Wednesday 31 August 2016

Elle Field Blog Tour for Found


"How did people even come up with the idea of these dizzying skyscrapers, let alone work out how to make them possible? Whoever built the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, their legacy will live on forever. What sort of a difference will I ever make?"

Who knew one flight could change everything? When Arielle Lockley stepped on the plane at Heathrow, she never realised how different her life would be when she touched down in New York City. Now she's dealing with that aftermath, as well as trying to find common ground with Etta, her new and unexpected business partner.

But, trying to sort out business in London whilst her fiancé, Piers, recovers from surgery in New York, is starting to take its toll on their relationship. Can Arielle and Etta work together to continue Felicity's legacy without destroying it, and will Arielle and Piers even make it down the aisle to say "I do"?

Find out whether Arielle gets her happily ever after in the final part of the warm and wonderful Arielle Lockley series.



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Who’s who in the Arielle Lockley series:

The Arielle Lockley series is a four book coming of age chick lit series that’s set mainly in London and New York City. Kept, Lost and Found are told from Arielle’s perspective, whilst B-Side is a grittier spin-off book that is told from the perspective of Etta. Here’s who’s who in the series:


Arielle Lockley is the heroine of the series. Originally from the New Forest, Arielle is an only child, though she was always close to Obélix Thomas, her next-door neighbour when she was growing up. After studying at the University of Warwick, Arielle moves to London. Here she meets Piers Bramley and sets aside her dream of becoming the next Coco Chanel. Changes in her circumstances, however, see Arielle revisit that dream. The series focuses on Arielle’s transition from being a “kept” woman to a businesswoman, as well as her relationship with boyfriend, Piers.

Managing millions of pounds every day means Piers Bramley has never had to worry about money. So, if Arielle is happy spending her days shopping and going to spas, Piers is happy... until he has a major health scare and finally starts to question whether Arielle’s life should be about more than just spending his money.

Felicity Farrell is the owner of Flick’s, a boutique in Bournemouth that’s struggling. With a dramatic and colourful past – from fleeing war-torn London during the Second World War, to becoming a hippie in San Francisco – Flick, as she’s affectionately known, would do anything for her nearest and dearest. She’s also keeping a secret that’s going to send her loved ones world’s crashing down, but first she wants to do all she can to turn their lives around.
With a big passion and voice for jazz, Etta Millhouse hasn’t had the easiest childhood. Now, as an adult, she’s got two big problems: the addiction she won't admit to, and her godmother’s secret that is tearing her apart. Balancing her musical ambitions with keeping this secret sees Etta dangerously reaching for just one more pick-me-up… And then another. And then one more.

Growing up surrounded by roaming ponies in the New Forest is what influenced the broad-shouldered, red-haired Obélix Thomas to want to become a vet. Filthy-minded and funny, Ob is the best friend we’d all love to have, though that position belongs firmly to Arielle. Now, if only Ob can find someone to settle down with, like Arielle has settled down with Piers...
Owner of Tabi’s, the popular bar-cafe-club on the King’s Road, Tabitha-Rose Cuthbert-Nightingale is as posh as she sounds. A successful businesswoman from a titled family, Tabitha is hounded by the press because of her family connection and finds it hard to trust people not to sell her out... Arielle is slowly earning her trust though.


If you like the sound of the characters, the complete Arielle Lockley series is now available to buy in Kindle and paperback formats. If you’ve already read the books, let me know who your favourite character is! 



Author profile:

Elle Field writes coming of age romantic comedies, and is the author of the Arielle Lockley series and Geli Voyante's Hot or Not. She grew up in Yorkshire, then moved to Scotland to study International Relations and Social Anthropology at the University of St Andrews.

Elle now lives in London with her boyfriend and their cat. She's a massive fan of sunshine, giraffes, The Killers, Audrey Hepburn movies, playing Scrabble, musicals and tea. Oh, and reading, of course!

