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.

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.

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.

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 Lie Of You by Jane Lythell

The Lie Of You by Jane Lythell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Can you hide your deepest fear?

To the outside world, Kathy is the very picture of a happy and fulfilled modern woman. She has a beautiful baby boy, a clever, handsome husband and a glamorous, high-powered job.

But not everybody is fooled. Her employee, Heja, knows the truth: the cracks in Kathy's marriage, her self-doubt, her fear of failure at work. Heja is perfectly placed to destroy Kathy's life. And if she succeeds, she can claim the one thing she wants most...

As psychological thrillers go this wasn’t the best I’ve read not the worse. Centred around three main characters this is a somewhat tragic tale about love, loss, obsession and jealousy.

Told through two viewpoints, Kathy married to Marcus is a first time new mum juggling a pressurised job at a magazine and new baby who doesn’t really know her husband of two years either. Insecurities at the start mean the foundation of her marriage are not secure and knowing nothing about Marcus and his refusal to talk about his past means that she becomes paranoid at times.

Marcus is a cold fish, he appears to be very closed, even his speech appears to be guarded and stilted. Perhaps this was intentional by the writer to highlight he is Finnish but it was irritating. Similarly the character of Heja was treated to the same traits and both these characters suffered because of it being unlikeable and one dimensional.

The idea was good but I just didn’t feel we ever really got to know the characters which made it a bit hollow for me. I didn’t connect with any of them and although the reasons behind behaviour of characters came from deeper traumas as a reader I didn’t get that emotional pull.

Not a bad read but not a great read, would give this one a three star rating as missed opportunities and lack of depth in characterisation let this down.

The Rival by Charlotte Duckworth

The Rival by Charlotte Duckworth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

NOW
Helena is a career woman with no job and a mother without a baby. She blames Ashley for destroying her life. But is what happened really Ashley's fault?

THEN
When Helena hires Ashley to work for her, she's startled but impressed by her fierce ambition. They form a dream team and Helena is proud - maybe this is the protégée she's always wanted to have. But soon Helena realizes that nothing will stand in the way of Ashley's drive to get to the top. And when Helena becomes pregnant, everything she has worked so hard for is suddenly threatened, with devastating consequences...

Billed as a Crime Thriller this is more like woman’s fiction and as such my expectations were to be reading a crime/psychological thriller.

It was a mix of gossip and bitchy office rivalry that culminates in tragic consequences. It was well written but lacked pace and depth. I didn’t jell with any of the characters and because of this I felt indifferent to the outcome.

The ending had a twist of sorts but it was a very ordinary lack lustre read for me and therefore I can only give this 3 stars. Sorry just didn’t keep me interested

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

The Swallows by Lisa Lutz

The Swallows by Lisa Lutz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

From the author of The Passenger -hailed by The New York Times Book Review as "a dead-serious thriller (with a funny bone)" - and the bestselling Spellman Files series comes a suspenseful novel about a new teacher at a not-so-elite boarding school who accidentally incites a gender war among the students and staff.

When Alexandra Witt arrives at Stonebridge Academy and insists on moving into a ramshackle cottage in the woods, curiosity among the student body and the staff skyrockets. Who is this young teacher who came here alone, dresses like the kids, and left her last school under a cloud of speculation?

With its picturesque campus and classic uniforms, Stonebridge might look the part, but as Alex soon learns, it's anything but old school. When she advises one of her new students to stand up for herself, the girl takes her advice a little too much to heart. Long-simmering tensions between the boys and girls boil over into a fight. And then total war.

By the time Gemma, Alex's favorite student, starts uncovering Stonebridge's darkest secrets with the help of some unlikely allies, Alex's bumpy start has become a nightmare. Cast into a role she never wanted, she watches the spark she ignited consume everything around her. And the only way out might carry an even higher cost.

Told by four narrators, none of whom inspires total confidence, The Swallows unfolds with brilliant timing, puzzle-like plotting, and riveting storytelling that will shock and delight readers everywhere.

