Happy Family - James Ellis

I'm so pleased to be on the blog tour for this book today.

 REVIEW

This book was an absolute joy to read. The writing is exceptional and the scene setting ensured I felt right there in the action. A little bit like the virtual reality game that gives the name to the book "Happy Family".

For the author to create a virtual future world as he has, I think, shows a remarkable imagination. It's not an alternative world such as Terry Pratchett might write, but a parallel virtual world to our own accessed through the user wearing new technology called iLets.

Alongside all this virtual reality there is still plenty of action in the real world. In fact most of the book takes place there with several sub plots adding to the main story line. Germaine who uses the      Happy Family game wants to interview Tom, the creator of the game for her book on art. Lots of things and people (and 3 dogs) stand in her way though It may sound a little pedestrian, but I can assure you this book is probably not like anything else you've read before.

There is a little bit of farce thrown into the mix also which had me laughing out loud. In my head I could see this being played out on a stage. I am still marvelling at the ingenuity of this book and the skill of the author to be able to tell it in such a marvellous way. His character descriptions and dialogue really brought every character life in a way you don't often find in a novel.

I'm not a gamer but I do love tech, and I love the idea of virtual reality and avatars. So, if that is not your thing or you don't like that world, this is probably not going to be the book for you.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Random Things Tours for the invite to this tour and to the author for a copy of the book to review.

The Second Wife - Rebecca Fleet #Randomthingstours

I'm so pleased to be a part of the Blog Tour for this book today.

Description

‘Beautifully written and well-crafted. I read it in two days, though I would have read it in one if I could’ Sandie Jones, author of THE OTHER WOMAN

‘A mesmerising, beautifully-written domestic thriller that really stands out from the crowd. I flew through it.’ Mark Edwards, author of HERE TO STAY

'Engrossing, original and hugely enjoyable' Emma Curtis, author of THE NIGHT YOU LEFT

******

Everyone brings baggage to a new relationship.

When Alex met Natalie she changed his life. After the tragic death of his first wife, which left him a single parent to teenage daughter Jade, he’s determined to build a happy family.

But his new-found happiness is shattered when the family home is gutted by fire and his loyalties are unexpectedly tested. Jade insists she saw a man in the house on the night of the fire; Natalie denies any knowledge of such an intruder.

Alex is faced with an impossible choice: to believe his wife or his daughter? And as Natalie’s story unravels, Alex realises that his wife has a past he had no idea about, a past that might yet catch up with her.

But this time, the past could be deadly . . .

Review

The book begins with Alex returning home to find his house on fire and what follows is what you would expect from such an awful event. He and his second wife are put up in a B&B and his daughter is admitted to hospital suffering the effects of the fire.

When his daughter reveals she saw a man in the house on the night of the fire,  Alex begins to suspect his second wife of infidelity. This leads to the book flip flopping between 2017 (present day in the book) and 1999/2000. The story is also told in the voice of different characters all of which is well laid out and doesn't confuse.

When the book began to flashback I started to get annoyed because I wanted to know what was going to happen in the present day. But like all good stories, the reader must be patient as the past was important to the story line. I also didn't like the past as it made very chilling reading.

About a third of the way through the book the plot took on such a diverse direction that I just had to read the rest of the book in one sitting. The book took on so many twists and turns, and questions were popping up in my head, which just led to more questions. It was then I began to realise how clever the author had been with the way they laid the plot of the book out. 

The final part of the book my heart was racing - what was going to happen? I'll leave you to find out - no spoilers. A really great read and something a little different from other thrillers. Well written with believable characters.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks for the invite to the blog tour from Random Things Tours.

The Will to Succeed - Christine Raafat

Delighted today to be a part of the Blog Tour for this book. Thanks to @Bookcollective for a copy of the book to review.

Description

When the 15-year-old Lady Anne Clifford’s father died in 1605, she was his sole surviving child and expecting to inherit the Cliffords’ great northern estates. But the Earl of Cumberland leaves a will which ignores an ancient law and bequeaths the lands to his brother, in the belief that a prophecy by his great-grandfather will eventually come true and return the estates to Anne. She and her mother vow to contest the will.

Anne spends the next three decades battling for what she believes is rightfully hers. She risks everything by opposing her beloved husband, her family and friends, the nobility, the law courts, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the King. She steadfastly (and treasonably) refuses to accept the King’s decision, whatever the consequences, but is defeated and left with the prophecy as her only hope.

