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ARC Books I am Excited To Read soon

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Hey all! I got some really nice ARC Books that I am dying to try and do review on.

  1. The New House – Tess Stimson

***REVIEW COMING UP SOON!****

Three couples.

About to purchase their dream home.

How far would you go to get the perfect life?

Perfect for fans of Louise Candlish and Shari Lapena, this domestic, psychological suspense novel will keep you on the edge of your seat.

2. Hidden Bones – Rita Herron

The girl trips over branches, losing her footing. The darkness swallows her and she grabs thin air as she falls, her scream piercing the night. When she slams into the bottom of the pit, her heart hammers. She can’t believe what she’s seeing—a pile of perfect white bones…

In the small town of Crooked Creek, where the Appalachian Mountains climb into the clouds, nineteen-year-old Mandy’s Spring Break takes a sinister turn. Detective Ellie Reeves races straight to the scene, driving through the winding roads to the abandoned orphanage.

Ellie saves the teenage girl but discovers human remains that have been there for thirty years, ever since the home for children closed down. Her heart shatters at the thought that they might belong to the helpless orphans.

Working day and night on the case, Ellie searches for the orphanage’s files, but they have been stolen—somebody is clearly trying to cover their tracks. As she interviews the residents of the mountain community, Ellie finds out that almost everyone connected to the children’s home has disappeared.

Then a woman is found dead, her body marked with a strange symbol. When Ellie learns that the victim used to work at the orphanage, it’s clear that a twisted killer is trying to stop the truth coming out.

Ellie vows to solve this case that spans decades and, when her research into the meaning of the symbol leads her to a local business at the heart of recent controversy, she’s on the right track. Can she bring the secrets to light before another innocent person is murdered? And when she gets too close to uncovering the truth, will she survive?

3. The Night Ship – Jess Kidd

Based on a real-life event, an epic historical novel from the award-winning author of Things in Jars that illuminates the lives of two characters: a girl shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia and, three hundred years later, a boy finding a home with his grandfather on the very same island.

1629: A newly orphaned young girl named Mayken is bound for the Dutch East Indies on the Batavia, one of the greatest ships of the Dutch Golden Age. Curious and mischievous, Mayken spends the long journey going on misadventures above and below the deck, searching for a mythical monster. But the true monsters might be closer than she thinks.

1989: A lonely boy named Gil is sent to live off the coast of Western Australia among the seasonal fishing community where his late mother once resided. There, on the tiny reef-shrouded island, he discovers the story of an infamous shipwreck…​

4. The Neapolitan Sisters – Margo Candela

Three sisters. Three vastly different lives. A maelstrom of family secrets. For fans of María Amparo Escandón and Laurie Frankel, Margo Candela pens a riotous, provocative tale of family and sisterhood.

Growing up with a kind but alcoholic father and a suspicious, passive aggressive mother, the Bernal sisters each developed their own way of coping: Dulcina had her art and drugs and alcohol, Claudia plunged into her studies and fled to Princeton, and Maritza watched one Disney movie after another in between devouring romance novels.

Now all grown up, the sisters are reunited at last for Maritza’s dream wedding. But they are no less different than they were growing up: Maritza is a princess bridezilla, Claudia is the family “fixer,” and Dulcina “Dooley” is finally sober. With all three Bernal sisters back in their East L.A. home, each begins to take steps to come to terms with each other, their parents, and the secrets from their shared past. While their lives may have taken different paths, they are still sisters at heart.

Told in alternating points of view, The Neapolitan Sisters is a humorous yet moving look at what it means to be a sister, daughter, and ultimately, your own self, despite the pressures that come with being part of a family.

5. You’re Invited – Amanda Jayatissa

When Amaya is invited to Kaavi’s over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised and a little hurt to hear from her former best friend after so many years of radio silence. But when Amaya learns that the groom is her very own ex-boyfriend, she is consumed by a single thought: She must stop the wedding from happening, no matter the cost.

But as the weeklong wedding celebrations begin and rumors about Amaya’s past begin to swirl, she can’t help but feel like she also has a target on her back. When Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, all evidence points to Amaya.

