Blog Tour: The Pretenders by Agatha Zaza @AgoraBooksLDN @Agatha_Zaza #ThePretenders #ThePretendersBlogTour #bookreview #bookreviewer #blogtour #bookblogger #bookblog #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Agora Books

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Thank you to the publisher for inviting me on the blog tour for this book and for sending me a beautiful paperback copy of the book to read.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘I’m perfectly happy lying to myself…If it means getting to stay with you.’

Jasper is ready to surprise his brother; Holly is ready to celebrate their engagement.

Anne tags along for fear of missing out, and John might just be going for another drink.

But Edmund and Ovidia had other plans for their Saturday.
Over the course of one day, these couples must own up to the secrets they’ve been hiding from one another and the lies they’ve been telling themselves. And face the devastating consequences.

Three couples. Two exes. One day. One reckoning.

In her debut novel, Agatha Zaza crafts a modern domestic tragedy simmering with betrayal and deceit.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Agatha Zaza is a Zambian and Finn at present living in Auckland, New Zealand. Her writing is a departure from her work in fundraising and international development.

The Pretenders was born in Singapore, where she spent three years as a trailing spouse, where she rekindled a long-dormant love of writing. Aside from Singapore, Agatha has worked and lived several countries, among them Uganda and the then Soviet Union. While in Ireland, she earned a Master’s in Equality Studies from University College Dublin and worked in a genuine Irish pub.

Agatha’s work can be seen in the Johannesburg Review of Books and in a PEN International special edition on African writers. She has also published three short books on Amazon. She’s been a passionate slow runner for two and half decades and has recently taken up composting and staring at her new sewing machine.

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MY REVIEW:

I love a good book with many different characters, and this book fit perfectly with that. What better than 6 characters coming together in what will likely be a whirlwind of a day together, packed full with secrets, lies and revelations. I love it!

I enjoyed the dynamics between all of these characters and their relationship or friendship with one another. Such a diverse group of characters that all have something to hide, from one another and from themselves. I enjoyed reading and discovering these lies and betrayals and getting to know each unique character as their individual stories were told and we get a better understand of who they are and what makes them who they are.

I eagerly awaited to see what would happen next and couldn’t wait for that next shoe to drop. Do you truly know your friends and family members? Even those we are closest to, our best friends, or our partners. Do we truly know them? 

A book I recommend that you pick up and read.

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FOLLOW OUR OTHER STOPS ON THE BLOG TOUR:

 

Blog Tour: All Your Little Lies by Marianne Holmes @AgoraBooksLDN @MarianneHAuthor #AllYourLittleLies #AllYourLittleLiesBlogTour #blogtour #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblogger #bookblog #partner #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Agora Books

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Thank you to the publisher for the invite to be part of this blog tour and for the beautiful physical copy of the book to read.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

When everything you say is a lie, can you even remember the truth?

Annie lives a quiet, contained, content life. She goes to work. She meets her friend. She’s kind of in a relationship. She’s happy. Not lonely at all.

If only more people could see how friendly she is — how eager to help and please. Then she could tick “Full Happy Life” off her list. But no one sees that side of Annie, and she can’t understand why.

That all changes the night Chloe Hills disappears. And Annie is the last person to see her.

This is her chance to prove to everybody that she’s worth something. That is, until she becomes a suspect.

Drenched in atmosphere and taut with tension, All Your Little Lies takes a hard look at why good people do bad things.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marianne Holmes is the author of A Little Bird Told Me, published by Agora Books in 2018. She was born in Cyprus and bounced around the UK, Germany, Kuwait and Belgium with her RAF parents as a child but is now firmly based in London with her own family. She has degrees in Classics (RHUL) and Linguistics (UCL), neither of which got much use while she worked in marketing.

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MY REVIEW:

This book! Where to start! I enjoyed reading about the mysterious and quirky main character in this novel, named Annie. She is so used to lies, lies and more lies, can she even remember to tell the truth? Does she even know what it means to tell the truth? Often misunderstood, and with a side of her that many people do not see, Annie lives a complicated life. Annie was a unique and interesting character for sure, so it was interesting to read about her day to day life as the chapters unfolded.

