Review: She Started It

She Started It by Sian Gilbert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Published Date: 1st August 2024

The party of a lifetime is nothing like what they expected...

Poppy Greer is getting married, so why wouldn't you invite your 4 old school friends to your hen party on a private island in the Bahamas, first class, all expenses paid, even if you haven't spoken to the them in 10 years.

Although the 4 friends: Tanya; Annabel; Esther; and Chloe, have drifted apart as they have gotten older, there are secrets which bond them for life and the invitation to Poppy's hen party has them too curious and intrigued to turn down the offer.

When they meet Poppy on the island they are all shocked by her transformation since school and the confidence she now has. As the hen party unfolds the party games start to reveal some hidden secrets, turning their paradise holiday into a nightmare.

There are so many twists within this fast paced book, that it had me hooked throughout. It's wonderfully catty and smart, with characters that you can't help but hate. It was a hard book to put down, it really did grip me, with the clever use of story telling and every time I thought I had it sussed, a long came another twist, it is an action packed book, with plenty of suspense.

TW: Bullying is a theme throughout this book, with some Domestic Violence and abuse..

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

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Review: She Started It

She Started It by Sian Gilbert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Published Date: 1st August 2024

The party of a lifetime is nothing like what they expected...

Poppy Greer is getting married, so why wouldn't you invite your 4 old school friends to your hen party on a private island in the Bahamas, first class, all expenses paid, even if you haven't spoken to the them in 10 years.

Although the 4 friends: Tanya; Annabel; Esther; and Chloe, have drifted apart as they have gotten older, there are secrets which bond them for life and the invitation to Poppy's hen party has them too curious and intrigued to turn down the offer.

When they meet Poppy on the island they are all shocked by her transformation since school and the confidence she now has. As the hen party unfolds the party games start to reveal some hidden secrets, turning their paradise holiday into a nightmare.

There are so many twists within this fast paced book, that it had me hooked throughout. It's wonderfully catty and smart, with characters that you can't help but hate. It was a hard book to put down, it really did grip me, with the clever use of story telling and every time I thought I had it sussed, a long came another twist, it is an action packed book, with plenty of suspense.

TW: Bullying is a theme throughout this book, with some Domestic Violence and abuse..

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Reviews also published on:
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Review: The Absurd Life of Barry White

The Absurd Life of Barry White by Rob Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loveable Barry White, is your typical underdog, he has a job he doesn't particularly like but is good at, he's a good friend and a rubbish rugby player, who still lives at home with his mam at 44 years old, like he's doing her a favour. He just wants to do some good.

This is a hilarious story of Barry and his mates bumbling through their lives and how they're trying to deal with everything life has to thrown at them, from the sublime to the ridiculous, while trying to live up to everyone else's expectations of them and failing at every hurdle.

Some chapters had me laughing so much, it is so well written, but also some very tender moments too, including mild sexual content.

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from this when I requested it, but I'm so glad I did, it's been an absolute joy to listen to and the narration is spot on, with great characterisation and importantly for me being Welsh a good Welsh accent and pronunciation of Welsh names and places.

I would highly recommend this an audiobook, as it feels more like a stand up audio.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this ARC.
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Review: She Started It

She Started It by Sian Gilbert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The party of a lifetime is nothing like what they expected...

Poppy Greer is getting married, so why wouldn't you invite your 4 old school friends to your hen party on a private island in the Bahamas, first class, all expenses paid, even if you haven't spoken to the them in 10 years.

Although the 4 friends: Tanya; Annabel; Esther; and Chloe, have drifted apart as they have gotten older, there are secrets which bond them for life and the invitation to Poppy's hen party has them too curious and intrigued to turn down the offer.

When they meet Poppy on the island they are all shocked by her transformation since school and the confidence she now has. As the hen party unfolds the party games start to reveal some hidden secrets, turning their paradise holiday into a nightmare.

There are so many twists within this fast paced book, that it had me hooked throughout. It's wonderfully catty and smart, with characters that you can't help but hate. It was a hard book to put down, it really did grip me, with the clever use of story telling and every time I thought I had it sussed, a long came another twist, it is an action packed book, with plenty of suspense.

TW: Bullying is a theme throughout this book, with some Domestic Violence and abuse..

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon
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View all my reviews

Review: She Started It

She Started It by Sian Gilbert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The Festival

The Festival by Louise Mumford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Out 30th July 2024

I think this is 3.5 - 3.75 out of 5 (rounded up to 4) for me.

It's a story set in Wales and using some fabulous old legends and myths, which I will always enjoy and centres around Libby who's unloving mother had recently died of cancer, with Libby being her main carer.

Libby's friend Dawn takes her out and while at a new nightclub, librarian Libby wins tickets to the hottest festival in Wales, Solstice!

Solstice is ran by the Blake family and their farmland, which holds a great story of the grey sisters and mystery, as this festival is hard to get tickets for and even harder to get are the tickets to the festival within a festival Sanctum, which Dawn wants to find out what happens there, as it's surrounded in mystery and whilst trying to get in there, she loses Libby and from there the trouble starts to unfold.

