Tag: RATED 5/5

Fox Hunter by Zoe Sharp (Charlie Fox #12)

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Synopsis: ‘The dead man had not gone quietly … There was a time when I would have given everything I owned to be the one responsible for that.’

Charlie Fox will never forget the men who put a brutal end to her military career, but she vowed a long time ago she would not go looking for them.

Now she doesn’t have a choice.

Her boss and former lover, Sean Meyer, is missing in Iraq where one of those men was working as a private security contractor. When the man’s butchered body is discovered, Charlie fears that Sean may be pursuing a twisted vendetta on her behalf.

Sean’s partner in their exclusive New York close-protection agency needs this dealt with—fast and quiet—before everything they’ve worked for is in ruins. He sends Charlie to the Middle East with very specific instructions:

Find Sean Meyer and stop him. By whatever means necessary.

At one time Charlie thought she knew Sean better than she knew herself, but it seems he’s turned into a violent stranger. As the trail grows more bloody, Charlie realises that unless she can get to Sean first, the hunter may soon become the hunted.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: So after a particularly lengthy wait for most between the last Charlie Fox book and this one we finally see book 12. Having been on a recent Fox binge I was fully up to date with the series and ready to go with the latest, and thankfully it was as good as I had hoped. However, yeah, I know it’s just a fancy but, I am unsure how I feel having finished the book. I read it in two sittings and just one day and it was certainly the typical pacey and adrenaline packed type of book you would expect. The ending has left me somewhat curious, is this the end for Charlie? Or is this the opener for a totally new path for her? I still don’t know whether I can answer that but I would love to see the latter as I am a huge fan of this series.

This latest bout sees Charlie running after Sean in Iraq to try and get to the bottom of his alleged vendetta. The Iraq setting makes for a much more high-octane setting than usual and as such it feels like a much edgier book. There is also an element of the characters feeling altogether more sinister and I include Charlie in that. Charlie’s life has never been easy but this latest trip seems to be pushing her almost over the edge. I liked the addition of Luisa Dawson and thought her and Charlie made a good pairing. There was also the long-awaited back story featuring Charlie and her past assault. I won’t go in to too much detail for fear of spoilers but hence to say it was in my mind a very satisfying conclusion to this element of the story.

This has been a fantastic series and although I’m not sure whether this is the end, if we do see the return of Charlie (which I sincerely hope we will) then there are all kinds of possibilities that lie ahead. I felt like this was so much better than some of her previous books just because it had that danger element with the characters and it makes you feel as the reader you never quite know if the good guys will remain that way. An absolute corker of a read and one that was well worth waiting for.

Single For The Summer by Mandy Baggott

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Synopsis: Tess Parks has made up her mind: love isn’t for her.

When it comes to dating she has one rule: after six weeks with a guy, she ends it. So when her heartbroken best friend invites her for a girly getaway in Corfu, Tess is sure she can stick to their pact to stay single for the summer.

But then she meets the gorgeous restaurateur Andras…

To keep his overbearing mother off his back, Tess agrees to pretend to date him. But as the two spend time together, Tess begins to realise that this fake relationship is starting to feel like the best one she’s ever had…

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I have to say I have a bit of a girl fan thing going on with Mandy Baggot. Her books are like the best chocolate on a miserable day, no matter what…it never fails to cheer you up. I have read a few MB books now and they just seem to cheer me up immensely, I always know I am going to get a fantastic book that will have me smiling and laughing from one page to the next. Thankfully her magic has not faded one bit. This latest book is the absolute PERFECT anecdote to our miserably pathetic ‘summer’ evenings we are meant to be having.

Tess Parks is front and centre in this latest book and is strictly a 6 week maximum serial-dater. I fell head over heels in love with this loud, funny yet sensitive woman who is an absolutely hilarious serial dater. When her latest BF pops the question over dinner she goes into meltdown. Her friend Sonya is also having a hard time and is ‘on a break’ from her boyfriend Joey. When Sonya suggests some R&R in Corfu the two girls head off with the plan of drinking in the sun and forgetting all their troubles.

For the girls, what they didn’t plan on was running into a gorgeous Greek restaurant owner Andras and his overbearing Mother. Andras needs a fake girlfriend to get his Mother off his back and before they know it, they are dragged into a crazy week which had me tittering along with every additional part of the story. Mandy Baggot has created the perfect read, full of characters that you can’t help but love (even Andras overbearing Mother), tortoises that won’t stay in their home and all sorts of weird and wonderful other things.

