Tropical Girl Reads

The Little Teashop in Tokyo – Book Review

The Little Teashop in Tokyo: A feel-good, romantic comedy to make you smile and fall in love! (Romantic Escapes, Book 6) by [Julie Caplin]

Grab your passport and escape to a land of dazzling skyscrapers, steaming bowls of comforting noodles, and a page-turning love story that will make you swoon!

For travel blogger Fiona, Japan has always been top of her bucket list so when she wins an all-expenses paid trip, it looks like her dreams are coming true.

Until she arrives in vibrant, bustling Tokyo and comes face-to-face with the man who broke her heart ten years ago, gorgeous photographer Gabe.

Fiona can’t help but remember the heartache of their last meeting but amidst the temples and clouds of soft pink cherry blossoms, can Fiona and Gabe start to see life – and each other – differently?

No. of pages:- 330 pages

Published:- June 11th 2020

Publisher:- One More Chapter

Genre:- Romance

This is the sixth book of the Romantic Escape series. Fiona gets an all paid visit to Japan, one of the countries she has always wanted to visit but she gets to meet Gabe Burnett, who broke her heart almost ten years ago. She stays with a Japanese family, Haruka, Setsuko and Setsuko’s daughter Mayu. While visiting picturesque temples, beautiful cherry blossoms and Mt Fiji, she gets close to Haruka and her teashop as well as with Gabe Burnett…

This books makes you feel as if you are in Japan. Though like more romantic books where the couple at first hate each other, then start falling in love, then break up and then get back together (a typical romance novel), despite that, I enjoyed reading so much about Japan. Having born, raised and lived in Japan, I am bit familiar with the Japanese customs and traditions so the author did a good job doing research about Japan, the tea ceremony, the pink colored cherry blossoms, the Shibuya crossing…it feels like you are in Japan and that you are experiencing all these things in Japan with the characters, Gabe and Fiona. The Shinkansen ride to Kyoto, the picturesque and golden temples in Kyoto, the beautiful snow capped mountain of Mt Fiji and Hanami festival (cherry blossom) feels all real and feels like you are in Japan.

OK…soo aside feeling like you are in Japan, the writing was good, the author did a good job drawing the reader into the story. Though the story is predictable and that you know it would be happily ever after story, it was intriguing and interesting that will keep you up all night! A cute cozy romantic novel!

Worth five stars!

Julie Caplin is addicted to travel and good food. Formerly a PR director, for many years she swanned around Europe taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it.

These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for the Romantic Escapes Series which include The Little Cafe in Copenhagen, The Little Brooklyn Bakery, The Little Paris Patisserie, The Northern Lights Lodge, The Secret Cove in Croatia and the latest addition, The Little Tokyo Teashop which was published in June 2020.

There are plans for a further three romantic escapes, the first of which, The Little Swiss Ski Chalet, will be released in early 2021.

She also writes best selling novels as Jules Wake, which include Covent Garden in the Snow, Notting Hill in the Snow. The Saturday Morning Park Run, From Italy with Love and her next release The Spark which will be published in December 2020.

The Edelweiss Sisters – ARC Book Review

The Edelweiss Sisters: An epic, heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 novel by [Kate Hewitt]

1938, Salzburg. A powerful story of hope, forbidden love, and incredible courage, about three sisters who will risk everything—even their own lives—as part of the resistance movement in Nazi-occupied Austria.

Johanna, Birgit and Lotte Eder have always lived quiet lives, working in their father’s clockmaking shop and helping their mother in the house. But like many other Austrians, they find it impossible to ignore the changes in the world around them.

At first Johanna finds it hard to believe the Nazis pose a real threat. But then her father hires Franz to help in his shop. He’s kind and soulful, with dark eyes that twinkle with intelligence. But he’s Jewish, and as Johanna falls for him, she realizes that loving him puts them all in danger.

Then comes the Anschluss—the reunification of Austria and Germany under Nazi rule. The three sisters’ lives have become ever more separate with Lotte joining the convent at Nonnberg Abbey and Birgit’s secret involvement with the Resistance. But as Johanna realizes how mistaken she was about the level of danger, she begins to see that it may be down to her to protect the man she loves.

She knows that she can’t do it alone though. She will have to turn to the people she trusts the most: her sisters.

