Blog Tour & Book Review: The Last Thing She Told Me by Linda Green @LindaGreenisms @Mobius_Books #TheLastThingSheToldMe #TheLastThingSheToldMeBlogTour #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #partner #booksonthebookshelf

 

PUBLISHER: Mobius Books (formerly Quercus)

PUBLICATION DATE: March 7th, 2019

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

……

Thank you to Mobius Books for inviting me to be a part of this exciting blog tour and for gifting me a beautiful, finished paperback copy of this book to read and share my review.

……

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Even the deepest buried secrets can find their way to the surface…

Moments before she dies, Nicola’s grandmother Betty whispers to her that there are babies at the bottom of the garden.

Nicola’s mother claims she was talking nonsense. However, when Nicola’s daughter finds a bone while playing in Betty’s garden, it’s clear that something sinister has taken place.

But will unearthing painful family secrets end up tearing Nicola’s family apart?

……

MY REVIEW:

This book was chilling, addictive, and intense! I loved the lies, secrets and betrayals in this novel, especially since they were across many generations. Not only did Nicola’s grandmother Betty have many family secrets she was hiding, so too did Nicola’s mother. What secrets could they possibly be hiding and why? What could be so bad that they were willing (almost!) to take those secrets to the grave?

That is until Nicola’s sick and dying grandmother Betty whispers to her before she passes away that there are babies in the garden. Then she slips away before Nicola could get more answers. Babies in the garden? That cannot be! Why would there be babies in the garden? And if there were babies truly in the garden, which babies were they? Desperate for answers Nicola asks her mother for clarification and to try to seek out answers, but Nicola’s mother gets very upset and claims Nicola is talking nonsense. She closes off herself and gets angry, telling Nicola to forget it as she is mistaken. But Nicola is determined her grandmother was telling the truth and sets out to uncover the mystery of those last words and get some answers, whatever the cost.

I loved Nicola’s character. She was a lovely person and I enjoyed her character. She was a kind and caring mother and wife, and loved her family dearly. She wanted what was best for her family, and was determined to uncover the truth and find out what her family was possibly hiding and why. Even though the truth had the potential to tear her family apart as she knew it, she still set out to uncover the truth.

Chapter after chapter is full of shocking twists and turns, and shocking revelations that will have you flipping through the pages to the very shocking ending. I loved this book and I am sure you will too!

Be sure to add this book to your TBR list. It is on sale now!

……

MY RATING: 5/5 stars

……

FOLLOW US ON THE BLOG TOUR:

Blog Tour & Book Review: A Million Dreams by Dani Atkins @AtkinsDani @HoZ_Books #AMillionDreams #AMillionDreamsBook #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #blogtour #booksonthebookshelf #AMillionDreamsBlogTour

 

PUBLISHER: Head of Zeus

PUBLICATION DATE: November 14th, 2019

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

……

Thank you so very much to Head of Zeus for inviting me to be a part of this exciting blog tour for Dani Atkins’ newest novel A MILLION DREAMS and for sending over an eARC of this book to read and share my thoughts with everyone. As soon as I heard about this latest novel I was thrilled to join the blog tour for this book, as I LOVE Dani’s writing.

……

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

Dani Atkins is an award-winning novelist. Her 2013 debut FRACTURED (published as THEN AND ALWAYS in North America) has been translated into sixteen languages and has sold more than half a million copies since first publication in the UK. Dani is the author of four other bestselling novels, one of which, This Love, won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award in 2018. Dani lives in a small village in Hertfordshire with her husband, one Siamese cat and a very soppy Border Collie.

….

FOLLOW DANI:

Twitter | Facebook

…

BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | Google Play

…

FOLLOW HEAD OF ZEUS:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

……

ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘A true love story, written by a mother’s heart’ –  Milly Johnson.

‘A captivating story that packs an emotional punch’ – Heidi Swain.

