The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty

The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ellen O’Farrell is a professional hypnotherapist who works out of the eccentric beachfront home she inherited from her grandparents. It’s a nice life, except for her tumultuous relationship history. She’s stoic about it, but at this point, Ellen wouldn’t mind a lasting one. When she meets Patrick, she’s optimistic. He’s attractive, single, employed, and best of all, he seems to like her back.

Then comes that dreaded moment: He thinks they should have a talk. Braced for the worst, Ellen is pleasantly surprised. It turns out that Patrick’s ex-girlfriend is stalking him. Ellen thinks, Actually, that’s kind of interesting. She’s dating someone worth stalking. She’s intrigued by the woman’s motives. In fact, she’d even love to meet her.

Ellen doesn’t know it, but she already has.


With 502 pages my expectations of a good entertaining read were high especially as Big Little Lies was just that. Unfortunately though I ploughed on to the end, nothing much happened. There were so many opportunities to ramp up the pace that weren’t exploited. Because of the lack of pace and excitement it seemed very slow and a bit boring if I’m honest and therefore overly long.

502 pages in a book is commitment for a reader and I just didn’t think it was a great investment of my time. It’s an ok read for a holiday but not a great read.

Only 3 stars from me, disappointing and lack lustre.

Hope to Die by David Jackson

Hope to Die by David Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

CROSS YOUR HEART AND . . . HOPE TO DIE
There was a hate in this killer. A thirst for obliteration rather than a mere desire to end a life . . .

A brutal murder takes place in the grounds of a Liverpool cathedral. A killer is on the loose, driven by a chilling rage. The victim: the last person you'd expect to be subjected to such terrible violence. Can DS Nathan Cody crack the case before another innocent is chosen?


My first novel by this author and my first introduction to DC Nathan Cody. Having missed the first novel in this sequence of DC Cody books I thought it might be difficult to understand the character but Jackson made it easy to get the back story.

All the characters were filled in nicely so missing the first book in the series didn’t spoil the enjoyment.

Psychological thriller with good tension and nit overly long chapters kept the pace going nicely but the concept wasn’t entirely new. There were a couple of surprises but not enough to make the story really stand out. Having said this it’s an excellent read and Jackson even managed to create empathy for the killer who had been mercilessly mentally abused by his mother. Reading parts where he is only 6 having wet the bed and all the punishment that incurred were very moving.

Well deserved 4 stars from me.

Hideaway by Nora Roberts

Hideaway by Nora Roberts
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A family ranch in Big Sur country and a legacy of Hollywood royalty set the stage for Nora Roberts’ emotional new suspense novel.

Caitlyn Sullivan, a daughter of Hollywood royalty, was already a star at ten, but still loved to play hide-and-seek with her cousins at the family home in Big Sur. It was during one of those games that she disappeared.

Despite her glamorous background, Cate was a shrewd, scrappy survivor, and she managed to escape her abductors. Dillon Cooper was shocked to find the bruised and terrified girl huddled in his ranch house kitchen—but when the teenager and his family heard her story they provided refuge and comfort, reuniting her with her loved ones.

Cate’s ordeal, though, was far from over. First came the discovery of a betrayal that would send someone she’d trusted to prison. Then there were years away in Ireland, sheltered and protected but with restlessness growing in her soul. Then, finally, she returned to Los Angeles, hoping to act again and get past the trauma that had derailed her life. What she didn’t yet know was that two seeds had been planted that long-ago night—one of a great love, and one of a terrible vengeance… 


This is a meaty read 454 pages so a big investment on your time. It needed to be a great read, sadly it wasn’t.

It starts with a funeral celebration of the oldest Sullivan’s life and the coming together of the extended family at his mansion. When 9 year old Caitlyn goes missing during a hide and seek game it’s not long before the family find themselves facing a kidnapping. Great start and a good hook to get the reader in. Unfortunately having exposed who was responsible fairly early in the book it really had no where to go.