The three of them work together to try to get Franz to the safety of Switzerland, and they soon prove invaluable to the Resistance. But they’re risking everything. Can three women who would die for each other, also be prepared to die for what is right?

The sisters’ subsequent journey from Nazi-occupied Salzburg to the devastating concentration camps of Ravensbruck and Mauthausen will show the strength of human spirit like never before. As, out of the darkness, a tiny seed of hope flowers…

A totally heartbreaking and impossibly powerful story about love, tragedy, and the power of humanity. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, The Lilac Girls and The Sound of Music.

No. of pages:- 399 pages

Published:- will be published on 8th June 2021

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Historical Fiction

As a child, I have been a fan of Sound of Music and one of my favorite songs from Sound of Music was “Edelweiss,” which is the national flower symbol of Austria. This story, set during the Nazi occupied Austria and during the WWII talks about the lives of three sisters–Johanna, Brigit and Lotte who are known as Edelweiss Sisters. They sang in the festival along with the infamous Von Trapp family and helped with their father at the clock shop. So when Franz joins the shop as an apprentice, Johanna falls in love with Franz–but the problem is he was Jewish. Brigit joins a resistance movement and Lotte becomes a nun, the story talks about the bravery and the courage of these women who would risk their own lives to protect their loved ones.

As a fan of historical fiction based on Holocaust and WWII, this book was really good–a heart breaking, tear jerking and emotional book. The story is told from the perspectives of Johanna, Brigit and Lotte, in third person view so the reader could share all those feelings and emotions with the sisters. The brutal treatment towards the Jews, the worsening and appalling conditions at the labor camps, the night of Kristallnacht in 1938 were so disturbing and sad to read all the same time. I was so hooked into the story that I felt I was living with these sisters during that time!! The ending was so sad, heartbreaking that I felt like I want to cry but at the same time happy as well for some characters. The characters to me are all likable and admire their bravery and courage and support for each other. I stayed up all night reading this book and didn’t want to let this book go! Also, I like how the author has done so much research about the history of Austria, particularly during the Anschluss in 1938, WWII and the labor camps as well as about the Von Trapp family that the book felt realistic, drawing the reader back to those years.

Overall, a tear jerking, heartbreaking emotional tale of three sisters who are brave and courageous women that will keep you up all night and unputdownable that will keep you up all night–worth five stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Kate Hewitt is the bestselling author of many novels of both historical and contemporary fiction. She particularly enjoys writing contemporary issue-driven women’s fiction, and her novels have been called ‘unputdownable’ and ‘the most emotional book I have ever read’ by readers.

An American ex-pat, she lives in a small market town in Wales with her husband and five young(ish) children, along with their two Golden Retrievers. Join her newsletter for monthly updates and giveaways at http://www.kate-hewitt.com, or be part of her Facebook groups Kate’s Reads, to discuss all manner of books, movies, music and cooking.

The Frozen Girl – ARC Book Review

The Frozen Girl: A heart-racing, unputdownable crime thriller by [Roberta Gately]

The young woman’s mouth is slightly parted, as if waiting to speak. Her body is frozen in ice and her blue eyes stare at the sky, perhaps wanting to look at the stars one last time…

When the body of a woman is found in the frozen Neponset River, just where it meets the sea, Jessie Novak and her partner Detective Sam Dallas rush to the scene. When Jessie sees a flash of a familiar silk scarf, she’s shocked to realize the girl in the ice is Sheila Logan, who she worked closely with for years at Boston City Hospital. Jessie desperately wants to find out how this young and talented nurse ended up an innocent victim.

But who would want to kill her? As she digs into Sheila’s past, Jessie realizes she was having an affair with a colleague and may even have been pregnant. Was her lover unwilling to be a father to her child? The pain of Sheila’s death threatens to tear open Jessie’s old wounds—Jessie’s own mother walked out on her when she was just a baby and never looked back. She can’t change her own past, but she’s determined to get justice for Sheila.

When Sheila’s neighbor is found dead, also wearing a distinctive scarf, Jessie sees a lethal pattern forming. Next, someone breaks into Jessie’s car and she knows she’s being warned off the case. But with the killer in her sights, will she take the deadliest risk of her life? Can Jessie catch him, before he catches up to her?

