My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout . Review

The story begins with Lucy in hospital in New York after having surgery . Lucy is a daughter , mother , and wife , and during the duration of reading the story we get to see glimpses of her life from being a young girl up to present day . 

This story is told in such a way it has an almost dream like quality to it where information is given to the reader very subtlety that I found myself reading over a few parts twice . The story covers subjects like the mother and daughter relationship, mental health , family secrets , growing up in small towns , marriage , love , lust and longing and for under 200 pages it does this beautifully. This was the first time I have read anything by the author and I was very impressed and I am already working my way through another book of hers with another waiting for me on the shelf . 

Do I recommend this ...... absolutely, without any doubt . 

Links below :

Elizabeth Strout:

https://www.elizabethstrout.com/

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/97313.Elizabeth_Strout

The Country Lovers by Fiona Walker Review and Blog Tour.

This is the second book in the Compton Magna series and it features Ronnie Percy and my favorite character , the lovable Irish horseman called Luca . Luca is extremely talented with horses , very smart and has a way with most people and animals he comes across . 

The story combines small village life with horses , scandal , love and loss in a way that Fiona Walker does very well in getting you completely invested in these characters and their lives and relationships . The book is huge , truly a book to get your teeth into and set aside for a weekend where you won’t be disturbed and can immerse completely in the Compton Magna community and what’s going on behind all those closed doors .

What I loved about this book is how much detail we get about the characters , the good the bad and the ugly ,we get great insight into them and their past , so much so that you feel empathy for them and what they are going through and I loved that . 

I sincerely hope there will be more books in this series as it’s terrific !

I received this book in exchange for a review . 

Country Lovers – Fiona Walker

 About the book

 

They say you should never go back, but glamorous Ronnie Percy did just that, to the home she ran away from with her lover.

But not everyone is finding it easy to forgive and forget.

Daughter Pax, fighting for custody of her small son as her own marriage disintegrates, is furious to have to spend New Year's Eve waiting for some stranger her mother has invited to help run the family stud farm.

Even more annoyed is the staunchly loyal stud head groom, Lester. Does Ronnie think he's lost his touch with the horses? And anyway, who is this so-called Horsemaker, Luca O'Brien? Why does he seem to be running away from something? And what is the true story of his relationship with grey stallion Beck, once destined for the Olympics, now broken and unrideable, screaming his anger from the Compton Magna stables.

Passionate, sexy, gripping, laced with her trademark wisdom and humour, this is bestselling Fiona Walker at her dazzling best.

 

About the author

 

Fiona Walker is the author of eighteen novels, from tales of flat-shares and clubbing in nineties London to today’s romping, rural romances set amid shires, spires and stiles. In a career spanning over two decades, she’s grown up alongside her readers, never losing her wickedly well-observed take on life, lust and the British in love. She lives in Warwickshire, sharing a slice of Shakespeare Country with her partner, their two daughters and a menagerie of animals. fionawalker.com @fionawalkeruk facebook.com/fiona.walker.16568

 

 

Follow Fiona:

 

Twitter: @fionawalkeruk

Facebook: @fionawalkeruk

 

Pre-order links:

 

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2N8sMik

Kobo: " Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ZcQhcs

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2N8sMik

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2H7IIgY

iBooks: https://apple.co/2KPKcgQ

 

 

Follow Head of Zeus:

 

Website: www.headofzeus.com

Twitter: @HoZ_Books

Facebook: @headofzeus

Instagram: @headofzeus

If you would like to follow along with the blog tour below are the other participants joining in.

The Girl I Left Behind by Andie Newton Book Review and Blog Tour .

The story is set in Germany and is based mostly around one character , a young woman called Ella , Ella lives with her aunt who is a firm Nazi follower but Ella does not feel the same as her aunt and this makes her life more difficult and a lot more dangerous at a time when neighbor could turn against neighbor and it was hard to know who to trust . When Ella’s friend finds herself in a terrifically dangerous position Ella plots to help her but to what cost ...