We follow Caitlyn into adulthood and it all becomes very predictable and unfortunately boring. Over half the book was predictable and dragged on to such an extent that I skim read most of the boring dialogue to almost the end when I couldn’t read any more.

Such a successful writer doesn’t really deserve two stars but with lack lustre characters and boring predictable storyline I’m afraid I really can’t give it more.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

Counting Stars by Keris Stainton

Counting Stars by Keris Stainton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Big city, big dreams, no money, no problem...

Six 'friends', one flat, big dreams... what could go wrong? When eighteen-year-old Anna leaves school and moves to Liverpool, she feels like her life is finally beginning. She's landed her dream job at a theatre, and she's moving into an exciting (if not slightly run-down) flat on a buzzing street lined with shops, bars, and buskers. Best of all, her new flatmates are kind, welcoming and a lot of fun - what more could she ask for?

But although her new life is fun, it's also a little overwhelming. Anna's job quickly falls through, and then she realises that although her new friends are great, they're also a little mixed-up... and it's not long before Anna starts using her blog to talk about her experiences, from the hilarious to the ridiculous to the little-bit-scary. But when Anna spills a bigger secret than she can handle, suddenly the consequences are all too real. She'll have to prove she has the mettle to make it in the big city, or risk losing everything she thinks she wants.


Average chic lit book that would appeal to most students who’ve just moved away from home.

Mainly dealing with growing up and relationships with boys and learning to live with others.

Likeable characters and an average storyline. Very predictable but an easy read and perfect for holidays (if we ever get back to normal post lockdown life).

Three stars for this one.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

Two Women by Martina Cole

Two Women by Martina Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Danger and violence have always been part of Sue Dalston's East End upbringing. Unloved by her mother, abused by her father, and brutalised throughout her entire marriage, she's convicted of smashing her husband's skull in a final act of desperation. All that keeps her sane is knowing that she's done it to protect her four children. At last, they are safe from harm. When she is celled up with murderess Matilda Enderby, their fates become inextricably linked. And no one - least of all Sue - could have predicted the consequences . . 


This is a meaty book with 552 pages it is a investment on your time but such a surprisingly easy read it really didn’t seem to drag at all.

With believable characters and a strong storyline this novel treated sexual, physical and mental abuse with realistic brutality and yet the characters kept their dignity and respect throughout.

Some passages are truly awful in their depiction but the reader has to go on. I loved the East End connection and it resonated with me being a Londoner myself.

A cleverly crafted novel and immensely worthwhile read. Has to have 5 stars. Read it you won’t be disappointed.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

The Au Pair by Emma Rous

The Au Pair by Emma Rous
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Seraphine Mayes and her twin brother Danny were born in the middle of summer at their family’s estate on the Norfolk coast. Within hours of their birth, their mother threw herself from the cliffs, the au pair fled, and the village thrilled with whispers of dark cloaks, changelings, and the aloof couple who drew a young nanny into their inner circle.

Now an adult, Seraphine mourns the recent death of her father. While going through his belongings, she uncovers a family photograph that raises dangerous questions. It was taken on the day the twins were born, and in the photo, their mother, surrounded by her husband and her young son, is beautifully dressed, smiling serenely, and holding just one baby.

Who is the child and what really happened that day?

One person knows the truth, if only Seraphine can find her.


After the death of her father, Seraphine comes across a photograph of her mother (from 25 years previously ) holding a baby. Her mother supposedly threw herself from the cliffs hours after she has given birth to twins Seraphine and Danny; the photo shows only one baby and her expression does not fit with someone mentally unstable enough to commit suicide.

Seraphine has always felt there was something wrong either she didn’t belong or there were things her and Danny didn’t know. Determined to find the truth she tracks down Laura the nanny who was present at their birth to give her answers.

Seraphine opens up long buried secrets that become deeper the further she digs.

It was a page turner novel but I felt the ending was hurried and not entirely satisfactory. It was also confusing in some parts to decipher who was who.