This utterly addictive novel will keep you up all night! Fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Abbott and Tess Gerritsen will be totally hooked until the last heart-thumping page.

No. of pages:- 317 pages

Date published:- will be published on May 18th 2021

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Thriller

The second book of Jessie Novak series, though this is the first book I have read from the author. Jessie was given a chance to work at the ME office and dividing her shifts with the ER. So when a frozen body of a woman was brought in at ME’s office, the body was recognized as that of Sheila Logan, a colleague of Jessie and who Jessie really didn’t get along. Due to the fact that she knows the victim, she was asked to return back to ER but becomes involved with the investigation…

This was OK thriller to me–not much OMG moments or page turning effect. It was a bit boring to me though towards the end, the story got interesting in the end. Jessie is a likable character in my opinion and the author’s writing was OK. Not much of twists and turns that will hook you to the story but nevertheless, an OK thriller.

Worth three stars! Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

A nurse, humanitarian aid worker, and writer, Roberta Gately has served in 3rd world war zones ranging from Africa to Afghanistan. She has written on the subject of refugees for the Journal of Emergency Nursing and the BBC World News Online. She speaks regularly on the plight of the world’s refugees and displaced.

The Castaways – Book Review

A SECRET BEACH.
A HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME.
WISH YOU WERE HERE?

THINK AGAIN…

‘We’re tipping it as one of 2021’s best reads’ Marie Claire
‘Totally addictive, clever and atmospheric’ Erin Kelly
‘Tense, unnerving and emotional’ C. L. Taylor
‘Packed full of intrigue’ Heidi Perks

It should be like any other holiday.

Beautiful beaches.
Golden sunsets.
Nothing for miles.

You’ll never want to leave.
Until you can’t…

Gripping, twisty and full of sun-soaked atmosphere, THE CASTAWAYS will whisk you far away to the island – and never let you go.

No. of pages:- 395 pages

Date published:- March 1st 2021

Publisher:- Harper Collins

Genre:- Thriller/ Sea Stories

After a fight in the hotel in the country of Fiji, Lori boards the plane alone with her sister to fly to another island. The plane goes missing after the takeoff and to this day, no one knows what really happened to the plane and its passengers.

Two years later, Lori’s younger sister Erin, who is a journalist is trying to find the answers to what really happened to Lori and the other passengers on the plane and has dedicated an entire room posting pictures and newspaper clippings on the walls. Then out of blue, she receives news that the pilot has suddenly turned up and is in the hospital. Erin then returns back to Fiji to find the answers and to find what really happened to Lori.

To be honest, this story kind of reminds me of that famous television series–Lost. Have you watched Lost?

Pin by Gracie Contois on Famous People | Lost tv show, Charlie lost, Lost memes

The part about the island sounds similar to the Lost series. The story is told from the perspectives of Lori and Erin. Lori along with three men, Mike (the pilot), Felix and Daniel and an infant, Sonny were the only ones who survived the plane crash. The author has done a good job giving descriptions about the island life with no network, no signs of help and surviving mainly on eating tropical fruits like coconuts and breadfruits and catching fish from the ocean and eating them while enduring mosquito bites and coming across insects and snakes. You also feel that you are also stranded in the island with them. It’s as if, you are at the edge of the seat, wanting badly to know who is going to survive and finally leave the island. The vivid descriptions of the island, the trees, the sandy beaches makes you feel as if you are in that island.

And as for Erin’s part, as a reader, you can feel how desperate Erin is to find the answers and she would do anything to try to get answers from Mike, who is the only one who has surfaced. And as you keep reading the book, I couldn’t put this book down as I couldn’t wait to find if Erin will find her sister alive or…dead.

Overall, this is a fast paced thriller that will keep you at the edge of your seat and make you crave you to read more–worth five stars!

Lucy Clarke is the bestselling author of six psychological thrillers – THE SEA SISTERS, A SINGLE BREATH, THE BLUE/NO ESCAPE, LAST SEEN, YOU LET ME IN and THE CASTAWAYS. Her debut novel was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, and her books have been sold in over 20 territories.

Lucy is a passionate traveller and fresh air enthusiast. She’s married to a professional windsurfer and, together with their two young children, they spend their winters travelling and their summers at home on the south coast of England. Lucy writes from a beach hut.

