Tag: RATED 5/5

The Secret of Orchard Cottage by Alex Brown (Tindledale #3)

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Synopsis: April Wilson is wondering what to do next – her life has been turned upside down after the loss of her husband so she’s hoping to piece herself together again with a visit to her elderly great aunt, Edith. Arriving in the rural idyll of Tindledale, she’s dismayed to find Edith’s cottage and the orchard behind it in a sorry state of disrepair. Edith seems to have lost interest completely, instead she’s become desperate to find out what happened to her sister, Winnie, who disappeared during WWII.

April gets to work immediately, discovering that the orchard still delivers a bumper crop each year, and with the help of some of the villagers – including Matt, the enigmatic Farrier – begins to unravel the mystery of the missing Winnie. Slowly,

April can feel things coming to life again – but can Orchard Cottage work its magic on her too?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: Okay, where do I start? Alex Brown is a GENIUS people. I have read all of her books (with the exception of one) and they are just better and better with each book I read. When I read ‘The Great Christmas Knit Off’ and realised it was one book in a series all set within the village of Tindledale I fell in love. There was no warning, it just rushed up and smacked me in the face. I was drawn to not only this beautiful little village but all the people in it, and I really do mean ALL of them. The wonderful thing is that each book features the main characters but each villager plays their part, and before you know it you wonder which one of them will be featured in the next book. Following on from that first book AB released ‘The Great Village Show’ and then this month she has released this beauty.

April Wilson is the star of this latest release and as we see her trying to get over the loss of her husband Gray she decides to visit her older Aunt Edie who lives in Tindledale. More specifically she lives in a place called Orchard Cottage. Orchard Cottage and its magical feel translates across the pages as if you were standing right next to April. However, this latest Tindledale book is a slight departure from the other two in the sense that I feel like it was dealing with a couple of more serious and evocative issues. Thankfully, Alex Brown has sprinkled her Author Magic and made it a beautiful and wonderfully enjoyable book to read.

There are so many characters that are added into the Tindledale mix such as April’s Stepdaughter Nancy, and we see the return of much loved characters and places that feature in the other 2 books. Edie’s story is one that is a little sensitive as it deals with Edie’s apparent decline into Dementia. This along with the continual mention of Edie’s sister Winnie, April feels like she doesn’t know what is fact or fiction. This element of the story and finding out what happened to Winnie was so lovely and I really loved the way it was done. In addition we see April trying to get over her grief and it almost feels like the magic of Orchard Cottage rubs off on her as we see her develop.

Once again I was blown away by how great Alex Browns books are. They are going from strength to strength and I feel like at the moment she can do no wrong. She creates characters you really feel for and love as well as creating a village in my head that I would LOVE to visit. Bravo Alex, I am will be waiting with baited breath for the next Tindledale installment.

Deadly Obsession by Nigel May

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Synopsis: What would you do if you saw your husband killed right in front of you … identified his body … had him cremated … then six months later received a letter written by him two days ago?

Amy Barrowman grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. So when she falls in love with millionaire Riley Hart and he asks her to marry him she can’t believe her luck. She has found true love and her happy ever after. 

Riley Hart is a Millionaire Man about Town. Men want to be him and women want to bed him. But to achieve Riley’s status, you have to tread on a lot of toes and make a lot of enemies. 

When Riley is gunned down at the nightclub they own, Amy is determined to avenge his death. She receives a mysterious letter detailing a list of suspects including Riley’s sworn enemy, actor Grant Wilson. But with an obsessive passion brewing between her and Grant and a dangerous assassin trailing her every move it would seem Amy has opened a deadly and tempting Pandora’s Box. In settling the score for her husband has Amy put herself into terrible danger? 

KAT’S RATING: 5/5

KAT’S REVIEW: My first (and certainly not my last) Nigel May book, so I had zero expectations. What I do know is that I was intrigued. The author is a man writing a book that looks fit to rival that of authors such as Jackie Collins? Don’t be ridiculous! Well, it seems the only ridiculous one is me…for making that statement. It seems Nigel May really IS the male rival to ‘Bonkbuster’ authors. There is one thing that doesn’t seem right to me though. This book oozed a bit of a crime related theme with a whole bunch of naughtiness thrown in. This is like a Spicy Crime…seriously that’s the only way I can describe it!