 

Beth Brandon always dreamed of owning a florist, but today the bouquets of peonies and bright spring flowers are failing to calm her nerves. Because today, Beth has a life-changing decision to share with her husband.

Izzy Vaughan thought she and her husband would stay together forever, but sometime last year, their love began to fade. They both find such joy in their young son Noah – but is he enough to keep them together?

Eight years ago, something happened to these two women. Something that is about to bring them together in a way no-one thought possible…

 

Thought-provoking, emotional and uplifting, this is a gripping love story for fans of Jojo Moyes and Amanda Prowse.

……

MY REVIEW:

OK WOW!! Amazing! Heart-wrenching! Heart-warming! Gripping! Emotional! All these words, and more, perfectly describe this book!

If you haven’t read any books by Dani Atkins you are seriously missing out.. No really! Go buy her books right now! You seriously do not know what you are missing! Dani’s books are amazing, thought-provoking, and books that will have you feeling all the feels!

You will have a whirlwind of emotions while reading this novel. You will laugh… you will cry! You will be happy… you might even get a little mad! This book is utterly amazing. I cannot stop saying that! Told from alternating point of views, some parts told from Beth’s perspective and others told from Izzy’s perspective.

I absolutely fell in love with Beth Brandon. She is such a beautiful, friendly woman who is kind, considerate, caring, and a huge heart. She has gone through so much in her life and I adored her character in this book and reading her perspective and point of view as told through her eyes. 

Izzy’s character was also likeable, and I felt bad that she and her husband were having marriage trouble, especially when the apple of their eye, their son Noah, was equally adored by them both, and like all children just wants his parents to be together.

Without giving too much away, you seriously need to buy this book now! You will go on an emotional roller-coaster ride as you flip through the chapters, and have so many mixed feelings and emotions, so be sure to have several tissues handy you will need them! And find a comfy spot to read this book, because once you start reading the first page you will not be able to stop until the very emotional, beautiful ending!

Dani, you’re books are absolutely amazing! I am so thrilled to see what you come out with next!

……

MY RATING: 5/5 stars

……

FOLLOW US ON OTHER STOPS ON THIS BLOG TOUR:

 

 

Book Review: Hideaway by Nicole Lundrigan @VikingBooks @PenguinRandomCA #NicoleLundrigan #Hideaway #Hideawaybook #Hideawaynovel #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Viking

PUBLICATION DATE: July 9th, 2019

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

……

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for gifting me a beautiful copy of Hideaway to read and share my review with others.

……

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Gloria Janes appears to be a doting suburban mother and loving wife. But beyond her canary-yellow door, Gloria controls her husband, Telly, as well as seven-year-old Maisy and her older brother Rowan, through a disorienting cycle of adoration and banishment.

When Telly leaves, Gloria turns on Rowan. He runs away, finding unlikely refuge with a homeless man named Carl, with whom he forms the kind of bond he has never found with his parents. After they are menaced by strangers, Rowan follows Carl to an isolated cottage, where he accidentally sets off a burst of heightened paranoia in Carl, and their adventure takes a dark turn.

Gloria is publicly desperate for the safe return of her son while privately plotting ever wilder ways to lure Telly home for good. Her behaviour grows more erratic and her manipulation of Maisy begins to seem dedicated toward an outcome that only she can see. The two storylines drive relentlessly toward a climax that is both shocking and emotionally riveting.

Suspenseful, unsettling, and masterful, Hideaway explores the secrets of a troubled family and illuminates an unlikely hero and a source of unexpected strength.

……

MY REVIEW:

 

Twisted, gripping, and dark. This novel follows the life of Rowan and Maisy, siblings raised by their mother Gloria. Their father Telly walked out on them, much to the dismay of their mother Gloria. Gloria is twisted, mean, evil, vindictive, and an all around miserable person. She dishes out harsh punishments on her children, especially Rowan, and she is a very easy person to dislike in this book. Rowan and Maisy are terrified of their mother.