The Wife Between Us – Book Review

The Wife Between Us: The Gripping Richard & Judy Book Club Pick with a Shocking Twist You Won't See Coming by [Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen]

A New York Times top-ten bestseller and a Richard and Judy Book Club Pick.

‘A fiendishly clever thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. This one will keep you guessing.’ – Anita Shreve, author of The Stars are Fire

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.

It’s about a jealous wife, obsessed with her replacement.

It’s about a younger woman set to marry the man she loves.

The first wife seems like a disaster; her replacement is the perfect woman.

You will assume you know the motives, the history, the anatomy of the relationships.

You will be wrong.

The Wife Between Us is the first collaboration between Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen; a gripping thriller with film rights sold to the creators of The Girl On the Train.

No. of pages:- 353 pages

Date published:- January 2nd 2018

Publisher:- MacMillan

Genre:- Psychological thriller

After reading their books An Anonymous Girl and You Are Not Alone, I have badly wanted to read their debut book, The Wife Between Us so much that I was excited when I got my hands finally on the book!

The book talks about two women–one an ex-wife, who is jealous and is obsessed with her ex-husband’s fiancée by following her around and seemed to be disturbed, the other is a woman who is preparing to get married. The book is divided into three parts though the story is mainly told from Vanessa, the ex-wife’s perspectives. What made this story unique is all the twists and turns that will keep you at the edge of the seat until the end of the book!! I felt like I am in some sort of a movie, wondering which side I should really take–the delusional wife or the fiancée. The book is a fast paced thriller each filled with unexpected twists and turns, the character’s relationship with her husband, going back and forth from past to the present, the authors did a good job drawing the reader into the story and I was so hooked into the story wondering if Vanessa was actually delusional or if she was just pretending. Quiet a thrilling domestic thriller that will keep you up all night!

As I have read all three books, I must say, to me, this book is the best I have read from these authors. Though I enjoyed An Anonymous Girl and You Are Not Alone, this is one of the best books they have written and it is no wonder they described this book as the next The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl, two of the best psychological thrillers I have read. I read that this book will made into a movie and I cannot wait to see the movie! Worth five stars in my opinion!

Sarah Pekkanen is the internationally-bestselling author of THE WIFE BETWEEN US and the upcoming AN ANONYMOUS GIRL, cowritten with Greer Hendricks.

THE WIFE BETWEEN US – an instant New York Times bestseller – is a twisty psychological tale that has been optioned for film by Amblin Entertainment. Sarah and Greer are penning the screenplay for Amblin.

AN ANONMYOUS GIRL is currently in production as a television series by eOne,with Sarah and Greer serving as executive producers.

Sarah is also the author of eight solo novels.

GREER HENDRICKS is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Wife Between Us. Prior to becoming a novelist, she spent over two decades as an editor at Simon & Schuster. She obtained her master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Allure, and Publisher’s Weekly. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and two children.

The Vacation – ARC Book Review

The Vacation: An utterly gripping thriller packed with suspense by [M.M. Chouinard]

One of them is missing… One of them did it…

The Thanksgiving retreat was meant to be a time for them to get away from it all, miles from the secrets that threaten to tear their family apart. But they’re each hiding something:

Rose hopes the pretty house overlooking the sea is just the break her family needs. But as she gazes at the water and remembers her own childhood, she is utterly terrified.

Brandon knows his wife Rose has barely forgiven him for his affair. He’s started drinking again, a road that led him to disaster once before.

Brianna, Rose’s sister-in-law, is recovering from her fifth miscarriage, and when she looks at her adorable niece, she can’t help but see the daughter she deserves.

Then three-year-old Lily disappears from her bed in the villa. Isolated in what should have been paradise, it quickly becomes clear that one of them took her.

As one by one their secrets are uncovered, who will be destroyed next?

A completely addictive thriller about every parent’s worst nightmare that will keep you guessing into the early hours of the morning. Perfect for fans of The Guest List, One by One and The Sister-in-Law.

No. of pages:- 331 pages

Date published:- will be published on May 27th 2021

Publisher:-Bookouture

Genre:- Thriller

Wow!!! What did I just read!!! An intense, gripping thriller filled with suspense, twists and turns that will keep you at the edge of the seat!

