#Review by Lou of The Christmas Retreat by Trisha Ashley @trishaashley @RandomTTours #Christmas #TheChristmasRetreat

The Christmas Retreat
By Trisha Ashley

Christmas is coming and the books are hotting up! The Christmas Countdown is On! It’s time to retreat from the cold weather and dark nights and get cosy with Trisha Ashley’s new Christmas book.
Check out my review and the blurb below, thanks to Random T. Tours and Bantam for the book in-exchange of an honest review.

Blurb

Ginny Spain usually loves Christmas: wrapping up warm by a cosy fire, putting twinkling lights on the tree… But after breaking up with her ex, her festive spirit has deserted her. This year, she plans to hide away and spend the holiday alone.

Her formidable mother, Evie, has other ideas. Dragging Ginny out of isolation, Evie takes her to an artist and writers retreat at Triskelion, a remote old house in the tiny coastal village of Little Star, determined to uncover the secrets of an ancestor who once lived there.

Triskelion is now home to rugged Rhys Tarn and his ten-year-old daughter – and Ginny is in for a shock when she discovers Rhys and her share an unexpected connection.

Review

For those who have broken up with someone not before Christmas and for good reason, this one may be relatable. Ginny Spain just isn’t feeling the sparkle of Christmas like she normally does and has a desire to hide away. Instantly there’s a desire to feel compassion for her.
Evie, her determined mother who you wouldn’t say no to, is in a sense her saviour and gets her to go to a writers and artists retreat. It’s still isolated, but Ginny isn’t in complete isolation as she imagined her holiday to be. She’s plunged into a community of people who just may become new friends.

There’s much to uncover, including some histories and secrets which makes the book compelling in a beautiful setting.

Triskelion is a heart-warming place with various traditions to get involved with that are beautifully written that brings the spark of Christmas energy.

The Christmas Retreat is a lovely book that makes being invested in the characters effortless and brings a bit of Christmas sparkle alongside their complex lives.

#Review of The Bad Women by Jennie Ensor @Jennie_Ensor @HobeckBooks #TheBadWomen #CrimeFiction

The Bad Women
By Jennie Ensor

Review by Louise Cannon

The Bad Women see a return to The Brampton Village Mysteries in book 2 of this twisty series. Check out the blurb and my review below as I join the Hobeck Books Blog Tour.
Please note, all opinions are my own and nor am I affiliated to anything or anyone.

Blurb

It is a new year and the Covid pandemic is a distant memory for the residents of Wilton Close. If only the sudden death of neighbour Tara Sanderson wasn’t still haunting some of them. But Tara is very much alive in memories, and consciences – in particular, those of friends Ashley Khan, Elspeth Chambers and Clare ‘Bird Woman’ Titchfield.

Then a young woman from a nearby caravan park is found dead in a local quarry. Police conclude it was suicide; she was gravely ill when she died. But is there more to the tragic death than meets the eye?

Attempting to lay ghosts to rest, Ashley becomes obsessed with solving the mystery, finding an unlikely ally in the local police. Her friends insist on helping, too. Clare must make amends after she carelessly let the local vicar snatch her drawing of the scene of Tara’s death. Elspeth seeks atonement for her role in Tara’s unfortunate demise – while doing her best to quell suspicions that the three friends are guilty of a heinous crime.

The trio find themselves trailing the young woman’s suspected killers, pitching them against powerful men determined to keep their own secrets hidden. To stand a chance of defeating their adversaries, the women must find a courage beyond their imagination.

Review

Villages are a great place for a murder mystery. Even in reality, the sleepiest village probably harbours its secrets. None quite as dark as Little Brampton though. There are strong feelings, some which is grief for someone our main characters knew and some because a suicide just might not be that at all…

Ashley Khan, Elspeth Chambers and Clare ‘Bird Woman’ Titchfield are friends whose points of view, along with DC. Kate Peters readers will follow in each chapter. They take it upon themselves to look for murder suspects for a young woman found in a quarry. The search takes you to some interesting places, such as Dolphin Clinic for alternative therapies, it isn’t something you read everyday. There are a few original ideas, such as this one within the plot that stand out an pique interest.

The book has that sinister, cosy crime feel, with many twists, intriguing characters and a whole lot of clues and red-herrings to keep you guessing and turning those pages.

