loves writing about domestic situations with plenty of twists and secrets.
She was born in Portugal but has lived in the UK since she was three months old. She now lives in Cheshire with her husband and two of her three children and two dogs. She has an older son and grandson.
Check out the other stops on the Blog Tour…
Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx
How is this the final week of July already? It has flown by.
How can I not mention the weather! I was so looking forward to the thunder, lightning and rain. I didn’t hear any thunder, didn’t see any lightning and only got a sprinkling of rain. We did have some respite from the heat as there has been a bit of a breeze.
The garden is starting to come under control again as I get caught up with the weeding. Some plants have been cut back, some thinned out and suddenly I have a riot of colour as my summer plants come into their own.
Echinacea
Dahlia
Small Leafed Lime Tree in front of a Buddleia
Dahlia
Hanging Basket next to Runner Beans
Lavender and Sedum
Clematis grown from a cutting in Mum’s garden
Now to the books I have read this week…
There are a couple of non-fiction books that I am posting my reviews for here today. It is because I am trying to get caught up with some!
My Review…
What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?: Discover a Life Filled with Purpose and Joy Through the Secrets of Jewish Wisdom by Michal Oshman
I don’t tend to read self-help books, but this one caught my eye as did the author bio. I think that the author being a female made it much easier for me to identify with. I don’t have any Jewish family so this is a book I went into with no real idea as to what to expect.
This isn’t a book that will help you overnight, it is a book that you can use to reassess life, goals, challenges and deal with things that you have not fully dealt with. We live in a fast-paced world that sometimes we just cannot keep up with. That’s fine!
Overcoming fear is something that you will need to work at, taking small steps, making small changes, altering your view or repeating a phrase. I do think that everyone will take something different from this book depending on what they are looking to achieve.
It is a book that makes good reading as well as one that can definitely help. It isn’t at all preachy, it doesn’t call for expensive purchases, you don’t need to live a certain lifestyle. Instead, it is a book that will help to add purpose to your day and your thinking.
A book that I found to be useful and one I would definitely recommend.
The Lies I Tell by Joel Hames is one I read for the upcoming Blog Tour. This was a book that I did slow my reading down for and I am so glad I did as it helped to cement the different names and understand the timelines. This is a fabulous book, clever, complex at times and definitely has twists.
This is the 4th book in the Return to Cornwall series. Cornish Gold at Summer’s End by Laura Briggs is the first book I have read in the series and it does work well as a stand alone. Set in a community that is caught up with a phenomenon, or it could be vandals? This is a lovely read and one that had me intrigued as I followed the main character Julie. Full review as part of the upcoming Blog Tour.
My Review…
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
After listening to Michelle Obama narrating her book Becoming, I decided it was long overdue that I listened to one by her husband. I chose The Promised Land to listen to as it covered a good part of Barack Obama’s life prior to The White House and also during.
This was a great book to listen to, listening to the brief journey that leads this man to sit in the highest office of his country. Throughout this narration, I found a guy who genuinely felt that he was doing all he was for the benefit of others. Democracy is something he fervently believes in and this really does come across.
Mentions of his wife, children, family members, friends and colleagues are littered throughout this memoir. There are meetings, glimpses into top-secret operations of the time, news events, mistakes and also victories.
While I did prefer Michelle’s book just fractionally more, I did still love Barack’s. His is more political, obviously, whereas Michelle’s felt more personal.
A wonderful book to listen to, emotional, addictive and one I would definitely recommend.
Four books for me this week, I have had a much slower reading week. But, the garden is looking much tidier 😂
All that is left is for me to wish you all a fabulous week ahead.
Stay safe
Take Care
Best wishes, Yvonne xx
Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx
I am delighted to share my review today for the 3rd book in the Choices Series, Ties Bind, Love Finds by Nia Lucas. I have read all the books in this series and I adore them. Yes, they do need to be read in order.
This is the 7th book pick on my #20booksofsummer reading challenge and this is also one from my own TBR.
Following on from ‘Futures Beckon, Pasts Threaten’, Lorna Goddard navigates motherhood, marriage and a career in the life she never imagined could be hers. As she tries to leave the traumas of her past by building the life she always wanted, Lorna rapidly discovers that stability is never as solid as it looks. What happens when ‘Happy Ever After’ morphs into ‘Ever Happy After’?
