Hi, and welcome to my Flashback Friday feature 🙂

On the first Friday of each month I like to have a look back at the books I was reading during the same month in previous years, since starting my blog.

Please do join in if you have the time. I’d love to see your posts!

Here are my reviews from April 2021, plus a link to previous FBFs….

He who pays the piper calls the tune.

When Peter and his little sister, Daisy, are evacuated from London to the countryside, they find themselves on an isolated farm in the middle of a treacherous marshland. As Daisy gets drawn deeper into the secrets of their new home, Peter starts to realise that something very sinister is going on. What is that music they can hear at night? And who are the children dancing to it?

The Piper

by Danny Weston 

My review

The Piper is another book that has been waiting very patiently on my bookshelf. I am so pleased I finally got to read it as I have enjoyed it immensely. It is a creepy ghost story which had me completely captivated.

It begins with an extremely chilling prologue dated 7^th September 1874. The 7^{th of} September proves to be quite a significant date throughout this story.

In Chapter one we meet Helen and her Grandad Peter (in the present day) as she visits him on his Birthday at his care home. During this visit Peter finds himself confiding in his granddaughter about his time during the war when he and his sister, Daisy, were evacuated from London to the countryside. This in itself is terrifying to me. I can’t even imagine being sent away as a child and I would have been hysterical if my children had had to be taken away from me. I know many, many families had to face this devastation though. It must have been heart-breaking for all involved.

Peter and Daisy are taken to Sheldon Grange which is in the middle of nowhere and is seemingly a peaceful, safe haven. Peter thinks he’s in for a relaxing holiday but finds he is to work alongside the caretaker/handyman, Adam to earn his keep. Daisy is to be company for the owner’s daughter, Sally. It is a huge change for them, but they are certain it won’t be for long and it seems they are to be well looked after.

Little did they know of the Sheldon’s horrifying history and the real reason they were offered refuge. Peter soon starts to realise something is not quite right, but he promised his mother he would look after Daisy and he is determined to do so, whatever it takes. Such a brave young man who has never forgotten Sheldon Grange but has never told a soul what happened there, until now.

Such a brilliant book. I loved it!

The very last sentence gave me goosebumps.

I very much recommend!

Buy your copy here….

happy reading 🙂

Secrets Behind The Billionaire’s Return (Claiming the Ferrington Empire, Book 1)

by Rachael Stewart  

Has he returned to claim her heart…?

In this Claiming the Ferrington Empire story, sixteen years ago Felicity fell in love with the boy from Ferrington Manor. But when Sebastian vanished she was left with the secret consequence of their love… And now he’s back! Will the revelations about his departure be enough for Felicity to succumb to the feelings that still draw her to him?

I could not resist bumping this straight to the top of my reading list and I am so glad I did because I LOVED it!

I do love Rachael Stewart’s writing. Her books are like a breath of fresh air for me and this one was no exception. I do love a good romance and Rachael Stewart knows how to write a love story!

I loved all the characters in this book. Felicity and her daughter, Angel, are instantly likeable. They share a very close relationship which is heart-warming as mother/daughter relationships can often be quite fractious, especially during the teenage years. Their relationship is very warm and genuine though, and both are inspiring characters.

Sebastian is an extremely charismatic character. He’s obviously very easy on the eye 😉 He has quite the heart-wrenching backstory though and I really did feel for him although to an outsider looking in you would think he shouldn’t have a care in the world. It just goes to prove that money isn’t everything.

I absolutely adored Felicity and Sebastian’s story. Their lives couldn’t be any more different these days but the chemistry between them is off the chart! There is almost a magnetic like force drawing them to each other, however hard they try to resist. I was rooting for them from the very beginning. Things are rarely straight forward, especially when children are involved, but to deny yourself a future full of such passion would be a crime.

This is such a beautifully written love story. I can’t recommend it highly enough! I am over the moon it’s the first of a trilogy. I can’t wait for book 2!

*Kindle edition out 14^th April 2022*

**Many thanks to Rachael Stewart for my surprise advance paperback copy. I’m honoured to have had the pleasure of reading it ahead of publication day**

One Last Letter from Greece: The new sweeping, romantic debut novel to escape with in summer 2022

by Emma Cowell 

One Last Letter from Greece is a gorgeous read!

Sophie is an instantly likeable character. My heart went out to her as it is devastating to lose a parent, especially when they’re only in their 50s. I can fully understand her need to get away for a while. When she finds there is the possibility that one of her mother’s paintings might be in Methoni, Greece, she makes it her mission to try to find it, giving her the perfect excuse to escape for a while.

Little does she know what she is about to discover.

I love how brave some people are when it comes to travelling alone as I can’t imagine me ever doing it. Methoni sounds like a gorgeous place though. I could almost feel the heat of the sun and could happily find myself sitting on a balcony, sipping pinot, watching the glorious sunset over the sea. Hopefully under happier circumstances though.

When Sophie meets Theo the chemistry between them is palpable, although not the most conventional of introductions. I was rooting for them from the very beginning. I fully believe in love at first sight. (It happened to me, and I have been married for twenty years next month.) I loved how their relationship develops but could also understand the practical issues they face, given that Sophie lives in London, has a business to run and a best friend who needs her.

I understood her friend’s initial reaction to her relationship with Theo too as I experienced the same scepticism at the beginning of our relationship. Those closest to us, naturally, don’t want to see us hurt and many can’t understand that ‘when you know, you know’ feeling. It makes us seem quite naive initially, like we’re being a bit stupid for believing someone could fall in love with you so quickly and unfortunately only time can change that perception. This made her friend’s reaction very relatable. Sophie’s reaction to her lack of understanding too. I really enjoyed the dynamic of their relationship. Their genuine love for each other and ability to be nothing but their absolute selves with each other is heart-warming.