The story is an emotional rollercoaster in all the right ways , Ella has a sensible head on her shoulders but the risks she took were nail biting , I had to admire her bravery and those like her trying to help others at a harrowing time in history  . The book did have me reaching for the tissues as some of the details of the crimes were gut wrenching but this was a book to savor and take my time with as the characters made a lasting impression on me and the historical details felt accurate and well researched . This was an awesome book and I can’t wait to see what this author writes next . Loved it ! 

I received this book in exchange for an honest review . 

The Girl I Left Behind– Andie Newton

 

About the book

 

What would you risk to save your best-friend?

 

As a young girl, Ella never considered that those around her weren’t as they appeared. But when her childhood best-friend shows Ella that you can’t always believe what you see, Ella finds herself thrown into the world of the German Resistance.

 

On a dark night in 1941, Claudia is taken by the Gestapo, likely never to be seen again, unless Ella can save her. With the help of the man she loves, Ella must undertake her most dangerous mission yet and infiltrate the Nazi Party.

 

Selling secrets isn’t an easy job. In order to find Claudia, Ella must risk not only her life, but the lives of those she cares about.

 

Will Ella be able to leave behind the girl of her youth and step into the shoes of another?

 

Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The German Midwifeand Kate Furnivall.

 

 

About the author

 

Andie Newton is an American writer living in Washington State with her husband and two boys. She writes female-driven historical fiction set in WWII. The Girl I Left Behind is her first novel. She would love to say she spends her free time gardening and cooking, but she’s killed everything she’s ever planted and set off more fire alarms than she cares to admit. Andie does, however, love spending time with her family, ultra trail running, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.

Follow Andie:

Twitter: @AndieNewton

Facebook: @newtonauthor

 

 

Buy links:

 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/32GJoTe

iBooks: https://apple.co/2WelLPw

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2BH78e1

Google Play: https://bit.ly/31K2pCR

 

 

Orion Lost by Alastair Chisholm . Review

The story begins in space with the main character Beth and her family traveling to a new life on Eos Five . They are a long way from earth and their destination when a major problem arises . 

This was one of those books that when  I was reading it I kept saying “just one more page “  , and before I knew it I had finished it and was very eager for more . 

Their day to day lives while on board their spaceship was very interesting and the details about the other space stations and where other people live was fun to read about , especially the bad people . I particularly enjoyed how they could make great leaps in their journey to get where they needed to go while they slept . 

This is a YA book ,  but adults ,  be sure and read this too . This is one to add to your TBR.

This book is being published January 9th 2020 . I received this book in exchange for a review .

Below Are the links :

Goodreads :

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46150658-orion-lost

Lovereading4kids.co.uk:

https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

Author twitter page :

https://twitter.com/alastair_ch

Nosy Crow Publishers :

https://nosycrow.com/product/orion-lost/

Jackpot by Nic Stone . Review

Jackpot by Nic Stone . Review 

This was such an emotional rollercoaster of a story .... I found myself sitting with sentences and paragraphs , my heart breaking for these characters as they went through so much . What started as an off hand gift from a stranger would take Rico and her family on a rare journey of learning and life experiences . 

The female lead character is called Rico , she is a very responsible teenager who has too many hard times put upon her young life and she is struggling to keep her head above water and her mental health above sinking right to the bottom of this earth . Rico is a good daughter , but an absolutely tremendous sister to her brother , their relationship is something special and their moments in the story, of which there are many, are special and incredibly touching . This was a one sit read for me , I could not leave these characters for a moment and I am glad that I did this , these characters are going to stay with me for a long time. It’s also worth pointing out the story is often told from the point of view of inanimate objects . It gives an unusual and thought provoking element to the story that I had not experienced before but very much enjoyed . Go read this , it’s worth it ! 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at lovereading4kids.co.uk

Lovereading4kids:

https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/16598/Jackpot-by-Nic-Stone.html

Goodreads :

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36077176-jackpot

One Dark, Two Light – Ruth Mancini . Cover Reveal

One Dark, Two Light – Ruth Mancini

 

About the book:

 

New Year's Eve, London.

