amothersmusings1's reviews
1939 reviews

Everyone loves an endearing romcom and the only thing better than that, is a Christmas romcom, set in the snow with lots of festive love and cheer. “Bella’s Countryside Christmas” fits this bill perfectly, with a satisfying conclusion and a feel good factor throughout to make you smile. 

With a ‘Henry Cahill-esque’ main man and a feisty girl next door, this makes the perfect main cast for this lovely ‘will they, won’t they’ story and there are plenty of unique characters for everyone to enjoy reading about. The eccentric retirement home ladies, work tirelessly to raise money for charity and Bella’s adorable sister is the anchor she needs in her life for stability. 

I also liked the nod to the author’s other series ‘Love in the Compton’s’ and I enjoyed the way the petty crime that was being committed during the story, was revealed at the end with a Poirot type scene, proving the culprit without a doubt. 

I’ve read a Claire Huston novel before and truly loved it, so I knew a Christmas themed romance would be the Yuletide icing on the cake. Everyone loves a reading escape - this was mine - and I will be recommending this splendid book and talented author to my friends and fellow readers this Christmas time. 

#BellasCountrysideChristmas - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Little Sister” is a dark thriller, character driven with unreliable narrators, focusing on the effects of long buried secrets, lies, sibling rivalry and fragile relationships tangled in webs of mistrust. 

 

Told from the perspectives of the two sisters, Jess and Emily, both with completely different views on the past and with distorted memories of one particular event that shaped both their lives, it’s interesting to see where their recollections lead them in life. 

 

Sisterly relationships are uniquely special and unlike any other female friends and relations and this is never more prevalent as in this story, as we see love, jealously, rivalry and devotion fight for prominence. Withholding truths and keeping secrets, tie people up in their keeping and what Jess and Emily try to hide from each other only cause unnecessary turmoil. 

 

Each of the characters in the cast could be responsible for Daisy’s disappearance in their own way and it makes for an interesting read, seeing how their own perspectives fit the events that happened. 

 

The chapters contain flashbacks to Jess and Emily’s life and it’s their shared histories that are paramount to the relating of the story and the denouement. With twists and turns, red herrings and a missing baby, this all makes for an entertaining read, a slow burn but engrossing all the same. 

 

There were so many family turmoils going on, you really do feel that you should be turning away to give them privacy but the desire to ‘rubberneck’ is too strong and it’s impossible not to be addicted to continue reading. 

 

All in all an interesting thriller, dark at its heart and another winner in my opinion from talented author, Isabel Ashdown. 

 

#LittleSister - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My thoughts - 

 

“The Negotiator” is the second book by Brooke Robinson after her success with her debut novel “The Interpreter”. The story opens with an opening prologue that has a high octane scene, perfectly portrayed to get the adrenaline pumping and to intrigue the reader for more to come. 

 

The chapters are interspersed between the then and now from both Tia’s and Asher’s perspective. Tia, ex met police officer and now working for a private investigation company called “Brilliant Bobbies” has her demons following a hostage situation at a local museum involving Asher, a teenage university student hoping to make a stand for ‘real net zero’ along with two of his student friends. When the siege took a dramatic turn, Tia a visitor to the museum that day, tried to remember her hostage training to help save lives but can she manage to make the outcome death free? 

 

When in the present day, she is approached by a survivor’s wife to investigate a case, Tia has to relive the events in order to determine who is causing distress to the survivors involved that day, whilst also battling her own mental health from those recent events. 

 

Depicting students views in university environmental activist groups of the likes of ‘Stop Oil’ and ‘Extinction Rebellion’ and the extent some will go to convince people things need to change, the author shows how the effects of these personal opinions can have, when put into practice. 

 

“The Negotiator” is a slow burn thriller after an exciting prologue but does ramp up the tension and action in the denouement with a conclusion that was both deeply emotional and thought provoking. 

 

#TheNegotiator - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

“The Madstone” by Elizabeth Crook is a wonderful tale of love set in Texas 1868 - atmospheric, poignant and romantic, with characters to endear to and enjoy reading about. 

Benjamin Shreve is an honest, hardworking man, faithful to his promises and dedicated to staying loyal to his home town, in case his missing sister returns. Not many men can be compared to how genuine Shreve is and the author has created a character which suits the storyline perfectly. The relationships he forms with friends, women and men of authority, show his truly unique qualities and although the ending wasn’t quite what I hoped for, the way the story was written as a letter, recalled his emotional connections to the events that happened in the short time he knew his recent acquaintances.