You can buy Elle’s books here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00CHIC1GE

Visit her website: http://www.ellefield.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellefie


Giveaway:

To celebrate the publication of Found, Elle is running a giveaway. Prizes are an Amazon voucher, paperback copies of B-Side and Found, plus two handmade necklaces from Vaux Street.




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Sunday 28 August 2016

Blood and Bone by Valentina Giambanco Blog tour


Today it is the final stop on the Blood and Bone blog tour and I will
be hosting a giveaway with thanks to the team at Quercus.



Detective Alice Madison is back in a gripping new thriller, perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Kathryn Croft and Sharon Bolton. 

After two years in the Seattle Police Department, Detective Alice Madison has finally found a peace she has never known before. When a local burglary escalates into a gruesome murder, Madison takes charge of the investigation. She finds herself tracking a killer who has haunted the city for years - and whose brutality is the stuff of myth in high security prisons. As she delves deeper into the case, Madison learns that the widow of one of the victims is being stalked - is the killer poised to strike again? As pressures mount, Madison will stop at nothing to save the next innocent victim . . . even if it means playing a killer's endgame.




Valentina Giambanco was born in Italy. After her degree in English and Drama at Goldsmiths, she worked for a classical music retailer and as a bookseller in her local bookshop. She started in films as an editor's apprentice in a 35mm cutting room and since then has worked on many award-winning UK and US pictures, from small independent projects to large studio productions. Valentina lives in London.







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Friday 26 August 2016

All Fall Down by Tom Bale


You tried to save a life. Now you’re fighting to save your own.
It’s the perfect Sunday. Summer sunshine, a barbecue with the kids. But a knock on the garden gate and two words, ‘HELP ME’, changes everything. 

When loving parents Rob and Wendy Turner let a dying man into their home, and do their best to help him, they think pure chance led him to their house. But soon their lives are threatened in ways they could never have imagined … and then the first anonymous letter arrives, forcing them to question all they know.

Someone is watching.
Someone is waiting.
They will stop at nothing.

Rob and Wendy will do anything to keep their family safe, but their children Georgia, Josh and Evan are teenagers now, with their own hidden lives.



I had never come across author Tom Bale before but when I read the synopsis for All Fall Down my interest was piqued immediately as I have always been one of these people who worry that helping people in trouble or in need although a natural instinct of mine could always result in inflicting unintentional trouble on myself so I couldn’t wait to jump in and see what happens to the Turner family.

What began as a normal Sunday family barbecue for the Turner family soon became the start of a living nightmare when a badly injured man appeared in their back garden uttering but two words “HELP ME” before he died.  

Innocent Rob and Wendy soon find that their natural instincts to help hasn’t only put them in the frame but also put their own family in danger.

The opening chapter of this book made the hairs on my arms stand to attention, Tom Bale captured my attention and equally put me on edge just from that opening chapter and from there on in I couldn’t put this book down.

The strange thing was I never warmed to any of the characters, they all seemed to have their own secrets that they were concealing and so they all had a slight shady feel to them although I was more intrigued by them rather than suspicious especially Rob and his daughter Georgia’s characters.
Rob and Wendy had hit a bump in their marriage and I was never quite sure if the dramatic events and suspicion would end up ripping them apart or bringing them back together again. Georgia was a strong troubled character who had seen and experienced more than anyone else her age should have done and it was her character who I found myself desperately routing for all the way through.

This really was an action packed pacey read that was full of vengeance, secrets and sickening games that made you keep turning those pages as there was no safe place to stop and my error was reading this before going to bed! The author has done an excellent job of weaving twists around the storyline around which I didn’t see coming.


If you are looking for a fast paced, nail biting read then All Fall Down will not disappoint, I am looking forward to going back now and reading his previous book See How They Run.




Thursday 25 August 2016

The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Darling


Once upon a time in a crumbling London bookshop, Posy Morland spent her life lost in the pages of her favourite romantic novels.

