The Blackbirds of St Giles

by

Lila Cain

BLOG TOUR

It’s 1782, Daniel and his sister Pearl arrive in London with the world at their feet and their future assured. Having escaped a Jamaican sugar plantation, Daniel fought for the British in the American War of Independence and was rewarded with freedom and an inheritance.  

But the city is not a place for men like Daniel and he is callously tricked and finds himself, along with his sister Pearl, in the rookeries of St Giles – a warren of dark and menacing alleyways, filled with violence and poverty.  

The underworld labyrinth is run by Elias, a man whose cruelty knows no bounds. But under his dangerous rule is a brotherhood of Black men, the Blackbirds of St Giles, whose intention is to set their people free.  

Can Daniel use his strength, wit and the fellowship of the other Blackbirds to overthrow Elias and truly find the freedom he fought for…? 

REVIEW

After Daniel fought in the War of Independence for the British Army he is promised a better life in England and along with his sister Pearl, they board a ship to bring them to London as he has been promised an inheritance, but as soon as he meets his beneficiaries brother, he is tricked out of his inheritance and he and Pearl are sent to a place in called St Giles, where it is full of other people from Caribbean countries and outcasts who have also fallen on hard times. 

St Giles is run by an evil man by the name of Elias who sees Daniel as a way of making him money by being a fighter and sets out to train him up to fight whoever he can to earn him a fortune. 

Daniel and Pearl are taken under the wing of Jen, who Pearl instantly takes to, but Daniel is wary and feels she is using them to her advantage. 

Daniel does as he is told by Elias and trains hard, but Daniel is a strong character and even though he is way down on his luck, he is biding his time until he and the others in St Giles can find a way to bring Elias down. 

I knew I was going to love this book as soon as I saw the cover! I love stories about Victorian London and even though this one started in the plantations of Jamaica, the attention to detail in the writing was fabulous and I was totally absorbed.

I would thoroughly recommend this book. It is a hefty read, but worth it!

 Life Begins

by

Kate Eberlen

BLOG TOUR

Jessica and Robin have been best friends since university. For his fortieth birthday, she plans an elaborate surprise trip to Italy with his closest friends and family. Sometimes it feels like everyone knows how much she loves Robin... everyone except Robin himself.

Laura has two beautiful children, a stylish London home and a thriving career as a deputy headteacher. But she also has a secret. One she's been keeping for many years. And now it's time for the truth to come out.

Actor Robin is looking forward to being the centre of attention once more, as those he loves most come together for a week-long getaway. But as long-simmering desires rise to the surface and tensions reach breaking point, he begins to wonder...

Could life really begin again at forty?

Review

When Jessica's best friend Robin's 40th birthday looms, she decides to book a surprise trip to Italy in a gorgeous farmhouse surrounded by his closest family and friends and the most beautiful scenery you could imagine. What could possibly go wrong!

Robin's wife Laura is a Deputy Head Teacher and has a secret of her own, but surely his 40th birthday celebrations are not the right time to reveal all?

Jessica has a secret that she has been keeping for too many years in the fact that she is in love with Robin, but how can she possibly tell him that now after all this time?

Robin, can't wait for the celebrations to begin and is loving having his nearest and dearest around him, but even he has secrets that could turn everyone's lives upside down should the situation arise...

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story for all the secrets that were revealed!

 A good bunch of characters (some I liked more than others!). Would definitely recommend.

Ten year blogaversary

TEN YEAR BLOGAVERSARY!

10 years ago today my son helped me set up a blog so that I had a platform for people to read my book reviews and so, Boon’s Bookcase was born. 

I may not have a huge following or be known by many publishers, but I have made some great bookish friends both in person and virtually since 2015 and been to lots of book events and taken part in many blog tours/cover reveals and personal reviews. 

I have to say thank you to my friend Julie Williams, who reviews sometimes on the blog and has saved my bacon on more than one occasion when I haven’t had time to read and review for a blog tour! (She is a much faster reader than me!)

If you have visited my blog and read any of my reviews, thank you, I appreciate every single one of you. I  extremely proud of my little blog and long may it continue! 

