Tag: RATED 5/5

Scandalous by Tilly Bagshawe

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My Rating: 5/5

Sasha Miller is a young Cambridge physics student. She sets off for Cambridge with aspirations to become a scientist. What she doesn’t realise is that she will pay the ultimate price for her ambitions. Her tutor, Theo Dexter, looks like a movie star. He has it all, the looks, the charm and the intelligence. He is also a married man. Sasha finds herself on the wrong end of Theo’s self centred ways and leaves the UK for good with her heart broken. She is determined to make a life for herself so heads to the US and finds herself taking her career on a whole other path. Meanwhile, Theo’s wife Theresa is also suffering. When Theo casts her aside for a younger and more attractive woman she too tries to move on with her life. What she doesn’t realise is that in years to come not only will she meet up with Sasha Miller once again, but she will be asked to seek revenge against Theo.

Oh…my…GOD! Where have I been? This book has been in my ever growing pile of books to read for a little while and to be frank, would have stayed towards the bottom were it not for the rave reviews for it on certain websites. I am so glad that I made the time to read this because it was a corker of a book.

Although I tend to read a lot of crime and thriller type books I love a good Chick Lit book. I find that most of the more mainstream authors I have read or at least tried one of their books. Tilly Bagshawe however failed to reach my radar. I am also a huge fan of the Jackie Collins type smutty `bonkbusters’ (I can almost hear people sighing with disdain). Tilly Bagshawe managed to create a perfect combination between the `bonkbuster’ and the traditional `chick lit’.The characters were written brilliantly and you found yourself either loving or loathing them which is a true sign that the author is doing their job! Sasha Miller is more predominant in the first half of the book and slowly as the book and years progress we see much more of Theresa.

The book is set over a number of years but Tilly Bagshawe has managed to get the balance spot on in terms of time. We see just the right amount of each segment of their lives before moving 5 years down the road. She has created possibly one of the most arrogant male lead characters in this book which I just love. Not only do we get to see the book set over different times, but different parts of the world as well. It is set in Cambridge and then we move across the waters to New York once people’s lives move on.I loved the fact that none of the storyline was predictable. Once I had finished I had a real sense of satisfaction and couldn’t wait to order another of her books. She wrapped everything up nicely and managed to pull out many surprises over the course of the book. I read this book over a day and a half and am still slightly in shock that I have never read any of her work before.

This book had everything you could want, sex, glamour, revenge, love and fantastic characters. As a reader I could not ask for anything better and would highly recommend this book.

Broken by Karin Slaughter (Will Trent #4)

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Kat’s Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: Karin Slaughter has hit the jackpot with this latest book. She has now merged the two series (Grant County and Will Trent) and this is the 2nd book in the Georgia series. What a book! It starts out with a young girl having been murdered at the lake and initially it looks like suicide but Lena Adams soon realises that may not be the case. With a suspect in custody and Sara Linton back in town, Sara receives a phone call to say the suspect wants to see her. When Sara arrives at the station, the suspect is dead and that sets off a chain of events that puts them all in the middle of it. Will Trent arrives in town and together they try to solve the crime. Karin Slaughter has successfully pulled off the merger of two series and has created a great platform for all the characters. I had my doubts with the Will Trent Series but was always a huge fan of Grant County.The two together are even better! Great storyline, nothing too contrived or obvious and all the favourite characters showing their true colours. Absolutely loved this book and cannot wait until her next release.

Jail Bird by Jessie Keane

My Rating: 5/5

Jessie Keane is an author that had her debut novel `Dirty Game’ published in 2008. It was the first in the Annie Bailey series of books and was followed by `Black Widow’ and `Scarlet Women’ in 2009.

I read her first book and was hooked. Annie Bailey was such a great character and I was fearful that Jessie Keane would follow the all too predictable path that others do of relying too much on a good thing.

After reading all three in the Annie Bailey Series I was even more worried. How on earth could she top her last three books? Not only did I love her style of writing but I fell in love with the characters. How would I feel with a new lead character? Would it be any good or would she fail at the first hurdle? To my absolute relief Jessie Keane is made of sterner stuff. Through my letterbox came her latest offering entitled Jail Bird and I excitedly ripped it from its box and settled myself in for the duration.

Lily King has just been released from prison. She has spent the last 12 years of her life behind bars for the brutal shooting of her husband Leo King. When she is released she is determined to set the record straight. Not only does Lily have to prove she didn’t kill her husband, she has to find out who did. She is battling not only Leo’s family who want her dead, but her own daughters who can’t stand the sight of her.