Rose was reluctant to go on a vacation to Jamaica, as she has read about the high crime rates there. But she agrees to join, along with her two children, Lily, Jackson, her husband, Brandon, and their friends, Annabel, Matteo, Bree and Leo (who live in Jamaica). So when one night, when her daughter, Lily goes missing, panic sets in for Rose. There’s also a serial killer on loose in Jamaica, where recently, a body of a five year old girl was discovered. Can Rose find her daughter before it’s too late?

I am not a mother, but I know, for every mother’s nightmare would be when her child goes missing without a trace. And what makes it worse is your child disappeared in a foreign country, where the laws are different, where the police can be corrupted. Rose’s fear in every way is realistic and I like how author use the days before Lily disappeared to the times after Lily disappeared and what each of them are going through. It was then when the skeletons are released out of the closet when the media dwells into Lily’s disappearance. I was at the edge of the seat as I realized, that each member of the family is a suspect and would have something to do with Lily’s disappearance. Along with the fast paced action and twists and turns, the ending was gripping and shocking that I almost couldn’t believe the ending!!! What a twisted ending!!!

Overall, I enjoyed this fast paced thriller that will keep you up all night! Looking forward to read more books from this author! Worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion.

M.M. Chouinard writes crime fiction (including suspense, procedurals, and cozies), and women’s fiction. M.M. Chouinard’s first fiction story was published in her local paper when she was eight, and she fell in love with Agatha Christie novels not long after. While pursuing a Ph.D in psychology and helping to found the first U.S. research university of the new millenium, the stories kept rattling around inside her skull, demanding to come out. For sanity’s sake, she released them.

Don’t Make Me Turn This Life Around – ARC Book Review

Don't Make Me Turn This Life Around by [Camille Pagán]

A witty and unexpected novel about a woman trying to keep her family vacation—and yes, her life—from going south by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Life and Other Near-Death Experiences.

It’s been thirteen years since doctors declared Libby Ross-Velasquez a goner. Yet here she is—cancer free. So why doesn’t she feel more alive?

Sure, Libby’s husband, Shiloh, has been distant. One of their daughters has a serious health condition. And her father’s death hovers over Libby like a rain cloud. Still, this eternal optimist knows she’s the winner of the existential lottery.

But when her forced cheer isn’t enough to keep her family from catching her blahs, she decides to fly them all to Vieques. The Puerto Rican island is where she and Shiloh fell in love—and where she decided to fight for her life after her cancer diagnosis. Where better to put their problems into perspective?

Then a tropical storm strikes. Libby pretends everything’s fine, even as she fears she’s doomed her family. What she can’t see is that the worst disaster they’ve faced may be the best thing that ever happened to them. But first, they have to get through it.

No. of pages:- 251 pages

Date published:- will be published on 11th May 2021

Genre:- Women’s Fiction

Publisher:- Lake Union Publishing

A heartwarming and an emotional tale of a woman named Libby who was declared cancer free. She felt her marriage to her husband, Shiloh estranged and one of her daughter, Charlotte is suffering from diabetes and she is dealing with her father’s sudden death. She then takes her family to an island in Puerto Rico, where she met and fell in love with Shiloh.

This is a quick read, and is based on Libby’s perspectives. I am warmed to the character of Libby, who takes cares of her family particularly her daughter Charlotte.. The real story actually starts somewhere in the middle of the book when the family gets stranded in the island, having stuck due to the hurricane. I like how in the end, despite the differences between the family members get together to survive in the hurricane and trying to find a way to get out of the island. Shiloh’s revelation in the end was heartbreaking (both good and bad way–not going to give much) and overall, it was a happy ending in the end. The writing was good, the characters, many of them are likable and realistic. It was so cute, heartwarming and emotional a bit story. The part about cancer is realistic and I like how the author make the situation as realistic as possible. Several members of my family died from cancer so this book felt a bit personal as well.

Overall, a tear jerking, heartbreaking book that will make you cry! Worth five stars!

Thank You Netgalley and Lake Union for giving me ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Camille Pagán is the #1 Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author of seven novels, including This Won’t End Well, I’m Fine and Neither Are You, and Life and Other Near-Death Experiences, which has been optioned for film. Her books have been translated into nearly two dozen languages. Pagán has written for the New York Times; O, The Oprah Magazine; Parade; Real Simple; Time; and many other publications. Learn more about her work at http://www.camillepagan.com.