When the choices of others yet again turn her life upside down, Lorna discovers that losses no longer break her but the past still beckons at every turn. As it becomes clear that the loves that shaped her conceal a far deeper and more important truth, Lorna is forced to fight for the things she holds most dear.
The scales of love and loss continue to find balance as Lorna Davies rises from the embers of a life less ordinary and forges a fresh path to happiness, taking a route she could never have predicted. Will she finally find what she’s been looking for all along?
My Review…
This is a fantastic series that follows the life of Lorna. Now married with children her life seems to have settled. No longer the troubled teen, moving on from the loss of two very important people in her life.
This is the third book in the series and is one you do need to read from the start. The background for Lorna is important to know who she is and why. The things she us done in the past and the people who are important to her make her who she is.
This series started as a contemporary fiction, coming of age and as Lorna has gotten older has changed, but in some ways she is still working out who she is and who she wants to be. Now in her 30’s things have a habit of not quite going smoothly.
Pressures of work, motherhood for Lorna and her husband Rob are tense, stress creeps in and with that so does distance. She has always been close to the friends she made as a teen. They are her support as much as she is theirs.
As this book progresses the author is once again injected more heartache into Lorna life. This is a strong character and a feisty one at that. Her character takes a lot over the series, and she herself pulls no punches when she makes a stand.
This book does contain strong language and sexual content. The language, is well colourful but it also matches these firebomb of a character. While I am not a fan of a certain used word I can see it is exactly what Lorna would use. The sex can be a little in the graphic side at times but again does fit in with the style of this book.
This is another excellent instalment in the series. Told mainly from Lorna’s perspective you get a no holds barred glimpse into her mindset, character, thoughts, worries and her life.
This is one for readers who like contemporary fiction, it’s gritty and at times adult rated. I have enjoyed every one of the books so far and this lets one is no exception. It is a book I would definitely recommend.
Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx
Firstly, Happy Publication Day to Yrsa Sigurdardottir on her latest novel The Doll. This is my 6th book choice that I am delighted to share my review for as part of for #20booksof summer reading challenge.
My thanks to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton for my e-copy request via NetGalley. My review is my own. I still get the creeps when I see this cover!!!
It was meant to be a quiet family fishing trip, a chance for mother and daughter to talk. But it changes the course of their lives forever.
They catch nothing except a broken doll that gets tangled in the net. After years in the ocean, the doll a terrifying sight and the mother’s first instinct is to throw it back, but she relents when her daughter pleads to keep it. This simple act of kindness proves fatal. That evening, the mother posts a picture of the doll on social media. By the morning, she is dead and the doll has disappeared.
Several years later and Detective Huldar is in his least favourite place – on a boat in rough waters, searching for possible human remains. However, identifying the skeleton they find on the seabed proves harder than initially thought, and Huldar must draw on psychologist Freyja’s experience to help him. As the mystery of the unidentified body deepens, Huldar is also drawn into an investigation of a homeless drug addict’s murder, and Freyja investigates a suspected case of child abuse at a foster care home.
What swiftly becomes clear is that the cases are linked through a single, missing, vulnerable witness: the young girl who wanted the doll all those years ago.
My Review…
I am so glad I had a digital copy of this book rather than a physical copy. I mean, that cover! It so creepy and unsettling.
The doll is discovered during a fishing trip by a young girl out with her mum and a family friend. Later that night the mother dies, the police agree that is was an accident. Rosa is adamant that she wasn’t and that her mum was murdered. She is ignored and her pleas fall on deaf ears.
This is a slower paced police procedural that is set in Iceland. It is a book in the Children’s House series but can easily be read as a stand alone. It did take me a while to get my head around the characters as initially a few were introduced over a short period. I did soon however remember who was who.
The plot of the story is one that is interesting and I was intrigued as to why the doll was so important. It wasn’t until the latter stages that I eventually got the answers. There is several plots going on in this story and it was complex but it did make sense during the reading.
It looks s heavier on the descriptions and details and even though I did like this it did slow the pace down considerably. Fine is you like a more in-depth procedural. It does add a tension and suspense aspect to the story as you have to wait longer for the clues to connect.
I enjoyed this story, a complex and intriguing crime thriller that I would recommend.
