#Review By Lou of The Bravest Word By Kate Foster @kfosterauthor @WalkerBooksUK@LoveBooksTours #Kidslit #MiddleGrade #ChildrensBook #MentalHealth #Football #Dogs #TheBravestWord

The Bravest Word
By Kate Foster

A brave, heartfelt book for Middle-grade children that combines a dog, football and prevalent childhood issues.

Blurb

A rescue story of love and trust between a boy and a dog from the talented author of Paws.

Matt is a football superstar. He can handle anything. Except lately his chest feels empty and his head is screaming. He can’t concentrate in school or enjoy football any more, and he is so, so tired. When Matt stumbles across an abandoned dog, there’s no doubt in his mind that he has to save him. But maybe the dog isn’t the only one who needs help.

Review

The Bravest Word combines some childhood interests, such as football with mental health, or rather suffering from poor mental health. It’s a winning combo, especially when a cute dog is also added to the mix. It’s a book many children will relate to.

Matt is lost. He loved football. He was a superstar and this book shows that even heroes are not infallible and are human after all. They can also find life tough at times as well as see their mental health decline.
When Matt comes across a dog, he feels moved to rescue it, but it becomes a greater partnership than he could ever imagine, turning it into a positive, heartfelt story.

The book cleverly draws the readers in with the style of writing, which also includes text message format here and there, that adds to the story and something kids can easily latch onto too, along with a feeling of not being alone.
There’s a supportive and hopeful nature about the plot of this book.
This is a great book for kids to either read alone or as a group or with a parent/caregiver as it can be used as a talking point or to foster empathy.
There’s plenty food for thought and a great plot to keep kids engaged.

There’s also a rather interesting and informative author’s note at the end too.

#Review By Lou of The Holiday Escape By Heidi Swain @Heidi_Swain @BookMinxSJV #simonschusterUK #TeamBATC #SummerRead #BeachRead #TheHolidayEscape

The Holiday Escape
By Heidi Swain

What better way to start the spring/summer season with a book by Heidi Swain to gently ease us out of the wintry freeze and into something heart-warming, with all the anticipation of summer sun. I say anticipation because I’m still in a jumper as I write this review, but I have a lot of hope that this shall pass and summery t-shirts and dresses will peek out of my wardrobe and decide to dance one day soon.

Blurb

Her dream holiday is his everyday life. His dream holiday is her normal life. What happens when they collide?

Ally and her dad, Geoff, run the family business, a creative retreat, from their home Hollyhock Cottage in picturesque Kittiwake Cove. They give their guests their dream break, but Ally hankers after glamourous city living, fancy restaurants and art galleries.

Ally’s survival strategy is to escape out of season, take a break abroad and pretend to be the person she always imagined she would be. She meets Logan while she’s away and he turns out to be exactly the kind of distraction she’s looking for.

With her spirits restored, Ally returns home, picks up the reins again and sets her sights on another successful season, but when Logan unexpectedly arrives on the scene, she soon realises she’s in for a summer that’s going to be far from straightforward…

A story about bringing a holiday home – and what happens when what goes on on holiday comes back to bite you…

Review

A trip to Kittiwake Cove holds a summer of interesting times and of course the birds, Kittiwakes. If you’ve ever seen a Kittiwake, which I’ve seen several, they congregate in certain areas of the UK at certain times of the year and can be quite noisy and sometimes you need to hold your nose going past them, but apart from that, there’s still something endearing about them.

The people in Kittiwake Cove have busy lives. Ally is at a bit of a stumbling block with hers. She’s been busy with her dad, Geoff, giving people wonderful holiday experiences at a retreat and realises she wants more out of life and to see what the buzz of cities have to offer, Barcelona, in-particular. She wants to escape the memories Kittiwake Cove holds, such as her mum dying and perhaps be “someone else” for a time to see what she can discover. There aren’t any Kittiwakes, but there is a parrot who is full of cheekiness and humour. Who she discovers is a guy, who later brings complications and secrets, especially when she returns home.

The fact she returns home shows her loyalty to her dad and his business, which makes Ally appealing and brings a whole new slant to this genre. One that’s relatable as not everyone escapes something forever and bonds can still be there, even when there are bigger dreams that have to be dashed for a while. There’s friendship and warmth and humour to be found, which is a great recipe for a summer read, as well as great locations.

So, as we hope for lots of sun or a book to pack into a suitcase to hit the beach or poolside, this book has lots of summer vibes just waiting to get out.

