Six whole years of book blogging! I love it!

Thanks to all who have supported my blog along the way. You’re all awesome!

Here’s to the next six years of amazing books….

Happy reading everyone!

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 October 2020, plus a link to previous October FBFs….

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2020/10/02/flashbackfriday-october-2020-bookreviews/

Have you read any of the above?

Freecycling for Beginners

by Misha Herwin 

I have always enjoyed Misha Herwin’s writing so I was very much looking forward to getting stuck in to Freecycling for Beginners. I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. Misha Herwin has a way of drawing you in. She knows how to write characters a reader will love and a story that stays with you long after you have finished reading.

This is such a heart warming read it was easy to lose myself between the pages and immerse myself in the lives of these random strangers who find themselves becoming so much more to each other just by showing a little bit of kindness and support. How lovely to think there are people in the real world just like those in this book. I’m lucky to know a few!

There are so many lovely characters throughout this book, all with very different lifestyles, different worries and struggles but each find a way of helping another out without the need for payment or thanks. It really does restore your faith in humanity. There are many decent people in this world. We often forget as there tends to be too much focus on the negative these days. This story is the perfect reminder of the power of human kindness.

I loved it!

**Many thanks to Misha Herwin for my review copy and to Rachel Gilbey for my spot on the blog tour**

Available now!

Follow, like, and share the book love with these awesome book bloggers….

happy reading 🙂

Looking for a good read whilst also supporting a very worth charity? Together Behind Four Walls Compiled by Francis H Powell With the sudden arrival of Covid 19 and the introduction of a lockdown, many people might have wondered how they would spend their time. Writers, poets, and artists decided to express their feelings in […]

In support of Marie Curie Nurses…. Together Behind Four Walls compiled by Francis H Powell @Dreamheadz — Bowen’s Book Publicity

Hi, I have a fabulous giveaway for you today!

You are invited underneath the great greenwood tree to hear how a young man became a hero, and a hero became a legend. When Robin takes a shortcut through Sherwood Forest, the path he chooses leads not to Nottingham’s archery contest, but to a life on the run from the law. Unable now to become a knight, and joined by his childhood friends, Robin Hood leads the most infamous outlaw band ever to evade the king and his sheriff.

Giveaway….

For your chance to win a signed copy of The Scarlet Forest: A Tale of Robin Hood, a Robin Hood tote bag, a signed bookmark, and bonus sheets with book club questions and medieval outlaw bios, Follow the link….

https://kingsumo.com/g/lepzqr/win-a-signed-copy-of-the-scarlet-forest-a-tale-of-robin-hood-plus-gift-pack

**The giveaway will be open until 5th October 2021. The winner will be chosen on the 6th**

Good luck!

http://bowensbookpublicity.com/2021/09/16/freecycling-for-beginners-by-misha-herwin-mishaherwin/

Do Not Disturb

by Claire Douglas 

Do Not Disturb is another excellent read by Claire Douglas. I have read a couple of her books now and I love her writing.

When we meet Wales born Kirsty she has been living with her husband and two daughters in London. However, her husband hasn’t been well, so they decide it’s time to start a new life back in Wales. They buy a guest house to run as a family, along with Kirsty’s mother.

Before they are even open to guests her Mum asks if Kirsty’s cousin, Selena, can stay with her sick daughter. Kirsty is reluctant. They haven’t spoken for years after a massive fallout. Does she need the extra stress in her life? However, her mother had pretty much decided for her anyway, and Selena arrives. It isn’t long before something feels off though and then a tragic accident (or so it seems initially) leaves them all in shock. Serious questions are raised and what we discover as the story progresses is shocking and heart wrenching. I’m not sure how I would handle the situation they are faced with. I can certainly understand Kirsty as a mother.

There is so much going on in this story. So many complex characters. So many back stories and secrets to be revealed (and kept). It’s full of surprises and it certainly held my attention from the first page to the very last. I highly recommend!

**Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley. I am working my way through my list slowly but surely**

Available now….

ICYMI….

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2016/08/29/local-girl-missing-by-claire-douglas-review/

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2018/12/23/the-text-a-short-story-by-claire-douglas-dougieclaire-bookreview/

A Home in the Sun

by Sue Moorcroft  

A Home in the Sun is a lovely read and one which deserves the fabulous reviews it is getting.

When we first meet Judith, she is loving life in Malta with her younger man. That is until tragedy strikes, turning her world upside down. I can’t even imagine how devastated she must be, especially given the unusual circumstances of their relationship. My heart truly went out to her. When she moves back to the UK not knowing if it might be temporary or permanent, I felt for her as she faces an uncertain future. She is only in her early 40s and that is no age to have to start all over again, especially after already being divorced from one man, but she has little choice.

I really liked Judith and I was rooting for her throughout this story. I did want to shake her at times, but I could understand her being torn between her life in Malta (it sounds so beautiful) and the possibility of happiness back home in the UK. I just felt for those on the receiving end of her indecisiveness. It’s difficult to say more without spoilers. If you’ve read it already, I’m sure you’ll know what I mean.

This book has some lovely characters (and some not so lovely!), all with their own story to tell and who all add depth to the story. It is a romance, but it is also much more than that.

It’s a story of love, loss, family, and finding new beginnings. I loved it!

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

Available now….

Enjoy!

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. Share a link with us in the comments.

Here are my reviews from September 2020 plus a link to previous September FBFs….

Have you read any of the above?

If He Wakes

by Zoe Lea 

I finished If He Wakes last night, and it most definitely gets all the stars from me.

Rachel and Suzie are friends and have started a business together. When we meet Rachel, she is concerned her husband is having an affair and follows him. What she sees is far worse!

When we meet Suzie, she is besotted with her photographer fiancé, Adam (who Rachel is yet to meet as he always seems to be too busy), but she is becoming increasingly anxious having not heard from him for a while and even more so after finding out her bank account is empty. That would have set my alarm bells ringing for sure, but Suzie is convinced there will be an innocent explanation. She trusts Adams implicitly. When she discovers where he is she is beside herself with worry, but nothing could prepare her for what she is about to discover.

There’s not much else I can say without spoiling it for those who haven’t read it yet, but I could happily chat about this book for hours!

The very moment I realised what was going on, and the way this story was leading, my stomach did a somersault. I can only imagine how Rachel and Suzie must feel. And Rachel’s husband. The devastation they face is heart-wrenching and I felt physically sick for them all.

This book is very cleverly written. I found myself completely invested in the characters. I was as desperate as they were to find out the truth, however painful. I could feel the emotion, the desperation, the anger, the sadness. It’s an extremely powerful and tense read. My heart rate increased on more than one occasion and I’m sure I was holding my breath at times.

An amazing debut novel! I highly recommend!

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

(I’m working my way through my shelf, slowly but surely!)

Available now….

enjoy!