I really enjoyed the build up of mystery and myths and legends and wasn't quite sure which direction the story was going to go in, it definitely kept me intrigued and interested.

The flash backs to 20 years ago, really helped to build the tension and give insight into the story and from others perspectives and start to unravel the story in a way that was a little more interesting as it still had the element of mystery.

It felt like the climax and end were a little rushed and not enough time or detail was told, it came from a year on point of view rather than real time, which took some of the suspense and drama out of the story for me, especially after such a great build up of tension throughout I was hoping to be wowed, but this technique dulled it a bit for me, almost a too safe way to tell the ending, when I was already braced for whatever was going to come.

Overall a really good read with some great characters throughout, some I instantly loved, some I was suspicious of, but they all added to the tension and atmosphere of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

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Review: Textbook Romance

Textbook Romance by Kristen Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Published: 29th July 2024

Zoe Swift a married maths teacher meets funny and charming Jack Damon at a friends wedding and from there her life is never the same again.

Zoe finds out of her husbands betrayal at the wedding while talking / flirting with Jack, who then ensures that she gets home safely to her children.

When Zoe returns back to school after the summer holidays she finds out Jack has been hired as the new supply teacher, which leads to their connection growing, but as is always the case the course of love does not run smooth, with an ex-husband trying to co-parent their 2 children and uncertainty over the age gap.

This is a wonderful down to earth story of the complexities of life and the breakdown of one relationship and the start of a new one, especially when there are children involved.
I loved the banter between Zoe and Jack and Zoe's sassy teenage daughter is a delightful addition to the story.

This almost feels like a homage to great teachers and what a wonderful job they do despite having their own lives and difficulties to deal with.

This is a slow paced book, but with the wonderful character dynamics and the brilliant narration I was happy to immerse myself in this world.

An uplifting, yet emotional romantic comedy.

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Review: The Festival

The Festival by Louise Mumford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Out 30th July 2024

I think this is 3.5 - 3.75 out of 5 (rounded up to 4) for me.

It's a story set in Wales and using some fabulous old legends and myths, which I will always enjoy and centres around Libby who's unloving mother had recently died of cancer, with Libby being her main carer.

Libby's friend Dawn takes her out and while at a new nightclub, librarian Libby wins tickets to the hottest festival in Wales, Solstice!

Solstice is ran by the Blake family and their farmland, which holds a great story of the grey sisters and mystery, as this festival is hard to get tickets for and even harder to get are the tickets to the festival within a festival Sanctum, which Dawn wants to find out what happens there, as it's surrounded in mystery and whilst trying to get in there, she loses Libby and from there the trouble starts to unfold.

I really enjoyed the build up of mystery and myths and legends and wasn't quite sure which direction the story was going to go in, it definitely kept me intrigued and interested.

The flash backs to 20 years ago, really helped to build the tension and give insight into the story and from others perspectives and start to unravel the story in a way that was a little more interesting as it still had the element of mystery.

It felt like the climax and end were a little rushed and not enough time or detail was told, it came from a year on point of view rather than real time, which took some of the suspense and drama out of the story for me, especially after such a great build up of tension throughout I was hoping to be wowed, but this technique dulled it a bit for me, almost a too safe way to tell the ending, when I was already braced for whatever was going to come.

Overall a really good read with some great characters throughout, some I instantly loved, some I was suspicious of, but they all added to the tension and atmosphere of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

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Review: The Festival

The Festival by Louise Mumford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights

The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights by Bridget Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Firstly, I know it's not winter, but do you know what, the weather was so autumnal there for a while it felt like it nearly was, so why not.

This is a collection of 12 short stories (most around 1 hour listen) centred around Christmas and advent, by some of the best historical and gothic fiction writers:

• Host by Kiran Millwood Hargrave: 4.5 Stars
• Inferno by Laura Shepherd-Robinson: 4 Stars
• The Old Play by Andrew Michael Hurley: 2.5 Stars
• A Double Thread by Imogen Hermes Gowar: 3 Stars
• The Salt Miracles by Natasha Pulley: 4 Stars
• Banished by Elizabeth Macneal: 4.5 Stars
• The Gargoyle by Bridget Collins: 4 Stars
• The Master of the House by Stuart Turton: 3.5 Stars
• Ada Lark by Jess Kidd: 3.5 Stars
• Jenkin by Catriona Ward: 4.5 Stars
• Widow's Walk by Susan Stokes-Chapman: 3.5 Stars
• Carol of the Bells and Chains by Laura Purcell: 4.5 Stars

On the whole this has been a great listen, with some stories being more spine tingling and engaging for me than others and the narrators where good too, which always helps.

Even with the lower starred stories, that is based on spookiness, rather than quality of writing , as all the stories are well crafted, we just all have our own tastes and ideas of what is scary or suspenseful.

I think this would be a brilliant listen around the festive period for fans of all things ghostly and gothic.

What I've enjoyed about this is getting a taste for the authors style and not only enjoyed the stories from authors I already love, but have now found some new authors to add to my list, what a great introduction, in time for spooky season.