#Review By Lou of The Alliance By Matt Brolly @MattBrollyUK @AmazonPublishing @ZoolooBookTours #CrimeFiction #Thriller

The Alliance
By Matt Brolly

I’ve read and reviewed a few books by Matt Brolly and this is his twistiest yet! Nobody’s safe as people are recruited by The Alliance…
Thanks to Zooloos Book Tours I am on the blog tour with a review.

Blurb

Four cities, four killers, four murders. The Alliance is just getting started.

When four unconnected serial killers simultaneously commit identical murders across four different US cities, FBI Special Agent Shannon Wallace faces an unprecedented threat—a cooperative of killers working in unison. Each homicide is witnessed by a survivor, and now these lucky ones need to decide how to tell their stories to the world.

Their posts about the horrific murders create a media storm and a new term is soon coined for the killers: The Alliance. As they recruit new killers into their ranks and more innocent people linked to the initial murders are killed it becomes clear that Wallace is dealing with an unprecedented threat—a deadly alliance formed to terrorize the nation with coordinated strikes.

With the killers always one step ahead, the very fabric of society threatens to unravel and Wallace battles to decipher The Alliance’s endgame before they dismantle civilization city by city. In a desperate race against time, can Wallace uncover the members and motives of the Alliance and end their reign of terror before more victims wind up dead.

Review

4 murders, 4 cities, this is an intriguing crime wave that has got the FBI involved to crack the case. The Alliance are powerful and know how to make it grow and expand their murderous and nefarious activities.

What really piqued my interest was the fact it combines the impact of social media in such cases, which brings a thought-provoking.

FBI Special Agent Shannon Wallace is passionate about her work. She’s recently started working in the Behavioural Analysis Unit, which brings with it an interesting study into societal behaviours, including psychopathy and manipulation.

It’s a darkly gripping thriller that keeps you guessing and keeps you thinking about media in crime cases.

#Review By Lou of The Secret Keepers By Tilly Bagshawe @tillybagshawe_author @harpercollinsuk @RandomTTours #TheSecretKeepers #BlogTour

The Secret Keepers
By Tilly Bagshawe

The Secret Keepers is the latest book by Tilly Bagshawe. It’s perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley. Tilly Bagshawe has been writing for a long time and this is the first I’ve read of hers. I am glad I read The Secret Keepers and I am sure it won’t be my last.
Check out the blurb below and my review.

Blurb

Sweeping from the French Riviera to the wind-blown Cornish cliffs, lose yourself in this spellbinding novel about one golden family – and a devastating secret that binds them, forever…

Year after idyllic year, the Challant family retreat to their summer house on the glittering French Riviera.

Until one stormy night in 1928 when a local boy suffers a fatal accident in the grounds. Overnight, it becomes a place of ghosts.

As time unspools, those dark memories loosen their grip on the four Challant children. And yet the local whispers about that night never quieten, calling them back to the house on the Riviera.

A family secret lies waiting in the past.

But dare they unlock the truth?

Review

Unlock scandalous secrets and enter the 1920’s and meet the Challant family in their luxurious retreat in France. Money can’t buy the perfect life. Events happen, such as a fatal accident and then there’s no telling what this sparks… unless you read the book. Nothing is hidden forever and secrets are always there, just lying in wait to be discovered. People remember things, tongues wag and whispers become noisier. Some of the family are happy enough to return to the French Riviera and others, not quite so much. There’s quite a bit to unravel to reach the truth of what’s really happened on such a fatal night, making it a compelling read as the air becomes quite mysterious.

The Secret Keepers is a book to easily lose yourself in the locations of France, Switzerland and Cornwall and become entangled in the characters lives and agendas.

About the Author

Tilly Bagshawe is the internationally bestselling author of nineteen previous novels and has written for newspapers and magazines including the Sunday Times, Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph. She lives in London with her husband and 4 children.

#Review By Lou of Preloved By Lauren Bravo @laurenbravo @simonschusterUK @simonschusterPR #Preloved

Preloved
By Lauren Bravo

Preloved is an uplifting book set within a charity shop. Thanks to Simon and Schuster, I have reviewed from the e-book. Find out more in the blurb and then my thoughts in the full review below.

Blurb

A love story about things…

Gwen’s life has stalled. She’s in her mid-thirties, perpetually single, her friends are busy procreating in the country and conversations with her parents seem to revolve entirely around herbaceous borders and the council’s wheelie-bin timetable. Above all she’s lonely. But then, isn’t everyone?