The Swallows is told from multiple points of view which in itself can be confusing but add to that so many characters and it’s easy to see that this book takes an awful lot of concentration just to know who is “talking” and to stay focussed. So many characters made it difficult to know who was who and so many times I “lost the plot” because of it. It was a real headache to keep up with the storyline and the characters that I almost gave up. I did persevere but it was overly long and to be honest nothing much happened.



This novel was billed as a mystery/thriller but it was neither. I felt the genre was all wrong - it should have been a YA novel and I’m sure would appeal more to this demographic. There was no big reveal or twist that could in my opinion have saved it. It was also annoying that it seemed to have little sub plots that went nowhere and therefore rendered them pointless as having no relevance or tie up to the main story.



All in all it was an ok novel no fireworks, no real drama to get your teeth into and rather lack lustre characters. It could have been half its length, 501 pages requires a hefty investment of time so the author has to make it worth the effort, in my opinion it wasn’t , so sadly I have to give this a rather poor 3 stars.

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

The Postcard by Zoe Folbigg

The Postcard by Zoe Folbigg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A year after the kiss that brought them together in a snowy train-station doorway, Maya and James are embarking on another journey – this time around the world.

The trip starts promisingly, with an opulent and romantic Indian wedding. But as their travels continue, Maya fears that 'love at first sight' might not survive trains, planes and tuk tuks, especially when she realises that what she really wants is a baby, and James doesn't feel the same. 

Can Maya and James navigate their different hopes and dreams to stay together? Or is love at first sight just a myth after all...

Romantic chic lit based on a true story and the second book in this series. I’d not read the first book but it didn’t affect the enjoyment of this second one.

Having taken the plunge and left their jobs for a year, this couple embark on an adventure around the world in the hopes that it will bring them closer together. With Maya’s hopes of romantic sunsets, tropical islands and maybe a proposal thrown in for good measure both her and James find the reality of backpacking can be stressful and tests their relationship to the limit.

Lovely atmospheric descriptions of countries add to the enjoyment as this novel ticks along. Not a pacy read and a bit slow to start with but it’s not a thriller so that’s fine. Nicely written with good central characters and plausible secondary ones. Not quite up there with the Sophie Kinsella’s and for me more humour would have given this the lift I felt it needed, however it was a decent holiday read and worth the time invested. A good 3 stars.

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

The Night You Left by Emma Curtis

The Night You Left by Emma Curtis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT TO UNRAVEL A PERFECT LIFE . . .

When Grace’s fiancé vanishes without a trace the night after proposing, her life is turned upside down. But has Nick walked out on her, or is he in danger?

As Grace desperately searches for answers, it soon becomes clear that Nick wasn’t the uncomplicated man she thought she knew. And when she uncovers a hidden tragedy from his childhood, she realises an awful truth: that you can run from your past – but your secrets will always catch up with you . . .

When Grace’s finance Nick disappears the night after proposing her life begins to unravel. Refusing to believe he’s simply left her she is convinced something bad has happened to him. What follows is a race to find the truth and a discovery of secrets and lies that threaten to destroy her and her daughters life. So far so good. Then it fizzled out.

It was a slow burner in the respect that it took so long for something significant to happen. The pace did build up but there just wasn’t enough twists to keep the momentum going. I felt the characters were not as developed as they could have been and some scenarios not realistic enough. Where was the adrenaline rush to find Nick or to create tension when Grace was in danger of getting too close to the truth? There wasn’t enough excitement or energy for me and the ending was predictable.

Such a shame Emma Curtis didn’t wring out every ounce of drama in this tale- it could have been so much better.

An average read for me with an average 3 stars, enjoyable but not memorable 😟

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

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared without trace. Then a letter from her father arrives - 'I need to talk to you. That girl. I saw that girl.' Has her father's dementia worsened, or has he really seen Corinne? Returning home, Nicolette must finally face what happened on that terrible night all those years ago.