I hadn’t heard of the ‘powers’ of a Madstone before or even what it was actually made of but from the basis of what it does, this completely made the essence of the story and deserved the title of the book. 

The setting was without doubt atmospheric with the constant threat of Comanche/Indian attacks and stage hold ups and with death seemingly a regular occurrence (as the Wild West is known for) the tension throughout is a constant reminder of how fragile life was, for travellers. 

A delightful story, with action and tension, all set on a bedrock of romance and friendships, that I’d happily recommend if you fancy an escape to the Old West.  Elizabeth Crook is a talented author, whose passion for entertaining her readers, shines through in abundance. 

#TheMadstone - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was quite possibly the most emotional and heart wrenching I’ve ever read. Most people are aware of the Nigerian/Biafra civil war…. it was estimated around one million people may have died due to the conflict from disease, lack of medicine, murder, pillaging, famine and hunger, with thousands starving to death every day, as the war progressed.  The author Onyeka Nwelue has conveyed these horrific deaths in his book “The Women of Biafra” depicting the atrocities that occurred, pulling no punches as to the brutality of war and the intense suffering of the people of Biafra. 

 

The story opens with a horrific scene of the main character Ngozika, being savagely attacked by a Nigerian soldier, as her children listened on in another room. She explicitly relates the physical violence she’s enduring and her emotions as she feels them, making the reader realise this book is not going to be a walk in the park. 

 

As most of the men were being killed in droves, it was left to the women to keep their children safe and at times, rally fellow women around to fight the war themselves. Listening to their grief, when the women learned of their children’s deaths was heartbreaking and I could understand their thoughts on rather being dead themselves than living in their current nightmare, waiting for the soldiers to rape and murder them. 

 

Living constantly amongst dead, decaying bodies, fly ridden and often butchered, just lying in the streets and floating in rivers just added to the inhumane conditions people were surviving in and the lack of food, making them resort to rotten pears and lizards is incomprehensible. Makes you realise how we take our western lives and access to all foods, for granted. The author portrayed all this in detail, making it heart-wrenchingly realistic. The leading character Ngozika, was such a strong woman, with a true and honest heart, and a true inspiration. My heart went out to her suffering. 

 

Not an easy read by any means but I believe it needs to be known. It really does make you stop and think and together with a beautifully printed and designed book, I would recommend to all readers, from teenagers up with strong stomachs. 

 

#TheWomenOfBiafra - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nicola Gill's previous novel, ‘Swimming for Beginners’, reached number 12 on the Kindle bestseller list and I suspect this, her latest book “That’s Just Perfect” will be reaching the top spot for sure. Nothing escapes you from real life, like a feel good, romantic comedy with heartwarming and poignant themes. 

 

The main characters are all dysfunctional in their own way, flawed and facing individual demons but due to the author’s character deeply layered development of them, you get to see their real hearts and that the issues they are facing are only due to unfortunate (if self-inflicted) circumstances. Reading their journeys was pure pleasure and with some funny scenes, sentimental moments and satisfying conclusions, I thoroughly enjoyed this well written story.  With a superbly played cat that was the star of the show for me, this rounded up the cast of characters perfectly, I mean who doesn’t talk to their cat/pets like they can hear them and expect answers?! 

 

Primary school teachers will certainly relate to the many parents quirks about their children, the older generation will understand the concerns on re-starting dating and dad’s will no doubt recognise the issues on saying and doing the right things to estranged daughters, so there’s something for everyone, any circumstance, any age…. 

 

Perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary and Sophie Kinsella, this modern and humorous novel about multigenerational family life and their relationships, kept me entertained for hours and I can happily recommend “That’s Just Perfect”. 

 

#ThatsJustPerfect - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

I really can’t believe the amount of entertaining activity content, contained within these 200 pages. “The Taylor Swift Activity Book” is a powerhouse of a book, ‘an unofficial lovefest’ featuring an unbelievable amount of trivia, fun quizzes and word play games. 

