Friday 24 March 2017

The Escape by C.L Taylor

When a stranger asks Jo Blackmore for a lift she says yes, then swiftly wishes she hadn't.
The stranger knows Jo's name, she knows her husband Max and she's got a glove belonging to Jo's two year old daughter Elise.
What begins with a subtle threat swiftly turns into a nightmare as the police, social services and even Jo's own husband turn against her.
No one believes that Elise is in danger. But Jo knows there's only one way to keep her child safe – RUN.

I have been a huge fan of C.L Taylor her books have always kept me on edge and in complete suspense all the way through so I have been eagerly awaiting the release of The Escape to see what the author has lined up for us next.

When Jo Blackmore finishes work to go and collect her daughter Elise from nursery she is approached by a woman asking for a lift and as she gets into Jo’s car it soon becomes clear that this woman is about to shatter Jo’s world when she makes a threat to Elise’s safety unless Jo gets her husband to return what he has stolen from the woman. As the days go on it becomes apparent that it wasn’t an empty threat and she fears for her daughters safety but will anyone believe Jo or will it just be put down to her mental health issues.

The opening chapter pulled me in immediately and I felt that familiar sinister feel to the authors storylines that I have come to know and love. Interestingly I didn’t warm to Jo and I can’t quite put my finger on the reason why other than possibly because there was a little part of me that didn’t quite trust her. The storyline had me hooked the whole way through and I found myself picking the book up at every spare moment eager to see what was going to happen next.
The only reason I am giving this book a 4 star and not a 5 is that I worked out very early on who I could and could not trust so I didn’t have that constant suspicion that I usually have in this authors books but I still enjoyed watching events unfold but there was still that part of me hoping that my instincts were about to be proven wrong. 

This is another gripping fast paced read by C.L Taylor that will have readers hooked from the first page.

Kindle                     Paperback

Thursday 23 March 2017

Gone Without a Trace by Mary Torjussen

No one ever disappears completely...
You leave for work one morning.
Another day in your normal life.
Until you come home to discover that your boyfriend has gone.
His belongings have disappeared.
He hasn't been at work for weeks.
It's as if he never existed.
But that's not possible, is it?
And there is worse still to come.
Because just as you are searching for him
someone is also watching you.


When Gone Without a Trace by Mary Torjussen was recommended to me I was so intrigued by the premise of this book that I abandoned my current read and started this book immediately and I wasn’t disappointed.
When Hannah arrives home from work with exciting news she cannot wait to share with her partner Matt but as soon as she enters their home she knows something is amiss.
Matt has gone…..

Not only has Matt left but there is no trace that he was ever there, all his belongings have gone even the new TV and in its place sits her old tv from before they were together. It is clear he has erased himself from every part of her life even removing his number from her phone. Hannah has no idea where Matt has gone or why but she is determined to find out.

This book manages to grab your attention instantly from that first chapter. So many thoughts were going through my mind as to what could have happened to make Matt leave and the reason for his bizarre actions of putting everything back to the way it was before they met. I have read numerous amount of books where a partner leaves unexpectedly but it was the way that he went to the effort of completely removing himself without a trace that played on my mind and had me intrigued.

The storyline did dip a little in the middle part of the book and I did reach a point where I thought it was predictable and obvious who was involved but then the storyline dramatically changes and all though my suspicion was confirmed it was only a drop in the ocean to what was finally revealed. I couldn’t read the last few chapters fast enough, I was so eager to see what was going to happen next.
This was a fantastic, gripping and mind boggling storyline that I thoroughly enjoyed and would encourage you all to read.


Paperback              Kindle

Monday 20 March 2017

The Little Teashop of Lost and Found by Trisha Ashley


Today it is my stop on The Little Teashop of Lost and Found Blog Tour and I am sharing my review of this book with you and all I can say is this is by far my favourite book by Trisha Ashley.





Alice Rose is a foundling, discovered on the Yorkshire moors above Haworth as a baby. Adopted but then later rejected again by a horrid step-mother, Alice struggles to find a place where she belongs. Only baking – the scent of cinnamon and citrus and the feel of butter and flour between her fingers – brings a comforting sense of home. So it seems natural that when she finally decides to return to Haworth, Alice turns to baking again, taking over a run-down little teashop and working to set up an afternoon tea emporium. Luckily she soon makes friends – including a Grecian god-like neighbour – who help her both set up home and try to solve the mystery of who she is. There are one or two last twists in the dark fairytale of Alice’s life to come . . . but can she find her happily ever after?



The Little Teashop of Lost and Found was the perfect book to come along at the right time. Feeling my reading mojo slipping away I needed something to read that would sweep me up and lose me in a bright cosy setting with an uplifting plot and that is exactly what I found with this book.

Alice Rose has never felt grounded, she has lost loved ones along the way and with the knowledge that she was left on the Yorkshire Moors as a baby merely hours old she has a yearning to get to the bottom of who her real parents are to see if she can find a sense of belonging and finally settle down and plant her roots. Taking a big risk she decides to open her own Afternoon Tea Emporium whilst she is back in Haworth but is she taking on too much and will she feel the need to move on once again?