This book was a sheer joy to read and I just loved how beautiful Corfu sounded, it actually made me want to hop on a plane for a weeks R&R myself. I read the book in one day over two sittings and loved it from start to finish. Having been having an absolutely rubbish day, Mandy Baggot single-handedly sent me to bed feeling a lot more happy than I was when I woke up. A pleasure to read and I will make sure that her newest releases always make their way to the top of my to read list now!

Bed and Breakfast on The Beach by Kat French

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Synopsis: A Greek island solves all life’s problems…doesn’t it?

Winnie, Stella and Frankie have been best friends forever.

When their lives unexpectedly unravel, they spontaneously decide to buy a gorgeous B&B on a remote Greek island. Drenched in hot sun, Villa Valentina is the perfect escape from reality. But when Winnie meets Jesse, their brooding neighbour, she finds that Greece is full of its own complications – not least how attractive he is…

Meanwhile, Frankie and Stella are discovering that Villa Valentina has its own secrets – starting with the large supply of gin in the cellar and the arrival of a famous rock band. A band with one very good-looking member who just might distract Frankie from thoughts of her husband…

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: So Kat French (or Kitty French if reading her other books) has very quickly become a firm favourite of mine. Her books are endless buckets of fun and I was really looking forward to this latest one. To be fair when I started reading it I wondered what on earth was going on?  A couple of chapters and we already had three women with a whole new adventure ahead of them? Where was the explanation and the background? Well, you see this is where the delectable Kat French comes into her own. She doesn’t need all that because what she does is then slowly reveal each character and the reasons for how they got to the beautiful island of Skelidos.

Villa Valentina on the sun soaked Greek Island starts out as a holiday destination, but somehow ends up with them being the new owners of the B&B. What they don’t realise is that by taking a leap of faith and starting a new adventure, it would also bring with it some added extras which they weren’t quite prepared for! Stella, Frankie and Winnie have been friends since childhood, so the fact they start a whole new adventure and business together comes as no big surprise. I think in my eyes Winnie seemed to be more of a central character with Frankie and Stella playing more of a backseat. However as the story progresses each of the three women take their own journey and we go along for the ride.

With donkeys named The Fonz, a secret distillery in the cellar, pop stars turning up just to name a few this story is packed to the rafters with fun, frolics and romance. I loved the additional male characters in the book especially Jesse their moody neighbour. I read this in a day and a half and just two sittings and it was a glorious read. This book was pure delight from start to finish and it had everything you could possibly want in a book like this. There were one liners that made me laugh out loud, ridiculously funny situations, romantic ones, terrible ones…you name it, it was there. Another outstanding read that I would definitely pick up for any upcoming travels you may have

A Daughters Courage by Renita D’Silva

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Synopsis: 1929. When a passionate love affair threatens to leave Lucy in disgrace, she chooses a respectable marriage over a life of shame. With her husband, coffee plantation owner James, she travels to her new home in India, leaving her troubled past behind her. 

Everything in India is new to Lucy, from the jewel-coloured fabrics to the exotic spices. When her path crosses that of Gowri, a young woman who tends the temple on the plantation’s edge, Lucy is curious to find out more about her, and the events that lead her to live in isolation from her family… 

Now. With her career in shatters and her heart broken by the man she thought was her future, Kayva flees from bustling Mumbai to her hometown. A crumbling temple has been discovered in a village nearby, and with it letters detailing its tragic history – desperate pleas from a young woman called Gowri. 

As Kavya learns of Gowri and Lucy’s painful story, she begins to understand the terrible sacrifices that were made and the decision the two women took that changed their lives forever. Can the secrets of the past help Kavya to rebuild her life? 

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I confess that before I had read Renita’s work I was always a little put off. I don’t know why but the synopsis always seemed a little too ‘not my thing’. However, after reading the first book by her I was smitten. I always love it when an author and their book surprises me. Since then I have goine on to read and loved her tales, because that what they are. Cleverly woven stories which literally take you on a journey. When I saw she has a new book out I have to admit I was apprehensive. When you fall in love with an author and their work, I always get a little bit scared that their following books won’t live up to my expectations. Thankfully I was wrong and this book swept me away as much as her others have, if not more.

