Review for The Corset by Laura Purcell

The Corset by Laura Purcell 
Publisher: Raven Books
Release: 20th September 2018
Genre: Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction, Gothic Fiction
Source: Proof copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"Is prisoner Ruth Butterham mad or a murderer? Victim or villain? 

Dorothea and Ruth. Prison visitor and prisoner. Powerful and powerless. Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor and awaiting trial for murder.

When Dorothea's charitable work leads her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted with the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a person's skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets teenage seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another theory: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread. For Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches.

The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creations - of bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresses - will shake Dorothea's belief in rationality, and the power of redemption.

Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer?"

Review
In a Victorian prison for women, teenager Ruth Butterham is awaiting execution for the most peculiar of crimes. Ruth claims she can kill with intent through her sewing, cursing her pieces as she stitches so that the wearer of her garments meets an untimely death. Is Ruth really a murderer or just mad? As Dorothea Truelove, an eccentric young heiress with a morbid fascination for murder sits with Ruth day after day and listens to her story unfold she begins to question everything she thought she knew about science, fate and those who kill.

I fell in love with Laura Purcell’s writing last year when I read her debut novel The Silent Companions and was highly anticipating her follow up The Corset. Purcell has a real talent for writing about the strange and the macabre, her books have such an unsettling atmosphere about them. When you’re reading a Laura Purcell book you get so caught up in the uneasy sensation of wrongness that makes her novels so deliciously dark and impossible to put down.

The book is told in a dual narrative between Ruth and Dorothea with Ruth’s chapters relaying her past, and Dorothea’s reflecting on Ruth’s case. I must admit that although the dual narrative worked well I much preferred Ruth’s chapters and was always impatient to get back to her story. I came to care deeply about Ruth in a way I wasn’t anticipating. Her past is horrifying to read about, and I so badly wanted to wrap her up in cotton wool and get justice for her.

Whilst The Silent Companions was spooky The Corset is a different sort of read and feels more disturbing than scary compared to its predecessor. However, both books have the same unique paranormal element to them that makes them stand out against your typical gothic horror stories. The Corset looks at the idea of curses, intention and magical thinking asking the question can we really hurt others with our thoughts alone? It’s a question I puzzled over whilst reading Ruth’s story right up to the final page.

The Corset is an absolute blighter of a book that’s screaming to be adapted into a BBC series. The brooding atmosphere, nuanced characters and lingering sense of dread is gripping stuff and perfect for autumn reading. Laura Purcell is the queen of gothic chillers and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Review for Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake

Girl Made of Stars 
by Ashley Herring Blake 
Publisher: HMH Books
Release: 15th May 2018
Genre: YA, Contemporary, LGBT+
Source: ARC gifted from a friend

Synopsis: 

""I need Owen to explain this. Because yes, I do know that Owen would never do that, but I also know Hannah would never lie about something like that." 

Mara and Owen are about as close as twins can get. So when Mara's friend Hannah accuses Owen of rape, Mara doesn't know what to think. Can the brother she loves really be guilty of such a violent crime? Torn between the family she loves and her own sense of right and wrong, Mara is feeling lost, and it doesn't help that things have been strained with her ex-girlfriend and best friend since childhood, Charlie. 

As Mara, Hannah, and Charlie navigate this new terrain, Mara must face a trauma from her own past and decide where Charlie fits in her future. With sensitivity and openness, this timely novel confronts the difficult questions surrounding consent, victim blaming, and sexual assault." 

Review 

Mara's just trying to get through her break up with her ex-girlfriend Charlie and write for her school's feminist newspaper when her world comes crashing down around her. Mara's twin brother and rock Owen has been accused of rape. The victim? Her best friend Hannah. Mara knows that Owen would never, could never, do such a thing. But she also knows Hannah and she would never lie about something like that. As Mara tries to navigate this new world and make sense of what happened that night memories of her own concealed trauma come back to her and Mara is finally forced to confront her own truth.

Girl Made of Stars was one of my most anticipated books of 2018, the impossible situation Mara finds herself in felt like such a timely and important subject matter that I was so ready for and despite such high expectations this book did not let me down at all. I'm not sure I have the words to eloquently articulate how much I loved this book. It was everything I needed a book about victim blaming and female solidarity to be.

One of the aspects I loved about this book is that Mara and her mother both identify as feminists, yet they still desperately wanted to believe Owen's version of events. One of the most important messages this book holds is what a grey area rape can be. Men we love and respect can rape, people in relationships can be raped, women who have had sex with their attacker before can be raped and when those women step forward with their stories they deserve to be believed and supported in ways that the legal system and society is not doing right now. I loved the message at the heart of this story on the importance of believing women, even when it's easier not to.