This novel is told in alternating POV’s between Rowan and his sister Maisy. Both Rowan and Maisy were likeable characters and I especially enjoyed reading the chapters told from Rowan’s perspective. Rowan was a young, endearing young man with a big heart and a lot of character. He was fun to read about and I felt to bad for him and everything he had to deal with in his very young age.

Hideaway is a great novel about finding hope, love and acceptance in unlikely places you were not expecting. I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading other novels by this author

……

MY RATING: 4/5 stars

Book Review: The Other Wife by Claire McGowan @AmazonPub #TheOtherWife #TheOtherWifeBook #bookblog #bookblogger #bookreview #bookreviewer #booksonthebookshelf #ClaireMcGowan

PUBLISHER: Thomas & Mercer

PUBLICATION DATE: October 24th, 2019

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

……

Thank you to Amazon Publishing for gifting me a beautiful paperback copy of this book to read and share my review.

……

ABOUT THE BOOK:

She’s a total stranger. But she knows who you are…

Suzi did a bad thing. She’s paying for it now, pregnant, scared, and living in an isolated cottage with her jealous husband, Nick.

When Nora moves into the only house nearby, Suzi is delighted to have a friend. So much so that she’s almost tempted to tell Nora her terrible secret. But there’s more to Nora than meets the eye. It’s impossible—does she already know what Suzi did?

Meanwhile, Elle spends her days in her perfect home, fixated on keeping up appearances. But when her husband betrays her, it unravels a secret going all the way back to her childhood. She’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to him, even if that means murder. After all, she’s done it before…

Caught up in their own secrets and lies, these strangers will soon realise they have more in common than they could ever have imagined. When a shocking event brings them together, their lives will never be the same again.

……

MY REVIEW:

Addictive, gripping, and full of shocks and twists that will keep you guessing until the last page. This book was a great read that will leave readers flipping the pages to read more and see what happens next. Full of shocking twists, secrets and revelations, you will devour this book.

I enjoyed reading about the many twists and secrets in this book. No one is who they appear to be, each hiding their own secrets and having something to hide. When Nora and Suzi become friends, we begin to find they have more in common than what we first thought.

I enjoyed how fast paced this book was and how it left you guessing and second guessing what was going on. So many secrets and betrayals that will keep you entertained. And when not one, but TWO deaths occur throughout the story, it adds to the mix of suspense and secrets. Were these deaths accidental or is there something more sinister at plat here?

A great novel that I devoured, and I am sure you will love it too!

……

MY RATING: 4/5 stars

Blog Tour: Betrayed by Jake Cross @JakeCrossAuthor @Bloodhoundbook #bookreviewer #bookblogger #blogtour #BetrayedBlogTour #Betrayed #Betrayedbook #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Bloodhound Books

PUBLICATION DATE: November 11th, 2019

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

……

Happy Publication Day to Jake Cross’ latest novel BETRAYED!!

Thank you to Bloodhound books for inviting me to be on this blog tour and for gifting me an eARC of this book to read and share my review with others.

……

……

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jake Cross was a seventies child who started writing at a young age. He started with fantasy because there was no research needed for an invented world. Early short stories covered probably every genre except dieselpunk – romcom. Although he now writes thrillers, Jake’s reading love is true crime. Other interests are MMA, snooker and driving. There are no dieselpunk – romcom novels planned.

……

ABOUT THE BOOK:

When Nate wakes up in the woods, he has no idea how he got there. The last thing he remembers is being at home.

And when he spots two people digging a grave his problems multiply.

After escaping from the woods, he goes home to find his house burning and his brother, Peter, dead inside. Now the police are after him for the murder.

Determined to find out who set him up and why, Nate goes on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth. But can he find those responsible and prove his innocence before it’s too late?