Outside the Hope & Glory pub, a man has been left to die. A victim of extraordinary violence, he will never walk or speak again. He remains in hospital for months, until criminal defence lawyer Sarah Kellerman walks onto his ward.

Sarah barely recognises the man she once worked with – he was honourable and kind – what was he involved in? Who wanted him dead? But in her race to uncover the truth, Sarah comes to realise there are two men in her life that she never really knew at all...

From one of crime fiction's most compelling voices, One Dark, Two Light is where the personal and criminal collide, as Sarah works to bring dark secrets into the light.

 

 

About the author:

 

Ruth Mancini is a criminal defence lawyer, author and freelance writer. She lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and two children.

Follow Ruth:  

Twitter: @RuthMancini1

Facebook: @ruth.mancini.author

 

 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/35EgK7a

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2MOgucO

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2IUQStQ

 

 

Follow Head of Zeus:

 

Website: www.headofzeus.com

Twitter: @HoZ_Books

Facebook: @headofzeus

Instagram: @headofzeus

Death of a Mermaid – Lesley Thomson Cover Reveal

Death of a Mermaid – Lesley Thomson

 

About the author

 

Lesley Thomson grew up in west London. Her first novel, A Kind of Vanishing, won the People's Book Prize in 2010. Her second novel, The Detective's Daughter, was a number 1 bestseller and sold over 500,000 copies. Visit her website at

 

Follow Lesley:

 

Website: www.lesleythomson.com

Twitter: @LesleyjmThomson

Facebook: @LesleyThomson

 

About the book

 

Freddy left her childhood home in Newhaven twenty-two years ago and swore never to return. But now her parents are dead, and she's back in her hometown to help her brothers manage the family fishmonger. Nothing here has changed: the stink of fish coming up from the marshes; the shopping trolleys half-buried by muddy tides; the neighbours sniffing for a new piece of gossip.

It's not what Freddy would have chosen, but at least while she's here she'll get to see her childhood best friends, Toni and Pauline. At school, the three of them were inseparable. The teachers called them the Mermaids for their obsession with the sea, and with each other.

Then Pauline goes missing, and Freddy must decide. Go back to her new life, or stay and find her friend?

 

Buy links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2IWJXjX

Kobo: https://bit.ly/33DGXk6

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2MJjIP3

 

 

 

Follow Head of Zeus

 

Website: www.headofzeus.com

Twitter: @HoZ_Books

Facebook: @headofzeus

Instagram: @headofzeus

The Last Drop of Blood – Graham Masterton Cover Reveal

The Last Drop of Blood– Graham Masterton

 

About the book

 

It started with the judge. He was about to sentence five of Cork's most notorious criminals. But his body has just turned up, beaten and broken, on an isolated road in his burned-out car. Now four members of a rival gang have been shot, and in retaliation three civilians have been blown up. To Katie's horror, Cork is becoming a gang battleground like Dublin.

Can Katie save the city? Can she save herself?

 

 

About the author:

 

GRAHAM MASTERTON trained as a newspaper reporter before beginning a career as an author. After twenty-five years writing horror and thrillers, Graham turned his talent to crimewriting. The first book in the Katie Maguire series, White Bones, was published by Head of Zeus in 2012 and became a top-ten bestseller. The series was inspired by Graham’s five-year stay in County Cork.

 

Follow Graham:

Facebook: @GrahamMasterton

Twitter: @GrahamMasterton

Buy links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MljWwP

Kobo: https://bit.ly/32mnm7U

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2BcQl2h

 

Follow Head of Zeus:

Website: www.headofzeus.com

Twitter: @HoZ_Books

Facebook: @headofzeus

Instagram: @headofzeus