I loved how at the end of each chapter we hear from the person who had an involvement in Alice being left on the Moors so we get to build a picture from the snippets we are told about as to what happened. Alice is a very strong and determined woman who is not afraid of hard work often taking on too many things at once but she throws herself into everything wholeheartedly so she is an easy character love and one you really hope finds her happy ending.

I loved the Giddingses, this family were so loving and welcoming they were so supportive to Alice and they are a great addition to this wonderful novel. The romance that slowly blossoms in the book was one that I was championing from the sidelines, I wanted someone to come and sweep Alice of her feet and love her for who she is and appreciate all she has had to face.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book and this is my favourite book by Trisha Ashley, this is definitely a book I would recommend.




Hardback                Kindle

Friday 10 March 2017

The Queen of Wishful Thinking by Milly Johnson


When Lewis Harley has a health scare in his early forties, he takes it as a wake-up call. So he and his wife Charlotte leave behind life in the fast lane and Lewis opens the antique shop he has dreamed of. Bonnie Brookland was brought up in the antiques trade and now works for the man who bought out her father’s business, but she isn’t happy there. So when she walks into Lew’s shop, she knows this is the place for her. 

As Bonnie and Lew start to work together, they soon realise that there is more to their relationship than either thought. But Bonnie is trapped in an unhappy marriage, and Lew and Charlotte have more problems than they care to admit. Each has secrets in their past which are about to be uncovered. 

Can they find the happiness they both deserve?


One of my all time favourite books is The Teashop on the Corner by Milly Johnson, it is one of the few books I haven't dared to lend to friends in case the spine breaks or it fails to return! As much as I have loved Milly Johnson's other wonderful books none of them have come close to capturing my heart like The Teashop on the Corner until I read her new release The Queen of Wishful Thinking.

When Bonnie is sacked from her job she wastes no time finding a new job as she walks into the Pot of Gold antiques shop owned by Lewis Harley. Bonnie and Lewis have a real eye and passion for antiques and together they could make a real success of The Pot of Gold, it soon becomes their haven to escape from their own marriages which are anything but a success.

We return to Spring Hill Square where The Pot of Gold sits next to The Teashop on the Corner and just like in that book the community spirit is still plentiful in this book and the friendliness and warmth of the supporting characters is something I love.

Troubled relationships for both Bonnie and Lew feature heavily in this book and especially from Bonnie's marriage there were alarm bells ringing and all I hoped for was for her to find her inner strength and take the support from her friends to make the move to put herself first. Although her story casts a dark shade across the book the joy and light is balanced out with the comings and going in the shop to give a great balance to the storyline.

Bonnie and Lew were both such strong and lovable characters who I wasn't ready to leave behind at the end of this book so I really hope Milly Johnson feels the same and will revisit them in anther of her books in the future.

Fans of Milly Johnson will adore this book and any new readers will find themselves immersed in this authors wonderful storytelling.


Kindle                    Hardback

Friday 3 March 2017

Before the Rains by Dinah Jefferies


Today the Before the Rains Blog Tour stops here at Rea's Book Reviews where I am thrilled to be able to finally share with you my review for this flawless and captivating read.



1930, Rajputana, India. Since her husband's death, 28-year-old photojournalist Eliza's only companion has been her camera. When the British Government send her to an Indian princely state to photograph the royal family, she's determined to make a name for herself. But when Eliza arrives at the palace she meets Jay, the Prince's handsome, brooding brother. While Eliza awakens Jay to the poverty of his people, he awakens her to the injustices of British rule. Soon Jay and Eliza find they have more in common than they think. But their families - and society - think otherwise. Eventually they will have to make a choice between doing what's expected, or following their hearts. . .

Dinah Jefferies is such a talented author whose books always leaves a lasting impression on me and leaves me bereft at the end of each book and her latest book Before the Rains was no exception.
The book is set back in 1930 in India and author Dinah Jefferies has brought Juraipore to life with her exquisite and vivid writing style, I could picture the great array of vibrant colours, the impressionable grand palace the whole setting was just described in such wonderful detail.

Eliza is our heroine who has returned to India after the death of her husband and now a keen photographer she is sent by the British Government to capture pictures of the royal family and she sees this as an exciting opportunity to really use her passion and make people aware of her talent.
When Eliza meets the devastatingly handsome Jay who is brother to the Prince they soon find they have a special bond and enjoy each other’s company but with Eliza being a British widow she will not be accepted in the Royal Family.

This was another flawless read by Dinah Jefferies that had me engrossed from the very first chapter when we meet Eliza as a child living in India in a very tragic opening chapter.

The beautiful romance that develops between Eliza and Jay was so endearing and I longed for them to find a way to have their happy ever after but it also showed that different cultures have different ideas and beliefs that put love on a back seat compared to your duty.

It was very clear to see that the author had done a lot of research for this book and has evidently spent some time in India soaking up the sights and the culture and pouring every last detail into this book. This brought such depth and realism to the storyline which helped to make this such a captivating read.

I feel like a broken record when I write a review for Dinah’s books because they are always such beautiful storylines that gives such wonderful insight and they never disappoint so I can never find any criticism which is why I find myself constantly recommending her books and longing for her next release.



Hardback                  Kindle
SITE DESIGNED BY PRETTYWILDTHINGS