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Safe at Home by Mel Sherratt 

Safe at Home

by Mel Sherratt 

Safe at Home is one of Mel Sherratt’s standalone novels. I have loved every book she has published, and this one has been no exception.

Clara has had a troubled past and she battles daily with her inner demons. She just wants to be loved and accepted. To find a home where she feels safe and secure. To do some good in the world, so she can finally feel good about herself. This was never going to be easy for Clara though and my heart went out to her, especially as I got to know her better. She’s done things she’s not proud of and paid for them. I really liked her though. I was rooting for her to find peace and the life she was craving. It’s understandable that others might be wary though when they learn of her past.

Safe at Home is a highly emotional read, featuring characters you could so easily have living in your street. Struggling in ways you might never know. Mel Sherratt always manages to write flawed characters you can’t help but like, and can easily empathise with, despite what they might have done.

Character driven psychological fiction at its finest!

I was glued to my kindle, as I always am with Mel’s books.

** Many thanks to Mel Sherratt for my kindle review copy. Proud to be part of #TeamSherratt **

She just wants to belong. But some scars run too deep.

Clara’s past is never far behind—but this time, she’s determined to outrun it. Starting over as a support worker, she finds unexpected refuge in Cedric House, the home of kind-hearted widow Roberta. It feels like a second chance. Maybe even a home.

But Clara is no stranger to damage—nor to the anger simmering just beneath the surface. She’s trying: therapy, anger management, staying out of trouble.

Then everything begins to crack. A workplace confrontation. A neighbourly dispute. And the fragile peace she’s fought so hard for starts to slip through her fingers.

Safe at Home is a raw and moving portrait of a woman on the edge—craving connection, battling inner demons, and trying to prove that even the most broken people deserve a place to belong.

Happy reading!

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#CoverReveal for AJ West’s The Betrayal of Thomas True #PaperbackEdition @AJWestAuthor @OrendaBooks

The only sin is betrayal…

 
It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London’s hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.
 
Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly’s stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices.
 
Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?
 
Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal…

The Betrayal of Thomas True

#PaperbackEdition

PRE-ORDER NOW!

https://geni.us/xp4Ipu

Out on the 3rd July!

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Fragile by Sarah Hilary @sarah_hilary

Fragile

by Sarah Hilary

Not long after we meet Nell, she recognises there is a job opportunity at Starling Villas which might just be the first step in turning her life around. She convinces the man of the house, Robin, to take her on as his live in housekeeper. Being a runaway from her foster home this feels like a huge step up for her and she begins to settle. Although the house sounds really creepy to me so I’m not sure I’d want to live and work there. As Nell starts to make progress with the house Robin’s wife turns up throwing a cat among the pigeons (to put it mildly!).

Nell is a fascinating character. I couldn’t help but feel for her, especially as the story progresses. She’s done things she isn’t proud of, just to survive. Her relationship with Joe is a complicated one, especially given their shared secrets. A secret that underpins the whole story, maintaining the tension throughout. Their foster ‘mother’ is quite the piece of work!

This is quite an unsettling read. I felt on edge, wondering what might happen next and what truths might be revealed. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement. The creepy, tense, atmosphere created is quite addictive. An extremely clever psychological thriller.

Brilliant!

** My paperback copy of Fragile was a Wishlist gift from one of my very lovely Bookstagram friends **

Nell Ballard is a runaway. A former foster child with a dark secret she is desperately trying to keep, all Nell wants is to find a place she can belong.

So when a job comes up at Starling Villas, home to the enigmatic Robin Wilder, she seizes the opportunity with both hands.

But her new lodgings may not be the safe haven that she was hoping for. Her employer lives by a set of rigid rules and she soon sees he is hiding secrets of his own.

But is Nell’s arrival at the Villas really the coincidence it seems? After all, she knows more than most how fragile people can be – and how easily they can be to break . . .

Happy reading!

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Will Audible – Unabridged by Will Smith (Author, Narrator), Mark Manson (Author), Penguin Audio (Publisher)

Will 

Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Will Smith (Author, Narrator), Mark Manson (Author), Penguin Audio (Publisher)

Will has been waiting patiently in my Audible library since December 2021 (I listen to them in order of purchase) and this is a long one (over fifteen hours), so it’s taken me a while to get through. I have thoroughly enjoyed it though!

I love Will Smith. I LOVED The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, I love his music, and I love his films. I was interested to listen to “Will” and I wasn’t disappointed. This is a very frank and honest account of his life from childhood onwards. It’s quite the eye-opener at times!

Sometimes sad, touching, emotional, but more often than not hilarious. Highly entertaining!

I recommend to any fan.

Narrated by Will Smith.

One of the most dynamic and globally recognised entertainment forces of our time opens up fully about his life, in a brave and inspiring book that traces his learning curve to a place where outer success, inner happiness and human connection are aligned. Along the way, Will tells the story in full of one of the most amazing rides through the worlds of music and film that anyone has ever had.