I confess when the synopsis indicated we would be reading about Lucy and Gowri in the 1920’s my heart sunk a little. I have never been big on historical settings however by the time I had finished the book I was literally blown away. This story is tragic, emotional and so compelling I literally didn’t want to put it down, something I never thought I would say when it comes to historical stories.

Lucy lives in England and Gowri in India. Their lives could not be further apart and their stories end up being completely interweaved in a tale that swept me away to tyhe wilds of India. Gowri is a young woman who was given as a Devadasi when she was a young girl. Upon finishing this book I googled and read a lot more about this sad and sorry tradition where young girls become a servant of God and essentially nothing more than a mans toy. My heart wept for Gowri but the story was told with such passion and heart that I didn’t just imagine this story, but felt like I was right there with her. On the opposite side of the world Lucy is an entitled young British woman who seems to have it all. Her story takes a turn when she makes a huge mistake in her life which leads her into the arms of James, a young eligible Bachelor who owns a plantation in India.

In addition to Lusy and Gowri we meet Kavya who is living in the present day and who has had to make the decision to return to her village after failings in her personal life. We also briefly meet Sue, a widow who is working through the grief of lsoing her husband whilst recently discovering she was pregnant. Although Gowri and Lucy stole the show for me, both Kavya and Sue were pivotal to the story towards the end. The book started a little slower than her usual books but with perfectly good reason. The background is all important as these girls lives are laid out before us.

This book was a sheer joy to read and I am putting myself out on a limb by saying this is the best book I have read in this genre this year. Please do not make assukmptions like I once did by either teh synopsis, or cover not being the style you would read. This is true storytelling at it’s best and transporting you to another time and another world. One that had me absorbed to the end. A truly outstanding book that I hugely reccomend to everybody. This is by far the best work Renita D’Silva has written and a book that I absolutely LOVED!

Ella’s Ice Cream Summer by Sue Watson

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Synopsis: Ella’s life just hit rock-bottom, but can a summer by the sea mend her broken heart? When life gives you lemons… make ice-cream!

Life hasn’t always been easy for single mum Ella, but she has just hit an all-time low; she’s jobless, loveless, very nearly homeless and, to make matters worse, now the owner of a pocket-sized pooch with a better wardrobe than her.

Packing her bags (and a bigger one for the dog), Ella sets off for the seaside town of Appledore in Devon to re-live the magical summers of her youth and claim her portion of the family ice-cream business: a clapped-out ice-cream van and a complicated mess of secrets.

There she meets gorgeous and free-spirited solicitor, Ben, who sees things differently: with a little bit of TLC he has a plan to get the van – and Ella – back up and running in no time.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I have been a huge Sue Watson fan for a long time now and once I had finished reading this book I actually pondered over exactly what it is about her books that make them so special. It comes down to the fundamentals, which for me is the characters. Yes she has amazing ability as a storyteller and creates wonderful tales that will keep you entertained, but what does she do differently that others maybe don’t? Characters….that’s what! All of Sue’s books have a wonderful laugh out loud quality to them but most of this is instilled in each character and none more so than this latest book Ella’s Ice Cream.

Ella is feeling like her life has stalled. She has two children ready to fly the nest on gap years and a seventy something Mother who seems more at ease with technology than she could ever be. Then there is the smarmy ex-husband Dick who is currently shacked up in Spain with his boss. When Ella discovers that her aunt has left her a share of her Ice Cream business down in Appledore she is taken aback. Appledore is a place that holds fond memories for her as a child, however a family rift stops her from delving too far into the past. Ella takes the bull by the horns and makes her way to Appledore against her Mothers wishes.

As much as I adored Ella, the star of the show for me was her mother Roberta! I literally fell in love with the Mother who is obsessed with Mob Wives and sexting! With Italian roots, some of the scenes that I read involving Roberta had me laughing out loud. I could literally picture some of the scenes unravelling in front of my very eyes and I felt like I was sitting on the beach at Appledore observing this crazily lovable family. The fact that there is another book coming made me jump for joy and I cannot wait to get started on it.

This book is an absolute corker and a joy to read from start to finish. Sue Watson has produced a wonderful book that I think everybody would enjoy. I cannot recommend this author highly enough and think that more people need to discover the pure joy of her books. An outstanding book that is an absolute must for your Summer Holidays!

A Baby At The Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond

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A Baby at the Beach Cafe is an engaging short story follow-up to Lucy Diamond’s bestselling novel The Beach Cafe.

