Two Meters From You by Heidi Stephens

 

Love might be closer than you think . . .

Gemma isn't sure what upsets her more. The fact she just caught her boyfriend cheating, or that he did it on her brand-new Heal's cushions.

All she knows is she needs to put as many miles between her and Fraser as humanly possible. So, when her best friend suggests a restorative few days in the West Country, it seems like the perfect solution.

That is, until the country enters a national lockdown that leaves her stranded. All she has for company is her dog, Mabel. And the mysterious (and handsome!) stranger living at the bottom of her garden . . .

Packed full of laugh-out-loud moments, this hugely uplifting, feel-good and sparkling romantic comedy is simply unputdownable. Perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Sophie Kinsella, Beth O'Leary and Laura Jane Williams.

What Did I Think:

I agreed to this  blog tour without realizing this book was set during the first lockdown. Did I really want to read a book set during lockdown? I sort of enjoyed the first lockdown - despite being ill ( a year ago today I was in hospital) at the start the weather was fab and for the first 16 weeks I was free to do as I please as my employer couldn't give me any IT to do my job. I have to say I only started my new job the week before so was pretty clueless about what I should be doing anyway.

But this book is just what you need to brighten your day during this third lockdown.

Gemma finds herself holed up at a friends country cottage as her love life implodes around her just as the first lockdown comes into force.Mabel the dog is her only company till she discovers Matthew who lives at the bottom of the garden. The lockdown experiences Gemma has to adjust to seem like such a long time ago now (social distancing and mask wearing) but oh so familiar. Yes it is a novel about lockdown but it does avoid the positive aspects of the whole situation.

This is a witty fun read and this is the authors debut novel. I am looking forward to her next book if this is anything to go by.

The book begins at the start of lockdown as Gemmas life implodes around her and she finds herself 

You can grab yourself a copy here.

The Lost Girls At Foxfield Hall by Jessica Thorne

 

September, 1939. The moon shines silver on the looming yew trees. Thinking of her fiancé, fighting for his life and country in the war, breaks Eleanor’s heart, but also gives her courage. She takes a deep breath, picks up her camera, and follows the dancing lights into the maze.

Present day. With her little brother Missing in Action, gardener Megan Taylor runs from her grief to take a job at Foxfield Hall – a centuries-old place full of myths and folklore – restoring the wild maze in the overgrown gardens. Throwing herself into shaping the tangled ivy, Megan soon becomes drawn into the mystery of Lady Eleanor Fairfax, the Hall’s most famous resident… the villagers say she disappeared without trace at the Harvest Festival in 1939, leaving behind a grieving father and a heartbroken fiancé.

Leafing through delicate old newspaper cuttings and gazing at an ornately framed portrait of the missing woman, Megan is full of questions. Although no body was ever found, could Eleanor have been murdered? Did she run away, unwilling to marry the man who loved her? Or, with her father working at the War Office, did Eleanor stumble upon a secret she shouldn’t have?

Then, one night under a full moon, a mesmerising light inexplicably draws her to the entrance of the maze. Megan is filled with a strange certainty that, if she follows it into the shadows, it will lead to the truth about Eleanor… but could Megan herself be the next occupant of Foxfield Hall to be lost forever?

A spellbinding, magical and addictive tale about the mysterious and ancient legends at the heart of the English countryside, and how to find those who are lost. Perfect for fans of Outlander, Susanna Kearsley and The Binding.

What Did I Think:

I will be honest and say that this is really not my usual genre of book - but isn't that cover lovely?

This story is a blend of historical fiction and fantasy and the reason I say it's not my usual genre is that I'm not very good at suspending reality.

The chapters in the book alternate between 1939 and 2019 and follows Ellie at the start of WW2 and Megan in the present day. 

The plot involves magic, mystery and folklore - something of a magical mystery ride in book form.

The story is well written and keeps you interested - thank you to both the author and to Bookouture for taking me out of my comfort zone.