Amy Barrowman is the shining star in this book and her life with her husband Riley Hart seems to be like something straight out of a Celebrity Magazine. Riley has taken over his father’s business and Amy is running her much dreamed about Club the Kitty Kat. Almost as soon as you are ensconced into their beautiful life, Riley is gunned down in Amy’s club and that is where all the problems begin! In all honesty Amy was a likeable character but it was clear from the outset she was a little naïve when it came to her husband.

Amy is now determined to avenge her husband’s death and what starts out as a seemingly straightforward task, her life takes on a whole new meaning.  As the book progresses things get increasingly worse and it seems that every new character adds another layer of complexity to the life Amy once knew. There is danger, suspense and a whole bunch of raunchy sex thrown in for good measure. What’s not to like, that’s the question I posed to myself. The answer was absolutely nothing. This was a deliciously decadent read!

Being an avid Crime, Thriller and Mystery reader, I sometimes switch out to the lighter hearted books with the occasional ‘Bonkbuster’ thrown in. This is like the perfect combination of the two. A fantastic read for both men and women this is certainly an author I will be following closely in the future.

Tainted Love by Kimberley Chambers (Butlers #4)

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Synopsis: Three Butlers.

Two weddings.

One funeral.

Times are changing in the East End, from bad to worse . . .Despite the love they share, Bella’s and Michael’s lives seem to be continually throwing grenades in their path to true happiness. Bella’s dark secret is threatening to spiral out of control – and has the power to destroy the Butler brothers’ bond once and for all . . .Meanwhile, Little Vinny has truly turned over a new leaf and is doing everything he can to be a good husband and father. He doesn’t want to follow in his old man’s footsteps, but the apple never falls far from the tree, and despite everything he’s done to wipe the slate clean, his past is about to catch up with him.Everyone knows the Butler family’s reputation – you don’t mess with them unless you’ve got a death wish. But there’s someone out there doing the unthinkable – and they are aiming for the heart of the family.It feels like the end of a golden era – could it finally be the end of the Butlers?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “Tainted Love by Kimberley Chambers (Butlers #4)”

You and Me Always by Jill Mansell

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Synopsis: On the morning of Lily’s twenty-fifth birthday, it’s time to open the very last letter written to her by her beloved mother, who died when she was eight.

Learning more about the first and only real love of her mum’s life is a revelation. On the same day, Lily also meets Eddie Tessler, a man fleeing fame who just might have the ability to change her world in unimaginable ways. But her childhood friend Dan has his own reasons for not wanting Lily to get too carried away by Eddie’s attentions.

Before long, secrets begin to emerge and Lily’s friends and family become involved. In the beautiful Cotswold village of Stanton Langley, nothing will ever be the same again…

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

KAT’S REVIEW: I have always been a reader ever since a young age, but became an avid reader in my late teens. There were a couple of authors I always resorted to and Jill Mansell was one of them. The thing that I have realised is that Jill along with another long term author Carole Matthews have almost become the reading equivalent of a security blanket. Having read every published book by Jill Mansell I have never been disappointed with a book she has written. It seems in the last 5 or 6 years every book she has published (with the exception of 1) has been a solid 5 star read. This latest book is no exception to that rule, other than in one way. I think (although am not sure) I may have broken a personal record?!? I started this new JM last night at around 8pm, I read late into the night and this morning finished the final 3 chapters before I’d even made 3 stops on my train journey. Now I know I am a quick reader but this seems somehow like the quickest I have ever read a book! One of the reasons is that yet again Jill Mansell has created a wonderful book that meant everything else in my life stopped!