I LOVED the opening of this book. She broke into a man’s apartment – a man which she has a huge crush on. Inviting herself into his home while he is out, laying down in his bed, using his washroom, touching his things. It added to the suspense and mystery around how the story would evolve and spoke volumes as to just what type of character Annie is and her values.

When she appears to be the last person to have seen a missing young girl by the name of Chloe, she wants to do what she can to help. There is just one problem – her memory of that fateful evening is foggy at best. Determined to help and uncover the mystery of what happened to Chloe, she winds up being a suspect herself. Afterall, she only wants to help, not to be suspected in the girls disappearance.

A book that I highly recommend you add to your TBR list.

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FOLLOW US ON THE BLOG TOUR:

Blog Tour: The Mirror Man by Jane Gilmartin @HarperCollins @JANEGILMARTIN3 #TheMirrorMan #TheMirrorManBook #blogtour #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: MIRA

PUBLICATION DATE: October 20th, 2020

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Thank you to the publisher for inviting me to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Mirror Man and for the eARC of this book via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The offer is too tempting: be part of a scientific breakthrough, step out of his life for a year, and be paid hugely for it. When ViGen Pharmaceuticals asks Jeremiah to be part of an illegal cloning experiment, he sees it as a break from an existence he feels disconnected from. No one will know he’s been replaced—not the son who ignores him, not his increasingly distant wife—since a revolutionary drug
called Meld can transfer his consciousness and memories to his copy.

From a luxurious apartment, he watches the clone navigate his day-to-day life. But soon Jeremiah discovers that examining himself from an outsider’s perspective isn’t what he thought it would be, and he watches in horror as “his” life spirals out of control. ViGen needs the experiment to succeed—they won’t call it off, and are prepared to remove any obstacle. With his family in danger, Jeremiah needs to finally find the courage to face himself head-on.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jane Gilmartin has been a news reporter and editor for several small-town weekly papers and enjoyed a brief but exciting stint as a rock music journalist. A bucket list review just before she turned 50 set her on the path to fiction writing. Also checked off that list: an accidental singing career, attending a Star Trek convention, and getting a hug from David Bowie. She lives in her hometown of Hingham, Massachusetts.

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SOCIAL LINKS:

Twitter | Instagram

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon |Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | IndieBound | Books-A-Million | Kobo | AppleBooks | Google Play

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MY REVIEW:

If you could have a clone of yourself, would you agree to be cloned? That is the question that Jeremiah is faced with. He agrees to be cloned, and sits back and watches from afar his clone living out his life – with his wife, his job, his son, etc. And he will be paid quite well for agreeing to be part of this cloning experiment. If you were cloned and watched yourself from a distance, would you like what you see?

I loved how this novel began with Day 1 – Jeremiah watching himself as his clone lives his life. All he had to do was agree to the experiment – be cloned, live in an apartment that is all paid for, and watch for a few hours each day as his clone carried on, none-the-wiser, and lived Jeremiah’s life. Jeremiah had to agree to these terms for just one year, and would receive $10 million as part of the agreement.

I enjoyed this novel and the scientific aspect behind it all. A clone of a human being, who believed he himself to be a human, and had no idea what exactly was going on. He didn’t know he was being watched, day in and day out, and being analyzed with his every move. I enjoyed reading about Jeremiah’s thoughts as he watched his clone living his daily life, and what he thought about the whole process. It must not be an easy decision to sit back and watch your clone living out your life, and watching yourself from the eyes of an “outsider”. You might not like everything that you see, and can do nothing to change it as you are secluded from the outside world.

There were many twists and turns, shocking revelations as you read through the chapters, and a great ending that I enjoyed! Be sure to add this novel to your TBR list. You will love it!