#Review By Lou of Slow Burn By Oti Mabuse #OtiMabusi @TeamBATC #RomanticFiction #SlowBurn

Slow Burn
By Oti Mabusi

Review by Louise Cannon

As it nears that time of year when Strictly hits our tv screens again, Slow Burn by Oti Mabusi is timely and compelling. Oti Mabuse is no stranger to writing books, but this is her debut novel for adults and it’s stunning!
Thanks to Books and The City – Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of Slow Burn, I am on the blog tour.
Check out my review after the blurb below. Please note, all opinions are my own.

Blurb

Filled with scenes of sizzling passion, plot beats of swoon-worthy romance, and a cast of Black female characters that you’ll fall in love with, the unputdownable debut novel from Oti Mabuse brims with heat and heart. Perfect for fans of Talia Hibbert, Laura Jane Williams, Tia Williams, Farrah Rochon, Hannah Grace and Bolu Babalola.

For dancer Lira, Latin Ballroom is everything. Whilst her dreams of fame were cut short aged 19, she’s never forgotten the connection she felt dancing with a stranger at the Paris World Championship afterparty 13 years ago.

Now, with her younger sisters pursuing their own successful dancing careers, and the responsibility of running the family dance studio falling to her, Lira’s ambitious flame is about to flicker out. Until a chance encounter sees her secretly auditioning for Slow Burn, a new dance show about to embark on a 6-week European tour, and coming face to face with a blast from her past that sends her reeling.

Gabriele is the quintessential bad boy of the Latin Ballroom scene. Slim of hip, with long, lean muscles that pop, a chiselled jaw, dark eyes, obscenely long lashes, and a mouth that just won’t give, it’s no surprise when he lands the principal male lead role on Slow Burn. But, with just a few weeks to go till the tour starts, he still hasn’t found his female co-star. All it takes is one audition to set his world on fire…

On the dance floor they’re smouldering, off it, they’re on fire.

Review

When opening Slow Burn and noticing the name, Lira, I couldn’t help but smile and wonder if it was a nice nod to her friend, Janette Manrara’s daughter, Lira, in at least by choosing her name to feature in the book. Nice if it is and if it isn’t, well, it’s still a pretty name.

Back to considering the plot.
It’s time to swoon as smouldering romance occurs, Slow Burn has got everything that you could wish for on this dance floor in a beautifully written plot that you just sink into and forget the cares of the day for a while.

Slow Burn is a beautiful, well-crafted character driven story, which feels at times a bit nicely artistically done, in the way that there’s one character who is at the end of the dance career and another just on the cusp of having the opportunity to dazzle. This plot and character development as everything builds up for the dance show, Slow Burn is compelling to read and you can feel the passion for dance and the expertise and experience of Oti Mabuse shine through.

As well as the dance world, there’s also home-life to contend with and not everyone is well, which adds an extra layer and a bit more complexity as it portrays life isn’t all glitz and sparkly sequins all of the time. It doesn’t get too complex, but none-the-less, adds another depth to the plot.

As you read, the connection between characters is palpable and the emotions become truly heartfelt and at times, catches you with quite an intensity, as you dance through the pages of the dancers lives. In this respect, it’s quite a surprisingly powerful read and it carries very well throughout, pulling you in further and deeper.

This is Oti Mabuse’s debut novel and I feel that if she has a desire to continue writing, she should have a bright author career future ahead of her. I would certainly read more, so hoping she keeps them coming!

#Review by Lou of Kakigori Summer By Emily Itami @EmilyItami #Summer #JapaneseFiction #Fiction #ReadingCommunity #SummerVibe #KakigoriSummer #CompulsiveReaders

Kakigori Summer
By Emily Itami

One of the big trends that is ever growing is books from Japan with their interesting stories that connect with any reader as themes are often universal. Kakigori Summer is both UK and Japanese based. From the shortlisted Costa Book Awards for Faultlines. This is another one to watch out for!
Today, I am part of the Compulsive Readers blog tour with a review after the blurb…

Blurb

Sisters Rei, Kiki and Ai have always had to look out for one another – but life has taken them on very different paths.

Eldest daughter Rei is spiky and sensible, distracting herself with an all-consuming job at a financial corporation in London.

Big-hearted Kiki is a single mother in Tokyo, juggling the demands of her young son and the cantankerous elderly residents of the retirement home she works in.

The free-spirited youngest, Ai , is a Japanese pop idol who has found fame and fortune but lost herself along the way. When Ai is embroiled in a scandal and thrust into the spotlight, Rei must pick up the pieces of her family once more.

Over the course of a summer in their childhood home on the Japanese coast, the sisters reunite with their sharp-tongued grandmother, entertain Kiki’s irrepressible son and silently worry about Ai, carefully avoiding the subject of their mother’s death fifteen years before. But silence between sisters can only last for so long . . .