There is so much diversity in this book which I always appreciate, and I loved the complicated relationship Mara had with her ex-girlfriend Charlie and her own sexuality. Another thing this book does so well is show the after effects of abuse and the trauma that follows. It's something I could personally relate to and my heart broke reading about these girls, their broken parts and their inner strength. I loved how Ashley Herring Blake didn't shy away from the harsh truths of rape culture. This book holds no easy answers, but it does offer hope and show that there is life after abuse. Girl Made of Stars is a truly beautiful yet heartbreakingly important read that I can't recommend enough.

Blog Tour: Review for Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris and Giveaway

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris 
Publisher: HQ
Release: 8th March 2018
Genre: Thriller
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"A young British couple are driving through France on holiday when they stop for gas. He runs in to pay, she stays in the car. When he returns her car door has been left open, but she's not inside. No one ever sees her again.

Ten years later he's engaged to be married; he's happy, and his past is only a tiny part of his life now. Until he comes home from work and finds his new wife-to-be is sitting on their sofa. She's turning something over in her fingers, holding it up to the light. Something that would have no worth to anyone else, something only he and she would know about because his future wife is the sister of his missing first love.

As more and more questions are raised, their relationship becomes strained. Has his first love somehow come back to him after all this time? Or is the person who took her playing games with his mind?"

Review 
B.A. Paris is one of my favourite psychological thriller authors, she puts her characters in these impossible situations and I can never turn the pages fast enough as I’m desperate to see how the story will unfold.

This time in Bring Me Back we’re following Finn whose girlfriend Layla went missing 12 years ago whilst the couple were on holiday in France. On their journey home Finn pulls their car into a rest stop but once he returns from the bathroom Layla has vanished, never to be found.

Now in the present-day Finn is engaged to be married to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Not long after their engagement Finn comes home to find Ellen clutching a Russian doll a symbol that holds huge significance between Layla and Ellen and their past. As more Russian dolls are left for them and Finn starts to receive emails from somebody claiming to be Layla the past comes rushing back to haunt them. Is Layla still alive? And if she is what really happened to her that day in France all those years ago?

Once again B.A. Paris had me absolutely absorbed in her writing. Right from the start you know that Finn is a suspicious character and that we’re not getting the whole truth from him but you’re never sure how much he is to blame for what happened to Layla. I loved playing detective and trying to guess what happened back then and if Layla truly is alive and well in the present day.

I also loved the role that the Russian dolls had to play in this book. It gave the story a distinctly horror-esque vibe that you don’t often see in thrillers, adding another chilling piece to this complex puzzle.

I have to say that I did have some mixed feelings on the ending to this one. I found that I had to suspend belief a little too much for my liking but it’s also an ending that got me thinking and discussing the situation with my friends to see what they’d do and I love when a book leaves you thinking long after you finish it.

Overall Bring Me Back is another gripping domestic noir from B.A. Paris and I’m already eagerly anticipating her next book.

As part of the blog tour I'm giving away a copy of Bring Me Back! 

Make sure you enter over on Twitter 

⭐GIVEAWAY⭐
Win a copy of #BringMeBack by @BAParisAuthor
RT & Follow @JessHeartsBooks to enter
UK only #bookbloggers #thriller #blogtour #giveaway #win #forgetsleephttps://t.co/S96jOnScYo @HQstories pic.twitter.com/Zn8heWrcFd

— Jess Hearts Books (@JessHeartsBooks) February 23, 2018

Don't miss the rest of the blog tour!

Review for I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman

I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release: 5th April 2018
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis: 

"A powerful story of empathy and friendship from the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of If I Stay.

Around the time that Freya loses her voice while recording her debut album, Harun is making plans to run away from everyone he has ever loved, and Nathaniel is arriving in New York City with a backpack, a desperate plan, and nothing left to lose. When a fateful accident draws these three strangers together, their secrets start to unravel as they begin to understand that the way out of their own loss might just lie in help­ing the others out of theirs.

An emotionally cathartic story of losing love, finding love, and discovering the person you are meant to be, I Have Lost My Way is best­selling author Gayle Forman at her finest."

Review
Gayle Forman is one of my very favourite contemporary YA writers so a new release from her is always cause for much excitement! It’s been three years since her last YA book and it’s safe to say that I Have Lost My Way was everything I wanted it to be, filling up the Gayle Forman shaped hole in my life.

I Have Lost My Way follows three teenagers who literally crash into each other’s lives when they each need a friend the most. We have Freya, an online singing sensation who is tipped to be the next big star, Harun the perfect Muslim son who is about to leave his home in search of a wife and Nathaniel who is visiting New York City for the very first time. Each character has recently lost something vital and is questioning their place in the world and how to move forward. As the three of them develop a friendship they help each other confront the things that they have lost and find the courage to carve a new future for themselves.

This book reminded me a lot of Just One Day, my favourite of Gayle Forman’s books. It takes place over 24 hours in New York City but instead of a romantic relationship this time Forman explores the impact that friendship can have on our lives and how just one person’s actions can change everything.