……

MY REVIEW:

Wow what a thriller of a ride this novel is! So much action going on, and I loved every minute of it. Imagine waking up in the woods, not knowing how you got there? Your mind and memory are fuzzy, and the last thing you knew you were in your own home? This novel is full of action and suspense, thrills and excitement. Nothing and no one are as they appear to be.

Nate finds himself partnering up with an unlikely accomplice. They are an unlikely duo but I loved reading about their partnership and their having to work together to reach a common goal. Nate is witty and daring, and willing to be ruthless and badass when he needs to be. He definitely was an interesting character to read about, and I enjoyed his personality.

There are many shocking twists and turns in the book that will keep you entertained as you read through the chapters. A definite must read to add to your list, so be sure to keep out eye out for this novel and add it to your TBR now!

……

MY RATING: 4/5 stars

 

Book Review: The Other Mrs. Miller by Allison Dickson @PutnamBooks @MsAllieD #TheOtherMrsMiller #TheOtherMrsMillernovel #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf #edelweiss

PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

PUBLICATION DATE: July 16th, 2019

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

……

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this novel via Edelweiss.

……

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Two women are watching each other.

Phoebe Miller isn’t sure when the rusty car started showing up in the cul-de-sac she calls home, or why its driver would be spying on her. What could be interesting about an unhappy housewife who drowns her sorrows in ice cream and wine and barely leaves her house?

Only one knows why.

When a new family moves in across the street–the exuberant Vicki, who just might become the gossipy best friend Phoebe’s always wanted, and her handsome college-bound son, Jake, who offers companionship of a different variety–Phoebe finds her dull routine infused with the excitement she’s been missing. But with her head turned she’s no longer focused on the woman in the car. And she really should be…

……

MY REVIEW:

This book follows married couple Phoebe and Wyatt. Phoebe notices the same came parked outside their house several times a week. No one seems to get out of the vehicle, and it just sits seems to sit there before eventually leaving again.

Phoebe becomes obsessed with this. Why would someone sit outside their house in a vehicle and not get out. She finds herself constantly checking daily to see if the car is parked outside. Who could it be she wonders?

This novel is told from alternating POV’s. The majority of the story is told from Phoebe’s point of view, but there are parts told in Interlude form – from the point of view of the person who is sitting in the car, watching and waiting. We are unsure who this person is. Until their identity is eventually revealed. Phoebe becomes friends with the new family that has moved across the street. Husband and wife, Ron and Vicki, and their teenage son Jake.

An addictive story that has many unreliable characters, who have something to hide. They all share their own secrets and tell lies. Who can you trust? I was immersed in this story and loved every moment to the shocking ending, there everything is revealed. So many secrets, lies, betrayals and deceit, that will leave you guessing until the end. Nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted.

A great novel that was a pleasure to read. Make sure to add it to your TBR now.

……

MY RATING: 4/5 stars

Book Review: After the End by Clare Mackintosh @PutnamBooks @claremackintOsh #Aftertheend #Aftertheendnovel #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

PUBLICATION DATE: June 25th, 2019

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

……

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC via Edelweiss.

……

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. They’re best friends, lovers—unshakable. But then their son gets sick and the doctors put the question of his survival into their hands. For the first time, Max and Pip can’t agree. They each want a different future for their son.

What if they could have both?

A gripping and propulsive exploration of love, marriage, parenthood, and the road not taken, After the End brings one unforgettable family from unimaginable loss to a surprising, satisfying, and redemptive ending and the life they are fated to find. With the emotional power of Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, Mackintosh helps us to see that sometimes the end is just another beginning.

……

MY REVIEW:

This book – wow! So many different and conflicting emotions, this book will have you sitting on the edge of your seat reading page after page. An emotionally charged, addictive read that will leave you thinking of this book long after you’ve read the final page. I loved this book from beginning to end, and didn’t want to story to end.