Transporting, funny and moving, Kakigori Summer is an uplifting exploration of love and loss, sisterhood and family, the stories we tell ourselves about the past and how they determine our future.

Review

If you look at Google, Kakigori is a Japanese dessert often served in shops and at festivals in summer. It’s a Japanese shaved ice dessert, often flavoured with syrup and sweetened condensed milk. This book is not syrupy sweet. It does, however have sweet moments and summery vibes on the coast that swings you in the mood for summer and family.

Rei, Kiki and Ai provide an interesting exploration into family life and how paths go in different directions and grief and challenges enter their lives. Big responsibilities and emotions ensue.
There are also wonderful uplifting parts in the family ties as you delve into the dynamics and learn more about the sisters.

Kakigori Summer is an absolutely beautifully written book that takes you by the hand into summer and light and shade of family life.

#Review By Lou of While We’re Young By K.L. Walther @kl_walther #UltimateBlogTour @The_WriteReads #YA #Romance #Romcom #BlogTour

While We’re Young
By K.L. Walther

While We’re Young is a road trip for young adults. What will they get up to on their journey? Will the friendship still be intact at the end and what about the messy romance? This is a book to dive into for pure escapism.
This is a new contemporary romance from the NYT bestselling author of Tik-Tok sensation, The Summer of Broken Rules, K.L. Walther.

Check out the blurb below and my full review, which I bring to you as part of The Write Reads blog tour.

Blurb

Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother—and if Grace finds out, it could ruin their friendship.

With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. All she has to do is convince Isa to help her kidnap Everett and outmaneuver James, who’s certain his sister is up to something.

In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly’s finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?

Four friends. One day off. A whole heap of trouble – this is the perfect love story for readers to escape with this summer and ticks all the boxes for fans of Carley Fortune, Lynn Painter and Emily Henry.

Review

Escapism is just a turn of the page away… It’s light-hearted with friendships, romance and absolute mischief and trouble. With secret love and emotions kept hidden and friendships that become entangled amongst this, it does somewhat pose the questions, how it could end and how messy are things going to get on this adventure?

The pace is quite good and nothing seems over-explained to ruin this, but the setting is nicely written to absorb you into it. There’s some humour and fun throughout the book with the many antics that go on between the friends. With each step into different plans comes just more hi-jinks. It makes a good young adult book that brings laughs with enough to also pull you into wondering what can possibly happen next.
There are also dreams and aspirations with certain lifestyles to explore as well as this next stage in life that the friends try to navigate.

While We’re Young is enough to capture readers to take them to another place for a little while. It’s a book that’s relaxing to ease the cares of the day away into one nice read.

Review By Lou of Pure Evil By Lynda La Plante @LaPlanteLynda @BonnierBooks #JackWarrSeries #CrimeFiction #PureEvil #CompulsiveReaders #BlogTour

Pure Evil
By Lynda La Plante

Review by Louise (Lou) Bookmarks and Stages

Vanished is book 4 in what has been an incredibly good series so far. Jack Warr is definitely different from your usual detective in the way he conducts and goes about solving murders. It’s a rather juicy, compelling series that truly is worth following. It doesn’t stop at book 4. There is a 5th book on its way soon.
Find out more in the blurb and my review below…

Blurb

AN UNTHINKABLE CRIME.
A DETECTIVE UNDER SUSPICION.
A KILLER RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES.

It was supposed to be a simple case: a young man arrested for armed assault.

But it was just the beginning.

As Rodney Middleton awaits trial, Detective Jack Warr is warned by his mentor DCI Ridley that they have only scratched the surface of the man’s crimes.

Then DCI Ridley is suddenly removed from his post. No one is to contact him – and no one will say why.

As Warr digs into Middleton’s past, Ridley calls pleading for help, now accused of a murder he insists he didn’t commit.

To catch a monster and exonerate his friend, Warr must weed out the lies. But what awaits Warr if he uncovers the truth?

Review

Lynda La Plante knows how to intrigue readers by not just the twists, but by posing questions in readers minds. When DCI Ridley is mysteriously removed from his post, of course you want to know why and what happened.
As Jack Warr does some digging around, you want to know what will be uncovered as questions of what the truth could be enters the mind.
This is masterful and accomplished writing!

There’s lots to uncover when it comes to Rodney Middleton that makes for deep, dark, intriguing reading.

The more you delve into this book, the more complex, what seems simple, becomes darker and what transpires from that is an unputdownable read.