I Have Lost My Way doesn’t give up all its secrets at once. As you get to hear from each character in the present you know that something pivotal has happened in their pasts that has led them to where they are today. Of course, in true Gayle Forman style, as you learn about each character’s story your heart breaks for them and you want nothing more than for each character to find some hope and the strength to move forward. Although I loved all three characters so much my favourite was Nathaniel, his story was the one that moved me to tears.

Overall, I Have Lost My Way is another triumph for Gayle Forman. This book features a wealth of much needed representation on topics such as child carers, mental illness, suicide and coming out, to name just a few, and is handled in a compassionate manner that felt carefully researched. This short but powerful book packs an emotional punch and is one that I’d highly recommend to anybody who likes poignant writing on hard hitting topics.

Review for Far From The Tree by Robin Benway

Far From The Tree by Robin Benway 
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release: 8th February 2018
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review




Synopsis:

"'Sometimes, family hurts each other. But after that’s done you bandage each other up, and you move on. Together. So you can go and think that you’re some lone wolf, but you’re not. You’ve got us now, like it or not, and we’ve got you.'

When 16 year-old Grace gives up her baby for adoption, she decides that the time has come to find out more about her own biological mother. Although her biological mum proves elusive, her search leads her to two half-siblings she never knew existed. 

Maya, 15, has been adopted by wealthy parents and seems to have the picture-perfect family – that is, if you look past her alcoholic mother and the fact that Maya stands out like a sore thumb.

Older brother Joaquin hasn’t been so lucky. At 18, he’s shuffled between foster home after foster home, always careful never to get attached to anyone or anything, because it always gets taken away. 

When these three siblings come together, they find in themselves the place they can belong, while the secrets they guard threaten to explode..."

Review 
I’ve been a huge fan of Robin Benway’s books ever since I read her debut novel Audrey, Wait! way back in 2013 so when I saw that she was releasing Far From The Tree, a new book all about adoptive families (a personal buzzword of mine) this year I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! Thanks to the publisher I didn’t have to wait for very long and I devoured my proof copy over a couple of days. 

Robin Benway’s writing is so gorgeous. She has a way of getting across exactly what her characters are feeling so that you connect with them on an emotional level straight away. This book opens on our main character Grace having just given birth and putting her baby up for adoption. I was immediately thrown into Grace’s shoes and felt her loss tremendously. Being an adopted child herself, this pivotal moment puts Grace on the path of reaching out to her biological siblings Maya and Joaquin in attempts to track down their birth mother.

The book follows the perspectives of Grace, Maya and Joaquin in alternating chapters and I came to care about each sibling so much. Maya has always felt like she’s never quite fit in with her adoptive family and Joaquin has serious trust issues after spending his entire life bouncing from one foster family to another.

One of my favourite things about this book was seeing the relationship that the siblings have develop over time as they let each other in and built a support system. Having experience with adoption in my own family, I have to say that I thought that Robin Benway represented the topic really well. I love family based YA Contemporary and found it so refreshing to read a book about adoption, something that I think that the genre is severely lacking.

Far From The Tree is a beautifully written, emotionally evocative novel that looks at different types of families, sibling relationships and how sometimes home isn’t a place, it’s a person. If you’re after diverse books about modern families I can’t recommend this one enough!

Review for Warcross by Marie Lu

Warcross by Marie Lu 
Publisher: Penguin
Release: 14th September 2017
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis: 

"For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn't just a game - it's a way of life. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships - only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she's going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when she gets a call from the game's creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year's tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. Emika's whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she's only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire."

Review 
After the death of her father, Emika Chen uses her skills as a hacker to work as a bounty hunter for the police tracking down criminals who illegally bet on Warcross, a gaming phenomenon where a virtual world exists next to our own. Struggling to pay off her father’s own gambling debt and faced with an eviction notice, Emika risks everything to hack into the Warcross championship games only to accidentally glitch herself into the game in the process, becoming infamous overnight.

Impressed by her abilities, the games creator enigmatic Hideo Tanaka flies Emika out to Tokyo and employs her to go undercover in the game to track down an anonymous player who has been messing with the games coding.

As Emika delves deeper into the world of Warcross and grows close to its creator, she uncovers dark secrets that could change the world as they know it.

Warcross is a total thrill ride of a read! Gaming is not an area that I’m hugely familiar with, so I wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy this book, but Marie’s writing totally sweeps you up in this world bringing Warcross to life in a way that is more fun than intimidating to people less familiar with tech. Something that I found so interesting was that a lot of the technology used in this book is currently being developed. I loved exploring futuristic Tokyo and found it fascinating to think that what I was reading could very possibly be in our near future.

Em was a heroine who I immediately connected with, she’s a teenage girl who has been handed a crappy hand of cards in life but instead of sitting around feeling sorry for herself she is very proactive and uses her skills to better her future. She’s resourceful and determined and I found myself rooting for her from start to finish.

