BOOKSIMO

  Synopsis When his beloved little brother is stolen away, five-year-old Tommy Farrier is left alone with his alcoholic mam, his violent step-dad and his guilt. Too young to understand what has really happened, Tommy is sure of only one thing. He is to blame. Tommy tries to be good, to live-up to his brother’s increasingly hazy memory, but trapped in a world of shame and degradation he grows up with just two options; poverty or crime. And crime pays.  Or so he thinks.  A teenage drug-dealer for the vicious Burns gang, Tommy’s life is headed for disaster, until, in the place he least expects, Tommy sees a familiar face…  And then things get a whole lot worse. Buy The Silent Brother at:  Northodox Press  Amazon    Goodreads   Review Simon has woven a rich tapestry with gritty yet eloquent writing. I found Tommy to be a likable character that I was rooting for throughout the book. He suffers some serious physical knocks which didn't make for comfortable reading, but then that is t

  Description Canon Daniel Clement  is Rector of Champton. He has been there for eight years, living at the Rectory alongside his widowed mother - opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying  Audrey  - and his two dachshunds,  Cosmo and Hilda . When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village. And then Anthony Bowness - cousin to  Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton  - is found dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs. As the police moves in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his fractured community together... and catch a killer. Review I was expecting so much more than I got from this book.  As I began reading this book I assumed it was set in the present day. References to Tenko and To the Manor Born being on the TV made me reth

  Description The wise and gloriously big-hearted debut novel from the much-loved broadcaster, Sara Cox Becky:  a single mum who prides herself on her independence. She knows from painful experience that men are trouble. Louise:  a loving husband, gorgeous kids. She ought to feel more grateful. Jameela:  all she's ever done is work hard, and try her best. Why won't life give her the one thing she really wants? Sheila:  the nest is empty, she dreams of escaping to the sun, but her husband seems so distracted. The inhabitants of the Inventor's Housing Estate keep themselves to themselves. There are the friendly 'Hellos' when commutes coincide and the odd cheeky eye roll when the wine bottles clank in number 7's wheelie bin, but it's not exactly Ramsay Street. The dilapidated community centre is no longer the beating heart of the estate that Becky remembers from her childhood. So the new pottery class she's helped set up feels like a fresh start. And not ju

  Description Meredith Maggs hasn't left her house in 1,214 days. But she insists she isn't alone. She has her cat, Fred. Her friend Sadie visits when she can. There's her online support group, StrengthInNumbers. She has her jigsaws, favourite recipes, her beloved Emily Dickinson, the internet, the Tesco delivery man and her treacherous memories for company. But something's about to change. First, new friends Tom and Celeste burst into her life, followed by an estranged sister she hasn't spoken to in years, and suddenly her carefully curated home is no longer a safe place to hide. Whether Meredith likes it or not, the world is coming to her door . . . Review Absolutely loved this book. Meredith hasn't left her home in 1,214 days. You might think this won't be much of a story as she only has her four walls and a cat for company. But you would be wrong - I was hooked from the beginning into this wonderful and realistic tale. I just loved the character of Mered

  Description Lucinda Green knows something is missing from her life. But what? Her catering business is enjoying modest success and she loves her cosy house, even if she does have to share it with her irritating ex-fiancé.    Whatever’s making her unsettled and edgy, Lucinda’s certain that a lack of romance isn’t the problem. How could it be when she doesn’t believe in true love?   But Lucinda’s beliefs are shaken by a series of electric encounters with Alex Fraser, a newly notorious actor who gradually proves himself to be infuriatingly funny and smart, as well as handsome.    Not that any of that matters. Because Lucinda doesn’t believe in all that ‘The One’ nonsense. That’s the rule.   But doesn’t every rule have an exception?   This uplifting grumpy-meets-sunshine romance is perfect for fans of Phillipa Ashley, Katie Fforde and Trisha Ashley. Review This is the 3rd book by Claire that I have read and enjoyed. It shares locations and a character (Becky) with her first book, but you

  I'm so pleased to be on the blog tour for this book today. Description The Secret Lives of Church Ladies  explores the raw and tender places where Black women and girls dare to follow their desires, and pursue a momentary reprieve from being good. There is fourteen-year-old Jael, who nurses a crush on the preacher's wife; the mother who bakes a sublime peach cobbler every Monday for her date with the married Pastor; and Eula and Caroletta, single childhood friends who seek solace in each other's arms every New Year's Eve. With their secret longings, new love, and forbidden affairs, these church ladies are as seductive as they want to be, as vulnerable as they need to be, as unfaithful and unrepentant as they care to be – and as free as they deserve to be. Review A collection of short stories that are sure to stay with you for many years to come. Each of these stories is a jewel with many facets. I am amazed at how one author can write such varied and unique voices, an