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Review: The Revenge of Rita Marsh

The Revenge of Rita Marsh by Nilesha Chauvet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This is a debut novel by Nilesha Chauvet that I think will go down well, but it is a tough read and deals with some very sensitive subjects.

The start of the book introduces Rita, who has taken over the care home her parents ran, prior to their death. by day and hunts paedophiles by night.
When a case close to home is brough to Rita's awareness she starts to reflect how far is she willing to go.

This was a slow paced book for me, on the whole, but the tone and pacing does change throughout.

I think this has a great premise, and is well written.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

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Review: The Revenge of Rita Marsh

The Revenge of Rita Marsh by Nilesha Chauvet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: The Cracked Mirror

The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Out 18th July 2024

FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW
THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL

Ok so no spoilers, which makes this difficult to summarise; this is essentially multiple stories in one book, so we have the typical older lady sleuth detective who solves murders in a sleepy Scottish town: Penny Coyne and then we have the LAPD homicide detective Johnny Hawke who does what's necessary to get results, regardless of the trouble he gets in.

So our usual tropes, but this is not what you expect, yes their paths cross, but what happens then is not what you expect.

This is such a clever book, with so many layers, crossing multiple genres, but still has a lot of heart. Sometimes you're not sure who to trust or like, but I always had a soft spot for Penny and Johnny.

I absolutely loved that this was a fast paced book, and the way the story was told and unfolded. From the concept of the book to the execution this is a one of a kind book, that I'm still processing.

Yes there are a lot of characters, which would usually put me off, but they are so cleverly written, you only need to focus on the main characters and the plot.

This is my first time reading a Brookmyre book, but I'm certain it won't be the last.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

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Review: Message Deleted

Message Deleted by K.L. Slater
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Published: 18th July 2024

"Your best friend begged for your help.
Then the message vanished.
And so did she..."

This is the story of Saffy who is trying to get her life back on track after numerous traumas and set backs, when she gets a message off her best friend, Can’t speak . . . don’t text or call . . . please just come , but then the message is deleted. Confused and worried for her friend Saffy rushes around, to find everything is fine with the household, to later discover she is the last person to visit the family before they go missing, and she is the police's number one suspect...

What a story line and how it unfolds is very clever and keeps you reading and gripped to the end, switching between the characters pasts and present day in a really clear way, the story weaving is great.

There weren't too many characters and they're introduced in away that I was able to keep track of the story without distraction and of course given it is a suspenseful thriller, there are some unsavoury characters, but all feel very real and fleshed out.

I did want to shout at some of the decisions that Saffy was making, but all were relevant and moved the story on and helped other parts of the story unfold.

A gripping read.


Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

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Review: The House Across the Street

The House Across the Street by Jill Childs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Published: 15th July 2024

Perfect families have the most to hide…

Two best friends who live across the street from each other, both keeping their own secrets from each other, but for how long?

I don't want to say to much about the plot for fear of spoiling the story, but just know there is a lot going on that moves the story on and builds the tension and suspense throughout.

I listened to this as an audio book and was absolutely hooked, I listened to most of it in one day and could wait to finish listening the next day. The narrator was great at building the suspense and keeping to the pacing and excitement of the book.


Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

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Review: The Dead Friend Project

The Dead Friend Project by Joanna Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Published: 11th July 2024

Another great, witty, dark book from Joanna Wallace, with a lot of heart and emotion.

This book centres on Beth whose best friend, Charlotte died and her husband left her for her best friend on the same day, since then her life has been spiralling and she's lost her way and feeling lonely as she no longer has her mum friends to turn to.

It's a fabulous book that keeps you guessing as Beth goes on the hunt for who killed her best friend. Everyone else accepts Charlotte's death as a tragic accident, but once Beth starts asking questions the more the details don't sit right with her, the only problem is she's trying to solve the crime after a bottle (or two) of wine and can't decipher her own drunken notes, making it harder to piece together the facts.

Joanna Wallace's character's are believable, relatable and beautifully written and described. I laughed, cried and was hooked by this book.

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books, Viper and the author Joanna Wallace for this ARC.

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Review: Like It Never Was

Like It Never Was by Faith Gardner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Published: 2nd July 2024

3.75 Stars Rounded up t0 4

After a prank goes wrong between Jolene and her friend Elizabeth, Jolene keeps this a secret, what follows is Jolene's guilt at what she's done and her inability to outrun this or numb it away.

Ten years later Jolene moves to Berkley and meets back up with Elizabeth and they attempt to rekindle a friendship, but will Jolene's guilt let her be friends? will the voice in Jolene's head ruin everything?

I had an interesting journey with this book, the first chapter... BANG hooked, then the story started to slow down in pace for a while and I wasn't sure if I was going to continue with it, then another cliff hanger and so it went on, until I completed the book, for me the end petered out to the point I felt it could have been 2 or 3 chapters shorter for my liking, but maybe that's because I'd guessed or at least suspected quite early on the outcome and would have preferred to end on a cliff hanger of not knowing, but I know for a lot of readers that would not work for them, so I get why it was fleshed out.

The characters were well written, with some absolute treats in there that kept me entertained, with the addition of the voice Jolene hears in her head and I did double guess myself a few times throughout the book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

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