Hope’s Game

by Mick Williams 

WOW! Mick Williams never ceases to amaze me! I love his books. Each one is as unique as they come. I honestly don’t know how he does it. He literally has a book to suit every reading taste.

Hope’s Game is quite different to anything I have read before. I absolutely loved it!

I liked Charlie from the get-go. My heart broke for him when I learned of the loss of his daughter. I can’t imagine anything worse. The not knowing would cripple me. It’s no wonder he is unable to find joy in anything since her disappearance. How do you even begin to move on from something like that? Would you even want to? I’d never rest either. It’s no surprise it led to the breakdown of his marriage. I imagine that is quite common in these circumstances. He seems to have disconnected from the world, his family, and anything that isn’t alcohol.

In an attempt to get him out of his grotty flat Charlie’s best friend, Nick, offers him an opportunity which, given his circumstances, is far too good to turn down. £10,000 (for one day of his time!) to participate in a research project he is working on. An AI program called Project Mindspace. Of course, Charlie accepts. He has nothing to lose right!?

He has no idea how much his life is about to change forever.

Charlie’s visits to ‘Under’ both fascinated and terrified me. It isn’t something I would willingly participate in any time soon. I can see how Charlie finds it an appealing method of escapism though.

As the story progressed, I became more and more uneasy. I became increasingly concerned about Charlie and his state of mind. I was right to be concerned!

Such clever writing.

I can’t wait for the follow up!

Treat yourself….

ICYMI

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2018/12/14/a-reason-to-grieve-by-mick-williams-bookreview/

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2020/04/24/a-guy-walks-into-a-bar-by-mick-williams-mickwilliamsau2-hydrapress-bookreview/

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2021/03/12/final-clearance-by-mick-williams-mickwilliamsau2-bookreview/

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2021/03/15/authorinterview-with-mick-williams-mickwilliamsau2/

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2021/12/02/a-reason-to-breathe-by-mick-williams-mickwilliamsau2-bookreview/

happy reading! 🙂

Critical Strike (Thrillerverse Events Book 1)

by James P. Sumner  

Wow, what a read this is!

If you love action, you will love this book. Fast-paced is an understatement.

James P Sumner’s books read like you’re watching a movie. I know that is his intention and he has absolutely nailed it! This book would be awesome on the big screen! There is so much going on, I was exhausted just reading it. How some of the characters do what they do I don’t know. It’s a good job they do, do what they do though otherwise the world they find themselves in would be left in a right sorry state. We all need a hero in our lives and there is more than one in this story.

Just brilliant!

Action packed and full of suspense. Plenty of shocks and surprises. I absolutely loved it!

An easy five stars for me.

Many thanks to James P. Sumner for my review copy.

Treat yourself….

Merry Christmas & happy reading! 🙂

Dead Mercy (Maggie Jamieson thriller, Book 5)

by Noelle Holten

Dead Mercy is another excellent edition to the Maggie Jamieson series. I’m so glad I had this to read straight after finishing book 4!

I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series, and this has been no exception. I think each book gets better as the series progresses if that’s at all possible. I find myself quite invested in the main characters throughout a series I love, and Maggie Jamieson is one of my favourites.

This isn’t the easiest of reads due to the subject matter. There are some horrific scenes which must be horrendous for police officers to be faced with. There is also a much deeper, heart-wrenching story behind these seemingly random murders. A story which sadly highlights incidents which have occurred far too often in the real world. The psychology aspects of this story, and others like it, fascinate me.

I know I’m being vague. I could happily chat away about this book for ages, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. I can’t recommend this book highly enough though. It ticks all the boxes for me from a crime/police procedural perspective. It is a chilling and emotional read. Relevant and thought-provoking.

buy it now

ICYMI

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2019/08/23/deadinside-by-noelle-holten-nholten40-blogtour-bookreview-killerreads-botbspublicity/

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2020/10/16/dead-wrong-by-noelle-holten-nholten40-0nemorechapter_-bookreview/

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2020/10/26/dead-perfect-maggie-jamieson-thriller-book-3-by-noelle-holten-nholten40-0nemorechapter_-bookreview/

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2021/11/19/dead-secret-maggie-jamieson-thriller-book-4-by-noelle-holten-nholten40-bookreview/

happy reading!

Hi, and welcome to my Flashback Friday feature 🙂

On the first Friday of each month I like to have a little 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 December 2020, plus a link to previous December FBFs….

Have you read any of the above?

A Reason to Breathe

(The ‘Reason’ Collection Book 2)

By Mick Williams

Is it okay to grow old disgracefully?

I absolutely loved A Reason to Grieve by Mick Williams, so I was very exited to read A Reason to Breathe and re-visit some of the lovely characters. Mick Williams has such a way of creating characters you will fall in love with.

