Books on Tour - The Marriage Trap by Sheryl Browne

Today I am taking part in Bookouture's Books on Tour promotion to celebrate Sheryl Browne's new release, The Marriage Pact.

My husband has been keeping secrets for a long time. He thinks I don’t know what he does outside of this house. But I know everything…

Karla watches silently as Jason hurriedly packs his belongings into a suitcase. She knows that her stillness is unnerving him as she watches his every move from the doorway of their bedroom.

Clothes are screwed up and packed into the case, along with a watch she bought him for his last birthday and his precious laptop. He takes everything from his bedside table. Everything except the framed wedding photo, which now stands alone. Karla strains to see the smiling faces in the photo. If only she knew then what she knows now. 

‘I’ve fallen in love with someone else,’ he’d said to her, just moments earlier. The brutality of those words hit Karla hard and she struggled to breathe as she took in each word in turn.

You may think you know what Karla will do next. But you’ll be wrong. Because Karla isn't who you think she is. Only she knows what's about to happen. And you will never see it coming.

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller for readers who loved The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Other Woman. With twists you’ll never see coming, you will not be able to put this one down!



Sheryl Browne is a local Worcestershire author and I have read most of her books and really enjoy every book. Her writing style is getting better and better with every book she releases and The Marriage Trap is no exception.

'The Marriage Pact' is a great psychological thriller which keeps the reader on the edge of their seat throughout with many twists and turns along the way and has a satisfying, and unexpected ending which I loved and did not expect.

Sheryl Browne will be taking part in a Crime Panel event at The Hive, Worcester along with Carla Kovach and Sue Watson on Thursday 17th October at 7pm.
Thank you to the publishers, Bookouture, for inviting me to take part in their Books on Tour and a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - Oh Henry by Morgen Bailey

Today I am taking part in Morgen Bailey's blog tour to celebrate 'Oh Henry', her first book featuring Henry Houdini,The Dog Detective

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Henry, a talking Jack Russell, is part of a small team researching a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. He is the target of several dognappers but can he use his wit or guile to outwit them and, with the help of laboratory assistant Gwynne, find the proof needed to convict the criminals. Thus begins a series of adventures for the unlikely pair. There have been amateur sleuths, there have been talking animals – Henry is both. This is Family Guy's Brian meets Poirot meets My Fair Lady.

Oh Henry - when I first heard about this book I was unsure what to expect however I am glad that I picked it up because it is a good read.

Morgen had a brilliant idea of characterising a cute dog, a Jack Russell, who is taking part in a medical experiment to try to find a cure for MS. Although testing on animals is a controversial subject, Oh Henry, is just a fun read that I can't wait to read the sequel!

While reading the book I loved the investigative element and as I continued to read I forgot that it was a dog as the main character and I just enjoyed the characters and the plot.

Thank you to Morgen Bailey and Sarah Hardy for inviting me to take part in the blog tour in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - Mummy Need a Break by Susan Edmunds

Today I am taking part in Avon Books' blog tour to celebrate the publication of Susan Edmunds' 'Mummy Needs a Break'.

A hilarious story of the ups and downs of unexpected single motherhood, the perfect laugh-out-loud romance for fans of Why Mummy Drinks, The Unmumsy Mum and The Not So Perfect Mum.

With a devilish toddler and baby number two on the way, Rachel’s big dream is to one day go to the toilet on her own. So, she’s surprised to discover that her husband has found the time to have an exciting affair while she’s been bringing up their family.

Suddenly, Rachel is left wrangling with a child who will only eat crackers and a 35-week bump. She knows even Mumsnet isn’t going to solve this.

What Rachel needs is a handsome, good-with-children, single man. But she can barely leave the house without a stain on her top and child on her hip. How on earth can she claim her life back, let alone thinking about dating?

The publisher's, Avon Books, have given me an extract to share with my blog readers...……..

Somehow, less than half an hour later, the story was filed. I tried to push the image out of my mind of the store owner trotting to her car, wielding keys positioned between her fingers. There was still a continuous rhythm of bangs and thuds reverberating from Thomas’s room as he rolled around in his bed, his knees colliding with the wall. I gathered the empty glasses and plates from around my desk and carried them through to the kitchen.

As I placed them in the soapy suds still stewing in the sink, I became aware that Stephen’s phone was buzzing on the counter, the vibration moving it across the shiny surface. It was a rare sighting of his phone in the wild. Stephen’s phone was normally either at his ear, in his hand or his pocket. He had even taken a brief call while I was in labour with Thomas – apparently, there was something more pressing happening that afternoon at the building firm he owned. I hadn’t let him forget that one.