Lily is the main focus of this story but if I am being entirely honest this book felt like they all had lead parts. Lily is a 25 year old woman growing up in the village of Stanton Langley in the Cotswolds with her unusual family set up. Having lost her Mum at a young age, her Mum’s best friend Carol is her surrogate Mum almost along with Patsy her childhood Babysitter and Patsy’s brother Dan who happens to have been lifelong friends with Lily. It all sounds rather convoluted and unnecessary; however nothing could be further from the truth. The characters all feel so familiar almost instantly and the characters be it villagers or friends all make the story weave together seamlessly.

A strange and chance encounter means that Lily meets Eddie Tessler, a very famous Actor who is fleeing his unwanted press attention. This takes the story to a whole new level and there really are some wonderful book moments. Lily is a brilliant character who speaks the truth and when she faces Eddie with her honesty he is blown away and a friendship blossoms. There is so much going on in this story but I cannot stress how much of an easy and enjoyable read it was. Yes there is plenty of romance going on, but it’s interspersed with funny characters and a great plot line. It seems that Jill Mansell continues to show why she is an author that has been around for more than 25 years and can STILL produce Bestsellers. An absolutely wonderful, feel good read and perfect for to cheer you up on a dreary January 

Life or Death by Michael Robotham

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Synopsis: Why would a man escape from prison the day before he’s due to be released?

Audie Palmer has spent a decade in prison for an armed robbery in which four people died, including two of the gang. Seven million dollars has never been recovered and everybody believes that Audie knows where the money is.

For ten years he has been beaten, stabbed, throttled and threatened almost daily by prison guards, inmates and criminal gangs, who all want to answer this same question, but suddenly Audie vanishes, the day before he’s due to be released.

Everybody wants to find Audie, but he’s not running. Instead he’s trying to save a life . . . and not just his own.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: Wow. First off I have to admit were it not for a Guest Reviewer I would never have known about Michael Robotham. Having never read any of his work I was looking forward to reading another new author. The synopsis sounded fantastic and to be honest the only criticism I have is that the cover does not do the book justice. If I walked past this in a bookshop I wouldn’t even pick it up. Aside from that there is little to grumble about.

Audie Palmer is a quiet and unassuming bloke; the only difference is that he decides to break out of prison one day before he was due to be released.  There are additional characters that play just as much a part in this book including Audie’s prison friend Moss and Special Agent Desiree Furness. All three of them are fabulous characters to read and they really make you connect with the story all the more.

There are so many questions surrounding Audie, and why he ended up inside. The story is told by peeling back layers very slowly, all the while giving the readers snippets of information from secondary threads of the story. I read 50% of the book in one go and found myself using every available opportunity to continue reading after that. Towards the ¾ mark I thought I had it worked out, and then promptly realised I was all wrong!

This book truly had me gripped from the very beginning to the very end and I was sad that I had finished it. I would highly recommend this book and have already lined up the next Robotham. He has also written a series of books featuring Joe O’Loughlin, and the 8th in this series was released in July 2015. I know what’s next on the ‘to-read’ list! Fantastic!

The Secret By The Lake by Louise Douglas

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Synopsis: A FAMILY TRAGEDY

Amy’s always felt like something’s been missing in her life. When a tragedy forces the family she works for as a nanny to retreat to a small lakeside cottage, she realises she cannot leave them now.

A SISTER’S SECRET

But Amy finds something unsettling about the cottage by the lake. This is where the children’s mother spent her childhood – and the place where her sister disappeared mysteriously at just seventeen.

A WEB OF LIES

Soon Amy becomes tangled in the missing sister’s story as dark truths begin rising to the surface. But can Amy unlock the secrets of the past before they repeat themselves?

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “The Secret By The Lake by Louise Douglas”

Close Your Eyes by Michael Robotham

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Synopsis: I close my eyes and feel my heart begin racing

Someone is coming

They’re going to find me

A mother and her teenage daughter are found murdered in a remote farmhouse, one defiled by multiple stab wounds and the other left lying like Sleeping Beauty waiting for her Prince. Reluctantly, clinical psychologist Joe O’Loughlin is drawn into the investigation when a former student, calling himself ‘the Mindhunter’, jeopardises the police inquiry by leaking details to the media and stirring up public anger.

With no shortage of suspects and tempers beginning to fray, Joe discover links between these murders and a series of brutal attacks where his victims have been choked unconscious and had the letter ‘A’ carved into their foreheads.