There is a side of slow burn romance which I really enjoyed especially as it added to the plot without overshadowing it completely. Hideo is in many ways Em’s mirror image. He’s been through his own heartbreak as a child and has a dark past but as an adult he puts all that energy into his talents and trying to make the world a better place. Emika and Hideo felt like a natural fit and I loved watching the mutual admiration and respect they have for each other develop into something more.

The ending is one that I half guessed, but the part that I didn’t guess literally made my jaw drop and had me muttering “No, no, nope” to myself. This ending perfectly sets up the next book with Marie Lu taking this series in a very interesting direction that has left me with so much to think about. I love when a book totally puts you in a character’s shoes and makes you question what you would do if you were them and that’s exactly the position I’m still in days after finishing Warcross.

Overall Warcross is a fresh and exciting read that looks at virtual worlds, technology and where we could be headed in the future, for better or worse.

Review for Freshers by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison

Freshers by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison 
Publisher: Chicken House
Release: 3rd August 2017
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"Uni beckons. Phoebe can't wait to be a fresher - especially since her crush from school will be there too. She'll be totally different at Uni: cooler, prettier, smarter ... the perfect potential girlfriend. She'll reinvent herself completely. But Luke's oblivious, still reeling from the fallout of the break-up with his ex. Thrown head first into a world of new friends, parties and social media disasters - can Phoebe and Luke survive the year, let alone find each other?"

Review 
I’m a massive fan of Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison’s debut novel Lobsters and am happy to confirm that with Freshers they’ve delivered another hilariously honest story on what it’s like to be a young adult.

The book is told in a dual narrative between Phoebe and Luke who went to school together and are starting their first year at the same university. Phoebe’s had a massive crush on Luke forever and she hopes that at university she’ll get the chance to come out of her shell and be the person she’s always wanted to be. Luke on the other hand had the dream high school experience as a popular jock with a beautiful long-term girlfriend. Now that he’s at uni he’s a fish out of water struggling to keep his long-distance relationship going and make new friends. As the two characters bond during freshers week we follow their relationship and the highs and lows of their lives as students.

Freshers delivered everything I was expecting from a book by Tom and Lucy. It’s funny, relatable and honestly feels like taking a peek at the lives of real teens. This book delivers all of the craziness that you’d expect from a book set during Freshers offering both painfully awkward and laugh out loud scenes. Some of my favourite moments included sexual mishaps, Phoebe and her friends standing up for the sisterhood, and Quidditch matches to name just a few.

I’d highly recommend this book about growing up, moving on and finding your place in the world. It’s an absolute must read for anyone heading off to university this year.

Review for Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
Publisher: Century
Release: 27th July 2017
Genre: Thriller, Crime Fiction
Source: Copy received from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"THEN
She was fifteen, her mother's golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.

NOW
It’s been ten years since Ellie disappeared, but Laurel has never given up hope of finding her daughter. And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet. Before too long she’s staying the night at this house and being introduced to his nine year old daughter. Poppy is precocious and pretty - and meeting her completely takes Laurel's breath away.

Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age. And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.

What happened to Ellie? Where did she go? Who still has secrets to hide?"

Review 
Then She Was Gone follows the disappearance of Ellie Mack, a fifteen-year-old girl who disappeared on her way to the library one day never to be seen or heard from again. Ten years later and her mum Laurel receives news of an update in the case when her daughter’s remains are found.

As Laurel tries to move forward, she meets a charming man called Floyd who finally brings some happiness back into her world, but when she’s introduced to his nine-year-old daughter Poppy alarm bells start ringing. Because Poppy looks just like Ellie and even has the same mannerisms and interests.

Just as Laurel thought the past had been put to rest, the truth about what really happened that day comes rushing to the present. Could Floyd have something to do with Ellie’s disappearance? And what exactly happened to her daughter all those years ago?

There are so many thrillers out there at the moment that after a while they can all start to feel very similar with the same tropes covered over and over again but Then She was Gone is a heart-breaking and harrowing story about a shocking situation that I haven’t read about before. Although you know roughly from the synopsis where this book is heading, it still managed to surprise me with the twists it took.

The story is broken up into different parts that jump between back when Ellie disappeared and the present day ten years later. I really enjoyed how in each section you get to hear from all the key players so that by the end of the book you have a complete picture of what happened with no bias toward one character and the way they see things.

Lisa Jewell is an author who evokes so much emotion in her writing. I could really feel for each character as I read from their perspective and the book constantly had me questioning what I would do if I found myself in their situation.

Then She Was Gone is a book that I gobbled up greedily at any spare moment I had, it’s certainly not a book you want to start if you have a lot going on! Although I’ve read and enjoyed a few of Lisa’s more recent books Then She Was Gone has to be my favourite yet. This is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read this year and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre.