Book Review: Return to Virgin River by Robyn Carr @HarlequinBooks #ReturnToVirginRiver #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: MIRA

PUBLICATION DATE: October 13th, 2020

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Thank you to the publisher for a gifted hardcover copy of this book.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Kaylee Sloan’s home in Southern California is full of wonderful memories of the woman who raised her. But the memories are prolonging her grief over her mother’s recent death. A successful author, Kaylee hoped she could pour herself into her work. Instead she has terrible writer’s block and a looming deadline.

Determined to escape distractions and avoid the holiday season, Kaylee borrows a cabin in Virgin River. She knows the isolation will help her writing, and as she drives north through the mountains and the majestic redwoods, she immediately feels inspired. Until she arrives at a building that has just gone up in flames. Devastated, she heads to Jack’s Bar to plan her next steps. The local watering hole is the heart of the town, and once she crosses the threshold, she’s surprised to be embraced by people who are more than willing to help a friend—or a stranger—in need.

Kaylee’s world is expanding in ways she never dreamed possible. And when she rescues a kitten followed by a dog with a litter of puppies, she finds her heart opening up to the animals who need her. And then there’s the dog trainer who knows exactly how to help her. As the holidays approach, Kaylee’s dread turns to wonder. Because there’s no better place to spend Christmas than Virgin River.

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MY REVIEW:

This was the first novel I have read in the Virgin River series, but it was easy to read and follow along and fall in love with many of the characters in this series. I love Kaylee’s character, she was an interesting, kind and caring character that I enjoyed reading about and following along on her journey through life. She was a very likeable character. I also loved Landry’s character, and following along as their friendship evolved and grew over time. They were fun to read about and both were loving, caring characters in the novel. 

This novel will pull at your heartstrings and have you feeling so many emotions that you will find yourself immersed and emotionally invested in the characters as you read along. Full of intriguing characters, an interesting storyline, and a magical time of year – Christmas – this novel is surely to be one that you will enjoy!

On sale tomorrow!

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MY RATING: 4/5 stars

Book Review: A Perfect 10 – The Truth About Things I’m Not and Never Will Be by Heather Land @_HeatherLand_ @AtriaBooks @netgalley#APerfect10 #APerfect10Book #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf #netgalley

PUBLISHER: Howard Books, Atria Books

PUBLICATION DATE: August 6th, 2020

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Happy pub day to Heather Land and her newest book A Perfect 10!!

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this title via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Named a Must-Read New Book for October 2020 by Good Morning America

The author of I Ain’t Doin’ It and popular comedian Heather Land returns with a collection of laugh-out-loud, hilarious and unfiltered essays that explore the funny and inspirational moments in everyday life—perfect for fans of Jeff Foxworthy, Jen Hatmaker, and Jeannie Gaffigan.

A popular social media comedian, Heather Land’s reach includes more than 107 million engaged fans and followers who fill theaters at her stand-up events around the country, and who also fell in love with her first book I Ain’t Doin’ It.

With her trademark Southern charm and sassy yet totally relatable tone, Heather shines a light on those ridiculous moments in our lives that also have the ability to teach us about ourselves. Whether she’s joking about her crafting habit, revealing the hard truths of divorce, ranting about the challenges of being a single parent of teenagers, or getting real at the class reunion, Heather’s message is that the more authentic we are, the more we connect with others. Heather hilariously encourages you to lighten up and focus on what’s really important in life. Like a laughter-filled conversation with an old friend, A Perfect 10 is a great gift to give to others or yourself. 

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MY REVIEW:

Witty, sarcastic, charming, laugh-out-loud entertainment! If you haven’t had your eyes on this book guys you seriously need to go out and grab your own copy, like right now! You can thank me later! This book is ridiculously comedic and I literally laughed out loud at some many parts of this novel, I absolutely loved and DEVOURED this novel! I love Heather’s raw and brutal honesty, her sarcasm, and her wittiness as you flip through the pages! All the chapters are full of uncensored comedy and true stories and parts of her life that she shares with her audience, us as readers. 