#BLOGTOUR When Sparks Fly – Kristen Zimmer @kristen_zimmer @bookouture @BOTBSPublicity

The room is dark, except for the streetlights coming through the blinds. I can barely see her, but I feel her. She pushes me up against the wall and we kiss harder than we ever have before. I’ve been waiting so long for it to happen, and finally, it’s going to. Then the bedroom door flies open, and someone screams her name…

Britton Walsh has never had a home. After a lifetime in the care system, she doesn’t expect she’ll ever find one. But beginning her senior year with new foster parents in a new city, means starting over yet again. Tom and Cate Cahill seem okay. The hitch? Their daughter, Avery.

Beautiful, popular and cool, Avery is everything Britton is not. She’s all Britton could ever ask for in a sister, or even a friend––but having survived without either for so long, Britton knows the way her heart races whenever Avery enters the room can only mean one thing…

But Avery has a secret. Something that is eating away at her and stopping her letting anyone in, least of all Britton. Will Avery’s insistence on punishing herself for a mistake in her past make Britton’s last year of high school, and finding a place to call home, impossible? Can two such different people ever find common ground, friendship, or maybe even something more?

An unforgettable new adult lesbian romance for fans of Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters, Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen, or Nancy Garden’s classic young adult coming out novel, Annie on My Mind.

New Adult novel: recommended for 17+ due to mature themes and sexual content.

You can buy the book from the following links

Amazon | Apple | Kobo |Google

No. of pages:- 288 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Date published:- 28th April 2021

Genre:- LGBTQ Romance

Though I am not a fan of LGBTQ, I have decided to read more books based on LGBTQ to get a change from the usual genres I normally read.

Britton is in foster care system and was adopted by Cate and Tom Cahill. And the catch? Cate and Tom have a daughter named Avery. The two are polar opposites of each other–Avery is a popular cheerleader in the high school. Britton is interested in photography. But Avery has a secret and Britton is having feelings towards her…

To be honest, compared to the other LGBTQ books I have read, this book is to my surprise really good! The story is completely told from Britton’s perspectives but nonetheless the story felt realistic. The writing was really good and it was engaging as well. I do like the bond between Avery and Britton with Avery going through her sister’s death and their support for each other during their senior year in high school. Truly enjoyed reading about their romantic relationship.

Worth five stars!

Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for giving a chance to take part in this blog tour and giving me a free copy. This review is strictly based on my honest opinion only.

Kristen Zimmer is a New Jersey-based freelance writer and editor. A member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, she holds a B.A. in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing from Montclair State University. When not busy writing or burying her nose in books of the YA/New Adult fiction persuasion, Kristen enjoys spending time with her family, which includes two adorable black Lab mixes and a very patient Better Half.

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Waste Not, Want Not in Applewell – ARC Book Review

Waste Not, Want Not in Applewell (Applewell Village Book 1) by [Lilac Mills]

George can’t throw anything away. But he’s in danger of throwing away this opportunity to be loved…

George Nightingale is a hoarder with a house full of junk. For years he’s kept it a secret, rarely leaving his house and keeping social interactions to a minimum, but his carefully balanced system is now under threat…

Nessa Millbrook can’t wait to get settled into her new home in quaint, rural Applewell. Everyone in the village is so friendly – except her neighbour, George, who wants nothing to do with her. But Nessa isn’t one to back down from a challenge and she’s determined to win George over.

The years have taught George to shield his heart and trust no one. Yet Nessa keeps reaching out to him – does he have the courage to take a chance, and reach back?

A gorgeously heartwarming romance with characters readers will fall in love with, perfect for fans of Holly Martin and Portia MacIntosh.

No. of pages:- 245 pages

Date Published:- will be published on May 6th 2021

Genre:- Romance

Lilac Mills has recently become one of my favorite authors after reading her holiday series. So I am jolly excited when I got a chance to read this book, a brand new book by Lilac Mills.

Meet George, who is a loner, grumpy and always keeps to himself, never really talks to anyone in Applewell. Then meet Nessa, who moves into the cottage just opposite to where he lives. Nessa is determined to be friends with her neighbor George, even though her new friends tells her that it was fruitless. George seemed to be interested in Nessa and didn’t realize that his life will change for good.