Review for Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
Publisher: Hodder
Release: 18th May 2017
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Source: Proof copy received from Amazon Vine




Synopsis: 

"Mariko has always known that being a woman means she's not in control of her own fate. But Mariko is the daughter of a prominent samurai and a cunning alchemist in her own right, and she refuses to be ignored. When she is ambushed by a group of bandits known as the Black Clan enroute to a political marriage to Minamoto Raiden - the emperor's son - Mariko realises she has two choices: she can wait to be rescued... or she can take matters into her own hands, hunt down the clan and find the person who wants her dead.

Disguising herself as a peasant boy, Mariko infiltrates the Black Clan's hideout and befriends their leader, the rebel ronin Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, Okami. Ranmaru and Okami warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. But as Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets that will force her to question everything she's ever known."

Review 
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Ahdieh’s previous YA fantasy offering The Wrath and the Dawn but I loved the sound of Flame in the Mist so decided to give it a go and I’m so glad I did! Sometimes giving an author a second chance really pays off.

The book follows Hattori Mariko a seventeen-year-old girl who is on her way to marry the Emperor’s son when she is ambushed by the disreputable bandits the Black Clan who have been hired to kill her. All her life Mariko has been a pawn in a world ruled by men but now believed to be dead she decides to carve her own path and escape the clutches of her father and the political marriage he has arranged for her. Disguised as a boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan so that she can discover who paid to have her murdered and to earn the clan’s trust so that when they least expect it she can get her revenge on those who would have killed her.

Flame in the Mist is a retelling of Mulan and I found it to be such a refreshing take on YA fantasy. A lot of the Japanese mythology used in this book was new to me and I loved exploring a different kind of fantasy world. The authors writing and descriptions were vivid and luscious making it so easy for me to get lost in the world around me.

Mariko was hands down my favourite aspect of this book. She’s a badass feminist heroine who questions the society she lives in and constantly uses her intelligence and ideas to prove herself equal to the men around her. There were so many quotes throughout this book from Mariko on feminism that I just loved.

My main issue with The Wrath and the Dawn was that I didn’t like the romance and felt that there was too much of it but in Flame in the Mist Renee Ahdieh gets it exactly right. There is a gorgeous slow burn between Mariko and her love interest and I appreciated how it played a smaller role and didn’t overshadow Mariko’s personal development or the adventure that she’s on.

With Flame in the Mist Renee Ahdieh has really upped her game as a writer and has created a lavish fantasy world with a dark mystery at its heart. This book really ticked all of the right boxes for me and I am already eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.

Review for The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne

The Marsh King's Daughter 
by Karen Dionne 
Publisher: Sphere
Release: 29th June 2017
Genre: Crime Fiction, Thriller
Source: Proof copy borrowed from the lovely Broadbean’s Books

Synopsis:

" 'I was born two years into my mother's captivity. She was three weeks shy of seventeen. If I had known then what I do now, things would have been a lot different. I wouldn't have adored my father.'

When notorious child abductor - known as the Marsh King - escapes from a maximum security prison, Helena immediately suspects that she and her two young daughters are in danger.

No one, not even her husband, knows the truth about Helena's past: they don't know that she was born into captivity, that she had no contact with the outside world before the age of twelve - or that her father raised her to be a killer.

And they don't know that the Marsh King can survive and hunt in the wilderness better than anyone... except, perhaps his own daughter."

Review 
The Marsh King's Daughter was nothing like I expected it to be but in the best possible way! The book is narrated by Helena a woman born into captivity who spent the first twelve years of her life hidden away in the marshlands. Her whole world is made up solely of her teenage mother, her captor - who is also her father - and their daily struggle to survive in the wilderness.

Skip to the present day and Helena is a grown woman with her own husband and two young daughters who after her escape has severed all ties to her childhood in the marsh. But when her father escapes from prison she knows that he'll come after her and that it could be her daughters that he takes next.

In order to outsmart her father she has to become the daughter he raised - ruthless, feral, a skilled tracker and murderer so that she finds him before he can find her. But when it comes down to the love of a manipulative parent and the instinct to protect your children which would win?

Helena is far from your typical victim. Throughout the book we see her struggle with the side of her that is very much her father's daughter and her own complicated feelings towards him. It took me a while to really understand Helena as a character but once I did I found her fascinating to read about. I found it so interesting to read a book where the victim isn't scared of her kidnapper and instead struggles with feelings of adoration and love towards them despite knowing that she shouldn't feel that way. Helena's characterization and growth throughout the novel was the real highlight of this book for me.

The story is told in both the past and the present which kept the plot moving along at lightning speed. Although I loved the game of cat and mouse that Helena and her father played in the present day, it was the chapters set back when they lived together in the marsh that really held my attention. I loved learning about what Helena and her mother's lives were like and the cruelties that they'd experience, not only at the hands of their kidnapper, but also from the hard-living conditions of a life of solitude in the marsh.

