Wartime at Liberty's

by

Fiona Ford

Review

This is the third in the Liberty series and I have loved all of them so far and this one was no exception.

In this instalment we follow Flo who is mourning the loss of her husband Neil. She is distraught as his last letter to her was not full of the love that they usually shared, but of disappointment that she had lied to him because she loved singing and went behind his back to sing in clubs with her aunt Aggie. Neil had bad experiences of his mother who was also a singer and so didn't want Flo to follow in her footsteps.

Flo's only saviour is her job at Liberty's and her work pals, who always rally around whenever anyone needs help and support.

She also forms a very good friendship with Henry Masters, who although is her superior, treats her like a friend and introduces Flo to a different kind of world by asking her to play piano at his little brother Stan's school and also introducing her to Celia, who would end up becoming more than a pal, she would happen to change Flo's life and turn it upside down!

It's only a matter of time before the past catches up with Flo and threatens her future, but will she be strong enough to fight the ghosts and break free?

This is yet another corker by Fiona Ford and I really look forward to catching up with "the girls". I know that there is another book coming at the end of the year and am so excited for that. I just hope that this series keeps on going as I love the Liberty Girls and they hold a special place in my "book heart".

Wedding Bells at the Signal Box Café

by

Annette Hannah

** COVER REVEAL **

Well, when I received a message from the author of this book to ask me to do a cover reveal, you could have knocked me down with a feather!! I have known Annette for years as a fantastic Book Blogger and she kept the fact that she was writing a book quiet!!

Today I have the cover reveal for Wedding Bells at the Signal Box Café and it is published on 6th July 2020 and I will be reviewing on 9th July.

Congratulations Annette on what I am sure will be a hugely successful debut!

Blurb

When single mum Lucy Woods moves to Railway Cottage to be near her grandad, the last person she wants to bump into is her childhood crush and best friend’s brother Dom. Whilst he is as arrogant as ever, he has grown up into an absolutely drop dead gorgeous hunk. Dominic Cavendish is a bitter divorce lawyer who doesn’t believe in Happy Ever Afters but when his Gran meets Lucy’s Grandad in the nursing home, hilarity ensues, and the sparks begin to fly.

Author Bio

 

Annette Hannah is a Liver Bird who relocated to leafy Hertfordshire in the 80’s and now lives near a river with her husband, two of their three grown up children and a crazy black cocker spaniel. She writes Romantic comedies in settings inspired by the beautiful countryside around her and always with a nod to her hometown. As an avid reader she became a book blogger and eventually realised her dream to become an author in 2020.

She loves long walks along the river, travelling to far flung places, the odd glass of Pinot Blush and spending time with her friends and family. 

You can follow her on 

twitter @annettehannah

www.sincerelybookangels.blogspot.com

www.annettehannah.com

Title: Wedding Bells at the Signal Box Café

Author: Annette Hannah

Published By: Orion Dash

Publication Day: 6th July 2020
Links:
UK: http://ow.ly/YUSB50A4M4k 
US: http://ow.ly/VcZv50A4NT5

How to Save a Life

by

S.D. Robertson

BLOG TOUR

REVIEW BY JULIE WILLIAMS

Thank you so much to my lovely friend Julie Williams for stepping in to review this book for the Blog Tour. I am a bit behind with reading this authors book, but I loved his first one and so will try and catch up as soon as I can! Please find below Julie's review as part of the Blog Tour.

Review

I am a fan of novels by this author and eagerly await a new release and this is the 5th book to be published and did not disappoint.

The story begins with the main character Luke having a near death encounter whilst sheltering from the rain. He is suddenly pushed out of the way from falling scaffolding and debris by complete stranger Iris who is also weathering out the storm, but is not so lucky and loses her life. 

Luke a divorcee owns a small barber shop in Manchester and tends to keep to himself; my thoughts were that he came across as a rather quiet yet angry introvert person which could possibly be explained by the breakup of his marriage. Social butterfly Luke is certainly not and the only family in the UK is his cousin Meg who he has always been close to apart from a slight rift recently that neither of them would mend as both being a little stubborn. 