I have been a fan of Heather’s since I first discovered her on Facebook and her “I Ain’t Doin’ It” videos, and when I happened to come across “A Perfect 10″ on NetGalley, well you know of course I just had to request this title! I am thrilled she has written books, and I definitely plan to go out and grab her other novel “I Ain’t Doin It”!

I cannot recommend this book enough. You will laugh so hard you will cry! All the stars for this novel!

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MY RATING: 5/5 stars

Audiobook Review: Try Not to Die: In Brightside by Mark Tullius and Dawna Gonzales #TryNottoDieInBrightside #audiobookreview #bookreviewer #audiobook #bookbogger #bookblog #bookreviewer #booksonthebookshelf #netgalley

PUBLISHER: Vincere Press

PUBLICATION DATE: August 31st, 2020

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Thank you to the publisher for the advanced audiobook via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

More than two dozen ways to die.

Just one correct path.

Do you have what it takes to survive?

Brightside is a beautiful mountain town blanketed by snow. Towering fences create a stark contrast to the serenity that appears on the surface. Your only crime is telepathy, yet your stay here is permanent. Your fate has been determined by society’s fears.

The outlook is bleak unless you manage to become part of the escape that’s about to go down.

Watch your back, choose wisely, and be careful who you trust.

Good luck getting out of Brightside in this interactive novel.

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MY REVIEW:

I enjoyed the uniqueness of this audiobook as it brought me back to my childhood and one of my favourite types of books as a kid – choose your own adventure books. I was hooked on those books as a kid and was thrilled to have the opportunity to listen along to Try Not to Die: In Brightside.

I loved following along this audiobook and making the many difficult decisions that you must make at the end of each chapter. Sometimes you are tasked with choosing one of two options, and sometimes it was on in three options, which makes it that much more difficult, because if you choose the wrong answer you die, then have to select a different choice. Each choice you make is unique in the sense that the story changes with each choice that you make. I love that about this book!

A definite must-add that I recommend you add to you TBR.

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MY RATING: 4/5 stars

Book Review: Cut Off by Adrianne Finlay @AdrianneFinlay @HMHteen @HMHKids #CutOff #CutOffBook #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #netgalley #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers

PUBLICATION DATE: August 11th, 2020

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Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this title via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Warcross meets Lost in this haunting young adult sci-fi thriller in which teens compete to survive in the wilderness for one million dollars on a new virtual reality show. When something goes horribly wrong and the contestants realize no one is coming to save them, they must question their very reality—and how much of the game is really for show.

Each contestant has their own reasons—and their own secrets—for joining the new virtual reality show CUT/OFF that places a group of teenagers alone in the wilderness. It’s a simple premise: whoever lasts the longest without “tapping out” wins a cash prize. Not only that, new software creates a totally unprecedented television experience, allowing viewers to touch, see, and live everything along with the contestants. But what happens when “tapping out” doesn’t work and no one comes to save you? What happens when the whole world seemingly disappears while you’re stranded in the wild? Four teenagers must confront their greatest fears, their deepest secrets, and one another when they discover they are truly cut off from reality. Sci-fi, mystery, and romance converge in this high-stakes, fast-paced read that will leave you guessing to the very last moment.

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MY REVIEW:

Suspenseful, intriguing and mysterious. This novel will have you hooked as you read and follow along with the young adults in this novel. We are introduced to very interesting and vastly different characters – Trip, Brandon, River, Cam and Liza. They all have their own different personalities and I enjoyed seeing their different personalities and sarcastic wits come out in the novel. They were brave when they needed to be, their survival instincts kicked in when it had to, and I enjoyed reading about their strange time on this mysterious island as part of the TV show they were cast upon.

I enjoyed the mystery and suspense around this book and trying to figure out what exactly was going on while they were on the island. The mystery around why everyone on the island seemed to have disappeared and they were seemingly the only ones on the island. Then when strange things begin to happen on the island, it intrigued me to find out what was causing these strange events to happen.

A novel that I would recommend.

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MY RATING: 4/5 stars