Overall this is a story of our internal struggle between right and wrong and how that perception can become skewered for somebody who grew up idolizing and loving such a cruel parent. It's about survival and what it means to be a survivor. It's about the relationship we have with our parents and the thin line between love and hate, and it’s about the effect that our experiences as children have on our development. The Marsh King's Daughter is a phenomenal thriller and one that I'd recommend to fans of Room and anyone looking for something different and unexpected from the genre.

Blog Tour: Review for Dead Woman Walking by Sharon Bolton

Dead Woman Walking 
by Sharon Bolton 
Publisher: Bantam Press
Release: 20th April 2017
Genre: Crime Fiction, Thriller
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"Just before dawn in the hills near the Scottish border, a man murders a young woman. At the same time, a hot-air balloon crashes out of the sky. There’s just one survivor.

She’s seen the killer’s face – but he’s also seen hers. And he won’t rest until he’s eliminated the only witness to his crime.

Alone, scared, trusting no one, she’s running to where she feels safe – but it could be the most dangerous place of all..."

Review 
As a surprise for her sister's 40th birthday, Jessica Lane takes Bella on a hot air balloon ride over the beautiful Northumberland National Park but what starts off as an idyllic trip soon turns into a living nightmare as they witness a man murdering a woman in the park below them.

When the killer catches sight of the hot air balloon his gun swiftly turns on them killing their pilot, as they crash from the sky most of the passengers are killed on impact. When the police arrive on the crime scene it becomes apparent that Jessica Lane is the sole survivor of the crash and she's gone on the run because although she saw the killer's face he's also seen hers and he'll stop at nothing to make sure that every witness to his crime is dead.

Wow, wow, wow! Dead Woman Walking is an immensely clever thrill ride of a read! The first fifty pages were perhaps the most intense opening to a book that I have ever read. What starts off as your typical cat and mouse chase between the killer and his victim quickly twists and turns adding layer upon layer of mystery that overtime creates a complex plot so that by the final page all of the little threads come together creating a bigger picture. I thought I knew where I was going with this book but I was completely wrong!

The story is told from multiple points of view and alternates between different timelines using short, snappy chapters so that you're slowly drip-fed small amounts of information at a time. This kept the pace moving at breakneck speed and it was so easy to think 'just one more chapter' which of course led me to read several more than I intended. I love a good twist in a book and this one had several that made me gasp out loud. It certainly gave me a good runaround!

The only thing that stopped Dead Woman Walking from getting the full 5 stars from me was that there were a few instances where I had to suspend belief and I couldn't always understand the actions that the characters made but this is only a small complaint as I still enjoyed the book immensely.

Dead Woman Walking is one of the best crime novels that I've read so far in 2017. With an intricate plot, fleshed out characters and twists galore it ticks all the boxes that make up an outstanding thriller. Don't miss it!

Follow the rest of the blog tour!

Blog Tour: Review for The Little Teashop of Lost and Found by Trisha Ashley

The Little Teashop of Lost and Found 
by Trisha Ashley 
Publisher: Bantam Press
Release: 9th March 2017
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Chick-lit
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"Alice Rose is a foundling, discovered on the Yorkshire moors above Haworth as a baby. Adopted but then later rejected again by a horrid step-mother, Alice struggles to find a place where she belongs. Only baking – the scent of cinnamon and citrus and the feel of butter and flour between her fingers – brings a comforting sense of home.

So it seems natural that when she finally decides to return to Haworth, Alice turns to baking again, taking over a run-down little teashop and working to set up an afternoon tea emporium.

Luckily she soon makes friends – including a Grecian god-like neighbour – who help her both set up home and try to solve the mystery of who she is. There are one or two last twists in the dark fairytale of Alice’s life to come . . . but can she find her happily ever after?"

Review 
The Little Teashop of Lost and Found follows the story of Alice Rose a woman who hasn’t had the kindest start to life. Abandoned on the Yorkshire moors as a baby she’s adopted by a wonderful father only for him to pass away. So when her fiancé is also killed in an accident at work distraught Alice decides to use the money left to her in his will to start over in the village where she was found. 

Calling upon her talent for baking, Alice opens up a little teashop to make ends meet by day and by night she escapes into the fairytale stories that she writes about. As Alice searches for her birth mother and digs deeper into her own history she finds that how she ended up on the moors above Haworth is very much a mystery. So far Alice’s life has been far from a fairytale but will unlocking the secrets of her past and following her dreams lead her to her very own happy ending?

