The Paris Apartment — Lucy Foley

The story follows Jess who arrives in Paris from the UK, to visit her brother Ben. On arrival she finds an empty apartment and no sign of her brother. The story then unravels as Jess tries to uncover the mystery surrounding Ben’s disappearance.

The premise of the story was good and it kept you guessing until the end. I did find parts a little slow but it wasn’t something that put me off reading. I enjoyed the setting and characters as much as the story unfolding. On the whole it’s another great read from Lucy Foley.

Rating: 4/5⭐️

One Night On The Island – Josie Silver

One night on the island

Single magazine columnist, Cleo is sent to salvation island by her boss, who wants her to go through a self-coupling ceremony for an article.

On arrival, Cleo finds the cabin is already occupied by American, Mack who won’t leave destroying the solitude she’d been hoping for. What follows is a fun gate-to-love romance with plenty of grit, baggage and issues to overcome along the way.

The book didn’t exactly have me gripped throughout but it was a sweet story with some fantastic characters. Perfect for curling up with on a winters day.

Genre: Romance

Rating: 3.5/5⭐️

Christmas in Rose Bend – Naima Simone

Christmas in Rose Bend is the perfect festive mix of heartfelt warmth and hot romance. As with The Road to Rose Bend, we see two damaged characters thrown together as they try to navigate a new, unexpected upturn of their worlds. Whilst hero Wolf was an adorable secondary character in the first book, love interest Nessy is new and Wolf’s story only comes out in this instalment so the book reads easily as a standalone although book one is definitely worth reading. Naima Simone has immense bandwidth as a writer and can easily flip from sweet to sassy, back to sweet and then on to spicy all on the same page so she definitely keeps you on your toes.
The Christmassy setting provides the perfect cosy, winter’s backdrop to this adorable book.

Rating: 5/5⭐️

Genre: Romance (Christmas themed)

On A Night Like This – Lindsey Kelk

I absolutely adored this book. Kelk’s signature humour, mischief and shenanigans are all on point and there’s a whirlwind fairytale romance to boot. I loved the escapism aspect of this story – the yacht, the ball and the glimpse into ‘how the other half’ live. If you want to take yourself off for a few hours, giggle and and feel warm and fuzzy inside, this is the book for you.

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Rating: 4/5⭐️

The Whistling – Rebecca Netley

The Whistling is an atmospheric ghost story that set in a creepy island location that makes it the perfect spooky read. Whilst the story is a slow burn, there is enough mystery to keep you engaged with the chilling happenings and twists and turns along the way.

The audiobook was really well narrated and I enjoyed both the reader’s accent and voice as well as her animation and pace which added to the sinister feel of the book.

Reading or listening to this on a windy night by a fire would be the perfect way to pass a few hours this Halloween.

Rating: 4/5⭐️

Genre: Ghost / mystery

The Man Who Died Twice – Richard Osman

The man who died twice

The book had a really promising start. I enjoyed how quickly the septuagenarian characters unique traits were drawn and the group dynamic was lively and enjoyable. The plot also had plenty going for it as the group embark on an undercover mission into the criminal underworld to locate some stolen diamonds. There were a few moments that made me laugh – mostly one-liners or the way Richard Osman captured so well the conversations that you might hear your nan have. He’s a witty writer but sometimes this got lost in the plot which I did find a bit slow and at times I struggled to pick the book up. There’s plenty to live about this book but in this case it wasn’t for me.

Rating: 3/5⭐️

Genre: Cosy crime mystery

Flawed – Cecilia Ahern

This was a YA with an interesting premise. In a world where thanks to social media, perfection is an ever popular goal, it’s feasible that anything less is indeed flawed. The book takes this notion one-step into the future and a stride further with leaders outcasting anyone who is flawed. The flawed are tried, convicted, branded and ostracised.

When perfect seventeen year old, Celestine makes a judgement call, it costs her everything and as she navigates through her new life, she uncovers lies and secrets about their ‘perfect’ society.

I really enjoyed this story and found whilst it was light on action, it echoed some elements of The Handmaid’s Tale or Vox. It was thoroughly engaging and I’ll definitely buy the sequel.

Genre: YA
Rating: 4/5⭐️

The Road to Rose Bend

Recently divorced Sydney returns home to Rose Bend after leaving eight years earlier after the death of her sister. Coming home isn’t easy after her parents turned their backs on her but now pregnant, she’s determined to make a new life for herself. What she doesn’t expect is to fall for widower Cole. Cole is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his wife and unborn baby but can’t help being drawn to Sydney.

Both characters are deeply drawn and have a huge amount of baggage. The levels of attraction run high but so do the stakes creating a huge amount of emotional conflict and some great tension. I loved the small town setting and Cole’s family dynamics, as well as the writing style. There’s a little bit of humour here and there, plenty of angst and some steamy scenes to boot. Overall, this book has a bit of everything and is a great read for summer.

I’d also like to say a huge thank you to Mills and Boon for having me on their blog tour 💖

Genre: Romance

Rating: 4/5⭐️

The Wild Girls – Phoebe Morgan

If you like a ‘locked-in’ thriller then this is the book for you. Set in a luxurious retreat in Botswana this group of friends think they’re in for a fantastic few days of reconnecting with one another and relaxing in the sun.

Someone has other ideas.

Soon after their arrival, strange notes appear and one friend is missing. It isn’t long before things turn sinister but with no way of getting help, they’re on their own.

From page one, I knew I’d like this book. It had mystery and kept me guessing. I loved the setting and the number of characters was spot on – it’s the sort of book you can’t wait to get back to.

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 5/5⭐️

You and Me on Vacation – Emily Henry

You and me on Vacation

I really enjoyed this sweet friends-to-lovers romance. The story spans Poppy and Alex’s 12 years of knowing one another and their relationship intensifies as the main characters figure out who they are and what they want from life. Alex is more of a homebody while Poppy is a jet-setter; determined and career driven. On paper they should never work but the slow-burn of their attraction is fuelled and impossible to ignore.

This book has all the ingredients of your favourite romance / romcom movies and books. It’s sure to be a summer hit!

5/5⭐️

Genre: contemporary romance / romantic comedy