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)

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

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 Sanatorium- Sarah Pearse

The opening of this book really set the scene for snowy seclusion. With Overlook hotel vibes, Le Sommet is an eerie setting with a sinister past and the atmosphere the author sets is chilling.

Ex-police officer and heroine Elin, is attending her brother’s engagement party at the newly opened hotel when his fiancée goes missing. When things take a horrifying turn and a body turns up, an avalanche prevents the police from accessing the crime scene so Elin steps in. Without jurisdiction, she works under the instruction on local police. With no hope of help, it’s a race against time to stop the killer as they pick off guests one-by-one.

I loved the setting of this book and the pace mostly kept me turning the pages, especially in the latter parts of the book. There was plenty to digest and overall it was an engaging read and an excellent debut.

Rating: 4/5⭐️

Genre: Psychological thriller / crime thriller

Two Wrongs- Rebecca Reid

I absolutely loved Truth Hurts and was thrilled when Transworld got in touch to offer me a review copy of Rebecca Reid’s latest book ‘Two Wrongs’.

The book is an enjoyable, easy read with a believable plot. Whilst it was a much gentler ‘thriller’ than Truth Hurts it had enough mystery to keep you guessing to the end.

Rebecca Reid has a fresh and modern style that I enjoy and even though I didn’t connect with the characters myself, I found them incredibly realistic.

Genre: Domestic Noir

Rating: 3/5⭐️

Fighting for the Trauma Doc’s Heart – Rachel Dove

Rachel Dove’s versatility as a writer never fails to amaze me. I adore her lighter comedy and I’ve enjoyed her more heartfelt works too. This is her first release under the Mills & Boon medical line and despite this line of books being quicker / shorter reads there was no compromises on the rich storytelling. The main characters, Michelle and Jacob, won my heart with their complex backgrounds. They were characters I really rooted for even when their interests were in conflict of one another’s. Mixing work and pleasure is a taboo I love, made all the more exciting by the life or death nature of the work. If you’re a fan of Grey’s Anatomy (or not) you’re sure to fall in love with this book.

Genre: Romance (medical)
Rating: 5/5⭐️

We Just Clicked – Anna Bell

We Just Clicked is a feel-good romcom read with all the ups and downs you’d expect. When Izzy and Luke concoct a plan to have a fake relationship to become Instagram famous, never in her wildest dreams did Izzy expect to fall in love for real. Faced with a choice between her dream career and true love, Izzy doesn’t always get it right and it’s an enjoyable ride following her story.

If you’re a fan of Sophie Kinsella or Lindsay Kelk, you’ll like this!

Genre: chicklit

4/5⭐️