However, nothing is as it seems as Jayatissa expertly unravels that each wedding guest has their own dark secret and agenda, and Amaya may not be the only one with a plan to keep the bride from getting her happily ever after…

Which of these ARC Books would you like me to review first. PS The review for Tess Stimson’s The New Home is coming soon!

First Girl to Die (Detective Morgan Brooke Series Book 4) – ARC Book Review

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First Girl to Die: A completely gripping crime thriller (Detective Morgan Brookes Book 4) by [Helen Phifer]

Morgan shudders as she leans out of the window and takes in the familiar blonde curls and clear blue eyes of the fallen girl below. She knows this woman, and she realises with sickening certainty that her friend is now gone forever…

When Detective Morgan Brookes is called to the scene of a suicide, she’s devastated to recognise the young teacher sprawled out on the grass like a broken doll. She hasn’t seen Brittany for years. Not since the tragic death of Morgan’s high-school boyfriend ripped their friendship group apart. But when witnesses describe Brittany’s erratic behaviour and jumbled speech that morning, Morgan is convinced the fearless, life-loving girl she once knew didn’t jump of her own accord.

Traces of poison found in Brittany’s blood prove Morgan’s theory right, but no one can find the source. Then Morgan uncovers a distinctive jar in Brittany’s home filled with toxic herbs, and the sight of it turns her blood to ice. She has a jar just like it, a handmade gift from her aunt. Is this a coincidence, a set-up, or could the only person she’s ever trusted with her damaged past be capable of murder?

Then another woman from Morgan’s past is found, close to the scene of that fatal teenage party. Has Morgan been looking at this all wrong? Are these deaths connected to that deadly night? And how could someone from her own family possibly be involved?

With her aunt’s freedom and more innocent lives at stake, Morgan must dig deep into her painful memories for answers. Who else was there that night, and what exactly did they see? She must stop this twisted killer before any more of her old friends become new victims – but at what cost?

No. of pages:- 207 pages

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

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Wow! Just wow! I was patiently waiting for the Morgan Brooke series to come out soon and finally it came and boy, I was not disappointed at all!

Though I did not leave a favorable review on Book 3, I must say, Book 4 is so much better that I enjoyed it so much!

Detective Morgan Brooke was called to a school where her old friend from school, Britanny, after taking in the herbal tea and apparently muttering to herself jumps out of the window, dead. A few days later, Sienna, another friend of Morgan from school was found naked inside a cave in the woods, with no recollection of how she ended up naked in a cave although she too had taken the herbal tea as well. All these herbal teas are purchased from Morgan’s aunt Ettie who becomes the viable suspect. But Morgan believes that these things are connected to an incident that happened many years which involved the death of a student…

From the first chapter to the end was intense and intriguing that I was literally hooked from the beginning to the end.. This was actually an unusual homicide case and I couldn’t help wondering–is Ettie Morgan’s aunt the killer? Or is someone else responsible? And for what??? This book is such a page turner filled with unexpected twists and turns and the ending was a OMG moment!!! There were some funny parts in the book which was laughable and Morgan Brookes has become a favorite female protagonist in my book.

So I’ll summarize the whole book in one go

–intriguing, intense and a complete page turner
–fast paced, twisty with unexpected turns–a plus sign for a good thriller
–You’ll soon learn to love Morgan Brooke and her partner Ben (not love partner, work partner)
–AND love the plot

Overall, I give this book five stars!

Note:- If you really want to read this book, do you have to read book 1. I think I’ll recommend reading book 1 before jumping directly to book 4.

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

Helen Phifer

Helen Phifer is the #1 Bestselling crime and horror novelist of the Annie Graham, Lucy Harwin and Beth Adams series. Helen lives in a small town in Cumbria. Surrounded by miles of coastline and only a short drive from the beautiful Lake District. She has always loved writing and reading since the days she learnt how to in infant school. She loves reading books that make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and make her afraid to go to the toilet, alone in the middle of the night. She is eternally grateful to Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert and Graham Masterton for scaring her senseless in her teenage years. Unable to find enough of the scary stories she loves to read, she decided to write her own.