I found The Little Teashop of Lost and Found to be such a page turner! I loved the Yorkshire setting, the proper Northern locals and Alice’s adventures in setting up her own teashop but what really kept me gripped was the mystery running throughout this book surrounding Alice’s past and the identity of her birth mother. Between each chapter we are given little snippets from her birth mother’s point of view and I loved trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

Alice is incredibly hard working and I enjoyed the fact that outside of her day job she’s also a writer. Seeing her juggle two jobs and pursue different hobbies made her feel a lot more real to me than your average Women’s Fiction heroine. There’s also a fantastic cast of secondary characters who I fell in love with from Tilda and Nell the rudest waitresses in Yorkshire, to the Giddings family who take Alice under their wing I loved being in the company of so many warm and interesting characters.

Overall The Little Teashop of Lost and Found is a heart-warming and charming adult fairytale about family, starting over, self-discovery and finding a place to call home.

Follow the rest of the blog tour

Blog Tour: Review for The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman by Mindy Mejia

The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman 
by Mindy Mejia 
Publisher: Quercus
Release: 9th March 2017
Genre: Thriller
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

Eighteen-year-old Hattie Hoffman is a talented actress, loved by everyone in her Minnesotan hometown. When she's found stabbed to death on the opening night of her school play, the tragedy rips through the fabric of the community.

Sheriff Del Goodman, a close friend of Hattie's dad, vows to find her killer, but the investigation yields more secrets than answers: it turns out Hattie played as many parts offstage as on. Told from three perspectives, Del's, Hattie's high school English teacher and Hattie herself, The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman tells the story of the Hattie behind the masks, and what happened in that final year of her life. . .

Wonderfully evocative of its Midwestern setting and with a cast of unforgettable characters, this is a book about manipulation of relationships and identity; about the line between innocence and culpability; about the hope love offers and the tragedies that occur when it spins out of control.

Review
The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman was an incredibly addictive read that completely surpassed my expectations! Despite being marketed for adults, I can see this book being popular with mature teen readers too because of Hattie’s strong YA voice. It’s a book shrouded in mystery and intrigue and every chapter ends in a way that leaves you wanting more. I found myself flying through this book desperate to know the real Hattie Hoffman and her secrets.

The book follows the life and death of Hattie Hoffman, a small town girl with big dreams of becoming an actress and making it big in New York City. Little do her friends and family know, Hattie is already getting in good practise as she plays the roles of star pupil, the Jock’s girlfriend and the wholesome girl next door whilst inside she hides a dark secret that could ruin the lives of several people.

When Hattie’s body is discovered local Sheriff and Hattie’s father’s best friend, Del Goodman, digs into Hattie’s life and learns that she was not the girl she appeared to be. As the final curtain closes on Hattie’s last act, Del must unearth the secrets of Hattie Hoffman and deal with the fallout of a small town shook by his findings.

The story switches between following the last few months of Hattie’s life to the present day when her body is first discovered. I really enjoyed the shifting timeline as we got to hear from Hattie herself meaning that we as the readers are the only people who really get to know the true Hattie Hoffman before her death. I loved getting inside Hattie’s head and witnessing her make the choices that you know will later on have huge consequences. In the present we get to hear from Del as he investigates Hattie’s murder and although I didn’t find his voice as compelling as Hattie’s, I loved watching him unearth the remains of the true Hattie Hoffman and bring them into the light for everyone to see.

The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman is a fascinating read that looks at manipulation, blame and desire and leaves you with plenty to think about. If you like books with complex characters that have you questioning everything you think you know about right and wrong you won’t want to miss this book!

Follow the rest of the blog tour

Review for The Breakdown by B A Paris

The Breakdown by B A Paris
Publisher: HQ
Release: 9th February 2017
Genre: Thriller, Crime, Mystery
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?

It all started that night in the woods.

Cass Anderson didn’t stop to help the woman in the car, and now she’s dead.

Ever since, silent calls have been plaguing Cass and she’s sure someone is watching her.

Consumed by guilt, she’s also starting to forget things. Whether she took her pills, what her house alarm code is – and if the knife in the kitchen really had blood on it.

Bestselling author B A Paris is back with a brand new psychological thriller full of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat."

Review
When you write a debut as good as Behind Closed Doors there’s a lot of pressure for your next book to live up to the same high standard. Behind Closed Doors was one of my favourite Thrillers of last year so naturally I was worried that The Breakdown wouldn’t live up to it but I needn’t have been because The Breakdown was every bit as good as its predecessor proving that B A Paris is so much more than a one hit wonder and has a promising career ahead of her.

One stormy night our heroine Cass takes a detour through the woods eager to get out of the storm and home to her gorgeous cottage and partner. As she drives she notices a breakdown on the side of the road but despite her concern doesn’t stop to help. The next morning she wakes up to the news that the woman in the broken down car from the night before has been found dead. Wracked with guilt, Cass can’t get the woman out of her head and since that night has been forgetting things and receiving silent phone calls. As Cass breaks down into a spiral of guilt and paranoia she begins to suspect that what happened to the woman in the car is somehow connected to her and that the murderer is coming for her next.