Will Smith’s transformation from a fearful child in a tense West Philadelphia home to one of the biggest pop stars of his era and then one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood history, with a string of box office successes that will likely never be broken, is an epic tale of inner transformation and outer triumph, and Will tells it astonishingly well. But it’s only half the story.

Will Smith thought, with good reason, that he had won at life: not only was his own success unparalleled, his whole family was at the pinnacle of the entertainment world. Only they didn’t see it that way: they felt more like star performers in his circus, a seven-days-a-week job they hadn’t signed up for. It turned out Will Smith’s education wasn’t nearly over.

This memoir is the product of a profound journey of self-knowledge, a reckoning with all that your will can get you and all that it can leave behind. Written with the help of Mark Manson, author of the multimillion-copy best seller The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Will is the story of how one exceptional man mastered his own emotions, written in a way that can help everyone else do the same. Few of us will know the pressure of performing on the world’s biggest stages for the highest of stakes, but we can all understand that the fuel that works for one stage of our journey might have to be changed if we want to make it all the way home. The combination of genuine wisdom of universal value and a life story that is preposterously entertaining, even astonishing, puts Will the book, like its author, in a category by itself.

Happy reading/listening!

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Brides and Bouquets At Cedarwood Lodge by Rebecca Raisin

Brides and Bouquets At Cedarwood Lodge

by Rebecca Raisin

I started Brides and Bouquets immediately after finishing the first book in this series, Celebrations and Confetti, as I really love the characters and the feel-good story. This book is another lovely instalment. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The race is on for Clio to have Cedarwood Lodge ready in time for the massive Wedding Expo she has planned to help entice brides into holding a Christmas wedding at the lodge. Of course, this isn’t without its hiccups and at one point it seems like everything is against her. However, she enlists the help of the handsome project manager we met in book one and all is right with the world again.

Honestly, if I was looking for venues to get married, Cedarwood Lodge would be at the top of my list. I got married in April, but a Christmas wedding in such a beautiful setting sounds amazing! The whole set up sounds stunning! How could you not be swept away with the romance of it all!?

I thought it might be weird reading a Christmassy book in April/May, but it really wasn’t. I loved it! It’s beautifully written feel-good fiction at its finest.

I look forward to reading book three but due to other review commitments I haven’t been able to jump straight into it.

** I purchased the kindle edition of Brides and Bouquets on the 27th of April 2025 (Our wedding Anniversary!) after finishing book one **

Snow is falling at Cedarwood Lodge in the second part of the feel-good romance serial from best selling author, Rebecca Raisin!

Dreaming of a happily ever after at Cedarwood Lodge is Clio Winters’ current focus, especially with a winter wonderland wedding expo planned. But with brides coming from far and wide the heat is on for Clio to fulfil everyone’s dream of a Christmas wedding!

It seems like Clio’s new business might be off to a rocky start and surrounded by love struck brides she can’t help but hope for a little Christmas romance of her own…

Cedarwood Lodge is a delectable romance told in three parts – following Clio Winters journey back to her hometown of Evergreen. This is Part Two.

I.C.Y.M.I

Celebrations and Confetti At Cedarwood Lodge by Rebecca Raisin 

Happy reading!

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Under the Lemon Tree by Emma Cowell @EmmaCowellBooks #ARC #NetGalley

Happy Publication Day to Emma Cowell!

OUT NOW!!

Under the Lemon Tree by Emma Cowell Under the Lemon Tree is another gorgeous read by the very lovely Emma Cowell. I have loved every one of her books and, as always, this one is so beautifully written you can’t help but love the perfectly imperfect characters and fall in love with Greece all over again. […]

Under the Lemon Tree by Emma Cowell @EmmaCowellBooks #ARC #NetGalley
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Boo Bear’s Light: An A B C Rhyming Picture Book for Children by Catherine Ann Russell (Author), Jessica Robin Harkey (Illustrator), Basketful Relief Project (Publisher) #Spotlight #BookReview

Boo Bear’s Light:

An A B C Rhyming Picture Book for Children

by Catherine Ann Russell (Author), Jessica Robin Harkey (Illustrator), Basketful Relief Project (Publisher)

When Catherine contacted me about reviewing Boo Bear’s Light, I realised that I had purchased the book for my nephew’s daughter last Christmas 🙂

So, I asked my nephew if he would send me a short review….

As a parent the things I’ve loved about Boo Bears light, besides the positive messages of kindness and helping others, is the opportunity to practice letters, sounds with rhymes. The fun of discovering the hidden letters on each page is great to talk about and the shapes of letters are challenging enough even to keep parents searching. My eldest loves finding these and gets super excited when she beats me. When I asked her what she makes of the book she said “It’s one of my favourite Christmas presents. I love it.” Definitely a great book for story time.

Embark On A Wonderful Rhyming Adventure As You Learn the Value of all Living Creatures, Great and Small!

Kindness goes a long way – and when Boo Bear discovers a lost and injured firefly named Jack, he makes it his mission to help his new friend and bring him home to his family. With the help of his supportive parents mama bear and papa bear, Boo Bear embarks on a rescue mission that will light up your day and leave no letter unturned!