Evie loves running her beach cafe in Cornwall but with a baby on the way, she’s been told to put her feet up. Let someone else take over? Not likely.

Helen’s come to Cornwall to escape the stress of city living. She hopes a seaside life will be the answer to all her dreams. When she sees a job advertised at the cafe it sounds perfect.

But the two women clash and sparks fly. . . and then events take a dramatic turn. Can the pair of them put aside their differences in a crisis?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review:  I adore Lucy Diamond’s books and was shocked when I realised I had missed this little nugget. I thoroughly enjoyed the Beach Cafe books and was excited to read a little more about Evie and her husband Ed. At only 145 pages it’s certainly a short story and I read it in one sitting but it was so nice to be back with the characters. Evie is now heavily pregnant and her husband Ed decides they have to employ a new Cafe Manager for when Evie goes on Maternity leave.

With the Beach Cafe being Evie’s baby she is reluctant to allow anyone else to run her perfect little business. When Helen escapes city life by moving down to Cornwall she hadn’t planned on working but the opportunity presented itself and both her and Evie are not keen on each other for various reasons. Although Helen could be abrasive as a reader you knew why and actually it was such a lovely story I almost thought it was a shame when it ended as I would have loved to have known more about Helen.

If you haven’t read any of Lucy Diamonds books you are missing out. The books of hers I have read to date have been nothing but delightful and the Beach Cafe books are amazing. Definitely a recommended author.

BLOG TOUR: Sleep Tight by Caroline Mitchell (Ruby Preston #2)

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Synopsis: A killer stalks the streets of East London. All over the area, murdered young women are discovered, their bodies posed into disturbing recreations of fairy tale princesses.

Detective Ruby Preston is determined to hunt down the murderer who is using the women to realise his dark fantasies. But when body parts are found at the home of her lover, Nathan Crosby, Ruby is torn between her job and her heart. 

Convinced that he is being framed, Ruby must catch the killer before Nathan becomes the number one suspect. But as more victims are found, it becomes harder to prove his innocence.

As Ruby starts to close in on the twisted individual, can she stop him before he strikes again? And how well does she really know the man she loves?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “BLOG TOUR: Sleep Tight by Caroline Mitchell (Ruby Preston #2)”

Mystery at Maplemead Castle by Kitty French (Chapelwick #2)

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Synopsis: Maplemead Castle is crawling with ghosts, and the new owners need them gone. When Melody Bittersweet and the Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency arrive on scene, they quickly identify the troublemakers swinging from the chandeliers… literally.

A century ago, stunning trapeze artist Britannia Lovell plunged to her death, and has done every night since. But did she really just fall, or was there something more to her demise?

Forced to work with Leo Dark, her scoundrel ex, and infuriating, irresistible reporter Fletcher Gunn, Melody’s investigative powers are under strain (i.e. lost in a pink mist of lust and confusion). She needs her team on top form, but best friend Marina’s cake pipeline goes AWOL, assistant Artie’s distracted by a giant sausage roll, and the pug is scared witless by a lion.

Somewhere, hidden in the castle, is a heart-breaking secret, but what will it take to find it? And is there a chance it could set Britannia free, or is she doomed to repeat her last fateful act forever?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I am absolutely besotted with this trio and would happily read on and on! I read the first instalment and absolutely loved it so was thrilled to be able to move straight onto book 2. Melody sees dead people (literally) and has decided to move away from the family business (both her mother and Gran see dead people too) and has set up her very own ghost busting agency. Now don’t get me wrong I know that this sounds ridiculous and I for one would (previous to the first book) be rolling my eyes. I couldn’t have been more wrong and instead have fallen hook line and sinker for these wonderful characters.

Melody’s agency consist of Marina, the fiery Sicilian, the shy but wonderfully direct Artie as well as Lestat the one eared pug! They find themselves called to Maplemead Castle as it appears to be crawling with ghosts. The new owners call them in and within the first ten minutes at the castle all sorts has happened including the appearance of trapeze artist Britannia Lovell who has been dead for a century and a very funny incident with a dead ringmaster and his lion. It sounds barmy, and it IS barmy but it also an enticingly funny read that will leave the majority laughing out loud.