This book was an absolute corker and I read the book cover to cover in 2 days. It is everything Jessie Keane does but better. We meet a great leading character in Lily, she has guts and determination and is absolutely focused on finding the truth. She has her battles along the way and the characters that make up the King family are right on the money. The storytelling is, as usual, brilliant and she manages to create very believable scenarios without it bordering on the unrealistic.

It’s a pacy book with plenty of plot twists and enough action to keep you both interested and guessing. I particularly liked the fact that there are lots of different characters all being brought together by one event. There are just enough to keep you intrigued but not too many that it get’s confusing.

After reading a short Bio on Jessie I realise how she manages to exude an air of masculinity into her writing being the youngest of 8 children, all boys! I have been a fan of Martina Cole for years but to be honest, find myself not looking forward to new books she releases as they are all the same sort of thing. Don’t get me wrong I still read them but don’t have the level of interest that I used to. If like me, you were a Cole fan in the early days, get yourself down the shops for a copy of Jessie Keane’s book. She reminds me very much of Cole’s early work and she is certainly giving the likes of Mandasue Heller and Karin Slaughter a run for their money. If I were Martina Cole I would be looking over my shoulder for a certain Ms Keane! Now all I have to do is wait another 7 months for her new book!

After The Party by Lisa Jewell

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My Rating: 5/5

Well it has been 11 long years since Lisa Jewell released a book entitled Ralph’s Party. She wrote and I read Ralphs party (unbelievably) 11 years ago and even back then her writing was great.

In Ralph’s Party we meet the residents of 31 Almanac Road, who consist of flatmates Ralph and Smith and their new neighbour who moves in, Jemimah. Upstairs live Karl and Siobhan and they have been unmarried for fifteen years albeit happily. When Cheri moves in to the flat above them she causes havoc by deciding that Karl is the man she wants and sees no reason that a girlfriend should get in the way. The book itself leads us into their lives and sees the end result with both Ralph and Jem getting together and leaving the book with that happy ever after feeling.

However, Lisa Jewell decided that 11 years later she would transport us back to Ralph and Jem’s current relationship with her book entitled After The Party. So a few years down the line we find that Ralph and Jem are unmarried, but living together with their two young children. Things are not all sweetness and light and Jem is feeling unsettled with just about everything. She is currently trying to raise her demanding and Diva like daughter Scarlett, still nurture her baby boy Blake, and keep her career going with a difficult client as well as keeping her marriage to Ralph on an even keel.

Both Ralph and Jem find that life doesn’t seem that simple anymore. Jem begins to feel quietly disgruntled with everything that Ralph does and Ralph is feeling more and more like he’s not even part of his own family. Slowly they realise that their ideal family life that they viewed all those years ago through rose tinted glasses is nothing like their present reality. Whilst Jem and Ralph both go on their own paths of discovery they both wonder at whether their relationship can survive. Will they make it through or will they be like the thousands of others that have tried and failed to make a marriage work.

Firstly, I cannot believe that an author has finally made the fantastic move to revisit a previous `happy ending’ story. I really enjoyed Ralph’s Party but found that not only did I enjoy this current book, but I fell in love with the characters all over again. Lisa Jewell has exceeded every expectation I could have imagined and produced an absolutely first class book. She didn’t take the easy option of the characters being 100% happy with a perfect life. This book is far from what most would expect an easy `chick lit’ author to produce. Lisa Jewell tackles all of the gritty real life issues that couple who are married and with a family may encounter.

She managed to keep the spirit of these characters but yet developed them as older and wiser from what they were in Ralph’s Party. There are some sensitive issues that I think are dealt with incredibly well although I’m reluctant to be specific as I don’t want any spoilers in my review. The story is started with the current situation that Jem finds herself in and slowly introduces the past year and the story unfolds as the reader gets further into the book. What I also loved was the fact that the author didn’t rush the ending and the reader is still wondering what will be the outcome right until the last few chapters. I cannot praise this book enough and would highly recommend it to anybody. It’s isn’t necessary to read the first book Ralph’s Party but for those that have I think this is a wonderful way to look at the progression of Ralph and Jem’s life. An absolutely fabulous read that can’t be awarded anything other than 5 out of 5. Get out there and get yourself a copy!