Widowed at thirty-four, she survives an anxious period alone with her two young daughters before surprising everyone with an ill-judged second marriage which gives her access to the highest in the land. But the Civil War destroys that power and confines the 52-year-old Anne to a grand palace in London for six years. Still convinced of her rights, will she ever attain “ye landes of mine inheritance”?

Review

I'm not one for historical fiction as a rule, but this book depicting a strong female character appealed to me and it is also based on the true life story of Lady Anne. The author having used her diaries to write the story.

I was surprised how immediately I became immersed in this book. The writing is so beautiful and elegant and perfectly attuned to a modern reader's eye, without losing the feeling of being transported back to the 17th century. 

What a story this is too. Lady Anne had a good role model in her Mother and was standing fast on her principles. When her Mother died I worried Lady Anne would become brow beaten as all around her seemed to doubt her decisions, especially when she defies the King. I loved all the insights to the workings of the Royal Court. 

Despite it being the 17th century much of what happens to Anne can happen today, with her suffering verbal and physical abuse from her two husbands. The author really brought this period of history alive for me and eagerly read to discover what would become of Lady Anne and her children. I also looked up the painting she had commissioned which added to my enjoyment of the book.

If you want a really good read with historical and social history then I recommend this book to you. I'm giving it 5 out of 5 stars. 

Death in Vermilion - Barbara Elle | Cover Reveal with #LoveBooksTours

Blurb

A psychological thriller about murder among friends and enemies. 

Who can you trust?

Leila Goodfriend is laying down the bones of a painting. When interrupted by Iris, the noisy, unlikeable artist in the studio upstairs, Leila is distracted and annoyed.

When she discovers the racket was actually Iris' dead body hitting the floor, Leila becomes obsessed: Who murdered Iris?

The other Red Barn Cooperative artists — competitive, jealous and hypocritical — are prime suspects. They all hated Iris. “An artist owes his life to his art,” Iris said.

Iris was good for a laugh. But no one is laughing now.

In this gripping mystery, new author Barbara Elle paints a clever and twisted picture of women and sisters, whose lives are entwined by a brutal murder in a charming Cape Cod town.

Alibis fall apart. Plot twists multiply. And Leila comes to a dangerous conclusion.

Author

In her stunning debut thriller, Death In Vermilion (The Cape Mysteries Book 1), acclaimed author Barbara Elle paints a clever and twisted picture of women and sisters, whose lives are entwined by a brutal murder in a Cape Cod town. Who can you trust?

Now, Death In Smoke (The Cape Mysteries Book 2) asks what's the connection between a bloodied body buried in a snow bank on a remote island off the Cape and a cold case in Kansas? Can artist and amateur sleuth Leila Goodfriend solve this new mystery?

Barbara Elle fell in love with books and writing at a young age, honing her writing chops as a copywriter at major publishers publishers and as a freelance journalist.

Growing up in Boston, but she became a New Yorker as an adult. Her writing draws on people and places she remembers, setting The Cape Mysteries on Cape Cod, a place of memories. 

Barbara Elle continues collecting characters and plots, often traveling the world with her touring musician husband, bass player and musical director for rock and roll icon Cyndi Lauper. In her travels, Barbara has explored Buddhist temples in Beijing, crypts in Vienna and Kabuki Theater in Tokyo. 

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40810681-death-in-vermilion?from_search=true&qid=bRKX53OwId&rank=1

Buy Link 

https://amzn.to/38OSuQD

@barbaraelleauth

@LoveBooksGroup  

The Saracen Storm - Jose Nunez | Cover Reveal with #Lovebookstours #JMNunez

Blurb

Hispania, 704 AD. When young Pelayo, the rebellious illegitimate son of the Duke of Asturias, is tasked with hunting down a party of Saracens raiders, he seizes on the chance to escape the city and the scandals that have swirled around him for years. As he follows the trail of devastation left by the raiders, he learns that Valentina, the headstrong daughter of his father's closest ally and his hated half-brother's betrothed has been taken captive.

As Pelayo leads his cohort toward the eastern coast, the sudden death of the king in Toledo unravels old alliances and sparks a fierce competition for the throne. As the kingdom descends into civil war, the ambitious Saracen governor, Musa Ibn Nosseyr, sees the Iberian nation's troubles as the perfect opportunity to expand the reach of the caliphate into the underbelly of Europe.