Author Bio:

Jessica Thorne watched far too much sci-fi and read far too much fantasy at an impressionable age. And it was awesome. She writes fantasy and sci-fi romance with a steampunk edge and just refuses to face reality.

 

 

Author Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessThorneBooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessThorneBooks

Website: http://www.rflong.com/jessicathorne/

Buy  Link:         

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08WPZDM5GCover

Apple: http://ow.ly/Hg8l50DDmJl 

Kobo: http://ow.ly/fiuJ50DDmI2

Google: http://ow.ly/iqP350DDmPK

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

 It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

What I Read Last Week:

 Bever

What I'm Reading Now:

What I'm Going to Read Next:

Blog Tours - Sam Binnie, Beverley Harvey, Alys Murray, Jessica Thorne, Joy Kluver and Heidi Stephens.

The Pigeonhole - Helen Paris

Bookclub - Kristin Hannah

Close My Eyes by Beverley Harvey

 

t starts with a chance sighting: a face from her past, someone Beth hasn’t thought about for years. Suddenly she feels a terrifying wave of panic – the flash of a memory, of crushing weight and pain, and the flicker of firelight and smoke. Something in Beth’s past has been disturbed… And nothing will ever be the same again.

You've started to remember…
Beth never had any reason to doubt her peaceful, happy upbringing. Then she suddenly starts getting awful flashes of an event from her past – a vicious attack from an unknown person. And she thinks it could be more than just a nightmare. But how could she forget something this big?

Someone wants you to forget…
With no husband or boyfriend to turn to, she asks her trusted family and old friends for reassurance, only to hear that it must all be in her head. Meanwhile, the flashes get stronger, more frightening, and more details start to come back to her – details she knows she couldn’t have invented. But these are people who have known her all her life and have her best interests at heart. Who should she believe?

What will you risk to discover the truth?
Beth is determined to understand the meaning of these memories even if it means going it alone. But is she prepared for what she will find? Because the truth will ruin someone’s life – and they will stop at nothing to keep the past forgotten.

A heart-stopping psychological suspense novel that asks: who would you trust the most? Your friends? Your family? Or your own mind? Fans of T.M. Logan, Claire McGowan and Lisa Jewell will be gripped by Close My Eyes.

 

What Did I Think:

My first book by this author and I devoured it in just over a day. I enjoyed the way the book was set out with alternating chapters between Beth and Gemma - really made the story flow.

I enjoyed the mystery and sense of drama - made me want to keep on reading although I twigged the twist quite early on I though although that did not detract anything from the story.

I enjoyed that it was a bit dark, a bit twisty and very believable. Pleased to see this author has written other books and The Perfect Liar is no on my tbr list!!

Author Bio:

 

Throughout Beverley’s many years spent working in advertising and PR, she had always wanted to write fiction. In 2015 a creative writing course inspired her debut novel, Seeking Eden, which was published in 2017. The sequel, Eden Interrupted, soon followed. Beverley’s third novel – her first with Bookouture – fulfils a long-time goal to publish a psychological thriller.

Born in Yorkshire, and raised in Kent, Beverley currently lives in West Sussex with her partner and their adorable terrier. When not writing, you’ll find her reading, walking the dog or listening to rock music.

Find out more at www.beverleyharvey.co.uk

or follow Beverley on Twitter @BevHarvey_

Author Social Media Links

 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Beverley-Harvey-Author-104072077844858

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BevHarvey_

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08V1X18VSSocial

Apple: http://ow.ly/Co7c50Djors

Kobo: http://ow.ly/eZ3u50Djoon

Google: http://ow.ly/Skso50Djovs

Small Town Secrets by Alys Murray

 

“Young women needed for the Fortune Springs Town Improvement Initiative. One year’s room and board provided.”