 

Written by Nathan Joyce and illustrated by Juhee Kim, the author admits to being a fully fledged ‘Swiftie’ and highly enjoyed writing this book, working exceedingly hard on producing a fun, silly and in depth activity book, ultimately celebrating everything he’s learned about Taylor Swift. At the time of writing Nathan’s introduction to the book, he was due to go to Edinburgh for the first UK date of the Eras Tour and his excitement was palpable.  Knowing every song and reason behind each one makes him more than qualified to write this book, which in my opinion is for any fan who can pick up a book and read independently. 

 

From quotes, album trivia, colouring in, anagrams, dot to dots, spot the differences, true or false quizzes, word searches, quotes, name that tune, crosswords and to honestly so much more, you couldn’t possibly get bored with this book. 

 

Taylor Swift is a cultural icon, who kindly treats everyone with the humility and empathy they each deserve and is an all round, true inspiration as a public figure. I’m in love with this book, it’s just perfect and I hope that every other Swiftie in the world, gets an opportunity to have fun with this book too. 

 

#TheTaylorSwiftActivityBook - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In a world of unrest at the minute it was nice to enjoy a romantic escape to the past, with a ‘Harlequin Historical’ book and this one in particular grabbed my interest. 

The storyline was a simple enough plot but with depth and detailed characters to really set the Viking scene. Having learned about King Canute at school it was interesting to read about him in a fictional sense. 

The way the story is told and portrayed, you get to alternately experience both the main characters feelings, emotions and thoughts as they occur, which always allows for a build up of story development and with secrets and twists along the way, I certainly had my attention engaged. 

This was my first read of a book in this genre, as I was drawn to the historical time line and premise rather than the true romance angle.  Although I was expecting a lot of ‘steamy scenes’ there was some explicit intimacy but nothing over the top or too frequent. 

If these books are your sort of reads or you’re a ‘Mills & Boon’/‘Harlequin’ fan already, I certainly recommend “Her Secret Vows With The Viking” and the author Sarah Rodi, I’ll be looking up her previous stories and keeping an eye out for future publications!

#HerSecretVowsWithTheViking - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My goodness, S.E. Shepherd doesn’t half know how to write a book! I enjoyed the previous book “Cousin Ash” in the ‘Sandlin Private Investigations’ series and knowing how excellently this author engages a reader, I was looking forward to the third book, “New Memories”. No need to have read any of the previous books, other than for enjoyment of course, as Hannah and Lottie’s backstories are adequately covered in order to catch up. 

The premise of the story was very clever, portraying a damaged woman who engages the services of Hannah and her P.I. company, to help her to confirm who really killed her mother after having her memories regressed during hypnosis. But can these ‘new memories’ be relied upon as genuine or has she just remembered who really did commit the murder?

I loved the friendship between Hannah and Lottie, a really authentic pairing who care for each other deeply with a sisterly type relationship to be envied. When the investigation takes them to Spain, it was interesting seeing their both very different personalities, aiding Hannah to work out what was really going on within the client’s family.

I really couldn’t put this book down, such a cliche I know but honestly the truth. There was a side story (which was a whole book story in itself!) that blended into the main story seamlessly and I was genuinely amazed at how well it all connected, realistically and satisfying and I can’t wait for book four! 

#NewMemories - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“COUSIN ASH” is the second in the ‘Sandlin Private Investigations’ series written by S.E. Shepherd and follows on from “Swindled” the first in the series. 

“A chance meeting with a school friend of Lottie's brings Hannah a new case. She's confident Sandlin Private Investigations can find out who's responsible for the recent threats at Eliza's house. But, as she and Lottie begin to unravel the facts of the present case, they also find themselves involved in a longstanding mystery. ….”

This was a really good novel, very up to date with its themes and characters but with a cozy feel to it as well. I enjoyed the dual timeline, reading the genuine events as they happened twelve years ago and the present time, as those involved tried to hide the truth. 

The three main female characters dominated the story perfectly and I loved the friendship between Hannah and Lottie, a really authentic pairing who care for each other deeply.
I sympathised with Eliza regarding her miscarriages and this brought an emotional bond between the women and explained a lot about her current personal feelings.

There’s a denouement that was unexpected but satisfying and fitting to the whole back story and based on this book alone, I’d be happy to read more in the series and recommend.

Author Sue Shepherd now writes under the name S E Shepherd. She has also written three RomComs, 'Doesn't Everyone Have a Secret?' which reached the top ten UK Kindle chart in 2015, 'Love Them and Leave Them.' and 'Can't Get You Out of My Head.'

#CousinAsh - 4.5 stars