So when Bookend’s eccentric owner, Lavinia, dies and leaves the shop to Posy, she must put down her books and join the real world. Because Posy hasn’t just inherited an ailing business, but also the unwelcome attentions of Lavinia’s grandson, Sebastian, AKA The Rudest Man In London™.

Posy has a cunning plan and six months to transform Bookends into the bookshop of her dreams – if only Sebastian would leave her alone to get on with it. As Posy and her friends fight to save their beloved bookshop, Posy’s drawn into a battle of wills with Sebastian, about whom she’s started to have some rather feverish fantasies… 

 Like her favourite romantic heroines, will she get her happy ever after too?

The cover for The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Darling is a real eye catcher with the soft pastel colours used and the welcoming little bookshop on the front cover, already I wanted to dive into the storyline.

Posy Morland unexpectedly inherits the bookshop that she works in and lives above with her younger brother, but with the condition that she has two years to turn the business around to start earning a profit or Lavinia’s grandson Sebastian will take over. Desperate to turn things around so they don’t lose their home Posy hopes that her passion for romance fiction can help to breathe a new lease of life into the bookshop but will it be enough to make the business a success?

This book was a pure delight to read and had me immersed in the storyline form the first chapter and not letting my attention waver right up to the closing chapter. Posy is a character a lot of people will relate to she has faced her fair share of struggles and being left this generous opportunity that could complete change her life for the better has the reader desperately hoping that she gets her happy ever after. Posy had a passion for books that shines through the pages and her vision for what she wanted to achieve was so vivid I was excited to watch everything unveil.

I haven’t read a storyline in a long time where I was desperate to jump through the pages and play a part alongside the characters but this is exactly how I felt when reading this book and I wanted to throw my ideas in the mix to help Posy too!

Ok so the storyline was a little predictable but this didn’t matter one bit as the storyline was entertaining and immersive so it was great to watch things as they unfold. I did find the constant reference to Sebastian being “The Rudest Man in London” did start to get a little annoying before long but this was my only flaw with this book.


This is a book that will wrap you up and not let you go, a charming read full of romance and a pinch of humour too. I can’t wait to read more books by Annie Darling as she is such a wonderful storyteller. 


Saturday 20 August 2016

Wildflower Bay by Rachael Lucas


Isla's got her dream job as head stylist at the most exclusive salon in Edinburgh. The fact that she's been so single-minded in her career that she's forgotten to have a life has completely passed her by - until disaster strikes.

Out of options, she heads to the remote island of Auchenmor to help out her aunt who is in desperate need of an extra pair of scissors at her salon.

A native to the island, Finn is thirty-five and reality has just hit him hard. His best friends are about to have a baby and everything is changing. When into his life walks Isla . .


Wildflower Bay has been released in parts as e-books and I did read the first part and was looking forward to the rest of the book but I opted to wait for the complete novel as I am greedy and impatient and like to read it all in one go!

Isla has worked hard to become the head stylist at the swanky hair salon in Edinburgh but throwing herself into her career means she hasn’t actually lived her life to the full. When everything comes crumbling down around her she reluctantly heads to Auchenmor to help run her aunts salon which is worlds apart from the high end salon she is used to.

Having always worked in the hair/beauty industry, this storyline had great appeal as it was something I could relate to. I am a fan of storylines that take a business and attempt to turn them around so I really enjoyed watching Isla come up with strategic and realistic ideas.

Isla isn’t a character I warmed to immediately as she seemed like a hard career driven madam but as the storyline moves along her character starts to blossom and by the time I got to part three in the book I genuinely liked her character and I was hoping for a happy ending for her.

I did find that part 2 especially around the chapters of Lily I found my attention wavering, her character was irritating and the whole retreat part just didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the storyline  but luckily the storyline did pick up again.


There is a sweet blossoming romance and the building of new friendships which bring a comforting uplifting feel to the book along with a touch of humour and I have to admit I had a lump in the throat moment that threatened to bring on the waterworks!