When Gwen’s made redundant from a job she drifted into a decade ago and never left, she realises it’s time to make a change. Over what might be the best – and most solitary – meal she’s ever eaten, Gwen vows to find something meaningful to do with her life, reconnect with her family and friends – and finally book herself a dentist appointment.

Her search for meaning soon leads her to volunteer in a local charity shop where she both literally and metaphorically unloads her emotional baggage. With the help of the weird and wonderful people she meets in the shop and the donated items bursting with untold stories that pass through its doors, Gwen must finally address the events and choices that led her to this point and find a way to move forward with bravery, humanity and more regular dental care.

Brimming with life, love and the stories bound up in even the most everyday items, Preloved is a tale about friendship, loss, being true to oneself no matter the expectations – and the enduring power and joy of charity shops.

Review

I’d connect with Gwen in a heartbeat. I relate to her, plus I volunteer, although, unlike her, I never offload any emotional baggage, but like her, happy for others to.

Gwen has discovered, come a certain age, the talk is often about babies and household chores. She’s also discovered that when you’re single, there’s also many other things that there are other things that also go on in your life, but can’t always be talked about because no one else understands anymore or friends are wrapped up with their own lives.
Gwen, after facing a series of this and winds up feeling very lonely and for the reader, you wind up feeling very sorry for her because you know she isn’t invisible, she does exist, but not necessarily enough for people to truly see her. Then to make matters worse, she’s made redundant.

As things change, Gwen decides volunteering would be a good road to go down and ends up in a charity shop. As she unloads all sorts of baggage from people, she also offloads emotional baggage and so do the people entering the shop.

It’s a somewhat thought-provoking book about how we treat single people, but its also an uplifting book about new-found friendship and turning your life around.

#Review By Lou of Edge of the Land By Malcolm Hollingdrake @MHollingdrake @HobeckBooks #EdgeOfTheLand #MerseysideCrimeSeries #CrimeFiction #BlogTour

Edge of the Land
By Malcolm Hollingdrake

After reading and reviewing the first two of the Merseyside crime series, Catch As Catch Can and Syn, it gives me great pleasure to be back on the Hobeck Books blog tour for the third instalment. You can read it as a stand-alone or as part of the series.
I’ve also trawled through my many photos of Liverpool and included the Albert Docks and the Liverbirds Building that are mentioned after my review. I don’t live in Liverpool, but have visited this city.

Blurb

Edge of the Land is the thrilling third novel in the Merseyside crime series from Malcolm Hollingdrake, author of the best-selling Harrogate crime series.

The waterways of the Liverpool docks contain many ghosts and shadows. It’s a place to disappear… a place to die.
Detective Inspector April Decent and Detective Sergeant Skeeter Warlock are fearful for the welfare of a vulnerable young man injured in an attack ordered by drug dealers. Originally questioned at the scene, the young man denies the attack and refuses to co-operate with the police. He soon disappears. Clues to his whereabouts are sown, a cry for help maybe, but he remains elusive.

At the same time, the team are dealing with a spate of deaths in the city. The one thing the deaths have in common: the victims are all homeless and seemingly ravaged by addiction. Initially, the deaths are not considered to be suspicious as there is no obvious connection. Soon the hallmarks of murder are discovered and a hunt for a potential serial killer is on.
Is there a link between the missing man and the deaths? Could he be the vital piece of the puzzle which will solve the mystery behind the brutal murders?

Review

The Merseyside crime series is gritty with twists and turns, creating a dark, yet very compelling atmosphere. In reality, the docklands around Liverpool is an interesting area to visit, for readers who perhaps visit this city or live in and around it.

The writing is engaging, with shades of light and dark.
There’s a petty criminal, Danny, who has been sadly involved in crime since the age of 8, so knows no different. It’s quite a reflection on certain areas of society and how people can turn out. He’s now fallen foul to a drugs gang. Police are concerned about his activities and his welfare.

Homeless people are seen as “easy targets” and are being murdered. As a wider picture emerges, it looks like a serial killer is on the lose, going through the Liverpudlian streets.

Detective Inspector April Decent and Detective Sergeant Skeeter Warlock are the beat to solve both cases. Both are gripping and intriguing and not easy for the police to piece together the fragments of evidence.

It’s a fascinating read with tricky puzzles to solve before time runs out. There’s a lot for the police to handle and a lot at stake in this pacy read.

Pics are of the docks and Liverbirds building that are mentoned in the book.