I was totally swept along with the romance and intensity of this story. It isn’t without its ups and downs, as is often the case. A real rollercoaster of emotion. What Sophie finds out about her mother’s summer trips to Greece is just heart-breaking. My heart broke into tiny little pieces for one other character. I won’t say who though as I don’t want to give anything away.

This book made me cry (a lot), but also made me giggle at times and smile (a lot!). I absolutely LOVED it and can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s an excellent debut novel and I look forward to reading more by Emma Cowell in the not-too-distant future, I hope.

**Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley**

pre-order now

you won’t regret it, i promise!

The Heeding

by Rob Cowen (Author), 

Illustrated by Nick Hayes 

I received a paperback copy of The Heeding from the publisher, Elliott & Thompson. It isn’t one I was expecting but it was a lovely surprise. Many thanks.

I have no idea how to review poetry, but this book is just beautiful in every way. It has a striking cover which I am sure would catch anyone’s eye. My photograph doesn’t do it justice.

The book starts with a touching and thought-provoking introduction by the author. Each poem that follows gives us food for thought and the illustrations throughout the book are stunning and complement the poems beautifully.

I particularly loved ‘Sunday School’, especially the last paragraph. ‘The Lovers’ made me giggle. ‘Dennis’ is heart-breaking. ‘Pharmacy Cake’ is heart-wrenching too. ‘The Problem With Us’ hits the nail on the head. ‘The End of This (Drinking Poem)’ and ‘Light’ promote hope for a brighter, healthier future and ‘Duel, Part II’ gave me goosebumps.

All in all, an inspiring collection which I am sure will resonate with many. I imagine I will pick it up often to re-read and share with others.

Treat yourself….

happy reading 🙂

The Stranger Diaries

Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

by Elly Griffiths (Author)

Anjana Vasan (Narrator), Andrew Wincott (Narrator), Esther Wane (Narrator), Sarah Feathers (Narrator), Quercus (Publisher)

Having read and loved the first book in the Ruth Galloway series recently I thought I’d give this a try on Audible when I spotted it whilst browsing. It is the first book in the DS Harbinder Kaur series.

The main character, Claire, is an English teacher who also runs an adult creative writing evening class. She is a single parent to a fifteen-year-old daughter who attends the school she teaches at. When Claire’s colleague and best friend, Ella is murdered she is understandably devastated and shaken. When she finds someone else’s writing in her personal diary things get even more concerning and the murder investigation ramps up.

I can’t make my mind up if I liked Claire or not. She comes across as a bit of a snob sometimes, but other times I found myself warming to her. I love how she loves her dog. I found this aspect of her personality very relatable. Obviously, I love her passion for literature!

I like Harbinder Kaur. She’s quite different to any other DS I’ve read about before. I quite like that she still lives with her mother and I’m very jealous of the food she gets to enjoy every evening when she goes home. She comes across as a natural detective, professional and thorough, taking nothing at face value. I love how straight to the point she is.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this mystery unfold. It’s a story full of suspense which kept my bum on my sofa listening via my amazon echo instead of doing the many other things I should have been doing!

I love how there is a different narrator for each of the main characters. This really enhanced the listening experience for me. The narrators really suited their characters too.

I recommend this book in whatever format you read.

I have already added book 2 to my Audible library.

Treat yourself….

happy reading 🙂

The Lost Letter

by Adrienne Chinn 

The Lost Letter was an enjoyable read.

We follow Addy on her travels to Morocco following the discovery of a letter from her father after his recent death indicating a lost love she knew nothing about.

I think anyone travelling alone is very brave and it’s something I can’t imagine ever doing. People who do fascinate me. Morocco sounds like a fascinating place too and Addy seems to settle there quite quickly, especially with the help of local tour guide, Omar. She soon finds herself immersed in their culture and family life, but the time soon flies, and she starts to run out of weeks to find the answers she’s looking for. Someone must remember her father and the woman he fell for back in 1984.

I enjoyed following Addy on her journey to the truth. I did think she was far more patient than I would be though when it was obvious people knew more than they were letting on.

I loved the relationship between Addy and her sister.

My only niggle with this book was that I thought it could probably have been shorter.

The ending was a complete surprise. I’d be interested to know what happened next.

**Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley**

Available now!

happy reading!

The Friend 

by Dorothy Koomson 

The Friend is my first experience of Dorothy Koomson’s writing, but it will most certainly not be my last.

When we first meet Cece, she has just moved her family to Brighton in support of her husband’s promotion. She is naturally apprehensive about starting a new life in a new city and especially nervous about her children starting new schools. This is only exacerbated when she discovers one of the Mums, Yvonne, has recently been found on the school grounds (the school her sons will be attending) having been attacked and is now in a coma. Three other Mums, Maxie, Anaya, and Hazel take her under their wing, and everything seems like it will be okay after all. How wrong one can be!

I loved how this story is told from the differing points of view of each of the women. They all live very different lives, and we know quite early on that they all have their secrets. However, the author gives nothing away. The tension grows with each part of the book, and I grew more and more intrigued with each page. These are a fascinating bunch of women and I found myself completely immersed in their stories. I was desperate to find out the truth behind Yvonne’s attack and what it was they were all trying to hide. I was quite gobsmacked when I realised what had happened!

This is such a cleverly written book. A rollercoaster of emotions. It’s a story of friendship, lies, infidelity, desperation, and deceit.

The very end sent shivers down my spine.

I very much recommend!

Buy now

happy reading!