I actually enjoyed reading the story! The story is told from the perspectives of George and Nessa so we know as a reader, how the characters feel about each other. The romance between them is so cute and heartwarming that I was so hooked into the story and vowed that the two will eventually date–which they eventually did!!! Despite George being a grumpy character in the beginning, I got warmed to his character and even Nessa too. The author did a good job, keeping the reader into the story! Besides, I really like the book cover too, which got attracted me to the book besides the author. Though the ending was a bit predictable, I was happy with the ending. One of the cutes, heartwarming romance novels I have read.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC! The review is based on my honest opinion only. Worth five stars!

Lilac Mills lives on a Welsh mountain with her very patient husband and incredibly sweet dog, where she grows veggies (if the slugs don’t get them), bakes (badly) and loves making things out of glitter and glue (a mess, usually). She’s been an avid reader ever since she got her hands on a copy of Noddy Goes to Toytown when she was five, and she once tried to read everything in her local library starting with A and working her way through the alphabet.

She loves long, hot summer days and cold winter ones snuggled in front of the fire, but whatever the weather she’s usually writing or thinking about writing, with heartwarming romance and happy-ever-afters always on her mind..

Little Boy Lost – ARC Book Review

Little Boy Lost: An absolutely unputdownable crime and mystery thriller (Detective Mackenzie Price Book 3) by [Ruhi Choudhary]

The clear sky burst into flames of peach and gold, illuminating the small body leaning against the rocks. He looked even smaller than he had in the photos, purple marks blemishing his neck. His eyes were open, staring ahead at the vastness of the still water.

When three nine-year-old boys go missing on a field trip to Lakemore’s annual spring festival, panic tears through the small town. Detective Mackenzie Price and her partner Nick Blackwood lead the search, but no trace of the boys is found—until one of them is found murdered, a note stuffed down his throat.

“Find Johnny’s killer, or they all die.”

Johnny was supposedly a victim of Jeremiah, a serial killer Nick helped put behind bars nearly a decade ago for the murder of ten young boys. But when Mack and Nick pay him a visit, he claims that he knows nothing—and that he remains innocent of Johnny’s murder.

Then a second boy is found, another clue left on his body, leaving just one left alive. Desperate to save the last boy’s life, Mackenzie and Nick comb over Jeremiah’s case, only to discover proof of a shocking cover-up—and a killer who will stop at nothing to right the wrongs of the past.

Packed full of shocking twists and nail-biting suspense, Little Boy Lost is a truly unputdownable crime thriller, perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Lisa Regan and Angela Marsons.

No. of pages:- 398 pages

Date published:- will be published on May 6th 2021

Genre:- Thriller

Publisher:- Bookouture

Gosh….what a roller coaster ride with this one!!! Ruhi did it once again with the third book of Detective Mackenzie Price series, Little Boy Lost. When Charles was murdered, a new detective was assigned to solve the case. Then three little boys were lost in the woods and one of the boys’ bodies, Lucas was found dead…with his tongue cut off. This case was eerily same to another case, solved by Mackenzie’s partner, Nick, but the person is already behind the bars. Is it a copycat murder or something else?

It feels like a cat and mouse chase game when reading this one. So many suspects that you have no idea who is the real culprit behind the murders. The author does a good job, keeping the reader hooked into the story hence the reader’s mind is muddled and couldn’t wait till the end to find who the real villain in the story. The emotions Mackenzie is going through particularly when the new detective, Austin is digging most of her past family’s history is interesting and intriguing. A fast paced thriller with unexpected twists and turns that will hook you into the story from the beginning to the end. The ending, was a bit unexpected, including the part where who the real villain was actually!

Overall, I enjoyed reading Ruhi Chaudary’s books and cannot wait for the fourth book of the series to come out soon! Mackenzie Price has become one of my courageous and favorite characters! Worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Ruhi Choudhary discovered her passion for writing when she was seven years old and wrote her first Star Trek episode. Being a fan of the dark and twisted, she found her calling in crime thriller.

She likes to write stories that make you a little uncomfortable and characters that you struggle to make up your mind about but stay with you.

She lives in Toronto and spends her days training to be a scientist and wishing it rained more often!

You can follow her on Twitter! https://twitter.com/RuhiSChoudhary