The addition of Melody’s ex-boyfriend Leo as well as reported Fletcher Gunn (also Melody’s enemy as well as secret desire) makes the story a whole lot more interesting and get Melody and the team into a whole heap of ridiculous and unsavoury situations. I wish we had seen more of Melodys Mum and Gran who are both a rule unto themselves and are exceptional characters who I love.

The one liners, the crazy situations and the skills from this author have created another stonkingly good book. I am totally girl fanning over Kitty French and am absolutely delighted to have read this series, I am just crossing my fingers and hoping the next one is just as good. If you wan’t something different that will cheer you up no end, make you laugh, and keep you utterly entertained from the very first to the very last page, then look no further! 

Raw Wounds by Matt Hilton (Grey and Po #3)

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Synopsis: Tess Grey and Nicolas Po Villere return to Louisiana to confront Po’s tormented past. Ex-con Nicolas Po Villere has no love for the mother who abandoned him as a child. Yet when she asks to see him on her deathbed, he returns home to Louisiana with his partner Tess Grey to try to reconcile their troubled past.

But Po is not prepared for the news his mother gives him: that he is not the last of the Villere family line. He has a younger sister, Emilia, whom he’s never met. But Emilia is missing, and Tess and Po must track her down before it s too late.  Tess and Po aren’t the only ones looking for Emilia. As they are to discover, Emilia has disappeared for a very good reason and if Po has any chance of finding her alive, he must join forces with his most hated enemy in order to prevent his little sister becoming the next victim of a deranged, cannibalistic killer.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I absolutely love the characters in these books and although the two lead characters are Tess Grey and Nicholas ‘Po’ Villere I have to say that Po is the start of the show. In addition their friend Pinky is an absolute corker of a character and he has to feature in this series on as permanent a basis as the main two characters. I think part of my attraction to these characters is that they are original and reading about them and the way they talk and their background is so refreshing. Po is an ex-con and Tess is an ex-cop and somehow they just make a perfect team. Not only are they a team they are also partners. Thankfully not in that ‘romance gets in the way of a good story’ kinda’ way!

Po receives a phone call from his estranged mother who is on her deathbed but is reluctant to disclose what she needs to see him about. With a bounty on Po’s head if he returns to the area, he of course…returns to the area. Alongside him is Tess and Pinky. What he didn’t account for was the revelation that he has a sister Emilia he has never met before. Unfortunately she also happens to be missing. What ensures is an absolutely brilliant and captivating story line which sees Po Tess and Pinky all fighting against more than one group for the safe retrieval of Emilia.

I was totally and utterly absorbed in the story and it caught me from the very first chapter. Full of villains you love to loathe as well as plenty of action. I have grown to love this series and think this is the best one so far. It reveals a lot more on Po’s history and cements both his and Tess relationship as well as the strong bond he and his friend Pinky have. I think having read this 3rd book I need a friend like Pinky in my life!

There are a number of ‘bad guys’ featuring but the way that Cleary was written literally had me shivering. The last quarter of the book is packed full of action and I read the last part of the book in one sitting. I had read for so long I didn’t realise my room was in complete darkness as I hadn’t moved. An outstanding read and a series that is original and fresh feeling, I absolutely loved it and cannot WAIT for the next book in the series.

The Skeletons of Scarborough House by Kitty French (Chapelwick Mysteries #1)

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Synopsis: Welcome to Chapelwick, a leafy English town in the hills of Shropshire, where chocolate fudge cake comes served with a side of murder.

Scarborough House is haunted, and it’s not doing much for Donovan Scarborough’s investment portfolio. No one wants to buy a place with levitating crockery, or (the wrong kind of) rhythmic pounding throughout the night.

Luckily, Melody “I-See-Dead-People” Bittersweet has just launched her own ghostbusting agency with best friend Marina, geeky, keen Arthur, and a one-eared pug called Lestat. They’re quick to take the case, even if it has already sort of (definitely) been given to Leo Dark, Melody’s rakish, despicable ex.

Melody soon discovers the resident phantoms are three brothers, one who was murdered at twenty, while the others lived to old age. But did the family exile the right person, or did the true killer get away with it?

Donovan Scarborough doesn’t care who solves the case. Whoever gets rid of the ghosts gets paid.

Can Melody and her new crew untangle the mystery, and bring the brothers peace, before Leo? Or will his distracting sexiness and Melody’s bonkers family cause the agency to fall at its first hurdle?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Continue reading “The Skeletons of Scarborough House by Kitty French (Chapelwick Mysteries #1)”