Her debut novel The Ghost House was released October 2013 and introduced readers to police officer Annie Graham. It went on to be an Amazon #1 bestseller in Canada. It reached #1 on the Amazon Contemporary Horror Charts in both the UK and the US, pushing her idol Stephen King off his #1 spot many times. She was thrilled when the second book in the series The Secrets of the Shadows managed to push The Ghost House off its #1 spot even if it was a little surreal. This was followed by The Forgotten Cottage, The Lake House, The Girls in the Woods and The Face Behind the Mask.

The Good Sisters is a standalone old, fashioned horror story which Helen admits scared her so much when she was writing it that she couldn’t write once it got dark. Set in an abandoned convent it will definitely give you the chills.

March 2017 saw the publication of Dark House, a gripping psychological thriller which introduced readers to the dangerous world of Detective Inspector Lucy Harwin. This was followed by Dying Breath and Last Light.

The Haunting on West Tenth Street is a supernatural thriller set on the streets of New York and features Homicide Detective Maria Miller.

Her brand new series featuring Forensic Pathologist Beth Adams is published July 16th 2019

The Housewarming – Book Review

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Ava put her daughter Abi in the pushchair for merely five minutes as she rushed back upstairs to the bathroom. And when she returned back, her daughter is missing. Ava blames herself for her daughter’s disappearance and refuses to move on until she and her husband Matt were invited to a housewarming party, hosted by the Lovegood family. Then at the party, some secrets starts emerging…

I really liked the pace of the story. The emotional feelings that Ava is going through is realistic as she is struggling to move on, even she has another child, Fred. The story parts are sad as how Ava’s sudden disappearance put a toll on Ava’s marriage with Matt as well as Ava’s relationship with the neighbors, Bella and Neil and others. The feel of guilt that Ava is experiencing seemed real. The story is fast paced, making the reader hooked into the story. The first part was a bit boring but towards the middle until the end, at the party only some twists and turns start to happen with secrets revealing and lies and betrayal. Overall, this is actually an emotional family drama with a thriller in it. The ending was literally sad though it was good.

Overall it was a heartwarming story. Worth four stars!

Star, hotel, rank, mark, four, stars, four star hotel icon
The Housewarming: A completely unputdownable psychological thriller with a shocking twist by [S.E. Lynes]

Everyone is going to the housewarming party.
All the same people who lived on the street the day Abi vanished…
Will her mother finally learn the truth?

Ava only left her daughter in the pushchair for five minutes. The buckle was fastened, and she was sure it was safe. But when she came downstairs, the door was open and Abi was gone – she walked down the road, past the Lovegoods’ house, and was never seen again.

A year later, the Lovegoods are planning their long-anticipated housewarming party. Ava doesn’t want to go. She can’t bear to look down that end of the road, to see the place where Abi vanished, and she doesn’t want to spend time with people who don’t share her grief. Her husband Matt persuades her: he’s worried about her. A night out might do her good.

But as her friends and neighbours chat, and the drink and gossip flows, Ava learns something new about the day she has re-lived a thousand times. A throwaway comment which could change everything.

Ava thought she knew every last detail of that day.

She’s about to find out she was wrong…

No. of pages:- 350 pages

Date published:- 23rd October 2020

Genre:- Thriller

S. E. Lynes

S.E. Lynes is the Amazon best selling author of ‘intelligent and haunting’ psychological thrillers, VALENTINA, MOTHER, THE PACT, THE PROPOSAL, THE WOMEN, THE LIES WE HIDE, and CAN YOU SEE HER?
Formerly a BBC producer, she turned to writing following the birth of her third child.
After completing an MA in Creative Writing, she became a tutor at Richmond Adult Community College, where she taught creative writing for over ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing.
She has also published three children’s books in Italy: IL LEOPARDO LAMPO, LA COCCODRILLA INGAMBA, and the bilingual LA SCIMMIA SPIRITOSA/THE FUNNY MONKEY, all available at Amazon.it

The Girl She Wanted – Book Review

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Hey all! I am back with another book review!

The Girl She Wanted: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist by [K.L. Slater ]

What if my sister is unstable and everyone can see it but me? What was she really doing standing over Florence’s cot in the middle of the night?

