These books are so much fun to read! Absolutely perfect to clear the mind of every day stresses. This is Sadie’s story, and how she finds herself a little (or a lot) torn between two very handsome, but different men at Sorrel Farm. Inbetween trying to get the farm on the map, glamming it up for the beautiful Evelyn, Sadie is having the time of her life falling for the wrong man.
I love how characters intertwine within eachother lives from previous books. And although Sadie hasn’t been my favorite in the books I’v read so far, a certain Ned (our resident geek) is definitely one I want to read more about.
A fast and flirty plot. Great to escape for a day.
A totaly unexpected end to a book that was already dark. I always think that going into a book oblivious to the plot and to triggers is the best way for me personally. The shock factor is so much more blunt and hard hitting. I felt an unease through out the book, but I didn’t quite figure out what was happening and when it was revealed I was sick to the stomach.
Written in a rich poetic way, this is a story of loneliness, sadness, and deep hurt rooted inside a person’s consciousness.
For me, this was Callie’s story, although she would make it out to be her brother Noah’s. She is just as oblivious as the reader, and this made my heart bleed for her.
There is a moment where my eyes just came out of their sockets at what she does, but, when it became apparent as to why and what- my god, I felt so sad for her.
‘I’m going to put on my new red dress, and dance on your bastard grave’
A really great read but deeply upsetting. I recommend to all who like the morbid, shocking, dark themed books.
Thank you so much @legend_times for my review copy.
Yikes, never has a dedication chilled me to the bone as did this one;
‘Dedicated to William, Kathleen and Elizabeth. I’ll forever be haunted by your story’….
And that was before the book even began!
From page one, our main character William Jackson Crawford, is portrayed as a flawed, deeply sad individual. Desperate, in everything he says, does and thinks.
We think we know how the story ends.
We are lured, into the world of séances, half wanting Kathleen to be the proof of the pudding – to read something that gives us those beliefs that most of us crave, that speaking to the dead, our loved ones passed, is truly possible.
Our other more sceptic selves, will nit pic the scenes. Will tend to agree with William and look for signs like his shadow and side kick.
Whichever mindset you take, breathe in this ride down the uneasy lane of ghoulish happenings. Embrace the menacing voices, the dark atmosphere and be ready for a fear you never knew was lurking inside you.
So many things I enjoyed about this gothic horror. I think the main pull is that it’s based on a true account, and real people. The added extras were Devine and I like to think it’s exactly how it happened
‘The attic was split by an invisible force which struck at me from every unseen wall as though we had been dropped into a tank of broiling, electrified water.’
With stunning sentences that had both classic and humour vibes, just kept giving and I could have read another 100 pages easily.
The Spirit Engineer is a one off. It’s more than reading, it’s an experience that will cause you to look behind you, to question those hidden shadows.
Loved the whole package that came with this, the interaction with @ajwestauthor and @instabooktours and all the other bloggers was amazing. Thank you for letting me be one of your early readers ❤
With a slow build up, my interest started about 150 pages in, and this is where it gets to the real grit of the story. Introduced within 2 timelines, Violets story begins as a young land girl during WW2 where she lives and works under a fake ID just to escape her sharp tongued mother and the scary blitz back home in London. Violet learns so much during her time working, it is certainly not all fun and games like those films make us believe. A cast of wonderful strong females come together, and through difficult and cruel times, they find love in eachother, friendship and understanding. It’s not long before Violets wild side is explored, and ends up being tangled in something complicated that even she can’t handle more of. Meanwhile in present day 2004 – violet and her granddaughter Frankie struggle to rekindle their relationship. I don’t feel the book necessarily needed a dual voice, loved Violets story and much preferred the 1940s chapters. Some thrilling scenes, dramatic in all the right places, really worth reading for fans of WW2 based fiction.
Thank you @rachelsrandomresources for my copy to review
Wow, this was real dark material! Not once did the author hold back. As a fan of horror films, this book really gave me the skin crawling sensation that I have been craving! It’s been so long since a real horror like this has come along. With strong similarities to A Nightmare On Elm Street, I was in my element as Freddie is my favorite creep!
Johnny Colby is our guy in this story of dark nostalgic themes. He saw something when he was a kid that he burried deep in his mind. Now an adult, and things are creeping back into his dreams and spilling out into his real life. Is it possible that the monsters who haunt him in his sleep, talk to him while he’s awake too?
Some fantastic descriptions that made me gasp in actual horror. The chapters from the 1990s got my hair standing on end and a little bit of vomit stuck in my throat- but in the best of ways
I can’t leave this review without saying how very like ‘Stephen King’ this whole journey was to me. He even gets a mention in the story. Between pennywise in IT and Freddie Cruegar like characters , my inner horror addiction awakened and am now looking into reading more from this author.