Then, another young woman goes missing, almost to the day of the anniversary of when Corinne vanished. And like ten years ago, the whole town is a suspect.

Told backwards - Day 15 to Day 1 - Nicolette works to unravel the truth, revealing shocking secrets about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne.

Like nothing you've ever read before, All the Missing Girls is a brilliantly plotted debut thriller that will leave you breathless.

Not an easy flowing read, an interesting concept to tell the story from the end backwards but so confusing which spoilt the whole pace and flow of the novel. I was constantly having to go back and re-read to make sense of it.

Let’s face it, it’s a hefty book 368 pages of a book larger than the usual paperback size so this was a great investment in time for the reader. There seemed to be little in the way of exciting big reveals and the characters were predictable as was the ending.

The title says All the missing girls of which there were just two- again a bit of a let down for any reader expecting others to go missing once the first two have been revealed.

So much potential in this novel but I felt it didn’t live up to expectations. I give this one a 3 stars - disappointing.

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

The House Across the Street by Lesley Pearse

The House Across the Street by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Is there a murderer across the street?

It's 1964 and twenty-three-year-old Katy Speed is fascinated by glamorous Gloria and the goings-on at her house over the road.

Who are the mysterious women that keep coming and going in the strange black car?

Then one night, Gloria's house burns to the ground. Bodies are found in the wreckage.

And Katy's horror turns to disbelief when her own father is arrested and charged with murder.

Determined to prove his innocence, Katy sets out to uncover the truth about the mysterious house across the street and find the real murderer. But that means risking her own life . . . 

Set in the 60s this book got off to a decent start but seemed to fall away once the plot was revealed. There were no real surprises and for me it felt very dated and lack lustre.

There was no real element of suspense and although it was set in the 60s and I expected it to reflect the era the dialogue seemed dated and bland.

Very predictable and simplistic with no great depth or passion - sorry a feeble 3 stars from me. Unfortunately my first book by this author so not one I intend to follow 😟

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

Never overstay your welcome...

Littleport, Maine is like two separate towns: a vacation paradise for wealthy holidaymakers and a simple harbour community for the residents who serve them. Friendships between locals and visitors are unheard of - but that's just what happened with Avery Greer and Sadie Loman.

Each summer for a decade the girls are inseparable - until Sadie is found dead. When the police rule the death a suicide, Avery can't help but feel there are those in the community, including a local detective and Sadie's brother Parker, who blame her. Someone knows more than they're saying, and Avery is intent on clearing her name before she's branded a killer.


I really enjoyed Megan Miranda’s The Perfect Strange and so was eager to read this one but I’m afraid for me it just wasn’t a patch on ATMG.

It was told over two time lines which was fine but it was just so slow and uneventful for almost half the book that I found myself almost putting it down and not bothering. It was predictable and bland with no real surprises for the reader. Megan Miranda worked so hard to make the reader suspect one character that it was obviously someone else and not that hard to guess who.

I didn’t particularly like or connect with any of the characters so found myself not really caring in the end what happened to any of them.

Such a shame after ATMG novel but maybe my expectations were unrealistically high after reading this.

Really can only give this one a 3 star rating - sorry

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

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What happens when your best friend becomes your worst nightmare...

Having reached a dead end in Boston, failed journalist Leah Stevens needs a change. When she runs into an old friend, Emmy Grey, who is moving to rural Pennsylvania, Leah decides to join her. But their fresh start is quickly threatened when a woman with an eerie resemblance to Leah is assaulted by the lake, and Emmy disappears days later.

Determined to find Emmy, Leah helps Detective Kyle Donovan to investigate her friend's life for clues. But with no friends, family or digital footprint, the police begin to suspect that there is no Emmy Grey. Forced to question her version of reality and to save herself, Leah must uncover the truth - no matter how dark or terrible it may be...


Forced to leave her job as a reporter in Boston when she goes too far on an investigation, Leah Stevens finds herself running from her past to Pennsylvannia with her friend Emmy Grey who equally wants to escape a traumatic relationship.