After the accident Meg is Luke’s constant friend and they soon resume their strong bond.

It is interesting to read how almost losing his life nudges Luke into changing his perspective as he struggles to transform  from a pessimistic  half empty guy into the complete opposite. The obstacles he encounters along the way only make him stronger and a much more positive person. 

A delightful story of friendships, hope and transformation, which I found both enjoyable and satisfying. 

My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC and to Julie for allowing me to guest review on her blog.

To order a copy of How to Save a Life click here

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

by

Gail Honeyman

I can't believe that it has taken me so long to read this book. My son read it a few weeks ago and badgered me to read it. Also my boss told me about it too, so I dived in and oh my goodness what an absolutely fabulous read it was! If you have this book sitting on your bookshelf, please read it. It will make you laugh, cry and everything in between!

Review

Eleanor does the same thing, wears the same clothes day in, day out, but that's the way she likes it. Until one day at work she meets Raymond, an IT technician who seems to understand Eleanor and takes her as she is (unlike others). They go for lunch and exchange emails throughout their working week. (Eleanor is very exact and to the point in her emails!).

One day whilst going for lunch they come across a man who has fallen in the street and is unconscious. Whilst Raymond calls and ambulance, Eleanor is told to keep talking to him. Once you get to know Eleanor, you will realise that this is easier said than done!

Eleanor is a very complex character, but also simple in her way of life. She has had the same job for nearly 10 years, wears the same type of clothes every day for work, but when the weekend comes, she sits alone in her flat and drinks vodka, lots of it. Is this to stop the loneliness she feels? or is it to blot out all the events from her past?

When she has good days it will make you laugh out loud, but when the bad days come, I felt myself welling up with sympathy and sadness for her.

This is a beautiful story of ultimately loneliness and how one woman comes to terms with her past to not let it define her future. There were some severe bumps along the way, but meeting Raymond gave Eleanor a lifeline to a future, but will Eleanor be able to see past the blinkers that have partially covered her eyes for so many years and let everyone know that she is completely fine, or will memories from her childhood take their toll?

I truly think this is one of the best books I have ever read and it certainly gave me a "book hangover". I'm not going to lie, but I had a weep at the end, just because it had finished and I really didn't want it to be. Just stunning.

Strangers

by

C.L. Taylor

BLOG TOUR

I have been a fan of C.L. Taylor from her very first psychological thriller, The Accident, was published in 2014 and am thrilled to be a part of the blog tour for her first hardback book, Strangers. If you haven't read any of Cally's books yet, why not?! You will be gripped from the very first page I guarantee. I've even got my son hooked now!

You can read my review of this fabulous new novel below. I do feel sorry for Cally as she writes such fantastic, heart racing books, that she is under so much pressure to write more! but as a super fan, all I can say is, please carry on writing such wonderful books! Sorry, not sorry! xx

Blerb
Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.
Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.
And Alice is being stalked.
None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.

Review


Having read all of CL Taylor's previous books, I have never yet been ahead of the game and knew who the killer was or what was going to happen. Please don't invite me to be on your team for any murder mystery evening as I am useless!


Strangers is no exception. I had no idea who the victim was going to be and "who did it".


There are three main characters in this book. Ursula is dealing with the death of her boyfriend and as a result of PTSD, she can't help herself when it comes to stealing, particularly shoplifting.


Gareth is a Security Guard in the shopping centre that Ursula frequently shoplifts, but he has problems of his own with looking after his mother who has Dementia and colleagues who will think nothing of "shopping him in" should he make a single mistake at work.


Alice is the manager of the fashion outlet that Ursula often frequents and is just starting a new relationship with Simon who is not who he seems and when she starts being stalked, she takes it upon herself to find out who it is.


In the midst of all these characters there is a dead body, but you don't find out until near the end who it is. It's a fabulous story and very cleverly thought through how all the characters become connected.