Alexa has always looked up to her older sister Carrie. Carrie lives in Alexa’s family home, and adores her one-year-old niece Florence. Alexa doesn’t know how they would cope without her. So when Carrie is suspended from her job as a senior nurse, accused of the most terrible crime, Alexa reels in disbelief. Alexa knows how caring Carrie is, and as she watches Florence gurgling and cooing whenever Carrie is around, she knows her little girl is in safe hands.

Alexa’s husband doesn’t trust Carrie. He wants her out of the house, unable to ignore what people are saying about her. But when he suggests that Carrie could be a danger to their daughter, Alexa shuts him out. Nobody will ever come between her and her sister.

Then Florence is hurt while in Carrie’s care and Alexa at last starts to wonder. Alexa has always wanted to protect Carrie from the past they have hidden. But does Alexa know what Carrie wants? And will the secret that has kept the sisters together now destroy her little girl?

A completely gripping rollercoaster of a read about the darkness families hide behind closed doors. Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will be hooked on The Girl She Wanted.

No. of pages:- 357 pages

Date published:- will be published on 22nd October 2020

Genre:- Thriller

K.L. Slater

Kim is the million-copy bestselling author of twelve psychological crime thrillers.

Order of publication:
SAFE WITH ME (2016)
BLINK (2017)
LIAR (2017)
THE MISTAKE (2017)
THE VISITOR (2018)
THE SECRET (2018)
CLOSER (2018)
FINDING GRACE (2019)
THE SILENT ONES (2019)
SINGLE (2019)
THE APARTMENT – AUDIBLE ORIGINAL only (2019)
THE APARTMENT – eBook & paperback formats available (2020)
LITTLE WHISPERS (2020)
THE GIRL SHE WANTED (2020)

Her titles are published in eBook by Bookouture and in paperback by Sphere (UK) and Grand Central (USA). She also writes Audible Originals which are subsequently published in ebook and paperback formats by Amazon Publishing.

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected an impressive stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating in 2012, she had gained literary agent representation and a book deal. As Kim says, ‘it was a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer. She has one daughter, two stepsons and lives with her husband in Nottingham.

Publishers: Bookouture, Grand Central, Sphere, Audible
Agent: Camilla Bolton at Darley Anderson

Author website: http://www.KLSlaterAuthor.com
Twitter: @KimLSlater
Facebook: KL Slater Author
Instagram: KLSlaterAuthor

Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

When two unexplainable deaths occur in the hospital almost six months’ apart, Dr. Nathan Mosley, a junior doctor reports them and the main suspect of the deaths was the ward manager, Carrie Parsons as she was present at both their deaths. While evidences are mounting against Carrie, Carrie’s sister, Alexa believes that her sister is innocent although her husband Perry believes otherwise. Then Alexa’s daughter gets hurt and it was Carrie who was looking after her. Does Alexa know her sister?

I really like the suspense in the story. It kept the reader on the edge. Did Carrie really kill those two patients or was someone trying to frame her? These questions are tumbling into the reader’s minder as I kept reading. This is a fast paced thriller, addressing some family and personal issues, particularly between Perry and Carrie as Perry didn’t want Carrie to be living with them. The ending was quiet unexpected and didn’t see that coming!

Overall, this is a fast paced thriller, quiet a page turner keeping the reader at suspense. Worth five stars!

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For anyone interested in this book, this book will be released on 22nd October 202 so you can pre-order your copy now on Amazon!

Some Like It Greek – Book Review

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Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC of Some Like It Greek by Sue Roberts! Here is my honest review on this book

Some Like It Greek: A completely laugh-out-loud romantic comedy by [Sue Roberts]

There’s nothing like a summer escape. A sun-kissed story about living life to the full.

In the month from hell, incurable optimist Anna has lost her father and her job, and her trademark smile is dimming. Clearing out her dad’s house, she discovers a postcard of a beautiful sandy beach and a map with a route plotted to the Greek island of Kefalonia. With an empty summer stretching ahead, Anna’s eyes stray to her father’s old camper van. Next thing she knows, she’s hitting the road with friend Demi in tow, on a course from Salford to Skala!