I should have known it was too good to be true when I first saw the ad. It turns out that Fortune Springs, Colorado isn’t just a one-horse town, it’s a two-woman one, and this is their attempt to keep the community alive. I want to say the scheme is ridiculous, totally outdated, but I’m carrying everything I own in my canvas backpack and the greyhound I stepped off this morning is long gone. If this is my chance at a fresh start, I’d better grab it with both hands.

I know I should feel guilty about pretending to be a lonely heart willing to help repopulate this rural logging town, but all I feel is relief at having escaped the apartment in Savannah. And after all, what’s one more secret to add to the pile? I only hope I’ve hidden my tracks well enough, and that the kind Fortune Springs locals who’ve opened their doors to me will never find out what made me run away in the first place…

An emotional, gripping story full of family drama. Fans of Carolyn Brown, Robyn Carr and Debbie Macomber will be hooked.

What Did I Think:

This is my first book by this author so wasn't sure what to expect. I've never read any Debbie Macomber or Robyn Carr so was a bit clueless.

This is a light read which whilst it does cover domestic violence does sort of skirt over the issue - there are plenty of other books to read if you want to delve into that subject matter further.

Fortune Springs sounds like a film set - all a bit too perfect like in a US television series. The Bride House was a bit of a strange concept too - to apply to become a resident for a year before carrying on with your life. But I can see why it appealed to Virginia.

If this was a mystery then it would be classed as a cosy mystery but sometimes what you need is a light heartwarming book to take your mind off what is going on around you.

But saying that I do like a happy ending but this book seems a little unfinished. We cannot have Virginia and Owen sailing off into the sunset together. We need to know more. Maybe this is the first book in a series.

Would I read more from this author. Yes I think I would - the covers of her other books look gorgeous.

About the author:

Alys Murray is an author who writes for the romantic in all of us. Though she graduated with a degree in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a Master’s in Film Studies from King’s College London, her irrepressible love of romance led her to a career as an author, and she couldn’t be happier to write these stories! Currently splitting time between her home state of Louisiana and London, she enjoys kissing books, Star Wars, and creating original pie recipes for all of her books. Tobey Maguire is her Spider-Man.

 

https://www.facebook.com/alysmurrayauthor

https://www.instagram.com/writeralys/

https://twitter.com/writeralys

https://alysmurray.com/

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3tnosxm

Apple: https://apple.co/3pZxy2f

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3jqNckJ

Google: https://bit.ly/3tzQXJ3

The Kindness Project by Sam Binnie

About the book:

The locals of the Cornish village of Polperran are grieving the sudden loss of Bea Kimbrel, a cornerstone of their small community.

Now her reclusive, estranged daughter Alice has turned up, keen to tie up Bea's affairs and move on.

But Alice receives a strange bequest from Bea - a collection of unfinished tasks to help out those in Polperran most in need.

As each little act brings her closer to understanding her mother, it also begins to offer Alice the courage to open her clamped-shut heart. Perhaps Bea's project will finally unlock the powerful secrets both women have been keeping . . .

THE KINDNESS PROJECT will draw you deep into the lives of two compelling women who should never have missed their chance to say goodbye. It will break your heart - and piece it back together again . . .
 

What Did I Think:

Hasn't 'be kind' been the watchword of the last 12 months. But sometimes when you look at social media this message seems to get lost.

This book was all about kindness although tinged with sadness. It is an emotional story right from the start with Alice discovering the death of her estranged Mum via a letter. She travels down to Cornwall with the intention of putting her Mums things in order, selling the house and then high tailing it back to her life in Cambridge, But things do not always go to plan and Alice gets drawn into village life with a request in a series of letter to carry on a kindness project her Mum had started. It is only then that Alice's sad back story unfolds and she benefits too from the project.

This book was an easy read but has a feel good quality about it - cosy but not too cheesy.

I will be reading more by this author.

About The Author:

Sam Binnie has written for the Guardian, Vice magazine, and Google's Creative Lab, among others, and was the 2005 winner of the Harper's/Orange Prize Short Story Competition. The Kindness Project is her fourth novel.