In this sequel we find Henry has compiled a bucket list. A bucket list he needs his friends to help with. Each one of them must choose one activity to achieve with Henry. They vary from skydiving to stargazing! (I know which I would prefer! Lol!)

I love the relationships these characters share, and the banter between them is hilarious at times. The focus is on Henry achieving his bucket list, but each of the other characters has their own story to tell. Their own worries and issues to deal with. All of them are relatable in one way or another and all add such a depth to the book making it a well-rounded story of love, friendship, and of making each day count.

My favourite character is Steve. I love him! He is hilarious and made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. He so deserves to be happy.

Mick Williams’ personality shines through his lovable, believable characters. I have loved every book he has written. All of them are so different but equally brilliant.

He has nailed it again!

An easy five stars for me. In case I haven’t made it clear enough. I LOVED it!

buy now

ICYMI

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2018/12/14/a-reason-to-grieve-by-mick-williams-bookreview/

happy reading!

Over A Spitfire, The Sequel

by Sherrie Lowe 

I loved Over A Spitfire so I was extremely thankful to already have a copy of the sequel to dive into. Over A Spitfire is one of those books with characters who stay in your mind and who you might wonder about. So, this sequel is a perfect follow on. It is novella length and must only be read if you have already read Over A Spitfire first, otherwise it will completely spoil the story for you. It is a catch up with the characters, like meeting up with old friends and finding out what they have been up to since you last met. I loved it.

I can’t say much else really without giving anything away, but I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Ava and seeing how her story progressed. It is full of fascinating discoveries, emotion, and heart-warming moments. The last four lines brought a tear to my eye.

If you haven’t read Over A Spitfire yet, you will find my review (including purchase details) here….

happy reading!

I’m over the moon to be sharing the cover for The Stars Will Shine Again. This is the second anthology I’ve complied to raise money for Help for Heroes and it’s an honour to be working for this wonderful charity again. The first book, When Stars Will Shine, is on offer now, so pop over […]

#CoverReveal The Stars Will Shine Again ~ Helping Our Heroes One Page at A Time #HelpForHeroes #CharityBook #ShortStories — Emma The Little Bookworm

Over A Spitfire

by Sherrie Lowe 

Over A Spitfire has been waiting patiently on my bookshelf for far too long but you know what they say about good things coming to those who wait. This book has most definitely been worth the wait, although I am now sorry that I didn’t get to it sooner.

When we meet Ava, during World War Two, she is a ferry pilot in the Air Transport Auxiliary. It sounds like an exhilarating but dangerous job. Not one I would have liked as I like my feet firmly on the ground. Ava loved it though and was sad to have to give it up when the war ended, although obviously overjoyed at the same time. It must have been quite a shock to the system to go from fulfilling such an important role in the war to looking towards her future as a housewife and mother. This is especially daunting for Ava having shared a fiercely passionate relationship with her colleague Wilhelmina (Will) who is sadly killed. They connected in a way neither of them had with anyone before. How do you move on from that?

Ava has no choice but to move on though and is soon married to Henry. They have two children and are happy for the most part. They make it work anyway, despite struggles and an infidelity, but Ava has never forgotten Will. Will has never forgotten Ava either and her spirit is determined that they will be together again one day, one way or another. Their souls are connected and will find a way, she is sure of it.

Do you believe in reincarnation? I most definitely believe that some of us have been here before. I loved how this book explores this idea. I was completely captivated.

The way the afterlife is portrayed through Will’s passing to the other side is quite beautiful. It’s lovely to think there is someone waiting for you to help with your transition and that we can always be there for those we leave behind whenever we are needed. It is also comforting to think that our soul might get another chance at life, in a different body ready to live a different life. And those souls who are meant for each other will always find a way back to one another.

I could talk about this book for hours, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. I loved how the story progressed though. My heart broke for Ava. I had goosebumps on more than one occasion and it did leave a smile on my face at the end.

Beautiful, beautiful writing.

Buy it now

About Sherrie Lowe

I am a divorced Mum and Nana living in Staffordshire UK. I began writing seriously when I contracted M.E. in ’95 after having to resign from my job as learning support assistant in a mainstream high school because I was too ill to continue. M.E. also called chronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating, little understood illness, which destroys lives. Writing has kept me sane through the loneliness and isolation which are one of the results of this illness.

I have written eleven novels, two memoirs and two short story/poetry collections and have tried the traditional route to publication, then came the opportunity to publish with http://www.feedaread.com/ an Arts Council funded site so I went ahead and published everything I’ve written with them. All are available in paperback from Feedaread and most from Amazon too, also in ebook format from Amazon.

Visit my website http://www.sherrielowe.co.uk/

and my blogs http://sherrielowe.wordpress.com/

http://phoenix-hello.blogspot.co.uk/

You can also follow me on twitter @SherrieLowe2