Thank you so much @annecater14 for organising this tour @randomthingstours @flametreepress and for my #gifted copy to review. LOVED it!
Josh and Claudia have been dealt with their fair share of bad cards in life as a married couple.
Coming to terms with being parents is always difficult enough without the added complications of a child with extra needs or a disability.
This novel Centers around Josh mostly, and his way of dealing with a failed marriage.
The opening pages were written brilliantly and almost humorous behind the obvious distress of Josh desperately trying to cope with Amy, his 9 year old autistic daughter.
This style of writing doesn’t carry on unfortunately, it becomes more about Josh and his work life. Here we see a different side to his character, and while this is interesting and probably true to life in similar cases, I would have enjoyed more scenes where Josh is tested with Amy and her special unique endearing ways.
Claudia is moving on with life as she sees fit, her side of the story didn’t bring much in my opinion. I did enjoy the Josh chapters more for certain. That’s not to say I liked him, because most of the time, I really didn’t.
Left me with questions, not a bad thing at all. Questions are good, shows my interest was peaqued.
What I will say, is that the book feels like, it knows something the reader doesn’t. Either that, Or I totaly missed something along the way may be this is intentional- who knows.
Thank you @lovebookstours for having me on this #blogtour and for my review copy ❤
Well this was a treat of a book ❤ Ferry Lane Market is the new setting for @author_nicola ‘s newest series. And what a setting it is! Purely gorgeous. I got the privelage of being in Cornwall in person recently and must say, it’s my new obsession.
Here we have the very lovely Kara Moon. So beautiful in ways she doesnt even know. This is her story and every one involved in this busy little market town in Hartmouth.
This was so easy to read, I would find myself settling into it and before I knew it, the half way mark was there! Kara has been stung badly by love. Here is her happy ever after… or is it?
What I loved most about this, is the love between family members, I shed a little tear towards the end too. Very touching, seriously delicious, and worth investing in ❤❤❤.
….’you would encounter a variety of people; some for reason, some for a season, and some for a lifetime…’
This felt like an American Pie reunion, 30yrs later! With a dark streak running below the surface! I enjoyed the introduction to the group of friends, lost some interest somewhere in the middle – but when it all came together at the end I saw that every chapter was needed. My eyes watered and a lump formed in my throat at the revelations at the end. Very powerful indeed.
When the group of men get together for their annual trip, (minus Will) they don’t think for one moment that this will be the last time they will probably ever be in the same room as one another, let alone on the same weekend break.
Wills’ famous game of Brainmelter has been organised from beyond the grave. They are about to find out things about their lifelong friends that they never dreamed of!
An enjoyable read over all. Sitting comfortably between a soft thriller and contemporary fiction, with a whole lot of humour. And a touching message thoughout.
This took me a while to get my head around, but only because I’m currently going through a phase of wanting to read them Nice happy books
But winning this proof copy from @viper.books spured me on to read it asap.
Once my head was in it, I could really appreciate the perfect balance between utter horrific and an underlying humour!
There is a great character in this story, Daniel, the son of Scott and Gemma. He is by far, the best thing about the story. Daniel is sincere, he’s polite, he is truthful, he is sweet and loveable. Oh, and he is a killer!
There are coincidences in every way possible, but with an open mind, this is not a problem. In fact, the more bazaar it got at the end, the more I loved it! What an action packed last 3 pages!
Quirky, shambolic and should come with a warning. All in the best way possible!
I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. I think, once I had it in my head it wasn’t a hard core thriller, and more of a domestic family drama kinda thing – it made the whole experience more enjoyable personally.
The crime that is committed right at the beginning is a kind of focus, but I really liked the engagement between the two main characters Tom and Sarah more.
The dynamic between this married couple is so odd, yet alluring to read about. We get such a clear vision of their strange married life and how they came as one.
Their relationship poses many questions, but the major one is ‘what happens if you marry the wrong person?’ I feel there are many many signs that these two should not be together – but then again, just because things go wrong, and end up very different at the end, are they the wrong person for you? Or have they added that little ‘extra’ into your life in the long run?
I really invested into these thoughts and could disect them for hours.
But back to the main plot, and how a parent would do anything to protect their child who commits a crime. What if both parents dont agree on what’s best?
I saw this as a much deeper story than the first impressions I got from the ‘look’ and blurb of the book.
Four stars for me 朗朗朗朗
Thank you @vikingbooksuk @adventureswithwords for my review copy. I will read more from this Author.
RhiRhiReader 