I kept my hands in the water, idly picking away at determined blue playdough under my nails. How long should I hang back before I ventured down the hallway and relieved Stephen? At some point, all kids have to fall asleep, right? Even with dads who were no doubt giving in to requests for one more story or an extra bedtime song.

The phone buzzed again. I turned it over. It was a message, not a call, and from a number that I didn’t recognise. ‘Miss you,’ the message blinked. Surely a wrong number.

I swiped to unlock the phone, putting in the date of our wedding anniversary as the security code. It brought up a text exchange with the unsaved contact. Odd.

Blog Tour - Someone Else's Baby by Ruby Speechly

Today I am taking part in Hera Books' blog tour to celebrate the publication of Ruby Speechley's novel, Someone Else's Baby.

She gave away her children. Now she wants them back.

Charlotte Morgan knows how it feels to desperately want a baby. As a child, seeing her mum devastated by losing her longed-for babies, Charlotte wished another woman could give her mother what she so craved.

Now Charlotte’s a mum herself, and knowing how much love her daughter, Alice, brings into her life, she vows to help others achieve their dreams of becoming a parent.

When she meets Malcolm and Brenda on a surrogacy website, it seems that she has found the perfect couple. In their late forties, they’ve spent their life building a successful business and traveling the world, but there’s just one thing missing – a child of their own.

When Charlotte falls pregnant with twins, the pair are overjoyed. And while Charlotte’s heart breaks as she hands them over, her reward is knowing how much happiness the two tiny babies are going to bring into their life.

But are Malcolm and Brenda all they seem? As secrets become unraveled, Charlotte is forced to face that she has handed her babies over to virtual strangers. And when Malcolm and Brenda disappear without a trace, Charlotte is plunged into a frantic search for the babies she carried – before it’s too late…

A gripping psychological thriller with a heart-stopping ending – readers of The Wife Between Us, Rachel Abbott and C.L Taylor will not want to put this down…She gave away her children. Now she wants them back.

Charlotte Morgan knows how it feels to desperately want a baby. As a child, seeing her mum devastated by losing her longed-for babies, Charlotte wished another woman could give her mother what she so craved.

Now Charlotte’s a mum herself, and knowing how much love her daughter, Alice, brings into her life, she vows to help others achieve their dreams of becoming a parent.

When she meets Malcolm and Brenda on a surrogacy website, it seems she's found the perfect couple. In their late forties, they have wealth and an enviable life, but there’s one thing missing – a child of their own.

When Charlotte falls pregnant with twins, the pair are overjoyed. And while Charlotte’s heart breaks as she hands them over, her reward is knowing how much happiness the two tiny babies are going to bring into their life.

But are Malcolm and Brenda all they seem? As secrets become unravelled, Charlotte is forced to face that she has given her children to virtual strangers. And when Malcolm and Brenda disappear without a trace, Charlotte is plunged into a frantic search for the babies she carried – before it’s too late…


'Someone Else's Baby' tackles the difficult subject of Surrogacy, a topic that creates much debate and one that I find intriguing and I am not sure that I could do this myself but think that the ladies who do are truly amazing.

Charlotte is the amazing surrogate and, after meeting with Malcolm and Brenda via a surrogacy website, becomes pregnant with twins. As her pregnancy progresses there are times where it appears that there is something that Malcolm and Brenda are hiding, they don't appear revealing all about their lives and this becomes apparent when they disappear with the twins after their birth.

I really enjoyed reading 'Someone Else's Baby' and I think that it would make a great book club read as I am sure that readers will have lots to discuss about the topic of Surrogacy and the reasons behind Malcom and Brenda's disappearance.

I really like Ruby's storytelling and I am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Thank you to Hera Books and Sarah Hardy for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - A Home From Home by Veronica Henry

Today I am delighted to be taking part in Orion's blog tour to celebrate the publication of Veronica Henry's latest novel, A Home From Home.

Sunshine, cider and family secrets...

Dragonfly Farm has been a home and a haven for generations of Melchiors - arch rivals to the Culbones, the wealthy family who live the other side of the river. Life there is dictated by the seasons and cider-making, and everyone falls under its spell.

For cousins Tabitha and Georgia, it has always been a home from home. When a tragedy befalls their beloved great-uncle Matthew, it seems the place where they've always belonged might now belong to them...

But the will reveals that a third of the farm has also been left to a total stranger. Gabriel Culbone has no idea why he's been included, or what his connection to the farm - or the Melchiors - can be.