As the case becomes ever more complex, nothing is quite what it seems and soon Joe’s fate, and that of those closest to him, become intertwined with a merciless, unpredictable killer . . .

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: I am becoming quite the ‘Robotham’ fan I must say. The last book I read of his was also my first (Life and Death) but I loved it so much I really wanted to make a start on this one. Close Your Eyes was released earlier this year and the synopsis sounded great. What I didn’t realise was that I was hitting a series of books featuring Joe O’Loughlin at this release which was number 8. Thankfully, you can get away with reading this as a standalone, but I was devastated to realise I had missed the previous 7.

Joe is a Clinical Psychologist, who suffers from Parkinsons. He is reluctantly brought into a police investigation because of a former student of his, that is intent on using Joe’s name to get him involved with the latest case.  We also meet his ex-wife Julianne and children Charlie and Emma. What seems like a straightforward double murder, throws up more suspects than you could imagine and that adds to the general intrigue of the story.

The other element of the story I liked was his old friend, ex-policeman, Vincent. Both of them are re-working the case and there are multiple threads that are picked up and then worked on even more as the suspect list grows, as does the reasoning behind them. The murder victims Elizabeth and Harper Crowe open up a literal can of worms as their lives are broken down to enable Joe to get to the bottom of who would want them both dead.

This book was a real ‘whodunnit’ and had the added element of a cracking lead character and absolutely brilliant additional characters. Although I haven’t read the rest in the series, this made me want to immediately catch up with the back catalogue. The ending was also a shock and one that left me feeling that I really needed to read the next one to see what happens next for Joe. I am amazed I have left it this long to read a Michael Robotham, but I will ensure that all future releases are top of the list!

One Wish in Manhattan by Mandy Baggott

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Synopsis: The temperature is dropping, snow is on its way and Hayley Walker is heading for New York with one wish … to start over. 

With her daughter Angel, Hayley is ready for adventure. But there’s more to New York than twinkly lights and breathtaking skyscrapers. Angel has her own Christmas wish – to find her real dad. 

While Hayley tries to fulfil her daughter’s wish, she crosses paths with billionaire Oliver Drummond. Restless and bored with fast living, there’s something intriguing about him that has Hayley hooked. 

Can Hayley dare to think her own dreams might come true – could A New York Christmas turn into a New York Forever? 

Travel to the Big Apple this Christmas and join Hayley and Oliver as they realise life isn’t just about filling the minutes … it’s about making every moment count.

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review:  Oh my…..I think that because it’s the lead up to Christmas I am going crazy with the Christmas themed books and this one is no exception. I apologise to those die hard Crime, Thriller & Mystery fans, but a girl needs a break from all that! Very recently I have had the absolute pleasure of reading many Bookouture authors and it seems they have a theme going on…it’s called signing awesome authors! Having fallen in love most recently with the likes of Holly Martin and Jenny Hale as well as longer standing authors like Sue Watson it seems I can add another Bookouture author to that must read list with Mandy Baggot.

The Christmas themed cover is one of many being released in the run up to Christmas, but I must say I really like these covers and although they are ‘christmassy’ they are also pretty eye catching. The main character is this book is Hayley Walker along with her daughter Angel. Now don’t get me wrong I really liked Hayley but her daughter Angel totally stole the show. She was a funny and endearing child who has a never ending supply of information that you never knew. When Hayley and Angel visit Hayley’s brother in New York, neither of them have any idea of how their Christmas will turn out.

Hayley’s brother Dean works for the big global company and his boss Oliver Drummond has something of a reputation. Oliver was instantly likeable but as his personal story unfolds some of his behaviour starts to make more sense. Nearly all of the characters in this book have been constructed so well you feel like you know them, and the fact that certain situations are far from believable in the sense of the normal everyday life…I didn’t care. Not one bit! There were many funny moments in this book as we see Hayley trying to secure some part time work (albeit illegally), as well as find Angel’s father who isn’t even aware of Angel’s existence. Although Hayley and Angel are the main stars, Oliver and his friend Tony also made for brilliant reading. A New York Billionaire and his best friend Tony as they make their way from club to bar, picking up as many women as they can.