Over one unforgettable summer, Anna and Demi make their rickety way along the sparkling Mediterranean coast, the hot sun shining down on their frequent mishaps with cheerful local characters. It’s the trip of a lifetime, and the scent of lemons in the air – as well as an unexpected romance – are just what Anna needs to awaken her inner Greek goddess.

But there are big surprises in store when they arrive at the island paradise, which could change both women’s lives forever. And as summer comes to an end, Anna has to decide whether she has had enough of the Greek life, or whether this is only just the beginning…

A joyful, hilarious summer read, perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella.

No. of pages:- 257 pages

Date Published:- will be published on 21st August 2020

Genre:- Greek Travel/Romantic Comedy

This is the first book I have read from this author and thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book! This is the honest review totally based on my opinion.

In a month, Anna loses everything–first her relationship with Joel, then she lost her father from a heart attack and then she lost her job. It seems to Anna that she is living in hell. While clearing out her father’s house, Anna discovers a stack of photos and postcards belonging to her father, when her father was young and was travelling to the Greek Island of Kefalonia. Using the money of redundancy she got from the bank, she decides to embark on a road trip to Kefalonia to reminisce her father’s memories and she is accompanied by Demi, a fellow friendly neighbor who is also Greek and who seems to be having some second thoughts about going to Greece. Towards their journey, they encounter surprises, making new friends, even finding some romance and also some fun!

This book is actually fun and quick to read. I have never been to Greece so reading this book, made me think that I was in Greece with Anna and Demi. The story is told from the complete perspective of Anna so as a reader you get to enjoy the Greek culture, Greek food (of course I have tried Greek food) and of course the perfect sceneries and descriptions given by the author, as I picture the sandy warm beaches and places around the island of Kefalonia. I just like how warm and friendly this book is and reading this book made me wish I can go to Greece too! Even the descriptions of the road trip, as both Anna and Demi go through France then through the Swiss Alps and Italy also created the image in my head as what the scenery and places look like. Truly enjoyed reading the book. Also the characters are likable as well as both Anna and Demi are perfect duo, encouraging each other throughout their journey and supporting each other.

This book is a heartwarming book to read, filled with laughter and romance, a perfect read for summer. Oh not to mention this book will take you to the journey to Greece along with Anna and Demi. Totally worth reading and is also a quick read. Worth five stars! This book will be released on 21st August so pre-order your copy now on Amazon!

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Book Review- Another Woman’s Child by Kerry Fisher

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Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the copy of this book! Delighted to share my honest opinion about this book.

Another Woman's Child: An utterly heartbreaking and emotional page-turner by [Kerry Fisher]

Could you take in your best friend’s child, even if it risked destroying your own family?

Jo had thought that her life – and her heart – was full. With a busy job, a husband and a teenage daughter who is going off the rails, keeping her life running smoothly had already felt hard enough.

But now Jo sits at the funeral of her best friend Ginny, crushed by the loss of a friendship that had endured for thirty years: from college and their first days at work through to settling down and raising their own children.

Against her husband’s wishes, Jo has made a life-changing decision: to take in Ginny’s teenage son Victor and raise him as her own. Despite her misgivings, Jo feels she had no choice: Ginny was a single parent and Victor had no other family who could take care of him.

But Victor’s arrival is about to break open the fragile cracks that were already forming on the surface of Jo’s family life and in her small rural community… and expose a secret that has remained hidden for many years, with devastating consequences.

From the bestselling author of The Silent Wife and The Woman I Was Before, Another Woman’s Child is an unputdownable and heartbreaking read about the secrets we keep from our families, and the sacrifices we are willing to make for those we love. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain.

No. of pages :- 310 pages

Date Published :- 5th August 2020

Genre:- Women’s Fiction

Kerry Fisher

Kerry Fisher is an internationally bestselling author of women’s contemporary fiction, including The Woman I Was Before, The Silent Wife (USA Today bestseller) and The Secret Child. She was born in Peterborough, studied French and Italian at the University of Bath and spent several years living in Spain, Italy and Corsica. After returning to England to work as a journalist, she eventually abandoned real life stories for the secrets of fictional families. She now lives in Surrey with her husband, two teenage children and a naughty Lab/Schnauzer called Poppy.

Best advice ever received: ‘This is fiction, we can skip the boring bits.’ Lynn Hightower, UCLA Writers’ Program.