This story follows the lives of married couple Pip and Max. Their young son Dylan has undergone surgery to remove a brain tumor, as he has cancer. Their son’s doctor is Leila. I loved how this book was written from 3 alternating POV’s – some parts were told from Pip’s point of view, some from Max’s point of view, and some from Leila’s point of view. After coming face to face with one of the most difficult decisions they will probably ever have to make, Pip and Max both want different things.

Pip cannot agree with Max’s decision regarding the fate of their son, and Max cannot agree with Pip’s decision. Unable to come to a decision they can both agree on together, the story diverges into what-ifs storylines. I loved the unique way this novel was written. The story unfolds from two alternate storylines – what would happen if they made the decision Max wanted to make, and what would happen if they made the decision Pip wanted to make. What ensues is two totally different stories, and they both end quite differently. So many mixed emotions in both storylines, as the outcomes are very different.

When faced with such an impossible decision, which decision is the right one? Such decisions can be life-altering, and have the power to tear families apart. This story explores how that decision can unfold and how life plays out on both sides of that decision. It was interesting to read about our various decisions can have such a huge impact on how life turns out, and it was interesting to read in this storyline.

……

MY RATING: 5/5 stars

 

 

Book Review: This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp @mariekeyn @SourcebooksFire #getbooklit #Thisiswhereitends #firereads #thisiswhereitendsbook #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire

PUBLICATION DATE: January 5th, 2016

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

……

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for gifting me a beautiful hardcover copy of this book to read and share my review.

……

ABOUT THE BOOK:

10:00 a.m. The principal of Opportunity High School finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m. The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03 a.m. The auditorium doors won’t open.

10:05 a.m. Someone starts shooting.

Told from four different perspectives over the span of fifty-four harrowing minutes, terror reigns as one student’s calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

……

MY REVIEW:

This book… wow!! Just wow! So gripping, chilling, and amazing. I am getting chills and goosebumps just reading the synopsis of this book again as I am writing this.

I knew this book was going to be amazing and addictive just from the description of the book. Imagine being held captive in your school’s auditorium with a crazed shooter. Not knowing who they were going to shoot next, and if you would be the one shot next. Will you make it out alive? Will you make it out unharmed? I cannot imagine going through something like this, and it would be harrowing, terrifying, and unimaginable!

I enjoyed how this story was told at varying timelines over the span of 54 minutes. I also enjoyed how the story unfolded from different students’ perspectives, as it allowed us to not only get each students point of view but also pieced together a larger picture of what was truly going on. Some students were trapped in the auditorium with the shooter, others were trapped inside the school, and others were outside when everything unfolded.

I loved every minute of this gripping, addictive novel and felt so many emotions while reading this book. I was hooked on the storyline and literally flipped through the pages needed to know more and find out what would happen next.

This book will have you fully immersed and engrossed in the storyline as you read though the pages, and will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat, biting your nails as you read through this novel and read shocking pages after page. And with an ending that will leave you thinking of this book long after you’ve done reading.

Great job Marieke! I look forward to reading your other novels.

……

MY RATING: 4/5 stars

 

Book Review: House on Fire by Bonnie Kistler @BonMot101 @SimonSchusterCA @simonschuster @AtriaBooks #HouseonFirenovel #HouseonFirebook #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf #partner

PUBLISHER: Atria

PUBLICATION DATE: March 12th 2019

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

……

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a paperback copy of this book to read and share my review.

……

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Divorce lawyer Leigh Huyett knows all too well that most second marriages are doomed to fail. But five years in, she and Pete Conley have a perfectly blended family of her children and his. To celebrate their anniversary, they grab some precious moments of alone time and leave Pete’s son Kip, a high school senior, in charge of Leigh’s fourteen-year-old daughter Chrissy at their home.

Driving back on a rainy Friday night, their cell phones start ringing. After a raucous party celebrating his college acceptance to Duke and his upcoming birthday, Kip was arrested for drunk driving after his truck crashed into a tree. And he wasn’t alone—Chrissy was with him.