Happy 10 year blogaversary to Boon’s Bookcase, here’s to many more!! 🥳🍾

 The Christmas Cottage

by

Sarah Morgan

Will this Christmas finally bring comfort and joy?

A PAINFUL SECRET

Imogen loves her job as an events organiser, and her colleagues are in awe of her. But Imogen isn’t the person she pretends to be, and she’s hiding painful truths about her past. But as long as she can keep on top of her work, Imogen can put everything else to one side.

AN ACT OF KINDNESS

And then Imogen makes a catastrophic mistake at work, and finally realises it's time to reset. When her favourite client, Dorothy, invites her to spend Christmas with her and her family, in her cottage in the Cotswolds, it sounds like the perfect way for Imogen to take stock.

FINDING HAPPINESS AT CHRISTMAS

Imogen soon settles into idyllic cottage life, especially with the prospect of a new romance on the horizon … but when long-buried secrets and unwanted faces from the past resurface, Imogen’s new peace is threatened. Will Imogen end up alone this Christmas, or can she find it in her heart to forgive and move on?

REVIEW

Imogen is an Events Organiser and is brilliant at her job, but her problem is that she can't say no. She works all hours of the day and night (even over Christmas) and this is because she has no family to celebrate the festive season with. Or so she thought. Her mother only wants to know her when she wants something (usually money) and she has told her that her family didn't want to know her when she got pregnant with Imogen. 

With Imogen taking on far too much work, mistakes are bound to happen and that is when her boss tells her she has to take the month of December off to rest. Imogen has no idea what she is going to do, when her favourite client, Dorothy offers a cottage on her estate to stay in for Christmas.

Miles is the local vet and a very good friend of Dorothy's and when Imogen meets him and his newly acquired dog Ralph, all sorts of thoughts go through her head, but when family secrets are unfolded during her stay, Imogen finds it tough to deal with all the thoughts and emotions it brings and her first thought is to fun back to London instead of facing up to things. 

I loved this book and all of the characters in it (except for Tina, Imogen's mother!). It was such a warm, Christmassy uplifting read which I devoured in just a few days. I have already passed this book on! Just what I needed to read on these grey, dark days of winter. 

 This Christmas

by

Emma Heatherington

Two strangers. One double-booked cottage. This Christmas will be one to remember. . .

Rose used to love Christmas - until the year everything changed. She hasn't been home to visit her family for the holidays since.

Charlie is facing his first Christmas alone. It may be the most wonderful time of the year for some, but not for him. Not this year.

In search of comfort and seclusion, Rose escapes to a cottage in rural Donegal to hunker down for the festive season by herself.

But when Charlie opens the door to Seaview Cottage, the two strangers realise that their holiday rental has been double-booked.

They both expected to spend this Christmas alone. But their lives could be changed forever if they agree to spend it together. . .

REVIEW

Christmas is coming round again and Rose still can't face all the festivities, so decides to rent her cousin's cottage so that she can be alone to get through as best she can. When her car breaks down on the way, she is offered help by a kind stranger, but being the independent woman she is, she declines and gets the car going again and makes it to the cottage. 

Charlie is also hoping to be alone for Christmas. It is the first year without his Daughter Rebecca, who has moved with her mother to Tenerife and so he and his dog Max rent a cottage to get away from it all for the festivities (you can see where this is going!).

When Rose meets Charlie at Seaview Cottage, it dawns on them both that they have been double booked. Rose soon realises that Charlie is the stranger who tried to help her with her car and so things don't really go too well at first as Rose has her dog George and Charlie has Max and the cottage only has one bedroom! What are they going to do?

Rose' car has to go to the garage and it doesn't look like it will be fixed this side of Christmas, Charlie makes a plan that they spend the festivities together, but with certain house rules! If they stick to them, then it will be bearable for them to get through Christmas without too much trouble! But of course, the best laid plans always go pear shaped! 

This isn't just a story of boy meets girl and they end up together. This is a story of love, loss and all of the emotions that Christmas brings with loved ones lost and families that are estranged. It really pulls at your heart strings. 

This is the first book I have read by this author and I can't wait to read her new Christmas book! It really was a page turner and the characters are fabulous and you are routing for them every step of the way. A lovely festive read that I finished in just a few days. 