I got this free copy from Netgalley and Bookouture and I would like to thank them for providing me with a copy!

Jo has a busy family life–with a busy job and a rebellious daughter that she simply cannot control. But when her best friend, Ginny dies, her last wish was for Jo to look after Ginny’s son, Victor and raise him as her own. Despite Jo’s misgivings, she hesitantly accepts and takes in Victor into her family, thus introducing him into a small community. But Victor’s arrival soon develops fragile cracks in Jo’s family and also the small community. And a secret that had been hidden for many years…

I really like the book. The situation that the book was written is realistic. Victor, being half black was immediately turned into a victim of severe accusations like giving drugs to “perfect daughters” and misleading them which sadly is happening in the real world right now, despite the fact that Victor is actually an innocent boy. The teenage rebellion is also realistic, the girls who want to please their parents by getting good grades and going into Oxford or Cambridge though in secret they were partying and taking drugs. The situation that the book was based on was realistic which I really liked about it. The writing was good, though at times, not very engaging but it was also a bit emotional to read.

Overall, it is a good emotional book to read. Worth three stars. This book will be released on 5th August so you can preorder your copy now on Amazon!

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Book Review – My Mother’s Choice by Ali Mercer

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After a long time I am back with a book review! Just received an advanced copy of My Mother’s Secret by Ali Mercer and many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me an advanced copy!

My Mother's Choice: An utterly heartbreaking and emotional page-turner by [Ali Mercer]

Nobody talks about my mother. Absolutely nobody. I have no idea what she was like. I’d always thought they kept quiet about her because they were sad. But what if it was because they were guilty?

I watch them at the school gates, all the mothers with their daughters. I see the hugs and all those thoughtful little adjustments to scarves and ponytails. How their love seems to overflow, they have so much of it to give.

And then I walk home to my aunt’s cold house, where there are a hundred rules for me to follow and only a single photograph of my mother to look at.

She is never spoken about in this house. They tell me that it will be easier if I don’t think about her.

It is strange though, isn’t it? That I know nothing about my own mother?

But they don’t know about the diary I’ve found up in the loft. Maybe they even forgot it was there. It doesn’t matter anymore if they won’t tell me anything. Because within these pages is what I’ve waited fourteen years to find out. And maybe some things I wish I could forget.

All I wanted was to bring our family closer together, but could what I find tear us apart instead?

No. of Pages:- 325 pages

Date Published:- 29th July 2020

Genre:- Women’s Fiction/Litarary Fiction

Ali Mercer

li decided she wanted to be a writer early on and wrote her first novel when she was at primary school. She did an English degree and spent her early twenties working in various jobs in journalism, including as a reporter for the showbusiness newspaper The Stage. She started writing fiction in earnest after getting married, moving out of London to the Oxfordshire market town of Abingdon and starting a family. She has two children, a daughter and a son who is autistic and was diagnosed when he was four years old.
Ali is fascinated by families, their myths and secrets, and the forces that hold them together, split them up and (sometimes) bring them back together again. She always travels with tissues and a book and has been known to cry over a good story, but is also a big fan of the hopeful ending.
For updates and pictures, follow Ali on Twitter (@AlisonLMercer) or Instagram (@alimercerwriter), or on her Facebook page (AliMercerwriter).

A beautiful story about family drama and secrets, the lies and deceit. Dani is a fourteen-year-old girl who only vaguely remembers a little about her mother, who is dead. Both her father, Jon and her aunt, Aunt Carrie, with whom she is living doesn’t tell too much about her mother. The only memory that Dani has of her mother is a picture of her mother, wearing a brown colored dress that is on the window sill of her bedroom.

Then one day, Dani discovers a diary, belonging to her mother, hidden in the attic. And while reading her diary, Dani discovers all those secrets and lies that her father and her aunt had been hiding for years from her.