Beautifully written by multi-award-winning author Catherine Ann Russell with vibrant illustrations from Jessica Robin Harkey, Boo Bear’s Light shares a heartwarming moral lesson about the transformative power of love, inviting children on an unforgettable journey from A to Z!

Inside the book, you’ll discover:

  1. A Beautiful Rhyming Story that Makes Learning the Alphabet Educational and Entertaining
  2. A Memorable Way to Learn New Rhythms and Words and Expand Your Little One’s Vocabulary
  3. Colourful Illustrations that Ignite Curiosity, Wonder and Spark Your Child’s Imagination as They Hunt for a Hidden Letter in Each Panel
  4. Vital Moral Lessons about the Miracle of Love, Kindness, & Helping Those In Need
  5. A Wonderful Bedtime Story, Classroom Resource, and Teaching Tool For Boys & Girls Ages 0-7

And So Much More…

Ideal for parents & educators who want to raise compassionate children while teaching them essential early learning skills, Boo Bear’s Light will quickly become a treasured part of your bookshelf.

So, vamoose! Kick up the zeal! Dive on in and let the adventure begin!

Happy reading!

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#FlashbackFriday May 2025

Hi, and welcome to my Flashback Friday feature!

On the first Friday of each month, I like to look back at the books I was reading the previous year during the same month.

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

A big thank you to those who already join in regularly! xx

Here are my reviews from May 2024 + a link to previous May FBFs….

Reluctant Bride’s Baby Bombshell by Rachael Stewart @rach_b52

The Evil That Was Done: (Secrets of Redemption Book 3) by Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) @MichelePW

As Good As Dead: Book 3 (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder) by Holly Jackson @HoJay92

No One Saw a Thing by Andrea Mara @AndreaMaraBooks

The Summoning (Secrets of Redemption Book 4) by Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) 

Lisbon ’41: Amongst the spies and the intrigue of wartime Lisbon lies a deadly secret. (The Lisbon Novels Book 1) by Malcolm Havard @MalHavardWriter #NewSeries #BookPromotion @BoBookPublicity

The Reckoning (Secrets of Redemption Book 5) by Michele PW (Pariza Wacek)

The Long Way Home by Audrey Howard 
#FlashbackFriday May 2024

Happy reading!

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Celebrations and Confetti At Cedarwood Lodge by Rebecca Raisin 

Celebrations and Confetti At Cedarwood Lodge

by Rebecca Raisin 

Celebrations and Confetti is an excellent start to the Cedarwood Lodge series. I take my hat off to Clio for taking on such a massive challenge, although I can totally see the appeal. It sounds amazing! I love her commitment to the project, and I love her relationship with her friends, and colleagues.  She has a difficult relationship with her mother. A grieving mother who seems to carry a secret relating to Cedarwood. A secret she seems unwilling to share with Clio which strains their relationship further. It’s very intriguing and I hope we find out more about that.

Cedarwood is part of a small community and Clio is determined to bring it back to life with many celebrations and happy occasions. Will she leave herself any time for a bit of romance though!?

A very enjoyable read. I’ve already bought book two and started it. I’m finding myself quite invested in these characters.

** According to Amazon I purchased the Kindle edition of Celebrations and Confetti on 23rd November 2016 **

Clio Winters is finally fulfilling her childhood dream of renovating the gorgeous old Cedarwood Lodge in Evergreen. Turning it into the perfect destination for big celebrations, weddings and parties has brought her back home, but Cedarwood Lodge is in need of a lot of tender loving care.

Perhaps all the work will be the perfect distraction from the real reason she had to leave her glamorous New York life behind.

Will coming home be the best decision of her life… or her biggest regret?

Cedarwood Lodge is a delectable romance told in three parts – following Clio Winters journey back to her hometown of Evergreen. This is Part One.

Happy reading!

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Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight 

Where They Found Her

by Kimberly McCreight 

Molly Anderson is a delicate character who has suffered tremendous loss. She is a mother and a reporter for a small publication. She usually covers the arts but when a body is found in the woods near to the university, she is tasked with the most difficult report she’ll ever have to work on. Her husband is understandably concerned about the effect on her mental health, given her history, but Molly is determined to see it through. Little does she know just how this case will change her life forever!

Where They Found Her is a compelling read with twists and turns galore. As the truth was revealed I was shocked, sickened, and my heart went out to Molly as well as others involved in such traumatic circumstances.

** According to Amazon I purchased the Kindle edition of this book on 21st November 2018 **

Motherhood hasn’t come at all easy for Molly Anderson. But she’s finally enjoying life as mother to five-year-old Ella and as Arts reporter for the small but respectable Ridgedale Reader. That is, until a body is found in the woods adjacent to Ridgedale University’s ivy-covered campus. This is a discovery that threatens to unearth secrets long buried by the town’s most powerful residents, and brings Molly to two women who are far more deeply connected than they have ever realised.

Happy reading!