Take A Chance on Me by Jill Mansell

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My Rating: 5/5

Cleo and Abbie Quinn are sisters. Abbie is happily married to Tom and has been since she was young. They are envied by people living in their village as they seem to have the perfect marriage. Cleo on the other hand has never had much luck with men. Her latest boyfriend Will seems to tick all of the boxes. One of Cleo’s old school friends Johnny LaVenture turns up back in the village and he has never been Cleo’s favourite person. Having teased her mercilessly at school Cleo can’t bear to be around him. Meanwhile Abbie’s husband is behaving strangely; he is being very withdrawn and is definitely hiding something. When she finds out the shocking truth, she is not only shocked, but completely unaware that her life is about to turn head over heels. Both sisters realise that the past is never too far away and that it can ultimately destroy everything.

I have my preference for reading and it falls either into the Crime/Thrillers genre or Chick Lit. When it comes to Chick Lit, Jill Mansell is one of the favourites amongst many of my friends and family. I have read every single one of her books and thoroughly loved at least 95% of them. However in recent years with other authors breaking through and the older authors producing great stories she hasn’t shone as much for me. Luckily with this book she has re-taken her crown. She is firmly placed in the Chick Lit Elite and quite rightly so.

It is very hard to review and give opinion when you don’t want to give too much away so forgive me if some of it seems cryptic. Overall this story flowed off the pages and with each page I read it became even more enjoyable.

The two sisters are nothing like each other, which personally I love. They have two completely different situations to deal with but throughout the whole story are there for each other. Mansell writes two threads in the book one for each sister. They are a joy to read because each of them has their own strange quirks which make them pretty loveable but not perfect.

Cleo’s story is difficult to comment on but it was written extremely well with one of the two men appearing in her life getting a great come-uppance. Cleo is a chauffeur and on her journey we get to meet a famous start she is driving around Casey Kruger and he is written as the bolshie and obnoxious typical star. We also meet Ash who is Cleo’s best friend and neighbour. Not only is Ash a neighbour he is a minor celebrity in the village hosting a Radio Station Programme where he has a devout following of female fans.

Abbie on the other hand is battling her issues with her husband. She manages to get the wrong end of the stick and gets herself in a sticky predicament that could cause the break up of her marriage.

The Last Ten Seconds by Simon Kernick

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My Rating: 5/5

Kat’s Review: There are three people involved and none of them can predict just how dangerous things are going to turn out. DI Tina Boyd has a past that is littered with trouble and she just seems to attract it wherever she goes. She has been part of the team that has tracked down and now arrested the serial killer known as `The Night Creeper’. The only problem is he has now been kidnapped and it’s Tina’s job to hunt him down.

Sean Egan is an undercover cop who has managed to become embedded in a dangerous criminal gang posing as another gang member looking for work. He is roped in on a job that means kidnapping the serial killer known as `The Night Creeper’. What he doesn’t realise is that he will be forced to make decisions that could not only end his career but his life too.

The Night Creeper is in custody arrested by DI Boyd. Not only is he a dangerous and sadistic killer but he is acting and looking like an innocent man. The reputation he has built was based on his brutality that all the police witnessed at each of the 5 murders that he committed. The only problem is, once in custody, he is claiming that he has a watertight alibi meaning that if he didn’t commit one, then did he commit any.

OH MY GOD! There are so many words that I just can’t find to explain this book. Corker, cracking, brilliant, exceptional, breathtaking, fast, edgy, the list goes on. What I will say is that this is a five star book that confirms that Simon Kernick deserves his place in the world of crime writing.

I have been an avid Crime and Thriller reader for the best part of 16 years and am shocked at the fact that I only discovered Kernick by reading Relentless a mere 8 months ago. Relentless was itself an absolute gem of a book (for which I rated it 5 out of 5) and I was pleased that I had read one of his books and planned on reading a lot more. Unfortunately for me my `to read’ list was getting longer and Simon Kernick went to the back of my mind. That was until Tuesday of this week, when I wandered into a book shop, only to see his new release sitting there on the shelf. I grabbed it with earnest and placed it at the top of my list as it had been 8 months since I had read Relentless and wanted to see if this was as good as the last one. I needn’t have worried as this book was, if possible, even better than Relentless. Hence the reason for the review a mere 2 days later!