AND JUST IN CASE YOU WANT TO SEE THAT COVER AGAIN…
Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx
I am delighted to share my review today for The Pact by Sharon Bolton. This is the 5th book that I have chosen for my list in the #20booksofsummer reading challenge.
I requested this via NetGalley from Trapeze Books. My review is my own. I read The Craftsman by Sharon 3 years ago and it became my Top Read of 2018. You can read my full review of that book HERE
A golden summer, and six talented friends are looking forward to the brightest of futures – until a daredevil game goes horribly wrong, and a woman and two children are killed.
18-year-old Megan takes the blame, leaving the others free to get on with their lives. In return, they each agree to a ‘favour’, payable on her release from prison.
Twenty years later Megan is free. Let the games begin . . .
Richard & Judy bestseller Sharon Bolton is back, with her twistiest thriller yet.
My Review…
What an addictive and darkly twisted book this is. When the synopsis mentions Megan being released from prison and the line “Let the games begin” follows, well that is intriguing enough. After reading the book I now appreciate how important that line is!
Megan is part of a group of students that are top of their class. They are a small but compact group and they spend a lot of time in each others company. After a game of dare goes wrong it is Megan that takes the blame. The full reasons as to why are told later in the story. But as the synopsis says, the rest of the group now owe her a favour.
This was a brilliant story and one that I found myself getting hooked on pretty quickly. Starting the story when the friends were younger. At uni, they excel in their classes and do the usual evening partying.
When Megan is released after serving her sentence the author began to expand on her story. She manages to portray anxiety from the rest of the group as they are left to wonder what Megan will ask of each of them. On the whole, they are successful, they work, have nice houses and they all have a lot to lose.
I adored the way the author very subtle builds up tension, it starts early on and then as the stake get higher she then builds it up more openly. Wondering what will happen and if the group will agree to terms or demands is great. But, there is something else going on, it is dark and it caught me out.
I loved the tense psychological aspect of this story, it kept me on my toes and the story is so addictive. If you have read any of this author’s books before then you know you get amazing reads from her. This one is no exception it is a mix of crime, mystery and thriller with a brilliant psychological edge to it. It is one I would definitely recommend.
Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx
I am delighted to share my review today for A Secret Scottish Escape by Julie Shackman. My thanks to One More Chapter Publishers for my e-copy of this book that I received via NetGalley.
This is the 4th book on my #20booksofsummer reading challenge.
When Scotland’s sleepiest hamlet becomes the centre of hot gossip, Layla Devlin finds herself caught in a mystery…
When Layla’s fiancée has an unexpected heart attack and dies – in another woman’s arms, no less – Layla is determined to pack up and leave Loch Harris, the village she’s always called home. But an unexpected inheritance and love for her quiet corner of Scotland send her down a new path.
Now Layla finds herself facing a whole new kind of drama. Rumours swirl that a celebrity has moved into Coorie Cottage and Layla is determined to have him headline her opening night at local music venue The Conch Club. But the reclusive star is equally determined to thwart Layla’s efforts. Rafe Buchanan is in hiding for a reason, and soon his past comes to Loch Harris to haunt him…
My Review…
Layla is left hurt and confused after the sudden death of her fiance. With money left to her she initially doesn’t want anything to do with it. Then she sees the old fishing shop in the Scottish village of Loch Harris. A small community that is getting quieter as tourists are looking for something different. She decides to open a small live music venue and this is not the only thing to occupy her time or her thoughts as she gets ready for opening night.
This was such a gorgeous story to read on a wet and rather yucky summers day. I was as shocked as Layla after I discovered the secret that her fiance Mac was hiding. I also found myself siding with Layla’s dad, Harry, when I heard that she was opening a music venue. I mean a lovely tranquil village with amazing scenery and then add loud music. How the author described Layla’s dream soon had me visualising and imagining what this would actually be like and I found myself getting on board with the idea based on the imagery from the author.
The author has squeezed some wonderful threads into this story a mysterious singer, a stranger, some romance, some lies and deceit and also a whole load of wonderful heart waring and lovely moments. While there are a couple of more serious threads there are also some genuinely lovely ones.
I soon fell in love with the setting and the sound of this amazing village. I love the sound of a certain reclusive garden and could see myself hiding out there with several good books and maybe the odd large glass of wine!