She swims year-round in her local river, and makes the best pink grapefruit cake you'll ever eat.

Read more at www.sambinnie.com

You can grab yoursellf a copy here.

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

 It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

What I Read Last Week:

What I'm Reading Now:

What I'm Reading Next:

On audio : Mandy Hickson and Lucy Coleman

For blog tours : Emma Davies, Laura Wolfe, Sam Binnie, Beverley Harvey and Alys Murray

Bookclub : Kristin Hannah

Readalong : Laura Jarratt

The Lake House by Laura Wolfe

 

About the book:

You can always trust your closest friends. Can’t you?

This trip was a chance to reconnect away from our busy lives. The five of us used to be so close—going right back to our college days, when we shared a rickety house and all our favorite clothes, as well as every high and low of our lives—but that was then.

Now, the thought of three days in a small cabin far from anywhere, surrounded only by water and trees, with my four oldest friends makes my stomach sink and my hands sweat. Because if they knew what I’d done—the betrayals I’ve committed—they’d never forgive me. And neither would you.

The straight-A student, the sports star with a bright future ahead of her, the sheltered girl who blossomed away from her family and the hippie child who was going to save the world. Their lives have turned out so differently to how we pictured all those years ago. I try not to think about why.

But then danger strikes, and too late I discover I’m not the only one keeping secrets. And I wonder: who will go furthest to keep the truth hidden?

Gripping, addictive and totally unputdownable, The Lake House will have you reading late into the night. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window and Big Little Lies.

What did I think:

I thought the premise of the story sounded good - an entertaining read. Pretty soon I discovered that the plot was ever so slightly over the top - but it made for a good read. All the time I was reading it I was thinking of those corny American films - you know something bad is going to happen and hey presto it does. But it did make the book a page turner - with a few little twists thrown in along the way. Not read anything like it before. 

About the author

Laura Wolfe writes fast-paced and twisty mystery and suspense novels. Her new and upcoming releases include TWO WIDOWS (Bookouture, August 2020), SHE LIES ALONE (Bookouture, November 2020), and THE LAKE HOUSE (Bookouture, March 2021.) Her YA mystery series and adult suspense novel, TOP PRODUCER, have been shortlisted for multiple indie book awards. Laura is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she can be found hanging out with her highly-energetic kids, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She enjoys living in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Buy  Links:

        

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08THVTFMTCover 

Apple: http://ow.ly/oGWQ50Deq7S

Kobo: http://ow.ly/GEaX50Deq4S

Google: http://ow.ly/n6Fw50Deqb0

Audible:

UK: zpr.io/R7tdy

US: zpr.io/R7tdu

 

 https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/the-lake-house-by-laura-wolfe-narrated-by-lydia-parker

Author Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraWolfeBooks/

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraWolfeBooks

Website:  https://www.laurawolfebooks.com/

The Way I Am by Jo Watson

 

About the book:

Has Fate given her a second chance?

'Zoe' is having a very bad day. As if getting trapped in a faulty elevator wasn't bad enough, losing her memory has made it much worse. If there's one piece of luck, it's that the paramedic on the scene, Noah, is both kind and a handsome distraction...

Now a completely blank canvas, with the help of Noah, 'Zoe' is excited to fill her world with colour, creativity and sweet and spicy food. She just knows from the tips of her toes, right to her fleek brows, that these things were all part of her make-up.

But when her identity is traced, the life 'Zoe' was living before the accident bears no resemblance to that of the person she's convinced she is. What happened to make her world so narrow and colourless?

And now she has the chance to start over, is it time to let the real Zoe out?

What Did I Think:

This is what can only be described as a fun read from start to finish. Who could not like Zoe and Noah as the story unfolds. I am relatively new to this authors books and them being set in South Africa did take a bit of getting used to - but the book does transport you. This book was just what I needed - something light and frivilous - to take my mind off what is going on around me at the moment. It would also make a fab beach read for when we are allowed.

Fun Fun Fun.

Grab yourself a copy here.