With this authors genius style of writing it took me no more than one chapter to become engrossed. The story hits you in the gut from page one and doesn’t give up until the very last page. It had all the ingredients of a crime book that any reader wants. Great meaty characters, all flawed in their own strange ways. A story that is paced so quickly you feel like you’re in the passenger seat of a Formula One car, and to top it all off a story that takes you on more twists and turns than a roller-coaster ride.

The characters Sean and Tina are written extremely well in the first person and I loved the fact that the switch between the two was easy. Tina has her own demons, as does Sean which always helps towards the realism of a character in my opinion. They weren’t picture perfect and both have the same streak for doing things their way, no matter what the cost, or what rules they have to break. The chapters weren’t too long and were punchy and to the point.

The crime scenes themselves are written extremely graphically, which not to everybody’s taste I understand, was completely relevant to the story and the type of violence that Sean and Tina were surrounded by. I could find no flaws with this book and am already adding him to my pre-order list. I suggest that if you haven’t read a book by Mr Kernick that you add him to your list now, you won’t be disappointed.

Pretty Little Things by Jilliane Hoffman

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My Rating: 5/5

Jilliane Hoffman was introduced to me originally by a friend and I read her first novel Retribution (2005) which I adored. However her next book didn’t come out until a year later (Last Witness – 2006) and another two years go by before another book gets released (Plea of Insanity – 2008) and after that I forgot about her because it is so unpredictable with the timings of her books. Therefore I couldn’t wait to get my grubby little paws on her latest thriller.

Pretty Little Things tells the story of Elaine Emerson know as Lainey. She is a normal girl except for the fact that she might as well be invisible in her own home. Her mother is too busy to know or care what she does, her little brother can do no wrong, her step-father is too busy at work and her elder sister no longer bothers coming home. So when Lainey is left to her own devices online, things go terribly wrong. With their recent house move and the loss of all of her school friends Lainey is finding it hard enough as it is to fit in at her new school, so when a handsome boy makes friends with her online she sees no reason why she shouldn’t meet up with him. For Lainey this is where it all goes wrong. Where she is taken and who has taken her she can’t say but she does know that she is scared and that she isn’t alone.

Bobby Dees is a Special Agent and when he gets that all too familiar phone call one morning he knows the coming weeks will be hell. Bobby is suffering with his own demons and his marriage is falling apart at the seams following the disappearance of his own daughter over a year ago. Still, he pushes his grief to one side and gets to work on his latest case involving the missing Lainey. Bobby soon realises that Lainey was pretty much left to her own devices and it doesn’t take long for him to figure out the last contact Lainey had was with somebody known only as El Capitan. The question is can he get to her before she winds up being another statistic?

Wow, I was really thrilled with this new book and finished it within a day and a half. It took me the usual two or three chapters to really absorb myself in the story but once there I couldn’t resist going back chapter upon chapter until before I knew it I was finished. The story is laid out really well with the story told from Bobby Dees, Lainey as well as the disturbed life of the man who has taken young Lainey. The chapters were written well enough for me to start fearing for my nieces growing up! Bobby Dees is written very well and you end up liking him and Jilliane Hoffman doesn’t go overboard with the sympathy vote for him which I liked. I cannot come up with one thing I didn’t like about this book and am only sad that I now don’t know how long I will have to wait for the next one!

Lost Innocence by Susan Lewis

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Synopsis: When Alicia Carlyle returns to the home of her childhood after the tragic death of her husband, she is hoping to put the past behind her. But first she must come face to face with the woman who nearly destroyed her marriage and tore her family in two – her sister-in-law, Sabrina. Their enmity runs deep, but Alicia is determined to make a fresh start for herself and her two children, Nathan and Darcie, and to heal her fractured relationship with her beloved brother.

However, just when it looks as if they might have a chance at a brighter future, Sabrina’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Annabelle, accuses seventeen-year-old Nathan of a crime he insists he didn’t commit. And once more the two families are locked in a battle that is fraught with mistrust, betrayal and lies – a battle that threatens to destroy them all…

Kat’s Rating: 5/5

My Review: Susan Lewis has written her 22rd novel Lost Innocence which was published in 2009. I have written every one of her novels since she started writing back in 1988 and must say that she is an absolutely fantastic author.