So let’s start with the ones I liked about the book

  • This is the first book I have read from this author and I must say, I really like her style of writing. Beautifully woven, realistically, and engaging the reader into the book.
  • The story is told from the perspectives of Dani and Laura, her mother, when Dani starts reading her diary. You can actually understand all those angry emotions, feelings that Dani as a teenager is feeling especially towards her father and her aunt. Laura’s diary was somewhat a bit sad to read, those emotions she is going through when she discovered something she shouldn’t have discovered, all those inner feelings that she is going through, as her husband is having a daughter from his first marriage and how she is going through with those feelings and emotions in her life.
  • The vivid descriptions of the ocean and the Cornwall, made me feel like I am in Cornwall.
  • The ending was a bit sad and emotional to read for me and there was an unexpected twist and turn towards the end–it was so unexpected that I didn’t even expect that!

Overall, this is truly a heartbreaking, wrenching book, truly emotional and gripping, a page turner. I would give this book a rating of five stars!

Rating Five Stars. Motion Graphics. Stock Footage Video (100 ...

South of the Buttonwood Tree-Book Review #southofthebuttonwoodtree #heatherwebber

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Hello all! Back with an honest book review, South of the Buttonwood Tree which will be released on 21st July, written by Heather Webber. Here’s my review!

South of the Buttonwood Tree by [Heather Webber]

Blue Bishop has a knack for finding lost things. While growing up in charming small-town Buttonwood, Alabama, she’s happened across lost wallets, jewelry, pets, her wandering neighbor, and sometimes, trouble. No one is more surprised than Blue, however, when she comes across an abandoned newborn baby in the woods, just south of a very special buttonwood tree.

Sarah Grace Landreneau Fulton is at a crossroads. She has always tried so hard to do the right thing, but her own mother would disown her if she ever learned half of Sarah Grace’s secrets.

The unexpected discovery of the newborn baby girl will alter Blue’s and Sarah Grace’s lives forever. Both women must fight for what they truly want in life and for who they love. In doing so, they uncover long-held secrets that reveal exactly who they really are—and what they’re willing to sacrifice in the name of family.

No. of pages:- 330 pages

Date published :- 21st July 2020

Genre:- Magical Realism/ Women’s Fiction

Heather Webber

Heather Webber (aka Heather Blake) is the author of more than twenty-five novels and has been twice nominated for an Agatha Award. She loves to read, drink too much coffee and tea, birdwatch, crochet, and bake. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is hard at work on her next book.www.heatherwebber.com | http://www.heatherblakebooks.com

This is the second book I have read from this author, the first book, The Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, which I did a blog on months ago. I got this free unedited copy from Netgalley and the publisher so I would really like to thank them for giving me this advanced copy.

Like in the Midnight at Blackbird Cafe, the story starts with Blue Bishop, who has an affinity of finding lost things. So one day, she finds an abandoned baby in the south of the infamous Buttonwood tree. Apparently, the Buttonwood Tree has a famous folklore story about advising and granting wishes by giving out buttons with the words of advise engraved on the button. If the advise is not followed, you are doomed to be cursed, hence is the folklore. Blue had been wanting to adopt a baby and she was amazed that this wish is granted. However, there were many people in the town who do not want the baby to be adopted by Blue, because she was a Bishop, since Bishops family are not very well liked by the community due to their criminal nature.

Meanwhile, Sarah Grace always tried to do the rights things, even though she was having an unhappy marriage. She was trying to impress her mother but at the same time she wants to do what is right for her. She is also hiding secrets that would make her mother disown her…

But the arrival of the new baby would change both Blue’s and Sarah Grace’s life forever.

So here are the things I liked about the book

  • Just like the Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, the story deals with the magical realism and folklore tales. The Buttonwood Tree holds a certain folklore that is actually intriguing to read. Normally, I am not much into magical realism but this book made me intrigued to read more.
  • The story is told from the perspectives of Blue and Sarah Grace–so as a reader we would know what each of the characters are feeling and also the type of secrets they seemed to be holding.
  • Towards the end, it got more and more interesting, particularly the ending where you did not expect that unusual and unexpected twist!
  • The writing was really good, quiet a page turner and author did a good job of making the reader engage into the story, as if the reader was also going on that rollercoaster ride with both Blue and Sarah Grace.
  • The story, except for the folklore part was realistic.

Overall, this is an emotional, heartbreaking and quiet a page turning book, that will keep you into the story and you will not be able to put this book down at all. Worth five stars!