Paperback              Kindle

Friday 19 August 2016

Cover Reveal


Ruby has been away at university but now she's back in Wynbridge. With Christmas around the corner, she takes on a stall at the local market, and sets about making it the best Christmas market stall ever. There'll be bunting and mistletoe and maybe even a bit of mulled wine.
But with the new out-of-town superstore just opened, the market is under threat. So together with the other stallholders, Ruby devises a plan to make sure that locals make the Christmas market their first port of call for all their Christmas present needs.
But it's hard to concentrate when she keeps bumping into her ex, Steve - and especially when she realises that her feelings for him are still there.

Join Heidi Swain for some Christmas sparkle - and see who might be under the mistletoe this year...

MINCE PIES AND MISTLETOE AT THE CHRISTMAS MARKET 
will be released on the 17th November


Paperback                    Kindle

Tuesday 16 August 2016

The Little Pieces of You and Me by Vanessa Greene


Best friends Isla and Sophie made each other a promise a long time ago: to never let life pass them by. Years later, Isla is in love, living abroad and fulfilling her dreams. But for Sophie, things haven't turned out the way she was expecting and she hasn't achieved any of the things she and Isla talked about.

And then, in one sudden moment, life irrevocably changes for both women. Isla and Sophie have hard decisions to make but above all else they must face up to the uncertainty that lies ahead.

It's only when they realise that this is easier together, two friends standing side by side, that each woman can embrace whatever the future holds for them.


The traditional tea cup covers that we have come to associate with Vanessa Greene’s novels are nowhere to be seen on the cover of her latest release The Little Pieces of You and Me but actually I love the new look it gets a bug thumbs up from me. I was just hoping the storyline would be as comforting as her previous books.

Best friends Isla and Sophie still have a strong bond even though their lives have taken them in different directions. When thoughts turn back to the to do lists they both made years ago Isla is eager to complete her list but in life you can’t always plan ahead as you don’t know what is around the corner.

This was a heartfelt plot with a strong believable friendship at the core. Isla and Sophie were such well-developed characters and the supportive and natural connection was felt through the pages. They are everything that true friends should be a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen when you’re not around and someone to encourage you and put a smile on your face when you are at a major low.

The girls individual lives and troubles are weaved perfectly together in this book and I loved both of their character equally. The author tackles some sensitive and challenging issues in this book but she delivers them with such detail and compassion. This is one of those books that really gets you thinking that life is too short and you should grab every opportunity that comes your way and enjoy every second. I didn’t find it a “Debbie downer” book I actually found it quite an uplifting and yet thought provoking read.

In true Vanessa Greene form the storyline is a comforting one with loveable characters and a sprinkling of romance too and yet the friendship is what shone through in this book. I read this book in one greedy swoop and I was not disappointed.



Paperback              Kindle

Monday 15 August 2016

The Secret by Kathryn Hughes

Mary has been nursing a secret. Forty years ago, she made a choice that would change her world for ever, and alter the path of someone she holds dear.

Beth is searching for answers. She has never known the truth about her parentage, but finding out could be the lifeline her sick child so desperately needs. When Beth finds a faded newspaper cutting amongst her mother's things, she realises the key to her son's future lies in her own past. She must go back to where it all began to unlock...The Secret.


I hadn’t come across author Kathryn Hughes before, but I won a copy of her latest release The Secret and the synopsis immediately had me intrigued so I wasted no time in getting started.

Beth is desperate to find out who her father is and time is of the essence as her son Jake is very ill and finding her father could be the life line they all need but her mother has passed away and never would reveal any information about her father.

When Beth uncovers a letter amongst her mother’s belongings she soon learns that there have been secrets kept for many years and her and her husband are determined to uncover the truth.

The authors writing style pulled me in right from the first page and the flow of her writing kept me turning those pages eager to piece together all the clues. Although at the beginning of the book we meet a number of different characters I didn’t struggle with getting to grips with who was who because they were all well developed and engaging characters who were all likeable even if some of their actions were unjust.