Leah re-invents herself and takes a teaching position in the small town while Emmy manages to get by cleaning and doing bar work, they pass each other like ships in the night as Leah works days and Emmy works nights.

When a woman who looks remarkably like Leah is attacked and left for dead and Emmy goes missing, Leah starts to question how much she really knows about her roommate. Getting no where with the police looking for Emmy Leah draws on her investigative skills and tries to solve the mystery herself. It seems Emmy has vanished but more worryingly it seems to those around her that she never existed at all. To save her sanity and her clear herself of any involvement leading to the attack of the woman at the lake, Leah must uncover the truth herself whatever the consequences.

It was an OK psychological thriller, it had pace but I felt that it was racing towards a finale that just didn't live up to expectations. I was expecting more but there was no twist or curve ball ending it all just kind of fizzled out. It was just an anti-climax really with unanswered questions hanging in the air. I feel it could have had a much more explosive ending that left the reader reeling but it was a missed opportunity. Having said all that it was still a decent read and I would recommend, it was a good read but not a great read so I can only give it 3 stars.

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

The Gypsy Code: The true story of a violent game of hide and seek at the fringes of society by Mike Woodhouse

The Gypsy Code: The true story of a violent game of hide and seek at the fringes of society by Mike Woodhouse
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mike Woodhouse had everything: an engineering business, a wine bar, a home, a Range Rover and a boat. Then he caught a group of travellers stealing from his warehouse. A car chase, petrol bombing and court case later, and everything had changed.

A marked man, Mike was forced to leave everything behind and move to the Peak District for a fresh start. But his old life was never far behind and when he fell for Rhoda, a Romany Gypsy, kin to the very people he was hiding from, he knew he wouldn't be safe for much longer . . .

This is a true story of Mike Woodhouse who seemed to have it all, a successful business and comfortable life until the day he caught a group of Gypsy travellers stealing from his warehouse. He then sets about a vigilante style revenge with some like minded friends and gets himself into some dangerous situations that eventually lead to him loosing everything he has built up and a life living in fear.

His hardships and decisions he has to make as his life spirals out of control change his perception of the travellers he has been fighting and he learns the consequences of his actions. Honest, gritty and honest even when he portrays himself in an unfavourable light.

Not a fan of his writing style however, it felt at times he was on the verge of turning this into a novel rather than a true story although I think as a novel it would have worked fine. As an insight into this world it worked but seemed to lack emotion for me so only 3 stars for this reason.

A Version of the Truth: A twisting, clever read for fans of Anatomy of a Scandal by B P Walter

A Version of the Truth: A twisting, clever read for fans of Anatomy of a Scandal by B P Walter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2019: Julianne is preparing a family dinner when her son comes to her and says he’s found something on his iPad. Something so terrible, it will turn Julianne’s world into a nightmare and make her question everything about her marriage and what type of man her husband is or is pretending to be.

1990: Holly is a fresher student at Oxford University. Out of her depth and nervous about her surroundings, she falls into an uneasy friendship with a group of older students from the upper echelons of society and begins to develop feelings for one in particular. He’s confident, quiet, attractive and seems to like her too. But as the year progresses, her friends’ behaviour grows steadily more disconcerting and Holly begins to realise she might just be a disposable pawn in a very sinister game.

A devastating secret has simmered beneath the surface for over twenty-five years. Now it’s time to discover the truth. But what if you’re afraid of what you might find?


I'm not really sure what I feel about this book, it wasn't what I was expecting. Written over two timelines with Holly as narrator in 1990 and Julienne in 2019. The book actually starts with Julienne in 2019 when her son Stephen discovers some material in the family Dropbox that worries and scares him and its discovery sets the story.


A dark and disturbing tale of gang rape, gay sex and other issues that are not easy to read about. It deals with elitist boys in Oxford and their quest for more and more daring experiences that result in some brutal consequences that spill over into their adult lives and the dark and depraved world of paedophiles and grooming.