The story has a very magical feel to it and certainly puts you in the mood for Christmas. This was a totally and utterly enchanting and magical read that will steal a little bit of your heart. This was my first Mandy Baggot but most certainly won’t be my last. An addictive and feel good romance that is food for the Book Geek’s soul!

Fighting For Survival by Mel Sherratt (Estate #3)

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Synopsis: When Caren Williams finds herself back on the estate she fought so hard to get away from, little does she realise she’ll be living opposite her arch-enemy, Gina Bradley. Gina thinks she and her family rule Stanley Avenue so when Caren starts to become popular, she decides to hit her where it will hurt the most – she wants her husband. Lonely and depressed, Ruth Millington turns to drinking and self-harm to get her through the dark times but finds it’s a constant struggle. Spiralling out of control, maybe she should let Gina’s husband help her out when he comes calling. Twins, Rachel and Claire Bradley, took control of the girl-gang, the Mitchell Mob, when their leader was sent to a juvenile detention centre for assault. But Stacey Hunter is out now and wants to hold the position again. No one will back down – let battle commence. Brawling in the street, fighting on the square and conforming to peer pressure – it all comes down to holding your nerve. But this time not everyone will stay alive on the notorious Stanley Avenue…

Kat’s Rating: 5/5 Continue reading “Fighting For Survival by Mel Sherratt (Estate #3)”

Bella’s Christmas Bake Off by Sue Watson

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Synopsis: Bella Bradley is the queen of television baking – a national treasure. Her Christmas specials have been topping the ratings for years and her marriage to Peter ‘Silver Fox’ Bradley is the stuff of Hello magazine specials. But this year things are going to be different. 

For Amy Lane, Bella’s best friend from school, life hasn’t held quite the same sparkle. And when Amy’s husband walks out three weeks from Christmas, it seems their lives are further apart than ever. 

Amy has watched Bella’s rise to fame fondly, despite the fact Bella was always a terrible cook. But when she realises that Bella’s latest Christmas book is made up entirely of Amy’s mother’s recipes, the gloves are off. After winning a competition to appear on Bella’s TV show, Amy is going to make sure that for Bella and her viewers, this will definitely be a Christmas to remember… 

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: Thankfully, I have my Sue Watson fix under control with her latest release Bella’s Bake Off. SW covers are as always incredibly enticing and since the Great British Bake Off has now finished for 2015, this was a perfect solution now I no longer had any left to watch. The book doesn’t wait to launch into Sue’s comedic patter between characters and launches straight into a very funny scene featuring Amy Lane and her husband. Within a matter of pages I was (as usual with these books) laughing my socks off and immediately fell in love with the slightly crazy Amy. The thing is it soon becomes apparent Amy Lane is far from crazy. She is the sort of character you can empathise with; you just know full well that one of your friends fits the bill for Amy’s life.

Amy spends her lead up to Christmas watching Bella Bradley, who is the queen of Television baking. She appears to have absolutely everything with her high flying career and amazingly gorgeous husband. The thing is Amy and Bella were best friends all the way through their childhood. It becomes clear from the beginning that Sue is giving nothing away that easy about why they stopped speaking but slowly and surely things start to unravel and make sense to the reader. When Amy decides to enter a competition to appear on Bella’s show you just know there are high jinks ahead.

When Amy finally makes it to Bella’s TV show the book goes from being brilliant to being AMAZING. Sue Watson has such a knack for the humorous side of characters and she is an author I have fallen a little bit in love with from very early on. Her humour, writing style and stories never fail to hit the spot and are guaranteed to cheer me up, make me laugh and generally improve my mood. Sue has once again swept me off my feet with the characters, although my first love (her book Love, Lies and Lemon Cakes) will always remain my all-time favourite. Please don’t look for any hidden meanings, secret morals or anything that you take away and seriously debate. However, if you want a book to make you laugh you’re a*se off and cheer you up then Sue Watson needs to be top of your list!