The plot was a heart-warming one at the focal point we have the adorable little Jake who is poorly and his parents desperate to save his life but in doing so they never expected the secrets they would uncover. The storyline also jumps back to 1976 where we meet a big group of characters and I really enjoyed this part of the book.

The storyline was full of hidden secrets and tragic events which I found greatly moving because I had warmed to the characters so much but the book wasn’t a depressive read thanks to the characters who all brought there bit of light to the plot.


I really enjoyed this book and the authors writing style made this such an effortless read as her writing sweeps us away with the storyline, so I cannot wait to go to town this weekend and pick up a copy of her debut The Letter.

Kindle                    Paperback

Thursday 11 August 2016

Late Summer in the Vineyard by Jo Thomas

Emmy Bridges has always looked out for others. Now it's time to put down roots of her own.
Working for a wine-maker in France is the opportunity of a lifetime for Emmy. Even if she doesn't know a thing about wine - beyond what's on offer at the local supermarket.
There's plenty to get to grips with in the rustic town of Petit Frère. Emmy's new work friends need more than a little winning over. Then there's her infuriatingly brash tutor, Isaac, and the enigmatic Madame Beaumont, tucked away in her vineyard of secrets.
But Emmy will soon realise that in life - just as in wine-making - the best things happen when you let go and trust your instincts. Particularly when there's romance in the air...

Jo Thomas is an author who whisks us away to such idyllic locations and in her latest release Late Summer in the Vineyard we enjoy an escape to the South-West of France. Our heroine Emmy finds herself in a desperate situation, she is about to lose the house she lives in with her father and with her job hanging on by a thread she needs to get some money together fast. In the right place at the right time Emmy is given a life line, a chance to prove herself and earn big she will learn about wine ready to sell to the supermarkets when she gets home.

Emmy is well out of her comfort zone but she embraces the challenge that is thrown at her, more from her loving and caring nature of helping others than the career drive of her competitors. Spending time on a traditional working Vineyard soon see’s Emmy blossom as a character as she learns how the wine is produced and she begins to trust her own judgement and actually finds something she is rather good at.

There is a love triangle too involving Isaac and Charlie that has us guessing early on in the book what way things would go but I have to say by half way through I was sure I knew which path Emmy would take but I didn’t mind the predictability of it I was happy to watch things pan out.

I warmed to Emmy from the start of the book but I also loved a lot of the supporting characters too from the wise and guarded Madame Beaumont to the free- spirited Isaac, they all brought their own little something to the storyline.

Yet again the author has quite clearly thoroughly researched the development of wine and this comes across in great detail in the book, it is not something that has ever interested me but having read the book I would love to visit a vineyard and watch the process in action.

This is perfect Summer holiday reading with a glass of wine to keep you company, it didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as her previous books but it is still one I would gladly recommend, it is an uplifting and insightful read full of romance a splash of humour and a journey of self-discovery.


Paperback              Kindle

Tuesday 9 August 2016

The Moment She Left by Susan Lewis


Today it is my stop on the blog tour for The Moment She Left.
Welcome to Rea Book Reviews Susan ....

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? 
If you want to be a producer you'd better write.  I was working in TV drama and this was what I was told to get me out of the Controller's office!  I took him at his word and the rest, as they say, is history. 

If you had a superpower, what would it be? 
If I had a superpower I'd rescue all the children and animals being subjected to cruelty.    

What literary character is most like you?  
Definitely Emma from Jane Austen’s wonderful novel. 

If you were stranded on a desert island what song would you choose to listen to, which book would you take and what luxury item would you pack? 
That’s a hard one. Song choice would have to be Just My Imagination by the Temptations. Book choice… How to Survive on a Desert Island by anyone who’s been thoughtful enough to write such a useful guide. Luxury item: A double-ended stick with a toothbrush at one end and a knife at the other…I could give Bear Grylls a sure run for his money!  

The Moment She Left is out NOW!