The Breakdown is quite a different read compared to Behind Closed Doors. With Behind Closed Doors we knew what was happening whereas The Breakdown is more of a mystery that really keeps you guessing. I love an unreliable narrator and we certainly get that with Cass, you’re never sure if what she says happened is the truth or the fantasies of a paranoid woman on the verge of a breakdown. The suspense and tension throughout the book make it impossible to put down. Like Cass, I was never sure what to believe or who to trust.

The Breakdown is the kind of book that has you jumping at the slightest noise and looking behind you as you walk home. B A Paris is a hugely talented writer and I’m already anticipating what she writes next.

Review for My Sweet Revenge by Jane Fallon

My Sweet Revenge by Jane Fallon
Publisher: Penguin
Release: 12th January 2017
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review




Synopsis:

"I want to make my husband fall back in love with me. 

Let me explain. This isn't an exercise in 1950s wifeydom. I haven't been reading articles in old women's magazines. 'Twenty ways to keep your man'. That couldn't be further from the truth. 

I want him to fall back in love with me so that when I tell him to get the hell out of my life he'll care. He won't just think, 'Oh good'.  
I want it to hurt.

Paula has had Robert's back since they got together as drama students. She gave up her dreams so he could make it. Now he's one of the nation's most popular actors. And Paula's just discovered he's having an affair.

She's going to remind Robert just what he's sacrificing. And then she's going to break his heart like he broke hers. It will be her greatest acting role ever.

Revenge is sweet. Isn't it?"

Review 
I’ve been hearing great things about Jane Fallon’s books for years so when My Sweet Revenge dropped through my letterbox for review I was so excited to give it a go. I’m an absolute sucker for stories about revenge and this book, true to its title, is one of the sweetest, most satisfying revenge stories that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.

When Paula finds out that her husband is having an affair she has two options:

1.) Confront him, get a divorce, and watch him ride off into the sunset with his mistress

or

2.) Make her husband fall back in love with her before telling him to sling his hook for good

Paula has already sacrificed so much for Robert and their marriage, hurt and angry she decides that she’s going to show Robert exactly what he’s missing so that when she leaves she’ll hurt him like he’s hurt her. It’s time to give her darling husband a taste of his own medicine. After all, revenge is a dish best served cold.

My Sweet Revenge is the most entertaining book that I’ve read in a while. Paula is such an easy character to love and you root for her from start to finish. This book has so many twists and turns that it could give a thriller a run for its money! It’s an incredibly moreish read that I found myself returning to at any spare moment because I just had to know what would happen next.

The only thing that stopped this book from getting a 5 star rating from me was the fact that Paula lost weight to make Robert fall in love with her again. It’s a trope that I’m tired of seeing and made this book slightly less enjoyable for me personally. I’d much rather Paula have got her revenge staying exactly as she was, because even at her heaviest she deserved better than Robert.

That being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed My Sweet Revenge, so much so that I immediately went out and bought Jane Fallon’s Strictly Between Us after finishing this one.

My Sweet Revenge is smart and sassy women’s fiction at its best. Jane Fallon has a new fan in me!

Review for The Dry by Jane Harper

The Dry by Jane Harper
Publisher: Little Brown
Release: 12th January 2017
Genre: Crime Fiction
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke’s steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. But now more than one person knows they didn’t tell the truth back then, and Luke is dead.

Amid the worst drought in a century, Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. As Falk reluctantly investigates to see if there’s more to Luke’s death than there seems to be, long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them. And Falk will find that small towns have always hidden big secrets."

Review 
In the small dried up country town of Kiewarra Australia, three gunshots are fired on another blisteringly hot day. Three lives are taken and the smoking barrel is found next to the corpse of Luke Hadler, the husband and father of the other two victims. All evidence points to Luke Hadler killing his family before turning the gun on himself.

When policeman Aaron Falk returns to his hometown for his childhood best friend Luke’s funeral he can’t help but get caught up in the case, but Kiewarra is a ghost town of bad memories for Aaron after him and his father were run out of town many years ago when Aaron was a suspect in the death of local teen girl Ellie Deacon.

Despite being hounded by the locals upon his return, Aaron is determined to find out what really happened to the Hadler family, because in a town as desperate as Kiewarra everyone has a motive to kill.

The Dry was such an accomplished crime debut, Jane Harper’s writing is so vivid that I could almost taste the dirt and feel the heat of the sun on my skin as I was reading. The setting was so clear and vivid to me that it made the reading experience feel cinematic. The farming town of Kiewarra practically becomes a character in itself, it’s a place where desperation hangs heavy in the air making you feel like anything could happen.

The plot is incredibly well crafted intertwining the build up to the death of Ellie Deacon all those years ago and the fall out of the Hadler murders in the present day with effortless ease. Every character in this book felt so well developed with their own agendas and secrets which made me suspect everyone at some point or another.

Overall The Dry was an atmospheric and compelling study on what people are capable of when they’re pushed to the brink.