This particular story introduces us to Alicia Carlyle and her children Nat and Darcie. Alicia has to make some huge changes following the sudden death of her husband Craig. Alicia grew up in Holly Wood which is where her brother Robert and his wife Sabrina live along with Sabrina’s daughter Annabelle. When Alicia is forced to move back to her childhood home to start afresh she realises that things aren’t going to be easy. She is going to have to face her sister-in-law who nearly wrecked her life and marriage. She also wants to try and build bridge with her brother Robert as things between them have been strained for over a year. When she does return at first it seems like life will bring her a brighter and better future with the introduction of a man who can help her career and a new home and schools for her children. At 17, Nat has decided to follow in his late fathers footsteps and go into law and his sister Darcie is looking forward to meeting the friends that she used to play with when she was younger. However before long all of their lives are shattered when Annabelle accuses Nat of a crime he says he didn’t commit. The following months tell a very sad and tragic tale of two children locked in a battle over who is telling the truth. The truth is marred by the past involving both Sabrina and Alicia with Robert stuck in the middle. Will the truth come out, and more importantly who is telling lies and who isn’t?

I must say that although I have been a huge fan of Susan Lewis, this latest book exceeded all expectations. She manages to write a fantastic book that really pulls at heart strings. She manages to write about situations that have probably happened across the world to many different people. She writes with feeling and emotion telling a truly sad tale. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and think that unlike other authors; her work seems to get better with every book she writes. I struggle to fit this book into a category as she doesn’t fall into my opinion of `Chick Lit’. She writes books that touch a nerve and never fails to impress. HIGHLY recommended.

Original Sin by Tasmina Perry

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My Rating 5/5

Kat’s Review: In TP’s fourth book we delve into the present and past of the Asgill family. They own an International cosmetics company and Meredith Asgill the mother is determined to keep her children’s profiles as squeaky clean as possible. She meets Tess and Jemma who are publicists based in London who are ready to run a sensational story on the Asgill’s. Instead of running the story Meredith offers Tess the opportunity of a lifetime which is how Tess ends up working alongside this wealthy and powerful family. Life changes dramatically as Tess becomes embroiled into the Asgill’s lives.


Brooke Asgill is due to marry David Billington, an equally powerful and rich man. Liz Asgill is the elder sister who is fighting her corner for control of the family company. She believes that she has what it takes to make the brand successful once again with her at the helm. Her brother William is also fighting for control but mostly on behalf of his power crazy, social climbing wife. Lastly there is Sean Asgill who is the Playboy of the family. He never takes anything seriously and is mostly featured on the front of magazines with various women draped on his arm. When they all meet Tess everybody’s lives change dramatically. Who will take over the company, will Brooke marry David, and will any of their past secrets be kept at bay by Tess, or come out and potentially destroy the family’s reputation?

This story is full of twists and turns and I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter. Having read previous Tasmina Perry books I awaited this one with baited breath wondering and hoping that it would be as good as the last one, if not better. I had no need to worry. Tasmina Perry has produced what I think is her best novel so far. The story is compelling and full of drama, glamour, secrets and lies. What more could we ask for? I await her next book with very high expectations!

SCARLET WOMAN BY JESSIE KEANE (ANNIE CARTER #3)

My Rating: 5/5

Jessie Keane has produced a series of books. They are all running along the crime/thriller end of the market with a strong female lead. We have yet to experience what else she has to bring.

This book is the follow up from book 1 (Dirty Game) and book 2 (Black Widow). Once again Annie Carter is back in London and trying to run her husbands business. It’s now the 70’s and her arch enemy’s the Delaney’s are still around and running the brothel that her good friend Dolly runs. When prostitutes start getting killed Annie gets involved, wanting to know who is involved. In doing that she gets herself caught up in the middle of a war and puts her own life at risk. One of close friend’s Chris Brown ends up being framed for the murders and Dolly want’s to do everything she can to clear his name. Not only does she have to find the culprit, but she is working against her own boys who don’t like answering to a woman. She is working at having to prove herself as the Boss and also manage looking after her business along with her young daughter Layla. When Constantine Barolli turns up it complicates the situation even further. He is a dangerous Mob Boss and Annie finds herself fighting off her real feelings for him in an attempt to keep her business at the top. Can she find the real killer before it is too late or will she end up having to identify another young girl?

This book was an absolute corker and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was well worth the wait for the final instalment in the Annie Carter books. I didn’t put this down once I’d started. The writing style and the fact that you know this is the conclusion keeps you turning page after page. The only negative is what to expect from Jessie Keane next. With her last three books being as good as they have been there are high expectations for the next one. I can’t wait!