Most of the characters are unlikeable which was probably intentional, some weak and easily manipulated and others that through lack of love and affection find themselves being drawn into this dark world.

I can't say I enjoyed it, it's not the kind of book that you can say that about. It was well written, awful in parts but compelling. I wanted the perpetrators to be dealt with satisfactorily but the ending for me felt incomplete and a bit hurried.

Scarily relevant at the moment and worryingly realistic, I give this one 3 stars.

Looker by Laura Sims

Looker by Laura Sims

The Professor lives in Brooklyn; her partner Nathan left her when she couldn't have a baby. All she has now is her dead-end teaching job, her ramshackle apartment, and Nathan's old moggy, Cat. Who she doesn't even like.

The Actress lives a few doors down. She's famous and beautiful, with auburn hair, perfect skin, a lovely smile. She's got children - a baby, even. And a husband who seems to adore her. She leaves her windows open, even at night.

There's no harm, the Professor thinks, in looking in through the illuminated glass at that shiny, happy family, fantasizing about them, drawing ever closer to the actress herself. Or is there?

Quite an unusual book for me, a short, read in one day, profiling a psychological study of a disturbed complex character. Written in the first person, this novel follows the life of the unnamed main character who is trying to deal with an impending divorce and a life that appears to be unravelling. As her life disintegrates so does her sanity as she becomes fixated on a glamorous actress who, with her perfect husband, children, house and life seems to highlight this woman's' failings.

Our main character is a professor who teaches night classes in poetry to a class of 7 students. She has pretty much all day to observe the actress who lives opposite and she starts to fantasise about the actresses' life and her own involvement in it. She becomes so obsessed that she can hardly tell fantasy from reality, all the while she mourns her dead marriage and her inability to be able to have children, the main reason she believes her marriage failed.

When Nathan, her husband leaves her she is all alone, no one else in the building after a couple move out. All she has is Cat, Nathans cat, for company. She didn't really even like cats but once she knows he wants it back she resolutely hangs on to Cat.

A moment of madness leaves her with her job at risk as well as her personal life out of control as she falls ever deeper into loneliness, depression and low self-esteem, a woman loosing her sanity through jealousy and hatred.

An insightful look into this woman's mind takes the reader on a first person journey with the character through a mental breakdown showing how easy it is to become fixated on someone else's life that you deem to be more successful and happy than your own.

At only 200 pages long, Looker is a quick read and doesn't have many 'twists' or 'surprises' for the reader as it comes to its sad conclusion. I am sure I can't be the only one who felt that the ending could really have been more of a beginning, that there was so much more to tell. However it was sympathetically written, a bit unsettling with stalker like tendencies but nevertheless worth 3 stars,

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

My Sister’s Lies by S.D. Robertson with extract

My Sister’s Lies by S.D. Robertson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


For a decade, Hannah’s life has been pretty close to perfect – she has a great job, she’s married to Mark, and her child-free existence means she’s free as a bird. The only sadness in her life is a fall-out with her sister Diane, who hasn’t spoken to her in over ten years. But now Diane is on her doorstep – and this time, she’s got her teenage daughter Mia in tow.

When Diane asks if Mia can stay with Hannah and Mark for a few days, Hannah is glad of the chance to get to know her niece. But as the days turn into weeks and Diane doesn’t return, Hannah begins to worry. Why hasn’t her sister been in touch?

Diane is carrying a devastating secret that will destroy Hannah’s carefully constructed life. But how much is she willing to reveal – and when will she pick her moment?

No fireworks with this one, it was a reasonable read but lacked suspense which made it rather slower than I would have liked.

The ending was quite predictable in fact I had guessed early on what had happened and tied in pretty quickly who had committed suicide.

No a fan of the transcripts but they did give additional background so I suppose they were relevant although there was so much explanation on feelings in almost every page that the reader would have got the point without the transcripts anyway. I confess I skim read these anyway as they were not revealing anything new.

Didn't really excite me; an adequate read but really rather ordinary so can only give this one a 3 star rating.