I enjoyed the read but felt the rushed ending and trying to sort out identities and family connections was confusing and at times frustrating. Because of this I can’t give it more than 3.5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending in exchange for an honest review.

The Liar by Steve Cavanagh

The Liar by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE...

WHO IS DEADLIER ...
Leonard Howell's worst nightmare has come true: his daughter Caroline has been kidnapped. Not content with relying on the cops, Howell calls the only man he trusts to get her back.

... THE MAN WHO KNOWS THE TRUTH ...
Eddie Flynn knows what it's like to lose a daughter and vows to bring Caroline home safe. Once a con artist, now a hotshot criminal attorney, Flynn is no stranger to the shady New York underworld.

... OR THE ONE WHO BELIEVES A LIE?
However, as he steps back into his old life, Flynn realizes that the rules of game have changed — and that he is being played. But who is pulling the strings? And is anyone in this twisted case telling the truth...?


This is my third Cavanagh book in the Eddie Flynn series. I really like the punchy way he writes and the character Eddie Flynn.

This is another adrenaline action packed novel that draws you in from the start and hurtles you towards The finale.

When Lenny Howell’s daughter is kidnapped he calls on Eddie Flynn the son of an old friend to help him find out who had taken her. In true Cavanagh style this is a very intricate plotted story that unravels the deeper you get into the book but only really delivering the punch at the end.

Great court room battles and cross examinations revealing only when Cavanagh wants the reader to know the essential information that moves this forwards.

A great read, clever, entertaining, and totally believable. Has to have 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

Tightrope by Marnie Riches

Tightrope by Marnie Riches
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What happens when a private investigator ends up being the one uncovered?

Having lost everything after a failed marriage, Beverley Saunders now lodges in the basement flat of a house owned by her best friend Sophie and her husband, Tim. With Bev's former glittering marketing career in the gutter, she begins to do investigative work for other wronged women, gathering dirt on philanderers, bosses and exes.

But when Beverley takes on the case of Sophie's friend Angela, who is seeking to uncover grounds for divorce from her controlling husband, Jerry, the shadow Science Minister, she soon discovers that she isn't the only one doing the investigating...

Beverley has a secret history she doesn't want coming out - but will she manage to stay hidden long enough to give Angela the freedom she deserves?

Well put together tale about Bev who is a PI and lives in her friend Sophie’s basement flat. When she is asked to investigate one of Sophies friends husband who happens to be a government minister she finds herself entering a dark and sinister world. Once she finds a link between him and a Russian girl who has been murdered events spiral out of her control.

With issues of her own and demons to lay her life becomes evermore entwined with the case.

It was a well paced novel with short chippy chapters and a raft of characters but only really one that was pleasant. I didn’t like Bev much at all which spoilt the story for me. She was damaged but she had a ruthless side that was great for her profession but not for her character.

This one gets a 3 stars from me

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

Killer Affair by Rebecca Chance

Killer Affair by Rebecca Chance
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A shocking betrayal deserves a wicked revenge . . .

Stunning, charismatic Lexy O’Brien is the reigning queen of British reality TV. Her life in front of the camera is planned and manipulated as successfully as any military assault.

But success breeds jealousy. When you’re on top, the only way is down and there’s always someone standing by to give you a shove . . .

Dowdy Caroline Evans, a part-time blogger and writer of erotic fiction, is brought in to chronicle Lexy’s life. Being taken under Lexy’s wing is a dream come true for Caroline. But sampling the star’s lifestyle is like tasting the most addictive of drugs, and it’s not long before she is craving what she can’t possibly have – or can she?

And as Caroline and Lexy’s lives and loves become increasingly entwined, it’s only a matter of time before the hidden rivalry becomes a powder keg waiting to explode . . ."


Very Hollywood wives kind of tale with quite a lot of soft porn included to spice up the read. I sometimes wonder if this is added to compensate for poor writing skills - the amount in this book really didn’t add anything meaningful to the overall ‘story’.