A story that I found really hard to put down a mix of mystery, romance, family drama and wonderful scenery just make this an adorable book to read and one that left me grinning like a loon. If you like good all-around contemporary fiction and romance novels then you are going to love this one. It is one I would definitely recommend.
Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx
I have been on annual leave for the past two weeks, and yes it has been excellent. I spent a week with my parents who I had not seen for 21 months due to COVID, they were classed as vulnerable, my husband as highly vulnerable and I work in a residential home with vulnerable people. The risk of travelling over 300 miles and potentially pass on the virus was never worth the risk. Now as we are all have had the double vaccine, the odds have reduced, even though the rates are rising again in England.
Weather, well it has been amazing for us, but my goodness there has been some absolutely awful weather in other places around the world. I do hope that if you are dealing with extreme weather at the moment, that you and your loved ones are safe.
As regular visitors are aware, I do love my garden. Having a week at my parents meant I came back to a jungle, I cannot believe how quick the weeds grew while I was away! No photos until I get the weeding back under control, it is getting there and there are some lovely flowers. The veg has been a bit hit and miss this year, but with the weather being so erratic it isn’t really a wonder.
I suppose I ought to mention the books I have read over the past couple of weeks. I do need to do blog posts for almost all of these books, hopefully I can get caught up over the next few weeks. I seem to have changed a few of my #20booksofsummer picks as well, good job this challenge is flexible! 🙂
I read and reviewed Crossfire by R.D. Nixon for the Blog Tour, you can read my full review HERE. This was a grittier mystery and one that was full of intrigue. Set with different timelines it was an addictive and intriguing story. It is a procedural to a point and it does involve the police, this is however, a PI type of mystery that has the Investigating team of Clifford &Mackenzie. I do look forward to reading more in this series.
Primrose Park by Christie Barlow is the latest in the Love Heart Lane series. If you already now of this series then you already know you are going to love this book. If you have not yet read any of the book then… takes deep breath and composes oneself… you really should especially if you love contemporary fiction and romance. A fabulous story with, once again a wonderful sense of community, family and friendship.
I adore the Choices series, Ties Bind, Love Finds by Nia Lucas is the third book in the series. This is a series that is an urban fiction, contemporary fiction read. It does have some colourful language and imagery. The series is about Lorna, from her life as a teen, into her 20’s and now as a mother. Life has been challenging and while things seem to be holding steady, the author has other plans for Lorna. Told from Lorna’s perspective, well mainly from her. this is a no hold barred glimpse into her mindset, thoughts, dreams wishes and her life. A fabulous next book in the series.
I am so glad I have The Doll by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir on my kindle because that cover really creeps me out! This is a slower paced procedural set in Iceland. I wasn’t sure why the doll was so significant until later in the story. By then there is a rising body count, more questions than answers and it made for an addictive read. It one that does in it the noir niche and it is a niche I do enjoy.
This was a fun and lighter read, no such thing as perfect by Emma Hughes was a good book to just chill out and relax to. Laura gets an invite to trial a dating service called Cupid, as she is a journalist she hopes that she can combine her experience with a feature and hopefully save her job. This service is supposed to find your perfect match, but as the title suggest there is “no such thing as perfect”.
Oh if there was ever a book for me then this is one of them. The Fair Botanist by Sara Sheridan is definitely right up my street. It is a historical fiction, with some romance, and gardens, and intrigue and mystery and I adored everything about it. Oh and it is also based on fact. It has been getting some excellent reviews so do keep your eye for it.
Staying with a gardening theme with Janey Trelwnaey’s Year of Surprising Triumphs by Georgia Hill is set in Devon. Janey is a hardworking and socially awkward woman, comfier in dungarees and DM’s than dresses or heels. She works at Cheney House Garden Centre, loves her job and the people until a new manager takes over. Straight away there is an awkwardness between the two. Janey’s problems are only just beginning as she fids herself in the firing line. I adored this book because as much as there is heartache for Janey the author does bring a good balance. Definitely one for those who like a contemporary fiction and rom-com.
I read The Face at the Window by Ruby Speechley for the upcoming blog tour and it was the cover that caught my eye. Gemma is married to Nick, they have Thomas a 5 day old son. When a colleague offers to mind Thomas while Gemma is in the supermarket she doesn’t think anything will happen. Then it does! Told in different timelines you gradually start to understand the life of Gemma and Nick, that saying “you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors” is one that applies. This is a dark story that has consequences. One for those whi like fiction set in a family and relationship setting.