Based on historical figures and events, The Saracen Storm is the sweeping saga of one of Spain's best-loved heroes and the role he played during the nation's darkest period: the Moorish invasion of its lands in 711 AD.

Author

Jose Nunez resides in Montreal, Canada, with his wife and two daughters. After running a small, software development company for a few years, he turned his hand to freelance writing. A chance sighting of a bronze statue of an ancient warrior called Pelayo in the town of Cangas de Onis, Spain, gave rise to his first novel, The Saracen Storm.

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50513388-the-saracen-storm?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=IvTwGZi2Zx&rank=1

Buy Link 

https://amzn.to/2SNiTcf

@LoveBooksGroup  

Flatshare - Beth O'Leary

Description

Tiffy and Leon share a flat
Tiffy and Leon share a bed
Tiffy and Leon have never met...

Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they're crazy, but it's the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy's at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven't met yet, they're about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window...

Review

I had the chance to review this book and turned it down. There are only so many books you can read and I had to draw the line somewhere. I kept seeing this book everywhere, people gushing about how good it was. Then I read some bad reviews. Finally, I gave in and bought the book and read it and I loved it.

Why, oh why did I take the stand to turn down books when this one came along? I am so late to the party on this one, but I can honestly say the hype is actually worth it. It's a great story and those who say it's predictable, well a romance kind of is.

There's also a couple of sub plots running through the book which were brilliant. I also liked that Tiffy is a sub editor for a publisher of craft books and one of her clients crochets. But her ex-boyfriend - really got to me and made my blood boil.

Don't be like me - really - just read it.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Vampire Menace #LoveBooksTours

I'm pleased to be on the blog tour for this book today. 

Blurb

The intrepid librarian Shona McMonagle, erstwhile Marcia Blaine Academy prefect and an accomplished linguist and martial artist, finds herself in an isolated French mountain village, Sans-Soleil, which has no sunlight because of its topography. It’s reeling from a spate of unexplained deaths, and Shona has once again travelled back in time to help out.

Forging an uneasy alliance with newly widowed Madeleine, Shona is soon drawn into a full-blown vampire hunt, involving several notable villagers, the world-renowned soprano Mary Garden – and even Count Dracula himself. Will Shona solve the mystery, secure justice for the murder victims and make it through a deathly denouement in the hall of mirrors to return to present-day Morningside Library?

Review

The book begins with Shona McMonagle finding herself in the past not knowing when or where in the world she is, but finds a note saying "Remember you must die"........ after stepping out of a coffin. So begins the mystery!

Shona is definitely her own woman and it was nice to have a heroine who was in the 50+ age bracket for a change. Goodness what a fabulous school Marcia Blaine Academy must be as Shona can turn her hand to anything and knows no fear. When I began the book I was wondering if she was going to be more of a Johnny English character. But I was wrong, as she can take on an assassin not only with bare hands but also with her acerbic tongue. Fearing she had been cast to the past by Miss Blaine with no safety net, I was reassured when Shona tried to spend to freely and her purse became firmly shut! Miss Blaine it would appear did have her back.

Keen to establish she is Scottish and not English, her witticisms were unparalleled in my reading experience. She also has a ready knowledge of history which was an education in itself. Not to mention the clarification provided around vampires.

Having read Jasper Fford I can see why the author has been compared to him, she has the same quirky, other world presence in the book. This is the second book in the series - however, I had not read the first one and the book can be read as a standalone.

If you are looking for an escapist read which has been written with intellect and wit, then this is the book for you. I miss Shona already and look forward to meeting with her again.

I'm giving this fabulous book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Love Book Tours for the invite to the blog tour.

Author

Olga Wojtas is an unconventional – and very witty – writer of postmodern crime fiction whose surrealist humour has been compared to the likes of PG Wodehouse, Jasper Fforde and the Marx Brothers. Her debut novel, Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Golden Samovar, has been published in the UK and US to great critical acclaim – being longlisted for the inaugural Comedy Women in Print Prize 2019, shortlisted for a CrimeFest Award, and named as one of the best mysteries and thrillers of the year by Kirkus.

A journalist for more than 30 years, Olga was Scottish editor of the Times Higher Education Supplement before she began adding creative writing to her portfolio. She won a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award in 2015 and has had numerous short stories and several novellas published. Olga lives in Edinburgh, where she once attended James Gillespie’s High School – the model for Marcia Blaine School for Girls, which appears in Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, the novel that inspired the Miss Blaine’s Prefect series.

Buy Link 

https://amzn.to/37FoOVP