The ‘story’ wasn’t really that good - social climber looking for fame and fortune, rises to top on the back of someone else then proceeds to fall from a great height when revenge is exacted.

Not a great plot line, sex scenes keep this one afloat if you like that kind of writing.

Very average writing skills can’t separate this from a trashy novel. Sorry not for me - 2 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

Caught by Harlan Coben

Caught by Harlan Coben
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

17 year-old Haley McWaid is a good girl, the pride of her suburban New Jersey family, captain of the lacrosse team, headed off to college next year with all the hopes and dreams her doting parents can pin on her. Which is why, when her mother wakes one morning to find that Haley never came home the night before, and three months quickly pass without word from the girl, the community assumes the worst.

Wendy Tynes is a reporter on a mission, to identify and bring down sexual predators via elaborate—and nationally televised—sting operations. Working with local police on her news program Caught in the Act, Wendy and her team have publicly shamed dozens of men by the time she encounters her latest target. Dan Mercer is a social worker known as a friend to troubled teens, but his story soon becomes more complicated than Wendy could have imagined.


I’m a fan of this writer who consistently turns out novels of the highest quality - Caught is not a disappointment.

Pacy dialogue and short meaningful chapters has this book moving at speed to keep the reader engaged. Harlen Coben is such a good story writer, characters that are so identfyible and convincing with just enough suspense and twists to give his novels staying power.

I won’t retell the story or give spoilers you need to read this and enjoy it as it was intended, no hype, no tricks, just a great read. Obviously for me a five star book.

Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin

Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This year spend a wonderful Christmas on Juniper Island, where love can melt even the iciest of hearts…

Piper Chesterfield lives a glamorous life travelling the world and reviewing the finest hotels. She calls nowhere home, she works alone and that’s how she likes it. For long ago Piper decided that to protect her heart she should lock it away.

So when Piper’s next assignment brings her to the newly opened Stardust Lake Hotel for the festive season, the last person she expects to face is Gabe Whitaker, the man who broke her heart so completely she could never love again.

But Piper isn’t the only one who has been frozen in time by heartbreak. Gabe hasn’t forgotten the golden-eyed girl who disappeared from his world without a trace.

Now fate has reunited them on Juniper island, can the magic of Christmas heal old wounds? And can this enchanting town be the one place Piper can finally call home?

Curl up with this gorgeously romantic tale and let the glistening snow and the roaring fires of Stardust Lake Hotel get you in the festive spirit this Christmas.


Nothing separates this Christmas chic lit novel from any other for me. Lots of atmosphere, the place sounded amazing and the main character Pip was likeable but Gabe her ex boyfriend was a bit of a whiny character, declaring his undying love for her one minute and throwing a hissy fit the next. Gabe came over as whiny and self absorbed, wimpy and not prepared to put aside his feelings for her, he was quite childish and immature. Not sure I’d want someone like that but Pip did - each to his own.

Overly long and somewhat repetitive dialogue left this a boring read once they’d got back together again there was really no where else for this story to go.

Can only give this 3 stars - too schmultzy and lacked drama, for me a boring read.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

The Stranger by Harlan Coben

The Stranger by Harlan Coben
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world.

Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life.

Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne’s deception, and realizes that if he doesn’t make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he’s stumbled into will not only ruin lives—it will end them.


I’m a huge fan of Harlan Coben and no matter what he writes he never disappoints.

This is a clever story and written so well. Adam Price’s world is blown apart one night when a total stranger approaches him in a bar and tells him a secret about his wife Corinne. Corinne then disappears, Adam, confused and desperate to find out the truth, finds himself drawn deeper into something dark and dangerous.

Adam discovers this stranger is revealing other people’s secrets that are destroying their lives. He knows he has to find out who the stranger is and stop him but also he believes he is the key to his wife’s disappearance.

Well formed characters with good pace and suspense has this novel racing you towards the end.

Another success for this prolific writer. Easily a five star read.