Twelve hours later, Chrissy is dead and Kip is charged with manslaughter.

Kip has always been a notorious troublemaker, but he’s also a star student with a dazzling future ahead of him. At first, Leigh does her best to rally behind Pete and help Kip through his ordeal. Until he changes his story, and claims that he wasn’t driving after all—Chrissy was, and he swears there is a witness.

Leigh is stunned that he would lie about such a thing, while Pete clutches onto the story as the last, best hope to save his son, throwing his energy and money into finding this elusive witness. As they hurtle toward Kip’s trial date, husband and wife are torn between loyalty to their children and to each other, while the mystery of what really happened that night intensifies.

This richly conceived and tightly plotted psychological exploration of family and tragedy will have you racing toward its shocking and thought-provoking conclusion.

……

MY REVIEW:

Wow this story was so addictive to read. The blended family is faced with the unthinkable – a car accident in which their children are involved in, one child is his, the other hers. An accident that could rip this otherwise happy family apart. Who do you be loyal to, your own child, or your spouse? I cannot imagine the turmoil this family was going through as they struggled to not only support one another, but their children. Caught in the middle, it would involve to many mixed emotions.

I love flying through the chapters in this novel as we slowly get more pieces of what truly happened that night. We learn of secrets of that night, and there are many twists, so what you think you know turns out to not be the case. At least not the whole truth. I felt so bad for this family, as they are dealing with the loss of one child and having to cope with another child’s upcoming court date, as he is charged with the death of his sibling. Surely something that has the potential to rip even the happiest of families apart.

Will this family be able to overcome everything and pull together to make it through the toughest time of their life? You must add this novel to your TBR list right now! You’ll love it!

……

My Rating: 4/5 stars

Book Review: Her Secret Son by Hannah Mary McKinnon @hannahmarymckinnon @HarperCollinsCa @HarperCollins #HerSecretSon #HerSecretSonbook #bookblog #bookblogger #bookreview #bookreviewer #partner #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Mira Books

PUBLICATION DATE: May 28th, 2019

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

……

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a paperback copy of this book to read and share my review.

…..

ABOUT THE BOOK:

How far would you go to protect the ones you love…when they may not be yours to protect?

When Josh’s longtime partner, Grace, dies in a tragic accident, he is left with a mess of grief—and full custody of her seven-year-old son, Logan. While not his biological father, Josh has been a dad to Logan in every way that counts, and with Grace gone, Logan needs him more than ever.

Wanting to do right by Logan, Josh begins the process of becoming his legal guardian—something that seems suddenly urgent, though Grace always brushed it off as an unnecessary formality. But now, as Josh struggles to find the paperwork associated with Logan’s birth, he begins to wonder whether there were more troubling reasons for Grace’s reluctance to make their family official.

As he digs deeper into the past of the woman he loved, Josh soon finds that there are many dark secrets to uncover, and that the truth about where Logan came from is much more sinister than he could have imagined…

Tightly paced and brimming with tension, Her Secret Son is a heartbreakingly honest portrait of a family on the edge of disaster and a father desperate to hold on to the boy who changed his life.

……

MY REVIEW:

This book had me hooked! Chapter after chapter I was left wanting to read more to see what would happen next. Josh has been faced with the most tragic events imaginable. His longtime partner has lost her life after a tragic car accident claimed her life; he is now finding himself the single caretaker for her son Logan. Josh is not the father of Logan, but Logan is now all he has left, and he is determined to continue being a father to Logan. What if Logan’s biological father comes back into the picture to try to claim Logan as his own? What would you do to protect those that you love? Would you do whatever it takes?

I enjoyed reading about Josh and Logan’s relationship. They were very close and Josh truly loved that little boy. Josh seemed like a loving, devoted father that would do anything to protect his son, and keep him safe and loved. This novel is full of twists and turns, secrets and betrayals that will leave you shocked! A definite must read!

……

MY REVIEW: 4/5 stars