I got the chance to read an early copy of HOB by Amy Shepherd. There are some fabulous, quick, simple and tasty recipes that can all be cooked on the cooker, I mean, no one wants to be cooking up a massive meal in this heat. From breakfasts, snacks, drinks, menu planning, budgeting, desserts and more main meals this book has loads of ideas. I really enjoyed it and I do think I will buy a physical copy of this at some point.
I didn’t read the title of the next boo I was planning to read, I only glanced at my diary and saw the word “I Lie”, typed that into my kindle and Would I Lie to You by Aliya Ali-Afzal popped up. It wasn’t until I went to mark it off as being read that I realised it wasn’t a blog tour copy but an advance copy from NetGalley. The books do have similar titles 🙂
Anyway, what a brilliant book it was and I am so glad that I requested to review this debut book. Faizal is a Pakistani Muslim in an interracial marriage, three children and has just discovered her husband is facing redundancy. Nick thinks there is a good amount in the savings account, but keeping up with the elite mothers and all the activities, parties, fundraisers and such takes funds. Yes, the account is now empty and Faizal has to find a way to get the money before Nick finds out! Brilliant, story, addictive, and covered many different problems in relationships, friendships and trying to fit in. Definitely glad I read this earlier that I planned to.
There we go then. Ten books over two weeks, I think that’s pretty god going.
I would like to say big “Thank You” for the post sharing over the last couple of weeks while I have been taking a break.
Wishing you all a positive, happy and safe week ahead.
All the best
Yvonne xx
Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx
I am delighted to share my review today for The Price by Kerry Kaya.
I do have a confession, I signed up for the Blog Tour with Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources as the book sounded good. When I went to read it I thought this sounds familiar! Kerry has signed a contract with Boldwood Books and her backlist is being re-issued.
It turns out I have already read this book, and I loved it. So, today I am re-sharing my review 🙂 and I do like the new cover for this fabulous book 🙂
Break the rules…
Harry Fletcher – Fletch to his friends – has spent his life surviving the tough streets of the East End. He knows working for notorious gangster Billy King is dangerous, and sleeping with Billy’s beautiful wife, Susan is deadly…but rules are meant to be broken.
Pay the price.
If Billy discovers the affair, Fletch is a dead man. But the closer he gets to Susan the more reckless Fletch becomes. And soon, Fletch realises that every one – even him – must pay the price for his actions.
But just what is Fletch prepared to lose…and will the cost be too high, even for him?
This is the first time I have read a book by this author and I absolutely loved it. The author starts her story in the past in the first chapter, it sets the scene for what is to follow. What followed was an addictive one sitting read for me as I followed the brothers of Fletch and Spence, they work for local gangland boss Billy.
I really liked how the author focused on the relationship of the brothers rather than violence in this story, although the main focus is Fletch. He has a bit more savvy and has more front to him. Although there are mentions of violence, it wasn’t that brutal in the reading.
The brothers are loyal to each other and their Mum, things in the past were tough and it is now that things seem to be working out. Only thing with being part of a gang is that there is always another gang that wants to make a move.
The story took various turns that I found really intriguing, not just a straight forward rival gangs read, but something with much more heart and human interest to it. Getting to know the brothers through the story was a good way to make a reader kind of connect to them, but even though I really liked them there was always that air of danger about them.
I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this story, a brilliant read that wasn’t what I expected and I found it really hard to put down. I think this book would suit various readers, especially those that want a crime read that has a slightly different angle top it. I am looking forward to reading some of the previous books by this author, and as for this book, well I would definitely recommend it.
About the Author…
Kerry Kaya is the hugely popular author of Essex-based gritty gangland thrillers with strong family dynamics. She grew up on one of the largest council estates in the UK, where she sets her novels. She also works full-time in a busy maternity department for the NHS. She has signed a nine-book deal with Boldwood for both new and backlist titles. Her first book The Price will be published in July 2021.
Metal Sculptor based in Long Bennington, Lincolnshire, using recycled materials to create sculptures for your garden or indoor decoration. Sculpture's can be viewed & safely collected, delivery may also be available. Contact for details.
Yvonne - Me and My Books 