This book will be released on 21st July so if you are looking to buy the book, here is the link below

Five Star Rating Shiny Golden Stars Stock Illustrations – 795 Five ...

Book Review- The Silent Dolls #TheSilentDolls #NetGalley

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Hey all! Thanks to Netgalley I manage to get a free copy of this book, The Silent Dolls by Rita Herron and the first book of the Detective Ellie Reeves series!!! Here is my review

The Silent Dolls (Detective Ellie Reeves #1)

Silent tears trickle down her cheeks as she curls inside the tiny cave-like space. She lies on her side, darkness all around her, rubbing her fingers over the little wooden doll he’d carved. He told her to be quiet, not to cry or scream. Not to be a baby. Her throat was raw, her eyes swollen shut. She wanted her mommy and daddy. She wanted to go home.

When Penny Matthews, a seven-year-old girl with blonde curls and a gap-toothed smile, goes missing in the Appalachian mountains, Detective Ellie Reeves is called straight to the scene. According to Penny’s parents, their daughter vanished after a picnic by the creek. All that’s left behind is a pink friendship bracelet etched with “Penny”.

Ellie knows all too well that the mountains’ endless miles of dark forest and winding rivers are the perfect place for a criminal to hide. Racing against the rapidly setting sun and a brutal winter storm on the horizon, she searches desperately for Penny.

Special Agent Derrick Fox is determined to join the hunt. His younger sister, Kim, disappeared in the same area twenty-five years ago––on the day he was meant to be watching her. He’s certain the cases are linked and that over a dozen girls have vanished in the last decade. Ellie refuses to believe that their tight-knit mountain community could be home to a deadly criminal, but even she can’t deny the similarities in the cases. And when they discover the remains of a small body buried with a carved wooden doll, it’s clear they’re up against a deadly serial killer preying on innocent little girls.

As the temperature plunges, Penny’s life hangs in the balance. Most people who get lost in the woods never make it out alive. Can Ellie and Derrick defy the odds and find out the truth about all the stolen girls? Or will the mountain, and its twisted killer, claim another victim?

No. of pages :- 366 pages

Date Published :- 17th July 2020

Genre:- Thrillers

Rita Herron

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.

With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.

For more on. Rita and her titles, visit her at http://www.ritaherron.com. You can also find her on Facebook/ritaherron.com and Twitter @ritaherron

First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this book.

This is the first book I have read of this author, Rita Herron and the plot line sounded interesting so I decided to try out this book. And I must say, I was not disappointed with this book!


The story begins with Detective Ellie Reeves is called to the scene when a seven-year-old girl named Penny Matthews goes missing while she was out having picnic with her parents in the woods. The Appalachian Trail is a very dense and big trail with a severe storm threatening to come in and Detective Ellie must find Penny before it was too late. Meanwhile, Special Agent Derrick Fox sees the news about the missing girl and immediately offers to help Ellie with her investigation. Twenty-five years ago, Derrick’s sister Kim went missing under similar circumstances and when Derrick further investigates, he realized that dozens of young girls had gone missing for those years, and he suspected that there is a serial killer involved. Will Ellie be able to save Penny before it is too late?

Here are the things I liked about the book!

  • Honestly, I really enjoyed reading the book. The book was well written, and I was immediately drawn into the story
  • There were some twists in the story along the way, and I was so hooked into the story that I simply couldn’t put the book down!
  • Ellie is actually a likable character and all the emotions and feelings that she was going through while investigating the case, particularly dealing with the missing children was very realistic.
  • The ending of the book was unexpected and shocking and I couldn’t really wait to know what is going to happen next! Seriously, the author did a good job of making the reader crave for more!
  • This is actually a page turner book and the book that you simply cannot put down! Twists, secrets and deceits, lies are all tangled in this book, making it interesting to read the book. It was a real rollercoaster ride to this book, and truly gripped me!

Overall, this is certainly a book that you simply cannot put down, that gripped me towards the end. A real page turner book that the readers will not be disappointed! I am most certainly looking forward to read more on this series.

Worth five stars in this book!

Rating Five Stars. Motion Graphics. Stock Footage Video (100 ...


Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing the free copy for reviewing!