I loved the short chapters and finding out about all the characters and why they behaved the way they did.


I loved this one also and I do feel for the author as she writes such fabulous books and is always constantly under pressure to write faster! If you read Strangers, you will understand why. I would totally recommend this book and all of CL Taylor's previous ones too. Well done Cally, keep 'em coming!

Where the Crawdads Sing

by

Delia Owens

For years, rumors of the 'Marsh Girl' have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens.

Review

When Kya's mother walks away from the family home and her drunken father disappears for weeks on end, Kya is forced at a very young age to look after herself in the marshes of North Carolina. Although the Marshes are all she has ever known, it can still be a very scary place when you are left on your own.

Kya is forever hiding from people who could possibly do her harm in the marshes and even more so, she is trying to avoid the truant officer, but one day her luck runs out and she is forced to attend school.

When Kya arrives at school she feels just as lonely as she does in the swamps and when the other kids make fun of her, including Chase Andrews, she decides school isn't for her and after only one day, she doesn't go back.

Whilst riding through the many swamps in her run down old boat, Kya often sees a boy who waves at her and after a while they become unlikely friends. Tate has the same interests in Kya, birds, seashells, and nature in general. They form a friendship that Kya is desperate for and Tate is in awe of her knowledge of the local swamps.


Will Kya find the happy ending and family that she so craves? or will everyone she meets leave her like her family did?


When I bought a copy of this book the lady behind the counter said it is a story that will stay with me for a long time and she was right. I loved it and it is so well written and descriptive that I cannot wait for it to be turned into a film (watch this space!).


I know this book will be a bit like Marmite, you will either love it or hate it, but I am so glad that I read it and it is one of my top 10 reads of all time.




To order a copy of this book click here

People Like Us

by

Louise Fein

BLOG TOUR

As soon as I read the blurb about this book, I just knew it was going to be my cup of tea! I loved it and you can read my review below. If you love books like The Tattooist of Auschwitz, then you will love this heart-wrenching read.

About the book

Leipzig, 1930's Germany.

Hetty Heinrich is a young girl growing up under Nazi rule. With an SS officer father, a brother in the Luftwaffe and a member of the BDM, Hetty is the epitome of a perfect German child.
But Walter changes everything. Blond haired, blue-eyed, perfect in every way Walter. The boy who saved her life. A Jew.
As she falls more and more in love with a man who is against all she has been taught, Hetty begins to question everything. Will the steady march of dark forces destroy their world, or can love ultimately triumph?
Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Book Thief and Kate Furnivall.


Review
Hetty is the daughter of an SS Officer and lives in a big house with her parents and her brother Karl. She has heard rumours about how they got to live in the house, but she believes her father (Vati) is a very important man and it came with his job. Little did she know, that a jewish family had to give up the right to live their just because of their faith.


Whilst playing in a lake when she was young, Hetty is saved by Walter who she knows she will be eternally grateful to. She develops a crush on him, with his blond hair and blue eyes and at the very least, wants to be friends with him, but when his family is sent away she doesn't understand why, because surely he can't be a jew?


Meanwhile Tomas has feelings for Hetty, but will his intentions be honourable?


This is a fabulous story of love, loss, friendship, loyalty and so many other feelings and I truly loved it. I really don't want to give too much away of the storyline as I think you need to read it for yourself to catch the atmosphere of the era.


A wonderfully researched book which had characters you will love and hate at the same time! I wouldn't hesitate to read another book by this author.

About the author

Louise Fein holds an MA in Creative Writing from St Mary’s University. Prior to studying for her master’s, she ran a commodity consultancy business following a career in banking and law. She lives in Surrey with her family. People Like Us is inspired by her family history, and by the alarming parallels she sees between the early 30s and today.





Follow Louise:  
Facebook: @LouiseFeinAuthor
Twitter: @FeinLouise



Buy links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2rl61Pk
Waterstones: https://bit.ly/2KRRMYV
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2DcJEOA
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2OM1iy7








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