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

Perfect Liars: Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies by Rebecca Reid

Perfect Liars: Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies by Rebecca Reid
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Three women walk in to the dinner, but only two will leave. Murder isn’t so difficult the second time around…

Sixteen years ago, best friends Nancy, Georgia and Lila committed a terrible crime.

They have never spoken about it. But now, in their thirties, one of them wants to talk.

One word and everything could be ruined: their lives, their careers, their relationships. It's up to Georgia to call a crisis dinner.

But the evening does not go as planned.

How far would you go to protect the life you’ve built?

A story based around the lives of three girls set in the past when they are at boarding school and in the present years later when they have married, had children and moved apart. They are forever bound by something that happened in boarding school a secret that they have sworn not to tell anyone about. Lila, Georgie and Nancy at boarding school made for better reading than the adults they grew up to be. I didn't particularly like any of them and because of this I wasn't really invested in really caring what happened.

For me it was fairly easy to see what happened, the who did it was more of a riddle but the ending just felt a bit flat. It was a twist of sorts but just didn't have the killer punch I wanted.

I felt a bit deflated by the ending but it was an evenly paced read which kept me going and good for a holiday read. Would only give this one 3 stars though.

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fixie Farr can’t help herself. Straightening a crooked object, removing a barely-there stain, helping out a friend . . . she just has to put things right. It’s how she got her nickname, after all. 

So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees, she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank her, the computer’s owner, Sebastian, scribbles her an IOU – but of course Fixie never intends to call in the favour.

That is, until her teenage crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and needs her help – and Fixie turns to Seb. But things don’t go according to plan, and now Fixie owes Seb: big time.

Soon the pair are caught up in a series of IOUs – from small favours to life-changing debts – and Fixie is torn between the past she’s used to and the future she deserves. 

Does she have the courage to fix things for herself and fight for the life, and love, she really wants? 



I really wanted to enjoy this book, I love Sophie Kinsella novels, however the last few she has written I felt have really let me down. This one unfortunately for me didn't give me the full enjoyment I came to expect from a Sophie Kinsella novel.

There were a few things, which annoyed me in this book. To begin with the main characters name Fixie, it just irritated me, I understood why she is called this and it is only a nickname but it just grated on me the more I read of it.

The second thing was the love affair with Fixie and Seb, how they got together just wasn't very believable for me, one minute he was with Bryony, which I'm guessing he has been her for some time and then literally the next minute Seb is asking Fixie out and they end up staying the night at his.

Fixie is left to deal with her families business while her mum is on holiday with her aunt, there is a lot about family in this book and how you support each other.

This was a very quick read, I read over a couple of plane journeys and it kept me entertained. I just felt it didn't have the humour I have grown accustomed to with Kinsella's novels.

I am hoping that Sophie Kinsella gets the spark back to her writing like she had when she wrote Can you Keep a secret and The Undomestic Goddess as personally I feel these were her best standalone novels.

Looking for Captain Poldark by Rowan Coleman

Looking for Captain Poldark by Rowan Coleman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


How far would you go to find the perfect hero?

Four strangers, united by their shared love of POLDARK, come together on a trip to Cornwall in search of their hero...

Lisa has sworn off love and relationships after a really bad experience, but lately she’s been tempted to take a chance on a more exciting life. First she meets other fans of the TV show Poldark online. Then she proposes a very special road trip to Cornwall, in search of where their favourite show is being filmed.

But can four strangers find friendship, as well as a certain sexy hunk on their trip south?

Neatly packed little novella follows the road trip of 4 Poldark fans to Cornwall where they all hope to meet Aiden Turner (Captain Poldark) on location filming the popular series.

These 4 people are all strangers who meet through an appreciation Poldark site and decide to make this road trip together. All of these people have their own demons to lay and the trip takes on different meaning for each of them.

Amusing little tale, it does what it says on the tin, perfect for a quick plane ride read or by the pool entertainment. It could easily have been fleshed out to make a better novel but ok never the less. 3 stars for this one.