Kesterly-on-Sea is full of secrets.
Some are darker than others; many are shameful. One is even deadly.  Andee is an ex-detective whose marriage is breaking up. So when a young female student disappears without trace, she throws herself into the search. Meanwhile, the town’s beloved Rowzee Cayne has just discovered that she is terminally ill, and doesn’t want to burden her family and friends with the news.

Andee and Rowzee don't know it yet, but their journeys are going to help them uncover a secret. One that is going to affect them more than they could ever imagine.

Although I had heard of Susan Lewis I had never read any of her books mainly for the fact she has written so many that I didn't know where to start, but then I was offered a chance to read and review her latest release The Moment She Left and I was looking forward to discovering for myself what her books have to offer.

The storyline focuses on a large number of characters and I did find it took me a while to get to grips with who was who and what connection they had with the other characters. When Jessica goes missing with no trace leaving even the investigating officers baffled her family try with great difficulty to move on with their lives but the not knowing is tearing the family apart so they enlist the help of Andee who is an ex-detective to try and dig deeper. In the same town dear Rowzee has just discovered that she is terminally ill but she doesn't wish for her family to know. All the characters storylines gradually intertwine bring the storyline to a well rounded end.

I was really intrigued to find out how Jessica could literally just disappear without a trace and I never quite new if she was going to be found dead or alive or if she would even be found at all. I also loved Rowzee she was such a beloved older lady who was very caring and wise if somewhat rather stubborn too and her storyline had a very realistic feel to it 

The one thing that was missing for me though was the emotive writing style, I had no empathy for any of the characters which I feel was strange considering the different difficult and heartbreaking scenarios that the characters faced in the book, I am usually quite an emotive person and would find these situations would typically bring a lump to my throat or a tear to my eye but although I was hooked on the storyline it didn't bring any emotion out of me.

I am pleased that I have now tried one of this author books and I would like to pick up another now to see how they compare.


Hardback                Kindle

Monday 8 August 2016

Down on Daffodil Lane by Rebecca Pugh


Author Bio: 
Rebecca Pugh grew up in the green county of Shropshire. Not an immediate reader, it took her a while to find her way towards the wonderful fictional words hidden between the pages of books. Ever since, she’s fallen under the spell of countless authors and the tales they've weaved. Her favourite authors include Jill Mansell, Cathy Bramley, Sarah Morgan and Holly Martin, to name but a few. She loves nothing more than tapping away at the keyboard, taking her characters from imagination to page and, when that isn’t the case, she adores curling up with a good book.  Rebecca is a fan of fairy tale romances that sweep you off your feet, dashing heroes and strong, lovable heroines. She can’t make up her mind whether she prefers a countryside escape, or a love story set in bustling New York. Either way, she’s more than happy to disappear into both.  When it comes to her own writing, Rebecca aims to whisk readers away to desirable locations, where they can meet characters who, she hopes, will begin to feel like friends. With a dash of romance here, and a shake-up of things there, she loves dreaming up stories and watching them come to life 
Image 
Blurb: 
A charmed life… 
Maria Charm’s world might have recently crumbled, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to let it get her down. 
Sure, her ex-husband broke her heart and decimated her trust, and while it would be so tempting to spend forever in her dressing gown, a tub of ice-cream in one hand and a glass of Chardonnay in the other, Maria wants more from her new—single—life! 
make over of her lovely little cottage on Daffodil Lane and a new job at Harriet’s café are just the distractions Maria needs to carve a new life in the country. One distraction she doesn’t need is Mr Tall, Brooding and Handsome from down the lane! 'Maria may only be in town temporarily, but there's nothing temporary about the tingles she feels at gorgeous Brad's touch… 
After everything she’s been through, can Maria ever trust a man again? Could risking her heart with Brad lead to a charmed life on Daffodil Lane? 

Find out in Rebecca Pugh’s dazzling novel,Down on Daffodil Lane! 

You can purchase your copy on the link below 

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