As the first apples start to fall for the cider harvest, will Dragonfly Farm begin to give up its secrets?

A Home from Home is the very best of Veronica Henry's storytelling - gorgeous scenes you wish you could step into, a cast of characters who feel like friends, and an irresistibly feel-good family drama crossing three generations.

Veronica Henry is one of my go to authors, when I want a good read, with family at its heart and a great saga and A Home From Home does not disappoint. 

The Melchiors and the Culbones are the two families at the heart of A Home from Home and in years gone by have a history of rivalry but when one of the Culbornes is left a share in Dragonfly Farm, the Melchiors family home, there follows a story of family history secrets which need to be exposed to understand why this bequest has been left. 

I really enjoyed A Home from Home. It was a fabulous read which I devoured quickly. It is set in idyllic surroundings and I would love to spend a weekend at Dragonfly Farm and especially at apple harvest time as it reminds me on when my nan had lots of apple trees in her garden and I used to 'help' collecting the apples.

I really liked all the characters and I was invested in their lives, hoping that the secrets would be discovered and all would end in the best way possible. The story is revealed using a number of generations of the rival families and it was a great read and I would love to revisit Dragonfly farm again.

Thank you to the publisher, Orion, and to Random Things for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - Call Me A Liar by Colette McBeth

Today I am taking part in Headline's blog tour to celebrate the publication of Colette McBeth's latest release, Call Me A  Liar.

A new standalone psychological thriller from Colette McBeth, whose dark, twisty and hugely compelling novels are beloved of writers like Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Marian Keyes.

You could say it started with vanity. We believed we were special. But the truth is we were simply vulnerable.

One of them is lying.
One of them is guilty.
No one is safe.

Months after landing their dream job, five brilliant young minds are sent on a remote retreat. But when one of them disappears, they're forced to question why they were brought here in the first place, and how far they'd go to get what they want.

And for the first time in their lives, they realise too much knowledge can be deadly.

This is the chilling story of what happens when the idealism of youth turns toxic. Can it ever be justified to do bad things for the greater good?

Colette McBeth  has written a hard hitting, psychological thriller which draws the reader in immediately and doesn't let go until the very last page.

The story has so many twists and turns, an intricate web of lies and deceit, which have hard hitting impact and completely changes the direction of the story with no warning. The characters are a mixed bunch and the reader will love some, while detesting others. 

Thank you to Headline and to Random Things for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Blog Tour - Truth or Die by Kat Diamond

Today I am taking part in Avon Books blog tour to celebrate the publication of Kat Diamond's latest release, Truth or Die.

Their darkest secrets won’t stay buried forever…

The butchered body of a professor is found in a private office of Exeter University. It is the first in a spate of horrific murders that shakes the city to its core.

Who would target a seemingly innocent man, and why? DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles turn to his students for answers, but their investigation turns up no leads. Someone must know more than they’re letting on…

As the body count rises, the police have to look into the past to uncover the person responsible before it’s too late.

But are they brave enough to face up to the truth?

Smart, gripping, dark. The Sunday Times bestseller is back in a twisty crime thriller, perfect for fans of M.J. Arlidge’s EENY MEENY and Angela Marsons’ KIM STONE series.

'Truth or Die' is Kat Diamond's fifth novel in her popular seies featuring DS Imogen Grey and I think this is her best yet.

'Truth or Die' is a fast past, hard hitting police procedural novel where the reader is on the edge of their seat throughout. There are moments throughout the book that are gruesome and graphic, featuring violent acts but these all add to the impact of the novel. 

Avon Books have very kindly given me a short extract to share with my blog readers .......................

Adrian looked at Imogen, who then nodded over to Denise Ferguson, the duty sergeant.

‘Didn’t you say you’d help her out with booking tonight?’

‘Oh, shit.’ He remembered promising something like that. He guessed being stuck behind the front desk processing drunks on a Saturday night was better than being subjected to dating shows on TV, by yourself, because you live alone.

Valentine’s Day was not typically the quietest of nights in the station. Even if you ignored all the drunken roadside domestic disputes and the minor pub brawls because someone looked at someone else’s woman the wrong way, nationally it was still a night that saw a statistically significant increase in crime. Petty criminals taking advantage of the fact that most couples were out enjoying a romantic meal or a nice walk meant that break-ins and car theft were higher on this night than most others. 

Fingers crossed tonight would be a slow one.

‘I’m not in until Tuesday now. I’ve got a couple of personal days,’ Imogen said.

Thank you to Avon Books for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.