 A Skye Full of Stars

by

Sue Moorcroft

Review by

Julie Williams

Under the winter stars, anything is possible…

Ezzie Wynter can’t wait for Christmas on the beautiful Isle of Skye. Her island home sparkles at this time of year thanks to the snow-capped mountains and frosty winter walks, topped off with family gatherings with those she loves the most.

But her peaceful Christmas idyll is upended when she hears that the Larson family – the owners of Rothach Hall – are flying in from Sweden for the festivities. As Manager of their grand Scottish manor house, Ezzie suddenly has decorations to hang, food to source and itineraries to organise.

Life only becomes more difficult when Mats Larson turns up. The owners’ handsome, self-assured son is used to doing things his own way – and he is only another headache to add to her overflowing list.

Yet when unexpected visitors arrive looking for Ezzie, nothing else matters as she is left questioning everything she ever knew about herself. But amidst the Christmas chaos, she might also discover that, when all is lost, it’s sometimes those we least expect who come to our aid…

REVIEW

I loved this 2nd instalment of the Skye sisters trilogy, although it is perfect as a standalone, you would be missing out on the lives of Ezzie, Valentina and Thea and their connection with Rochach Hall on the Isle of Skye.

This book centres on Ezzie Wynter's life where she has just been promoted to Manager of the Hall, which is owned by a Swedish family who arrive to spend a traditional Scottish Christmas. Ezzie feels the pressure that the family bring, along with the day-to-day running of the Hall. 

She is thrown a curve ball when her birth parents pay a surprise visit disrupting her life. A secret from long ago, hidden from her eldest sister Valentina, resurfaces and is revealed but not taken well.

This story is packed with emotion. I was caught up with the gorgeous scenery and the magic of Christmas as the Swedish family’s children delight and excitement shone every day.

My thanks to Net Galley and Avon for the digital advanced copy. I can’t wait for the next and final instalment which will be Valentina’s story.

 Estella's Revenge

by

Barbara Havelock

Raised in the darkness of Satis House where the clocks never tick, the beautiful Estella is bred to hate men and to keep her heart cold as the grave. She knows she doesn’t feel things quite like other people do but is this just the result of her strange upbringing? As she watches the brutal treatment of women around her, hatred hardens into a core of vengeance and when she finds herself married to the abusive Drummle, she is forced to make a deadly choice: should she embrace the darkness within her and exact her revenge? A gripping Gothic read, perfect for fans of Stacey Halls, Eve Chase and Jessie Burton. 

Review

Most of us know the story of Miss Havisham from the novel Great Expectations. She is jilted on her wedding day by her fiancé Evarard Compeyson and from the moment she received the letter saying he wasn't coming, she stopped all the clocks in her great house and it was as if time stood still. She stayed in her wedding dress and the wedding breakfast was still on the table, for many, many years. 

Miss Havisham adopted a baby and named her Estella and this book tells her story. 

As Estella grows up, Miss Havisham is determined to make sure that she breaks men's hearts, just like hers was broken all those years ago. When a young boy is brought in to the house by the name of Pip to befriend Estella, she is nothing short of foul to him, but there is a spark between them, but Estella just cannot let her guard down.

Estella goes to Paris to finish her education and has a lady's maid by the name of        Yvette. They become friends, but even this relationship is doomed and Estella drives her away.

When Estella comes back from Paris, she meets Bentley Drummle who she sees as a challenge and when he asks her to marry him, she tells him it will be a strictly business arrangement. 

Once married, this arrangement doesn't last long and Estella is in fear for her life and so runs back to Miss Havisham, but knows it will only be a matter of time before Bentley finds her and heaven knows what the consequences will be...

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. I devoured it in just a few days and at the end of each chapter, it just left me wanting more and more. 

The characters were fabulous (even if you hated some of them!) and the description to detail in this book is nothing short of amazing. 

This book is definitely my book of the year and I wouldn't be surprised if it became a modern classic. Superb writing by the author. 

About the Author

Barbara Havelocke (Copperthwaite) is an international bestselling author, whose psychological thrillers have topped Amazon and Kobo. Her writing career started in journalism, interviewing the real victims of crime - and the perpetrators. Barbara lives in Birmingham.